With your next trade show coming up, there should be one burning question on your mind: “how would I entice people to actually come to my booth and learn about my business?”
Of course, the answer is having an attractive trade show booth! Now you must decide whether you are going to spend to have your own trade show displays, or you’re going to display trade show exhibit rentals. To find out which option is best suited for you, here are some questions that you might want to ask yourself:
- How often will I be joining a trade show?
- Do I want a custom-made design?
- What kind of interaction do I want to have with my customers?
Traditionally, trade show participants will buy their own displays, especially if they are attending multiple trade shows in a year with the same display or if they want a display that’s completely customized to their own brand. However, getting your own displays can be costly and might not be an option if you’re working on a limited budget or if you’re unsure what type of display you want to have. If this is the case, you might want to consider using trade show exhibit rentals.
The Case for Using Exhibit Rentals
As the name suggests, you merely pay for a company to rent you the materials and equipment that you will be using to set up your booth instead of purchasing your own. There are several benefits to using rented display equipment, such as:
Easier Time and Location Management
If you are attending multiple trade shows within the same time frame, renting will allow you to be able to have multiple booths in separate locations, instead of having to purchase separate booths as this can be quite expensive. This is also the case if you’re going to one trade show after the other in different locations; you won’t need to worry about packing up and having to haul all your equipment yourself as the company will help you manage all the materials.
Flexibility with Space Management
Renting displays allows you to adjust your equipment and materials depending on the booth size you have available, especially if you are again attending different trade shows. Even if you have a significantly larger booth space in one trade show and a relatively smaller size in another, you can ask the company to find a rental exhibit package that will be more suited to the available space.
Consumer Protection
If you are renting displays, all you need to worry about is returning the materials to the company after the trade show, instead of having to worry about storage, maintenance, cleaning, and disposal. You will also find it easier to meet the regulations at different trade shows because the company can give you a range of options to choose from in terms of what you need in your display.
Easier and Updated Technology Interface
Most trade show rental companies offer displays that have already integrated the latest technology into their equipment, so you won’t need to worry about having to update your setup. You can choose from a wide range of options available, such as WiFi-capable, Bluetooth-capable, RFID applications, touch screens, or even virtual reality setups.
The Case Against Exhibit Rentals
Of course, there are also some drawbacks to renting a display as opposed to buying one of your own. The most obvious drawback is that you won’t be able to customize the display 100%; more often than not, you will need to work with what the rental company has available and see how you can tweak it to your brand. You will also be limited to what the rental company has in their inventory.
Another drawback is that you would need to plan ahead if you want to rent, especially if you’re going to a large trade show where you might have competitors or similar companies vying for the same trade show materials. They might also be considering rentals, and you will need to make arrangements ahead of these other companies.
Finally, rental equipment and materials might show wear and tear because they are also being used by other customers.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to using rental trade show displays, you will make the final choice between using a rental or buying your own displays. It will depend on the budget you have, the space that you need, how many trade shows you are attending, and what type of display you want.
