One of the industries most underutilized products is printed trade show flooring. For most, flooring for an event is an afterthought. The show provided carpet is adequate in many scenarios and customized flooring becomes another expense and hassle for busy exhibitors. However, cohesive and customized flooring is one of the best ways to set your booth apart! Most exhibitors choose carpet or vinyl flooring that matches their color scheme and booth layout. Custom printed flooring takes this to a new level. Carpet and vinyl options offers different durability and texture options, while interlocking tiles offer a portable solution. What are The Pros and Cons of Printed Trade Show Flooring? We will dive into it with this post!
Printed Flooring Options
Before we get into this too far, it’s important to know which options are available when looking into printed trade show flooring. We offer 4 difference styles in a variety of combinations in 2024 including vinyl, fabric, rollable, and interlocking. When considering vinyl or fabric as a printed flooring option there are a few things to consider. Vinyl printed flooring is generally more durable than fabric, however fabric offers a warm feel and is inviting. Consider using fabric in more intimate spaces where comfort is a priority. Vinyl is great for high traffic, commercial, and more rugged environments. For example, at a trade show a home interior company would benefit from printed trade show carpet while an automotive company would benefit from vinyl.
But wait, there’s more! Both vinyl and carpet printed flooring is available in rollable or interlocking options! Rollable flooring offers less seams and a cleaner look when compared to interlocking. However, interlocking printed flooring includes built in padding and is easier to handle and store. Find even more information on the manufacturers website! There are many pros and cons to each of these options which we will cover next!
Pro and Cons of Each Printed Flooring Option
Carpet
Printed carpet is fantastic for retail, commercial, and event spaces that require a warm feeling with bright vibrant colors. Dye sublimation printing on a carpeted material really brings out colors and images. Carpet offers a soft texture that is great if anyone will be walking in socks or bare feet. It is also great for sound absorption. However, carpet is susceptible to staining and wears more easily than vinyl. It is still durable, but not as much when compared to vinyl. Carpet is also very slip resistant and spilling something does not make it a slip and slide!
Vinyl
Vinyl printed flooring is durable and rugged while offering full color printing! It includes a non-slip backer and a durable coating. It is easy to clean and is resistant to most staining. Many exhibitors prefer the look of vinyl over carpet due to its “clean” finish and smooth surface. However, vinyl offers a more sterile feeling which is unappealing to exhibitors trying to warm up their space. It is also possible to scratch vinyl and it can get a scuffed looked over time with enough use. Although, it is very durable and typically outlasts the relevance of the graphic. If you want the durability of vinyl but the warmth of fabric, work with our design team to come up with a printed floor design that offers a warm, comfortable feel in your booth space!
Interlocking
Interlocking flooring offers many benefits including easy installation, convenient storage, and easy shipping. Additionally, each tile includes built in padding for an anti-fatigue floor! Rollable flooring offers padding as well but it is a completely separate piece which usually requires an additional case. Interlocking flooring offers many benefits, but it also has some drawbacks. Due to the tile format of the pieces, it is possible to see seams. Although they are very tight and look invisible from a distance, at a close glance it is possible to see them. Also, stiletto high heels will puncture interlocking tiles in certain circumstances.
Rollable
Rollable flooring is ideal for large areas and for areas which require minimal seams. For shipping purposes these rolls usually come in 5′ widths, however 10 foot widths are available as well. We offer up to 50′ long rolls for long stretches of seamless flooring! Large areas and semi-permanent installs are the best applications for rollable flooring. The drawbacks to this style flooring include large, heavy rolls that are hard to manage for some exhibitors. Also, padding is not permanently installed so it can be cumbersome to ship and can take additional installation time.
Benefits of Printed Flooring
Although there are some drawbacks, overall, printed flooring is a terrific solution to level up your booth or retail space. Bright colors and interesting designs on flooring usually catch people off guard in a great way! We can custom cut shapes and make custom sizes upon request. That means you can use printed flooring for entry mats, isle carpets, and runners. Anywhere regular flooring exists, you can install printed flooring in its place!
What do you think about The Pros and Cons of Printed Trade Show Flooring? Have you used printed flooring in the past? Let us know if you have any pros or cons to add! Make sure to contact us with any questions at any time!