In Europe, Asia, and South America it seems everyone rents their exhibit. Ownership of an exhibit that fits an exact space can be paralyzing. You cannot afford to move up or down without jeopardizing your costly exhibit. Consider exhibit rentals. This option is low cost, low stress, and preferable in many situations.

Many of the trade show exhibit companies keep a stock of modular displays in reserve as they process orders for purchase. Others, like Absolute Exhibits, keeps a stock of modular parts and pieces, like aluminum tinker toys, with prebuilt walls, along with hanging sign frames, furniture, AV equipment and much, much more to produce a custom-built-for–you low-hassle option. The exhibits are specifically designed to be customized for your business and then broken apart and returned to the shelf, ready for the next rental. They can be shipped to any location, set up easily, taken down, and your company doesn’t have to worry about high purchase costs.

Rentals have two main advantages. The first is that they are much less expensive. The second is that they are much more manageable for businesses that don’t participate in trade shows very often. As far as price, renting a booth will be a fraction of the retail cost of that same unit. Although you won’t own the booth, you can generally work with the company to ensure that everything is perfect before the actual conference.
The convenience advantage is just as notable. For many companies, the hassle of maintaining booths can become quite significant. This is particularly true whenever a business chooses a larger booth, which can even be difficult to store when not in use. Instead of maintenance worries, many companies are choosing to customize booth rentals and let the rental company worry about storage.

Here are some practical pricing scenarios – based on exhibits that include the exhibit booth, furnishings and AV equipment, carpet and padding, graphics, installation and dismantle, and show paperwork. These pricing scenarios do not include drayage (material handling) charges, electrical service or electrical labor from the show contractor, nor rigging, forklifts or any other show charges.

Based on a 20’x20′ exhibit with all of the above amenities – three pricing arenas:

1. A plan, down and dirty system rental – starting at $14,000
2. A hybrid part custom and part system rental – starting at $20,000
3. Custom to your vision rental – starting at $32,000

If you are being quoted lesser pricing then buyer beware. There are set costs for materials, union labor, and show contractors that dictate a pricing estimate. Always ask for pictures of their finished work – we now have a Buyer Beware page taken straight from the show floor, https://www.absoluteexhibits.com/files/OpportunisticBooths.pdf. These exhibitors may have gotten a great price but they paid in shoddiness and perception of their company by show attendees.

Rented units appeal to business owners and marketing managers who need the occasional booth on a predictable schedule. Having a fully customized setup is not possible with a rented booth, but a great appearance unique to your business is almost always available. Ask questions of your chosen event company and plan every detail of the display beforehand to ensure you get the display you’re looking for, whether you rent or buy.