Guinness World Records Confirms World’s Largest INDOOR ILLUMINATED SIGN at the State Fair of Texas

SEG Systems, a fabric frames and displays manufacturer based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, joined forces with SEG printing partner, Custom Color, to build the world’s largest lightbox and unveil at Mattress Firm’s annual exhibition at the State Fair of Texas.

Mattress Firm, a long-time lover of SEG products, approached the company with a big ask: a lightbox large enough to span the walls of their permanent location at the State Fair of Texas. SEG Systems was undoubtedly up to the task but decided to add more thrill to the project, knowing it would attract fans and customers from across the country: a lightbox that holds a Guinness World Record.

Reid Johnson, Vice President of SEG Systems, told us that “As a kid, I always thought it would be the coolest thing ever to hold a Guinness World Record. When SEG Systems partnered with Custom Color, Matt Keith [CEO and President] and I joked about how great it would be to share the record for the World’s Largest Lightbox. When we were presented with the challenge of lining the walls of Mattress Firm’s exhibit, we knew the time was now to make that dream come true.”

In order to fulfill the record for the Largest Illuminated Indoor Advertising Sign, the partners had just a few weeks of planning and manufacturing time at SEG Systems’ and lots of printing to be completed at Custom Color’s facility. After a day’s worth of installation in Dallas last week, the lightbox stands proudly at 10’ tall and spans over 200’ feet. The enormous freestanding fabric lightbox wraps around corners and covers nearly every inch of wall-space in the tent. Dye-sublimated graphics were installed into the 203.71’ aluminum frame, creating a one-of-a-kind sleek and powerful message from Mattress Firm, offering an evenly lit image that passersby just can’t look away from. The “Relaxation Ranch” advertises three sub-brands of the company, along with a Texas Longhorn representing Mattress Firm’s logo at the entrance. Check out the video below to experience it for yourself!

But why did the budget friendly mattress retailer go big in Texas? Aside from the fact that the company was founded just a few hours away in Houston more than 33 years ago, The Daily Dozers, Mattress Firm’s sleep experts, said “Of all the states with large fairs, the ratings are always highest for Mattress Firm’s home state of Texas.”

Mattress Firm’s exhibit will continue throughout the entirety of the State Fair of Texas, so if you have to see it to believe it, you have until Sunday, October 20, to stand in awe of the largest lightbox in the world. But why did the budget-friendly mattress retailer go big in Texas? Aside from the fact that the company was founded just a few hours away in Houston more than 33 years ago, The Daily Dozers, Mattress Firm’s sleep experts, said “Of all the states with large fairs, the ratings are always highest for Mattress Firm’s home state of Texas.”

GlobalShop 2019 – Back to Our Roots

Chicago, IL

In 2018 we went above and beyond at GlobalShop, resulting in a booth design award from IIDA. As thrilled as we were to receive the award, it wasn’t until after the event that we realized it’s a little difficult to pinpoint exactly what we do at SEG Systems. Retail environments, trade show booths, custom displays?

We do it all, but the true question is: what exactly do all of these projects have in common? 

Lightboxes

Now that we were able to pinpoint our pride and joy, we focused on those products at this year’s GlobalShop in Chicago (and even brought home two awards – we’ll talk about those later)! SEG Systems’ booth was full of frames and lightboxes in various shapes and sizes, covering all that we have to offer: lightboxes, systems, fabric frame accessories, and custom capabilities. Keep reading to find out what we brought to the table this year!

But first, a video…

We’ll give you a full video tour soon, but for now, check out some of the fun we had at GlobalShop this year!

The Booth

Now it’s time to learn about what all went into the booth. Ready? Set? Let’s go.

Interactive Lightbox Wall

Want to play a game? The interactive lightbox wall was the most eye-catching point in the booth, covering a wall that spanned 40’x16’. This wall showcased SEG’s current lighting technologies: Standard and Narrow Perimeter, AC LED, Optix, LGP, Mesh, and RGBW.

What makes this element even more meaningful is the image scattered across the mosaic lightbox wall – the Queen City. SEG Systems represented Charlotte in a royal fashion from over 750 miles away.

Lightbox Wall Command Center

“So how exactly was this giant wall interactive?” Let us tell ya. We created a control panel that let visitors come in and push our buttons. Well.. buttons to light up certain lightboxes on the wall, as well as sliders and dials to animate the wall and compare lighting solutions.

The options were aplenty, ranging from turning boxes off and on, to dimming lights, and even being able to change the temperature of lighting. This control panel gave visitors a quick lesson on how important the right type of lighting is for their next display purchase.

Landing Pad (AKA Conference Table)

This is where it all went down. The conference table was at the center of the booth, bringing visitors in from all angles. Our giant custom table was built in-house using our CNC and millwork capabilities. While the table may have looked like a delicious Oreo snack, the filling in the middle was actually LED strip lighting that was programmed to change colors and styles throughout the event.

To top off the table, we made sure to finish it with fingerprint resistant laminate to ensure a clean look over the course of the three-day show. The centerpiece of the table acted as both a calming and teaching moment – SEG’s take on a zen garden filled with aluminum extrusions and plastic pellets, illuminated by hidden front-firing LEDs. Woosah! 

Freestanding Frames and Lightboxes

Inside the booth were loads of frames and lightboxes standing around – but not just any old frames… These frames showcased different frame extrusion depths to show off the advantages of each. They were powder coated white and showed off all sorts of options for any environment, along with an assortment of lightbox systems and accessories – lollipop stands, glorifiers, millwork bases, pedestals, trigons, and accessories such as faux neon and merchandise shelving. We even threw in a custom game console! Yeah – there’s an extrusion for that.

SYSTEMS SIDE:

UL 970 Certified Manufacturer

Of those freestanding frames, one in particular was pretty special. This lightbox is the first and only UL 970 fixture certified in-house by a display manufacturer like SEG Systems. With the recent acceptance to the UL 970 program, SEG Systems’ Product Development team has been working diligently to create the safest displays for your customers.

Glorifying End Caps as Booth Walls

To bring the booth together, SEG frames were scattered around, mounted at all angles, and glorified on end caps that were lit with 4.0” perimeter lighting covered with white SEG fabric. This really helped show off the technology that SEG Systems handles on a day-to-day basis. What makes these end caps even better is the disco party in the middle: lit, suspended, spinning cubes. Say that three times fast. 

And the winner is…

SEG Systems!

Each year, the GlobalShop Product Design Competition honors manufacturers for advancements in innovation, function, and aesthetics in product design for the retail industry. This year, SEG Systems took first place for our new SEG Click-It Accessories. Stay tuned for how you can accessorize your SEG frames with a cost-effective solution!

Along with the Product Design Award, SEGSystems was recognized as one of the top booths at the event. The event was combined with two others shows this year to create RetailX, so with nearly 1,000 booths, we are honored to be recognized as one of the best!

Now what?

Well first, our team has to unpack. Since we made the entire booth in-house, we also shipped it to Chicago and back, which means we get to redecorate our showroom at the office. Stop by if you didn’t get a chance to check out the latest in SEG technology at the show.

We hope that whether you were at GlobalShop this year or not, you get an idea of what the SEG Experience is all about. SEG Systems is your one-stop manufacturing partner who can turn your ideas into the best solution for your brand. We like to say everything starts with a conversation, so feel free to reach out with questions, dreams, or ideas so that we can build a solution for you.

Explore our portfolio, sign up for our newsletters (below), and stay inspired. You never know what SEG Systems can do for you unless you ask!

We’ve got approximately 335 days (no one’s counting, though) to plan the next award-winning booth at McCormick Place in Chicago for GlobalShop 2020. We hope to see you sooner, but if not, we can’t wait to see you then!

The Who, the What, & the Where: GlobalShop 2019

THE WHERE

THE WHAT

THE WAY BACK WHEN (#TBT)

THE WHO

GlobalShop 2019 – What’s all the hype about?

GLOBAL WHO?

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

• Quality, face-to-face networking opportunities with over 20,000 industry-leading attendees
• Leading edge trends in store design, planning, construction and visual merchandising;
• Thought provoking educational sessions led by thought leaders in the physical and online retail industries; many of whom are moving strongly into brick-and-mortar as well
• Visual merchandising and store design leaders, providers, and educational sessions
• The opportunity to experience leading-edge retail technologies first hand

WILL SEG SYSTEMS BE THERE?

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SEG SYSTEMS?

WHO’S GOING TO BE THERE?