Think Big

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Think Big

While exhibitors don't always have to go big or go home, it often pays to supersize your graphics. Perhaps more than any other exhibit component, large-format graphics can deliver long-distance awareness, sizeable impact, and critical messaging. And given the latest advances in lightweight fabrics and printing quality, going big on graphics is easier than ever. So to get your big wheels turning, here are six examples that prove bigger is usually better. By Linda Armstrong

PHOTO: Diephotodesigner.de

Graphics for Dummies
Exhibitor: Genesis Display GmbH
Show: EuroShop
Design: Plajer & Franz Studio Gbr, Berlin, 49-30-616558-0, www.plajer-franz.de

Mannequin manufacturer Genesis Display GmbH made a big statement with towering graphics at the entrance to its exhibit. Reaching the maximum height allowed in the exhibit hall, five cubes featured dramatically lit graphics displaying fashion themes on a black background.

PHOTO: Proto Images

An Astounding Element
Exhibitor: Astound Group Inc.
Show: EXHIBITORLIVE
Design: Astound Group Inc., Oakville, ON, Canada, 905-465-0474, www.astoundgroup.com

Going for a soft sell, exhibit house Astound Group Inc. took the focus off of its logo and placed it on its tagline: "I [heart] Trade Shows." Thus, a colossal 20-foot fabric cube bearing the slogan dangled roughly 10 feet from the floor, creating a sense of coziness in the space below.

PHOTO: Padgett and Company Inc.

Picture Perfect
Exhibitor: Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (2K Games)
Show: Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
Design: Freddie Georges Production Group, Huntington Beach, CA, 714-367-9260, www.freddiegeorges.com

To tout its new video game, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. devised a one-off photo op in which attendees could climb a faux boulder positioned in front of a dramatic fabric graphic. Measuring roughly 18-by-29 feet, the structure featured a panoramic image from the game.

PHOTO:Steve Rossman Photo+Marketing

Bright Horizon
Exhibitor: F5 Networks Inc.
Show: RSA Conference
Design: ProExhibits, Fremont, CA, 877-606-6150, www.proexhibits.com

F5 Networks Inc., a provider of applications-delivery networking, generated massive awareness with its substantial graphics. The firm's oblong space featured 8-by-10-foot, double-sided fabric graphics from Tudesign of Morada, CA, creating bright swaths of colors and imagery.

Background Check
Exhibitor: Under Armour Inc.
Show: International Consumer Electronics Show
Design: George P. Johnson, a Project Worldwide Inc. agency, Auburn Hills, MI, 248-475-2500, www.gpj.com

To launch its social-networking and health-tracking app, Under Armour Inc. chose a series of high-impact graphics for its 20-by-50-foot exhibit. While divided into various-sized totem-style panels, the graphics functioned as a cohesive whole, which served as an impactful backdrop.

PHOTO: Padgett and Company Inc.

Purple Reign
Exhibitor: Wizards of the Coast
Show: Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East
Design: Pinnacle Exhibits Inc., Hillsboro, OR, 503-844-4848, www.pinnacle-exhibits.com

Wizards of the Coast wanted attendees to escape into the world of its popular video game "Magic: The Gathering." As such, its booth exterior featured mesmerizing character graphics on transparent fabric scrim that towered up to 20 feet tall, all of which were bathed in a corporate-purple hue.