Formica Corporation wanted to demonstrate their product-line breadth and diversity and their design leadership at the 2004 NeoCon Show. NeoCon, held annually at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, is an international fair for architects and designers.

Our dual task was to present Formica as a total surfacing company and to display a large product array in a small space. Their exhibit location and product volume inspired a marketplace metaphor.

We used unforgettable neon to attract visitors to the 21-by-22-foot in-line space that was nestled in a sea of small in-line spaces. The 4-foot-tall red “OPEN” glowed brightly through acrylic panels printed with a custom Formica logo pattern. The space was both positive and inviting, a place where people could meet and gather. Once in the space, visitors were drawn into the market by an eclectic product and prop mix displayed on the space’s centerpiece—the market wall. Forty Formica-clad drawers jutted in and out of the two-sided wall. The drawers contained ample space for product samples, literature, videos and marketplace ephemera. Formica-patterned shopping bags were strategically placed throughout. Thirty-two product “flippers” lined the walls, further engaging the visitor.