SHOP to SHOWFLOOR I&D and Event Labor
Rainbow custom carpeting for a corporate event in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Signature Systems’ UltimaTurf™ adds flair to the “Houston Huddle” at Superbowl LI in 2017 in Houston, Texas.
look fantastic, it will make the photos look awesome, and then people will show the photos around and create a positive buzz about an event.” As is the case with a tradeshow, flooring for an event doesn’t need to break the bank. For high-end functions, the company rents a plush product called Event Carpet, and for affairs on a lower budget, they can lay a carpet called UltimaTurf, and event managers can get into those options for between $1 and $3 per square foot. One kind of carpet that Sterne wouldn’t necessarily recommend for the floor of a tradeshow display is the same kind used in the aisles. “Tradeshow carpeting is produced in a variety of weights, but trying to save money by using a 13-ounce aisle carpet in your exhibit isn’t a good idea as it can come off as cheap,” Sterne explains. “Most exhibit houses recommend a 30-ounce carpet as the minimum weight along with a 0.5-inch, 6-pound pad for channeling the electric and offering underfoot comfort.” From rubberized flooring to that made of recycled materials, or laminate, wood, a dozen kinds of carpet and just as many varieties of vinyl, there are a lot of choices that can be made with regard to flooring material. An event company or exhibit house would be a good resource for a manager sifting through information looking for options, the men say, and for planners and exhibitors looking for design inspiration to complete their space. With so many variables, the most important rule of thumb is that people start to look at their flooring as a valuable piece of real estate in the event or exhibit space. It might mean juggling the budget or printing one fewer sign or borrowing from the marketing kitty, which Sterne says he has clients do when they realize that a plain floor is a big marketing opportunity left on the table. The bottom line is that whatever it takes to own that floor space—if done well—will be worth it for the impact it can have, and penny pinching planners who think they can’t afford to do it would be wise to realize that they can’t afford not to.
Photos courtesy of Signature Systems Group
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