INTO Annual Congress Display

Many issues were discussed at the 2009 INTO Annual Congress last Tuesday in Letterkenny, including the issue of renting pre-fabs for school buildings and the possibility of a day of action in the next few months. There was no love lost between delegates and the Minister for Education, Batt O'Keeffe, and an estimated 30 delegates walked out of the congress to show their distaste for recent cuts in the education sector. Above is an image of the stand we produced for this 'eventful' event.

Applied Signs & Display find Work Life Balance at the European Parliament

Earlier this month the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions held their 'Living and Working in Europe Event' at the European Parliament. Applied Signs & Display's involvement was to produce and set up various portable displays at the parliament buildings in Brussels.

Topics covered at the event included migration, flexicurity, active aging and working time.

This was an impressive job which used the space and light of the building well, and by all accounts it was fun to set up too (especially for the alpinists who hung the hanging signs!).

The Apprentice Final - And Other Recent TV Appearances!

Our work has once again appeared in TV3's The Apprentice, and God were we proud! Our Swift Banner Stand produced for Temple Street Children's Hospital was placed beside finalist Nicky as she made her introductory speech. It didn't help her to win the series but Nicky's team raised €18000+ for the hospital during the charity auction, and we like to think that the curl-resistant, ultra-matte finish Swift Banner didn't hurt!

We can also be seen on your screens at the moment, on the ad for Jason Byrne's new DVD, The Byrne Identity. We produced the colourful backdrop stand - its amzing how versatile and imposing a simple flat pop up stand can be.

12 Pain-Free Ways To Cut Exhibiting Costs...

... without sacrificing your success at the event.

1) Take a smaller space at the exhibition and maximise your impact with extra lighting, which has been shown to increase awareness of your display by 30 to 50 percent. Lighting can be hired from just €50 per event.

2) Another way to maximise your presence even in a small display space is to use some movement. Exhibitor Online claims that people are naturally drawn to moving objects such as product demonstrations, gobos and spinning signs.

3) Save shipping costs by choosing the lightest possible stand material - Aluminium weighs just 25% what timber or laminate weighs.

4) For a multi-panel stand, include one complimentary-colour panel at the design stage which can be replaced in future without worrying about colour-matching with the rest of the panels. You may not plan to change a panel now but a many exhibitors will have new product or event to promote over the years, and will save by replacing just one panel rather than reprinting the entire set.

5) If you want to impress your competitors and potential clients with a new stand at each event, hiring will greatly reduce your costs. You can have an L-shaped stand at one event, an S-shaped stand at the next, a plasma display at another, and if you and your designers are clever you might not need to purchase new graphics each time. This will also rule out any storage problems or costs.

6) Remember that theft can be a problem at trade shows and protect your valuables accordingly. Investing in some lockable equipment and security cables for larger items with save money in the long run. Keeping expensive products and samples on display inside your space will keep them secure and entice clients to enter your booth.

7) Look after your display equipment. Avoid dropping any hardware as this can loosen screws and springs, and cause chips or cracks which age the stand. Graphic elements are the most vulnerable part of your display so follow guidelines for maintaining graphic panels to keep them looking fresh and professional. You will get years and years of use from your display with proper care.

8) If you use a set up service, plan ahead to allow the fitters plenty of time to set up, at a time that suits them. If access is only available after hours, or you organise this service at the last minute, you may have to pay overtime fees increasing your overall cost. The same applies to graphic design & production charges.

9) Buy a display system or stand with a decent warranty, and one that can be mended in your home country to save time and shipping costs.

10) Buy a stand that is made of connecting parts or components - you can learn to set these up yourself, saving on set up fees, and each can be replaced separately if needs be, saving you a fortune compared to replacing an entire single-piece display.

11) If you are looking for a bigger or newer display, use your existing elements as a base. With a skillful exhibit company, you can reuse, revamp, upgrade or disguise your existing equipment in a whole new display, at a fraction of the cost of starting from scratch. (Especially true if you have invested in quality items to begin with).

12) Re-use what you have in terms of graphics also. When getting new design work done, check your existing files and artwork for high resolution images, logos and backgrounds that can be reused, tweaked and incorporated into your new design. In the hands of an experienced designer, these can be transformed into something totally new, and providing these elements will save you on stock photography and redrawing fees. If you are unsure about what can be used, send everything you have to your designer to sort through.

Stock Clearance Display Items

Stock Clearance Display Items No need to forsake purchasing because of the ecomonic doom and gloom - just buy smarter! Due to our recent stock take, we have a variety of display items available on a limited basis only this month. Items include Banner Stands, Portable and Outdoor Flagpoles, Scrolling Signs, Pop Up Frames, Poster Frames, Pavement Signs, Banners and Brandable Portable Fridge Units! Perfect for Seasonal Promotions & End-Of-Year Budgets... Some are reconditioned, some are end-of-line, some are brand new, all are great value. This is a once-off, never-to-be-repeated offer. A small sample of the products included: Bestselling Nomadic Swift Roller Banner Stand Normal Price: €399 + VAT Offer Price:€309 + VAT Nomadic Pop Up Display Normal Price: €2775 + VAT Offer Price: €2075 + VAT Floors-standing Scrolling Banner Stand Normal Price: €565 + VAT Offer Price:€365 + VAT Ceiling-Mounted Scrolling Banner Normal Price:€€275 + VAT Offer Price: €195 + VAT Coloured Vinyl Outdoor Banners (cut vinyl only) Normal Price:€55 + VAT/square metre Offer Price:€45 + VAT/square metre Portable Brandable Fridge Normal Price: €300 + VAT Offer Price: €125 + VAT Heavy-Duty Poster Holder Pavement Sign Normal Price: €435 + VAT Offer Price: €305 + VAT A1 Snap Poster Frames Normal Price: €75 + VAT Offer Price:€60+ VAT Email sean@appliedsigns.ie for more information.

Conference Backdrop for Concern Fighting Hunger Conference

This week we have designed and produced a backdrop Pop Up Display for Concern's Fighting Hunger Conference which takes place on Thursday. This event will feature contributions from Mary Robinson, Jeffrey Sachs, director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York, as well as Kofi Annan in his capcity as Chairperson if the The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. Further details are available here...

New Design & Rental Libraries to Help You Choose the Perfect Stand

We have just launched two great new tools to take the pain out of choosing an exhibition stand design, whether you will be buying, renting or augmenting your existing equipment! With the new Nomadic Design Library and the new Nomadic Rental Library, both available online, clients can search by a variety of categories to focus their search and easily explore different options at the click of a button.

Search Filters include:
- Size: From 3m to 12m Plus
- Shape: Inline Stands, Island Stands, Peninsula Stands, as well as Counters, Kiosks and Others
- Minimum & Maximum Price
- Add-ons/Features Including: Height up to 4.87m., Backlighting, Lockable Conference, Storage or Meeting Area, Computer Workstation & Product Display

If you have any questions at all about using these facilities, don't hestitate to contact us on 01 8712300 or info@appliedsigns.ie.

Another New Product - Soft Image Pop Up Counter with Fabric Panel

Yet another ingenious new product in our range of premium quality, life-time guaranteed portable displays. The Soft Image Counter is highly portable, instant to set up and provides a sizeable counter top area with a high-impact fabric panel front. Like our other Stretch Fabric Pop Up Products, this stand has no magnets, so its ultra-lightweight, and the panel stays attached to the counter when its packed away, meaning it literally takes an instant to set up and take down. This stand is also digitally printed to photographic quality so there is no need to compromise quality when ordering an easy to use fabric print. The Soft Image Counter comes with a padded nylon carry bag and an internal shelf, and measures 102 cm tall, 106 wide and 39.5cm deep. This stand is available with our usual turnaround time of 5 working days, although we will always endeavour to meet shorter deadlines if at all possible.

Nomadic Display's 24 Hour Lifeline for Customers in a Jam!

After seeing the recent post on Nomadic Display's blog about a Belgian Company whose C34 Pop Up Display Stand was lost by their freight company on the morning of an important show, I was reminded of the huge value of the 24 Hour Customer Lifeline available to Nomadic Display's customers.

This service is not simply a telephone answer line which will be answered any time of day or night - it actually allows customers to receive new or replacement products, repairs, graphics etc. anywhere around the world and without worrying about time differences. So if you have travelled to the US to take part in a large scale expo and half of your equipment goes astray, or an accident befalls your shiny new laminate panels as they are being unpacked, you can have your products replaced, repaired etc. in record time. This is possible due to the extent of Nomadic Display's dealer network. Unlike display companies claiming worldwide coverage with a presence in 18 countries, Nomadic Display have authorised distributors in a staggering 30 countries, all with the in depth product knowledge and high production criterea to meet Nomadic Display's standards.

This is yet another advantage that Nomadic Display have over other producers, and one that is unfortunately often over-looked. With international trade growing in importance each year, it is a service which will become increasingly important to customers and will continue to single out Nomadic Display as the premium provider of display and exhibition solutions.

Click here to read this client's first-hand account of the 24 Hour Helpline in action...

Graphic Backdrop for DAA 'Airport City' Announcement

The weekend before last we got to flex our conference muscles yet again when we produced and set up the graphic backdrop for the Dublin Airport Authority's announcement of plans to create a high-rise Airport City at Dublin Airport in Cloghran. The proposal includes 600000 square metres of office space and would be expected to lead to the creation of 30000 jobs, 10000 of which would be new jobs. To complement this announcement the DAA used an extensive backdrop, a projection screen, podium graphics and other displays, along with lighting and an impressive scaled model of the planned development. For more information on creating an impressive display like this contact sean@appliedsigns. Footage of the event and branding can be seen by clicking on the movie camera symbol below the header, here.

Nomadic Display & American Idol on Fox News

Its common knowledge that Nomadic Display's Pop Up Displays have been used for several years now as backdrops for American Idol, X-Factor in the UK, and Britain's Got Talent. These stands are perfect because they allow the production team to move them from venue to venue during the audition stage of the show, yet they have a fine digitally printed graphic and strong enough visual presence to be used as set backdrops during the studio portions of the show. But don't take my word for it! Nomadic Display president Pat Goeke was interviewed by Fox News about the company's history of providing portable backdrops for American Idol and you can view the video right here...

GAA Congress Backdrop

Conference Backdrops and Stage Branding are some of our favourite projects here at Applied Signs & Display, so we were thrilled to be asked to provide the graphic backdrop for such a prestigious and high-profile event as the 2008 GAA Congress, which took place last weekend in Rosse's Point, Sligo. The stand we provided was a 14m wide flat Nomadic pop up stand, with full graphic wrap which allowed for a striking large-scale graphic, and was complemented by branding for the table front and podium, uplighting and ceremonial flags and flagpoles. The beauty of this equipment is its reusability - the GAA will be reusing this hardware in a similar shape or in different guises for years to come. They also availed of set up and training in the correct use of this equipment so that they will be able to maintain and reuse the stands with a great deal of convenience. This was an especially exciting event as the GAA had recently anounced a new focus where marketing and branding is concerned.

Applied Signs & Display produce Backdrop at DIT Toyota Fashion Show

Last Wednesday Night the Toyota Sponsored DIT Fashion Show took place in Dublin's Vicar Street. This event has a prestigious history, having won accolades such as Best Event by a college nationwide at the 2005 BICS awards. Our contribution to this event was production of logo graphics which formed a backdrop for the Student Design Awards portion of the evening. For this backdrop, a Nomadic C33 Pop Up Stand was branded with digitally printed graphic panels to form a seamless wall displaying the logos of sponsors Toyota, Spin FM, and Teenline among others. This type of display is becoming increasingly popular for a number of uses: as Hollywood style red carpet signage, and as logo wallpaper graphics for sporting events, interviews and conferences. It is suitable for use on all displays from banner stands right up to wide format stage backdrops. The growing popularity of this graphic style is indicative of the trend towards sponsorship as a form of advertising.

Part One of Display Product Guide – Pop Up Stands…not to be confused with Pull Up Stands!

I have been meaning for a long time now to get started on a comprehensive guide to display and signage products. There are a plethora of different terms used for various display stands, signs and materials, and if this causes problems for us working within the industry, I am sure it causes major confusion for customers who might understandably be unfamiliar with the jargon or technical terminology.

For example, ‘Pop Up Stands’ versus 'Pull Up Stands’ - these terms are used interchangeably these days, but these are two distinct display stands types with significant differences. Today in part one of this series I will focus on Pop Up Display Stands…Part two will contrast these will Pull Up Banner Stands, so stay tuned…

Pop Up Stands – aka Pop Up (or PopUp) Display Stands, Pop Up Displays, Display Frames, Pop Up Frames, Backwall Displays, Spider Frames, Spider Displays, Graphic Backdrops, Pop Up Display Systems

Pop Up Stands are an older technology than Pull Up stands and Banner Stands - they were invented in 1975 by Nomadic Display and are still hugely popular for use as exhibition stands, conference backdrops and stage displays and for press and training events to name a few. They can be curved or flat and range in size from about 1.2m wide to 6m +, but the most common size would be in the region of 2.4m-3m wide and 2.4m tall. After all these years, these stands may seem conventional and, dare-I-say-it, boring! But they don’t have to be – they can be used to create interesting shapes, different height displays and used with plasma screens or funky endcaps, (click to see the 'Esker' Pop Up Stand on the top right) to update the basic stand. See also ‘stretch fabric panels’ below for a thoroughly ‘different’ look based on Pop Up Technology. These stands have a aluminium frame work which ‘pops up’ to form a lattice-like wall, to which magnetic bars are attached and in turn fabric or graphic panels or ‘strips’ stick to the magnetic bars to cover the stand with a seamless covering. Often these stands are used with a full graphic covering allowing for an impressive photographic image to be displayed. However fabric panels can also be used in two ways – firstly, carpet-like Velcro Friendly fabric panels (alone or in combination with graphic panels) are used by people who wish to change the images or info on display quite often, or on pop up stands which are rented and need to provide a generic background for different customers. Secondly ‘Stretch Fabric’ panels can be used to provide a funky modern look – Pop Up stands with stretch fabric are much lighter as there are no magnetic bars and are quicker to set up as the panels stay attached to the stand even when it is packed up.

Things to look out for when buying or hiring a Pop Up Display stand:

**Check that the stand has cross bars (x-shaped bars) as these add greatly to the stability of the stand

**Check that the magnetic struts are connected for ease of use

**Check that if the Pop Up Stand becomes damaged, it can a) be repaired, b) be repaired cheaply or for free, c) where do the repairs take place (this affects lead time and shipping costs), and d) can small components, e.g. wheels on case, be replaced easily

**Bear in mind that if a Pop Up Stand has integral magnets rather than bars the whole stand will need to be returned to the factory for repair if the magnets become damaged or worn

**Make sure that other pop up stands can be connected to this stand in the future – allowing larger stands in different shapes to be created and adding versatility and length to the life of the stand

**Make sure that accessories can be added to the stand e.g. lights, shelves, plasma screens, showcases, backlit panels – You may not need them now but in the years to come it might be very handy & cost effective to add a plasma screen etc.

**Check the case in which the stand comes – do you want to split the stand into 2 cases for ease of lifting etc. or do you want an all-in-one case which can turn into a counter – you should have a choice of casing options

**These stands are available with two-year warranties and lifetime ‘no-questions-asked’ warranties so it doesn’t make sense to buy one that is not guaranteed

**Ask to see the Pop Up Stand in the flesh and to practice putting up the stand before you buy so that you can compare quality

Important Terms relating to Pop Up Display Stands:

Struts – the magnetic bars attached vertically to the frame to hold panels up

Panels – the ‘wallpaper-like’ strips that you hang on the stand to form the covering

Graphic Wrap – see ‘panels’

Skins – see ‘panels’

Pod – case that becomes counter

Tension Fabric - Same as Stretch Fabric - lightweight stretchy material which is digitally printed and attached to the stand in various configurations to create a 'patchwork' or overall look. Attached with buttons instead of magnets

Digital Printing - why it is used and what to bear in mind when designing & ordering Digitally Printed Display Panels and Display Stands

Digital printing is the method of choice for people in our industry for several reasons – firstly it is really, really quick, allowing us to produce graphics with a rapid turnaround time. Secondly it is much cheaper than screen or offset printing for doing single jobs, small quantity jobs and jobs where each version is slightly (or significantly) different. It is also a four colour process, and allows for top quality image reproduction, making it perfect for photographic or other detailed images. Furthermore it is great for large format printing and allows highly accurate digital or hard copy proofing without incurring much cost.

One thing to be considered with digital printing however, especially when used for display stand panels and the like, is that an exact colour match cannot be guaranteed unless all the material is printed at the same time. This means that ‘drop-in’ or replacement panels and new stands will not always match exactly the older panels or stands. However this should not deter marketers from using multiple and interchangeable panels with their stands, as this add so much functionality and value to their equipment – imagine a 5 panel pop up display stand (as is typically used at exhibitions and as a conference backdrop) with a corporate logo and background on the majority of the stand, with just one of the strips carrying product or event-specific information on the same background. This panel can be replaced at different events or when promoting different products so that the information is customised and targeted but the overall look is consistent and congruous. As just one new panel is needed each time, the cost is kept to a minimum, and the customer is getting maximum use from their Pop Up display stand. This is a highly cost-effective and efficient way to use your display equipment, but due to the digital printing process it is best to plan ahead and get the alternate panels or coordinating stands printed at the same time to ensure they will match. Another option is to use a contrasting colour for the panel which will need to be replaced, so that colour match will not be an issue. It is also worth bearing in mind that colour match tends to be more of an issue with strong colours.

You can see images of this type of stand on our curved pop up display stands page – the 7^th, 8^th, 11^th and 16^th stands shown here would work best with ‘drop-in’ panels - but this technique would work equally well with flat pop up stands of any size as well as Designline aluminium display stands.