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ammunition
Ideas That Work
 Determined to give booth visitors a first-hand – albeit safe – experience with its precollision assist with automatic braking, Ford Motor Co. offered Greenbuild attendees a 90-second virtual-reality experience by inviting them to slip into the driver's seat of the company's Transit van and don a set of VR goggles. Drivers were immersed in the sights and sounds of an urban environment while the chair, mounted on a mechanical pivot, tilted side to side and forward and backward to mimic a realistic on-road experience. Near the end of the activation, a piano falling from a high-rise building caused drivers to whip their eyes from the road and watch the plunging object, causing an obstacle in the lane to go unnoticed. That's when the precollision assist automatically applied the vehicle's brakes and averted an otherwise certain collision. When the activation was finished, a staffer who'd been watching the drivers' head movements on a nearby iPad jokingly chided users about their distracted driving before shifting the conversation to how Ford could help keep both attendees and their assets safe while cruising down the road of life. 
 Most exhibitors understand the importance of incorporating key messages into their displays. But modular exhibit system provider Agam Group Ltd. took that truism to new heights, literally, by actually building its booth out of supersized words. Comprising Agam's system components, words such as "fast," "easy," and "bold" made up the structure's back and side walls, while the company name was suspended roughly 20 feet in the air. The unique design not only helped Agam stand out from the competition at EXHIBITORLIVE but also enabled the company to convey some of its products' attributes – even if staffers never spoke a word to attendees.
 At an event like the International Consumer Electronics Show, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a drone. There are literally dozens of companies selling the flying contraptions, all trying to differentiate their offerings. So to prove the durability of its Sky Viper V2450 GPS drone, Skyrocket Toys LLC created an in-booth activity dubbed the Sky Viper Drone Hunting Challenge. Booth graphics teased attendees, asking "Do you have what it takes?" and inviting them to "Take down the best." Nearby, a large netted enclosure housed the hunting grounds, where staff handed participants air cannons and challenged them to shoot down any one of several Sky Viper drones buzzing around. While the company didn't keep score, the clear winner was Skyrocket itself, whose drones kept on flying despite being successfully hit dozens of times per day, proving their durability beyond a doubt.
 Generally speaking, high-performance, wear-resistant parts aren't exactly attractive, and relaying your ability to develop and manufacture such components can be a yawn fest at best. But at the Offshore Technology Conference, Seed Technologies Corp. Ltd., which provides wear-resistant parts solutions, offered an awesome display. The company's in-line exhibit featured five creations made entirely of the very same high-performance parts Seed creates. Company engineers used these gears, pipes, cranks, and cylinders to construct three massive animal heads depicting a boar, a horse, and a rhino. At the other end of the exhibit, a second display featured Seed's wares in the form of a full-bodied whale and a dolphin. Drawn to the space by the couldn't-miss accoutrements, visitors immediately understood not only the types of parts Seed provides but also the company's undeniable creative competency.
 Today's light fixtures produce amazing variations in color and levels of brightness – all of which look pretty much the same on a light-drenched trade show floor. That's why at Lightfair International Heper USA LLC opted for a light-controlled, one-off environment in which to show off its illuminating wares: a solid-black, fully enclosed shipping container. Designers branded the steel construct's exterior with the company logo and white text that spelled out "Light Innovation Zone." Meanwhile, the interior, accessible through a black drape at one end of the container, displayed Heper's products in all their shining glory, made even more apparent by the darkened enclosure.
 At Interbike Marketweek 2018, Sena Technologies Inc. added an unexpected aural lure to its exterior walls. A graphic of two cyclists set the scene, and two of the company's helmets mounted to the wall lent dimensionality. Audio speakers hidden inside the helmets ran a track that mixed music with the sounds of people talking and GPS-enabled gadgets providing turn-by-turn directions. Staffers explained to curious passersby that the helmets can be paired with a smartphone so that cyclists can listen to music, take calls, and more without interrupting their rides.
 Companies that are determined to display an array of products and offerings often turn out a muddled exhibit. Canon Inc. avoided this common faux pas at Print, where it showcased the full range of its print solutions without winding up looking like a used bookstore. The company reserved a 24-foot-diameter circle of floor space in the center of its exhibit for a clever storytelling display. The circle was partitioned into quarters by tall dividers, with each segment dedicated to a setting involved in a traveler's vacation: a travel agency's front office, its back office, a hotel room at a tropical resort, and a restaurant. All the printed graphics – the wallpapers, business cards, seating fabrics, menus, and more – had rolled off the company's own printers that were located around the perimeter of the booth. The result was a clear understanding of how Canon can serve its customers and their partners, whether they're working a travel agency's front office or serving up piña coladas at a luxurious Caribbean resort.
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