There are plenty of articles out there telling you what to do and what not to do at your trade show and while you are working your trade show exhibit. But what about when you are first starting to shop for your trade show display? Here’s a quick checklist to help you remember what’s important when purchasing your trade show booth.

Trade Show Exhibit Purchasing Do’s

1. Research and get recommendations for a full-service exhibit firm
2. Work with a proven, reputable company
3. Get to know your account executive
4. Ask questions
5. Determine how many shows you will be attending
6. Find out what size booth you will need
7. Consider rental as an option
8. Remember to budget for shipping and storage costs
9. Budget for install and dismantle for each show
10. Pay attention to your color scheme
11. Incorporate great graphics into your design
12. Include proper lighting for your booth
13. Decide what, if any, technology you will need for your display
14. Recognize who your attendees will be and how you want to engage with them
15. Think about traffic flow when designing your booth
16. Plan for a private area to talk with clients
17. Define your sales strategy and goals
18. Leave enough time to organize and create your collateral materials
19. Determine how you will define “success” at the show
20. Plan to update your booth on a regular basis

Trade Show Exhibit Purchasing Don’ts

1. Trust your trade show display to just anyone
2. Discount the importance of a quality trade show exhibit
3. Think you can’t afford “custom”
4. Be afraid to ask questions
5. Rush through the design discovery phase
6. Be closed to new ideas and new designs
7. Design your trade show to just look good (remember your goals)
8. Forget about custom trade show flooring
9. Ignore what needs to be accomplished at the show
10. Overcrowd your booth with every product you have
11. Depend on swag to bring people into your booth
12. Create graphics that are difficult to read from a distance
13. Disappear! Stay in contact with your account executive
14. Rely on a passive display
15. Depend on the conference’s internet connection
16. Wait until the last minute to order marketing and display materials
17. Think clients will automatically find you – make appointments in advance
18. Put off your social media campaign until the trade show – start early
19. Think you’re done after the show – follow up with people you met
20. Forget how important it is to properly store your exhibit

Trade show exhibit rental programs come with many perks and for a lot of companies the benefits outweigh those of actually purchasing their trade show booth.

When choosing the right exhibit house to partner with as your trade show rental provider, keep in mind that any long-term rental contract should include price breaks for multiple show rentals and possibly the option to buy your rental exhibit if you fall in love with it.

Long-Term Trade Show Rental Contract Should Include Price Breaks

Any long-term trade show rental program contract should absolutely include a multiple-show price break. In other words, the more shows you rent the exhibit for, the more money you should save.

Know How Your Trade Show Rental Discounts Are Structured

That being said, you have to be sure to understand how your discounts are structured into your contract and what variables are allowed. For instance, if your company rents the same trade show exhibit for 5 shows, and would like to use a different exhibit for an additional show – does the price break you’ve agreed upon still hold for that sixth show? Ask!

Is Your Trade Show Rental Discount Evenly Distributed?

Another important point to understand about your trade show rental discount is whether or not your discount is evenly distributed over the term of the contract. Be sure to clarify if the discount is front or back-loaded, or evenly distributed.

An example would be that you would pay $10,000 for your first rental, $8,000 for your second, and so on? Or will you get the same discounted price (e.g., $5,000) for all rentals as long as you rent at least five times during your contract period?

Also, you must consider the ramifications of ending the rental contract early. If, for example, your pricing discount requires a minimum number of rentals and you want out of the contract after two, how much will you be penalized?

Can You Change Your Rental Property and What About Rent-to-Own Options?

If your exhibit program changes considerably during the contract period, is it possible to upgrade or downgrade your exhibit choice?

And more importantly, if you find you’ve completely fallen in love with your trade show exhibit, are there options to rent-to-own? And if so, will any portion of the rental payments you’ve made go towards the purchase of the exhibit?

These are all important components of your trade show rental program contract – and should be considered while you’re shopping for the right partner.

If you need help navigating the ins and outs of trade show rental programs – give us a shout! One of our team members would be more than happy to show you the ropes!

Nobody likes surprises, right? Well…..maybe on your birthday – but certainly not in your trade show marketing program.

When you make the decision to rent your company’s trade show exhibit, you should be sure to ask your trade show partner the RIGHT questions in order to understand your entire rental contract. This, of course, includes the myriad ancillary fees that may be associated with your trade show rental booth.

Here are a few of the key areas you need to be clear on.

What’s Included in Your Rental Contract & What Will Come Out-of-Pocket?

Be sure to ask your exhibit partner what is included in your trade show rental contract and what items or services would be considered out-of-pocket expenses – that are NOT included in your agreement. Items such as crating, show-site supplies, and storage may be extras. Also, how will additional show-site expenses be handled…and by whom?

Who Covers the Cost of Refurbishments or Replacements

Another area to clearly understand is which party, under the contract, will be responsible for the cost of refurbishing the trade show rental exhibit. In short-term contracts, typically the exhibit provider is responsible for refurbishment costs, but this might not be true under a longer contract.

And what if you have a custom rental booth? How does that impact who the responsible party is for refurbishments?

And what happens if a rental asset is lost in transit or stolen? Always better to understand before entering into a written commitment, rather than finding out later – the hard way.

Of course if you need help understanding the costs associated with your trade show rental program, contact the seasoned team of professionals at ColorCraft. We have the experience and know-how to help you painlessly navigate your options and put together the best program for your needs.