Real Estate

Rent or Own? Choosing the Right Trade Show Exhibit for Your Budget

Trade shows are a fantastic way to showcase your business in front of thousands of potential customers and business owners who might be interested in collaborating with you. At these trade shows, you not only get a chance to expand your existing customer base but also make valuable business connections. When it comes to networking with top market leaders and influential businesses, attending trade shows is indispensable.

Furthermore, trade shows are great for showcasing your business, its products, and services to a huge audience that’s highly interested in businesses like yours. Just imagine that if you can attract even a fraction of such a huge audience to your booth, you can easily significantly grow your customer base.

However, getting attention and attracting customers at trade shows is extremely difficult. Trade shows are inundated with multiple businesses that are exactly or very closely related to you, so standing out at such shows becomes a huge problem. Moreover, to tackle this problem, you can simply invest in custom trade show exhibits and attract multiple visitors to your booth. 

Nonetheless, the main dilemma many businesses are stuck in is whether they should rent or own a trade show exhibit. If you’re one of those businesses, then sit tight. In this article, we’ll be discussing the most important factors you must consider when deciding on purchasing or renting an exhibit.

Evaluating Your Options: Renting vs. Owning

Rent or Own

While renting a trade show exhibit for every event or purchasing your very own exhibit both options have their own charm. However, as a business, you must evaluate multiple factors before you make any decision as each option has its benefits and drawbacks. So, let’s dive into evaluating your options!

  1. Initial Investment

When it comes to using used booths from legit trade show exhibit companies, the initial or upfront investment is lower. When you rent a trade show exhibit, you don’t have to worry about nitty-gritty expenses related to it, like design or teardown, as they’re taken care of by the renting agency. Besides, if you’re on a tight budget, renting might be a better option than owning.

On the other hand, owning an exhibit has its fair share of advantages, but it comes with a large initial investment. If you’re low on a marketing budget, then it may not be the best choice. However, you can easily offset this upfront cost over time and make it more cost-effective if you attend multiple trade shows in a year.

  1. Customization and Flexibility

If you’re a business that likes to experiment with different themes at every trade show, then renting an exhibit might be a better option for you. When you rent an exhibit, you don’t have to undertake any design-related expenses, so you can easily switch booths as per your planned theme at every show.

Furthermore, owning a trade show booth isn’t as flexible as renting one, but it’s a highly customizable option. When you invest in your booth, you can design it in a way that perfectly showcases your brand’s identity and messaging. Besides that, you can also make frequent modifications to it as per your will, as you own it, which isn’t possible in a rented booth.

  1. Storage and Maintenance

When you rent an exhibit, the expenses related to the storage and maintenance of that booth are taken care of by the renting agency; you only have to pay the renting fees. This option saves you from the additional expenses of managing a booth.

Contrary to renting a booth, owning a booth comes with the responsibility of storing and maintaining it. You not only have to find a secure place for storing your exhibit but also take care of its recurring maintenance expenses; all these things also add to your trade show costs.

  1. Frequency of Use

When you’re pondering the question of renting or owning a booth, this factor is worth considering. If you, as a business, attend multiple trade shows throughout the year, then owning your own exhibit would be a better, more sustainable option for you. On the other side, if you only attend a couple of shows in a year, then renting is a more economical choice for your business.

  1. Branding Consistency

Communicating your brand consistently is the top priority of every business. Owning an exhibit allows you to maintain brand consistency at every trade show without incurring any additional expenses. You only have to invest in your exhibit’s design once and enjoy a consistent and professional presence at every trade show. On the other hand, renting an exhibit can also offer a strong, unique brand presence, but it might not be as consistent at every show. However, if you’re great at maintaining your brand’s consistency through other marketing materials, then renting may still work wonders for you.

Final Thoughts

Trade shows are crucial for every business to attend. However, attending multiple shows in a year can take a huge toll on your marketing budget. That’s where you’re torn between two choices: renting or buying an exhibit. While both options have their own charm, the right choice depends on your business, its specific needs, and long-term goals.

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