Th!nk Aluminum Tradeshow Booth (and so much more)

The Aluminum Association was one of the hosts of National Manufacturers Week, and “Aluminum USA” took up a huge percentage of floorspace at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The capitol of Aluminum USA was the Th!nk Aluminum Innovation Center. IDI was responsible for the design of everything from four continuously running high-energy videos, to a 12-foot-tall aluminum-clad wall.

 
Opportunity ›

Build the capital city of Aluminum USA! Help the aluminum industry generate excitement about the metal among manufacturers at the NMW trade show.

Challenge ›

Challenge is an understatement! Designing the printed press kits, invitations, ads, and brochures was one thing. Learning the intricacies of designing for beverage cans and diminishing-radius curved walls was something altogether different!

 
Solution ›

Smart, exciting logo; invitations; media press kit; 4 different videos synced to a common soundtrack; specially designed beverage can; 12-foot-tall aluminum wall; aluminum supercar (Ford GT); aluminum flooring; aluminum chairs; aluminum coasters; signage; multiple bannerups; 15 10-foot-tall banners hanging from the ceiling; and aluminum pens and key chains.

Nuts and bolts ›

Photoshop, Illustrator, Motion, Final Cut Pro, carpenters, partners in the aluminum fabrication industry, coffee, and cartoon toothpicks for our eyelids.

 

VIP invitations

This was one of the earliest pieces we created to send out as a save-the-date.

 

Custom cans

Partnered with Ball Manufacturing to create a specially design squat can as a refreshing give-a-way.

 

Expanding displays

Several BannerUps were designed serving as direction signs in the exhibit hall encouraging visits to the booth, interest-generators in the registration area, and information billboards in the showcase area.

 

Look up, look way up

15 10' tall banners hung from the massive ceiling forming a floating perimiter around Aluminum USA.

 

Media kit

We coordinated the design of the press kit, giant aluminum wall, and current issue of the Aluminum Now magazine to tie the experience together.

 

Tickets to the show

Visitors received tickets in their registration packs. They looked great and could be turned into awesome aluminum prizes.

 

 

Appreciation

As a wonderful way of expressing their appreciation, the Aluminum Association brought us to the event to see the results of our work.

We busied ourselves taking pictures of the 12-foot aluminum wall, the 16-foot projection screen, cool aluminum chairs, and Ford GT super car, the HD video displays, etc.

 

Bevereage, anyone?

Three HD flat panel’s were placed around the floor, each playing a different video (all in sync with the same high-energy soundtrack*). Aluminum bottles and cans filled a display cabinet.

 

Seen from afar

Not only were videos playing on the 3 HD TV's but a special composite video was projected on a 16-foot screen, high above the wall, for the entire show to see.

*Note: the three videos each presented unique content, featuring aluminum innovation in transportation, building and construction, and packaging and consumer products.

 

Early sketches and concepts

We are still amazed at how closely the final exhibit resembled our initial design ideas. We couldn't be more proud of a project and thankful for a great client.