Show Ready Brings Choose Chicago and Illinois to Life at IPW 2025

The Ask

For IPW 2025, the premier international inbound travel and tourism trade show, Choose Chicago and the Illinois Office of Tourism (IOT) aimed to create a cohesive, high-impact presence. As host city and state sponsors, their goal was to highlight Chicago’s iconic urban identity and Illinois’s broader attractions, while providing space for more than two dozen partner booths.

The installations needed to:

Represent the culture and vibrancy of both destinations
Accommodate meetings, networking, and media engagement
Deliver a bold, standout presence compared to previous host cities

The Solution

Show Ready designed and executed two distinct but coordinated exhibition environments, each measuring 40x50 feet for the main booths, plus multiple 10x10 partner booths. The design balanced open, semi-private, and public spaces to accommodate business meetings while creating high-impact visual moments. Each environment blended functional flow with immersive storytelling, maximizing both brand visibility and attendee engagement.

Design and Build Strategy

The goal was to create durable, modular, and repeatable environments without compromising aesthetics or functionality.

Structural Backbone:

Engineered steel and aluminum framing provided stability for multi-day installation and supported suspended signage and lighting.
Modular design allowed for efficient assembly, disassembly, and transport.

Panels and Surfaces:

High-density plywood and MDF panels formed walls, finished with laminated graphics or SEG fabric for large-scale visuals.
Flooring consisted of vinyl wood-look planks layered over subflooring for durability and comfort in high-traffic areas.
Trim and detailing used anodized aluminum, giving clean, precise edges to the structures.

Lighting and Signage:

LED-integrated entry archway (12’6” W x 12’ H) created a welcoming, branded entrance.
3D hanging signage for Illinois spelled out the state name in bold dimensional letters (11’5” W x 5’6” H).
U-shaped canopies and slatted “L” structures incorporated LED lightboxes and printed SEG fabric for visual impact and flexible messaging.

Functional Elements:

Multiple semi-private meeting spaces for one-on-one discussions.
Reception desks with integrated storage and hospitality stations.
Dedicated activation areas with interactive kiosks and branded touchpoints.
Storage rooms and ID towers built into the booth footprint, housing LED screens and supporting materials.

Results

Both Choose Chicago and Illinois booths stood out visually and functionally at IPW 2025.
Attendees experienced immersive spaces that facilitated meaningful conversations, networking, and media engagement.
Modular, durable construction allowed partner booths to integrate smoothly and supported multiple activation points without disrupting foot traffic.
Bold architecture and cohesive branding demonstrated that strategic design and precise execution can create standout experiences, even within complex trade show environments.

Why It Matters

The IPW 2025 installations exemplify Show Ready’s approach to creative, high-impact trade show environments rooted in process and construction excellence. By focusing on modular design, high-quality materials, and thoughtful attendee flow, both Choose Chicago and the Illinois Office of Tourism delivered an unforgettable, functional, and repeatable experience that highlighted their destinations’ unique identities while supporting business goals.