Hybrid Trade Show Booth Case Study: Ocean Optics

Ocean Optics’ hybrid trade show booth turned out to be the perfect vehicle for showcasing their brand – it was an exceptional booth for an exceptional client. One of the best qualities that Ocean Optics possesses as a company is their willingness to go the extra mile to demonstrate their products. They don’t just throw a demo video on a screen – they actually demo products physically, right before your very eyes on the trade show floor. The hybrid trade show booth had to be able to support these live demos without looking too busy or confusing. Additionally, the Ocean Optics team needed one booth to fit two booth spaces, a 30×30 at Photonics and a 20×30 at PITTCON. Because of the timeline of these shows being so close together, the entire booth had to be shipped directly from one show to the next. We knew from the start that this was going to be a challenge for all!

Ocean Optics hybrid trade show booth at PITTCON.

Ocean Optics hybrid trade show booth at PITTCON.

Hybrid Trade Show Booth Standing Out in a Sea of Booths

Ocean Optics’ demos are a unique feature of their booth, so we wanted those to stand out to trade show attendees. We decided to go with corner custom towers with counters on the outer walls of each tower to showcase the demos. Each counter was carefully designed to fit the needs of the demo it supported. The towers also had headers with fabric graphics for further visibility and focus for each product demo area. Monitors were placed on top of the fabric graphics for even more interest. The live demos were a hit. It’s rare to see demos of this complexity at a trade show, so they were an immediate differentiator. Ocean Optics created an educational environment that was almost hands on in nature – this interactivity of the booth served almost as a respite from the sea of trade show booths.

These corner towers made an impression!

These corner towers made an impression!

Product demos drew attention to this beautiful booth.

Product demos drew attention to this beautiful booth.

Getting Down to Business

The interactivity of the demos is a great feature, but we still needed to create an area to showcase collateral and encourage discussion with prospective clients and the Ocean Optics staff. We chose to use an elegant curving reception counter in the center of the booth, which also served as a general management station and storage area. A custom lit holder offered literature for visitors and staff.

Overall the booth was pretty spectacular. The client and other attendees certainly thought so.

“Yes, I survived (I think) and everything was wonderful – thank you and your team for the amazing booth it was definitely the best at both shows. I had other exhibitors say they were going to steal ideas and offer me a job!” said Keith Mingolello, Global Tradeshow and Events Manager at Ocean Optics.

Creating a booth as successful as this starts with our team getting to know every detail about our clients’ business and products. Then we want to know every detail about the show(s) they are attending, their goals, their budget, and their timeline. We leave no stone unturned, because we want to design the best solution to each multi-faceted problem. Over time we have learned that trade show booths are not just trade show booths, they are solutions, they are vehicles, and they are miniature representations of entire businesses. This is not to be taken lightly, so we cover every base in order to create something that provides maximum effectiveness.

Fascinating product demos made this booth stand out.

Fascinating product demos made this booth stand out.

Ocean Optics is a particularly fascinating company so it was really cool learning about what they do. They provide modular spectrometers and applications know-how to help other companies solve measurement challenges. They work with some of the most cutting edge innovators to improve quality of life using their tools to measure everything from blood and protein analysis to solar energy research. To learn more about Ocean Optics, check out their website at www.oceanoptics.com.

ADM Two staff are experts on trade show booth design, so give us a call at (813) 887-1960, and one of our knowledgeable staff can assist you with your trade show booth, no matter how tight your budget or how strict your timeline – we will make it work. Also, check out some of our other articles to get more information on trade show booth layout, trade show graphics, and etiquette.