Condit has a healthy relationship with the outdoor industry. This vertical market is no strange coincidence. As a Colorado-based company it is a natural fit to work with brands that share many of the same values and passions as Condit and its employees. Thanks to our strong presence on the show floor with these brands, our business continues to grow in the outdoor arena. We were incredibly fortunate to get a call last spring to bid on a new custom exhibit build for YETI–premium cooler, beverage and outdoor accessory company–at the Outdoor Retailer Market trade show. Serious excitement ensued among the hunters, rafters, campers, skiers and mountain bikers around the office, and we collectively put our best foot forward. In the end, we won a shared job; YETI’s existing marketing and advertising agency, Roundhouse, would execute the booth design, while Condit would put hammer to nails and complete the exhibit fabrication and coordinate show logistics.
Goal
The team at Roundhouse was charged with maintaining brand continuity within YETI’s new 3D exhibit space. Roundhouse’s Senior Manager for the YETI account detailed the objectives for the new booth design, “We looked to the YETI origin story, values, and attitude of the brand for guidance. The creative concept takes its inspiration from classic travel Americana and the surrounding area of Austin, TX. Maps, well-worn pickup trucks, weathered signs and rusty barbed wire fences. We wanted to represent the freedom around in the rugged, wide open spaces of the US and showcase YETI’s products in their natural habitat.”
As for Condit, we made sure the design fit the modularity and configurability required for a long exhibit life and changing show floor space. We sourced materials to fit in line with brand’s wholesale and retail flagship environments. And finally, we were challenged with engineering and fabricating the exhibit to break down easily for crate shipment and smooth install and dismantle by the show’s union labor.
Result
YETI’s new trade show environment made a cannonball-sized splash on the Outdoor Retailer show floor. The exhibit won “Best of Booths” in the Outdoor Dailies magazine at the Winter Market 2017; the author noted, “the booth represents the brand’s true identity, and that of their customers, who span across a broad range of outdoor enthusiasts.” The weathered, rustic booth gives nod to YETI’s heritage. Roundhouse designed a double-decker silo with campfire conference space. Condit’s master metal workers antiqued the metal sheeting surrounding the silo and corrugated metal roof, while our wood craftsmen fabricated the glowing red, faux fire.
The design also included a vintage, turquoise truck bed, scoped in the design because there’s not a truck in Texas without it’s YETI Cooler in tow. Our team had a blast seeking out just the right truck bed to fit with the theme.
Garage doors open up to themed conference rooms for which Condit produced graphics and sourced reclaimed barnwood for product displays. And if the silo wasn’t enough to draw show attendees from across the convention hall, Condit fabricated a towering marquee like that of the one shining on South Congress street in Austin.
Value
YETI has now wrapped up two successful Outdoor Retailer trade shows in two iterations of the new modular exhibit. The aesthetic presence was met with praise from both client and client customers, while the logistics and coordination from fabrication, to crate transport, to install went off without a hitch.
The booth was a remarkable environment that exuded the essence of YETI’s grit and durability. Condit experienced great synthesis with the Roundhouse team in making the booth cohesive for the brand while also trade show-ready from a build, ship and installation standpoint. We value the integrity of Roundhouse’s design and we feel honored to work in hand with visionaries from agencies especially when they involve such extraordinary clients like YETI.
Looking for more? The YETI booth is just one example of Condit’s diverse exhibit designs.
If you’re looking for something a bit different, we invite you to explore the wide range of other industries we work with.
For those looking to get involved within the outdoor space, our we have over 20 years of experience with the Outdoor Retailer trade show.