Looking to get into the trade show circuit? Before you set foot on that floor, though, you need to acquire a booth. While you may have a rough idea of what you’re looking for in terms of size, there is one question that needs to be answered: will you be purchasing a booth outright, or do you plan on renting one?
The answer to that question is never easy, especially if you’ve never had an exhibit booth before. You need to determine whether or not such an investment is a wise decision. While you will own the booth for life, you will also require a substantial investment. If you’re only doing a show or two each year, a rental might be in your best interest. Here are some considerations regarding the decision to rent or purchase a trade show booth.
COST. Sure, buying that booth is ideal, but it comes with a hefty price tag. If you only plan on doing a few shows each year, you should probably rent your booth. However, if you are an exhibitor at many shows throughout the year, the cost of renting a booth becomes more expensive over time than investing in a booth of your own. There are also storage and transportation fees to consider. If you rent, these storage fees disappear. You will need to pay to transport a rental booth just the same as one you own, so don’t think the only fee you need to pay is for the rental of the booth!
EASE OF USE. While rented booths differ in design from one to another, your custom exhibit will never change. When it comes time for set-up or teardown, things will go much faster when you own the booth. After the first few shows, you’ll know exactly how each component fits with the rest and everything will go smoothly. Rented booths will take longer for one simple reason – you aren’t familiar with its design.
THINKING AHEAD. What does the future of your trade show experience look like? Well, if you purchase a display and do a lot of traveling from show to show, you’ll notice your display will wear over time. With a rented display, you don’t need to worry about buying a whole new display when something wears out. What if your business grows? You’ll probably want to change up the design, making things a bit bigger. This all requires a substantial investment, and is another reason renting is sometimes a better option.
DESIGN. When you purchase a display, you can customize it to suit your brand and associated needs. Every aspect will be useful and will align with your brand. The rental display might be suitable, but it just can’t offer the complete level of customization a booth you’ve designed and purchased can.
At the end of the day, it comes down to your needs coupled with the frequency you’ll be attending shows. To determine if you will benefit from purchasing, you need to look at the number of shows you plan to attend and multiply that by the cost of renting a booth. If it looks like you’ll be better off purchasing one, go for it! Sometimes, the upfront cost really does make more sense (considering the larger picture is the way to go).
If you are traveling all over the world, what do the storage and shipping costs look like for your booth components? In certain cases, it is more cost effective to rent booths wherever you travel to save on outrageous shipping charges.
But it isn’t all about money. It’s about what you are comfortable with. If you want a booth that represents your company in the way you envision, talk to us about a custom booth. We can help you create the best booth display money can buy. If you decide rental is best, no problem – we can help with that, too! Our goal is simply to give you exactly what you want in order to draw people to your exhibit. In the end, we want your product or company to stand out thanks to an amazing tradeshow exhibit – built just for you.
What do you think would be best for your company? Not sure? Just ask! We’re here to help. Do you still have questions? Contact us for more information about how we can help.