Skyline’s WindScape®: Radical Innovation in a Mature Industry

This descriptive case describes the journey of Skyline Exhibits, a worldwide market leader in the trade show display industry, as it created and launched a dramatic innovation in its industry. The industry was shifting due to competitive pressures from Asian suppliers and the internet. An idea of an inflatable display system was suggested at an off-site meeting to discuss potential radical innovations. The team worked over a period of eight years to eventually design a new system that would meet the fit-and-finish expectations of the company’s customers and dealer network. The case describes some common problems faced by market leaders and incumbents in an industry when they are attempting to create a radical innovation that could fundamentally change an industry.