10 BIG trends Exhibitor 2015: #4 Fabric, reimagined

Nichols always keeps up-to-date on the latest trends in design and manufacturing of trade show exhibits to help our customers get the best the industry has to offer. At Exhibitor 2015 we observed 10 key trends that will help you stay ahead of the curve with your next exhibit. This is the fourth in a series of posts examining those trends, and giving you tips on how you can make use of them.

The awe-inspiring nature of fabric exhibits.

Fabric has been in the spotlight for many years as an easy, cost-effective alternative to hard wall architecture. In fact, it was one of our big trends last year because we felt that fabric graphics really came into their own as a premium finish, without the cost of a custom wood exhibit. We saw large fabric graphics again this year, but some of the amazing displays took fabric to a whole new level.

There are unlimited and mind-blowing ways to use fabrics to stop traffic in its tracks. Here are a few ideas to get you excited:

• Large fabric graphics can be stretched across portable, lightweight structures configured to a wide variety of shapes and sizes, limited only by your imagination. Imagine a sweeping fabric curved as a roof, or draping panels from floor to ceiling in a pyramid shape with walkways between and a cozy conference room in the center, or even a twisted panel that looks like a large twizzler. These concepts would be nearly impossible to build, not to mention cost-prohibitive, with custom wood construction, but not so with fabric!
• Translucent fabric on the perimeter of your exhibit lets people walking the aisles see what’s happening in your booth space while elegantly defining your area. Fabric can drape from the ceiling and be lit from behind. Or a backlit translucent fabric with a textured pattern gives the feel of a contemporary museum exhibit. When it comes to the effects that can be created with translucent fabrics, the ideas are jaw-dropping!
• Fabric graphics can be illuminated either from outside or from within (as with a Nichols nLite). LED lighting illuminates with less heat output. Moreover, using internal lighting adds a luster to the graphics, intensifies color, creates an eye-catching glow, and will certainly turn heads so you stand out from the crowd.
• For even better value, the flexibility comes with the framing. The supporting aluminum framing is scalable and can be enlarged or scaled down when needed to get the most out of your trade show budget. Reconfigure the frame components, create a new graphic and voila – it’s like an entirely new exhibit. And all without straining your budget.

When it comes to remarkable beauty, flexibility, durability, and design options, large fabric graphics will garner you a crowd on the showroom floor. Contact us at www.gonichols.com/contact/ to schedule an ideation session where you’ll discover how you can achieve high drama without all the costs associated with heavy, custom wood exhibits.

With you every step of the way,

Team Nichols

In our next post, we’ll talk about ways you can use your vertical space to get maximum effect.

Coming soon: download our eBook with all 10 key trends from Exhibitor 2015!