RENTING VS OWNING
Weighing your options between renting and owning an exhibit?
Deciding to rent or purchase your own exhibit can be tough. If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, you might want to consider renting a trade show booth for your upcoming shows.
Will your company’s branding have edits and changes in the foreseeable future?
If your company decides to go through a rebranding exercise, update logo and graphics, or introduce new products to the market, you will be forced to replace all your graphics on your trade show booth. Among other scenarios, if your company exceeds expectations and continues to experience rapid growth, your marketing message could change. In both of these instances, your company would outgrow your booth. It would make more sense to rent than own a booth if your company is frequently evolving—whether it’s planned or unexpected. RENTAL!
Will your industry go through rapid changes year in year out?
If your industry goes through rapid changes or your company overlaps with more than one industry, there is a high probability that your booth will need constant changes in design, graphics, floor plan, and budget. It would be more cost effective for your company to consider a rental program to accommodate all the frequent changes. Also, most purchased exhibits become obsolete after a few years and are not worth much when you try to sell them. RENTAL!
Will your company have to exhibit at back to back shows, overlapping show dates, or have tight show schedules where distance is a factor?
If your company is exhibiting in multiple shows a year, there is always a chance that you might have trade show dates that are back to back, on the same date, or one show is in Las Vegas and another in New York with a tight schedule. If you were to own a booth, you would have no choice but to purchase another booth or several booths. It would make more sense to go with a rental because you can have the exhibit house put together a comprehensive rental program that is far more cost effective. It is also beneficial if the rental agreement includes a dedicated project management team and multi-show discount. RENTAL!
Will your company exhibit at multiple shows with different exhibit spaces or restrictions?
If your company is planning on exhibiting at multiple shows annually, each show will likely have different floor plans, varied floor space availability, conflicting height restrictions, or other discrepancies. Keep in mind that owning a specific size booth is a commitment. Regardless of your company’s trade show performance, industry changes or competitor landscape, you will have to exhibit with the same exact booth until you reach the life expectancy of your trade show booth. A rental exhibit program gives you complete flexibility so that your company can show in multiple exhibit spaces and make the necessary changes to meet each individual show’s regulations. RENTAL!
Will your company be okay with the ongoing costs of owning a booth, and take on the liability of damages to the booth?
If you own a booth, your company is responsible for storage and maintenance costs, as well as exhibit house prep charges for each show you attend. Even at times when you are not attending any shows, your exhibit still costs you money. With rental properties, you do not absorb those costs. Your company and CFO might not realize it, but all of those fees will start to add up. There is also the risk that if your booth gets damaged, your company will be responsible for the repair. If the booth gets damaged irreparably, it will even cost money to dispose of the display. A rental exhibit will allow you to circumvent storage, repair and disposal costs. RENTAL!
Will your company need to add or remove components to the booth?
Every company attends trade shows with a specific goal in mind. Each show that your company exhibits at will have a specific audience, which will affect the way your exhibit is designed. Your company’s booth will need different components to accommodate your goals and targeted audience. Booths can be customized with demo stations, theater environments, meeting rooms or lounges, open or intimate spaces, and a seemingly limitless variety of other options. A rental booth will give you the ability to customize your exhibit for each show. RENTAL!
Will your company have to make compromises on the exhibit design due to a limited budget?
In general, owning a custom build exhibit will cost about four times the price of a rental. If you decide to go with a rental exhibit, you can get that same exact booth at a fraction of the purchase cost. With the extra savings, you can easily upgrade other design features that are critical to your trade show presence. Creating a successful trade show booth isn’t about how much money you spend on your exhibit, but maximizing your budget and accomplishing your company goals. RENTAL!