There is no doubt that renting your next Trade Show Exhibit is one of the fastest growing trends in the Trade Show Industry. The business decision that must be decided first is whether or not rentals make sense for your company based on your goals and many other factors.
Please consider these top 5 questions before you engage in conversation about a rental program:
- How many shows do you plan to exhibit at and will you utilize the same booth space size?
- Do you need to adjust your booth design or message show-to-show for different audiences of brands?
- Do you have an existing display that is still viable and just needs a refresh or some new components for a specific show?
- Is your show schedule spread out around the country - east and west coast?
- Have you accounted for show service costs, cost of ownership and maintenance?
Pros and Cons for Purchase strategy
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of purchasing a display first. You will have a large upfront expense for a new display and the ongoing ownership expenses such as storage and maintenance. You will also be locked into that display design and structure for 3-5 years, so be sure to take the time to be very certain about the display design. However, with a purchase your design options are only limited by your mind and your budget. Once you make the capital expense for the new display, the recurring costs will be limited to logistical and show service costs for each show, and the minimal costs in upgrading graphics.
Pros and Cons for Rental Strategy
On the flip side renting has pros and cons you need to also consider. Unless you have a national partner that can serve your needs for all your shows and different locations you might have to reinvent the wheel each time – working with different companies for each show to establish a new design, new graphics, etc. You also want to consider how much customization you may require. There are two kinds of rentals most companies offer - stock rentals, meaning they come from the existing stock the provider has and you are customizing with your Branding, or the other is a Custom Rental, that are mostly built new to meet your design and functional needs to provide a unique look and true WOW to your exhibit design. Either way the cost of a rental is usually 1/3 of the cost of a purchase or less; plus, you are not responsible for storage and upkeep costs. Many national companies will work with you to give you a discount if you sign a multi-show or multi-year contract.
Regardless of what you decide, collaborate with your display partner to create a custom strategy based your show schedule, needs and goals. If you decide on a rental program, like many more of our customers are, just remember while you may spend more money than what it cost to purchase one, you are gaining the flexibility to do something new each show, and you avoid all those ownership costs and responsibilities. At the end of the day your strategy should lead you to better results and more qualified leads. There is no right or wrong answer, only which one is right for you right now.