Inside the convention center but outside of the hall, a hanging sign with a spinning feature showed the way to one of the entrances to the show floor.

G2G Lighting had one of the brighter, more eye-catching booths.

Signs of the Times Editor-in-Chief Mark Kissling and Assistant Editor Mildred Nguyen at the ST booth.

After a brief hiatus, the ISA Expo saw a return of the Sign Invitational, a friendly competition among sign artists. The entries are intricately planned, carved and painted, and make tremendous samples for the entrant shops’ showrooms. This year’s theme was “____ TOAD.”

Jim Dawson, owner of Synergy Sign & Graphics (Strasburg, OH) and co-founder of the Sign Invitational, poses next to his entry “The Toasted Toad,” which went on to win First Place in the Sign Invitational. With Jim is Abby Smith of Specialty Machinery, one of the sponsors.

Wrap instructors Dallas Fowler (left) and Matt Richart of Digital EFX Wraps (Louisville, KY) mid-demonstration in the Roland DGA booth.

SDS Automation put their new LaserWelder product to live use for viewing attendees.

ST’s Mark Kissling (left) and Russell Toynes, co-founder | creative director of Studio Dzo (Austin, TX), co-led an ISA educational seminar, “Lessons & Trends Behind Sign Industry Data,” based on ST’s Big Survey.

Near the end of the expo’s second day, ST’s sister publication Big Picture presented its 2026 Best of Wide Format Awards in the ISA Learning Lounge. Among the winners present to receive their impressive awards created by sponsor Roland DGA were Luis Vivas (left) and a colleague from VIVAS (San Francisco) for their San Francisco Library wall mural.

If a BOWF winner was unable to attend, a sponsor stepped in to receive the award for and read a statement from the winner, as Sydnie Shepland of sponsor Durst did for Riot Color (Houston).

Signs of the Times’ sixth-annual Women in Signs Awards immediately followed the Best of Wide Format. Sponsor ISA President Lori Anderson got the cocktail celebration started with some inspiring words for the many attendees in the Learning Lounge.

The four Women in Signs Awards winners who were present at the ceremony (left to right): Dee Burkhardt, Lynsey Washington, Heather Kincaid and Cathie Bozman. For profiles of all five winners (including Judy Shano), click here.

A new addition to the expo this year, the NextGen Tech Zone welcomed visitors with the immediately attention-grabbing THRUView transparent display in i5LED.

eufyMake representatives introduced their UV Printer E1, the world’s first personal UV printer and the most-funded project in Kickstarter history, at the NextGen Tech Zone.

Wrap demos are always expected at the ISA Sign Expo. The Wrap Experience’s Demo Depot was dedicated to such demonstrations.

Educational sessions continually took place at the Sign Shop Spectacular! Here is the beginning of one titled “Matthews Paint Technical Showdown.”

What ISA Expo gallery would be complete without bucket trucks with booms extended, proudly flying the American flag?

Speaking of the red, white and blue, Flexgear’s booth was literally blowing up… inflatables for the Fourth of July, America’s 250th Anniversary, even this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Principle Sloan offered an appropriately well-lit “Lumen Lounge” in their booth, where they were touting the next generations for many of their LED modules.

Amid all the high-tech screens, machines and more, good-old-fashioned pinstriping — just 1Shot paint and brush — was going down in the Matthews Paint booth.

General Formulations ran a wrap speed-and-skill contest in their booth, hosted by GF’s Jay Kroll, and offered $500 to the winner.

CLN of South Florida, a manufacturer of CNC machines, displayed a variety of bold, colorful letters at their booth.

For more information, see our 2026 ISA Expo Report.