Informa Canada produces and manages over 45 annual conferences, trade and consumer shows in the construction, design, craft, art, real estate, and furniture sectors, including the Interior Design Show, IIDEXCanada, the Artist Project and Fan Expo. Known for their global approach, Informa’s exhibitions offer opportunities for industry insight from around the world, with a mandate of innovation and design excellence. The fit-up for Informa’s Toronto expansion into one of midtown’s Class A office buildings, involved accommodating a growing team of 110 employees in a 16,000 s.f. floorplate while supporting their collaborative work approach.
Informa’s department teams working in different sectors (real estate shows, consumer shows, Fan expo, finance department) were previously isolated from one another, and with communication and productivity decreasing it was necessary to integrate the teams into a more collaborative environment. The new layout divides the department teams into coloured quadrants which are visually identified by bold colours in the workstation furniture and wall graphics. The workstations are grouped in clusters with open space between them and located around the perimeter of the floorplate to permit views and natural light. Access to ample breakout and meeting spaces for team huddles preserves the workstation areas for focused work. Private offices and meeting rooms have glass partitions to permit borrowed light from the adjacent naturally-lit spaces.
In the elevator lobby a directional graphic in the company’s brand colours directs guests to the reception area where a mural by local artist Mike Parsons depicts themes from some of Informa’s exhibitions. A fresh material palette of light wood, adding warmth in a corporate environment, combined with deep hues of blue in the furnishings and linear carpet, incorporates Informa’s brand colours and contrasts with the white walls and workstation furniture. Similarly, in the communal kitchen, splashes of colour from the furniture and light fixtures offset the neutral grey kitchen cabinetry and countertop. The result is a space that successfully communicates Informa’s brand and collaborative process, achieving its transition from a disconnected and poorly lit environment to an open workspace flooded with light.
