Storylink Creative and von Hagen Design Recognized for International Capabilities

Storylink Creative and von Hagen Design were honored with the International Collaboration Award at the Experiential Designers and Producers Association’s annual Access conference. The award recognizes cross-border teamwork that exemplifies exceptional communication, trust, and project execution across international markets. It celebrates partnerships that demonstrate how exhibit and event professionals can work together across borders to elevate global brand experiences and accommodate clients, no matter where their trade shows take them.

Axel von Hagen and Travis Stanton accept the EDPA International Collaboration Award on behalf of von Hagen Design and Storylink Creative, respectively.

Working together despite a seven-hour time difference and 4,400-mile distance, the two companies collaborated to bring the Reduce brand to life at two major international events in early 2025. The partnership began with Reduce’s 30-by-30-foot peninsula exhibit at the Inspired Home Show, held in Chicago, where Storylink Creative developed the design and overall brand environment.

Building on that concept, von Hagen Design was tasked with creating a complementary “sister booth” for Reduce’s presence at Ambiente, held in Frankfurt, Germany. The resulting 7-by-5-meter peninsula exhibit translated the look and feel of the U.S. design into a European show environment while maintaining brand consistency and adapting to the unique requirements of the venue and region.

“From the very first design version, their team understood exactly what we were trying to achieve,” said Travis Stanton, director of strategy at Storylink Creative. “International partnerships can sometimes require extensive back-and-forth to align expectations, but von Hagen shares our core values, understands our approach to storytelling, and obviously knows the European marketing intimately. Their responsiveness, proactive communication, and willingness to tackle last-minute requests made the entire process seamless.”

The partnership began with Reduce’s 30-by-30-foot peninsula exhibit at the Inspired Home Show, held in Chicago, where Storylink Creative developed the design and overall brand environment.

Throughout the project, the teams coordinated closely across continents, scheduling meetings at mutually workable hours and maintaining quick response times. For Reduce, the collaboration represented a dramatic improvement over a previous international exhibit experience that had been plagued by inconsistent account management and communication challenges.

“Successful international projects depend on trust, clarity, and shared commitment to the client’s goals,” said Axel von Hagen, Founder and Managing Partner of von Hagen Design. “Working with Storylink Creative was an excellent example of how strong collaboration can transcend geography. Together, we ensured the Reduce brand was presented consistently and effectively across two very different markets.”

Germany-based von Hagen Design created a "sister booth" to complement Reduce's exhibit at the Inspired Home Show for Ambiente, held in Frankfurt.

“Our clients exhibit all over the world, and our network of regional experts on every continent allows us to accommodate their needs with the same level of execution, whether they’re exhibiting in Chicago or Shanghai,” said Stanton. “The same internal teams that handle our clients’ domestic events liaise with our trusted partners to oversee each project and deliver the kind of service and attention to detail that Storylink is known for. Unless you’re exhibiting in Antarctica, we are more than capable of delivering … and if there’s a show at the South Pole, I suspect we could pull that off, too. We do love a challenge.”

For Storylink Creative and von Hagen Design, the Reduce project stands as proof that when the right partners come together, international exhibit execution can be not only possible — but also seamless, successful, and remarkably smooth.