When you are preparing for your next trade show, one of the most vital decisions that need to be made is whether you will rent or buy your exhibit. Obviously, if you do one show a year, you will want to rent and if you do ten shows a year, you will want to buy. But what about all of you who are in between these two figures? If you attend between two and five events a year, you will need to weigh the pros and cons of renting trade show exhibits in order to make a financially sound decision.
- You can attend very different types of trade shows that require a specific approach
- You can have various sizes of exhibits or different configurations from show to show
- Elimination of union labor costs, refurbishment costs, maintenance costs, updates
- Minimization of material handling charges, shipping costs, set up/break down hassle
- Most rental companies provide shipping, logistics, set up/break down, temp. storage
- The rental company is liable for any problems with the display, you don't fix anything
- You can change your graphics for each specific trade show
As you can see, there are many good reasons to rent an exhibit. However, there are two significant problems with renting. The first is the relatively high cost. Most rental fees are going to constitute about 25%-33% of the total costs of purchasing the exhibit new. You must keep in mind that these high fees usually include shipping and set up/break down labor, which can really add up once a show is completed. The other major problem with renting trade show displays is that you cannot specify exactly what you want in your exhibit. You must adapt to what is available. When you buy a customized exhibit, you get to choose colors, designs, and layouts that truly compliment your organization's marketing message.