London-based event industry graphics specialists Insite Graphics has seen its ideas take off with a printed runway connecting two aircraft trade shows. 

Working for organiser, Reed Exhibitions, the company printed a durable floor graphic for the walkway between Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) and World Travel Catering & Onboard Services (WTCE), held in adjacent halls in Hamburg Messe, Germany, last month. 

What did the job entail?

Insite designed and printed a runway graphic to cover an area of 50x15m and installed it in one day. Aztec Event Services added an audio track that played a soundtrack of aircraft landing and airport announcements. Insite co-owner James Winzar said: “The overall effect is amazing.”

How was the job produced?

In 2015 the shows attracted 16,574 visitors so the job was printed on a very strong self adhesive vinyl which could secure graphics to the carpet laid by the venue and chosen for scratch-resistant properties. Insite used a HP Design Jet L28500 latex ink printer to print the logos and a Mimaki cutter-plotter to cut the lines.

“It took around a day to lay out, we spent a lot of time checking the measurements to ensure that all of the lines looked spot on as the visitor walked down the walkway. We had to ensure that it really did look like an airport runway,” Winzar said.

What challenges were overcome?

The shape of the tunnel was not an even rectangle which made the job more complicated. “It was not a simple shape, which meant we measured and re-measured a number of times before we produced the graphics, there was no room for error,” said Winzar. “We had to ensure the graphics we produced would adhere to the carpet under the heavy traffic expected.”

What was the feedback?

Samantha Massey, group operations manager, Reed Exhibitions said: “The two halls are connected and we wanted a creative idea that linked the two related shows but echoed the overall theme and concept of both shows. We presented the challenge to Insite Graphics and, as usual, their creativity came to the fore and we are absolutely delighted with the final result.”