For quite a while the trade show exhibit industry was based around the custom fabrication, delivery and sale of exhibits and displays. But, in recent years display rental has come of age and it is now a sizable portion of the trade show display industry. As well, used exhibits (sometimes called by the euphemisms: pre-owned exhibits or refurbished exhibits) are a viable option for many companies. This is thanks to the increased material quality, adaptability and modularity of trade show exhibits which allows them to have a longer life and more versatility. Today, most people would be very hard pressed to distinguish between a brand new exhibit and used exhibits.
If you are considering going the pre-owned route or thinking about display rental, there are many advantages. The primary one is obviously cost, but the cost savings extend beyond even the initial purchase or rental price. This is because trade show exhibits can be expensive to store and maintain. Display rental allows you to avoid this component altogether, saving you a considerable amount of money. And used exhibits give you the advantages of ownership, at a lower cost. Here are 3 tips for leveraging both of these forms of trade show exhibit acquisition.
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The first step when looking into either used exhibits or rental exhibits is to evaluate what your long-term strategy is with regards to trade show appearances. Do you anticipate to be attending more than one trade show per year? How important is it to you that you have a unique and highly-visible presence at each trade show? What is your budget? Depending on the answers to these questions, going the used or rental route may or may not be the right option for your situation. As always, it is best to speak with a vendor for more information.
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Consider how difficult it would be to store, manage and track the physical property that a trade show exhibit represents. If this would be an arduous or unnecessarily expensive endeavor, consider display rental instead. Renting a trade show display also offers the added benefit that you can exhibit in two places at once (if that is necessary) without requiring purchasing two different exhibits.
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When purchasing a used trade show display, always get as much information about the warranty as you can. Is it a one-year warranty? Multi-year? Lifetime? No questions asked? Also make sure that all of the necessary materials and tools for setup are included when purchasing a used exhibit or find a place to affordably source these pieces.
The second-hand and rental portions of the trade show display industry continue to grow, and with the flexibility and cost-savings involved, it isn’t hard to imagine why.