t’s microscopic molecule meets the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And it’s every exhibit manager’s dream — an inflatable exhibit structure that’s 60 feet long, 22 feet tall, and almost 20 feet wide yet collapses to fit in a 4-foot square crate and weighs 250 pounds. That’s including the two fans that blow the whole thing up in 90 minutes. Breezy Installation The gigantic molecule can be inflated in just 90 seconds by two squirrel fans. In another 90 seconds, it can be raised to dangle from a 25-foot-high steel truss grid. The lowest point of the molecule hangs just three feet from the ground. Targeted Design Designer Mitchell Mauk designed the exhibit to appeal to two different types of show attendees. The lens technology gurus were charmed by the actual molecule structure; the trendy frame fashionistas were allured by fresh, up-to-date color palette and the simple design. The dangling vinyl blowup was born when Sola Optical USA asked designer Mitchell Mauk and his team at Mauk Design to create an exhibit based on a transparent product —Teflon. The eyeglass lens manufacturer wanted everyone to leave Vision Expo West knowing that Sola makes Teflon-coated lenses. “The problem,” Mauk explains, “is that the lenses are clear and the Teflon is clear, so what do you show?” Mauk’s solution? A behemoth that, fully inflated, is actually eight billion times the size of a Teflon molecule. Plastic also serves as a theme for the entire exhibit, from the blue-plastic floor mat, to the white-vinyl backdrop, to the product displays, and, of course, the lenses themselves. The lenses are displayed in six glowing orbs of clear Plexiglas, each one touting a lens attribute — clean, clear, tough. By looking into the orbs, visitors can learn about each feature. The exhibit was so successful — and portable — that Sola will reuse it for at least two more shows, including one in Europe. And, including setup and shipping, the entire exhibit cost just $120,000. As one judge says, “It’s really just a bunch of blow-up balls, but the idea is genius.”		Category:  Island — Less Than $150/sq. ft. Client:  Sola Optical USADesign Firm: Mauk Design, San Francisco; 415-896-0499; www.maukdesign.com Fabrication: Gilbert Displays, Melville, NY; 800-554-0046; www.gilbertdisplays.com Debut Show/Year: Vision Expo West 2002 Budget:  $120,000 Size: 20 by 60 feet Cost/Square Foot:  $100
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