A ski lift on the exhibition stand ceiling? We work it out

Book fairs are the highlight of the year for Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY), with significance that is both commercial and promotional. Since 2018, Messua has been WSOY’s trusted partner in the design and implementation of exhibition stands. The WSOY exhibition stand has become a highlight of these fairs.

WSOY is a historic Finnish publishing house with over a century of experience in publishing Finnish-language literature. The WSOY publishing family also includes Tammi, Johnny Kniga, Readme.fi, Kosmos, Bazar, Docendo and Crime Time.

Participation in book fairs is an essential part of WSOY’s activities. The most important annual events are the Turku International Book Fair in early October and the Helsinki Book Fair later that same month. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2018, Messua has worked alongside WSOY’s event producer Sami Ravattinen, who has been involved from the very start.

“When we began working together, our stand at the Helsinki Book Fair was around 300 square metres. By 2024, we had grown to over 1,000 square metres,” Ravattinen explains, noting that growth and size are not just about visible space.

“A larger stand allows for more books, more sales, and most importantly, greater visibility for WSOY at the fair. With seven publishing houses in the WSOY family, we all share the same stand and pull together as one. The fairs bring our publishing year together. Our sales target is important, but equally vital is bringing authors and readers face-to-face. Signing sessions and author encounters are a key part of the appeal. With Messua’s stand designs, readers, authors, and we as publishers truly meet each other,” Ravattinen adds.

Functionality and encounters at the heart of the WSOY exhibition stand

Messua’s exhibition stand design has provided WSOY with practical and long-lasting solutions — perhaps even better than originally imagined. The design concept has focused on spacious layouts and large display tables — called book platforms — with built-in storage underneath.

“Before our cooperation, our stands had tall shelves and even partitions that suffocated the space. The shelves also held a limited number of books. On Messua’s suggestion, we switched to a more open design. The large, lower book platforms hold vast numbers of books with storage beneath. This year, our stand held 50,000 books in total — a huge number for a fair stand, yet we made it work,” Ravattinen smiles.

The original plan created at the start of the partnership has proven exemplary in the long term.

“The same furniture has been in use since 2018. The wooden tables have been extended and adjusted over the years with new parts and small modifications. The planned look, layout and furniture solutions have proven highly functional in practice, making it sensible to reuse them again and again. This saves both time and money, while also being environmentally friendly and aligned with sustainable development,” Ravattinen points out.

And the ski lift — what was that all about?

As an event producer, Ravattinen sees Messua’s partnership as a comprehensive service where everything works seamlessly from planning to execution.

“Messua has shown us their ability to turn creative ideas into reality. At the 2023 Helsinki Book Fair, we wanted a striking element linked to John Irving’s novel The Last Chairlift. The idea was to have a ski lift painted yellow hanging from the ceiling. The request came from us, the chairlift from Rovaniemi, and Messua turned it into a feasible installation. This is just one of many examples of how they make the impossible possible,” he praises.

“They never dismiss our ideas but instead think about how they can be realised. Messua’s expertise in structures, weight limits, and visual design is invaluable. They understand precisely what matters to us. The team is thorough and warm-hearted — they always ensure everything works as planned, and sometimes they even go the extra mile. This has made our collaboration smooth and built strong trust. That’s one of the main reasons why we chose Messua as our partner and why we continue to work with them,” Ravattinen concludes.

Messua has also designed the interior of WSOY’s bookstore, located in connection with the publishing house on Lönnrotinkatu, Helsinki.

“We moved here in 2019. The bookstore was originally across the street, but when space became available in our own building, we wanted to bring the store alongside the publishing house. It was an obvious choice to ask Messua to carry out the project. The store now features the same type of book platforms as our exhibition stands, as well as illuminated wall shelves. The result is excellent, and we’re very happy with it. Welcome, everyone,” Ravattinen says.