Tag Archives: retractable banner stands

Choosing banner stands can be difficult if you don’t know how and when they should be used. What type of banner stand works well in the outdoors? Does a banner stand serve multiple purposes? What things should I look for when buying banner stands? These are questions you may have.

At Banner Stand Pros, we help our customers select the best banner stands for their needs. We want you to buy a product that’s just right, and we want to make sure it’s something you can afford. Read on to learn more about retractable banner stands.

What Is a Retractable Banner Stand:

As its name suggests, a retractable banner can retract into a base when it’s not being used. A retractable banner stand has two parts: a banner graphic and the stand itself which consists of a base with the roller mechanism and a support pole. To use the stand, pull out the legs that stabilize the banner on the floor if it's a compact style that has these stabilizing feet. If it's a wider base model you can skip this step as feet aren't needed for stability on this style of stand. Next, insert the support pole into the hole in the base that’s provided for it. Now pull out the graphic rail that's attached to the top of the banner and attach it to the top of the support pole. The way the graphic rail attaches to the support pole varies by model, but they're all pretty simple. If your support pole is telescopic, adjust it to the desired height and secure it. This could be by closing a lever lock, or twisting a collar to tighten and secure the pole at the proper height.

The banner graphic winds tightly around the roller in the base when it's retracted. When the banner is extended, the tension on the spring in the roller increases to provide the necessary tension to retract the banner back into the base when it's time to take it down.

What Are Retractable Banner Stands Used For:

Retractable banners are typically used at trade shows, conferences, and community events to advertise products, provide information, guide traffic and direct guests. You can also place a retractable banner in front of your trade show booth to attract event attendees. For maximum effect, use two or more retractable banner stands to drive home your point, and place them in areas where there’s heavy traffic. You can even use them out outdoor events if you select a outdoor retractable banner stand model, as those are designed for outdoor use and can withstand wind and rain.

If you want to use a retractable banner stand in a place that’s not well lit, lights are available for all models that can help make your banner draw more attention. Retractable banner stands can also be used as store fixtures, but be sure to chose a model where the banner is easy to change as the message is likely to need updating and a new banner is much less expensive than purchasing a new stand as well.

How to Choose a Retractable Banner Stand:

When it comes to selecting banner stands, budget is important. We have stands that fit every budget, and all our stands are sure to meet your requirements. But how will you know if you’re getting your money’s worth? That’s where our expertise comes in! Call 877.389.8645 to speak to a knowledgable representative from Banner Stand Pros.

Conferences and trade shows provide a great platform for showcasing your brand to a large group of people. Trade shows are a perfect opportunity to attract and engage with your target customers. With hundreds of exhibitors, it is important for your brand to be unique. Spend some time on brainstorming to find creative touches and present a memorable trade show presence to your audience. Here are two important booth design elements that can help you get ahead in the game.

Exhibit Signage for Your Booth

In a technology-driven age, it is difficult to attract customers and stand out in the trade show crowd. You need to include digital signage in your booth space that sets your brand apart from a sea of similar exhibits. Design a cohesive look to convey your brand message in a compelling way. Choose the right signage to make your displays more visible. They will evenstand out on a crowded show floor. The colorful and eye-catching 3-D exhibit signage, with strong branding, can attract attention and draw in new business opportunities. This is a growing trend among companies across multiple industries.

Deliver targeted content through backlight exhibit signage that offers a new look to your trade show products. Keep the signage message short and to the point. The stunning LED light system can make the graphics glow with a minimal amount of energy. Even in a dimly lit trade show hall, these can engage, enchant, and energize your audience. Hanging overhead fabric banner signs available in round, square, pinwheel, rectangle, and triangle structures can communicate your unique message for vibrant brand marketing. These are the perfect solution to emphasize your presence, maximize visibility, and draw in customer attention from a long distance. Choose interactive digital signage that helps your visitors to touch, swipe, and interact with your business’s services for active customer engagement. These act as an effective product and branding strategy for both large and small expo marketing events.

Social Media Display Wall

As an event exhibitor, it is essential to create a technological environment for promoting your brand. Social media walls do more than just let attendees watch something. Engage your trade show event guests by displaying their social media content (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) onto the big screen. Simply create a hashtag and encourage your trade show attendees to talk about the brand. Since anybody can use the hashtag, this not only encourages customer participation but also lets them discuss your products. Collect all the relevant media output about your business and put it on your trade show display to create a big impact on your marketing goals. When these visitors see a feed of social media posts appearing on a large digital screen, it can help to create a high level of customer interest, drive engagement, and boost sales.

The live wall display system helps you get new followers, expands your event’s reach, increases online networking, and boosts social sharing. As they provide a source of entertainment, people are likely to use them. They can help to keep your customers entertained and happy. Social media walls create a visual impact through customized display options. You can use them to incentivize people with more social shares through brand recognition. Display social media messages, images, and videos on a large display to bring a buzz to your live marketing event. When you honor the most active participants, it can help to attract booth traffic.

Are You Ready for the Next Trade Show Event?

The Adobe Summit, MozCon, Consumer Electronics Show, B2B Next, the Small Business Expo, 99U, the Startup Conference, Techweek, Microsoft Ignite, the FutureTech Expo, TechCrunch Disrupt, and the SaaS Connect are some of the top trade shows to market your business at for maximum exposure. Visit us to buy high-quality banner stands, retractable banner stands, roll-up banner stands, and stand-up banners for guaranteed brand engagement.

A successful trade show can be your biggest marketing move of the year. Trade shows are a face-to-face opportunity used to establish a customer relationship and make valuable connections with business partners. They can have a meaningful impact on your conversion rates. Even if a prospect doesn’t convert, you can use the lead to nurture the sales process. Impressive multimedia booths, games, contests, celebrity performances, private parties, interactive sessions, and video demonstrations feature a great booth experience for visitors. The energy and excitement produced from booths can help your brandattract trade show attendees. Despite all the excitement, live marketing events can help to define your goals, fine-tune your sales pitch, generate new leads, engage with existing customers, and close big deals. Make use of this incredible marketing opportunity to show off your new, exciting products and services to the right kind of people. With so many design options to consider, here are three critical ways for building a creatively designed booth space.

Create Video Walls

As technology continues to progress, we see a lot of changes in the trade show industry. Video wall technology has a significant impact on how your business information is conveyed in a wide range of event environments. Video walls offer an audiovisual effect for the targeted audience. The reduction in price of LED screens makes them affordable, so investing in video wall technology over traditional displays is great. You can implement an interactive element into an LED video wall, either by using an application on a mobile device or through a touchscreen that augments the content. A visual product demonstration can enhance overall event engagement.

You can develop an interactive audio-video experience for your audience. A series of LED video walls was crafted for the lobby of the Salesforce Company in San Francisco to create a sense of wonder for everyone visiting the building. The amazing digital display transformed the entire room into a mesmerizing, virtually real, environment. You too can maximize your brand presence by being creative on your LED deployment, thereby making an impact on the show floor.

Think Comfortably as Well as Structurally

Design your exhibit booth space by truly understanding your customer needs. Your trade show booth should communicate your brand to the audience. The ultimate design goal is to grab the attention of the right attendees with a brief and bold message. Use clear and eye-catching graphic fonts. These act as a quick and effective medium to clearly state what your brand is all about to customers who are interested in your products. Concision is the key. A single, clearly stated message is better than long listed points that get ignored.

Make sure that your floor plan provides sufficient space for the demonstration area, meetings, lead stations, and an inviting space for booth visitors. Build a comfortable atmosphere by stimulating the senses of your prospects. Use a combination of lights, textures, colors, and aromatic fragrance. With comfort in mind, include spaces for recharge stations, relaxation areas, and meeting rooms. Focus on displaying your main products rather than stuffing too much into a limited booth space. Doing this distracts the customers.

Showcase Products in Your Trade Show Display

Your trade show booth could get lost in a sea of giants. If you’re worried that your display’s exhibits won’t stand out or gain customer attention, we have solutions to showcase your products. Whether you’re in the automotive, technology, or food and packaging industry, you can use the following design tips.

• Design a display that focuses on your industry. If your business focuses on the food industry, choose a theme related to café or farm environments. Include fresh display designs that leave a lasting impression. Provide your visitors with a full sensory experience: let them see, smell and touch the food products.
• Use oversized display tools to catch eyes in a large gathering. Based on your budget, place a series of large format banner stands to create a wall or backdrop. Hanging graphics with eye-catching designs can guarantee a strong brand presence.

When it comes to planning your conference booth, keep these points in mind to design an excellent space for attracting target customers. If you have any doubts regarding the purchasing of trade show retractable banner stands, be open to asking questions and dial 877-389-8645. We can help you achieve a stress-free online shopping experience

Banner stands have always been an essential part of displays in trade shows and store displays, and with each passing year, their importance has increased. This is mainly due to improvements made in printing technology and use of new materials which has increased their ability to attract attention to your business. Users no longer have to worry about unstable banner stands that topple on touch or pull up banner stands that fly away if there is a strong gust of wind. Below we discuss the evolutions in banner stands that are here to stay and how they continue to bring benefit to your business.

1. Tension fabric banner stand – This light weight banner stand is made up of a fabric pillowcase stretched across a frame which is comprised of aluminum tubing with a weighted base. The lightweight tubular frame banner stand can be used single or double sided with text and graphics. It has become one of the more popular options and is a reliable display to attract customers to your business, and likely, always will be.
2. Retractable banner stands – These are considered the most economical and popular of all types of banner stands.  They come in a huger range of styles and sizes, and are recognized for their ability to display various materials like vinyl, fabric, and polyester. Retractable banner stands have been used for display advertising at trade shows and by retailers for many years and are continuing to gain popularity due to their portability, functionality, and ability to protect graphics during transportation as they are rolled within its casing.
3. Illuminated fabric frame – Looking for ways to keep your business in the public eye 24/7? Then use backlit banner stands made of fabric with LED strip lights built into the frame that helps to highlight message and graphics on the banner. This is a great attention getting technique at trade shows, and is great for store displays that will keep attracting attention even at night.
4. Monitor and Video banner stand –This innovative combination of a retractable banner stand with an iPad holder allows marketers to use videos and slides for capturing the attention of passing foot traffic in a busy area like an exhibition or mall. Portable monitor kiosks can also be used so instead of carrying around a monitor with your display. This form of automatic viewing can be more effective than a static display.
5. Outdoor banner stands –Banner stands were once limited to indoor use, but not anymore. Innovations such as weighted bases, support poles with springs, and light weight fabric flags on rotating poles have made it so these displays can work for your brand in almost any location or weather. Available in a range of styles and sizes to promote events, products, offers, or to attract new customers.

If you are looking for new ways to help your business stand out, these are the most tried and true options that are guaranteed to get more attention from visitors!

Banner stands are perfect for advertising and marketing, and to promote business at tradeshows and exhibitions. But the success of your effort largely depends on the type of banner used. For example, X banner stands are perfect for large-scale corporate promotions because they’re inexpensive, easy to set-up, and easy to carry as well. We list out the different types of banner stands available so you can pick the one that’s right for you.

• Retractable Banner Stands:

Retractable banner stands are by far the most popular choice because they’re easy to store and carry. The graphics panel is well protected because it is placed in the base. To set up the stand, all you have to do is to pull the panel and attach it to a pole! You can also adjust the height on some banners using adjustable poles. You could also connect two or three banner stands to create a backdrop for an event.

• Portable Banner Stands:

Portable banner stands are non-retractable, but they are light in weight and easy to carry. You could either choose between an L banner stand or an X banner stand – i.e., stands with an X or an L backing. To set up a banner, you will have to attach the graphics to the four corners of the metal tubing. The fact that you can remove and replace the banner makes it economical. They’re perfect if you are looking for an inexpensive option for promo events.

• Hanging Banners:

Hanging a banner above your stall at a crowded exhibition hall or trade show is the perfect way to grab attention. They basically cover an aluminum tube frame and hang from a ceiling. You could pick one from the different sizes and shapes available. With hanging banners, you aren’t just using floor space, but making use of the space above you as well!

• Tabletop Banner Stands:

You may not always need a full-size banner. Sometimes, a tabletop version can do the magic! You could either modify a normal banner stand to fit on your tabletop or buy one that specifically sits well on a table in stores and at airports.

Which one do you think suits your requirements? Confused? Call us! We’ll be happy to help!

We sell a lot of banner stand support poles. I would be surprised if we didn't sell more banner stand support poles than any other company on earth. Part of the reason for that is because we carry support poles and replacement parts for pretty much every banner stand model we sell, and we offer more models] than any other company. Most companies who sell banner stands don't offer parts. This is largely because so many companies only sell cheap junk, so they don't think it's worth selling parts and would rather just sell you a new stand instead. The other reason is that they don't want to be bothered with parts orders. It's true that stocking and selling parts isn't very profitable, but it's part of good customer service and one of the things that sets us apart. That leads to the the other reason we sell so many poles, and that's because we take the time to help customers who need replacement poles for their banner stands, even if they aren't models we sell. As a result of the experience we've gained in working with customers who need replacement poles, and often don't even know what banner stand they have, we've learned a lot and wanted to share some information that might be helpful to those who need to replace the support pole on their banner stand.

The most obvious solution to the need for a new pole is to purchase the one that is made for your stand. That sounds overly simple, but it's surprising how often customers don't do that. With portable banner stands, which are the non-retractable type, you almost always have to purchase the replacement for your specific model. With these stands, the support pole basically is the banner stand, so it's unlikely a different pole would ever work. With retractable banner stands, there's a better chance that a different pole will work for you. We help a large number of customers who know where they bought the stand, but the company they purchased from is out of business, or they don't sell replacement parts, so that puts them in the same situation as customers who don't know what stand they have. Usually we ask for photos of the stand when this happens. Being experts in the field, we can tell from a photo if a stand is one we sell, and often we can recognize stands we don't offer, and find a replacement pole, so it's a good place to start. Even if that doesn't work, there's a lot we can tell from photos of the base and top rail that will help in finding a suitable replacement pole.

The first important bit of information we pass on is that support poles on banner stands are not interchangeable. While there are certainly poles on some stands that will work on others, in most cases that's not true. Each manufacturer has their own designs that can make the pole for one stand unsuitable for use on another. The factor that most customers seem to focus on is the diameter of the pole. If the pole is too large to fit the socket in the base of the stand, it obviously won't work, but if the pole is too small, it probably won't work either. If the pole is too loose in that socket, the stand will lean and not be stable, which won't look good and could also be a safety hazard. Some stands use a pole that's the same diameter all the way to the bottom, and others have an insert section at the bottom of the pole with a smaller diameter than the main part of the pole itself. Our QuickSilver support pole is a popular choice that customers like to order because it has the largest adjustable height range and high-end lever locks that make it easy to use. In designing that pole to have such a large range of adjustments and still be able to collapse down to a small enough size to fit in the bag with the stand, we added more telescoping sections than most other poles. This makes the pole wider at the base than any other pole, which is why it's a problem for customers who try to use it on a different stand. Since we designed the stand, we just made the socket in the base large enough to accommodate the pole, but it would be much too large to work with other models. So, finding a pole with the proper diameter is the first step. This can be a little tricky because precise measurements are necessary and customers don't always provide the exact size, which can obviously lead to problems. If you find yourself in this situation, be sure to measure as carefully as you can because our recommendations probably won't work if this information is wrong.

The next thing to look at is how the support pole connects to the top rail on the banner. There are roughly three main styles of connection, but with lots of variations. Several years ago, the most common style of top rail had a hook attached that inserted into the open end of the support pole.

This is still popular on low-end stands from China, but even those are being upgraded as it's not a particularly good option. The hook and the top of the pole end up being visible above the banner when the stand is set up, which doesn't look very good, and customers complained that the hook was dangerous. When setting up or taking down the stand, if the top rail slipped and got away from the person setting it up, it could pretty easily cause a scratch, or even a puncture wound. That being said, there are still quite a few stands out there that use this method, and there aren't many variations on this idea that would affect the selection of a support pole to work with this style of stand.

The second style has a plastic cup attached to the top rail that fits over the top of the support pole. With this style of stand, the size and shape of the top of the support pole needs to match the plastic cup on the top rail in order to work. There aren't as many stands that use this method, but there are still quite a few.

The third style has become the most popular, and that's where the pole has a plastic fitting at the top that inserts into a slot in the top rail. While there are many stands on the market that use this type of pole, they don't all have the same size and shape fitting, and if that fitting doesn't match the top rail, the pole won't work either, so those must be compatible. In many cases, it's possible to replace both the pole and top rail. As long as the pole fits the base properly, this would ensure that the support pole and top rail will work together.

The last thing to consider when selecting a replacement pole is the height. Obviously, selecting a pole that's the same height as the original is the safest choice, but some stands have adjustable height poles, and others are designed to work with fixed height poles, but may have different height options available. Because the height of the banner can dramatically impact the stability of the stand, if you plan to order a pole for an unknown model that's taller than the original, you would be assuming the responsibility for that choice if turns out not to work, so be sure you think that decision through.

If you really need a taller banner, it's probably time to look at a new stand. With some cheap models, you could spend as much on replacement parts as you would an entirely new unit, so keep that in mind. This is especially true if you're replacing both the pole and top rail. When you purchase a new stand, you would get both of those along with a new base and carry bag. Since cheap stands are cheap because they are lightweight and not made particularly well, it might not be a good idea to invest in those parts when the base and retractor mechanism might not last. But, replacing poles on these stands is very common, and it's become so popular we actually carry a Generic Roll Up Support Pole that is the most common size and style to work with these cheap Chinese models that have a hook in the top rail. With more expensive models, it almost always makes sense to replace these parts, as the mechanisms are made to last so replacing some of these relatively inexpensive parts can be much more cost effective in the long run.

There are a lot of retractable banner stands on the market. We should know, because we carry more models than anyone else, and even we don't carry everything available. Because there are so many models out there, it can be hard to decide what model to choose. If you shop with us, we always try to steer our customers to the right stand for their needs and budget, but unfortunately, not every company has our selection of products or desire to help the customer get what they really need. As a result, many customers have had bad experiences where they were sold junk retractable banner stands. When that happens, it makes customers distrustful of every product. In some situations, customers have given up on retractable banner stands all together, believing that none of them were any good because of their bad experiences. In other cases, the customer has found a model they like, and are reluctant to try anything different for fear of making a bad choice. They stick with the model they've used before and keep purchasing the same thing when they need a new stand. We call this banner stand inertia and it makes it hard to convince customers to try something new.

Because we carry so many models of retractable banner stands, we are very careful about adding new models. Our selection already borders on the ridiculous, but each model we sell offers something unique or we wouldn't offer it. Models we don't offer are left out because we already have banner stands with the same features at a better price or with better quality. However, we're always on the lookout for new banner stands with unique features.

Retractable banner stands with graphic cassettes have been on the market for years. The original models were introduced as a way to provide customers with new graphics that were easy to install. It was common then, and still is in some cases, for the customer to return the banner stand to where they purchased it to have a new banner installed in the base. By introducing a model with a graphic cassette, the idea was to eliminate the need to send the stand back since changing the cassette was so simple that no technical skill was needed. These cassettes also made it possible to keep several different graphics on hand and easily change them out as needed. Keeping a library of graphics like this means a single stand can be used at different events with a different message, where typically multiple stands would be needed.

Cassette retractable banner stands are a great concept, and are still popular with some customers, but they tend to be more expensive stands to begin with, and the cassettes are so expensive that it creates too much of a trade off between cost and convenience. That's why we were so excited to introduce the Carrera cassette retractable banner stand. This fits all the criteria for adding a new stand to our line up, because it's different from anything else on the market in terms of it's construction and value.

The look of the Carrera is different from other retractable banner stands, because it has a sleek, rounded base that's white with black accent trim. The sophisticated look is subtle so as not to detract from the graphic, which is important because no one wants a stand that draws more attention than their message. What's not obvious, but ultimately more important, is how the Carrera is constructed. Most banner stands are made up of a collection of extruded parts that are combined to make up the base. This type of construction is much easier and cheaper, which is why virtually all stands are made this way. The Carrera base is a single piece of aluminum, which makes it stronger and less likely to get damaged. The plastic end caps are also the most elaborately constructed, heavy duty end caps on the market. They are not only attractive, but add to the overall durability of the stand thanks to their heavy weight and how they are integrated with the base.

While having this durable, single piece base would be great for any high quality banner stand, the significance of it on the Carrera is that it makes it possible to offer inexpensive, lightweight graphic cassettes. With other cassette style retractable banner stands, the cassettes themselves have to be durable because the base doesn't offer much protection. That's the reason they tend to be so expensive. The Carrera has solved this and finally made a banner stand where ordering replacement graphics already installed on a cassette for easy graphic changes a cost effective option. Combined with it's other advanced features such as adjustable feet in all 4 corners of the base for maximum adjustability on uneven floors and quality lever lock style adjustable height support pole, the Carrera is a solid product that we think many of our customers would like.

However, because of the banner stand inertia described above, we recognize that many customers are reluctant to try a new banner stand model. Obviously, there are many factors that go into a purchasing a banner stand display, and no single model is best for everyone, which is why we offer so many different models. But, we think the Carrera is an excellent fit for anyone who wants a stand that will hold up over time with easy, inexpensive graphic changes, and a modern, high-end look that won't detract from the banner itself. To help provide some incentive for customers to give this model a try, we're offering a $20 discount off the regular price of the Carrera retractable banner stand until the end of July. When ordering, simply indicate in the Special Instructions that you want the special $20 Carrera discount and we'll adjust the total before you are charged.

This is a great opportunity to try a new banner display at a great price that could be the cure for banner stand inertia. As always, contact us with any questions about the Carrera, or any of our banner stands and accessories. We're always happy to help direct customers to the products that fit their needs best.

In the world of banner stand displays, new products generally come in the form of a design change to the stand, often with new convenience features. When we introduced our first banner stand design, it was because we wanted to offer a stand that didn't require any adhesives to attach the banner, and one that didn't have a plastic leader attached to the roller, because those didn't hold up well over time. We came up with a retractable stand that had a snap rail on the roller itself, which eliminated the leader completely, along with the typical adhesive.

In this case, when we say we are introducing something new, it actually has nothing to do with the stand itself, but instead is focused on the banners. When it comes to trade show banner stands, or any display banner stands, the hardware is just a means of displaying the graphic. The stands are only there to hold up the banner, so the design should be the focus of the display, and what hopefully catches the audience's attention. A great design can often do this, but in most environments where banner stands would be used, such as trade shows, retail stores, movie theaters, shopping malls, or even grocery stores, there is tremendous visual competition for the attention of the audience. That's why we wanted to introduce something new that's different from other displays and certain to make anyone stop and pay attention. That was the concept behind our Contour line of dimensional banner stands.

Originally, this started with the idea of using a double side banner stand as a single sided display with both banners facing forward. The banner in the front would be cut out in a shape that exposed the banner behind. The distance between the banners creates a three dimensional look that is extremely eye catching and very effective, although it's hard to see the full effect in a photo.

Unfortunately for us, we were not the only ones to come up with the idea, and while we were trying to figure out how we could cut the front banners into perfect curves, or whatever shape the customer wanted, others released similar products. Now that we have the system to do this properly, we've introduced the Sterling 2 33 Contour stand to take advantage of this idea. The concept can be applied to any double sided stand, but we're starting with one that has adjustable height for the greatest versatility, and we'll expand to other models over time, based on the needs of our customers.

While we were very excited to offer this new option, the concept is a bit limiting as the banner in front is restricted to some simple shapes. With the right combination of designs in front and back, it's a very striking display, but we had many ideas that just didn't work within these limitations. In looking for a way to expand the options available to really take advantage of this concept, we came up with something simple that we've never seen before in a banner stand, which is a clear banner. While it's possible that someone else has thought of this idea, after some research, we believe we're the first to introduce this concept.

With the option of a clear banner, suddenly any shape or design is possible. Since the image is printed with white behind it, the background banner will show through any unprinted areas. This creates a dramatic display with greater possibilities as the foreground banner can be printed with shapes that couldn't be done any other way. We still recommend a design that hides the support pole as much as possible, but otherwise, the possibilities are only limited by the imagination. The most obvious use of this for us was the addition of a figure in the foreground that related to the background. Like the example of someone working out in the foreground with a fitness scene background, shown above, we had many suggestions for similar concepts. Sports figures against an appropriate background, vacationers against a beach background, product shots in front of an applicable background, even logos floating over an abstract background all look great and will definitely make people stop and look. We even created a party decoration of a child dunking a basketball with a crowd scene in the background so it looked like the dunk was happening on a full height rim in an actual arena. The fact that there are so many possibilities is what makes this concept so exciting, and all of them stand out in way that standard banners don't. It's very difficult to convey the effect in photos, but it's almost three dimensional and never fails to make people stop and look.

Hiding the support pole with the image is the major challenge of designing for this style of stand, but it's not always necessary. Having a background design that the pole can blend into on double sided models was one way to deal with it, while one designer even incorporated the pole into the design itself. So, if hiding the pole with your design is too difficult, there are creative options that can be utilized to make the display successful.

We also realized that a double sided stand was not really necessary to take advantage of this exciting new banner option. By offering single sided Contour models, either the shaped banner or the clear banner option could also be utilized. Instead of a background banner to make a backdrop, the environment the stand is placed in becomes the backdrop. This opens up many possibilities because the single sided stands only have one banner, and are therefore less expensive. These make a great alternative to cardboard cut outs, or standees as they are often called. Since they roll up in to the base when not in use, they will stay looking good longer than the cardboard variety. The graphics don't have to be folded up for shipping, so they don't have unsightly creases in the image that make them look cheap. Plus, new banners can be installed for different promotions, making them very cost effective over time.

Like the double sided models, we wanted to offer this on stands with adjustable height, because so many of the ideas we came up with involved images of people, and being able to adjust the height of the stand to fit the image was much easier than trying to find a photo that would fit a specific banner height. The first two models we are offering are the Expo Pro Contour and the QuickSilver Pro 36 Contour.

The Expo Pro is a 33.4" wide model, and the QuickSilver Pro 36 is a 35.5" wide model. We have wider models as well, which we have utilized for wider photos, or photos with more than one person. Many of the wider models have two support poles, which can be more difficult to conceal, depending on the design of the banner, but we will be adding more of these models in the near future to give our customers as much flexibility as possible. We'll even be adding a table top model.

As was mentioned previously, a white underprint is standard on the clear banners, but it can be left off to create a transparent effect in the printed areas. It's also possible to request an optional three layer print where the image is printed twice with white in between so the image can viewed from either side. Keep in mind that the support pole will be fully visible from the back, but in situations where the back of the banner is exposed, this can be a more attractive option than looking at the white silhouette from the back.

We're really excited to be able to offer something new and different to our customers. Not everyone can take advantage of these displays, but for those of you who can, we're interested to see what great ideas you come up with, and if you have any suggestions on how to improve on this concept, we're always open to new ideas.