Small Business Trade Show Displays - Buy Or Rent?

When small, newly emerging companies start looking at buying booth space at trade shows, they inevitably consider the option of buying or renting displays. As with any endeavor, there are pros and cons for both and what a business decides to do will largely depend on their needs.

The first thing a new company has to consider is its size and what it can reasonable afford in this regard.

For example, if you are a two man operation that has just begun showing a moderate profit; spending a ton of money on a huge trade show display would be foolhardy. In such a case, rental may be the best and wisest option.

To put it in perspective, here are a few things you should look at when trying to figure out the feasibility of buying versus renting a trade show display.

1. How often will I use this display -- if you plan to be a frequent participant at a particular trade show then buying the exhibit would be a smart move. However, if it is a one time deal, then buying the display won't make sense, as the cost of purchasing the showcase far exceeds the cost of renting it for a few days.

2. Advertising and marketing budget - many businesses have an annual allotment of funds that is set aside for marketing. Keeping this in mind, one should evaluate how buying the display would be beneficial in the long term. Certain types of businesses fare much better in a trade show atmosphere than others making the purchase worthwhile. Assess how the purchase of a trade show display would help your company in the end.

3. Other trade show considerations - funds are limited within a smaller company, which is why money will have to be distributed so that it is applied into more than one area. If most of it goes towards the purchase of the display booth, you'll have very little left for what will go inside of it.

4. Upkeep and storage -- buying a booth display means having it keep it somewhere. You can opt to store in your garage but there is always the chance the thing can get mangled between shows. When you rent, you don't have to worry over such things, in fact, many trade show officials take care of putting the display up and taking it down at no extra cost.

5. Expansion and changes can be easily made -- when you buy tradeshow displays very little can be done to upgrade it without tremendous cost. On the flipside, renting affords a business the opportunity to make changes if necessary. These changes can encompass anything, from making your showcase even larger to adding new and appealing attractions to the booth itself. Either way, you really don't want to be restricted when it comes to making your display the best it can possibly be.

Really, the skies the limit when one opts to rent as opposed to buy a trade show display. When it comes to marketing, a new business should have to the ability to be progressive and explore new and interesting concepts.

Now, there are some who argue that a bought display allows them to commit to one recognizable idea that people will begin to remember. Although a valid argument, one could point out that even major, well known product icons had to be overhauled as time went on. As society changes, so does its tastes in the things that it likes aesthetically and idealistically.

A company that doesn't keep this in mind is quickly left behind.

In the end, renting a tradeshow booth is the smartest choice for any fledgling company. Renting not only gives such a company the ability to start small and expand, it helps them meet the ever changing needs of the buying public so that they maintain a foothold in their niche market for years to come.