Trade Show Display - The Rise of Rental

The Rise of Rental

For years, the trade show display business was dominated by the notion of selling and owning one's display properties. There are a number of reasons for this including accounting realities and the cultural history of the industry itself. But, in recent years, this has all begun change. At one time, the notion of Rental Exhibits would have been a category in the list above; that is to say that at one time a Rental Exhibit would have been viewed as a type of exhibit, usually a property owned by an outside vendor (either the show general contractor, or an outside rental exhibit company), which are stock properties that are rented to the exhibitor in a standard configuration, or a modified version thereof. This is no longer the case.

Current thinking in the exhibit industry often treats rental and purchase as alternative financial strategies aimed at accomplishing different ends. These days virtually any trade show display of any type or quality can be rented or purchased.

In some markets (such as North America and Europe) rental provides lower initial (and even lower overall) costs due to costs of trade show exhibit ownership while delivering greater flexibility whereas purchase provides certain undeniable accounting benefits. Consumers of trade show displays in these markets must weigh their options to determine what works best for their situation. In other markets (such as most of Asia) raw materials and labor are priced such that rental is rarely competitive. This is due to the disposable Build and Burn approach which is so prevalent.

While it is true that any trade show display of any type or quality can be rented or purchased, there are still some types of trade show displays which are viewed as almost exclusively rental properties:

• Used Exhibits – These are existing exhibit properties, usually older and sometimes worn (though not necessarily), originally built for another purpose, available for rental or purchase. Many exhibit houses have a few of these lying about. Some exhibit houses have built their businesses on them. Just as there is nothing inherently wrong with a used car, there is nothing inherently wrong with a used exhibit. It depends upon the exhibit itself. Used exhibits may require the services of an on site labor source (show general contractor, or a labor contractor approved through show management) to set up, and often the rental exhibit provider can provided those services as part of the rental package to the exhibitor.

• Inventory Rentals – These exhibits are properties owned by an outside vendor (either the show general contractor, or an outside rental exhibit company), which are stock properties that are rented to the exhibitor in a standard configuration, or a modified version thereof. Rental exhibits use these stock properties to provide a basic structure for the exhibitor, which can then be augmented by custom graphics, easily applied and removed finishes, and other cosmetic augmentation. Inventory rentals normally require the services of an on site labor source (show general contractor, or a labor contractor approved through show management) to set up, and often the rental exhibit provider can provided those services as part of the rental package to the exhibitor.