Table Wear
It's possible for an exhibit to look too pristine and professional, especially if you're marketing to the blue-collar workers that make up a sizable percentage of the attendees at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas. VSS Macropaver, the equipment division of Valley Slurry Seal Co. that makes machinery rugged enough to endure the day-to-day operations of road maintenance, adeptly avoided that white-collar crime with a cluster of tables that looked as seasoned as the visitors coming to check out the company's offerings. The legs of the customized high-top tables were hidden by weathered traffic pylons with dusty bases, while the glass-covered tabletops were battered Road Work Ahead signs. So when sale reps and prospects sat down to talk about the nitty-gritty, they felt like they were in familiar terrain. Under Control
Anybody who has struggled to troubleshoot the Bluetooth connection to a meeting-room monitor can appreciate the mission of Neets A/S, which specializes in user-friendly interfaces for audiovisual equipment. Graphics in the company's booth at Integrated Systems Europe urged attendees to "make presenting great again," and an associated hashtag (#remotessuck) referenced one of the biggest pain points of seasoned and amateur presenters alike: confusing multifunction remote controls. While an acrylic pillar of discarded remotes served as an ice-breaker for engagements, Neets' tongue-in-cheek messaging kept visitors intrigued long enough to learn how the company's products can help beleaguered clients retake control of their presentation destiny. See Level
Branded T-shirts might help showgoers distinguish your company's staffers from other attendees, but they do little to convey your corporate ethos or help your exhibit stand out. That's one reason Robolink Inc.'s staffers donned an unusual accessory at the International Consumer Electronics Show. In addition to branded, baby-blue shirts, Robolink employees wore motorcycle helmets with emoji-like eyes attached to the goggles. Each set of eyes mimicked an expression made by Zumi, the company's personified, self-driving, programmable car. The unexpected adornment caught attendees' attention, primed them for a lighthearted in-booth experience, and served as a conversation starter that allowed staffers to introduce prospects to their animatronic auto offering. Fired Up
Aisle-side attention-getters such as large-scale graphics and video walls are often not possible for small exhibitors. So to incite passersby to break their strides at the Society for Human Resource Management Conference and Expo, Huffmaster Inc. crafted a more modest – but no less eye-catching – element. The provider of labor-strike-management solutions positioned a 55-gallon oil drum at the perimeter of its 10-by-10 exhibit. Designers treated the receptacle with spray paint to create a weathered effect and scrawled the words "Strike" and "Scab" across the sides. Inside the barrel, a faux-fire unit comprising glowing LEDs, a fan, and flame-shaped pieces of silk created the illusion of the contained conflagrations sometimes found at protests. A smattering of picket signs completed the scene and immediately clued attendees in to Huffmaster's line of expertise. Frame of Mind
SEG Systems LLC, a maker of lightboxes, frames, and other retail wares, turned more than a few heads with its inspired product display at the Retail Innovation Conference & Expo. Both side walls of SEG's stand were essentially massive open frames containing samples of the company's aluminum extrusions. But these were no stale showcases. Rather, the extrusions were mounted to all four sides of the edge-lit walls at various angles, resulting in an arresting composition that nodded to Picasso's cubism. Finally, a rotating cube hanging in the middle of each assemblage glowed with a hypnotic intensity and further reinforced SEG's design and fabrication capabilities. Vanishing Act
Hamilton Exhibits LLC's booth at EXHIBITORLIVE, the face-to-face conference for exhibit and event marketers, was a veritable master class in evocative design. Comprising little more than a staggered arrangement of six vertical planks of rough-cut sycamore, the exhibit also contained a semi-hidden message. When attendees stood just so on either side of the stand, they saw the words "Discover" and "Perspectives" printed on the boards. Such an austere design would be sullied by the addition of workaday exhibitry, e.g., a closet, so Hamilton placed a mirrored structure in a corner of the booth. The inconspicuous element didn't detract from the exhibit house's concept in the slightest, and Hamilton reps no doubt appreciated having a place to stash their gear. Cable Guys
Standing out at the buffet of eye candy that is EuroShop is rough going for any exhibitor. Now imagine you're in the business of selling industrial metal cables. Such was the reality facing Arakawa Hanging Systems USA Inc., which shrewdly devoted a front corner of its in-line display to an imaginative art installation comprising nothing but its wire cords. Measuring roughly 10 feet long and 8 feet tall, the display captured the interest of countless passersby by elevating Arakawa's offerings from mundane to mesmerizing.