Summer 2011 • View Previous Issues »
The Many Ways of Portable Displays
In good times and bad, portable displays help companies share their messages
by Jon Bell, PDS
The times have been tough on the tradeshow.
Shows across the country saw the numbers of exhibitors and attendees shrink as the economy (and marketing budgets) sank over the past two years.
In an annual exhibit management survey, the Trade Show Exhibitors Association found that exhibitors were expected to cut their presence by almost 20 percent in 2009 and exhibiting budgets were predicted to decrease 17 percent. Tradeshow Weekly’s quarterly report for the fourth quarter of 2009 found that many of those predictions had come true: attendance, space sales, and exhibitors were all down over the prior year.
But not all is lost. This year is already shaping up to be a slightly better one, and companies are still exhibiting because they know the benefits are there. One way they’re able to do that: portable displays.
“We have a lot of folks who used to have large booths who are still wanting to go to shows, so now they are using portable displays instead of full on custom exhibits,” says Travis Rigby, president and CEO of PosterGarden, a portable display company in Portland, Ore. “A lot of our customers are using our displays to beat the pressure of the economy.”
Many companies have turned to portable displays like banner stands, popups, and tensioned fabric displays as a more economical way to share their messages at shows.
Fabric, especially, has become a popular option for its versatility and the improved printing quality that’s come over the past few years. The best companies today can print custom, full-color graphics in-house using advanced dye-sublimation or UV curing processes to create stunning graphics that can be replaced without having to buy a brand new display all over again.
Portable displays are also lighter than large custom ones, which helps save money on shipping, drayage and labor costs as well.
“Portable displays really seem to make a lot of sense for anyone looking to maintain their presence at shows during tougher times,” Rigby says. “But beyond that, their appearance, simplicity and durability gets the job done for people, no matter the economy.”
With all that in mind, here’s a look at five different companies and how they’re using portable displays to spread the good word about themselves at trade shows and events.
Future Food
Future Food was looking for a portable display with a clean, natural look for its new line of all-natural foods.
![[Sophora] [Sophora]](/assets/posts/118/original/51984Future2.jpg?1276061225)
The Texas manufacturer of refrigerated dips, salads and spreads found exactly that — and then some — in a double-sided Sophora Tension Fabric Display from PosterGarden.
The 10-foot serpentine-style display features a two-sided graphic printed on earth-friendly EcoWeave fabric. One side of the Sophora showcases Future Food’s Santa Barbara Bay brand, the other shows its Salads of the Sea brand.
“We went with a clean white background and simple product shot,” says Emily Alfano, marketing manger for the company. “We duplicated the look for both of our brands and were able to purchase one fabric graphic (front and back). Not to mention how easy it is to put up and take down. We also purchased the foam wood floor to help tie it all together with the clean look we wanted to achieve.”
The company used the booth for the first time at the Natural Products Expo West in March.
SportGame
As its name implies, SportGame Inc. is all about sports: football, hockey, basketball, baseball, even horse and auto racing. The Mississippi company’s bag is supplying computer systems to casinos to run sports-oriented contests.
![[Flora Retractable Banner Stand] [Flora Retractable Banner Stand]](/assets/posts/115/original/32939SportGame.jpg?1276061225)
So it made absolute sense for SportGame to promote itself on Flora Retractable Banner Stands with bright, colorful images of what it knows best: sports.
“We are sports-oriented, with NFL football and NHL hockey being our most popular contests, so we used those players to attract attention,” says SportGame’s Sheila Grieco-Turner.
She says SportGame mainly uses the displays to identify the company and share its benefits at trade shows such as the National Indian Gaming Association, the New York Gaming Summit and casino marketing shows.
An important part of SportGame’s marketing efforts, the Flora banner stands have also proven to be easy to use, very effective and intriguing to passers-by.
“We feel we’ve done ourselves a big favor because we have less hassle at shows thanks to these displays,” Grieco-Turner says. “We have received compliments on them, and we have noticed that the seem to have a magnetic draw.”
SnapFlow
Samad Wahedi, CEO of “SnapFlow”,:http://snapflow.com cuts right to the point when asked what he was going for in the design of the Sophora Tension Fabric Display he purchased from PosterGarden.
“Keep it simple. Attractive. Eye-catching,” he says.
And that’s pretty much what he got. His Sophora, a 10-foot vertical curve, features clean design and graphics printed on environmentally-friendly EcoKnit.
![[Sophora] [Sophora]](/assets/posts/117/original/51843Snap.jpg?1276061225)
The display, which Wahedi used at a Microsoft Professional Developers Conference last November, is also outfitted with PosterGarden’s LED Lights, which never get hot and use a fraction of the energy of normal halogen lights.
Wahedi formed SnapFlow in 2007 as an easy-to-use, web-based service that allows people to design and configure their own workflow applications. The company has been building its customer and partnership base since then. The Sophora, Wahedi says, has helped SmartFlow stand out in the crowd.
“We had multiple people ask us where we got the display from,” he says. “It achieved our objective of standing out and being different.”
HannahMax Baking
In search of a flexible display that could be used as a backdrop atop a table, HannahMax Baking turned to PosterGarden’s Stellaria Adjustable Banner Stand.
![[Stellaria Adjustable Banner Stand] [Stellaria Adjustable Banner Stand]](/assets/posts/120/original/52912HannahMax-copy.jpg?1276061225)
Joanne Adirim, president and founder of the artisan-style bakery, says her show space usually includes a table in the back. She wanted a stand that could sit on the table and be extended tall enough to serve as the space’s backdrop. The Stellaria’s height can be adjusted anywhere between 36 and 96 inches.
Adirim went with three Stellarias, the graphics of which are printed with images of her gourmet desserts.
“The quality of the print is excellent,” she says.
HannahMax Baking uses the displays at major food shows such as the Fancy Food Show, Gulfood in Dubai and the National Restaurant Association Show.
Hampstead Lighting
For a company that specializes in lighting things up, Hampstead Lighting sure wasn’t being seen very clearly at tradeshows and events.
The Georgia-based light manufacturer seemed to get overshadowed by the signage of its neighbors, says John Zastrow, Hampstead’s director of marketing.
“The last show we did in Vegas, people thought we were part of the booth next to us since their signage was practically over our booth,” he says.
So, Hampstead picked a slim Lonicera Banner Stand from PosterGarden as a way to differentiate itself from its neighbors and let people know who Hampstead is.
![[Lonicera] [Lonicera]](/assets/posts/116/original/33731Hampstead.jpg?1276061225)
“We decided to create something right on the aisle,” Zastrow says.
In addition to its effectiveness on the aisle, Zastrow says the Lonicera was appealing because of its affordability, its light weight and its easy setup and takedown.
“It’s much easier to carry and set up for any type of show or meeting,” he says.
Last year, Hampstead Lighting used its Lonicera for the Hospitality Design Expo in Las Vegas and Hospitality Design Boutique in Miami.

Posted on June 14, 2010 at 09:10 AM
Posted on November 02, 2010 at 01:10 AM
Posted on January 11, 2011 at 03:56 AM
Posted on January 13, 2011 at 01:06 AM
Posted on January 17, 2011 at 03:27 AM
Posted on January 26, 2011 at 05:14 PM
Posted on March 20, 2011 at 07:23 AM
Posted on April 04, 2011 at 09:44 PM
Posted on April 11, 2011 at 05:49 PM
Posted on April 30, 2011 at 03:51 AM
Posted on May 06, 2011 at 08:32 PM
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 02:13 PM
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 02:13 PM
Posted on May 11, 2011 at 11:01 PM
Posted on May 24, 2011 at 06:13 PM
Posted on May 27, 2011 at 05:32 AM
Posted on May 30, 2011 at 07:04 AM
Posted on June 08, 2011 at 01:11 AM
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 04:12 AM
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 04:13 AM
Posted on July 07, 2011 at 04:10 AM
Posted on July 13, 2011 at 10:09 PM
Posted on July 19, 2011 at 10:51 AM
Posted on July 23, 2011 at 01:23 AM
Posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 01:51 AM
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 05:41 AM
Posted on August 23, 2011 at 02:30 AM
Posted on September 05, 2011 at 09:58 PM
Posted on September 06, 2011 at 01:45 AM
Posted on September 09, 2011 at 09:31 PM
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:42 PM
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 12:48 AM
Posted on September 23, 2011 at 06:18 AM
Posted on September 23, 2011 at 08:08 PM
Posted on September 24, 2011 at 10:26 PM
Posted on September 24, 2011 at 10:27 PM
Posted on September 24, 2011 at 10:28 PM
Posted on September 25, 2011 at 01:06 AM
Posted on September 25, 2011 at 01:07 AM
Posted on September 25, 2011 at 03:04 PM
Posted on October 03, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Posted on October 13, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 02:02 AM
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 02:06 AM
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 03:41 PM
Posted on October 20, 2011 at 03:45 PM
Posted on October 25, 2011 at 02:28 PM
Posted on October 26, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Posted on October 30, 2011 at 05:07 AM
Posted on October 31, 2011 at 10:44 PM
Posted on November 02, 2011 at 11:49 PM
Posted on November 03, 2011 at 06:02 AM
Posted on November 05, 2011 at 12:43 PM
Dave @ van insurance
Posted on November 07, 2011 at 10:04 AM
Posted on November 08, 2011 at 04:41 AM
Posted on November 09, 2011 at 08:31 PM
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 05:07 AM
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 05:20 AM
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 05:21 AM
Posted on November 16, 2011 at 11:09 PM
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 01:19 AM
Posted on November 18, 2011 at 01:20 AM
Posted on November 22, 2011 at 05:13 AM
Posted on November 23, 2011 at 08:13 AM
Lynx @ villa cote d azur
Posted on November 23, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Posted on November 24, 2011 at 02:08 AM
Posted on November 24, 2011 at 05:32 AM
Posted on November 30, 2011 at 12:14 AM
Posted on November 30, 2011 at 04:14 AM
Posted on November 30, 2011 at 06:07 PM
Posted on December 02, 2011 at 06:40 AM
Posted on December 02, 2011 at 08:40 AM
Posted on December 03, 2011 at 05:23 PM
Posted on December 05, 2011 at 06:59 PM
Posted on December 08, 2011 at 01:38 AM
Posted on December 08, 2011 at 09:29 AM
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 06:06 AM
Posted on December 10, 2011 at 09:50 AM
Posted on December 13, 2011 at 01:39 PM
Posted on December 15, 2011 at 02:20 AM
Posted on December 16, 2011 at 02:13 AM
Posted on December 18, 2011 at 04:42 AM
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 05:47 AM
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 01:36 PM
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 06:55 PM
Posted on December 21, 2011 at 02:23 AM
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 01:39 AM
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 03:45 AM
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 11:17 PM
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 04:23 AM
Posted on December 27, 2011 at 02:47 PM
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:47 PM
Posted on December 31, 2011 at 03:00 AM
Posted on January 01, 2012 at 04:45 AM
Posted on January 01, 2012 at 04:45 AM
Posted on January 01, 2012 at 07:22 PM
Posted on January 09, 2012 at 10:52 PM
Posted on January 09, 2012 at 10:52 PM
Posted on January 11, 2012 at 10:31 PM
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 03:25 PM
Posted on January 15, 2012 at 04:24 AM
Posted on January 15, 2012 at 10:26 PM
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 09:41 PM
coach factory outlet
,it could possibly the most effective options.the most vital cause may be the reality that you simply can purchase genuine coach products at there.Fun shapes in top-quality fabrics and premimum leathers convey their singular styles. Buy coach bags with free shipping atcoach factory online
.Posted on January 18, 2012 at 12:17 AM
coach outlet online
.Once visit, you will be unable to restrain loving it. Warmly welcome all of you to the Summer Sales Promotion oncoach factory outlet
.Posted on January 18, 2012 at 12:17 AM
coach outlet online
is the eldest, voice of reason, and authority of the Left 4 Dead 2 team, playing a similar role to Bill in Left 4 Dead.customers are not only interested in handbags and purses, but also fond of?shoes and jewelry which is sold at thecoach outlet
.Posted on January 18, 2012 at 12:29 AM
louis vuitton uk
on sale, all people will pour into the stores. At this time, it on the booths will be wiped out, and only one or two days the seller will declare that there is no stock anymore.You don,t need to go out of your house and wander about to find the LV Bags you like.Additionally, special discounts of the goods such aslouis vuitton
Purses are offered everyday. Hurry up!Posted on January 18, 2012 at 12:29 AM
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 02:47 AM
Posted on January 23, 2012 at 02:48 AM
Posted on January 24, 2012 at 08:02 PM
Posted on January 27, 2012 at 10:19 PM
Posted on January 30, 2012 at 12:57 AM
Posted on February 01, 2012 at 01:37 AM
Posted on February 01, 2012 at 01:37 AM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 08:08 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:33 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:34 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:35 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:36 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:37 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:37 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:37 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:38 PM
Posted on February 02, 2012 at 11:38 PM
Posted on February 03, 2012 at 01:48 AM
Posted on February 05, 2012 at 04:46 AM