Blow-Up

It's sort of unusual for me to walk into and explore a booth like the one for Inflate, but I'm glad I did. The ambience they'd created was immediately palpable. This isn't their ICFF booth, that was a cube, but you can get an idea. It had a loungey sort of feel to it like this:

They're basically inflatable temporary structures and can be used for any number of different applications, although I immediately saw it on the beach, for some reason. I soon realized that since the walls are quilted--for structural reasons, no doubt--that it feels like you're inside upholstery. It just gave me a very warm, comforting feeling being inside their booth.

It was also a darker color inside, which I think helped it feel more moody and calm. In white, though, it's obvious there are some very cool lighting effects one could achieve from inside or out. 

The one at their booth also didn't have a ceiling/roof, which they said they prefer in indoor settings where the elements aren't a concern, so it feels less boxed-in. Although a bit heavy, it can be folded down extremely small for storage or transport, and to set it up, basically all you need is a blower. No tent pegs or mallets or tie cords or complicated assembly instructions. You just turn on the blower and it pretty much erects itself.

One application they mention for "Luna" is a temporary bar, easy to envision, this is the set up for a fashion show:

But they also have models for much larger events, like outdoor wedding receptions and so on. Any situation where you might need a tent, you can much more easily use one of their inflatable structures. There are a lot of wonderful creative, performance, exhibition, and special event possibilities here. They can also be custom branded.

I was especially intrigued by their "Turtle" line, which is a series of modules of various shapes and sizes, shelters and hubs that can be fitted together to create a suite of spaces in any configuration you need:

The darker sections are flexible but more durable tubing for better structural integrity and to avoid wear and tear.

©2009, Ryan Witte