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When a Client has a Vision

When a Client has a Vision … Nippon Shaft at 2002 PGA Merchandise Show The 2002 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando was an amalgamation of hundreds of booths – most with one theme – golf. How to stand out in the crowd and at the same time keep your product out of the hands of every passerby? In the vision of the exhibitor there was but one answer, a 16’ by 16’ pyramid with product attached to the outer walls and the interior area, an intimate conference room. Definitely an impression maker. However there was still a budget to meet and a parent company in Japan to please.

Nippon Shaft of Chicago, a division of NHK Spring Company, Ltd., Yokohama, Japan began circulation of an in-house rendering of the pyramid with overhead truss lighting system in mid-December 2001 to a variety of exhibit houses across the United States. In search of a rental display to fill their 20’ by 20’ island exhibit space at the January 2002 show, they were short on time and staying within a strict budget.

Landing on the website of Absolute Exhibits, an Orange, California portable and custom modular exhibit house, a partnership was founded. Adam Purnell, Exhibit Consultant for Absolute Exhibits, accepted the challenge. While other display houses insisted that the only way to fabricate the pyramid was with wood, hammer and nails on the show floor, Purnell knew he could make this pyramid modular with client re-use at the forefront of his concept. Envisioning lightweight PVC slatwall as his base material and armed with cardboard, glue, scissors and a digital camera he built a scale model of the pyramid, snapped pictures, and emailed the quote and photos to Chicago.

At the receiving end was Hiro Fukuda, North American sales director, of the OEM golf club shaft manufacturer, who performed his salesmanship with the parent company. The rental had become a purchase of sorts – the pyramid was to be purchased with the truss surround, raised platform, carpeting and accessories remaining as a rental. In three weeks time the exhibit went from start to finish and out the door to the advance warehouse for 2002 PGA. “Our company wanted an exhibit booth that was both welcoming to our clients and protective of our equipment at the same time. The conceptual design drawn at our office in Japan had to translate to the American show floor – we wanted to break the whole concept of traditional sporting goods exhibits. Adam Purnell and Absolute Exhibits made that happen for us,” remarked Mr. Fukuda on the show floor.

Rather than a big footprint and a typical exhibit design, Nippon Shafts opted for a 20’ by 20’ space filled with a design with one-of-a-kind impact. Adam Purnell selected a virtually indestructible and incredibly lightweight material manufactured by Walls + Forms of Dallas, Texas. Walls + Forms, Inc. is a specialized designer, manufacturer and distributor of display components and systems for the point of purchase, store fixture, sign graphic and trade show industries. They have developed a proprietary plastic slatwall product; they call merchandising planks, which are quite adaptable and flexible as needed to fabricate a pyramid structure. The pyramid was designed using 3/4" thick panels with 3" on center grooves in almond color. Each plank has an interlocking feature, which allows planks to be stacked for easy installation on a wall or into a display frame.

Over the pyramid a truss lighting structure with a four-sided banner box was built of Mero Structures’ M12 product. M12 is an all-purpose load bearing system based around the universal MERO node connector. Mr. Purnell selected this vendor specifically for the ease of installation on the show floor. M12 is produced in aluminum and steel in various diameters and can be powder coated, anodized or chromed. Nippon chose a black powder-coated finish to complement their design ethic. MERO Structures, Inc. is a member of the worldwide MERO Group of Companies. Manufactured in Germany to exacting precision, the structural systems are shipped to and stored in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

With this system in place, four large banners filled the crowning banner box and were up lighted from the truss. Additional graphics were hung at the eight-foot level on each side of the truss structure. The pyramid was set on a raised carpeted platform following the European tradition. Quite a crowd-pleasing booth – yet very minimalist in form and function. Absolute Exhibits has a commitment to its clients to create spaces that will function effectively, fulfilling the client's vision and enriching their environment. This extends from the level of personal service provided to their clients and the value they place on the people, who will ultimately use the project. Both Adam Purnell and Todd Koren, Absolute Exhibits President, oversaw the entire project installation in Orlando. Prior to installation in Orlando the exhibit was pre-fabricated on the Absolute Exhibits’ setup floor. Live web cameras cover the set-up floor so that both Mr. Fukuda and the officers in Japan could follow the building process and make changes and suggestions as it was built.

“Our focus is to interpret the client's vision and make sure that the message is communicated clearly and correctly," says Todd Koren. "We get to the heart of this interpretation by determining exactly what the client envisions for their booth setting. Then, we provide the atmosphere and environment which project that vision." And, in the eyes of NHK Springs that vision was met. They are currently determining whether their pyramid will be used for their automotive division later this year.

Absolute Exhibits offers a wide range of trade show equipment and marketing services. We are a full service exhibit house that primarily rents and sells exhibit and display booths. In addition to design, engineering, graphic, and fabrication departments, we hold a union-affiliated installation and dismantle company with contracts in Las Vegas, southern and northern California, Seattle, Houston, and partners in Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Orlando.

International – Working in the international environment for our clients either coming from outside the USA or going to international venues is a vast undertaking. Show floor rules and regulations are just a small part of the overall project of moving your exhibition display to a foreign country. International shipping, moving exhibits from customs to show site, and meeting that show’s particular rules and regulations are just a minor element of our international account managers’ responsibility for our clients. We have a full network of international partners that work with us to arrange rental exhibits, installation and dismantle crews, and paperwork issues in most of the world’s largest international venues. Additionally, we offer rental services from small displays to full pavilions, built to client specs in the USA. Please call and speak to any of our International Account Executives. References will be sent upon request.

Sales - We create distinctive marketing atmospheres using advanced materials. From pop-up booths to custom exhibits – exhibit systems that make working on today’s show floor trouble-free. We distribute both Abex Display Systems and Mero TSK exhibit systems of Germany.

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Absolute I&D - We recognize that our clients are our most important assets – and have added our own union installation and dismantle company to continue the Absolute Exhibits service our clients expect. Go to www.AbsoluteI&D.com for rates and services.

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