Computacenter Group Kick Off 2026
Overview
For over a decade, CI Group has been the strategic delivery partner behind Computacenter’s annual GSKO (Group Kick-Off) Technology Village – the beating heart of the flagship channel event where vendors showcase their latest technology, facilitate meaningful networking and set the commercial tone for the year ahead.
In 2026, we worked with Computacenter and 46 leading global vendors including HP, Microsoft, Lenovo, Cisco and Apple, to design and deliver a high-impact exhibition environment that strengthened partner relationships and elevated brand visibility across the channel.
Our Approach
End-to-End Delivery
CI Group managed and delivered across every discipline of the Technology Village: from creative concepting and detailed 3D renders to strategic consultancy, project management, AV integration, logistics, build and on-site support. Our deep knowledge of the GSKO event format means we understand what delegates respond to, what vendors need to achieve commercially, and how to balance competing demands across a complex multi-brand environment.
Consultative Stand Design
For nine select vendors, we went beyond a standard brief-and-build approach. Working closely with each partner’s marketing and sales teams, we interrogated their channel objectives, product messaging, and audience priorities to develop stand concepts that were both creatively distinctive and commercially aligned. Through immersive design and interactive technology, we created memorable touchpoints that drove meaningful networking and product conversations, enabling each vendor to stand out within a busy, high-footfall environment. The result was nine bespoke environments, each one unique yet coherent within the wider Technology Village.
Supporting the Wider Village
For a further 37 vendors, CI Group provided a comprehensive suite of support services including gamification, event branding, branded giveaways, graphics production, and AV provision. This tiered approach ensured that every exhibitor, regardless of stand size or budget, could deliver a professional, high-impact presence.
Spotlight: Microsoft
The Brief
Microsoft’s stand centred on an ambitious proposition: to position Windows 11 as the definitive platform for AI. The key message of ‘Windows 11: The Best Windows Ever’ was supported by a layered narrative around Microsoft Copilot, Surface devices, sustainability, and future-proofing business investment.
The 2026 Microsoft team brought a strong sustainability focus to the brief, explicitly rejecting a complex, disposable build in favour of modular structures and hired furniture – a design that would let the technology take centre stage. In fact, in the spirit of re-use and re-purpose, we’re now in discussions with the team about re-purposing some of their stand into a new format at another Kick Off event. Simplicity and high impact were the twin priorities: the design direction was to create a sleek, light environment, with a gamified Copilot showcase to demonstrate the technology in an interactive, engaging way.
How We Delivered
We designed a clean, open island stand that balanced high-impact branding with the elegance the team wanted. The modular structure featured backlit Microsoft, Surface, and Copilot logos as strong visual anchors, while white and pale wood finishes and soft, rounded forms created an approachable, premium feel – reinforced by a purple lighting wash tied to the Copilot colour palette. Seating was split between a relaxed lounge and poseur tables, giving delegates multiple ways to engage, while product plinths provided focused display points for Surface devices.
The overhead hanging banner provided high-level visibility across the hall, while strip lighting defined distinct zones within the stand. The result was a space that felt intentional and considered – one that put the technology front and centre without visual noise.
Spotlight: Cisco
The Brief
Cisco’s brief centred on communicating a single, powerful commercial idea: ‘One Cisco’. In a year when Cisco’s portfolio has expanded significantly, notably through Splunk’s integration into its offer, the stand needed to unify that story across digital resilience, AI-ready data centres, and future-proof workplaces.
The stand was positioned as an island in the middle of a busy hall, which created specific design challenges around privacy and sound management. Cisco was clear that a premium coffee bar was a non-negotiable fixture, and that meeting space needed to be maximised while still leaving room for open social engagement. Branding, graphics, and key messages were all required to be prominent, and they were open to experiential features to drive engagement.
How We Delivered
CI Group designed a stand that used structural walls both for branding impact and practical acoustic management. The deep blue and white Cisco palette was deployed across prominent graphic panels, while the open island format was given definition through a framed architectural structure that created a sense of entrance and enclosure without closing the space off.
The coffee bar was prominently positioned to draw footfall and encourage dwell time, and seating was arranged to support both formal conversations and casual networking. Cisco’s key solution areas were zone-mapped across the stand, giving visitors a clear journey through the ‘One Cisco’ narrative, from networking and security through to AI infrastructure and workplace technology.
Spotlight: Lenovo
The Brief
Lenovo came to the brief with a bold ambition: to unify its entire product portfolio – PCs and devices, data centre infrastructure, Motorola smartphones, and services – under a single, compelling ‘One Lenovo’ narrative. With a 9×6m island plot, they had the space to create a genuinely multi-zone experience.
Lenovo’s sponsorship partnership with FIFA provided a powerful creative platform. The brief was explicit that this partnership should drive the stand’s energy and storytelling, not just as branding moments, but as genuine proof points for Lenovo’s technological capability and performance credentials. The delegate takeaway was defined clearly: Lenovo powers the performance behind every great moment, from the pitch, to the office, to your customer’s business.
How We Delivered
CI Group translated Lenovo’s multi-zone vision into a cohesive, high-energy stand that delivered on both the commercial and experiential brief. A towering illuminated red Lenovo pillar provided immediate hall-wide visibility, while a large-format One Lenovo Story Wall, featuring FIFA World Cup, grounded the partnership narrative. Branded product plinths in Lenovo red and pale wood gave the Performance Hub a gallery-like quality, with devices, branded footballs, and an AI photobooth all adding to the memorability and touchpoints.
The Motorola experience area integrated seamlessly into the wider identity, maintaining ‘One Lenovo’ cohesion while giving Moto a distinct presence. An overhead canopy banner in Lenovo’s purple-to-graphite gradient carried ‘Smarter Technology for All’ at height, ensuring visibility from across the exhibition floor. Soft lounge seating provided a natural decompression space, while the interactive Story Wall gave delegates reason to stay longer and explore the full portfolio – before sampling a branded Tony’s chocolonely bar.
Results & Impact
The 2026 GSKO Technology Village delivered on every key objective: brand visibility, partner engagement, and commercial activation. Across all 46 vendor stands, delegates experienced a cohesive, professionally delivered environment that reflected the scale and ambition of Computacenter’s annual flagship event.
For Microsoft, Cisco, Lenovo and other 6 vendors, the bespoke stand designs provided spaces that were not only visually distinctive but functionally optimised for the conversations each brand needed to have. Interactive and experiential features drove dwell time and footfall, while clear zoning and messaging ensured that every visitor left with a sharper understanding of each partner’s proposition.
CI Group’s decade-long relationship with Computacenter – and our depth of experience with the vendors who exhibit at GSKO – continues to deliver an event that strengthens channel relationships and sets the commercial agenda for the year ahead.
Client Testimonials