Outline
How a Nostalgic 1950s Themed Kombi Bar Won Best Stand at HIRE26 — Flextool's Trade Show Brand Activation
Kombi & Co. builds nostalgic trade show brand activations from its own fleet of custom vintage promotional vehicles. For Flextool’s 75th anniversary, Kombi & Co. delivered the 1950s-themed Kombi bar at the heart of the stand that won Best Stand at HIRE26.
See it in Action
Flextool Wins Best Stand Award
The Brief: A 75th Anniversary Trade Show Activation
Flextool turned 75 this year. They were exhibiting at HIRE26, the trade show run by the Hire and Rental Industry Association (HRIA) — the biggest event on the calendar for anyone in hire and rental equipment.
A 75th anniversary needed to show up as more than a birthday sticker on a standard shell-scheme booth. It needed a trade show stand people would actually remember.
The Problem: Standing out amongst hundreds of exhibitors on a Trade Show Floor
Walk any trade show floor and you’ll see the same thing on repeat: similar shell-scheme walls, a pop-up banner, a trestle table with brochures fanned out. Hundreds of exhibitor stands, most of them interchangeable. Attendees walk past on autopilot — they’ve seen this stand before, just with a different logo on it.
Flextool didn’t want to blend in. They needed a stand that would make people stop and take notice.
The Idea: A Nostalgic 1950s theme Kombi Bar Activation
Kombi & Co. built the centrepiece: a custom-Kombi bar in Flextool’s branding, styled with era-authentic 1950s props, signage and staffed by the Kombi & Co. team. It wasn’t just a display piece — it served refreshing beverages and promotional gifts to everyone who stopped to talk with Flextool’s sales team.
That’s what turned a static stand into somewhere people genuinely wanted to be. The custom Kombi Bar was the reason people stopped and engaged. Flextool’s team worked the floor in striking 1950s costume, handing out branded chocolates and merchandise. Guests who engaged with the activation were treated to a free beverage from the bar.
The Result: Best Stand at HIRE26
The unique Kombi bar gave people a reason to stop that had nothing to do with a brochure. Every drink poured was a conversation with Flextool’s sales team already underway — real engagement, not foot traffic passing by.
Flextool’s stand won The Best Stand at HIRE26, the second year running for Flextool, and was named HRIA Supplier of the Year – General Division at the same show. The nostalgia is what made people stop.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
How Kombi & Co. Can Amplify your Trade Show Stand:
- Owned Fleet, Custom-Built: Deploy an attention-grabbing custom promotional Kombi as the centrepiece of your stand.
- Themed Brand Experiences: Build a nostalgic or era-specific activation concept that gives your milestone or story a physical presence on the floor.
- Staffed & Costumed: Bring your stand to life with a fully briefed, on-brand team ready to engage every visitor who stops.
- Seamless Operations: Trust our team with venue coordination, beverage logistics, and every operational detail on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you celebrate a company anniversary at a trade show?
Kombi & Co.’s answer is to build the milestone into the stand itself. For Flextool’s 75th anniversary at HIRE26, Kombi & Co. supplied a custom-branded 1950s-themed Kombi bar, alongside Flextool’s fully costumed team and branded merchandise.
How do you stand out at a trade show when every stand looks the same?
Kombi & Co.’s approach: give people a physical centrepiece they want to interact with, not just look at. At Flextool’s HIRE26 stand, that meant a nostalgic 1950s-themed Kombi bar, era costume, and custom branded chocolates and merchandise — a point of difference nobody could scroll past. The result: Best Stand at HIRE26, judged against hundreds of other exhibitors on the floor.
What is a trade show brand activation?
A trade show brand activation is a live, built experience at an event stand — not a banner or a brochure table. Kombi & Co. builds these from its own fleet of custom promotional vehicles rather than the regular booths. For Flextool at HIRE26, that meant a custom Kombi bar, a themed team, and free drinks tied directly to conversations with sales staff. It turns foot traffic into engagement.
What made Flextool's stand win Best Stand at HIRE26?
The centrepiece was Kombi & Co.’s custom 1950s Kombi bar, built specifically for Flextool’s 75th anniversary and paired with era-authentic props and a fully costumed team. It gave the stand something nobody could ignore. HRIA Supplier of the Year – General Division followed the same night.
