Rent vs. Own? What Works For You?

Posted by Bill Barrett in Design, Planning, Rentals, Tips, Trends

Companies are often faced with the challenging decision of whether to rent or purchase a trade show booth. Exhibitor Magazine surveyed more than 100 marketing and trade show professionals to gain insight into how many businesses own, rent, or refurbish their trade show booths.

The survey results proved that owning a trade show booth is the most popular choice, but more businesses are considering the benefits of renting or refurbishing a booth. Typically, a trade show booth lasts four to five years. Nine percent of the people surveyed expect their booth to last up to ten years.

A majority of those polled owned five or more trade show booths. Most expect to replace or refurbish their booths within the next year. Renting a customizable trade show booth can be a cost-effective option when your trade show booths have a limited lifespan. Renting a booth is also a great option when you only have one or two trade shows a year.

Trade Show Booth Ownership and Rental Survey Results

• 37% of exhibitors have considered custom rental options, an increase from 28% in 2011
• 48% of exhibitors have rented a booth, up from 36% in 2011
• 87% of exhibitors who have refurbished an exhibit believe it was well worth the investment
• 27% of those polled own 3-5 booths
• 63% believe renting has helped to decrease costs or kept the costs the same

View the full survey.