To Rent or Buy Your Next Trade Show Exhibit?
When contemplating a new trade show exhibit, one of the first and most critical choices that you will make is whether you will decide to buy or rent it. Certainly, if you do one show a year, rather than ten, renting becomes a more cost-effective solution. If you exhibit at more than a couple of shows a year, there is not a magical formula to help you make that buy or rent decision. You should weigh the pros and cons of both in order to make a financially sound decision.When you choose to go with renting an exhibit, it provides many flexible options for each show you attend. For example, by electing to rent versus buying it affords you the opportunity to rent flashier, large exhibits for your more prominent events and then maybe a smaller version for the smaller trade shows you attend. Take into account several points – which show is going to give you a better ROI, how large of a show is it, do you need to make more of an impact, etc.?
Another point to consider is geography. What part of the country are the trade shows in that you are planning to exhibit at? If some on the West Coast and some are on the East Coast, renting your trade show display is definitely the more practical option.
Top 8 Advantages to Renting Your Trade Show Exhibit
- Affords you to have more flexibility with the use of your booth space and design for each type of trade show you exhibit at
- Enables you to have a custom trade show display without breaking your budget
- You can choose colors, designs, and layouts that truly compliment your organization’s marketing message.
- Enables you to change style or configuration at each trade show, giving you the opportunity to see which ones work best for that show
- By choosing to rent your trade show display, it omits the cost of ownership, maintenance and storage
- Many trade show booth rental companies offer turnkey solutions including graphics, furniture, audio visual, shipping, set up/break down, storage
- The savings you will incur can be used to create new graphics with custom messaging for each specific show
- The av equipment and furniture can be a part of your booth design, so you will not have to worry about updating or replacing electronics or furniture each year
On the con side, most rental fees are going to be approximately 25% of the total cost of purchasing a new trade show exhibit. Keep in mind that these fees usually include shipping, labor, and other basic show expenses as part of the rental fee. When comparing the cost of renting versus buying your next trade show display, keep in mind that by choosing to rent you will save yourself time, reduce the amount of stress, and give yourself more time to focus on what you do best at each show. These types of things add significant value to exhibit rental displays.
While we have only pointed out some of the important things to consider, you should always weigh all the pros and cons before making your decision. Some exhibit rental companies, like LV Exhibit Rentals, offer you custom rental solutions, reconfigurable designs, and purchase options. This is another important question for you to ask your current display vendor. When the time comes to make a final decision, simply choose the most logical solution for your company’s situation.
