Inventing ShellScape shell scheme liner for Liverpool John Moores University

A re-usable shell scheme liner for wooden stands

A shell scheme liner is floor-to-ceiling graphics for a standard exhibition booth.  But not all standard exhibition booths are the same.  Some are old-school “flats” made of plywood and “nyloop” cloth.

In January 2016 Liverpool John Moores University contacted us with a request. This was for a re-useable banner system that could fit to the walls of a shell scheme exhibition stand. They also needed a range of different sized exhibition counters. The items would be being used at a large number of events. These were to form a “tour”in different venues across the UK throughout 2016.

We were informed that all the items needed to be re useable.  They also had to be very easy to erect as they would be used by different people at each venue. The items needed to be durable. They would be shipped from venue to venue by an external company.

There was another essential point.  The shell scheme display system must be adaptable.  The size of the stand would be different from venue to venue. The sizes ranged from a 6x2m stand with 3 walls, right down to a 3x2m stand with 2 walls.

ShowSuit?

After lengthy discussions with Liverpool John Moores University regarding their needs from the equipment, we recommended our ShowSuit display system. ShowSuit is printed on a fabric material and offers superb, vibrant print quality. It is 100% re usable and built to last a very long time. It is also very easy to put up and extremely easy to transport.

As this system seemed to be ticking all the required boxes we were then able to work with the client to determine a way in which the ShowSuit could be adapted to work with all the stand sizes they had.

We worked out that if they were to buy 2 x 3 metre runs and 2 x 2 metre runs they would be able to arrange these as needed to fit every single different stand configuration they have over the course of the year.

The Problem – an old fashioned shell scheme

It was at this point we asked Liverpool John Moores University to send us over the specs for the shell scheme stands they would be exhibiting in. We always ask to see these as on very rare occasions the standard style of shell scheme will not be used and a plywood wall with hook-and-loop-accepting cloth is used instead.

It turned out that this was what all the shell scheme at these shows would be. Time to get thinking.

The Solution – a Giant Vertical Ironing Board

Fabric systems are lighter and quicker and stronger. The only real problem is creases. ShowSuit is a unique tensioned system which gets rid of the creases.

For John Moores Fresco came up with a knitted fabric system (slightly stretchy) with very strong hook-&-loop fastenings allowing tensioning. But the real breakthrough came in seeing the “old school” plywood shell scheme system not just as a problem but as an opportunity. Seen as a Giant Vertical Ironing Board the flat plywood shell scheme means that any remaining creases can simply be ironed out with a cordless iron.

A New Product for Fresco – ShellScape shell scheme liner

This made a shell scheme liner that is very cost-effective, very portable, very versatile and very hard to damage (fully washable too). It has the same wonderful, vibrant print but is better than (far more expensive) “soft signage” frames which cannot be ironed in situ, use up space and do not fit wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling.

John Moores were absolutely delighted and we will be offering this solution as a package (including a cordless iron) to our other customers. It offers a truly massive canvas for your image so it seems natural to call it ShellScape.

See the rest of our shell scheme liners