How are Traditional Displays Constructed?
There are many different designs and formats of trade show displays which can give your organisation maximum publicity for when competing with others at a trade show. They usually have a combination of components which could include ‘pop-up’ displays, banners, panels displaying graphics and free-standing units such as tables or work desks. Sometimes there are suspended components as well. Traditionally, these structures are rigid or semi-rigid, often utilising acrylic or plastic, as well as metal and wood.

What Makes Hybrid Displays Different?
A hybrid display is a new kind of structure, often combining many elements, but especially making extensive use of extruded aluminium and tension graphics fabrics. These are often described as ‘custom modular’ displays. This is because there is a basic ‘module’ which can be adapted and extended in a huge variety of ways.

Systems such as the Sacagawea range, the Magellan Miracle range and the Perfect 10 range all make extensive use of aluminium frames and tension fabrics, combining them with other elements to create almost endless options, ranging from a standard 10′ by 10′ stand, to much larger structures.

What are the New Trends in Hybrid Trade Show Displays?

Several companies in the market are working hard to push traditional design boundaries for display stands. They are achieving this by using unusually shaped to aluminium frames and, in particular, making use of curves.

Some aluminium shapes are much cheaper per foot to produce, and this has been a market driver in searching for new ways to construct stands. For example, the Magellan Magic Fleur VK-1505 portable system uses an innovative curved design to the main stand, which is complemented by the curved design of the additional elements.

The second new element, which is a feature of new display design, is tension graphic fabric. This fabric is produced by making use of the dye sublimation technique for printing graphics. There are many advantages to using this method. It produces clear and brilliant images, which are permanent, and images can be printed right up to the edge of the fabric. It can be attached to the aluminium frames either using Velcro, or a silicone edging (known as Silicon Edge Graphics or SEG), and is fully washable, light, and can be easily folded for transportation.

As well as being used on tension frames, the fabric can also be used to drape, wrap, or be used as a skin throughout the display. Additionally, there is little glare (an important consideration when the exhibit is being photographed), an increasingly wide range of recycled fabrics available and, perhaps most important of all, these fabrics are much cheaper than more traditional graphic options.

What are the Benefits of Choosing Hybrid Displays?

So why should you choose a hybrid display over a more traditional one? Firstly, the new materials offer the opportunity to utilise new and exciting designs in your display which will attract attention when you are advertising your business. Unusual shapes and bright, vibrant graphics will create an eye-catching display, more likely to attract customers to your stand.

The modular nature of a hybrid display also has many advantages. The different structures which can be created from a basic module are almost infinite and can be formed to meet almost any requirement. They are light, easy to erect and dismantle (requiring few, if any, ‘traditional’ tools) and can be transported easily in roto moulded cases. For example, the 20 Ft Sacagawea Modular Hybrid Display system needs no tools, can be erected in 25 minutes, is easily transported, and has matching elements such as work stations which can be added, which are also considered to be an important aspect of these new designs.

It seems that the new materials being used in hybrid displays have opened up a multitude of possibilities for construction and display, limited only by the imagination of the designers, and offer exciting new possibilities for advertising your organisation.

This is a guest post by Amy Harris who is a writer for FinancialTraining.co.uk – which helps British and International students find the right financial courses in London and the UK. Amy is an American expat herself, and enjoys helping people with their careers and business advice.