A Top-Tier Travel Exhibit

Novak Birch was tasked with enhancing the aging exhibit booth to meet the following objectives:

• Attract Visitors & Raise Awareness of Travel Opportunities: New Jersey sought to attract trade show attendees and generate awareness of the diverse vacation and entertainment options in the state, including road trips that extend to overnight stays.
• Deliver a Modular Booth: We were asked to design and produce a modular booth with the ability to break down to a 10×10 up to a 50×30 for various national trade shows, including IPW—the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the USA.
• Incorporate DMO Meeting Spaces: New Jersey wanted to connect the exhibit space with a cohesive look-and-feel, while including separate meeting areas for each DMO.
• Increase DMO Engagement: It was important to better organize the DMO appointment process and increase their attendance/involvement in meetings.

Since 2019, Novak Birch has planned, designed, and fabricated New Jersey Travel & Tourism’s 2019 trade show booth program for IPW (the travel industry’s premier international marketplace) and ABA Marketplace (the American Bus Association’s travel/tourism show). Our solution included:

• An Inviting, Dynamic Exhibit Space: The exhibit drew in visitors and enabled them to experience New Jersey’s many destinations and visitor opportunities. It offered:
  • High Visibility: The high-impact, nostalgic “Greetings from New Jersey” wall attracted visitors to the booth. Likewise, the entrance archway was visible from the aisles, and an aisle carpet invited visitors in while connecting the space with a whimsical road map design. The carpet’s map design included iconography of destinations and attractions that can be found just off a highway or down a back road.
  • A Cohesive, Engaging Theme: The road trip theme continued throughout the booth, with winding lines that are both a nod to the New Jersey logo—which includes a mountain and wave—and also evoked images of the highways that connect the state. In addition, the booth featured iconography representing destinations and attractions, sign posts with a playful take on Garden State Parkway signs and other street signs, and backdrops featuring large format photography.
  • Destination Photography: The exhibit’s vibrant photography highlighted the state’s diverse tourism opportunities, ranging from iconic destinations to lesser-known attractions. The varied collection of photos showed that a trip to New Jersey can encompass many types of experiences, including the Jersey shore, outdoor recreation, wineries, breweries, farm to table cuisine, rich history, and arts and culture.
  • Innovative Lighting: Throughout the exhibit, we incorporated LED lighting to help New Jersey stand out. Tying into the road trip theme, the eye-catching “Greetings from New Jersey” wall was reminiscent of vintage postcards and featured light boxes with images of the state. We also used LED lighting to highlight the road and points of interest icons on the booth walls, as well as within the sign posts and New Jersey letters.
  • Custom Fabrication: Using our in-house CNC router, we fabricated the unique white wave texture on the walls and the reception booth, adding a seaside ambience. We also custom-fabricated the sign posts, New Jersey letters, and collateral racks.
• A Reusable Booth: The modular design allows for a 50×30 booth and breaks down to a 10×10 as well as other configurations, enabling New Jersey to use it at all of their national trade shows.
• DMO Meeting Areas: The DMOs had individual 10×10 meeting areas where they met for appointments and conducted business. Each space featured a tabletop graphic of a custom map that served as a discussion and sales tool. The unified, authentically New Jersey exhibit space increased visibility for the DMOs, increasing their appointments and generating leads.
• Reception Desk & Appointment Process: Visitors checked in at the centralized reception desk, where those with appointments were seamlessly directed to their meetings and others could be directed to specific DMO areas of interest.

• Increase in Appointments: New Jersey saw a 100% increase in appointments over the previous year’s IPW.
• Cost Savings: The engaging exhibit booth will be used annually at IPW and smaller modular configurations at several shows per year.
• Positive Feedback: The booth received outstanding feedback from visitors as well as the client. Testimonials from New Jersey’s tourism representative Michael Styles include:
  • Visitor Engagement: “We had far more engagement from attendees, including folks who didn’t come for an appointment. People were actively coming by to take photos. We’ve never had that before.”
  • Partner Leads: “We now have more interest from partners to become part of our booth space, and every partner wants to have a photo featuring their area, no exceptions. I think it’s clear that the new booth helped build our brand image.”
  • Brand Credibility & Visibility: “Thank you for all your efforts in creating, producing and seamlessly implementing our trade show booth. We could not have been happier with the results! There’s no question that New Jersey stood out as a top tier and highly viewed space at the show. And the physical booth is just one component—you made the process seamless and you kept New Jersey and our partners organized and professional looking.”
• Awards: The exhibit received many accolades, including the following awards:
  • Exhibitor Magazine: 2021 Portable Modular Awards, “Best Use of Graphics”
  • Graphic Design USA: 2019 American Graphic Design Award in the “POPs, Displays, Signs & Exhibits” category