The Cons of a Trade Show Booth Rental

Many of our clients find the advantages of a trade show booth rental quite compelling. If your company attends just a few shows per year or one large show, you can benefit from the cost savings of a rental exhibit.

No capital costs, no depreciation expense, no storage fees, and no repair costs are just a few of the benefits. In addition, this reuse of exhibit material is an ecologically sound choice in these green-friendly times. However, sometimes renting is not the best choice for some exhibitors.

The Cons of a trade show booth rental:

* GENERIC MATERIALS & DESIGN Your exhibit provider may have a limited supply of materials, meaning exhibit won't have the design "panache" of a fully customized purchased exhibit.

* LONG TERM COST CAN BE HIGHER If you participate in several shows per year using the same exhibit configuration, renting is not the best choice. Considering material storage and booth repairs, it takes five shows for a exhibit rental to be more expensive than an exhibit purchase.

* MATERIAL AVAILABILITY ISSUES Rental pieces are not inventory you own, and there may be times when the inventory you wish to have is not available. It rarely happens, but it can and occasionally does. The best bet is to plan ahead and secure your exhibit booth rental in advance.

* CONDITION OF BOOTH MATERIAL Sometimes cabinets, doors, tables and other rental pieces can be scratched and will show "wear and tear", even for a "new" design. The best exhibit houses will maintain their equipment and minimize these issues, but this is rental equipment, after all, and its condition will not be perfect.

* FIT AND FINISH MATERIALS Trade show booth rental pieces are typically made from less expensive substrates and finishes. If you are looking for premium laminates, veneers and finishes for your rental booth, your choices may be limited.

* FURNITURE The cost of furniture rental from show-sites can be outrageously high. Plus, your selection will be limited to the very basics. We have found the cost of handling, maintaining and storing furniture is prohibitively high - so we understand where the furniture rental companies come up with their pricing. There is definitely an advantage to owning your own furniture for trade show exhibits.

Find out more about how to find the trade show marketing company.