veryone knows "the sky's the limit," and it's something exhibit-design firm Atelier Damboeck Messebau GmbH took to heart when constructing a double-deck, cloud-inspired display for Salesforce.com Germany GmbH at CeBIT 2013. Faced with a show floor full of competitors, Atelier Damboeck focused on height and solid structures to give Salesforce, a provider of cloud-computing technologies, a commanding presence.

"The primary inspiration for the design was a cloud," said Kathrin Boettcher, marketing manager for Atelier Damboeck. Beyond the height of the exhibit, cloud-inspired elements included a white and sky-blue color palette and curved structures throughout the design. "Curves on all components and the open floor plan enforced the cloud motif and gave the exhibit a feeling of lightness and weightlessness," Boettcher said.

Salesforce also offered a Social Command Center, where members of the press and booth visitors could track and monitor real-time social-media coverage and conversations on CeBIT 2013 using the company's new Marketing Cloud technology.

Meanwhile, the T-shaped central structure of the display provided the foundation for private conference rooms on both floors, an enclosed first-floor theater area, and a retro-inspired second-floor lounge. While providing ample seating for meetings, the open-air construction of the lounge and use of glass walls on the conference rooms helped maintain clear sightlines throughout the booth and a sense of openness. "The double-deck structure at the back certainly serves a purpose, but it's also an aesthetic success," one Exhibit Design Awards judge said.

By focusing on height and structures with purpose, Atelier Damboeck helped Salesforce literally rise above the competition with an exhibit in, and all about, the clouds.