Trade Show Displays

Trade Show Display Rentals vs. Buying: Which to Choose and Why

Trade Show Display Rentals Vs. Buying: Which To Choose And Why

When you’re planning out your next trade show, you’re going to have to answer one question: Which makes the most sense, renting or buying a trade show booth?

Companies invest a lot of money on trade shows, around $24 billion each year. The reason why is that it can bring a significant return on investment in brand awareness and business development.

You want to be able to maximize your ROI and ensure that you have a trade show presence that will be remembered.

Will trade show display rentals or buying your own booth help you accomplish those goals? Keep reading to find out.

Breaking Down the Costs of Trade Show Booths

A lot of companies will look at one thing when deciding between trade show display rentals and buying a booth outright: the cost.

When you buy a trade show booth, there will be higher upfront costs that you will for a rental. There are thousands of trade shows each year.

However, over time, renting a trade show display doesn’t make sense. The high rental costs can be prohibitive to appear at a trade show repeatedly.

It also depends on who you rent from. If you rent directly from the conference or trade show company, be prepared to pay a premium. Some companies have been known to charge exorbitant prices for a beat-up folding table and flooring.

When you buy a trade show booth such as a 10×10 space, you can buy a kit complete with your branding that you can take anywhere.

Availability of Trade Show Display Rentals

One thing to be aware of when it comes to renting trade show booths is availability. You have to plan far ahead to ensure that you’ll be able to reserve a trade show booth at your location.

When you own a trade show booth, you don’t have to worry about that.

Greater Flexibility When You Own a Trade Show Display 

When you own a trade show booth, you have much greater flexibility to make customizations and adjustments when your business needs change.

Trade show rentals don’t offer that flexibility because you have to work with what you’re given and what’s available.

Your Brand Presence

There are other considerations to factor in when you’re looking at trade show booth options. The first thing you need to consider is your brand.

When you rent a trade show booth, you have to bear in mind that it will already have some wear and tear from previous rentals.

That worn down look could reflect poorly on your brand. As you know in marketing, first impressions are everything. You don’t want to create the wrong impression with business prospects at an important show.

How does that compare to owning a trade show booth? You have control over your brand when you own the display booth.

Not only that, but your brand presence will be consistent with each and every show. That will create a lasting impression with the public. When you rent, you’re going to have a presence that looks different each show.

What’s Right for Your Company: Trade Show Display Rentals or Buying a Display?

Your company has unique needs that you have to weigh as you’re making a decision. You need to start with your company goals.

When you have a presence at a trade show, is the purpose to generate leads or are you generating brand awareness? Are you launching a new product?

Are you only attending one trade show a year or are you investing heavily in trade shows? Does your company have storage space for your booth when you’re not at a trade show?

There are many factors when weighing trade show display rentals vs. buying a display booth. You need to weight your company goals as well as your company’s long term plans.

Make the Most of Trade Shows

How can you make sure that your trade show display makes the biggest impact possible? You can start by planning ahead. You can start to plan out your trade show booth place and work with an experienced design team that understands your goals and brand. That will help you create a strong brand presence.

What you do after the trade show is just as important as what you do during the trade show. For example, you have to have a strong plan to follow-up with leads after the show.

Otherwise, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to see a return on investment from show.

Why Rent When You Can Own a Trade Show Booth?

When you are investing money to have your business appear at a trade show, you need to make sure that you get it right. The presence that your company has can make a significant impact on your business.

The question that inevitably comes up is whether you should rent or own a trade show booth. With trade show display rentals, you don’t have that much control over the design or the branding of your trade show booth. Not to mention that it’s expensive to do over and over again.

Owning a trade show booth is more economical in the long term and with the right design team in place, you can ensure that your brand stands out from the rest of the attendees.

Are you ready to have your trade show booth designed today? Contact us today to find out more about buying a trade show booth.

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About Ryan Schortmann

Ryan Schortmann is the Founder and Managing Partner at Display Pros, where he works to help businesses of all sizes make an impact with their customers by providing quality trade show and retail displays at affordable prices. A graduate from New England College, Ryan holds a degree in Business and Computer Science. When not hard at work at various marketing roles, he enjoys cooking, travel, and gaming.

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