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| >> Absolute Exhibits >> About AE >> In the News |
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Selling on the Fly-Through Orange, CA. May 3, 2001 --- Creating a successful client partnership with an exhibit purchaser that is based 3,000 miles away is an ominous task. Add to the mix that this particular client is an engineering-based software company where attention to detail is the rule, not the exception, and the mission becomes all the more intimidating. In order to overcome the distance between the client, we required an innovative approach to bring the client closer to their exhibit design ideas. A visual reality "fly through" provides an excellent opportunity for a client to preview an exhibit and foresee potential design problems, while gaining a greater understanding of the floor space that they will occupy. It allows the client to view things from all three dimensions, as well as both inside and out which provides a novel environment in which to "experience" their tradeshow presentation arena. The client, VISTAGY, Inc. of Waltham, Massachusetts, creates CAD-integrated software solutions for improving the productivity and efficiency of manufacturing organizations. The display was to debut in Chicago at National Manufacturer’s Week at the National Design Engineering Show in March 2001. Vistagy participates in several industry symposiums and exhibits throughout the year. Thus, it was necessary that their new display accommodate a number of different booth spaces and configurations. "This show was a considerable undertaking for Vistagy and for me personally. An entire year of work went into a corporate identity campaign and major product launch that was to be introduced at the show. In addition to being the first time we exhibited at this show the booth was nearly 4 times larger than any other exhibit we built in the past," commented Dannielle O’Beirne, VISTAGY’s director of marketing communications, who brought a succinct list of design requirements and objectives to meet. "In my experience it is vital that a technology provider’s exhibit offer something visually spectacular to draw attention. Tech show displays seem to mirror each other in both appearance and feel. We needed to take Vistagy to the next level and with Dannielle O’Beirne, I was able to do just that," commented Michael Koren, vice president of sales for California-based Absolute Exhibits. And so, the project began. Using telephone and email, several pre-design conferences occurred before the design team convened. Name branding was the most important issue – as the company had recently undergone a name change to reflect a broadening of the range of software solutions. Along with the new moniker were new corporate colors – that in fact changed during the pre-design process. Foremost on the list was a large company logo. VISTAGY also needed a theater area to seat twelve with a plasma screen and three additional workstations. A central tower for storage was very important; this first show was in Chicago in the winter, and plenty of clothing storage was needed along with space for wire and cord management. In addition, an open area with half-height walls for a semi-enclosed conference area had to be incorporated. Those were the easy elements. Furthermore the display was to have no sharp edges – it needed to flow. The exhibit had to reconfigure from its original 20’x70’ space to both a 20’x20’ and a 10’x20’ design. Then, of course, there was the budget and for Absolute Exhibits, the unknown … the competition. In this case a custom exhibit house located in the client’s backyard in Massachusetts. For the solution, Absolute Exhibits turned to Abex Display Systems, a leading manufacturer of modular exhibits. "I am a firm advocate of modularity. It decreases costs, increases flexibility, maximizes return on the dollar, and allows the flexibility to redesign year after year with existing parts," explained Koren. "We discussed the obvious benefits of a modular unit versus a custom build – i.e. drayage, storage, service/repairs, and then - most importantly - reconfigurability." The custom-built design weighed in at 25,000 pounds, while the Abex 900 Custom Laminate design was a light and thrifty 10,000 pounds. Utilizing the incredible design capabilities of the Abex design department – the VISTAGY hierarchy was entranced by Abex Creative Director Carl Geiser’s initial design. His use of radius panels met the very important issue of no sharp edges. The blade headers added a great custom element – this in light of the fact that Mr. O’Beirne came with a strong "no-truss" decree. All of the drawings included the other configurations – no guesswork here. The "fly-through" animation created by Abex’ Adrian Sawyer proved to be the dealmaker. Even engineers can attest that 2-dimensional 3-view drawings still do not really represent the whole design picture. Over the years designers have struggled with different means to communicate their ideas and theories. What better way than a virtual walk through of a proposed exhibit? This was the highlight for Steven C. Luby, president and CEO of VISTAGY, Inc. He was given the opportunity to fine-tune his exhibit before he signed off. There were very few changes –the 16’ long by 40" high hanging sign from Studio Stitchers was made elliptical rather than circular. There was a color change from black to silver on the 3D letters and placement of the letters was rearranged on the blade headers. The workstation height was increased on the sides of the booth and two new counters were added. By providing the fly-through all participants in Massachusetts felt very much a part of and in touch with the project. The project was renamed the S.S.VISTAGY as it actually captured the appearance of a sea-faring vessel on the show floor. "Thanks to the Abex design team, we now have the ability to give our client a way to interact in real time with a multi-perceptual, multi-dimensional, all-inclusive environment; to change perspective at will and to make and implement decisions. The client feels empowered as a design team member – they are one of the players, not just the end user," commented Koren "and the deal was struck." With clients including Sikorsky Aircraft, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier Aerospace and BAE Systems, VISTAGY needed more than a presence during National Manufacturing Week. As Dannielle O’Beirne noted, "In the end, we received countless compliments from customers, partners, competitors, press and even other exhibition companies. Our presence at the show was very strong, and there is no doubt that the booth generated a great deal of interest and traffic for us." For Absolute Exhibits, technology served them well. They are firm believers that three-dimensional visualization will soon be as important to exhibit design as is the computer itself. Koren adds, "Our challenge is to provide the total exhibit solution for our clients. We present each client with our best ideas and always work within their parameters. In our estimation, we offer both the most advanced and superior products on the market, as well as outstanding customer service that allows clients to focus on their tradeshow objectives before show time. Our objective is to bring visions to reality ™". Absolute Exhibits, Inc. is located in Orange, California and can be found on the web at www.AbsoluteExhibits.com. For additional information about their services or information contained in this article contact Absolute Exhibits at 714-974-8544 or e-mail marketing@AbsoluteExhibits.com |
