This custom 20' x 20' exhibit was designed and fabricated for the Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers® (AWFS®) show in Las Vegas. Constructed almost entirely out of Egger’s own wood products, the space showcased all their key offerings - high pressure laminates, particleboard, TFL (thermally fused laminate), and flooring.
The Benefits of a Virtual Exhibit
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted live events across the world, and we wondered if this meant the end of in-person events and trade shows. Are Event Managers moving strictly to a virtual event scenario with Zoom or Teams meetings leading the way? How will companies market their products, now and post Coronavirus? We asked our Sales and Marketing Manager, Alexandra Kral, for her thoughts on the rise of virtual events and virtual exhibits.
Alex felt there were many benefits for companies to host a virtual exhibit experience while in-person events are in a holding pattern (and as a complementary solution when people are back on the trade show floor). She says that "...our world is changing; the way customers want to interact with products and how they consume information is evolving. We need to look at ways to meet those demands and provide experiences that cater to those needs; in-person or virtually."
She talked about three benefits of a virtual experience:
Show locations or travel restrictions no longer limit attendees
An online platform increases sales opportunities (the virtual exhibit can be accessed online long before or beyond the official event dates)
A virtual experience gives clients a new way to interact and engage with products or services
"We've already started seeing our industry offer more interactive events and virtual experiences. At Exhibit Solutions, we leverage the exhibit designs and renderings created for our clients to develop a virtual booth experience. We design and create 3D environments where visitors can watch avatars give demos, play video messages from the CEO, and actively explore services or new products.
Whatever the reason a prospective client is not able to attend a live event, you can always invite them to visit your booth virtually. These customers will be able to access information in a new way and explore solutions that may otherwise be overlooked on a traditional website.
Companies can improve their sales process and extend their marketing channels beyond the confines of a physical space or time-constrained event. Businesses should consider the opportunity for conversion in a virtual space.
Also, not every introvert wants to attend a busy tradeshow and compete for face-to-face time with a salesperson. They want to request information and ask questions on their terms. A virtual experience with access to spec sheets, videos, and online demos gives them just that.
Ultimately, my feeling is that you can not replace the in-person experience. What I am saying is that the way customers want to interact with products and how they consume information is evolving. We need to look at ways to meet those needs and provide experiences that cater to those demands; face-to-face or virtually."
It sounds like the virtual event experience may be here to stay. Marketing efforts are focused on earning a customer's time and attention. Virtual meetings, webinars, virtual exhibits, and virtual experiential initiatives, are all part of the (not so) new tools available to successfully market your company and products in a post-COVID world.
Summer Projects: New Custom Exhibit Build In Progress
Custom Displays for the National Geographic Society
We had the pleasure of working with the National Geographic Society on two custom displays this year. Collaborating with the Director of Museum Operations and their design team, we engineered and fabricated a custom 10' high and 7' wide light box for a launch event in Toronto's Distillery District, as well as, a frame for their Speaker Series at Roy Thomson Hall.
Just a snippet: Azure - Microsoft's 10'x20' booth rebranded
At the AGM in Toronto today: Microsoft's existing booth was rebranded for Azure.
With new LED lighting technology built into the wall we were able to play with the colours in the background.
From this...
To this...
Best Buy & Future Shop - Connected Homes Summit & Tradeshows
It has been great to see all the tradeshow and training elements come together for the Connected Homes Summit in Niagara Falls this week. Our designers, carpenters, crews and graphic production staff have been working on new pieces for the Microsoft Canada team and it was great to finally see some live photos from the convention centre today.
Octanorm Design Contest 2013 - a recap
Every two years Octanorm Canada hosts a conference for partners who use the German display system. They introduce new extrusions & displays, present improvements they have made, host round table discussions, and also a design competition.
The rental booths (and some purchased ones) that we custom design for our clients are built using this German display system. Unlike your traditional shell schemes provided by show contractors, most of our exhibits incorporate both rental and custom elements. Unique laminates, custom millwork and customized lighting solutions, give our rental booths a look and feel that sets our clients apart from other exhibitors.
Here are some of the designs we submitted for 2013.
We won for the 'Exhibits under 400 sq. ft.' & 'Exhibit over 1000 sq. ft.' :
Event photos just in - Staples Back2School
Microsoft and Lenovo Canada are showcasing their products at the Staples Back2School event today. It is all about the experience: Trainers showcased the devices in a library, living room, bedroom, cafe, office and lecture hall.
The exhibit spaces are based on 10' x 10' footprints. The interior design & staging for these themed environments was focused on showcasing their devices being used in the real world. The printed backgrounds are not photographs, they are 3D environments we created, rendered in Cinema 4D & VRay, and printed specifically for these displays.
The Living Room
The Office
The Bedroom
The Library
The Cafe
The Lecture Hall
More event photos here:
Staples - Back 2 School prep
A sneak peek of the new booth Microsoft Canada is taking to the Staples Back 2 School event in Markham tomorrow. It's hard not to love what we do!
Iceberg Sighting...in Las Vegas?
The Cold - the inspiration for an exhibit
With the weather we had in Toronto this past Winter, an iceberg sighting would not be impossible to imagine....but what about in Las Vegas?
Eberspächer, known as Espar in North America, brought the Arctic experience to the 2014 Catersource show at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. Perhaps this cold weather, Polar Vortex and all, provided the inspiration for Espar's new booth promoting their Mobile Flex Cool units.
The units featured at the show are compressor cooling containers for refrigerating or freezing perishable goods transported in vans or cars.
An Arctic Experience
Together with the Espar team, we crafted an exhibit that gave their clients and prospects an unforgettable Arctic experience at the show. Their new cooling units were the focus in the 10' x 20' booth space. All the other details aimed to take their visitors off the trade show floor and into an environment that helped the Sales team better communicate the capabilities and benefits of Espar's products.
From colour changing LED lighting along the entire backwall, pedestals and platforms
to the shards of 'ice' (actually acrylic sprayed with frost) everything was considered. These unique accents, were used to display brochures & control units, surround the platforms, and provided dimension to the backwall.
And not to forget: the iceberg in the middle of the booth.
Sculpted, coated in fibreglass and finished with an automotive paint - the iceberg although out of place in Las Vegas, was a feature component within the overall theme.
The Response
The response to this exhibit has been fantastic. We are very grateful to Espar for trusting us with another one of their new booths. It was fun developing and playing with their original concept to create this Arctic booth. So, the next time you are at a restaurant, catering, or foodservice show, don't be surprised to see an iceberg.
Microsoft Ad Agency Kiosks at Work
In collaboration with Starshot, a marketing agency focused on experience design, we crafted ten Microsoft Kiosks that were installed at the offices of different Toronto based advertising agencies. They were designed and built to showcase the XBox One, XBox 360, a Windows phone and Surface tablet.
As you can see, the initial concept was not far off from the final kiosk design. Our creative team worked closely with the production lead, as well as, the Account Manager to ensure that we built a display that supported the user experience the client had envisioned.
A fresh new look for @ADP_CDA at #HRPA2014
With a 10' x 20' booth space at this year's HRPA (Human Resource Professional Association) Conference & Tradeshow 2014, ADP Canada updated their exhibit with a custom back-wall, some new full height graphics, raised logos & letters (a personal favorite) and if you look closely you will see the 'walk-in closet' a.k.a. storage room on the right of the booth (a close second favorite in my books).
Halo 4 - a success at EB Games 2012
The EB Games Canada show takes place in a different location every year. This year it was held in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia. With a fantastic booth space (in the Grand Foyer of the Whistler Telus Conference Centre), the exhibit was spread out over almost 80 feet! We were able to take the whole foyer and turn the space into a complete Halo experience. We'd also like to thank Pascale at Gadbois Photography for the great photos she took at this event!
A couple of my favorite elements in this booth were the dimensional HALO 4 logos and the HUGE 80" TVs we used in the XBOX360 area.
yes - those are 80" TVs
I wish I could have been there - it looked like the attendees had fun (unfortunately I can't share the 'dancing' videos here!) but below is a tour of the booth.
More - rendering versus photo
Our 'Exhibit Rendering or Exhibit Photo' post was quite popular so I thought I would share some more images with everyone. To be honest, even though I look at these everyday, I am still surprised at what technology allows us to do when designing an exhibit or booth concept. The graphics may not be the same as the ones chosen for the booth - but exhibit renderings provide us with a great opportunity to see what the final concept will look like on the show floor.
The design and rendering process takes a long time but the outcomes are pretty impressive. Below are some more rendering versus photo examples of both purchased and rental installations/booths:
Tire Wall for Hyundai Dealership
at the Wal-Mart Vendor Fair (Rental)
at the Wal-Mart Vendor Fair (Rental)
at the Home Hardware Event (Rental)
10'x20' - 10'x10' (Purchase)
Moving on up - 5 tips on how to move from your portable to a custom exhibit
We receive a lot of calls from exhibitors who want to make the jump from their draped table to a custom designed booth. Some already have bannerstands and pop-ups but are looking to make more of an impact and stand out from their competitors. Here are 5 tips on how to move from a portable to a custom exhibit.
Renting an exhibit - still a popular option
I have this conversation a lot with clients: Why should they rent their exhibit?
Because it makes sense. Not for every exhibitor and not at every event - but in many instances I see our clients benefit from renting instead of buying their exhibit.
We created this advertising piece below (it was a double sided card - so the text below is the back). It summarizes the key reasons for choosing a rental booth.
In essence - it's about flexibility and making your show budget go further. At least that is how I like to look at it.
Gone are the days when Marketing Managers had 'unlimited' trade show budgets like in this custom exhibit with intricate mill work at the 1893 Chicago World Fair.
1893 Chicago World Fair - Michigan Exhibit (Source:PeriodPaper)
Today we are still focusing on cutting costs, economical solutions, minimizing expenses, and maximizing your show R.O.I.s (while still trying to impress your attendees with an amazing booth!)
We have seen many clients go from a 600 to a 200 square foot space, and vice-versa. This may be a result of changing Marketing budgets and because they invest in different sized spaces at different shows. Add another dimension, that these shows don't happen every year, and now what do you do with a booth purchase that only fits the space for one of your four events?
Almost all our clients change their exhibit from one event to the next. Even if it's just adding seating or a meeting room, changing the layout, enlarging the storage room, or changing the size - you can always make improvements to your booth and I like that a rental exhibit gives you this type of flexibility.
Unless you know that you will be using the same booth, in the exact same configuration for at least 4-5 shows, consider a rental exhibit. If there are some core elements that can be used at every event and in every size configuration look at a hybrid solution (a combination of custom purchased components + rental components).
Hybrid solutions give you a little more customisation and unique elements within your rental exhibit.
A lot of our exhibits are a mix of custom elements (purchased) and rental components, like this 20'x20' exhibit we designed for Pure Hothouse. The glowing pedestals, dimensional lit letters, and graphics were custom/purchased components and most of the structure is rented. That is why you can also see a 10'x20' concept in which a combination of custom components and rental structure is used. For the 10'x20' they only rent the exhibit structure they need instead of carrying the cost of the full 20'x20' version.
I am sure we will come back to this rental discussion over the lifetime of this blog and even though I can appreciate that a rental exhibit is not the right fit for every company I think renting a custom designed display will continue to be a popular choice.
Booth Flooring: carpet, vinyl, interlocking tiles, grass,...
Booth flooring is an important component in the exhibit design process.
Work with your exhibit house to make your space stand out - review design options, look at samples, consider 'green' solutions, think about longevity, and imagine it in the context of your booth.
Flooring can definitely set the tone for your entire exhibit. Take a look at Outotec's booth as an example. One design uses a white carpet - the other shows a grey option.
They have very different 'feels' depending on the colour choice for the flooring.
Which one do you like? I immediately fell in love with the white carpet but started worrying about visitors spilling drinks, dirty shoes leaving their marks, and all the other practical concerns I have!
Once again it's a form versus function debate: Yes, dark flooring is practical. Yes, it will be stain resistant. Yes, it will last longer. BUT - Our designer has won me over....I love the white flooring in this booth.
(For those of you who are not convinced - keep a carpet cleaner handy during the show, have your carpet washed after a couple of events, and set some funds aside to splurge on a fabulous new white carpet when the old one starts to show some wear and tear!)
Here are some tips on why carpet (don't worry - it does not have to be white) is still a popular choice:
Carpet is still the most popular choice
It comes in a wide range of colours
You can choose eco-friendly products
It is easily installed & dismantled for an event
It provides comfort (with underpad) if you are standing for hours
You can easily hide cables
Carpet is customizable (printing or inlays)
It is one of the most cost-effective solutions (purchase or rental)
Here is a short video on some of the other flooring products
we use for trade shows (I always thought the artificial grass was neat and am pleasantly surprised about how good roll-able vinyl flooring options have become).
In the video you will see samples of carpet, vinyl flooring, synthetic grass, LED light tiles, printed tiles, printed carpet & underpad.
This is Mucci Farm's exhibit where we used a 'wood' vinyl flooring along with a charcoal grey carpet.
Even though we are not always able to use residential or commercial flooring products at events - there are many great flooring solutions available that are made specifically for the 'temporary nature' of trade shows (interlocking tiles, 'easy' raised flooring, printed carpets, textured vinyls, etc.).
As I mentioned above, choosing the right flooring is an important part in the exhibit design process and in setting the tone for your booth. Look at samples, trust your designer, and take advantage of all the new flooring products available.
*If there are any cool flooring products you would like to share - please feel free to comment!*
Exhibit Rendering or Exhibit Photo?
I was looking at an image today and could not tell if it was an artist's rendering OR if it was a photograph. Today's post is not very serious, nor does it make us experts in the latest design technology - but I believe it does create a little bit more awareness and appreciation.
As recently as 10 years ago our exhibit designers only sketched and drew booths using pen and paper (As an exhibitor, or even someone hiring an architect to remodel your home, you will probably come across a rendering or two. Because we are so used to seeing pretty pictures and photographs instantly we often forget the amount of time and effort it takes to create these digital masterpieces. These drawings bring the booth ideas to life and help us imagine them on the trade show floor. In the last few years I have truly gained an appreciation for the artistry and technical skills required to develop exhibit renderings or 3D animations. Hours of work on the designers part leave you with images that are so realistic - the lines between the booth photo and the renderings start to blur. Here is an example of
2011 exhibit for
2011 annual radiology meeting. Can you tell which one is the photo?
You can also see Intelerad's 2010 exhibit renderings and photos on our site here.
Here are some other cool examples I found:
Setting up Microsoft's 'Shadow Box' booth
I am excited to share the installation video of Microsoft's 'Shadow Box' exhibit!
This video was filmed using time lapse and took almost 1600 photos in a span of ~ 8 hours.
Two 10'x20' custom designed walls made up this 20'x20' booth.
Although the columns in the venue made it difficult to find a good spot for the camera - we were able to capture the set-up of one of the walls.
It took a crew a full day to install the carpet, exhibit structure, signage, lighting, AV and one day later it was all dismantled again. If you every wondered what it takes to set up an exhibit here is an example: