Posted on 23, March, 2020
Last Modified on 17, February, 2022
A trade show display is a significant business purchase. Reserving an event space at a trade show, with travel and other expenses, makes for even more of an investment. Before purchasing a trade show display, there are a few questions you should ask and have answered to help make the right decision.
Q: How many shows will I exhibit at this year?
Even if it’s one, a few or many, there are several different things to consider. If it will be just one show or few, maybe you want to keep your costs low and buy a smaller display. You could also reason that if you’re exhibiting at a few shows at most, you can buy that big display and try to get the most out of that one or two shows by ‘wowing’ the attendees and outshining your competitors.
If you’re exhibiting at several shows throughout the year, you’ll more than likely want to spend some extra money on high quality display items that will hold up over the long term. Also consider that your graphics may need to be changed over the course of the year.
Q: Do I have to design my own display?
Speaking of graphics, if you or any graphics person on your staff does not have any experience creating trade show display graphics, you may want to seek professional help. Trade show display retailers may have a graphic designer that can help with your needs, but you certainly want someone with experience to design the graphics for your display.
Q: Where will I store it?
Trade show exhibits and products take up a lot of space. When deciding what size you want for your show, consider how much room you have at your business to store the display or weigh the costs of a storage facility.
Q: How accessible is the supplier’s customer service?
Picking a supplier that has good customer service will help with getting your display created just the way you envisioned it. If you have any questions along the way, picking a supplier with great customer service means you won’t struggle to get answers.
Q: Does this display have replacement parts available for it?
You may eventually want to change the graphics on your trade show display. Buying a display from a supplier that offers replacement graphics or even replacement hardware will save you from spending more money on a full display replacement.
Q: How is it printed?
Picking a trade show display supplier that uses the best and latest printing technologies gives you the best chance at having high quality display graphics.
Q: What is the fabric quality?
You don’t want to be cheap when it comes to fabric quality and you don’t want to use a supplier that prints on cheap quality fabrics. Higher quality fabrics like dye-sub fabrics, polyester satin and canvas don’t crease or rip easily, and hold up better over the long term, which saves you money.
Q: Will I have the same exhibit size every show?
If you always plan on renting the same event space at every trade show, buying a display that only fits one size booth should work. If you are unsure of availability at future shows or different shows having different prices for certain sized spaces, you may want to save money on a display. Purchase one that is a little more one-size-fits-all or purchase an adjustable backdrop for your exhibit so you’re covered for any event.