We recently had the opportunity to print and install two large trade show booths for Warner Brothers and Sony at the APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) show in Seattle.  It was exciting because of the nature of the show and the exhibitors, including all of the major players in the motion picture industry.  Had the cameras been rolling on scene, they would have caught a story that no one would have believed to be true--our own Speedpro miracle.

The booths included 27 large board-mounted graphics; a backlit of Tom Cruise rockin' out; frosted window graphics; cut-out, life-size Spideys and miles of printed vinyl we applied on site. 

 

We printed, laminated, mounted and cut graphics for three and a half days straight to finish the booths on time. After carefully packing and trucking everything up to Seattle, we entrusted the gorgeous fruits of our labor to a union worker, who drove the forklift fifty yards from the dock door to the booths.    

 

 

Upon meeting the forklift at the Sony booth, we found that the operator had run over one of the board-mounted graphics, adding (very) deep textural interest to the image.  After some deep-breathing exercises, we took stock of the situation:  

 

1)  We couldn't reprint the file because we didn't have time for six hours of round-trip driving, printing, off-gassing, laminating and mounting. 

2)  We couldn't have another print shop in Seattle print and mount it as all print shops were closed over the weekend.

3)  BTW, OMG.

 

The workers were hustling all around us, dropping boards into the framed-out booth.  Surveying the scene, Mike and Nick had an epiphany that I can only say was more than simple serendipity.  In fact, we may have depleted our miracle budget for a while... 

 

In the course of printing and mounting for three days and nights straight, one of the 27 board-mounted graphics was accidentally mounted onto the wrong thickness of board, so we printed it again and mounted it to the correctly sized board. While packing up the trailer at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Mike and Nick inadvertently packed both boards.    

 

 

 

With all of my foreshadowing in this tale, which of all of the 27 boards do you think we had an extra?  Who would think that the only extra graphic we had would be THE VERY ONE we needed!  We figured out a way to cut and banner-tape the thicker board into place over the damaged board so that it mounted within the visible area between the frame.  In the end, no one would have been able to pick out the taped-in board from the rest. 

 

So the story had a happy ending.  Sony, Warner Brothers and the exhibition organizer were all extremely pleased with the two booths.  The organizer said that they'd never worked with a large-format printer for which they didn't have a long list of "do differently next time." 

 

Miracles may happen every day, but this is one we're not likely to forget.     

 

Best,

Carolyn Miye

Admit it.  Maybe you've done the tradeshow circuit and felt that pang of jealousy when you realize you just don't measure up to the booth next door.  Sure, you've got a nice banner stand, a fancy literature rack and a comfortable podium to sit at and dole out trinkets to passersby (who just grab and run without even so much as a thank-you).  But somehow, it just doesn't seem like it's enough when you're next to a booth that apparently was designed with an unlimited budget.  

Well, here at Speedpro West Portland, we're as angry at that injustice as you are and we just aren't going to take it anymore.  Don't stop with one six-foot wide banner.  Build a wall.  In fact, make it thirty feet of high-definition, full-color glorious marketing message and do it economically with Speedpro Magnetic Banner Stands and  Banner Walls.  

Speedpro Magnetic Banner Stands

Is your message too big to be contained in a single banner?  With our Speedpro Magnetic Banner Stands, add another stand, and another, and another - until you know your voice can't be ignored and will be heard.  The Speedpro Magnetic Banner Stands feature magnetic strips down the side of the banner.  Just position one stand close to the next one, and watch them click into place into a virtually seamless wall of banner stand glory.  Or mix-and-match.  Just set your graphics up so you can easily pick and choose the just the banner stands you need for any particular show.  Maybe one show just needs one stand but the Big Event all four.  It's easy and you can setup in minutes!     

Speedpro Magnetic Banner Wall

Maybe you like the idea of the Speedpro Magnetic Banner Stands but don't need the formality.  Maybe you just want to have high-definition imagery across the back or side wall of your exhibit.  That's where Speedpro Magnetic Banner Walls excel.  Printed on economical, but high quality, banner material, we use the same magnetic technology to enable one banner to seamlessly connect to its neighbor.  Instead of being housed in a retractable banner stand, though, the Speedpro Banner Wall is simply supported by the pipe-and-drape booth separators supplied by the exhibit organizers.  Basically, the banners are hung just like a shower curtain and the individual panels are connected with magnetic tape, providing a nearly seamless appearance.  And, when you're done, they're easy to put away.  Just take them off the pipe, roll them up, and store them until the next time you need to blow away your competition.    

Interested in learning more?  Come visit our studio and we'll be glad to show you how Speedpro's Magnetic Banner Stands and Banner Walls can make your next tradeshow come alive with beautiful high-definition, full color graphics.   

 Mike Lottridge