Fabric Architecture: The Practical, Green Option for Trade Show Displays

As a marketing or trade show manager in today’s economy, you know the need to get your message noticed in a crowded marketplace with minimum waste, maximum impact, and minimum budget. So how do you meet the corporate responsibility to create green, eco-friendly displays that leave a small footprint? If these imperatives weren’t enough, your message must be big and bold.

The answer is “fabric architecture”, a design and fabricating process in which graphics are printed onto fabric and stretched over a lightweight aluminum skeleton frame. Combining bold photos and graphics with fabric now presents a new world of design options that could not be considered before. Fabric architecture has become the method and material of choice for cost-conscious marketing and eco-friendly promotion managers. Nothing says green like fabric and recycled aluminum tubing. Fabric Architecture leaves a very small environmental footprint.

While big and bold graphics are required for achieving your objective, big and bold doesn’t necessarily mean big dollars. Fabric architecture is the new equalizer. You might not be the largest display in the event but your image can be big and bold with fabric graphics and fabric architecture.

Fabric graphics can take on the look, shape, and texture of a range of materials and structures to convey the quality and feel of your product or service. The fabric graphic skin can replicate nearly any surface from water to brick and stone. The internal skeletal frame can be bent to represent nearly any shape from building blocks to such diverse shapes as trumpet cones, animal forms or other abstract shapes. The skeleton is an ultra light aluminum frame over which printed fabric graphics are stretched. This method of fabrication makes possible mega-size structures, yet the structure remains very light in weight with a very elegant look, and a high-impact message.

Fabrics can be opaque or sheer and semi-transparent. Fabric graphics may be front or back lit. Nearly any mood can be created from soothing, low-light glow to a high-energy, pulse-pounding environment that changes color with variable frequency.

Graphics can be printed directly on fabric, projected onto fabric as a projection surface, or projected through sheer fabric as backlit or translucent material. With the various options of solid, translucent and backlighting, fabric architecture can take advantage of dramatic lighting effects using programmable theatrical projectors and gobos. Sheer, see-thru fabric graphics are one fabric option that is very sophisticated, particularly when lighted by programmable LED wash lights. The result for your exhibit presentation is a presence that sets you apart from your static competition.

Fabric architecture is versatile, creative, and makes sense. Fabric saves time and costs in fabrication, shipping, and setup, while offering a totally custom look. Savings are realized at every stage of your planning, budgeting, and execution. These savings include:

- Construction – Fabric architecture uses cost-effective materials, and simple construction, even for complex shapes.
- Shipping, drayage, installation, and take down - Materials are lightweight and compact, requiring smaller shipping cases and less shipping weight.
- Updating – fabric graphics stretched, pillow case style, over an aluminum frame provides an ideal means of updating and changing your theme, your message, your graphics, your mood, and your mind on short notice. The skin graphics can be changed to meet a variety of show themes while minimizing most other show expenses. Simply print a new skin for your skeleton frame.
- Maintenance – Fabric architecture is less likely to be damaged in shipment and easy to replace if the worst happens.
- Modularity – sections of your display can be combined with stock and custom elements to meet size requirements for large and small space allocations.

The savings in labor, combined with the versatile attributes of Fabric architecture offer considerable advantage for rental or purchase programs, and nothing says green like fabric and recycled aluminum tubing. Visit www.godfreygroup.com to get additional information from our “Ideas on Display” gallery or call 1-800-789-9394 to discuss with us your desired effect and objective. We will design and build your image.

About The Godfrey Group The Godfrey Group is at the forefront of companies who design and build cost effective displays for every need. Visit www.godfreygroup.com. Our new web site gallery feature includes traditional “hard wall” designs as well as new, cutting edge fabric architecture. The Godfrey design team takes your ideas from concept to completion, all under one 130,000 sq ft roof. Services include free design, fabrication, setup, dismantle, and storage. Visit our new design gallery of “Ideas on Display” or call 1-800-789-9394 for a personal project manager. Discuss with us your desired effect and objective. We will design and build your image.


Glenn Godfrey
The Godfrey Group
www.GodfreyGroup.com

Glenn Godfrey - The Godfrey Group