Newmedica at the RCO Congress
and NHS ConfedExpo
The Client
Newmedica is a leading provider of NHS-funded and private ophthalmology services. It operates a network of eye clinics and surgical centres across England.
Its mission is to change lives through better sight and vision. Part of the Specsavers group, the business specialises in cataracts, glaucoma, macular and oculoplastic care, helping people protect their sight so they can get back to doing what they love.
Newmedica was founded by a former eye patient and a leading ophthalmology consultant, who joined forces to change how patients experience eye care. Their founding principle of providing personalised care and reassurance at every step still shapes the business today.
The Project
Our Client Services Director, Chris, led this project.
We’ve worked with Newmedica several times before and continued our ongoing collaboration by creating two bespoke exhibition stands for the business in 2026.
The first, a larger stand aimed at clinicians, was for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Annual Congress, held at Manchester Central Convention Complex in May. The four-day scientific conference brought together more than 1,000 delegates for sessions covering emerging topics in ophthalmology, including AI and OCT technology in NHS clinics.
The second was a smaller stand for NHS ConfedExpo, the UK’s leading health and care conference, which brought together more than 7,000 exhibitors and attendees. It was the first time Newmedica had exhibited at the event, which also took place at Manchester Central.
The Solution
For the RCO Congress, we created a social stand space designed to spark conversations between Newmedica’s team and the consultants and ophthalmologists in attendance.
A large, branded back wall carried corporate messaging alongside an integrated LED screen showing patient and ophthalmologist case studies. It also featured a scaled-down version of Newmedica’s branded 3D logo we’ve used on its other stands.
An informal seating area gave visitors somewhere to network, and we worked with Big Hand Little Hand Coffee on a bespoke coffee bar, designing and building it to fit Newmedica’s brand while Big Hand Little Hand supplied the barista coffee and branded, recyclable cups.
For NHS ConfedExpo we built a smaller, modular system stand with bespoke elements that Newmedica can reuse at other events, including Specsavers MiniPAC roadshows throughout 2026. The two-sided design featured a scaled-down version of the back wall used at the RCO Congress, a branded overhead banner, bar-style seating and a demonstration area hosting Newmedica’s jellied eye cataract surgery experience.
The Impact
Across both events, the stands helped Newmedica build stronger connections with the clinicians, consultants and ophthalmologists who matter most to its business.
At RCO Congress, the bespoke coffee bar became a natural gathering point, giving the team more time to talk through Newmedica’s consultant-led model with delegates.
At NHS ConfedExpo, the jellied eye experience proved a huge draw, with over 400 attendees trying their hand at it across the two days. Its modular design also means Newmedica now has a reusable stand for future events, offering it long-term value beyond the show.
Testimonial
“We’ve worked with Chris and the team at ei on several projects now, and this brief was one of our most varied yet. Two shows, two very different stands, and both needed to work hard for us in different ways.
“The RCO Congress stand gave us a proper platform to connect with consultants and ophthalmologists, and the coffee bar was a brilliant addition that kept people at our stand for longer. Then, at NHS ConfedExpo, our jellied eye experience was a huge hit that got people talking to our team throughout both days.
“Having a stand we can reuse across other events is a real bonus, too. ei understood exactly what we needed from both shows and delivered on every front.”
Hannah Hudson
Local Marketing Manager