Why A Custom Designed Exhibit Booth Is A Good Idea

In spite of the economy, attendance by both exhibitors and attendees at trade shows around the country has remained relatively strong. There has been an attendance decline at some shows but all in all, considering the trouble we have been in for fifteen months, business goes on. The fact that exhibitors are still attending shows during these times provides a glimmer of hope for the economy as a whole. Advertising and promotional budgets are traditionally among the first to be slashed during tough times. However, many companies are still out there promoting their products and services.

Don't get me wrong. They may be attending but they are spending less money on purchases for new truss exhibits or custom exhibits. More companies are renting than ever before. This shift started very gradually 4-5 years ago but is now in high gear. Some companies have been switching to exhibit rentals in Las Vegas and other cities for several years. However, the ratio of rentals versus new booth purchases has shift from about 90 to 10 in favor of purchases to a similar figure in the reverse. This trend was bound to continue even if there hadn’t been issues with the economy. This is because more and more businesses have come to recognize the advantages of just showing up at a show and having their exhibit already set up for them; of not having to arrange for shipping to and from the advanced show warehouse, of not having to store the booth and, most importantly, of not having to lay out around three times the amount of money so as to attend a show.

There are other advantages. When a company decides to attend a trade show, one of the most important and overlooked factors is the state of mind and mood of people on the show floor. A large part of the stress of doing shows comes from the worry as to whether you booth materials will show up on time, whether they will be delivered to the right exhibit space and a host of other concerns.This stress is greatly reduced with an exhibit rental. An exhibit rental company assumes the responsibility of getting the booth to the show on time and of handling the installation and dismantle. In addition, they arrange and pay for the ship out.

Which brings me to the title of this hub. Two years ago there was much less rental inventory available. What this meant was that it was hard to find a custom designed exhibit that would actually look like it belonged to the exhibiting company. Now, it is possible to have start-from-scratch design done that will honestly reflect a company's image. This is good because once at a show image is as important a factor in impressing prospects as is a good and fresh sales staff.