Trade show floor graphics

[Dragon]

I run a small shop in Indiana and I have a new customer that is asking for, in my opinion, extremely large floor graphics.
50' x 30' installed onto the polished concrete floor in the Las Vegas convention center next month.
The graphics will be down for 4 or 5 days then removed.
I was thinking thirty-six 50" x 120" panels with a .75" overlap. I will be using a removal vinyl and laminated with a UL recognized for slip resistance avery lam.
Has anyone done anything like this and perhaps could give me some pointers on the install?

 

[victor bogdanov]

I run a small shop in Indiana and I have a new customer that is asking for, in my opinion, extremely large floor graphics.
50' x 30' installed onto the polished concrete floor in the Las Vegas convention center next month.
The graphics will be down for 4 or 5 days then removed.
I was thinking thirty-six 50" x 120" panels with a .75" overlap. I will be using a removal vinyl and laminated with a UL recognized for slip resistance avery lam.
Has anyone done anything like this and perhaps could give me some pointers on the install?

I would do 2" overlaps.

Substance pm2755 vinyl with substance tl6100 is great combo at a great price.


I did a pretty big floor (roof) decal recently and it was easier than expected. Next time I do something like this I'll be using air release vinyl ( substance pm2755 is air release, $199 per roll) strong yet removable adhesive

Watch videos on "dance floor vinyl install" to get an idea of techniques.

I would most likely do 30ft long panels but go with what you feel comfortable with

 

[Steenland]

Usually with floor graphics you use butt seams instead of overlaps, since the raised overlaps will wear faster, and the raised seam edges are more easily lifted by scuffing, possibly causing a tripping hazard. But for a 4-5 day installation, overlapped seams are probably fine.

With a graphic this large, on a polished concrete floor, I would definitely use an air-release vinyl. You’ll have a lot fewer headaches and a quicker install. I’ve had good luck with 3M 40C-20R, but it’s probably overkill for a short-term application.

Like Victor, I would go with 30-foot long panels. Fewer seams, fewer edges.

 

[ColorCrest]

Has anyone done anything like this and perhaps could give me some pointers on the install?

Do you have confirmation from your customer, the convention center, or the exhibit contractor (installers?) about this floor portion of the project?

 

[MarkSnelling]

I'd tell you that since it is only a 4-5 day show graphic, skip the air-egress and go Spot On Floor. This is dot-adhesive technology that a drunk monkey can install. It has a textured surface making it safe from slippage. You don't laminate it. Nothing is easier to apply and when the show is done, it is very easy to pull up and throw away. a 54"x100' roll is $444.87 which is more expensive than our traditional removable vinyl and 6mil floor lam (or even the new 3mil floor lam which is only $160 for 54"x150') but you skip the laminating and it is so easy to install. Most of the "dance floor" graphics out there use Spot On.

 

[Geneva Olson]

I'd tell you that since it is only a 4-5 day show graphic, skip the air-egress and go Spot On Floor. This is dot-adhesive technology that a drunk monkey can install. It has a textured surface making it safe from slippage. You don't laminate it. Nothing is easier to apply and when the show is done, it is very easy to pull up and throw away. a 54"x100' roll is $444.87 which is more expensive than our traditional removable vinyl and 6mil floor lam (or even the new 3mil floor lam which is only $160 for 54"x150') but you skip the laminating and it is so easy to install. Most of the "dance floor" graphics out there use Spot On.

so you don't laminate it? what about scuffs from foot traffic?

 

[victor bogdanov]

so you don't laminate it? what about scuffs from foot traffic?

The no laminate floor materials have texture, most of the ink is protected below the raised texture and any scuffs happed on the top/raised areas and it is pretty hard to scuff up.

My worry would be someone dragging something across the graphic during tradeshow set up or a polishing/scrubbing machine going over it at night

 

[MarkSnelling]

so you don't laminate it? what about scuffs from foot traffic?

Over just a few days, it usually doesn't get too badly beat up. I'd be more concerned if this was a graphic in the main entry or something where you know hundreds of thousands of steps will happen on top of the material....but odds are that just some booth somewhere on the show floor will get a fraction of that traffic and should last for a few days. Even with a laminate, things get scuffed. But for something down and then pulled up and trashed four days later, this is a solid bet.

 

[MarkSnelling]

The no laminate floor materials have texture, most of the ink is protected below the raised texture and any scuffs happed on the top/raised areas and it is pretty hard to scuff up.

My worry would be someone dragging something across the graphic during tradeshow set up or a polishing/scrubbing machine going over it at night

Valid concern about someone dragging something over the floor...but even with a laminate that can cause damage. At a trade show, they usually don't polish or scrub the floor at night...only vacuum. That concern would be extremely valid in a retail environment.

Don't get me wrong....the traditional vinyl+lam lasts the longest and is the cheapest...but for a short period this works really well. I'd never put an unlaminated floor graphic down in a high traffic or retail environment.

 

[gnubler]

I run a small shop in Indiana and I have a new customer that is asking for, in my opinion, extremely large floor graphics.
50' x 30' installed onto the polished concrete floor in the Las Vegas convention center next month.

How did you come to be hired for this job, being in Indiana and installing in Vegas? That's a lot of material to transport.
Wouldn't it make more sense for the customer to work with a sign shop in Las Vegas?
Just wondering.

 

[Dragon]

They are one of my local customers with a booth in a trade show there next month

 

[Dragon]

I want to thank everyone for the great advice and information.
I am looking into the Spot on material, sounds promising