How to Prepare for Your Exhibit Install
How to Prepare for Your Exhibit Install
March 28, 2019 by Taylor Studios
Preparing for an installation can be stressful. Let’s face
it; most people would prefer to do anything else. Whether it is your home or
your organization, the endless items that you have to account for can make you
feel overwhelmed. The reward, however, is worth all the fuss—especially when the
reward is a brand-new exhibit.
When it comes to installing an exhibit, the hope is that the
space is ready to receive all the new items. If the space is not ready, this
could possibly affect how the install goes, even resulting in a delay. Since
nobody likes to miss deadlines, here is a guide to help you prepare for your
next install!
Possibly one of the most important
things you can do is to make sure the space that the install will take place in
is clean and prepped. In many situations, the successful installation of an
exhibit piece depends on how clean something is or whether the proper methods
have been used to prep a space.
It could be anything from sanding a
wall so that the application of a liquid video screen (it’s a thing!) can be
applied evenly, or making sure that the concrete floor is mopped a few days in
advance to assure it is completely dry before paint is applied. In these
situations, our specialists will always take the time to point out what needs
to be done and what methods to use. By taking the time to properly prep and
cleaning your space, it makes installing the exhibit go much more smoothly.
In order to help you as best as we
can, Taylor Studios provides a checklist shortly before the install to gather
as much information about the building as possible. This checklist is designed
to help the client make notes of all the important elements to the building,
such as:
Doorways/Hallways
Site Access/Unloading area
Working Hours
By providing this information, it
gives us a chance to plan accordingly and to make our visit as efficient as
possible!
We like to know who we are working
with! Usually there is a main point of contact that is established at the
beginning of a project, but sometimes this person is not available at the time
of the install, or there is a site manager who is responsible for handling outside
workers and on-site deliveries.
Whoever the contact is, it is
important for us to know who to talk to about the work space and any questions
we may have. Having a direct line of communication is key in a successful
install.
This one is a biggie. Sometimes, the
buildings that we are working in are still under construction, or not all of
the building is operational. Taylor Studios is pretty flexible when it comes to
working in spaces that have limitations, but we will need to know in advance
what those limitations are. Are the bathrooms operational? Is the heat or air
conditioning working?
Also, we need to know about what
places we need to avoid or protect with additional measures. Are there any
places that need to be masked off or covered up? Do the floors need protection?
Are there any security clearance issues?
Knowing this information ahead of
time will give everyone involved some piece of mind!
Photos can pretty much help with all
of the above points. They can illustrate difficult-to-navigate areas that
require serious planning. Photos of the unloading area
can help us determine what kind of delivery truck we will need to use. They can
also show the job site conditions and give us a more accurate perception of the
building’s state of being. When in doubt, send a photo of it!
While nothing can really remove
all the stress of an install, if you follow these guidelines, it will
absolutely make everything more enjoyable!