A Guide to Buying or Renting Trade Show Booths

Note: All dates are subject to change in light of COVID-19

Trade show booths are without doubt the most important structures in the whole setup. They are what houses all the products and provide you with your designated area, one that no one else can claim. Trade show booths come in varying sizes and designs, and if you want to attract people, you have to go way above your way to make the booth as attractive as possible using all tricks in the book. The problem with booths, however, is the decision to go with buying or renting. 

We are going to explore the benefits of both renting and buying a trade show booth, the disadvantages associated with either choice and wrap it all up by looking at the factors you have to consider when making that all-important decision. Stick to the end and learn a few tips that will make your next trade show a success.

Buying a Trade Show Booth

If you have the capacity and the resources to buy trade booths for your use in every trade show, then do it by all means. This has its own benefits and drawbacks, and depending on how you make use of them, you could either reap the full benefits or fall flat on your face.

Advantages

• Buying your own trade show booths gives you more control over what you can do with them. You can add your branding how you want; you can set them up with any modification that you come up with, and you will not have to answer to anyone. This level of freedom allows you to make the most of trade shows and increase your chances of attaining what took you there in the first palace.
• You can carry the same booth to every trade show you attend without adding any other thing on top. All you have to worry about is shipment and storage. But once you have reached the venue, you simply prop the booth up, and you are ready to roll. This is a convenience that will save you the time and manpower that would have been required to set up rental booths from scratch every time.
• Buying your own booths makes more financial sense in a situation where you are a big company fielding more than several booths in the same trade show. Renting too many booths ends up being too expensive if your needs are bigger. But having your own booths, you just have to worry about getting them to the venue.

Disadvantages

• All the losses and damages that the booths may incur are squarely on you. This can be a very costly affair if the booths happen to collapse or get damaged one way or another. There are no returns with these kinds of products; once they have exchanged hands, that’s it.
• You have to handle the bills for storage, insurance, maintenance, and security. Unlike rental booths that come with everything covered in the package, the cost of moving around with your booths is on your dime, and if you don’t have the funds for this, you could end up ruining the entire trade show altogether.
• There’s the risk of showing up to every trade show sporting the same trade show booth, and this monotony could work against you. Most of the trade shows are attended by the same people, and it will not take long for them to notice that you are using the same look booths.
• Going with a buying option will wreck your trade show if you are on a small budget. Shipping logistics alone will leave you in the hole even before you begin making the most important purchases. If you are low on funds,; trade then consider renting the trade show booth from a verified rental company.

Renting a Trade Show Booth

Sometimes the cost of buying an entire booth for your trade show needs is too much. In situations like these, renting a booth would be the most viable route to take. However, it’s not all rosy, trade show booth rentals come with their own set of drawbacks besides the benefits, as discussed in detail below.

Advantages

• You are not liable for the transportation, insurance, storage, or their maintenance. Your responsibility over the booth starts when you pay and ends when the show is over, and the rental company collects their booths after verifying no damage has been sustained. This is an underrated convenience that ensures you focus on other important things.
• Exhibit booth rentals are ideal for companies that are short on funds since you are free to negotiate the charges for the booth rental, even bringing it down to per hour. This way, you can use half the day for your trade show and simply pay for that time only.
• It is easy to meet the rules and regulations for trade shows when you use rental booths. Some trade shows allow only certain sizes of booths, and if you happen to have bought one that exceeds the limits, you could be blocked. With a rental, you simply get the ones that fit the criteria.
• You don’t have to fret over shipping logistics. Once you have paid for the package you need, you simply find a way to get the products you wish to showcase to the venue. Some booth rental companies even go that extra mile for you by setting up everything in advance. All you have to do is show up, conduct the trade show, and once you are done, they handle the rest.

Disadvantages

• The booth is really not your own, and the lengths you can go to modify it to suit your needs are severely limited. If you do any permanent alterations to them, you may have to be fined for damages since they have to be clean for the next client.
• Some of the booths have undergone so much use that they have started to show some wear and tear. This may not be very pronounced, but when you consider how important trade shows are, you may want to have the best when it comes down to it.
• Rental companies usually have to deal with a lot of bookings when the trade show season comes around. If you happen to delay, you may end up having to deal with overbooking, and that could leave you in a disadvantaged position, especially if the trade show is just about to begin. Always handle your booking in advance.

Things to Consider when Choosing Between Renting and Buying

Making the decision between going for renting or buying can be hard at times, depending on the urgency of the situation you may be in. However, to ensure that you make the right one, there are certain factors that you have to pay close attention to, and they include the following.

• Budget: If you are strained on the budgetary end, then you should buy a trade show booth. If you have the resources and huge team support, then buying booths is the better option.
• Storage Space: If you have storage space, then buying a booth will be the better move, but if you are moving small of the type that simply shows up to the venue with your wares only, then trade show rentals are what you need.
• The Venue: If the venue is out of the country, then you have no business carrying an entire booth from one continent to another; a rental would be the best option. But if the event is close by, then having your own booth will give you more options.

Conclusion

It is clear as day that taking part in a trade show is an important affair but a hard one to hack. It is not an activity that you wake up one morning and divide to pack thighs and show up at the venue; it takes meticulous planning and a lot of resources to pull it off. For more information on how you can get that done, check out our website, and our team of experts will answer all your questions.