Dynamo LED Displays supplied and installed 270 m² of hired LED on the BAE Systems stand at DSEI 2021, ExCeL London: 52 double-sided LED totems, two double-sided L-shaped banners, five double-sided headers and a 10 m × 4 m right-angle hub in 2mm high-contrast LED, all run as one canvas from a single control server.
Updated October 2026. Case study first published November 2021.
Project facts
| Client | BAE Systems, through the stand and exhibition agency M-is |
|---|---|
| Event | DSEI 2021, 14 to 17 September 2021, ExCeL London |
| LED area | 270 m² of hired LED across the stand |
| Screens | 52 double-sided LED totems, 2 double-sided L-shaped banners, 5 double-sided headers, 1 right-angle hub of 10 m × 4 m |
| Hub specification | 2mm pixel pitch high-contrast LED with a resin-coated face |
| Control | One control server driving every screen as a single canvas |
| Scope | Floor plan, equipment, pre-rig the week before opening, testing and rehearsals with the film crew, show support and de-rig by Dynamo LED Displays |
The brief: one stand, dozens of screens, one picture
M-is designed the BAE Systems stand with LED on almost every vertical surface: columns of totems along the aisles, banners and headers overhead and a two-sided hub at the centre. The LED had to read as one piece of content moving across the whole stand rather than 60 separate screens, and it had to hold its contrast and colour under the hall lighting. Dynamo took the whole LED package from its LED screen hire fleet and custom-built elements.
What Dynamo installed
52 double-sided totems, banners and headers
The totems are freestanding columns with LED on both faces, so a visitor walking down either aisle sees content. Two L-shaped banners and five headers hung from the stand structure carry the BAE Systems branding above head height, which is what you see first from across the hall. The totems and headers are the kind of custom LED build that uses standard cabinets inside a bespoke frame.
A 10 m × 4 m right-angle hub in 2mm high-contrast LED
The centrepiece was a right-angle hub, 10 m across and 4 m high, built in 2mm LED with a resin coating over each LED. The resin increases contrast and colour conformity, so the hub held its blacks under the bright hall lighting, and it makes the modules more robust and resistant to moisture during a fast build. The same construction is described on our resin-protected LED page.
One control server, one canvas
A single control server fed every screen on the stand, with each totem, banner, header and the hub mapped as a region of one large canvas. Content designed for the whole stand could sweep across the totems and up into the headers without a visible hand-off, which is harder than it looks: every screen has to be pixel-mapped and timed before the doors open.
Planning months out, on site the week before
Dynamo worked with M-is for several months before the show, producing a detailed floor plan and then sourcing the equipment and planning power and data. The crew had access to ExCeL the week before DSEI 2021 opened, installed the screens, then spent hours testing and running rehearsals with the film crew so that the first visitors saw a finished stand. Our guide to power requirements for event LED screens covers the venue side of a build like this.
Current Dynamo options for exhibition LED hire
Dynamo’s rental range for exhibition stands is the DRE Series. The figures below are from the DRE Series datasheet. All DRE indoor cabinets are 496 × 496 mm and 9.2 kg, with a 1,920 to 3,840 Hz refresh rate for filming, 6,000:1 contrast and 160° viewing angles.
| Model | Pixel pitch | Cabinet resolution | Brightness | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRE P1.55 | 1.55mm | 320 × 320 px | 800 nits or more | Hubs and feature walls visitors stand close to, and camera work |
| DRE P1.93 | 1.93mm | 256 × 256 px | 800 nits or more | Stand backdrops and totems read from the aisle |
| DRE P2.58 | 2.58mm | 192 × 192 px | 800 nits or more | Headers and banners read from across the hall |
See DRE Series for the cabinets, event rental LED display panels for how they are built, and the pixel pitch guide for choosing a pitch from the viewing distance.
Related Dynamo exhibition projects and guides
- Right-angle LED wall for an exhibition stand, a smaller L-shape build
- Hanging LED banner and booth wall for Biotech at ESCRS 2026, ExCeL London
- LED screen hires for Coveya exhibitions across the UK and Germany
- How to choose LED screen hire for exhibitions and conferences
LED display hire for exhibition stands: frequently asked questions
How much LED can be hired for one exhibition stand?
As much as the stand structure and power allow. The BAE Systems stand at DSEI 2021 carried 270 m² of LED: 52 double-sided totems, two L-shaped banners, five headers and a 10 m × 4 m hub. Each element is built from rental cabinets in a frame, so the practical limits are floor loading, rigging points, the venue’s power supply and the time available to build.
How far ahead should exhibition LED hire be planned?
Months, for a stand of this size. Dynamo worked with the agency for several months on the floor plan, equipment list, power and data before DSEI 2021, then had access to ExCeL the week before opening to build, test and rehearse. A single wall or totem can be arranged in weeks, but rigging, structural sign-off and venue access are what set the timetable.
Can every screen on a stand show one piece of content?
Yes. On the BAE Systems stand one control server drove every totem, banner, header and the hub as regions of a single canvas, so a graphic could travel across the whole stand. It needs a pixel map of every screen’s position and resolution, content made to that map, and testing before the show opens. Separate players per screen cannot keep the timing locked.
What is a high-contrast LED display?
An LED display with a resin coating over the LEDs on each module. The dark resin deepens the blacks and improves colour conformity between modules, so the picture holds up under bright exhibition hall lighting, and it protects the LEDs from knocks and moisture during a fast build. The 10 m × 4 m hub on the BAE Systems stand used 2mm high-contrast LED.
What are double-sided LED totems?
Freestanding columns with LED on both faces, so they can be read from either side. On an exhibition stand they line the aisles and show branding or a moving graphic to visitors approaching from both directions. The BAE Systems stand used 52 of them. Each totem is built from standard rental cabinets in a custom frame with its own power and data feed.
Does Dynamo work with stand builders and exhibition agencies?
Yes. The BAE Systems LED package was delivered for M-is, the agency that designed the stand, and Dynamo regularly works for stand contractors, supplying the LED elements, pixel maps and control, building onto the contractor’s structure, commissioning before opening, standing by during the show and de-rigging afterwards. The Biotech stand at ESCRS 2026 was delivered the same way.
Get a quote for exhibition LED display hire
Send us the stand drawings, the show dates and venue, and what you want the LED to do, and we will come back with a screen plan, a pixel pitch and a written quote. Get a quote or call 020 3489 9878.
