Does a Pop-Up Display Make Sense for Your Next Trade Show?

Does it make sense to spend the money for a custom trade show booth, or could you get by, (and make as many sales), with a less expensive portable pop-up display? This is just one of the many decisions small businesses have to make before attending their first trade show. Naturally, if you're a new exhibitor you want to use your money on things that will bring in new orders and give you a good return on your investment.

Custom trade show displays are quite costly, and they can also be expensive to store and ship. Fancy custom designs can be inflexible, so the custom display you buy this month may not fit the exhibit space at another show. If your goal is to catch people's attention and increase brand awareness, a snazzy custom display may make sense. However, if your goal is to increase your sales and bring in new customers, a less expensive pop-up display will do just fine.

Many exhibitors, both new and experienced, are opting for portable pop-up displays. This style of display is easy to set up, usually by one or two members of your staff. You can haul most pop-up displays in the trunk of your car, and you won't need to pay for long-term storage. If your next trade show booth is bigger or smaller, a portable display is usually flexible enough to work, or you can add modules when needed. On the other hand, a custom-designed booth may need to be redesigned to fit another space, a very costly proposition, indeed.

Does a Pop-Up Display Make Sense for Your Next Trade Show?

To decide if the extra expense of a custom display is reasonable, think about your goals. At the end of the show, do you want to be proud of all the compliments you received on the design of your booth, or would you prefer to have a stack of new orders in your briefcase? If sales are what you're looking for, a portable display and good signage, along with experienced, well-trained staff, should do the trick quite nicely.

Buy, rent or lease?

If you're going to your first trade show, you may want to rent a portable display. Many new exhibitors don't make enough sales to justify using trade shows as a long-term strategy. Renting a display gives you the opportunity to experience the trade show environment and give your sales staff a chance to show you if they can sell at the show. If you have a great show and decide it's worth it to take your company to more than three shows a year, you can then consider leasing a display or buying a used display from a local dealer.

Rented pop-up displays are refurbished between shows, so you'll be setting up good-looking booth you can be proud of. To keep costs down, make sure you order all signage and graphics long in advance. Rush orders can sometimes double the costs.

Make sure your staff has time to set up the display ahead of time, before the show. Take notes about any difficulties you experience, and make the most of your practice run. You don't want to be surprised by missing parts on the important first day of your show.

Since you're saving money by buying or renting a portable pop-up display instead of a custom-designed exhibit, you may be able to afford extra sales training for your staff. Selling at a trade show is a whole new ballgame for many salespeople. Good training can be far more effective than fancy custom-designed booths when it comes to bringing in the orders at your next trade show.