Key TakeawaysRollomatic partnered with Skyline to turn its “Road to Automation” strategy into an engaging, approachable exhibit experience at IMTS 2026. The booth combined technology, hospitality, and adaptable design to help visitors understand how automation can be achieved through practical, incremental steps.
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At a show the size of IMTS, even sophisticated technology can struggle to command attention. The 2026 event brought together more than 90,000 attendees and 1,700 exhibitors, creating an environment where manufacturers had only moments to give visitors a reason to stop, enter, and engage.
For Rollomatic, a Swiss precision-grinding solutions provider, the answer was not simply a larger machine display or more technical detail. It was a clearer story.
The company’s “Road to Automation” initiative is built around a practical idea: manufacturers do not need to transform everything at once to improve throughput and profitability. They can make progress through a series of achievable steps. At IMTS, Rollomatic partnered with Skyline to turn that business strategy into an environment visitors could walk through, understand, and discuss.
The centerpiece was an illuminated “Road to Automation” tunnel, a bold architectural entry that drew visitors in from the show floor. Beyond it, machinery, digital content, product displays, and meeting areas were arranged to make the path feel logical rather than overwhelming. The exhibit gave them a way to connect their own operational challenges to a larger automation journey.
That distinction mattered. Rollomatic’s technology portfolio is broad and complex, serving manufacturers in industries from medical and aerospace to automotive, electronics, and woodworking. Yet the booth did not ask visitors to master the details before starting a conversation. It invited them into a space designed around a more familiar question: What is the next practical step for my operation?
Trade show exhibits often face a tension between product demonstration and hospitality. Put too much emphasis on machinery, and a booth can feel crowded or intimidating. Prioritize comfort too heavily, and the technology can lose its authority.
Rollomatic’s exhibit aimed for both. Machines at the front helped establish credibility and attract attention. The tunnel created a visual landmark and a sense of discovery. Inside, a large hospitality area provided space for customers to sit down, reset, and talk with the Rollomatic team.
The result was less like a traditional equipment display and more like a destination within the show. Visitors were not merely passing through an exhibit; they were moving through a story with a beginning, a middle, and a clear business rationale.
According to Rollomatic CEO Joe Kane, customer feedback suggested the experience worked. Visitors called the booth one of the nicest on the floor, but more importantly, they understood the progression Rollomatic wanted to convey and saw its real-world practicality.
The assignment came with an important constraint. Rollomatic wanted to preserve the caliber of its show presence while becoming more efficient with marketing spend.
Skyline’s response was to blend standardized modular elements with selective customization. The exhibit delivered the visual confidence of a custom environment, but its major components were designed with future use in mind. The same 70' x 70' program is intended to be reconfigured for a 40' x 40' exhibit at another event roughly eight months later.
That kind of planning is increasingly important for marketing leaders managing a portfolio of events rather than a single marquee show. A booth can be striking without being disposable. Its value rises when it can adapt to different footprints, markets, and objectives while maintaining a recognizable brand experience.
The project was Rollomatic’s first year working with Skyline, and it required close collaboration between the company’s U.S. and Swiss teams. Skyline’s task was to honor the European inspiration behind the initiative while shaping it for a North American audience and show environment.
The finished exhibit made a complex subject feel more human. It placed advanced manufacturing technology in an environment that was polished but welcoming, strategic but accessible. More than a backdrop for machines, it became a tangible expression of Rollomatic’s long-term role as a partner helping customers move toward smarter, more autonomous production.
For marketers planning a machinery, industrial, or technology-heavy exhibit, the takeaway is straightforward: the most effective booth does not attempt to explain everything. It creates enough clarity, confidence, and curiosity for the right conversation to begin.
Planning a complex product exhibit? Skyline helps brands turn technical stories into welcoming, high-impact environments that work across the show floor and the full event calendar. Let’s discuss it.
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
Dave Dubay reviewed this article for factual accuracy, technical completeness, and alignment with current industry practices. He has been in the tradeshow industry since 1996 and is currently Director of Account Development at Skyline Exhibits.
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