Purchasing a trade show booth is an important decision that can affect budgets for years to come. Unlike low cost products, trade show products are usually higher in cost because of their quality and engineering. Researching for a trade show booth is just as important as researching when shopping for a car. There are many implications including availability and cost of replacement parts and graphics. Its very important to find the right product at the right price, but there are knock offs and imitation products out there so research is very important. Make sure to know your stuff before purchasing a quality trade show booth!
4 Key Points
We will go over four key points about researching and shopping for the best display system:
- Keep and Eye out for knockoffs
- Ask Questions and Look for Full Disclosure
- Shop for Brand Names and Beware of Re-Named Products
- Watch price points, more expensive does not always equal better quality
In today’s ever growing economy finding the right booth for a reasonable price can be straight forward but keeping an eye out for knockoffs is important. A lot of companies advertise certain pop up booths as the originals when they are in fact China made knockoffs. There are always questions that should be asked of the company selling these displays. To establish trust they should be very forthcoming with the information.
- Are these displays US made or made overseas?
- Where do the graphics get printed?
- What are the FOB locations?
These are very important details to ask from a retailer.
A lot of companies do not advertise what company they get their displays from. But it shouldn’t be a secret! Knowing that your booth comes from a reputable company is important! Used booths can be a great option for some companies, but research the model before purchasing. Some brands like Skyline and Nimlok have proprietary parts that are only available through dealers. Costs are usually pretty high so if your company is on a budget this is an important detail to consider before a purchase.
Ask Questions
Asking questions is the most important aspect of shopping for a booth. If a company is reputable they will be forthcoming with information and be able to answer all questions with ease. However, if a company isn’t forthcoming with information, they are more than likely hiding something. If you are going to pay a significant amount for a display then knowing everything about the display shouldn’t be a problem. One thing many people do not know is that most manufacturers choose not to sell to the end user, they only sell to a distributor. Like many industries, it’s more efficient to allow the manufacturer to focus on the development and production of the product and allow the retailer to focus on the client’s needs and timelines. This allows for higher quality products to be produced in an efficient manner which lowers price and production time.
Brand names are important in the display industry, especially when shopping online. Some companies use a strategy of renaming a display product so it can’t be found anywhere else. This hurts the end user because it makes it difficult to figure out the exact make and model of the booth. Most pop up displays look very much alike, but they have small minute details that make them unique to a specific manufacturer. Most knockoffs are manufactured overseas and are not as durable because very little, to no money is invested in engineering. These displays usually do not offer lifetime warranties (or very limited warranties) on their frames. Additionally, replacement parts can be hard to come by.
A price that is too good to be true
A great way to tell if it is a possible knockoff is if that display is being offered extremely below market value. A lot of people tend to run into these knockoffs when buying their display second hand. It’s important to be extremely careful when purchasing a second hand display. If it doesn’t come with all the paperwork telling you where this display came from it can be trickier to find replacement graphics and even replacement parts. A good reputable company should be able to tell from a picture who manufactured the display.
Keep an eye out for the high priced items. Just because the price is high doesn’t make it a higher quality product. A lot of companies will make their own version of a trade show display, like a banner stand, and jack up the prices. However, they are typically identical in quality to a mainstream brand. A great way to find a lot of options and pricing is by using Google search. This is where brand names come in handy. Brand name products are a great control for online shopping because its easy to compare kits and prices.
Purchasing a Quality Trade Show Booth
Clients are usually shocked by how different prices can be for the same exact product. This is where watching price points can be important. There is no reason to pay twice as much for the same product. Using a simple Google search can aid in figuring out an average market price, which will help in determining if a display is overpriced, or well below market value.
Purchasing a high cost item should be seen as an investment and approached accordingly. Trade show booths can be expensive so finding a great value is the key to improving ROI and keep costs down for future shows. The four points covered are a great starting point when going out to purchase a display. Common sense and research can make a world of difference when Purchasing a Quality Trade Show Booth.