Fabox™ becomes The Black Hat Arms at ScaffEx 26

A Fabox™ Cube transformed into a traditional English pub

At ScaffEx 26, a Fabox™ Cube became The Black Hat Arms, a fully themed traditional English pub positioned at the heart of NASC Village at Manchester Central.

Fabox™ is an Event & Media Structures LTD product. For this project, our team combined the modular Cube with bespoke scenic finishes, printed interior walls, traditional signage, lighting and custom details to create a distinctive meeting point for visitors.

The pub formed part of a wider village designed and built by Event & Media Structures to showcase NASC’s services and membership benefits while giving visitors somewhere to sit, meet and catch up with colleagues.

The Challenge

Invited back by NASC for a second year, the team needed to create the character of a convincing English village within a major exhibition hall.

The Black Hat Arms was central to the concept. Its exterior needed to be immediately recognisable as a traditional pub, while the interior needed to continue the same character and level of detail.

Short production lead times also meant custom fabrication, print, furniture, props, planting and decorative features all had to be sourced and coordinated around the exhibition installation programme.

The Fabox™ Cube provided the core structure, allowing the team to concentrate on transforming its appearance and giving it the identity of The Black Hat Arms.

Transforming the Fabox™ Cube

• Stone-effect exterior finishes transformed the modular structure into a traditional-looking building
• A bespoke black-and-gold fascia displayed The Black Hat Arms name
• A traditional hanging pub sign was mounted on decorative ironwork
• The sign featured a hard-hat illustration, linking the traditional pub concept with the scaffolding industry
• Coach lights and a planted window box added further familiar pub details
• Custom graphics and scenic elements carried the identity across the complete structure

A specially designed window graphic added a more playful element, with two familiar faces appearing to peer through decorative glass-effect artwork.

Installed behind a physical window frame, it became one of several personalised details hidden throughout NASC Village.

A Complete Printed Pub Interior

Inside the Fabox™ Cube, large-format printed theatrical wall scenes transformed the modular interior into the appearance of an established English pub.

The artwork featured dark timber panelling, bottle shelves, framed pictures, traditional pub mirrors and a dartboard, creating depth and visual detail across the walls.

The Black Hat Arms branding was incorporated throughout the graphics to create a coordinated interior rather than a collection of individual decorative elements.

A fictional 1980s-style Pubwatch poster introduced some personalised humour, while bespoke ScaffEx beer tokens, designed and 3D printed by Event & Media Structures, carried the pub identity into another part of the visitor experience.

Connecting the Pub to NASC Village

The Black Hat Arms opened directly onto a beer garden, with oak barrels used as tables alongside traditional timber seating.

Beyond the pub, a winding cobblestone-effect pathway connected the different areas of NASC Village.

Event & Media Structures designed the custom artwork for the printed vinyl flooring, produced by Bobcat Digital.

The wider environment included:

• Artificial grass, timber decking and traditional picket fencing
• Pergolas and fabric canopies covering seating and meeting areas
• Traditional fingerpost signs directing visitors around NASC Village
• An original-style red telephone box and traditional red post box
• Picnic benches and circular tree seating
• Oak barrels and traditional outdoor furniture
• Live and faux planting
• Festoon lighting and traditional street lamps

Together, these elements created a coherent setting around the Fabox™ Cube rather than treating the pub as a standalone exhibition structure.

Carrying the Detail Across the Village

The same attention to detail continued throughout the wider NASC Village.

Event & Media Structures designed a traditional village noticeboard, CNC cut by Bobcat Digital and filled with a collection of playful notices and references.

A bespoke boundary sign welcomed visitors to NASC Village. On the reverse, it announced their departure and asked visitors to drive carefully.

Its illustrated village scene incorporated scaffolding into the traditional artwork, while the line “Twinned with safety since 1945” introduced another subtle NASC reference.

A garden shed, planted wheelbarrow and floral entrance arch completed the wider environment.

The village’s black-and-gold sign summed up the concept:

“It takes a village to raise a scaffold.”

Why Fabox™?

• Built for transformation: The Cube provides a strong modular base for highly customised event environments
• Flexible finishes: Exterior cladding, scenic treatments, graphics and signage can completely change the character of the structure
• Custom interiors: Printed walls, lighting, flooring and bespoke fabrication allow each Cube to become a fully themed space
• Fast Installation: Modular construction reduces time required for the structural build on site
• Reusable & Reconfigurable: Fabox™ structures can be adapted for completely different events, brands and environments
• Part of a Bigger Build: Fabox™ can work as a standalone activation or integrate into a much larger temporary event environment

The Result

The completed NASC Village provided a distinctive environment where NASC could present its services, engage with members and welcome visitors throughout ScaffEx 26.

The Black Hat Arms became one of the central features of the village, with visitors gathering inside the pub, around the covered seating areas and throughout the adjoining beer garden.

For Fabox™, the project demonstrates how a standard modular Cube can become something entirely different through creative design, scenic finishes, graphics, bespoke fabrication and detailed dressing.

With Event & Media Structures handling the wider design, production and build, The Black Hat Arms became an integral part of a complete and coordinated exhibition environment.

What could you create with Fabox™?

From traditional pubs to premium brand activations, exhibition spaces and completely bespoke themed environments, Fabox™ provides the modular structure to bring ambitious ideas to life.

Speak with Fabox™ or Event & Media Structures LTD about your next themed event space, brand activation or exhibition build.

Fabox™ Email: info@fabox.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1908 224702

Event & Media Structures LTD Email: info@event-structures.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1908 224702