WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW:
SUBSCRIBE TO MAGAZINE
Exhibiting &
Event Topics
EXHIBITOR
Magazine
Find It
Marketplace
EXHIBITOR
LIVE
EXHIBITOR
Education Week
EXHIBITOR
eTrak
CTSM
Certification
EXHIBITOR
Insight
EXHIBITOR
Awards
News
Network
Advertise
With Us
Topics
Exhibits
& Experiences
Exhibit
Design
Exhibit
Design Awards
Green
Exhibiting
Rental
Exhibits
Exhibit
Graphics
RFPs & Booth
Management
Small
Booths
Fabric, Flooring
& More
Technology
Case
Studies
design awards
SILVER AWARD
Category: Excellent Element Exhibitor: Autodesk Inc. Design: Freeman XP, Las Vegas, 702-579-1543, www.freemanxp.com Fabrication: Fabric Images Inc., Elgin, IL, 847-488-9877, www.fabricimages.com Show: Autodesk University, 2014 Budget: Less than $40,000 Size: 100-by-100 feet

PHOTOS: Padgett and Company Inc.; Fabric Images Inc.
Structural Support
Fabric is strong yet delicate, sturdy yet malleable, and substantial yet lightweight all at the same time. Those qualities make it the creative foundation of everything from curtains to culottes – and exhibitry. And for Autodesk Inc., fabric was the perfect medium to create intimate spaces within its massive 100-by-100-foot exhibit.

To accomplish that task, designers created a collection of geometric pillars from tensioned fabric that represented various themes and product areas. Each structure occupied roughly 200 square feet of floor space, yet soared 24 feet, and was divided into three 8-foot-tall vertical segments.


Fabric Focal Points
A series of five identical, eye-catching, tensioned-fabric structures created intimate spaces within Autodesk Inc.'s 100-by-100-foot exhibit at Autodesk University. The structures were strategically placed to improve acoustics, alter the visual scale of the booth, and serve as landmarks, directing attendees to various areas of interest inside the 1,000-square-foot space.
Textile choices defined those segments: Printed celtic fabric, which covered the bottom third of each silo, offered a blank canvas for dye-sublimated graphics. Printed, semitransparent poly linen wrapped the middle third, and stark-white poly linen graced the top third, allowing colored lights within each structure to emanate.

Underneath that carefully selected fabric laid a foundation of creative engineering. "Two cables were placed in the upper third of each silo to mimic the strength of a support without creating a visual interruption," said Allison Pocewicz, marketing coordinator at Elgin, IL-based Fabric Images Inc. Even more impressive was the project's miniscule price tag – a mere $35,000.

But these structures did more than delineate product areas. They also served as way-finding elements, directing visitors to their areas of interest within the massive space via bold typography, a trait that Exhibit Design Awards judges appreciated. "Seeming to defy gravity, these elements clearly differentiate the product areas within the exhibit," one judge said. That's proof that the silos didn't just defy the laws of physics; they also created a presence that was much greater than the space they occupied.

you might also like
 
Join the EXHIBITOR Community Search the Site
TOPICS
Measurement & Budgeting
Planning & Execution
Marketing & Promotion
Events & Venues
Personal & Career
Exhibits & Experiences
International Exhibiting
Resources for Rookies
Research & Resources
MAGAZINE
Subscribe Today!
Renew Subscription
Update Address
Digital Downloads
Newsletters
Advertise
FIND IT
Exhibit & Display Producers
Products & Services
All Companies
Get Listed
EXHIBITORLIVE
Sessions
Certification
Exhibit Hall
Exhibit at the Show
Registration
ETRAK
Sessions
Certification
F.A.Q.
Registration
EDUCATION WEEK
Overview
Sessions
Hotel
Registration
CERTIFICATION
The Program
Steps to Certification
Faculty and Staff
Enroll in CTSM
Submit Quiz Answers
My CTSM
AWARDS
Sizzle Awards
Exhibit Design Awards
Portable/Modular Awards
Corporate Event Awards
Centers of Excellence
NEWS
Associations/Press
Awards
Company News
International
New Products
People
Shows & Events
Venues & Destinations
EXHIBITOR News
© Exhibitor Group | The Leader in Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing Education PO Box 5996, Rochester, MN 55903-5996 | (507) 289-6556 | Need Help? Ask Scott