Our annual editorial guide to the industry’s top builders
When attendees look at beautiful exhibits or event environments, they may not be aware of all the blood, sweat and tears that took place behind the scenes to bring those installations to life. But EM is here to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the event architects that help power some of the world’s most impactful experiential builds. In this, our ninth annual editorial listing of the top fabricators serving the event and trade show industries, we salute the award-winning designers, strategists, producers, technologists and other miracle workers that make magic out of raw materials on a daily basis.
Of course, with a global pandemic to contend with, the fabrication community has had to navigate a host of challenges over the last two years. On top of a stalled trade show industry, builders have been battling supply and labor shortages, the rising cost of materials and transportation, drawn-out production timelines and shipping delays. And then there’s the all-important business of managing client expectations amid a rapidly evolving industry and ever-changing health and safety regulations.
But again and again, the organizations that comprise this year’s Fab 50 proved they were up to the task. They reached beyond their core capabilities to develop new skillsets, expand their virtual and hybrid event services, enhance their tech stacks, develop proprietary event solution, and in some cases, pivot to building pop-up COVID vaccine sites. They scaled exhibits and they scaled exhibits down to keep pace with fluctuating client requests and budgets. And, as always, the fabrication houses on this year’s roster went into painstaking detail to ensure their clients’ exhibits, environments and installations clearly communicated the brand’s messaging.
From erecting socially-distanced outdoor dining environments, corporate briefing centers and virtual trade show booths, to consumer installations, broadcast studios and beyond, these featured fabrication shops have demonstrated why they’re not simply vendors, but strategic partners and valued team members.
We see you, builders. And we can’t wait to find out what you’ve got up your sleeves in the year ahead. Congratulations to all of our Fab 50 honorees.
