Trade Show Booth Rental
Trade Show Booth Rental
How to get the perfect booth rental and minimize in-house hassles
Why Rent a Trade Show Booth
There are many reasons to pursue booth rental options. Cost savings is the top answer to the question “why should I rent a trade show booth”. This is especially true if your company attends few shows each year, or rarely attends any trade shows. Obviously marketing managers that utilizes trade show rental booths avoid the full investment cost to own a booth, which is kind to the marketing budget. Beyond this your company avoids maintenance costs, insurance and storage hassles.
If your company attends few trade shows you may consider simply "buying a cheap booth". While this may seem to balance cost with need, it is not in your best interest to go cheap. Why? Firstly, cheap trade show displays invariably don’t last very long – you may even break things the first time it is assembled. Typically the cheap display manufacturers do not offer repair parts. If the display didn’t first make your company look sketchy, it surely will when things are sagging, hanging or otherwise not together. Renting is the option to get quality, and avoid embarrassment.
When a company finds a business that has a wide selection of booth rentals it’s easier to solve common dilemmas. Working with trade show booth manufacturers that offers display rentals enables you to:
- You can rent a booth that fits in any combination of booth spaces (i.e., 10×20, 20×40, etc.)
- rent multiple booths to solve logistics problems when trade show dates overlap
- avoid the hassles of repairing and refurbishing a road worn display
- save time by having a third party prepare and ship the display to the expo center
Trade Show Booth Rental Costs
One of the first things business owners and marketing managers want to know is "how much does it cost to rent a trade show booth?" . While it may seem like a simple question, it’s similar to asking how much a house or car costs – it depends on what you want.
The cost to rent a small pop-up display may be only a few hundred dollars. The cost to rent a large custom display can range from a mid four-figure price to a five-figure cost. A good rule of thumb for a large custom exhibit is $100-$150 per square foot. Some of the big variables in renting a trade show exhibit are:
- size of the exhibit
- custom display graphics
- shipping logistics
- labor for set-up or dismantle services
- trade show equipment
- trade show furniture and decor
- trade show talent (models, etc.)
As with any trade show your budget should include a list of non-display related trade show expenses
Types of Trade Show Display Rentals
When it comes to display rentals you can get about anything you need or want. Finding and ordering the typical small pop-up display requires very little planning. As tastes become more selective you can still find rental displays however; you will need to think about the lead times to have a large custom display customized for your needs. Generally speaking, you can find companies offering to rent these types of trade show exhibits:
- Inline exhibits
- Island Exhibits
- Peninsula Exhibits
- Portable Exhibits
- Pop-up Exhibits
- Tension Fabric Portables
- Modular Exhibits
- Custom Trade Show Displays
Trade Show Rental Equipment
Custom Graphics
Custom graphics is arguably the most important part of renting a trade show booth. Your graphics are what turns a generic rental display into your branded showpiece. The best trade show booth rental companies have graphics designers and production capabilities. They can work with you on color schemes, wide format printing, and developing branded signage. Additionally they can tailor the lighting package to provide an eye catching display.
Lighting and Furniture
Lighting is a very important part of the booths design. Your rental display typically comes with a standard lighting package. You need to discuss this with the rental company with regards to confirming your expo package includes adequate electrical power. Whoever completes the trade show services order needs to also take into consideration other electrical power needs such as computers, monitors, illuminated signs, and special equipment that your company needs.
Furniture needs vary from show to show. The trade show decorator (i.e. Freeman Decorating) offers standard tables, drapes, and stack-able chairs. Many companies prefer to not have furniture that encourages trade show staff to sit passively, or encourages others to "hand out" in your booth. Other companies want prospects to feel comfortable, take a seat and relax while conversing with your sales reps. A full service trade show company can provide better furniture such as upholstered chairs, sofas, wood tables and more.
Carpeting and Decor Items
As with the standard furniture package from the show decorator, you can order the typical red or blue carpet, a waste basket and a few simple items. Many exhibitors, especially those with large custom trade show booths, go the extra mile towards maximizing their booths visual appeal. A full service trade show booth rental company can also furnish artificial or live plants, custom flooring such as fake wood flooring or sculpted carpet. The top tier exhibitors sometimes order carpeting that has been specially designed to display their logo.
Where Can I Rent a Trade Show Booth?
There are many companies that rent trade show displays. Thinking of it as a pyramid, there are a plethora of companies that rent pop-up displays moving up to only a few companies that rent custom trade show booths.
How to Rent a Trade Show Display
To rent a trade show booth you can do some Google searches to find potential vendors. The trick is trying to find a vendor that you can trust, and that has a good industry reputation. You can expect to spend a fair amount of time on the phone to qualify your vendor.
Where you can lose time is trying to get information on available displays, and then faxing or express mailing contracts back and forth. Team One Display Services has simplified renting a booth by creating an online portfolio of rental booth designs, and an online ordering process. This allows people to have 24/7 access to the information they need, and take action to secure a display that meets their needs.
Shipping Logistics and Display Setup
Trade show booth manufacturers that offer display rental services can handle all of your logistical needs. Obviously they need your show information and key contacts within your organization. With a large custom trade show booth it is customary to have the rental company provide the set-up and dismantle labor. In this case it certainly makes your job about as easy as placing an order and cutting a check.
Whether or not the trade show company provides labor, you will probably need to handle some fine details. This generally includes adding company photos to your display walls, and providing show supplies such as promotional items, hospitality fare and computers for running displays.
For more information on trade show booth rental you can contact Team One Display Services by calling 1-866-544-9683 or send a message online.
