Not too long ago flooring was typically one of the last things a designer thought about when planning an exhibit. All that is changing, however, with more attention being paid to the key role flooring plays in exhibit design.

The right flooring helps establish the look and feel of an exhibit, and reinforces the brand the moment a customer steps into a booth. Several new trends make this easier than ever before – flooring has truly become the “fifth wall” of exhibits.

Mixing And Matching For Unique Looks And Textures

Designers are increasing their options by mixing and matching different flooring materials, such as hardwood, carpet, rollable flooring and raised flooring. This trend is perfect for calling attention to specific areas of an exhibit, adding texture to the design and creating a customized, attention-grabbing look.

Digitally printed carpets and carpets with a 4/color image inlay are also very popular right now and an excellent way to add visual interest to a basic booth. One of our clients, for example, was planning a basic exhibit with columns and a railroad theme. We digitally printed a railroad track border on a 4' wide carpet, and seamed it to the interior carpet. This one design element really transformed a basic booth into an eye-catching exhibit.

With the increasing number of attractive portable products on the market, today’s exhibit designer doesn’t have to choose between beauty and convenience. Two examples of this are Brumark’s rollable FlexFloor™ to Go and our new Centiva on Interlocking Tiles, a specialty product in which no two tiles are the same. Both are available in a variety of styles and colors to provide designers with a range of options.

Materials that can be used both indoor and outdoor, including recycled rubber and interlocking tiles, are taking off right now. There’s also a trend toward alternative flooring such as sisal, sea grass and turf and we’re seeing increased interest in carpet tiles.