THE CHALLENGE:

For many years the Washington State Food Dealers Association Trade Show was the premier food show in the Pacific Northwest. There was only problem with it: it was dull. Most of the vendors did the standard blue booths when displaying their wares.

As the largest wholesaler in the state, we wanted Associated Grocers to own the show and draw prospective retail customers to the booth to listen to the company's sales message.

THE SOLUTION:

The theme for the show was "Back to the Future" so we pitched the concept of taking a look back at the company's history while looking to the future. What better way to do it than build a 40' space shuttle mirroring the company's existing fleet of trucks?

The shuttle served another purpose. In addition to providing valuable storage for trade show materials, it housed a rear screen projection system that showed a high energy presentation about AG every 10 minutes. The start of the show could be heard throughout the entire Tacoma Dome. Complementing the multimedia show was a 10' high x 20' long photo wall with a history of the company – emphasizing key sales messages.

The main challenge was finding a way to build the shuttle without busting a very limited budget. Traditional exhibit companies wanted $60,000 and up to build it but we found a theater designer at Bellevue Community College who built the whole thing out of wood and framing for a whole lot less.

THE RESULT:

Associated Grocers owned the show. The booth space was continually packed with prospective new customers and other vendors. The multimedia presentation and photo wall created a solid sales message that floor staff could then follow up on in one-on-one discussions. The exhibit not only was a show-stopper built for a 1/10th of what traditional exhibit companies wanted but it also won the highly coveted Best of Show award.