PORTA @ BUNNINGS TRADE EXPO 2026

Client: Borg Group for Porta

Location: National Touring Expo – Multiple Cities

Show: Bunnings Trade Expo

Size: 36sqm

 

Key Features

 

• • Fully custom-built stand designed as a constructed “home frame” environment
• • Exposed structural timber framework using Porta products
• • Integrated tactile product zones across walls, flooring, and roof structure
• • Walk-on acrylic flooring revealing subfloor construction layers
• • Custom shelving and display units built from Porta materials
• • Illuminated Porta signage integrated into roof truss structure
• • Modular design engineered for national touring across multiple expos

 

 

Project Overview

 

For the 2026 National Bunnings Trade Expo, Porta Group required a stand that could showcase their products in action.

Rather than relying on traditional shelving or static samples, the brief called for a fully immersive environment that showcased Porta’s structural timber range in a way that felt real, practical, and relevant to trade customers.

The result was a custom-built stand designed as a partially constructed home, where every element was built using Porta products.

The stand itself became a live demonstration of how Porta materials integrate within residential construction.

 

The Challenge

 

One of the primary challenges was translating products typically experienced within permanent residential construction into a temporary exhibition environment without losing authenticity.

Materials commonly used within walls, flooring systems, structural framing, and finished interiors needed to be showcased in a way that still felt true to their real-world application. Rather than displaying products as isolated samples, the stand needed to demonstrate how these materials function together within a believable built environment, while still meeting the logistical, structural, and compliance requirements of a touring exhibition stand.

The stand needed to:

• • Clearly demonstrate multiple product categories
• • Encourage tactile interaction with materials
• • Appeal to a trade-focused audience
• • Remain structurally robust and compliant
• • Be designed for repeat use across multiple national events

 

Unlike single-use exhibition builds, this environment needed to be durable, modular, and adaptable for a full-year rollout.

 

Design Strategy

 

The design approach focused on exposing the construction process rather than concealing it.

• Show the build, not just the product.

• The stand was designed as an open-frame structure, exposing the layers of construction typically hidden behind walls and finishes.

 
Exposed Structural Framework

Roof trusses, wall framing, and support elements were left visible, allowing visitors to see exactly how Porta products function within a real build.

 
Layered Material Storytelling

Walls combined multiple finishes including raw structural panels and finished cladding, creating a side-by-side comparison of product applications.

 
Walk-On Transparent Flooring

A key feature of the stand was the use of clear acrylic flooring, allowing visitors to physically walk over and view the subfloor system beneath.

This transformed a typically hidden construction element into a tactile learning experience.

 
Integrated Product Displays

Custom shelving and wall units were built directly from Porta materials, showcasing:

• • Structural timber
• • Decorative panels
• • Cladding systems
• • Finishing applications

 

 
Residential Cues

Windows, decking sections, and planter integrations added familiarity, helping visitors visualise how products translate into real residential builds.

 

Execution

 

Delivery focused on precision fabrication and efficient assembly.

Key execution elements included:

• • Pre-cut and pre-assembled components manufactured in-house to improve accuracy and reduce on-site build time
• • Custom steel brackets engineered to support exposed roof truss elements while maintaining clean visual lines
• • Integration of lighting and AV, including a 65” screen for product and brand messaging
• • Installation of multiple wall systems combining Easycraft panels, Structa panels, and timber framing
• • Coordination of bump-in, assembly, and compliance within a high-traffic trade show environment

 

The structure was engineered for repeat assembly and disassembly, ensuring consistency across each event in the national touring schedule.

 

 

Result

 

The finished stand delivered a highly engaging, tactile experience that resonated strongly with the trade audience.

• Visitors could physically interact with materials rather than simply view them
• Complex construction systems were simplified through real-world demonstration
• The stand maintained strong visual presence while remaining practical and educational
• The modular design created long-term value through repeat national use

 

Most importantly, the environment showcased Porta products within a practical construction context that genuinely connected with the trade audience.

 

The Takeaway

 

For product-led brands, the most effective exhibitions don’t just show what something is. They show how it works.

By transforming the stand itself into a live construction environment, this project demonstrated how thoughtful exhibition design can turn product education into a memorable, hands-on experience.

And by engineering the build for national rollout, that value continues well beyond a single show.