After returning home to New Jersey from an action-packed week in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for ISA Sign Expo 2025, I’d like to share some quick takeaways from the show.
– All things considered (tariffs, economic uncertainty, etc.) SBI experienced a very energetic and positive attitude from most people we saw and spoke to on the show floor. No less than 30 sign shop owners approached our booth with questions about the latest products, inquiries about how to get an article written about a favorite project or a simple desire to learn more about SBI.
– Every business owner with a booth that we spoke to mentioned steady traffic and quality leads. When walking the main drag of the show floor, you had to be constantly aware of your surroundings as the floor was crowded with signage industry lovers looking to grow their businesses.
– The end user’s demand for custom signage continues to rise and channel letter bender machines are meeting the demand with some impressive capabilities. After conversations with Ascent Equipment, Computerized Cutters and more, we understood that channel letter benders are always improving.
– Wide format printers continue to improve and display pretty incredible efficiencies, with laminates and raised textures impressing many. After attending EFI’s press conference and booth tours from Mimaki and Roland DGA, SBI left the show floor feeling up to speed on the printing segment’s updates.
– There was a palpable hunger for training amongst shop owners in attendance. Equipping your workforce with the proper knowledge and training matters more now than ever as difficulties in hiring and retaining reliable talent persist. We attended the first full day session of Make It Happen Signage Academy’s bootcamp on Tuesday, April 22 as a sold out class listened and contributed to important training discussions.
– I personally was impressed with many people’s generosity and willingness to share business tips and techniques with the “competition.” It’s always encouraging to see the industry come together to support one another.
If I happened to see you at the show, thanks for taking the time to talk! We here at SBI are wishing you a great summer and a strong rest of the year.
