Fabian Friedrich, CEO of the trade show booth design company Plan 3, on the highlights of our CMS website
DR.SCHNELL looks forward to seeing you at CMS 2025 with a completely redesigned booth, featuring interactive activities, a special photo spot, product innovations, and many other highlights. We spoke with Fabian Friedrich, the managing director of our trade show stand construction partner Plan 3, about the attractions at our booth.
Question: Plan 3 is a long-established trade show construction company. When and how was it founded?
Fabian Friedrich: My father and two other founders started Plan 3 GmbH in 1974, which is why we were able to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2024. Back then, trade show construction was a completely different world, with different construction methods and processes that are hard to imagine today. As early as 1972, the three founders were involved in projects for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. And as I’ve learned, there’s a nice connection between Plan 3 and DR.SCHNELL, because Dr. Wolfgang Schnell also developed the famous MILIZID sanitary cleaner for the swimming pool in the Olympic Park as part of the 1972 Olympic Games. I find that story very endearing.
Question: Where does the company stand today?
Friedrich: We have a lot on our plate (laughs), but we also get a lot of joy out of it because we work with so many people in different industries. On average, the booths we design and build are on display at about 50 trade shows a year. More than 40 employees and a good dozen carpenters are involved in this work. Although we primarily serve clients in German-speaking countries, we also regularly work in the U.S. and Asia.
Question: What makes trade show and interior design so fascinating?
Friedrich: Our work is challenging, exciting, varied, creative, and surprising all at once. Since we’re constantly setting up and taking down our own installations, we always have the chance to do things better next time. That’s a major draw for me. Incorporating new techniques, new ways of working, new materials, and new possibilities is one of the great challenges of our industry—and, of course, so is the pursuit of even more environmentally friendly and efficient methods.
Question: How did the collaboration with DR.SCHNELL come about?
Friedrich: Since 2013, we at Plan 3 have had the opportunity to carry out a number of smaller projects for DR.SCHNELL—ranging from displays to small trade show booths. The first major project for DR.SCHNELL was a booth for InnoTrans 2024. Since then, we’ve enjoyed a great partnership, with the highlight so far being CMS 2025 and an exciting booth spanning more than 370 square meters across five booth areas.
Question: What makes the partnership with DR.SCHNELL special to you?
Friedrich: The entire collaboration is based on a strong spirit of partnership and always takes place on an equal footing. Throughout every phase of the projects, it’s clear that DR.SCHNELL is a family-owned business. We can tell because communication is always friendly, polite, and constructive—it’s simply a pleasure. For us as trade show stand builders, this is incredibly important, because trade shows are always stressful—so working together harmoniously is absolutely essential.
Question: What challenges did the DR.SCHNELL booth present for CMS 2025?
Friedrich: A trade show booth this large and versatile is always a challenge. We spent a long time working on the design direction, trying out various ideas, and looking for exciting concepts. Now we’re done, and I have to say: the booth turned out great.
Question: What do you like best about the newly redesigned DR.SCHNELL booth?
Friedrich: A lot (laughs)! It’s visually stunning and offers many emotional highlights. It actively engages visitors, is beautiful, and exudes a special atmosphere. The interactive photo spot is definitely an absolute highlight!
Question: How long did the work on the CMS take?
Friedrich: The whole process, from planning to dismantling, took about a year.
Question: Where does the wood for the DR.SCHNELL booth come from?
Friedrich: The visible wood is maritime pine and comes from a local lumber dealer in Bavaria—all from sustainably managed forests, of course.
Question: What will happen to the DR.SCHNELL booth after CMS?
Friedrich: Our core principle is modular construction. This means that most wall structures, subfloors, trusses, and much more are rental systems that we rent out to customers, set up, and then take down again. We build the custom trade show furniture in our woodshop. Ideally, these pieces are reused for future trade shows and remain in use for an extended period. Or, as in the case of DR.SCHNELL, they are permanently installed afterward and given a second life in the training center. We always try to plan for the continued use of custom furniture and display elements right from the start, as this is the most sustainable option for custom structures.
Question: What is the significance of trade shows like CMS? Today and in the future?
Friedrich: The COVID-19 pandemic has made one thing very clear: People want to meet in person. That’s why trade shows are—and will remain—extremely important. But one thing is also clear: the formats and types of trade shows will change; they’ll become less general and more specialized. But it remains exciting—and that’s what counts.
Question: What have you learned about DR.SCHNELL through your collaboration with them?
Friedrich: First , that Plan 3 and DR.SCHNELL share a nice parallel with the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Second, how professionally and enthusiastically DR.SCHNELL approaches and carries out trade shows.
Plan 3 by the Numbers
- 50 Years of Experience in Trade Show and Interior Construction
- 40 employees in trade show construction and 13 in the woodworking shop
- Approx. 50 trade shows per year
- More than 100 customers
- Serving all industries