Choosing Between a Custom or Rental Exhibit

If you think back to the trade shows you’ve recently attended, consider what brands stood out. Chances are that they were the brands with the most interactive and entertaining exhibits. There is no question that trade show booth displays are responsible for capturing attention. However, because you probably don’t have an unlimited budget to work with, you have to choose your exhibit’s features carefully. This may lead you to one of the biggest decisions: picking between a custom trade show booth or rental exhibit. 

There are benefits to both rental displays and custom displays for your trade show booth. Let’s review the advantages of each and how to pick the best solution for your brand.

Custom Exhibits and Their Benefits

A custom trade show display makes a powerful statement. It’s built specifically for your brand, giving you full control over each phase of the design and creation process. A custom exhibit demonstrated commitment to maintaining your brand image because all signage, colors, graphics, etc. will reflect your brand to a tee.

Although custom built trade show booths are an investment, they pay off if you exhibit regularly. You can use the same display for each of your shows and continue making a big impact on your audience. Small updates can be made for each individual trade show, but the overall exhibit will remain the same.

The primary consideration for building a custom booth is that they are expensive and you need to provide storage for them. This could be in your workplace or at a separate warehouse. You will also be responsible for shipping the contents to and from your shows, as well as building it.

Rental Exhibits and Their Benefits

More businesses are opting for rental exhibits because of their flexibility and affordability. Using modular structures, a design team can put together an exhibit that is almost as good as a custom one. It will match your brand’s graphics, logos and colors, so no one can tell that it’s rented. Rental trade show booths are flexible and allow you to include interactive elements, virtual technology and more. You can even change the layout to accommodate your different booth spaces. 

When you’re done exhibiting at the event, a rental exhibit is delivered back to the trade show company. This way, you don’t have to worry about storage and logistics. This is one of the reasons why rental booths are highly recommended for last minute shows and for businesses that only exhibit on occasion.

Rental exhibits are far less expensive than a custom exhibit, but they will get pricey if you exhibit at shows often. In this case, it’s better to build a custom display that can be used throughout the year. Continue fine tuning the exhibit to match your audience without having to rebuild it each time, as you would with a rental.

Still not sure what’s right for your brand? Contact IGE and we’ll discuss your options for affordable, effective trade show exhibits, including custom displays, rental displays and modular displays.