Our Annual Dog Blog: Crufts 2026
- Molly Phillips
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
We make no bones about it: Crufts is an enormous event in the annual experiential calendar.
Each year Image goes into the busy old week with a waggy tail. In fact, 2026 saw us travelling up to the NEC once again with multiple stands for the 18,600 furry competitors (and, indeed, their humans!) to enjoy.
Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world. An event like that takes serious planning and careful execution. The process necessitates consultation with the whole IMAGE team, drawing on all of our various capabilities and ideas. To come up with so many stands, we need to adopt the visions of a whole host of creative minds.
The results, even if we do bark so ourselves, are extraordinary stands; brand spaces which give our wonderful clients in the pet industry the space and recognition they need. Like that, they can offer their canine friends healthy food which makes them bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just in time to snag themselves a casual Best in Show.
So, join us for our Crufts 2026 wrapped.
Albion’s Archways
After their debut visit to Crufts last year, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Albion Pet Foods’ again this year.
Albion wanted to focus on maintaining that brand awareness they begun to cultivate at last year's Crufts. So, we focused on creating a bold logo and clear mission statement, both of which were clearly visible at the top of the two arches. Combined with the vibrant green colour of the stand walls, it was a hard exhibition stand to miss.
The stand used open walling on an island space, and incorporated two archways. Architecture like this allows the space to be interacted with, so that visitors to the stand feel immersed within the Albion landscape for a moment in their busy days.
Natures Menus’ Little Shop
We’re always delighted to work with Natures Menu on their Crufts stand.
Their 2026 look was an updated 10 x 9-meter space, giving us lots of space to play with.
The product took centre stage: walls stocked with their packets of food, and a large countertop space in the middle. This gave it the feeling of a little shop setting; customers were able to browse the range and get involved in conversation with the lovely team.
You can peruse the stand details here.
Skinner’s Cosy Cottage
Time for a trip into the distant past. Did you know that Skinner's Suffolk Mill was built all the way back in 1688? That's an impressive 388-year history right there.
When we work with them, we make sure we give that heritage a well-deserved emphasis. That’s why, for the last few years, we’ve helped them cultivate a unique custom space.
Skinner’s country cottage was a feature of last year’s Crufts, too. It gives their corner of the busy NEC a homely feel, leaning into that sense of familial roots and generational expertise that permeates their brand storytelling.
Within that, the cottage drips with wisteria and ivy, giving it a more natural feel, in line with their slogan: ‘Born To Be Outdoors’.
Skinner’s always give us a lot to sink our teeth into, creatively. It’s a treat to work with them—something you can read more about here.
Years’ Prize-Worthy Paradise
When Years approached us to work with them again, we got thinking about how we could utilise their signature bright colours and energising vibe.
Their 2026 Crufts vibe was a little different to last year’s, featuring a more open-sided style of island stand. We added wood-effect exhibition vinyl, carpeted with a purple runner to give it that splash of iconic Years colouring.
Years excel at the immersivity element of brand experiences. One wall of their stand was dedicated to a free-to-play, touchscreen quiz with prizes on offer. Their graphics spoke of sign-up sheets and QR codes, and depicted the delicious doggy dinners available. The graphic also gave the brand that final push with social proof: 95% ratings, stellar Trustpilot reviews, and behind-the-scenes photographs.
Finally, there was a counter, covered with fresh ingredients so that the team could feed their peckish furry visitors.
To find out more about this stand, give our portfolio a read.
Lessons in Capability, Consultancy, and Creativity
It’s the same with any annual event: every time it happens, you realise something else, and learn something new. That’s a helpful milestone in growing and thriving as a business.
For us, there is always a moment of reflection, post-Crufts.
What stands out is that it is such a team effort. Crufts is a great experience for multiple clients, but it is always hot on the tail (dog pun intended!) of a series of other events, which makes it necessary to put a real emphasis on team collaboration.
In that sort of environment, the words ‘creativity’ and ‘capability’ change their meaning somewhat. Creativity is compounded in a group where multiple people’s ideas are pooled together, and various capabilities are available to us.
What we learn from that is that it’s important to not shy away from the challenge of a big event. Indeed, much like the dogs at Crufts, the real transformation happens when we are focused and work together to clear all the hurdles.
In that way, there is never a compromise on quality.
For that, we have to thank our clients for their hands-on approach to stand-design, and their multitude of unique ideas, as well as for their trust in us to bring their vision to life. We hope you had a wonderful time at Crufts; it was wonderful to see you thrive.
Confidence in Creativity
At IMAGE, there’s never a shortage of events and experiences to plan for. Keep your eyes peeled to see what we get up to next.
And, if you want to be a part of what we get up to next, look no further than this: our contact details. We’d love to hear from you. Don’t be shy! We don't bite 🐕🦴
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