The Small Satellite Conference (known as SmallSat) is one of the most prestigious gatherings of satellite engineers, researchers, and commercial space companies on the planet. When the conference made its highly anticipated move to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, the stakes were high. Modern Expo was tapped as the Official Exposition Service Provider, and we brought everything we had.
This is our biggest show of the year, and we treat it that way.
SmallSat draws hundreds of exhibitors from across the global small satellite industry, ranging from university research programs to multi-national aerospace companies. The move to the Salt Palace, with nearly 515,000 square feet of exhibit space, meant coordinating one of the most technically and logistically complex expo floors we had ever managed.The challenge wasn't just scale.
The exhibitors at SmallSat are building the future of space: their booths need to reflect that ambition. Show management required a single service provider capable of planning and executing the entire expo floor layout, delivering high-end custom fabrication across dozens of unique booth builds, and producing consistent, conference-wide branding and graphics, all within a compressed setup window.
Beyond the standard expo services, the conference demanded a level of creative execution that could match the innovation happening in the exhibit hall itself.
From the outset, our team treated SmallSat as what it is: a signature event that requires months of planning and a full deployment of our capabilities.
Expo Floor Planning
We took ownership of the entire exhibit hall layout at the Salt Palace, mapping booth placement, aisle flow, traffic patterns, and utility infrastructure across the full footprint of the show floor. Every square foot was accounted for before a single crate was unloaded.
Custom Booth Design and Build
Our custom exhibits team designed and assembled more than 20 custom booths for exhibitors across the show. Each build was unique, tailored to the individual company's brand, product display needs, and space allocation. From intimate 10×10 inline exhibits to large island configurations, our team handled design, fabrication, delivery, and installation end-to-end.
Custom Graphics
Our in-house graphics team produced a full suite of custom graphics for the conference — from exhibitor signage and backdrops to aisle markers and wayfinding throughout the hall. Every graphic was designed to align with both the exhibitor's brand and the overall look and feel of SmallSat's visual identity.
Custom Decor
We also had various custom decor pieces such as turf carpeting, floral & greenery, benches, lamp posts and more to help turn simple spaces into immersive experiences.
Custom 3D Lettering
One of the standout elements of this year's show was our custom 3D lettering, which added a dimensional, high-impact presence to key areas of the expo floor. These fabricated elements elevated the professional atmosphere of the conference and gave exhibitors and attendees landmark moments throughout the hall.
When move-in day arrived, our crew executed a setup that brought the entire expo floor to life. Our wide range of custom-built booths were assembled by our team, alongside the full range of standard exhibitor services including carpet, electrical, furniture, and material handling for every exhibitor on the floor.
The Salt Palace's exhibit hall was transformed into a cohesive, professionally branded environment ready to host thousands of engineers, executives, and researchers from across the space industry. The custom 3D lettering and graphics gave the space a polished, world-class feel from the moment attendees walked through the doors.
SmallSat is the kind of show that defines what we do at Modern Expo. It takes every discipline we have — creative, logistical, and technical — and asks us to deliver them simultaneously, at scale, without missing a beat. We're proud to be the team that makes it happen.
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