Signs of the Times - August 2012 - (Page 60)

Business is Blowing Up A look at shops that specialize in inflatable signage By Steve Aust Ever since its 1783 invention by French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier, the hot-air balloon has fascinated. It provides passengers with the most similar experience possible to a bird in flight, and it’s the centerpiece of festivals and celebrations from Albuquerque, NM to Asheville, NC, and beyond. Tethered to the ground or a structure, yet still satisfying people’s innate tendency to look up and admire floating objects, inflatable signs have become an increasingly popular method for providing advertising, promotion or crowdpleasing event graphics. Three shops, whose core business comprises inflatable signage, provided background about their businesses, and some production details. In one instance, a vendor and its client helped convince a city to revise code to allow inflatable signage. Perhaps subcontracting inflatable signage as a value-added service will boost interest for a store grand opening or special event. Bear in mind that the onus increasingly rests on signshops to provide more than mere signs – rather, you’re obliged to provide comprehensive, site-graphic solutions. Skydancers In 1996, Drake Diamond founded Tubeworks Inc., which offered Skydancers inflatable stick figures and signs. Seven years later, he retired, and his son, Chris Austin, assumed leadership of the company and changed its name to Skydancers (Calabasas, CA). In addition to the traditional, blowing stick figures often seen at car dealerships, custom shaped and branded figures have become popular for concerts, special events, store grand openings and related functions. “For most of our projects, we look for fabric vendors based in the USA,” Austin said. “This helps with quality control and delivery turnaround. Most inflatables are fabricated with ¾-oz., ‘rip-stop’ nylon, which is stitched with thick reinforcement threads in a crosshatching pattern to make it highly tear-resistant. For sections that require decoration, the shop usually uses 5- to 7-oz. vinyl, which it decorates with a solvent-ink printer. For projects that require a lightweight installation, Skydancers will print on flag material with a dye-sublimation printer. “Years ago, we used rubberized inks, which bonded well with the material, but weren’t very flexible and limited the level of detail,” he said. “Inkjet printing has brought our designs to a whole new level. We can create photorealistic depictions on projects up to 25 ft. tall.” For standard inflated graphics, Skydancers attaches the fabric to the fan with Velcro®; Chris said the entire contraption only weighs approximately 50 lbs. For larger, rooftop inflatables, which are immobile, they’re fastened with webbing straps and rope. (These installations weigh several hundred pounds.) Most installations contain an 18-in.-diameter fan that’s designed especially for inflatable-graphic operation. Skydancers created a strong partnership with the NHL’s Nashville Predators. David Freeman, the owner of the expansion team that began play in 1998, has encountered several obstacles during its existence. Nashville resides deep in the heart of the football-obsessed Southeast, and is known as Guitar Town, and most residents are far more familiar with pigskins and picks than pucks. The team’s event-presentation director contacted Skydancers days prior to the team’s first game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ opening round. Austin said, “Usually, the timetable on this type of project is two to three weeks. This time, however, 60 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / AUGUST 2012 / www.signweb.com http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - August 2012

Signs of the Times - August 2012
ST Update
Technology Update
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review
Technology Review
New Products
The Value of Signs
Casino and Gaming Signage
A Commercial-Sign Company Snapshot
Business is Blowing Up
Built to Last
Industry News
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - August 2012