Chaos Theory
Going into Lightfair International, Eaton Corp. plc wanted to get the word out about its distributed low-voltage power system (DLVP). By combining power and control capabilities into a single cable (as opposed to the multiple cables in traditional lighting and sensor systems), DLVP simplifies installation and purportedly cuts install time by up to 40 percent. So to relay this message and craft a couldn't-miss conversation starter, designers concocted a roughly 6-by-8-foot display filled with all manner of wiring mayhem. Designers sandwiched everything from copious conduit to countless connectors between an opaque back wall and a Plexiglas front. Graphics next to the mess read "Cut ties with complexity. Less wire, conduit and install time." Spotting the chaos, attendees stopped dead in their tracks, giving staff the chance to swoop in and tout the benefits of DLVP. Picture Perfect
Marketers with social-media goals know that one way to extend their trade show exhibits from the convention center floor to the far reaches of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is to incorporate photo-based activations. So if one Instagram-worthy photo op is good, Nikon Corp. reasoned three must be even better. The company incorporated a trio of colorful backdrops into its exhibit at the 2019 International Consumer Electronics Show. The aptly named Nikon Pop-Up Studio was complete with unusual props and surreal set designs including everything from a rubber-ducky-filled bathtub to a moped tricked out with mylar emoji balloons. Staffed by professional photographers wielding Nikon digital cameras, the miniature photo studios generated thousands of images and video clips – not to mention countless social-media impressions – during the four-day show. To incentivize camera-shy booth visitors and encourage attendees to use the hashtag #NikonCES when uploading their images, staffers distributed branded T-shirts to all Pop-Up Studio participants who showed evidence of their appropriately hashtagged posts. Live Stream
ADJ Supply Europe B.V. wanted to spotlight its Hydro Beam X2 light fixture, which boasts a durable casing that protects it from moisture and liquids, at Integrated Systems Europe. So the company arranged the product inside a 5-foot-tall, branded case. The top port-ion of the display featured a clear acrylic enclosure and a pair of perforated hoses that doused the X2 with water. Positioned on one corner of ADJ's booth, the dynamic presentation captured the attention of passersby like a miniature version of the Bellagio fountains while proving the product's durability and waterproof attributes. Inner Circle
One way to make your exhibit memorable is to provide an experience that offers a dose of surprise and delight. Trend-Store Shop Creation GmbH did just that at EuroShop, where the interior-design firm suspended several circular, tension-fabric structures at roughly eye level in its exhibit. Bearing the firm's slogan, "smart 2 gether," each roughly 6-foot-diameter element elicited curiosity from passersby, many of whom wandered in for a closer look. That's when staffers invited attendees to step inside one of the hoops, where they discovered a plethora of colorful graphics and Post-It style notes, each of which served as a talking point for the staffers, allowing them to quickly point out the company's services and explain how Trend-Store might meet attendees' needs. Gateway Arch
When you're a massive provider of product engineering for the oil, gas, and power industries, it's easy to be a little full of yourself, a situation that usually equates to an exhibit crammed with product and text-heavy graphics that do more to toot your own horn than to address attendees' pain points. At the Offshore Technology Conference, however, The Weir Group PLC sidestepped this big-player blunder with an uncluttered display on the booth's front corner. To catch the eye, Weir constructed a massive, corporate-blue arch comprising various oil-industry pipes and valves. Then, from the center of the arch, it draped a simple white poster board that bore a highly suc-cinct but utterly communicative message: "80% fewer connections. 100% game changer. Weir Simplified Frac Iron System." The simple tactic lured in curious attendees and communicated the core benefit of Weir's system in a single glance. Window Treatment
One complaint about virtual-reality activations is that they exclude anyone not wearing goggles. At Greenbuild, Andersen Corp., a manufacturer of windows and doors, decided to throw open the shutters and give everyone a peek into its virtual world. Visitors were invited to don an HTC Vive headset, grab a pair of hand controllers,and take a window-installation tutorial. The company simultaneously cast the experience onto a nearby monitor that used a picture-in-picture function to provide one view from outside the virtual house's empty window frame and another from an interior angle – allowing spectators to enjoy a nearly 360-degree perspective of the installation. Pac 'em In
Most in-booth meeting spaces at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas were about as charming as a hospital cafeteria – which is to say, not at all. Bandai America Inc. bucked the trend by tapping into the magnetic pull of its 40-year-old icon, Pac-Man. For the back corner of its exhibit, the toy licensee had Pinnacle Exhibits Inc. fabricate a 14-foot-tall, 16-foot-wide, polystyrene-foam head with a gaping mouth that formed a sloping ceiling. Inside the colossal cranium, Bandai placed a pair of comfortable couches, a table, and a monitor, creating a one-of-a-kind sitting area to talk shop. Even showgoers without scheduled meetings stopped to gape as wide as the pellet-consuming maw, providing staffers time to step in the aisle and engage them in more informal consultations. The fun and imaginative meeting area certainly Pac-ed a punch.