5 Money Saving Tips for your next Trade show display.

Although exhibiting at a trade show can produce a very strong return on investment, the costs associated with exhibiting can add up quickly. Here are a few tips for saving money with your next trade show display.

First consider renting rather than buying your next trade show exhibit. If you don’t go to trade shows that often or if you are new to exhibiting, renting can be a great alternative. In general if your annual plan doesn’t include at least two to three trade shows per year you’re better off renting. Renting also provides total flexibility from show to show especially if you’re serving multiple markets and have unique messaging. Renting is also great for new exhibitors as it allows you to “test drive” a trade show booth system and decide if it’s right for your company prior to purchasing. You may end up deciding to purchase a similar system or end up renting a different system for your next show based on real-world feedback you receive at the show.

Plan ahead and save. Rush charges and late fees can add up quickly. By planning ahead you will not only avoid late fees but you can also consider more alternatives, spend time shopping around, and ensure that you select the most cost effective yet high-impact alternative. All portable trade show displays involve custom printing of large format graphics including image proofing and color matching. These are time consuming tasks and tight deadlines will definitely add costs and may increase the chances for mistakes.

Choose a modular exhibit for maximum flexibility. By choosing a modular display including truss displays, you can easily repurpose your display for multiple shows or events thus saving money on your overall annual exhibit budget. Modular displays and truss displays are component-based and can be combined like Legos into multiple sizes and configurations. When considering a modular system you should take a long term view of your trade show plans since modular systems will cost more in the short run but will often provide significant savings over the longer run.

Consider banner stands as a back-wall alternative. Multiple banner stands lined up side to side can provide a very cost-effective backwall solution for companies that are new to the trade show world. Banner stands are one of the most cost effective display alternatives since the stand itself has a very minimal amount of hardware. Banner stands are also the most portable trade show display system available.

Purchase only lightweight and portable display systems. Shipping costs and drayage fees can add a significant amount to your overall trade show booth cost. By choosing very lightweight and portable display systems you can dramatically reduce those costs. You can even carry the systems yourself and eliminate expensive drayage and Union fees. Fabric displays are particularly attractive since they are lightweight, portable, and high impact all at the same time.

Fabric displays are very quick to setup and tear down. A pop up fabric display can truly be setup in less than 5 minutes from start to finish. These modern miracles have a collapsible frame structure that expands from a small rectangular shape to a 10 foot wide backwall in just a few seconds. And fabric pop ups are made from a type of polyester that quickly smooths out, eliminating the creases that can form in laminated pop up panels. So if you believe that “time is money” then fabric pops can save not only on shipping costs but also on labor costs for setup and teardown.

In conclusion, there are a variety of ways to save money on your next trade show display or exhibit. Exhibiting at a trade show does not need to be a high budget item. If you choose effectively and plan ahead, a trade show can provide an excellent ROI (return on investment).