Client: MA Financial Group
Event: Sydney Contemporary Art Fair (SCAF) 2025
Location: Carriageworks – Elston Room & Foyer, Sydney
Purpose
To create a branded activation space that positioned MA Financial as more than the principal sponsor — a cultural host. The brief called for a design that was on-brand with colour, included custom elements that could be reused in future years, and delivered a flexible environment that could evolve across the event.
Introduction
Sydney Contemporary Art Fair (SCAF) is Australia’s leading international art showcase, attracting global galleries, collectors, and cultural leaders. As principal sponsor, MA Financial wanted its presence in 2025 to stand out as a premium, immersive environment that aligned the brand with the arts while providing spaces for client hospitality, media engagement, and curated activations.
Grand Stand Events was engaged to turn the concept into reality, building a multi-zone activation that would transform both the Elston Room and foyer of Carriageworks, plus an external marquee, into a destination that felt like an event within an event.
Challenges
Delivering inside Carriageworks posed several challenges:
- • Uneven floors and difficult measurements meant the build had to be flexible and adaptable.
- Heritage venue restrictions and compressed bump-in windows demanded precision in planning and execution.
- • The brief required a space that felt refined and premium, but also cool, inviting, and dynamic — shifting easily between daytime hosting and evening activations.
Our Solution
Grand Stand Events designed and delivered a suite of custom and hire elements that brought the MA Financial brand to life.
Custom Entry Archway & Reception Hut
- A striking illuminated arch with an integrated reception desk and branded entry tunnel created a powerful first impression and clear point of arrival.
DJ Booth
- A custom timber desk with recessed LED lighting became both the entertainment hub and a sculptural feature.
Fabric Banners & Media Walls
- Large-format tensioned banners and blockout fabric walls provided texture, branding, and wayfinding, anchoring the space visually across both the Elston Room and foyer.
Geometrical Plinths & Activation Counters
- Painted plinths and counters gave flexibility for food activations and displays, while paper stools and benches created adaptable guest seating that could shift as the event changed.
Marquee Extension
- A 6 × 3 m marquee with retractable walls and integrated lighting added extra activation space in the car park, connecting seamlessly to the main activation footprint.
Behind-the-Scenes Functionality
Storage dividers, lockers, bollards and ropes, and electrical integration ensured the activation was practical for staff and service teams, without disrupting the guest experience.
From early brainstorming in February, our team collaborated with MA Financial to refine colour palettes, adjust layouts, and ensure every element aligned with both brand and event requirements.
Results
The completed activation became a destination within SCAF — a cool, contemporary zone that felt like its own event space once you entered. The entry hut and tunnel framed the experience, the DJ booth and colour palette brought energy, and the banners and media walls carried the brand confidently through the venue.
Behind the polished finish, integrated storage and a marquee extension ensured the space functioned seamlessly for activations, catering, and client hosting.
For MA Financial, the activation was a cultural statement that reinforced their role as principal sponsor of SCAF, hosting clients and connecting brand to art in a meaningful way.
BRANDS WE’VE MADE STAND OUT
