Have you ever walked the floors of a trade show and found that nearly every exhibit looked the same? Many trade show displays are just a simple booth with a large, colorful banner emphasizing the company’s name and logo.
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Maybe you saw some interesting light fixtures or interactive games that temporarily drew your attention as you passed by, but did you notice them from across the room? Were you intrigued enough to stop by and learn about their product offering?
If you’re like 72% of trade show exhibitors, you attend these shows with the key goal of obtaining new leads. But how do you expect to score new leads unless you have a show-stopping exhibit that compels attendees to visit your booth in the first place?
Both custom trade show exhibits and rental exhibits are viable options for creating an experience that lights a fire under your prospects’ feet. However, it can be hard to know which type of booth best aligns with your goals and budget.
In this article, you’ll discover the pros and cons of custom trade show displays and rental displays–and see tips for choosing between the two!–so you can make the right decision for your unique customer base and brand.
If you’re like 88% of trade show participants, you attend trade shows to raise awareness of your brand.
But you don’t just want to get your name out there. You want to showcase your brand in a way that appeals to your target audience so you can generate valuable marketing-and-sales-qualified leads.
When you commission a custom booth from a trade show exhibit design firm, you’ll have full control over every step of the creation process, from your initial concept to the final design and branding.
While a rental exhibit allows you to add certain personalized elements to generic display equipment, a custom trade show exhibit enables you to create a customer-centric booth from scratch. You can design each and every element to tell your company’s story, appeal to your audience, and leave a lasting impression on your prospects.
When you hire a trade show exhibit booth manufacturer to create a custom exhibit, you’ll be able to ensure all signage, graphics, and colors are representative of your brand. You’ll have the ability to customize elements such as:
According to statistics compiled by event planning software company SpinGo, 92% of trade show attendees visit trade shows to learn about new services and technology. If your booth is generic and not designed around your products and services, you’re missing a huge opportunity to highlight the value you bring to the table.
The good news is that you don’t have to be skilled in this type of design to leave a lasting impression on your prospects. Your trade show exhibit company will know how to do it for you.
For example, leading quartz and solid surface maker Hanwha Surfaces approached us ahead of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show with the desire to debut 47 new colors. We were tasked with figuring out the best way to do so.
We put our heads together and came up with the idea of constructing a 50’ x 60’ walkable gallery to draw visitors to the exhibit and showcase Hanwha Surfaces’ colors in a true-to-life space.
Here’s how we did it:
See the exhibit for yourself:
Visit our Custom Trade Show Display Showcase to view case studies and see more of our work.
Many people put off hiring a trade show exhibit design company because they’re under the mistaken impression that custom designs are far too costly to fit their budget. However, custom trade show booth displays pay off for those who regularly attend the trade show circuit.
Even if you only attend shows a few times a year, the costs involved with renting can add up over time. Custom booths require a more significant financial investment up front, but the fact of the matter is that you can use them over and over.
You have plenty to worry about when gearing up for a trade show appearance, like memorizing your lead generation script, preparing for a new product demonstration, and planning how you’re going to follow up with the leads you generate from the show.
That’s why it can be such a relief to turn the logistics over to your design firm and let them handle the execution of your booth.
Your hired team will take care of everything from the first sketch to the final teardown so you can focus on initiating conversations, forming relationships with prospects, and qualifying leads.
Here are just a few ways they’ll make your life easier:
Some companies, like BTWN Exhibits, will even store your exhibit for you when the trade show is over–or dismantle it and repurpose the materials (whichever you prefer!).
Plus, you can rest easy knowing your trade show exhibit design company is prepared to accomplish all of this without your supervision, saving you hours of planning and manual labor.
Some trade shows are larger in scope and see thousands of visitors, while others are more segmented and appeal to a much narrower audience. While you may prefer a more generic booth that appeals to a wide range of prospects for one show, you may need to tailor your booth to a specific buyer persona for another.
When you purchase a custom design that is yours to own, you have the ability to use it over and over again, making small and inexpensive modifications as needed to match your audience.
Custom trade show booths require more significant expenses up front because you’re investing in a team of expert designers who will build your booth for you and ensure every aspect suits your unique brand and vision.
You also have to consider that you may need to pay for repairs and maintenance at some point down the line.
While these expenses typically pay off, the cost isn’t always worth it for individuals who rarely exhibit. This cost can also be a roadblock for companies with a very limited budget.
When you own a custom trade show exhibit, you have to pay for the cost of transporting the exhibit back and forth to each show.
You’ll also need someplace to store the exhibit between shows. This storage area may be a designated spot in your workspace or warehouse, which cuts down on your space, or it may be a separate rented storage area, which you’ll need to account for in your budget.
However, it’s worth noting that some trade show booth design companies, like BTWN Exhibits, will store your exhibit for you if you so choose.
Your product offering, design trends, and market trends can all change from time to time, and you may wish to update the structure and design of your booth. These updates may require a significant investment of time and money and may be impossible to achieve from one show to another.
While rental booths don’t allow you to design your concept from scratch, many do still allow for some customization, such as the ability to incorporate your brand’s logo and colors and add interactive elements like touch screens and videos.
Before you start planning for any customization, however, be sure to contact the rental company and ask about the changes you are and are not allowed to make.
Because you can purchase a different rental exhibit for each show, you may find it easier to switch up your aesthetic from show to show. Whether you need a layout that’s more conducive to a unique rental space, you want to try out a smaller or larger structure, or you just want a completely fresh design, a rental booth can be a great option.
One advantage of rental exhibits is that you can hand the exhibit back over to the rental company at the conclusion of the show. Because you’re not purchasing the booth, you don’t have to worry about where you’re going to store it or how much this storage will cost.
And because it’s not yours to keep, you don’t have to budget for maintenance and repair costs. Instead, you can put this money toward marketing, brand graphics, and other customizable elements.
It may not be wise to spend the time and money to develop a concept into a full-blown custom trade show booth if you only plan to exhibit once in a blue moon. For the rare exhibitor, it can be far more cost-effective to rent.
Custom trade show exhibits require advance planning because they are created from scratch. If you decide to attend a trade show last minute, a rental exhibit may be your best (and only) option.
Many rental exhibit companies place restrictions on the amount of customization allowed since you have to return the booth to be reused by the next exhibitor. This may mean your design ends up looking similar to other exhibits on the trade show floor, which can make it harder for you to stand out from the crowd and attract visitors.
Not sure how to draw visitors to your booth? Explore these 15 ideas for promoting your exhibit and drawing a large audience to your booth.
When you purchase a custom exhibit, your trade show exhibit company will handle all the logistics and stay with you during the show. When you rent, you are responsible for the setup and breakdown of your booth. And if you experience a malfunction or something goes wrong, you’ll be the one who has to fix it.
The cost of renting trade show displays can be much higher over time. Rather than owning your own custom exhibit and paying for it one time, you’ll have to pay to rent time and time again, which can add up for frequent exhibitors.
Depending on the company you rent from, you may see visible signs of wear and tear on your rental booth from previous setups, teardowns, and the shipping process. Be sure to vet any potential rental companies by reading case studies, testimonials, and reviews.
When you own an exhibit, you know that it’s always available when you need it. A rental exhibit may be your only option for a last-minute show, but there’s no guarantee one will be available that fits your budget and requirements.
You've managed to get your ecommerce products into stores. This is an amazing milestone. But how do you take your in-store promotion up a notch? That’s where point-of-purchase (POP) displays come in.
POP displays can be a useful promotional tool to help build brand awareness and increase sales, but there are some practical factors you need to think about. We're going to cover them in this guide, including:
By the end of this guide, you’ll know what makes an effective POP display and what your retailers need to help promote your products with them.
A point of purchase (POP) display is a type of promotional display brands use in stores to grab the attention of customers and persuade them to buy the brand's product.
You'll usually find POP displays at the aisle endcaps or in the center of aisles, basically anywhere that isn't next to the checkout counters. Because of this freedom of location within a store, point of purchase displays vary a lot in size, shape, and number of products on display.
It’s also worth noting that retailers don’t usually provide POP displays. It’s up to you - the brand - to design and build the displays. In most cases, brands use third-party display manufacturers with experience building displays for retail partners.
You’ve probably also heard of point of sale (POS) displays. The key difference between POP and POS displays is the location they sit within the retail or department store.
A POP display can be almost anywhere around the store, though they're usually at the end of, or in the center, of shopping aisles. In comparison, a POS display is exclusive to the checkout area and counters.
Since shoppers need room to check out their items, you'll also often find that POS displays are smaller. They also contain fewer, lightweight, products, and have a cheaper price tag (to encourage last-minute impulse purchases from potential customers). Here’s a quick comparison:
POP displays
POS displays
Wondering whether it’s worth creating a POP display for your products? Here’s some of the benefits they’ll bring to your brand and your retail partner.
Increased brand awareness
When you have a dedicated product display within a sea of other products, naturally it's going to get extra attention and eye-ball traffic. As a result, your brand gains some extra awareness and customer engagement.
Capture more impulse purchases
For more information, please visit Custom POP Display.
With displays garnering extra attention, it's of no surprise to find that people who pass by are more likely to ’grab and go’ from a POP display. The Journal of Retailing in found that:
"Displays closer to the focal category have a larger impact, with front endcap displays having the largest impact on category purchase and shelf displays having the largest impact on brand choice."
They're versatile
POP displays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing you to design something simple or elaborate based on the available space and the customer experience you want to create.
As a result, you can spend more and get super creative, or you can go for a more minimal approach to meet lower budget requirements—there's a POP for everyone.
Point of purchase displays can add a lot of positive impact to your brand, but they’re not perfect. Here are some factors to consider to help you weigh up your options:
Let’s get into the different types of POP displays. You can get:
We’ll go into each of these in detail. ????
Freestanding POP displays (otherwise called standalone displays or pop-up displays) are one of the most common types. They stand as their own shelves, which means they can hold small to medium-sized products and are usually made of thick cardboard or hard plastic.
Brands can be pretty experimental with the design and try different approaches based on the goals of the display thanks to its material.
Aisle displays are similar to freestanding displays, except they form part of the product aisle in the shopping environment. These are known as "shelf talkers" or sit at the endcap or as a center divider. Of the two, endcap displays are more common as they don't take up as much room.
On the other hand, if you have grand ideas, center aisles are prime, high-traffic areas. Depending on the size of the retail space itself, the center aisle display can also be large and hold more products.
A bin or dump display can be effective for both display design and budgets. The display itself acts as a bin or basket to hold products, as opposed to a shelf, making it a frictionless choice for customers to "grab and go."
Bin displays are also a better choice for smaller, durable products since there's a high chance the products will get thrown around a bit.
Digital POP displays use a digital screen to market products around the store. These are less common due to the cost for the retailer to install multiple screens around the store. But they do save space compared to other types of displays, and brands can switch up their campaigns quickly.
Even less common than a digital display is an interactive one. To make displays interactive, add QR codes to encourage customers to engage digitally.
An example use-case for this type of display would be having a QR code link to a product quiz (e.g., a skincare quiz) that recommends products based on the customers' preferences.
So, what makes for a good POP display? Let’s take a look at some design criteria to help you plan displays that help you reach your promotional goals.
Even with the most minimal approach, you'll want to create a display that grabs attention—it's the purpose for creating the display.
You can do this with attractive product photography assets along the top and sides of the display or even create large-scale models of your products. With a digital asset management tool (DAM), you can keep your brand assets and product photography neatly organized and accessible for your retail partners and display manufacturers.
The best displays persuade customers that picking up the product is a no-brainer decision. It's frictionless and convenient, and the display typically promises a deal, some level of exclusivity, or both.
Admittedly, placement may not always be within your power as the brand. However, if you can negotiate the placement of your display in the store, you'd have a huge advantage. Make sure your product is near other relevant products, and that it uses what space you have to the fullest.
Okay, this one is more of a ’nice-to-have’. But even if you only have the budget for a standard-sized cardboard POP display, you can still integrate an element of interactivity. For example, you could add a QR code leading customers to online campaign material or encouraging them to find your brand on social media platforms.
Let's get these examples of great POP displays—remember, the displays don't need to be overly flashy to be good. They just need to be effective.
1. Floor POP: Marc Jacobs
This POP display by fashion and fragrance brand Marc Jacobs takes up a large amount of floor space near the store entrance with an equally large promotional new product launch poster.
This particular display is also interactive. On the right-hand side podium is "The Perfect Magic 8 Crystal Ball," which, when a customer picks it up and shakes it, reveals a positive affirmation for the day. This interaction creates a memorable shopping experience for the customers.
2. Freestanding display: Nyx
This is an example of a standard freestanding display from the beauty brand Nyx. This display is also timely and ties in with a seasonal promotional campaign—at the time of this POP was up it was October, close to Halloween.
The POP display serves as a limited-time offer and reminder for those who celebrate to get the makeup they want ready for the day. ????
3. Centre aisle: Soap & Glory
This is a fun example of a center aisle POP display by Soap & Glory, getting ready for the holiday season.
While the display itself takes up a fair amount of space, the design isn't complicated, with just a campaign banner above the products. The effectiveness of this display is in the strategic location in the store (center aisle, gifting section).
4. Endcap display: Max Factor
In this example, we have Max Factor using the ’large-scale model’ of products in its endcap product display.
Compared to the Nyx example, this one is a little more elaborate in the design of the display—using a flowing curve of liquid as inspiration to shelve additional items.
5. Product highlight: Egmont Manuka Honey
This display doesn't even feature the brand's name, just the product and some behind-the-scenes photography.
However, the brand (Egmont) can get away with it in this instance because of the product type—Manuka honey. Anyone who knows even a little about the different types of honey knows that Manuka is high-quality stuff, and the people who buy it have a particular taste. ????
As a result, Egmont is using a smart marketing strategy by highlighting the product type rather than the brand itself.
6. Shelf talker: Minor Figures
Minor Figures gives us great examples of shelf-talker displays. In this case, we’ve got one promoting the brand’s oat milk carton and canned dairy-free coffee. Both use the brand’s minimalist but distinctive brand design.
Beyond the simplicity of the design, these shelf-talkers are super functional. They have all the brand-side information of the products, e.g. “suitable for vegans”, in a small space. Not to mention the cost-saving of shelf-talkers compared to large displays.
7. Freestanding display: Vera King
Taking inspiration from the shape of the product itself, OKF has a freestanding display design for its Aloe Vera drink products. As a bonus, even though the display holds a lot of products, it doesn’t look like it would take up much floor space.
8. Aisle fin: Glenfiddich
Here’s an aisle fin POP display from Glenfiddich, which is smaller than most other types of displays (but larger than shelf-talkers). In this case, Glenfiddich is using an aisle fin display to promote a Christmas holiday campaign.
Aisle fin displays like this give brands an opportunity to promote a temporary campaign without spending too much money on larger displays.
9. Endcap display: Grove Co
Here’s an example of a large endcap display from Grove Co. This design helps maximize the amount of product the brand can display while using the display frame to get creative. The fruit and flower part of the display layered on the top helps give it three dimensional interest.
10. Freestanding display: Poppi
For the final example, we have Poppi with another large freestanding display near the store aisles. The base of the display is based on a double-sided pallet with a ‘chimney’ display sign.
They also use an oversized drinks model showing one flavor of the soda can with key information below it. What makes this display really pop (see what I did there?) is the use of brand colors.
Retail stores also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. That means each retail store you partner with may have different requirements for POP display assets.
A large retail chain like Walmart has a 250+ page guide on ‘Secondary Packaging RRP Standards’. But an independent retailer may be able to offer a custom size/area.
If the store you’re thinking of partnering with has a POP/POS display requirements guide, that will be the best place to start. But if you don’t have access to a store-specific guide, here are some examples of assets you may need:
Social media assets: It’ll be helpful to keep social media assets separate from your base brand assets. Especially since some retailers, like ASDA, have specific social media design requirements. The retailers can then use these assets to promote your brand on their social media.
One factor that's common among all POP displays is the need to share brand content with retailers and display manufacturers.
Organizing a POP display campaign involves a ton of back-and-forth communication about marketing materials. Your team has probably had to make do with cloud-based folder systems (like Dropbox or Google Drive) with varying degrees of permissions.
However, with Dash, you can organize all your product assets and make them easily searchable by SKU, product type, campaign season, and more.
Plus, with Dash Portals, you can create dedicated access to your assets for each retail partner you work with. Helping them to help themselves while streamlining your product launches.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Budweiser Promotional Products. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.