SILVER AWARD
	Category: Island Exhibitor: Toto USA Inc. Design/Fabrication: Global Experience Specialists Inc., Las Vegas, 702-263-1500, www.ges.com Show: Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, 2009 Budget: $1.2 million Size: 60-by-255 feet Cost/Square Foot: $78

f all the adjectives that can be used to describe a toilet, the word "beautiful" probably isn't at the top of the list. But that's the exact word Exhibit Design Awards judges used to describe Toto USA Inc.'s toilet-filled, Silver Award-winning booth at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show.

"The main challenge was to incorporate 120 bathroom fixtures and not look like The Home Depot," said Karl Baesman, senior exhibit designer at Global Experience Specialists Inc., which designed and fabricated the exhibit.

The resulting 60-by-255-foot space was almost entirely encapsulated in 16-foot-tall, white, opaque fabric walls. Designed with a "deliberate attendee journey" in mind, access was restricted to a single entry point located at the front corner of the booth, and the interior space was divided into five zones that reflected the company's key messages.

The journey, then, began in the "innovation" zone. Featuring interactive product displays, hands-on demos, and a bright blue, 25-by-8-foot timeline highlighting Toto's history, the zone was bathed in a vibrant blue light. In fact, since the interior of the exhibit was mostly white, GES used lighting to differentiate each of the zones. For example, the "value" zone, which featured vignettes showcasing Toto's various product lines, was showered in gray lighting. The next area, the "design" zone, was washed in soft lighting that poured onto an Asian-inspired product line. In the "quality" zone, bright lights and colors highlighted products still in development. And finally, green uplighting and a blue hue enveloped the "ecology" zone, where product displays explained Toto's commitment to the environment.

Not only did the lighting effectively illuminate Toto's products, it also impressed the judges. "This is an impressive use of light and shadows that's extremely well done," judges said. "Who knew toilets could be so beautiful?" e