Jessica’s Blog: Modern Tradeshow Booth Designs Volume 1

Welcome to my new series of Modern booth designs. Here is where I will share what I find to be “modern” in today’s trade show industry. Please continue to check back!

Such a cool display of a vertical garden.

The first thing I thought of when I snapped this photo was “Spaceship”. I haven’t seen a double decker like this in the US in a long time.

Stretch knit fabric! LCD monitor placement is pretty cool too.

Simple and easy way to be decorative.

 

For questions on Modern booth designs  feel free to email me at jlorias@skybay.com

Jessica Lynn Orias | Account Executive | 44111 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 | ph. 510.933.2212 | jlorias@skybay.com |fx. 510.490.9949 | www.skybay.com

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Jessica’s Blog: ElectronVault debuts at the International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26)

ElectronVault of Woodside, CA partnered with Skyline Exhibits Bay Area for their trade show debut at the International Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. ElectronVault invents and licenses technologies that enable large-scale battery systems for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems to be manufactured, sold, and serviced.  At EV26 they exhibited in a prime positioned and unique 10×20 island space at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At Skyline we decided the pair of our Envoy system would be an ideal look and feel for the vehicle technology industry.

 

 

On the show floor…

 

 

 

 

“What thrilled me about working with Jessica Orias and her team, was that very quickly, they understood our corporate image and how to translate that into a beautiful and effective booth. We received many compliments on our booth each day of the show, but most importantly, it was a good working and conversational space for my team and our booth visitors. Thank you!”

Linda Maepa, COO

 

For any questions on the above envoy design feel free to email me at jlorias@skybay.com

Jessica Lynn Orias | Account Executive | 44111 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 | ph. 510.933.2212 | jlorias@skybay.com |fx. 510.490.9949 | www.skybay.com

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Too Risky?

Insurance. There’s a word that conjures up mixed emotions.  Nobody wants to pay for it but it certainly is nice to have when you need it.  In the tradeshow industry, there are many steps to take to ‘ensure’ success on the show floor.  Partnering with a reliable exhibit company like Skyline Exhibits for instance is a great start.  But one step that is overlooked every now and then is insuring freight to and from events.  Sometimes it’s skipped simply to save a few bucks and other times it’s just an oversight.  But more often than not, it’s that ‘one time’ that will come back to haunt you.

If you arrange your own freight, double-check to make sure you have checked the insurance box.  Or be sure to ask your sales representative to please insure my freight.  Because all of the other steps that you have carefully and methodically planned to ensure your success may be all for naught if your exhibit and graphics arrive on the show floor damaged and unusable.  Nobody wants to be that person!

Now if your show is in Las Vegas and you’re out on the casino floor playing blackjack and you’ve got 17 or higher when the dealer has an ace showing and they ask you if you want insurance…well good luck with that!

Berkeley Dowd

Skyline Displays Bay Area

Skyline Displays Northern California

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Paradigm Shift – Custom to Custom/Modular to Modular/Custom

What has emerged in the past decade in the exhibit world is a paradigm shift from emphasis on custom builds to now a more modular/custom designs. This has been brought about by a couple major factors.

•    Logistics of owning  custom exhibits
The more traditional custom builds from the 90’s and the first half of the last decade were very heavy and burdensome from a logistical standpoint. This meant to the consumer a very hefty price tag after the sale of your exhibit. Custom houses strategies and business plans were built on this platform. They made smaller margins on the sale of an exhibit, but made large margins on the logistics of the exhibit. Storage, transportation, refurbishment, travel, and installation and dismantle were major profit centers for custom houses.
•    Green initiative
Because of the heavy and cumbersome custom exhibits they just are not very green friendly. From the materials used in the exhibit to the transportation and logistical issues these type of exhibits just do not meet the requirements of a green build.
•    Economy
We have endured a very difficult decade. Small start up companies to major corporations have had to analyze all budgets within their organizations. And of course the marketing budget were slashed in many cases. Because of this a more light weight modular solution once not even considered has gained in popularity and has become a viable option for all ends of the business spectrum.  Because the SMART companies understand that in down economic times the need to turn up the marketing message is critical! So by saving money on the back end of these exhibits your could stretch your marketing budget
•    Durability
Custom exhibits based off the number of shows have a shelf life of typically 3 years. You are then faced with a large refurbishment bill or a brand new build. The modular/custom exhibits products last for well over 10 years and beyond. And because the exhibits are modular by nature you can use these in many different configurations
•    Reconfigured exhibit
Once again since these are “modular” exhibits your 30×30 island can also become a 20×20, 10×20, and 10 foot exhibit.  And with the shows getting smaller and more targeted by nature you are not forced into a large exhibit space by the dimensions of your exhibit.
There is no question that the lighter weight modular solutions are here to stay and will continue to dominate in the future. The question to the consumer now is how do I take a pre-engineered system and stand out. The best comparison would be found from the housing industry.  Custom builds allow you the full spectrum of options. Where pre-fabricated houses in a planned community may offer 4 different designs to choose from with various finishing options.
So the challenge in today’s exhibit designs is how to put those finishing options on those prefabricated pieces that this industry offers. So understanding your options under these new criteria becomes your biggest challenge.
The following are a few suggestions on how to look different in a prefabricated world of exhibit design.
•    Look for exhibit houses that consistently upgrade and develop new prefabricated product lines. Skyline for example has released 3 major new product lines in the last year alone. By allowing you different modular product lines to choose from you can stand out architecturally by taking advantage of new systems. These products typically take 4-5 years to penetrate the marketplace so by getting them while they are new you can stand out. Click here to view the three new product lines that Skyline offers.

•    Look at rental options. Great way to change your appearance year to year. And if you specifically ask to have your graphics designed to work for 2 or 3 different options you can keep your costs down in upcoming events.

•    If you want to bring in a more sophisticate custom look you can design your work stations in the more traditional custom approach. There will be added weight but since 90% of your exhibit will still be modular this added cost may be acceptable.

•    Bring more lighting options into your design. This can bring a visual element to give you that more custom look.

•    Make your visual/audio presentations areas more creative. Many times this is an afterthought in design. Make it a requirement.
Most exhibit houses have accepted this paradigm shift and now call themselves “Custom/ Modular” exhibit houses. In reality a more apt description would be “Modular/Custom” exhibit house. It’s just does not sound as sexy. But bottom line the bulk of designs being done right not are 90% modular and 10% custom. Embrace that philosophy and make sure that you use all of the advantages of a lightweight “Modular/Custom” design in your next exhibit.

Chuck Boyle
CEO, Skyline Northern California

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Putting Color in its Place

When I walk into most trade shows today, I still can feel overwhelmed by the competition of visual effects that stand before me. Tall structures with bold logos and  large format graphics….spinning towers… rear lit  hanging signs are all out there to get my attention. What is it that really does catch my eye?  Plain and simple, it is the smart use of  color. I honestly feel it can help make the difference between blending in… or standing out against your neighbor.

Smart color accents:

Small booths are no exception to this concept. I really like how the conservative grays of the hardware, backdrop and flooring of the Con+text exhibit are brought to life with the contrasting orange and green accents. Simple, yet effective.

Contrasting colors:

3PAR- Color against color. Yellow against purple. Did you know that complimentary colors have the greatest contrast and  will pop most when placed against each other. What a great way to get those bridges and large banners to catch your eye from afar!

Black tones down bold color

Wow… The Chick Chocolates design almost glows in the dark, but the smart use of a black carpet actually tones down and frames the bright pinks, yellows and greens. And as a bonus , it helps bring your focus to the “Chicks” figures throughout the space

Multiple color mix

Using bold and large color blocks, Broder shows how multiple colors, one on top of color as well as next to another, can really stand out. Notice how the  white booth hardware gives it extra punch as it also frames matching color products.

After all, isn’t  your booth actually a work of art?

Mary Hutton-Ladner
Skyline Displays Bay Area
Skyline Displays Northern California

Filed under: Creative Marketing, Exhibit Rentals, Experiential Brand, Graphics: Tips and Tricks, Intelligent Design, Mary Hutton, Show Tips, trade show marketing | No Comments »

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Do Your Homework.

If you are entering the trade show arena for the first time, and you have been assigned the task of purchasing a new exhibit, then I would like to offer you some helpful advice for you to consider prior to determining your purchasing budget.  Many people often make the mistake of purchasing just one main exhibit for all their events ‘to save money’ when actually purchasing at least two or more exhibits may be the most cost effective route to take.  I know, you’re saying to yourself, “Of course that’s what you would say! You’re Skyline Exhibits!” Well, I promise you this is good advice.

First, rate your shows according to importance.  This may be determined by a number of factors that only you and your company can identify.  For starters, create two tiers – primary for your most important shows and secondary for your other events.  Second, rate your shows according to the length of the show by number of days.  Maybe you have several one day events or even a couple of targeted shows that may only be a couple of hours in length and the cost of sending in the big guns just isn’t justifiable.  Third, identify conflicting show schedules and dates.  If you have an event on the east coast that ends on a Tuesday and your next event is the following Thursday on the west coast, make a note of it.

What you learn from this exercise may surprise you.  Say you have your most important show and you obviously are planning on having your primary exhibit on display.  Well, your next event is a second tier show and it happens to be only a day or two after your main event – and it is a thousand miles away!  The operating costs associated with transporting your main exhibit from point A to point B may well exceed any perceived value you were hoping to recoup from attending this event in the first place.  Perhaps a smaller, simpler exhibit can be shipped to the lower tier event in pace of the main one – and at a less accelerated and costly rate.  You may find that the cost of a secondary exhibit alone may be far less than just the operating costs you would have incurred from rushing your large exhibit across the country.

So you get the point. This is just a helpful suggestion to conduct an exercise of this sort to help you plan your show schedule and determine a purchase budget for ALL of your exhibit needs.  Please give us a call and schedule your appointment today.  You’re well on your way to successful exhibiting!

Berkeley Dowd
Skyline Displays Bay Area
Skyline Displays Northern California

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Maximizing that Pricey 100 Square Feet of Tradeshow Real Estate

Everyone loves to get their money’s worth, including tradeshow exhibitors. After helping many clients successfully improve their display’s effectiveness over the past several years, I have put together a few basic guidelines which you can experiment with. Whether you are retrofitting your pop-up, reconfiguring modular hardware, or starting from scratch,  just a little creativity can go a long way.

1- Utilize your entire  floor space… both side to side as well as front to back. While I do not encourage overcrowding, I like to see the use of more  than one table  in a 10 x 10 space. Look how well  West Liberty Foods utilizes both aisles not only to greet attendees,  but also to showcase a special product with impact and visual appeal.  And phin nicely positions two tables to give themselves extra workspace and bold branding.  Don’t overlook the use of smaller and very affordable hardware items such as banner stands  or  information placards  for complimenting  your back-wall marketing message. With their multi-function capabilities of video, product and literature display, these are great ways to bring your message closer to the aisle.

2- There’s an extra 6” of space above the top of your exhibit hardware! Most standard 10 x 10 units are manufactured at 7.5’ which gives you the opportunity for some “out the box” thinking. Try something bold with a profiled headers like Baden’s or phin’s.  Or more simply, a velcro detachable marketing message  in a brightly colored circle or starburst shape will even get some extra attention.

3-Creative flooring is probably the most overlooked tip of all. Any booth will change appearance sitting on a different color flooring. So, if  red or black carpeting might be a bit bold for your next show, with the range  of color options now available, you can so easily go beyond beige or gray to look different as well terrific!

PS…this is the perfect place to add a company logo if the budget allows.

I think B. Telzer Gear did it just right!

Mary Hutton-Ladner
Skyline Displays Bay Area
Skyline Displays Northern California

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Vancouver: Hot Trade Show Venue, an International Delight

In late April I traveled with a client to Vancouver, British Columbia to supervise the installation of their exhibit at the RIMS trade show.  Having last been in Vancouver in the late 90′s, I was impressed with how much the city has grown.  Today, Vancouver is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the west coast of North America. A city with nearly 600,000 residents, Vancouver has an incredibly vibrant economy and for the last decade has been experiencing unprecedented growth.  A large port city with major import export ties to Hong Kong, Vancouver is also now 2^nd only to Hollywood for film production.  The city is also home to key national industries including forest products and mining and is quickly becoming a Canadian Mecca for biotech and software development companies as well.

Vancouver lies in a spectacular setting surrounded by coastal mountains and beautiful waterways.  Most if not all of the deluxe high-rise condos built along the waterfront district are sold out prior to ground breaking. This in large part can be attributed to the enormous inflow of capital from Hong Kong immigrants since the 1990′s. But it’s the city’s charm that is most appreciable.  The city is home to one of the greatest parks in the world, Stanley Park – the city’s top tourist destination.  English Bay is home to many restaurants, beach front parks and waterfront walkways and Vancouver harbor offers float plane tours all day, which one can hear from inside the convention center.  Today, the city is consistently voted to be one of the most livable cities in the world.  It is exceptionally friendly, clean – and very green with respect to recycling.

For a city that already has everything, it was a case of the rich getting richer when the city landed the 2010 Winter Olympics.  The area is home to two world-class ski resorts in Whistler and Blackcomb as well as several other ski resorts within 30 minutes of downtown.  The city used the massive influx of capital generated by the Olympics to expand its infrastructure including the installation of a state of the art rail system and a large new media center, which is now the new convention center – Canada Place West.

To date, RIMS is the largest trade show at this new exceptional facility. Its 466,500 square feet are more than enough to satisfy the requirements of most large trade shows. In addition to breath-taking views and exquisite dining, the facility also features the largest living roof in the world.  Located within walking distance from Robson Street, one has easy access to fabulous dining and exciting night life entertainment.

The overall setting the city of Vancouver offers for a trade show host city is one of the most impressive and enjoyable you will experience. If you have never been before, it’s time you visit. And if you have, then you already know that encouraging your industry to host future events here is a must. Be prepared for a humbling experience when it comes to the friendly nature of the Canadian people.  Perhaps it helped that their beloved Canucks were continuing to advance in the NHL hockey playoffs. Nonetheless, an unforgettable experience awaits and the future looks bright for this future home to more and more larger trade shows and events.

Berkeley Dowd
Skyline Displays Bay Area
Skyline Displays Northern California

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Tried and True – Popping up the Energy of your Pop-Ups!

In my 25 years of working for Skyline, I am still amazed to see how so many of our modular exhibits have morphed themselves into something new. With companies growing and changing brands or just adding new products, it is essential that their tradeshow exhibits be kept coherent and current.

I like to think of Skyline’s display hardware as “work horses” because of the number of times my clients have returned to update rather than replace their exhibits. Whether it is a new graphic mural, change of logo or color, or the increase in booth size, it has always been easy to accommodate them within their time frame and budget.

G L Mezzetta is one of my favorite examples … Their original purchase of a Mirage 10′ inline exhibit showcased several different graphic murals and   logos for several years. Then as they needed to expand their booth space and highlight  more products, our Inliten hardware with product shelving and other custom features was integrated both structurally and visually. And each time their logo changed and more product lines added , another set of banners and awnings were updated quickly and cost effectively. I think the real bonus was how well this 10 x 20 inline now works as a backdrop since they have moved up to a 20 x 20 space.

What a great way to make your display work for you!

Mary Hutton-Ladner
Skyline Displays Bay Area
Skyline Displays Northern California

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Spectacular Outdoor Event: California Peace Officers Memorial Run

This past Saturday May 7th was the 3rd Annual California Peace Officers’ Association Memorial Run (5k, 10k and Kid’s challenge) and Family BBQ. It was a very special event honoring those who’ve lost their lives in the line of duty, while making our lives safer. The Third Annual California Peace Officers’ Association’s Memorial Run was held on Saturday, May 7th at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park, Pleasanton. This was an extraordinary way to salute those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, while at the same time supporting their families and co-workers who are left behind to cope with the tragic loss.

All proceeds from this family oriented event went directly to the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) (California Chapter), a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to assist with the rebuilding of lives of surviving family members and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed. Each year, between140 and 160 officers are killed, while carrying out their sworn duties. Their families and co-workers are left to cope with these tragic losses. C.O.P.S has more than 15,000 members and provides resources and assistance to help these families rebuild shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.

The Memorial Run’s 10K & 5K Walk & Run courses are made up of small rolling-hill trails that run throughout the scenic Shadow Cliffs Regional Park. The Kid’s 1-Mile Fun Run is laid out through a portion of the park’s lawn area.
The Family oriented event included a barbeque from Outback Steakhouse. One of Outback Favorites; Baby Back Ribs
These fall-off-the-bone ribs are exactly the way ribs should be. Succulent and saucy, each rack is smoked, grilled to perfection and brushed in a tangy BBQ sauce. The OutBack Team included a Wheat roll, a outstanding potato salad and a cup of fruit.

For future CPOA Memorial Run information and/or an application, contact On Your Mark Events at (209) 795-7832, or visit www.onyourmarkevents.com. To register online go to www.Active.com <http://www.active.com/>  or California Peace Officer’s Association website at: https://m360.cpoa.org/ViewEvent.aspx?id=26615&instance=0

For ideas or comments about the CPOA Memorial Run or other Events please contact me at amontano@skybay.com

Anthony Montano
Exhibit Consultant
amontano@skybay.com

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