For everything, there is a season. This is also true in the trade show industry. You may be a first-time exhibitor or a seasoned pro. You may have trade shows you want to attend that occur simultaneously, or you may want to test the waters before you leap into a new trade show arena. The choice is yours. The good news is that there are plenty of display options you can choose from.
Before deciding on what type of trade show display booth you want, you must first determine your space requirements and the number of trade shows you will be exhibiting in during the next year. This information will help you decide whether to buy or rent.
If you buy, there are four categories of trade show exhibit displays:
1. Custom
2. Custom modular
3. Pre-owned
4. Portable
Check out the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Lightweight materials are less expensive to operate than traditional, all-wood displays. Use tension fabrics, woods, colored metal, and layered graphics that require fewer shipping containers, provide a current design trend look, and save on operating costs.
Older, traditional trade show exhibit displays can be obsolete because they are expensive to handle due to heavy weight, larger—and more—crates to ship, and being behind the times when it comes to current design trends.
Let’s say you want to test the waters and purchase a trade show exhibit. Did you know you could purchase a pre-owned display, saving you time and money?
In fact, you can cut your trade show exhibit design time and construction costs by more than half when you select a previously owned display. Check out the inventory from professional trade show display companies that handle top-quality, pre-owned exhibits. They often own exhibits their clients have formerly used. You can find numerous options, depending on size, design, scope, and price similar to trade show display rentals. Be sure to select an exhibit configuration that fits your booth space, and then modify the graphics and structural elements to conform to your staffing, image, communications, and traffic requirements. You can then have customized trade show graphics on your exhibit and can be “out the door and on the floor” in a matter of weeks.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, another option is a custom trade show display, which can be virtually anything you want it to be. It is custom-built to your exact specifications, and you can capture the drama of your firm’s breakthrough product offerings and make your presence known on the show floor as you dazzle visitors with creative graphic design, materials, size, elevation, or AV components. A custom-designed trade show exhibit is the piѐce de résistance of the trade show exhibit product field—an exhibitor is willing to create high drama and powerful imagery for the sake of a truly powerful impact.
Another trade show display option is the custom modular trade show exhibit, which offers the ultimate in trade show exhibit imaging without the higher cost of custom trade show displays. Modular construction means taking advantage of interchangeable components, such as:
• Back walls
• Counters
• Display pedestals
• Exterior panels
Lightweight structural materials such as aluminum, Plexiglass, and high-grade fabrics provide simplified assembly, space-saving packing, and lower shipping and handling costs. The flexible trade show display components allow you to reconfigure the design or size of your booth from one trade show to another. Modular exhibits offer design and image quality without sacrificing value.
You may also consider a lightweight portable trade show display to meet a variety of display configurations while presenting a distinctive creative image. Easy to set up, a portable system has a skeletal frame with attachable laminate panels that simply clip together in virtually unlimited structural styles. Accessories like bridges, counters, alcoves, and backlighting can enhance the versatility of the interchangeable portable trade show display systems. A portable trade show display system can convert from tabletop to island trade show exhibits in minutes and adapt to almost any trade show display situation with minimal effort. Usually, your own booth staffers can transport and assemble the trade show exhibit themselves, saving time and the added costs of drayage and contract workers. Portable trade show displays are an especially suitable option for the first-time exhibitor and for appearances at smaller, regional shows.
You may want to consider a trade show display rental. Renting before buying could be the perfect solution when you have yet to decide your trade show exhibit investment commitment or for that occasional island trade show exhibit showing. When you need to supplement your regular trade show exhibit, you may wish to rent and customize a rental trade show island. This way, you can escape those larger trade show exhibit management and storage costs. There may also be occasions when you have a trade show booth scheduling conflict or are booked for a simultaneous showing. If you want to hedge your trade show display purchase decision, save on an initial trade show exhibit investment or supplement your trade show booth inventory, try the rental solution. If the rented trade show display works for you, you may ultimately want to purchase it as your permanent trade show exhibit.
