The ‘why’ and ‘why nots’ of trade show booth renting
Is there a better way to handle your trade show booth strategy? Do you need to keep your booth in storage all year-round outside of the event? Or would you be better off leaving that part of the operation to someone else? There are multiple reasons an event planner may consider trade show booth rentals. Seeking clarity, we spoke with Al Mercuro, who has worked in live events for 50 years and in trade shows for 34 years.
“After years of advising clients, I’ve found that one key question drives my recommendations: How many shows do you plan to exhibit at each year?,” says Mercuro, who is currently serving as strategic marketing and client engagement advisor for Genesis Exhibits, a company that specializes in trade show displays and event marketing products, and Apprupo, the virtual event division of Genesis.
“If you’re only showcasing at one event annually and your space is larger than 10 x 10, renting is often the smartest choice. While you’ll still need to invest in graphics, the hardware setup typically costs about a third less than purchasing it outright.”
In a recent article by the company, Trade Show Booth Rentals Make Good Sense, seven reasons are listed about why an event should consider renting: cost efficiency, adaptability, access to new designs, mitigation of financial risks (such as tariffs), reduced operational burdens and sustainability. While they’re all important, we’ll dive into the two that are really making headlines: tariff-related mitigation of financial risks and sustainability.
The Sustainability of Renting
Sustainability has been a hot topic inside of the events industry for years now. The world of trade show rentals, though, has practiced it since the 1980s, albeit not driven by concerns about the environment.
Mercuro mentions how the reuse of exhibits is inherently sustainable. “Our company—and the industry as a whole—has been offering rentals since the 1980s, back when I first started in the business,” he says. “In the United States, this was the norm, but in Europe and Asia, things were quite different. Instead of reusing exhibits, companies would build them for a single show and then toss them into a landfill—a practice known as ‘Build and Burns.’”
Read More: Case Study: How One Event Achieved Renowned Sustainability Accreditation
At that time, Mercuro says, renting in the U.S. wasn’t driven by environmental concerns but by economic sensibility. “Without realizing it, we were ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability—we just weren’t calling it that.”
Things are changing in Europe though, owing to Informa’s Better Stands program, started in part by Informa Head of Sustainability Ben Wieglus. “It’s encouraging to see the shift toward more eco-conscious exhibition practices,” Mercuro says. “Unfortunately, Asia has largely stuck to the build-and-burn approach, so there’s still work to be done.”
Tariffs, and the Economics of Booth Rentals
President Trump’s tariffs have impacted the import of several items used at conferences and events, such as paper, aluminum and copper, items used in conferences and events. Owing to established supply chains and inventories, exhibit rental companies are more protected against fluctuating prices.
A statement by the Live Events Coalition “pointed out that tariffs on imported goods drive up the cost of everything from staging and signage to food, entertainment technology equipment and travel,” the story reads. With booth rentals, there’s no need to import elements such as staging and signage.
When Not to Rent
While renting confers several benefits for planners, there are cases in which renting is not the optimal option. The article’s concluding paragraph says, “…purchasing a trade show booth may be advantageous for organizations with consistent and unchanging exhibition needs…”
Additionally, Mercuro says, “Sometimes, clients have unique requests for special events or custom designs that require tailored solutions. This might mean incorporating specific angles or unconventional shapes that standard rental options don’t offer. In these cases, adaptability and customization are essential to ensuring their vision comes to life.”
