For the ConExpo-Con/Agg show, Muncie Power Products Inc. wanted its booth to project a clean, sophisticated look and offer product displays that attendees would clearly see from a distance and easily experience up close. Joining forces with Hamilton Exhibits LLC, the Muncie, IN, manufacturer of hydraulic components created a booth as sleek and functional as its industrial tools.

Attendees approaching the 40-by-40-foot exhibit from aisles away could spot a 49-foot-long tensioned-fabric header in the company's fire-engine-red hue. Imprinted with an abstract image of industrial gears, the header contrasted dramatically with the glossy, cloud-white product stations, freestanding walls, and flooring below. Equally striking was a roughly 6-by-13-foot sculpture of letters spelling "We Build Trust," which was set on one of the exhibit's corners. Textured with a clear automotive finish that gave it an iron-like sheen, the element looked as heavy as an anvil â?" but weighed just 50 pounds, as it primarily comprised lightweight expanded-polystyrene foam.

Muncie placed a quartet of product kiosks near the aisles to attract attention (and encourage interaction). Made of wood, laminated acrylic, and painted medium-density fiberboard, each station was illumined with a combination of backlit eye-level signage, a dozen LED directional puck lights, and accent LED lighting placed around the countertop's borders. The concentrated lighting helped focus visitors' attention on arrays of up to eight products at each station. Offering a human connection to the tools, the names of 100 Muncie employees were printed in coal-black type on the sides of the kiosks.

When they were ready, guests could adjourn with staffers to a 12-by-8-foot enclosed meeting room or lounge on 10 white-leather club chairs in an open conversation area. With hundreds drawn to the booth's bold red and white hues and brightly lit product stations, Muncie's exhibit proved to be just as powerful as its products. E