Fabric pop-up displays have become increasingly popular with trade show exhibitors as they solve various problems that exhibitors used to face at a trade show. Innovations in the processes used to print on fabrics have progressed rapidly, allowing vivid, high-quality photographic images to be printed directly onto a variety of fabrics. This progression of technology has given way to display manufacturers to create lightweight, easy-to-assemble frames not only for quick installation, but for real visual impact.
The problem
Not so long ago, even a small 8 or 10 foot display booth was shipped to a display in several large boxes. If you were lucky, everyone would arrive safely and be in your space in time for the show. However, if you’ve put on enough shows, you’re sure to find the nightmare of a box or two disappearing somewhere in the convention center, or God forbid in an airport, sending you on a frantic race to locate them. Once you had all your boxes, you and at least one other person were needed to set up the booth. Although pop-up frames have been around for quite some time, most pop-up booths have featured, until recently, heavy vinyl graphic panels and carpeted panels. This is not a time-consuming or difficult assembly, but as with any product, it could be improved.
In addition to the bulk and multi-person installation requirement of carpeted pop-up booths, changing the graphic panels is an expensive proposition. Panels are generally 6 to 8 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide and are printed on heavy vinyl. They are then backed up with magnetic strips and hanging slots. The typical cost of a panel is around $ 600 (??). If your booth was a full graphic (4 panels), your upgrade cost was around $ 2400. Not terrible, but not necessarily something you would choose to do frequently.
The solution
Take the pop-up frame concept and add the lightweight nature of Lycra-type fabrics, and you’ve got the pop-up fabric shade. Due to the weight and flexibility of the fabric, these displays generally fold and fit in a single case; some even come in cases that you can literally toss over your shoulder. If your show is local, you can literally drop the case in your trunk and be on your way. If you are out of town, you will probably still have to check the bag as baggage at the airport, but the chances of losing a bag vs. several cases is significantly reduced.
Additionally, advancements in the printing process and equipment have enabled the industry to reduce the cost of booth graphics by using fabric instead of heavy vinyl panels. The costs of replacing fabric panels are much lower than vinyl panels, and it is even possible to use fabric panels on your old booth. To find out, contact your local trade show booth vendor or visit AdlerDisplay.com for information.
How they can maximize their budget
A fabric display frame can be purchased, along with several different fabric panels. Instead of buying several different stands for different shows, different audiences, different products, or marketing messages, you simply buy different fabric panels.
Fabric display panels cost less than older vinyl graphic panels to produce and are much less expensive to ship. They also last longer as they won’t permanently bend or wrinkle.