MacroArt “Catches ’em all” with stunning Pokémon World Store graphics

In August 2022, we teamed up with our sister company Aluvista, to deliver a stunning range of graphics for the Pokémon World Store at this year’s World Championships in London’s ExCel. Working closely with our new clients, Inception Worldwide and Pokémon, both ourselves and Aluvista provided a large-scale full-service package together with other contractors to build the World Store at what is believed to have been the largest ever Pokémon event!

With tens of thousands of visitors attending the tournament, having the right in-store experience for the merchandising displays was essential. Our team delivered the design, print and framework production as well as the installation and derigging at the ICC Capital Hall at ExCel, to ensure the store was a success.

Matt Tomkins, one of our Project Managers, and Sales Director Matt Guise together with Jenny Smith, Head of Strategy and Projects at Aluvista, collaborated to produce this huge project, with sub-contractors, from start to finish.

“This was a large, complex, and challenging project, working with an excellent agency and other brilliant suppliers. Our close collaboration ensured we provided a system and print with reusability and recyclability in mind, and the results were simply stunning,” said Matt Guise.

Elements included more than 1000m² of floor vinyls, 1500m² of recyclable dye-sublimation fabrics and 500 linear metres of modular frames to create the walling, as well as print for over two dozen reusable hanging and freestanding lightboxes and 33 gondola units. Aluvista also supplied a gantry truss to support the main entrance lightboxes.

Everything was produced, finished, and packed requiring four articulated lorries and four large vans to deliver to site. The onsite teams oversaw the complete installation, working with the build exhibition company, electricians, riggers, and audio-visual teams, to ensure a seamless installation. Despite a challenging set up process, including delays in rigging, the project took just six days to install to deliver the perfect retail experience for the Pokémon Championships.

In addition to the comprehensive use of recyclable materials for the graphics, all framework supplied was either rented or produced to ensure it can be repurposed at future events maximising sustainability across the installation.

Mark Hutchinson, Director of Inception Worldwide, was delighted with the smooth running of the whole process; “When managing a large event activation with the detailed approach we demand as an agency that also has many moving parts it is important to work with suppliers who work through complexities and ultimately truly care about the success of the event – and we found that with Matt, Jenny and the wider team and thank them for all their hard work!”

Jenny added; “This project is a fantastic example of what MacroArt and Aluvista can achieve through collaborating on these large-scale projects. As a Group we are so much more than just a framing and graphics supplier and our success in delivering this project for Inception and Pokémon will hopefully lead to many more live event installations.”