Weight for It
Plenty of exhibitors promoted the durability of their outdoor TV screens at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam. However, none of them put their money where their mouths were quite like Peerless Industries Inc. (dba Peerless-AV). To flaunt the strength of its UHD outdoor TVs, marketers at Peerless-AV positioned one of the units in an aisle-side Plexiglas display case and suspended a 3-kilogram kettle bell from a hinged metal bar directly in front of the screen. Marketers then tied a string to the weight and strung it through an oval hole in the Plexiglas. Lured by their own curiosity, attendees could pull the string, thereby drawing the kettle bell several feet away from the front of the monitor. When they let it go, the hefty weight crashed into the screen, which, true to the company's claims, remained uncracked throughout the show. Color Me Impressed
At the American Institute of Architects' Conference on Architecture in Las Vegas, Benjamin Moore & Co. touted its Notable paint, which transforms any surface into a dry-erase board, by turning a wrap-around wall along two sides of its exhibit into a hands-on demo. Designers attached two black-and-white cityscape graphics to the wall along with containers of brightly colored dry-erase markers with "Grab one!" written below. Taking the company up on its clear invitation, passersby drew, doodled, and colored the massive mural. And if they weren't happy with their creations, visitors used nearby erasers to swipe and reapply. Over the show's two days, the canvas transformed into a colorful collage. Better yet, it slowed attendees long enough for staffers to explain how the paint is a great idea for their office walls as well. Turning the Tables
Sometimes the right tool for the task isn't the conventional choice. And in one exhibit at Print 2018, the right table for the job wasn't even a table. To eschew unnecessary exhibit elements and save on shipping and drayage expenses, Logitrans A/S, which was showcasing its Interthor-brand machines, let several models of its walk-behind forklifts do the heavy lifting for its product literature. By simply placing a plastic pallet on the lifts, the industrial company created functional display elements that doubled as demo stations where staffers showed attendees the lifts in action and referenced the applicable literature at the same time. The displays were spot on with Logitrans' target audience of material handlers, who are more impressed with lift capacity than display tables adorned with dainty succulents. Bacon Me Crazy
Media-room press kits are a bit of an endangered species these days, and stumbling upon a creative one is about as rare as sighting a northern hairy nosed wombat in the wild. Riffs Smokehouse Inc., the maker of Bacon on the Go, took advantage of the barren landscape at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago by using twine to tie samples of its smoked and salty treats to what appeared to be menus fit for a hipster microbrewery. But rather than plated offerings, the menus listed the exhibitor's key talking points. And instead of simply tossing the kits on a shelf where they might be easily ignored, Riffs neatly arranged them in a wicker basket, thereby ensuring they stood out in the otherwise sterile environment. Logo Motion
Overhead elements do a great job of branding exhibitors' booth spaces and attracting attention from all angles. However, most rigged structures feature one or two strategically positioned logos in hopes that's where attendees will look. But Nimlok Company Inc. wasn't taking any chances at EXHIBITORLIVE 2018 in Las Vegas. Rather than putting a couple of corporate logos on its tension-fabric attention-getter, Nimlok printed its name on all four sides and then hung nine additional logos from the sign's center. Each hexagonal shape featured the company's logo on one side and its "Bring your brand to life" tagline on the other. The slowly spinning elements added a kinetic lure to the otherwise static sign, and the collection of not one, not two, but 13 corporate logos unequivocally branded the space as Nimlok territory. Today's Special
Sometimes tried-and-true tactics get pushed by the wayside as technology continues to take over the face-to-face-marketing industry. Thankfully, not every exhibitor has forgotten the fundamentals that have been getting buyers to sign on the dotted line for decades. Rudy Rack Inc. employed one of those tactics at Interbike Marketweek 2018. To remind attendees of its at-show special – and sweeten the deal for any clients considering an on-site order – the company scribbled "Free shipping on orders placed at the show" onto a sandwich board in blue and green chalk and placed it on a high-traffic corner of its booth, encouraging cycling enthusiasts to truncate the sales cycle and take advantage of Rudy's now-or-never deal. Bubbling Over
The Australia-based company ZipWater offers a MicroPurity filtration system that delivers chilled flat, chilled sparkling, and near-boiling water at the push of a faucet button. And since the system uses up to 53 percent less energy than similar devices, the eco-friendly Greenbuild show seemed like the ideal place for ZipWater to make its North American splash. So the company set up a bar – more specifically, a water bar – with an aproned barista in a dapper bow tie serving up delicious quaffs ranging from hot English Earl Gray tea to chilled sparkling water with mint and fruits muddled in the glass. The key to the delightful concoctions was the water, which was being delivered by the filtration system visible through a Plexiglas window in the serving cabinet. Even better, since drinks were served in glassware that needed to be returned, visitors stayed put while they enjoyed their refreshments, giving staffers plenty of time to show them around the booth.