Case Study - The Creator Playground - Immersive Exhibition Feature Design
What do a psychedelic zebra, a pink telephone box, a retro arcade and a Korean noodle bar have in common?
They’ve all lived inside the Creator Playground, an interactive feature designed and built by Solutions2 at the heart of The Photography & Video Show.
Since 2022, we’ve partnered with Future PLC, the organisers of The Photography & Video Show, to transform a simple brief into one of the most engaging and high-impact feature areas at the event.
The Brief
From the outset in 2022, the objective was to create an interactive central show feature that would
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Attract and retain visitor attention
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Encourage content creation and social sharing
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Provide a hands-on environment for brands and creators
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Elevate the overall exhibition experience Reduced material waste
It needed to balance creativity with practicality, delivering maximum impact within tight build schedules, budgets and space constraints.
The Approach
Each year begins with an initial theme, from illusion to Alice in Wonderland, retro, and most recently ‘around the world’.
Concepts begin as hand-drawn sketches and Pinterest boards, evolving into layered 3D environments combining structure, props, texture and perspective.
The idea is always to design immersive environments that visitors can experience, focusing on
- Visitor flow and movement
- Interaction points and dwell zones
- Visual moments designed for photography and video
If it won’t stop someone or make them pick up a camera, it doesn’t make the cut.
The Experience
The Creator Playground is designed for a wide range of visitors, from enthusiasts and social creators to influencers and professional photographers.
Each year the space includes
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High-impact visual design
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Interactive elements
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Practical content creation opportunities
The idea is that visitors can step into immersive sets, test photography equipment and create content designed specifically for camera and video-led engagement.
The Results
Results
The Creator Playground has become a proven visitor magnet:
- Around 1 in 4 visitors engage with the feature
- Extended dwell times, with visitors spending up to an hour in the space
- Strong social media engagement across major platforms
- Recognised by industry press as a standout feature
- 2026 saw the area sponsored by Samsung.
Exhibitors also benefit from increased interaction, using the space as a live demonstration and content environment.
The Photography & Video Show is gear heaven – but I’m here for Samsung’s Creator Playground – link - “The Creator Playground is always a regular attraction at the show, but this year it’s bigger and better than ever, with an entire globetrotting photo experience, and even a quick trip into outer space – take that Katy Perry.
The Creator Playground and content zones were among the most modern and engaging parts of the show.
Each year we work together to push the boundaries of what can be achieved. It’s a project we cannot wait to get started on!
"As Operations Manager for the show, it’s my job to bring the Creator Playground to life.
When it was first briefed to me in year one, I had no doubt that it would be Solutions2 I’d trust to execute the feature as they are superb at what they do. I knew that they would get on board and put their all in.
It’s very much a team effort and ideas can be bounced back and forth between us, sometimes with much head scratching, until we have that “oh, this is going to work” moment. It’s also been a project in development as we have learnt what works well and how people like to engage with the feature. Solutions2 offer fresh opinions and suggestions to better the experience year-on-year. Without such a strong collaborative working approach, the Creator Playground would not be the crowd pleaser that it is. There is nothing better than seeing our hard work come together when watching the smiles on visitors’ faces as they enjoy all that it has to offer."
Operations Manager, The Photography & Video Show
“The creativity and teamwork that Solutions 2 display is amazing. Beach scene with a giant scuba mask? Alice In Wonderland-themed perspective-bending tunnel? Upside-down living room? Pulled off to perfection.
I'm sure there was much head scratching when we first started discussing Creator Playground concepts, but Solutions2 love a challenge! Now nobody bats an eyelid when we start talking about swings, Tetris tunnels, and pink ostrich bathtubs.
Watching the Creator Playground come to life on site is quite something - I love it when we hear 'oooooh, next time we should do THIS..!'
The Creator Playground has been such a highlight for us. It's wonderful to have such an immersive and fun feature for our visitors to interact with, and the pure joy on people's faces is amazing to witness.”
Event Director, The Photography & Video Show
