Nobody walks in LA... except at the convention center

June 8, 2006
The AIA show is fairly easy to cover product-wise. It's not overwhelmingly large, the products are obviously focused for our audience, and the attendees come and go on the show floor, keeping the traffic flowing smoothly. This morning I walked the floor of the South Hall, the bigger of the two halls that make up the show at the Los Angeles Convention Center. After checking out the press room and touching base with other Record folks, I was one of the first people on the floor at 9:30.

On the show floor I stopped by the Alcoa booth, where they were introducing Reynobond with Kevlar, a new panel system that can stop hurricane-propelled debris from penetrating the building envelope, all without a backer board. Cambridge Architectural Mesh had some introductions as well, including a new railing system and a motorized screen system that can be used to divide large areas into smaller spaces. Ivalo Lighting has a modest, well-designed booth for their beautiful fixtures. As they are the only lighting manufacturer to use automotive paint to coat their fixtures, it's not completely surprising that they are developing a new collaboration with Audi.

And of course, the McGraw-Hill Construction booth is crowded as always—even in fashion-conscious L.A., people just love those neon-orange bags!

Rita Catinella Orrell, Products Editor