Question 1

NWI Biz Mag: Quality Trade Show Strategy

Accepted Answer

Northwest Indiana Business Magazine &#8211; 2026 July/July Issue

Companies focus on building relationships, booths that tell their story

Redesigning booths

The types of booths that attract the most attention are those that emphasize experience over display. Interactive and experiential setups are particularly effective because they encourage visitors to participate rather than observe. Companies like Portage-based Trinity Displays help businesses plan for trade shows by serving as a turn-key provider of custom trade show exhibits, displays and signage.

“Throughout the last few years, we’ve seen a large increase in requests for more of an experience within the booth,” said Marty McGinnis, business development at Trinity Displays. “People are always looking for something they haven’t seen before — something they’re excited to tell their friends about or post photos of on social media. Including a fun game to win prizes or a cool photo moment experience is a way to engage with clients and get them to share your brand without ever even asking them to.”

Behind the scenes

Trade show logistics have evolved.

Many companies now rely on modular booth systems that can be reconfigured and reused across events, balancing cost efficiency with flexibility. Companies like Urschel ship their large machines to expos. They store their booth, literature and supplies in ready-to-ship crates and assemble everything on site. They bring mini candy bars to sweeten the visit to their booth.

“We’re seeing an increase in clients who prefer not to be responsible for paying long-term maintenance of the exhibit and/or any incremental storage costs to house their exhibit assets between expos,” McGinnis said. “This has led to a large increase in requests for rental exhibits. Trinity now offers rental frames that can be customized with graphics, greenery, shelves, lighting and closets.

Ultimately, trade shows are not shrinking so much as they are sharpening. Success no longer depends on having the biggest presence or attracting the largest crowd. Instead, it hinges on creating meaningful interactions, delivering clear value and executing a well-planned strategy before, during and after the event.

In today’s digital world, the ability to connect in person has become more powerful than ever, ensuring that trade shows remain not only relevant but essential. Trade shows are ecosystems that combine marketing, education, networking and brand storytelling into a single, dynamic environment.

Companies that treat expos as a strategic investment rather than a routine obligation stand to gain the most. The format may be changing, but the underlying principle remains the same: business is built on relationships, and there is still no substitute for meeting face-to-face.

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By Kerry Sapet

NWIBizMag-2026-06Download

Question 2

Bigger Builds Ahead: Trinity Displays Expands into New 90,000 Sq. Ft. Facility

Accepted Answer

PORTAGE, Ind. —  Trinity Displays, a full-service exhibit and experiential fabrication company owned by Marty McGinnis, Robert Swiatek, and Mario Pawinski, has relocated its headquarters from multiple buildings in Chesterton totaling 25,000 square feet to a centralized 90,000-square-foot facility in Portage, Indiana, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued growth.

Completed in February 2026 following a phased transition that began in October 2025, the move brings Trinity’s operations together at 6221 US-6, formerly Lowe’s Home Improvement. The repurposed building now serves as a fully integrated fabrication and production warehouse designed to support the company’s expanding print, fabrication, staging, and logistics operations.

“This move is really about scale,” said Robert Swiatek, co-owner and head of operations. “We’ve grown steadily over the years, and this new space allows us to take on bigger projects, support more clients at once, and continue delivering at the level our partners expect.”

Founded in 2009, Trinity Displays has grown from a small, garage-based business into a national fabrication partner supporting agencies and brands across experiential and trade show programs. Today, the company employs 30 team members across project management, design, engineering, print production, fabrication, and logistics. Its integrated, in-house approach allows teams to collaborate closely from concept through execution, ensuring projects are not only built to match the client’s renderings but are engineered to perform in real-world environments.

In addition to custom exhibits and experiential builds, Trinity provides portable displays and large-format graphic production. Interior branding capabilities include custom printed wallpaper, environmental graphics, branded spaces, and interactive technology.

The expanded Portage facility significantly enhances Trinity’s capabilities. Dedicated areas for custom fabrication and dedicated setup area, combined with a centralized large-format print operation, allow for greater efficiency and production output. Increased warehouse capacity supports a growing inventory of modular systems and rental assets, while a new 3- bay loading dock system streamlines freight and logistics for nationwide shipping.

The additional space is already making an impact. Earlier this year, Trinity produced and staged multiple large-scale activations for both the Men’s and Women’s Final Four Fan Fests, with exhibit footprints ranging from 20-by-40 feet to more than 140-by-50 feet. For the first time, the company was able to fabricate, print, stage, and review multiple large-scale environments under one roof, streamlining production and improving coordination across every phase of the build process before deployment onsite.

“We’ve seen a big increase in clients asking for custom rental solutions,” said Marty McGinnis, co-owner and head of business development. “They want something that looks custom without the commitment of purchasing. This facility gives us the space to store the inventory, build, and manage those environments at a much larger scale.”

In response to this shift, Trinity has expanded its custom hybrid rental offerings and invested in modular exhibit systems such as Aluvision and ModTruss, allowing for scalable, reusable environments that can adapt across multiple programs. Recent work includes an immersive brand takeover with the Eggo House of Pancakes in Gatlinburg, the full conference installation for the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2025 in Indianapolis, and a range of custom exhibits and touring activations for national brands and agency partners.

While the company’s capabilities have grown, its approach remains rooted in its early beginnings. Founded by a group of friends who started the business in a garage, Trinity continues to operate with a hands-on, problem-solving mindset. Every project is approached as a full-service solution, with teams taking ownership from initial concept through fabrication, logistics, installation, and post-event support.

The move from Chesterton to Portage reflects both Trinity’s growth and its commitment to remaining in Northwest Indiana. The region’s proximity to Chicago, combined with its central location within the United States, allows the company to efficiently service clients nationwide. Portage also offers strong access to major transportation routes and is within a short drive of Indianapolis, one of the country’s leading hubs for large-scale conventions and events.

“This building gives us the foundation for what’s next,” said McGinnis. “We’re focused on continuing to grow with our clients, take on new challenges, and keep pushing what’s possible in this industry.”

For more information, visit www.trinitydisplays.com or call 888-971-1811.

Question 3

Trinity Displays receives Lane One Foundation’s “Business of the Year” Award

Accepted Answer

Chesterton, IN – Trinity Displays, a nationwide, award-winning, custom fabrication and large format printing partner for experiential and tradeshow displays, has been honored with the “Business of the Year” Award by the Lane One Foundation. This award, presented by Executive Board Members Todd Elliot, Red Stone, Paul Pallas, and Kevin Pastrick, recognizes local businesses within the Duneland community that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to giving back and improving the lives of their neighbors.

Trinity Displays and its team have consistently shown dedication and support to the Duneland community through the Duneland Family YMCA, Dunes Learning Center, The SHARE Foundation, The Duneland School System, and other local non-profit initiatives.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition from the Lane One Foundation,” said Bob Swiatek, Co-Owner/Co-Founder of Trinity Displays. “Giving back to the community has always been a core value for Trinity Displays, and we are proud to support the organizations and initiatives that make the Duneland area such a special place to live and work.”

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The Lane One Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals and families in the Duneland community. The “Business of the Year” award is presented annually to a deserving local business that exemplifies the spirit of community service. www.laneonefoundation.com

Question 4

Trinity Displays on Eggo House, Experiential Display Space

Accepted Answer

Marty McGinnis and Bob Swiatek of Trinity Displays (Chesterton, Indiana) discuss the company&#8217;s work to create the one-of-a-kind Eggo House of Pancakes, located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They also share their experience working on other experiential displays, and describe why &#8220;experience&#8221; is a growing part of display work.

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Dan MarxContent DirectorWide-Format Impressions

Question 5

The 2024 Fab 50: Recognizing the Event Industry’s Top Builders

Accepted Answer

The Best Exhibit and Event Fabricators Serving the Experiential Marketing Industry

Like the industry it serves, the landscape of exhibit builders fabricating trade show booths, branded installations and outdoor activation structures for corporate clients is in a state of constant evolution.

Maximalism is on trend, but so are purposeful materials. Trade shows are back with exhibitors leaning heavily into experiential principles. Artificial intelligence tools and other seamless technologies for engagement and measurement are changing the game, as top shops add in-house technology teams to provide equally seamless expertise. And overall, fabricators are working hard to be viewed as strategic partners, in addition to vision makers.

More than a decade ago, we started the Fab 50 at a time when the industry hit a growth spurt and corporate event marketers were asking us for help making sense of the partner landscape. Today, as timelines shrink and the pace at which business and the entire industry operates moves at lightning speed, partners need to act fast and thoughtfully.

And so, to help brand teams, procurement departments and more explore who’s out there and what they do, we bring you the annual Fab 50, our editorial listing of the top exhibit and event builders in North America. This year, we welcome newcomers and returning shops, as well as seasoned veterans with a host of investments to share.

Our editors uncovered what makes each shop unique as far as history, capabilities and the work.

Whether you’re in the market for a trade show exhibit, museum display, outdoor installation, consumer activation or just want to get in the fast lane of ideation, the following list provides the names you’ll need to put the pedal to the metal.

Presenting, the 2024 Fab 50.

2024 Fab 50: Inside Trinity Displays

Photo provided by Eggo

Question 6

Partner Perspectives: Three Ideas to Cut Your Exhibit Costs

Accepted Answer

Rising costs continue to be the No. 1 challenge for brands in the industry as organizations and their partners navigate economic headwinds and disruptive market dynamics. The 2022 Material Handling and Labor Rates Survey by The Exhibitor Advocate association showed a continued rate increase, which for certain services and markets outpaced inflation by double digits. Anecdotal evidence from showfloors this year—and interviews with our peeps on the ground—suggests the upward trend continued through 2023.

For our “Cost Cutter” series, EM caught up with a few exhibit houses to get their take on how they’re helping brands eliminate inefficient spend, invest wisely and make overall better budget decisions for their booths and activations

Skip the Hanging Sign

Hanging signs are great for adding height to peninsular or island exhibits, but they can be unreasonably pricey because of the cost of rigging and advance warehousing, says Marty McGinnis, business development, Trinity Displays. Instead, McGinnis suggests achieving height with free-standing structures, such as leveraging a 16-foot central tower or other attention-grabbing design elements. “You’re paying for labor to set up your exhibit anyway, so why pay for additional show services, rigging, renting the machinery, when you might as well just roll that cost into the labor install,” he says. “Besides, hanging signs only work if attendees already know your brand and are using the hanging sign for wayfinding, not for brand awareness.”

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Posted by Anna HuddlestonEventMarketer.com

Question 7

The 2023 Fab 50: Recognizing the Event Industry’s Top Builders

Accepted Answer

THE ONLY EDITORIAL ROSTER OF THE INDUSTRY’S BEST FABRICATION PARTNERS

The budgets are tight. The timelines are all over the place. The faces on many client teams are new. But at the end of the day, the master craftspeople who stand up our event builds and exhibit booths know the power of creativity, strategy, measurement and, most importantly, service to succeed in the evolving world of face-to-face corporate event marketing today.

This year, flexibility and agility are among the top superpowers wielded by the industry’s best builders. They’re laser focused on reusability, sustainability and other budget- and earth-friendly strategies. They’re adding services and capabilities worthy of a one-stop shopping experience. And many are offering portfolio consultation as part of their repertoire to help generate greater savings down the line for their clients.

After surviving multiple battles over the past few years, from a global crisis to supply chain challenges to rising costs and turnover, the top shops are prouder than ever to champion and share with clients their people, their strong cultures and a 24/7 mentality that translates into productive and long-lasting partnerships.

Our editors combed through the applications and analyzed capabilities, the points of differentiation and the work of top fabricators serving the event and exhibit industries to create our 11th annual editorial listing. Here, we salute the award-winning designers, strategists, producers, technologists and other miracle workers. Thank you for making this industry look and feel so good.

Presenting, the 2023 Fab 50.

2023 Fab 50: Inside Trinity Displays

Posted by Event Marketer

Question 8

Six Recent Mobile Tour Strategies That Drove Results

Accepted Answer

SAVE THE CHILDREN

They say if you don’t use it, you lose it, so to keep underserved kids engaged in learning and prepare them for the school year while they were on summer vacation, Save the Children took its youth reading campaign on the road. Along with brand partners T.J.Maxx, SC Johnson and Nickelodeon, the organization traveled from coast to coast on a 10-city tour.

The mobile program served as the face-to-face manifestation of Save the Children’s 100 Days of Reading campaign, which provides tips and activities on the organization’s Instagram account and a microsite to ensure kids are actively engaging in reading and education all summer long. To bring the concept into the real world, Save the Children and its partners worked with local organizations to identify the most underserved elementary school-aged kids in each city, and provided them with hands-on learning activities and essential resources.

The objective was to hand-deliver backpacks filled with school supplies, educational materials and personal care products to 2,000 children in each market. But beyond the bags, the tour provided a platform for engagement and education. At each stop, young attendees were encouraged to participate in a range of educational activities that centered on literacy, math and STEM. An interactive kindergarten readiness activity, for instance, featured a larger-than-life magnetic storybook developed around Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues & You!” program. Similar to Mad Libs, the activity encouraged kids to fill in blanks within the story with their own pictures and words.

There was also a math race game themed around Nickelodeon’s “Blaze and the Monster Machines” series, and a Greatest Catch activity from SC Johnson that taught kids the importance of recycling. Participants used magnetic poles to fish a water bottle out of the “ocean,” then either recycle the bottle or took it to a crafts station to repurpose it.

Rounding out the activities was T.J.Maxx’s Longest Story Ever Told, which empowered kids to help author a book by adding a sentence or drawing to a crowdsourced story. When the campaign wrapped, Save the Children packaged the stories into mini digital books in each market and shared them with the community.

“Bringing together like-minded partners who want to make a difference for children is really key to helping make events like this even more impactful and meaningful for kids because it helps put a little more fuel into the bus tour, so to speak,” says Jennifer Kendra, head of cause marketing and partnership development at Save the Children US. “SC Johnson, for example, really believes in contributing to the wellbeing of communities, and particularly communities where they operate, by supporting initiatives that enhance that quality of life. And they, like many of our other partners, believe that education is an essential part of helping families move out of poverty and have access to greater economic mobility. So it’s bringing together all these like-minded folks into an opportunity for us to really engage hands-on.” (Agencies: Inspira Marketing Group, Norwalk, CT, production and creative; Trinity Displays, Chesterton, IN, mobile build)

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Cause Marketing: Save the Children’s Mobile Tour Provides Kids with Hands-on Education, ResourcesThese Cause Marketing Activations Were Built to Align with Consumers’ Evolving Priorities

Posted by Kait SheaEventMarketer.com

Question 9

Mountain Dew Pergola Outdoor Activation

Accepted Answer

We partnered with Fuse Marketing to deliver custom pergola activations across the Bassmaster Classic, Grand Prix of Arlington, and NFPA Martinsville. Our team developed modular outdoor event structures engineered for durability, featuring weather-resistant pergolas with integrated working gutter systems. Each activation included custom entrance gates with branded fencing to enhance crowd flow and create a cohesive experiential environment including the custom cut dimensional mountain photo ops.

Question 10

Hi-Chew 30x40 Sweets & Snacks Expo

Accepted Answer

For the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Las Vegas, we partnered with Inspira Marketing Group to fabricate a vibrant “Pool Party” themed exhibit for Hi-Chew’s retro summer flavor launch. Anchored by a massive 30&#8242; x 40&#8242; load rated, double-decker truss built rental structure, we brought the summer vibes to life with cabana-inspired architecture, interactive sampling elements, and bold dimensional branding. The immersive environment made a splash on the show floor while showcasing our expertise in large-scale exhibit fabrication.

Video Credit: Hi-Chew USA TikTok

Question 11

WNBA Live Legacy Park

Accepted Answer

For WNBA Live in Chicago, we partnered with Victory Creative Group to fabricate a 100′ x 60′ immersive event environment that welcomed fans into the WNBA All-Star experience. Built around a custom Aluvision and ModTruss hybrid rental system, the space combined custom-fabricated architectural elements, interactive photo moments, a half basketball court, suspended fencing, and fully printed environmental graphics. From a powder-coated entry arch to truss-supported fully printed vinyl wrapped walls and custom-cut turf, the experience brought together multiple fabrication methods and materials to transform the creative vision into a cohesive, high-impact environment.

The finished space showcased our ability to execute complex, large-scale experiential fabrication while seamlessly integrating custom and rental components.

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