While the main attractions at BIG Kaiser’s Booth W-1600 are aimed at maximizing efficiency on the shop floor, the company has also embraced technology that helps attendees make the most of their time on the show floor. The chief example is the use of iPads that not only serve as lead-retrieval tools, but also enable booth representatives to instantly access video demonstrations, specifications and other information about any of the company’s products, even those not on display.

For visitors, that means no worries about getting bogged down with catalogs and brochures or waiting for days or weeks after the show to receive requested information, says Tim Stapula, marketing manager. Likewise, delivering sound through earbuds—which visitors are invited to keep—for scheduled presentations on the booth’s 80-inch screen keeps distractions to a minimum, while QR codes linking to professional-quality video differentiate ads and displays from traditional, static presentations. Stapula notes that this push toward QR codes, online video, portable devices and other new media is reflected more broadly in the company’s advertisements and other messaging.

As for the products on display, the company has made room for more than just its own offerings to reflect the fact that manufacturing equipment rarely operates in isolation, Stapula says. Zero-point workholding systems that interface seamlessly with robotics and other automation solutions, MTConnect-compliant tool presetters and other such integrated demonstrations showcase how the company’s products complement those of other vendors.