Case Study
Catalyst IQ
Launching a unified automotive intelligence brand at NADA Show 2026 with a bold 400 sq ft island exhibition
Pure Exhibits designed and built Catalyst IQ's 20'×20' custom island booth at NADA Show 2026 — a high-energy exhibition introducing the newly unified automotive marketing technology platform to 20,000+ dealers at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Challenge
One Brand. Four Legacies. Zero Room for Confusion.
Catalyst IQ launched in January 2026 by uniting four established automotive marketing companies — Adpearance, Fox Dealer, Search Optics, and ZeroSum — into a single AI-driven platform powered by the proprietary MarketAI® engine. NADA Show 2026 was their very first trade show as a unified brand, and the stakes were enormous: introduce a new identity to an industry that already knew the four legacy names.
The challenge was layered: communicate what Catalyst IQ is (and isn't) to 20,000+ dealers who may have worked with one of the predecessor brands, showcase the breadth of integrated services — from live market data and VIN-level advertising to SEO/AEO and lead capture — and do it all within a 20×20 island footprint competing against 600+ exhibitors for attention on the NADA floor.
“Automotive intelligence isn't static. It evolves. Through Catalyst IQ, we help our clients not just keep pace with innovation, but lead it.”
— Andy Lobred, President, Catalyst IQ
The Creative Journey
From Four into One
Brand Synthesis
Translating a brand-new identity into physical space — building a visual language around Catalyst IQ's signature gradient palette (teal to orange to magenta) that signals innovation and energy while honoring the four legacy brands that built the company's reputation.
Island Architecture
Engineering a true four-sided island within a 20×20 footprint — every face needed its own purpose and visual pull, with an overhead hanging structure visible from across the hall to establish Catalyst IQ as a landmark on the show floor.
Story Zoning
Dividing the footprint into distinct narrative zones: a legacy wall showing the "Formerly" brands, a services showcase with the full product suite, demo stations for MarketAI technology, and a hospitality zone for deeper dealer conversations.
Material Contrast
Pairing the bold digital gradient graphics with warm natural wood slat dividers and clean white structural elements — creating a booth that feels simultaneously tech-forward and approachable, inviting dealers to step in from any direction.
Design Elements
Five Signature Features
Overhead Hanging Structure
A massive ceiling-suspended sign system with the Catalyst IQ logo on all four faces — teal panels with the distinctive orange-and-red striped icon, visible from every aisle on the convention floor. The two-tier design features a teal upper band and a vibrant orange-to-coral inner ring, creating a branded canopy that draws foot traffic from across the hall.
Gradient Brand Columns
Floor-to-ceiling structural columns wrapped in Catalyst IQ's signature gradient — flowing from deep teal through fiery orange to vibrant magenta. Each column carries targeted messaging: service offerings on one face, the brand story on another, creating a visual language that's unmistakable from every approach angle.
Staggered Wood Slat Screens
Natural wood slats arranged in a staggered, ascending pattern — part architectural feature, part spatial divider. The organic warmth of the wood softens the booth's tech-forward graphics and creates semi-private zones for conversation within the open island layout.
Legacy Wall & Demo Stations
A dedicated teal panel showcasing the four founding brands — Adpearance, Search Optics, Fox Dealer, and ZeroSum — under a "Formerly" header, bridging the trust of established names with the new Catalyst IQ identity. Adjacent LED screens and demo counters let the team walk dealers through live MarketAI demonstrations, the "Smarter Data, Faster Turn" messaging reinforcing the platform's core value proposition.
Branded IQ Counter
A centrally positioned reception counter featuring the bold "IQ" lettermark in white against a magenta-gradient wrap, with blue LED underlighting at the base. The counter serves as the booth's anchor point — a natural gathering spot for demos, conversations, and brand engagement with the CatalystIQ.com URL prominently displayed.
Open Hospitality Layout
Clean white lounge seating, bar-height stools, and strategically placed greenery create an inviting hospitality zone within the island. The open four-sided design eliminates barriers to entry, letting dealers drift in from any direction and settle into conversation naturally.
Gallery
The Booth in Detail
Impact & Results
By the Numbers
Smarter Data, Faster Turn — Made Tangible
NADA Show 2026 was Catalyst IQ's debut moment. Launched just weeks earlier in January, the company — formed by uniting Adpearance, Fox Dealer, Search Optics, and ZeroSum — needed to make an immediate impression on the 20,000+ dealers and industry professionals filling the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The 20×20 island booth accomplished what a digital announcement alone couldn't: it made the Catalyst IQ brand physically real. Dealers who'd worked with the predecessor companies for years could see, touch, and experience the unified platform. The "Formerly" wall acknowledged the legacy while the bold gradient graphics, MarketAI® demos, and "Smarter Data, Faster Turn" messaging declared that something fundamentally new had arrived.
The open island design delivered four approachable faces on the show floor — no dead corners, no blocked sightlines. Whether a dealer drifted in from the legacy brand wall, the services column, or the IQ counter, they arrived at the same conversation: one integrated platform serving 1,300+ dealerships across 22 OEM programs, powered by intelligence that tracks nearly 20,000 franchise dealers nationwide.