Beauty Within Reach

With a mission to ensure that “all hair is welcome,” Amika, LLC has long empowered the senses through its cruelty-free shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. At the 2024 America's Beauty Show in Chicago, the haircare brand that puts inclusivity front and center debuted a brilliant new approach to immerse salon professionals in groundbreaking artistry and education.

Challenged to align flow, function, and aesthetics with practicalities like line control and concealed storage, Katherine Frank Creative designed a reconfigurable and reusable booth with distinct learning, testing, and shopping zones accessible from all sides. The buildout created a boutique-like atmosphere radiating with high-gloss oranges and pinks and a glowing chandelier.

“Bold colors have always been big for Amika,” said Kate Long, senior vice president client services at Katherine Frank Creative. “We envisioned a way to bring the vitality of the brand to life.”

In addition to increasing dwell time and hands-on interactions, multiple touchpoints encouraged deeper engagement with live demonstrations, mainstage presentations, and continuous education for licensed cosmetologists in an on-site classroom. Smart structural design with hidden storage eased the process of restocking the veritable rainbow of products and enabled steadier sales.

Praised by the judges for “remarkable versatility” and “a sparklingly memorable presence,” Amika has since repurposed its bold and modular design at more than a dozen events — from trade shows and pop-ups to retail demos and consumer activations. With no two events the same, the embrace of sight, scent, and touch celebrates a sense of beauty within reach for all. E

Just Plane Smart

The Boeing Co.'s flight plan for the Aircraft Interiors Expo might have grounded even the Wright Brothers: create an experience that served both Boeing's traditional invite-only industry guest and an innovative activation for the general public. “The Boeing clients were eager to push the boundaries of what was possible, especially when it came to sustainability and accessibility,” said John Griffith, the creative director for Czarnowski Collective, which designed the aerospace company's exhibit.

But push the envelope it did in a booth judges called “aeronautically awesome.” Its 13-foot-tall translucent walls of sheer fabric amplified the overhead lighting and provided a sense of openness. Approaching attendees would glimpse an intriguing space filled with materials, colors, and textures warmed by wood tones that communicated the Boeing brand's look and feel.

Visitors entered by one of two ways, including a sky bridge similar to those fliers might cross en route to Shanghai or Seattle. Once inside they could “board” any of three full-sized aircraft mockups, such as a Boeing 777X where a staffer hosted a virtual tour of the aircraft's interior features on a high-resolution screen. Inside the cabin, screens embedded in the aircraft's windows revealed digital skyscapes that mirrored the cabin's interior lighting, replicating the way it evolves over long overseas journeys. Outside the cabins, LED mesh repurposed the same time-lapse skyscape content, so anyone on the convention center floor could take the journey from dusk to dawn.

The sprawling 18,125-square-foot expanse was reviewed by an accessibility designer to ensure proper ramping and aisle widths. Subtle touches, such as 3D-printed braille wayfinding, wheelchair-accessible interactives, along with innovative storage designed for better wheelchair transport, further showed Boeing's commitment to barrier-free access. Demonstrating an equal dedication to the environment were recycled tabletop materials, sustainably sourced seating, and planters. Attendees also gathered around a tabletop touch screen to explore the history of the company's sustainability efforts. Elegant and inclusive, Boeing's exhibit left everyone who attended on cloud nine. E