ALTO @SEGD Conference Recap Austin, TX 2019

Day 1- Welcome to Texas, y'all!

We arrived just in time for the Archetype welcome party. A few cocktails and great music, meeting up with old friends and making new ones, we couldn’t think of a better way to start the conference.

@Hangar Lounge

But then…The Spazmatics hit the stage. It was a great moment that brought us together, belting out 80s tunes and dancing the night away.

@Cedar Street Courtyard 

Day 2- Falling in love with Austin

Named "The BEST" sponsored Tour:

We headed out on the tour we sponsored, which took a group of 35 on a luxurious air-conditioned bus tour through the Eastside Arts District. Austin is known for its eclectic arts scene and we were not disappointed.

From Native Hostel to the Arts Garage (and quick stop for some pretty delicious canned wine!), we got a real sense of Austin’s colorful visual arts community. The street art was especially impressive and made for a great backdrop for our photos!

We continued discovering Austin on the tours organized by the SEGD. Neither of us had visited before and we were blown away by what the city had to offer.

We went to the Austin Central Library and Public Art Walking Tour. The new library opened in 2017, and within a year was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Greatest Places of 2018.

The building, which truly has to be seen to be believed, houses 500,000 books, an art gallery, a rooftop butterfly garden. The building itself has Platinum LEED certification for its focus on sustainable design.  Our favorite part was the short-story machine, which prints off one, two or three-minute short stories for those who need a quick creative lift.

Day 3 - Time for NEXPO!

​We set up our booth early, ready for a full day of talking materials and fabrication. With a new booth design featuring an ALTO™ graphic floor and a rebranded look, we actually couldn’t wait for visitors to start coming by. We didn’t have to wait long.

We were out of samples by 1 p.m., and after our video was played during one of the conferences, there was a run on the booth!

Now that we’re back…

Our relationship with the SEGD has brought us so much over the years. Since 1999, we have been a part of this welcoming, educational organization and found an endless source of friendship and inspiration. 

We love going as a supplier because we get to establish relationships with the people who use our material. Over the years, we have taken the opportunities given to us by the SEGD to improve ALTO and our own knowledge of the experiential graphics industry.

If the SEGD Conference in Austin taught us anything, it’s that finding your tribe is so important.

We are already looking forward to next year’s event in Portland, but at least we have a few meet-ups in between to get us through!

Read about our experience at the Philadelphia for the Wayfinding & Placemaking Conference

ALTO & FOLIA by SH Proud member since 1999

Winners of:

2017 - Arrow Award 2011 - Best Booth 2010 - Best Materials Supplier 2008 - Best Materials Supplier 2005 - Best Booth Design 2004 - Best Materials Supplier 2001 - Best New Product