The rental exhibit industry has a great deal of confusion surrounding it and it often stems from the plethora of rental solutions that are made available to exhibitors. Many exhibitors assume that all rental solutions are the same. But in truth, trade show rental exhibits come in a number of forms — namely four — and have a number of uses and applications. To help add some clarification to this ongoing, confusing debate, here are the four kinds of trade show rental displays named, categorized, and defined:

Systems Rental
A systems rental is often described an as “off-the-shelf” rental, where exhibitors pick their trade show rental out of a catalog. Because all of the components in the display rental already exists, there is little room for changes and if so are difficult to make. Because of this, systems rental are typically thought of as lower quality, made with less robust materials and have graphics that are printed onto remarkably less expensive and lower quality substrates.

Used Exhibits
Clients often may disposal fees to their exhibit house. But instead of throwing out the old exhibit, the exhibit house will instead recycle it by selling it to a new customer for rent. The design process is typically a grab and go, as it depends upon which expired exhibits are in storage at the time.

3-Use Ownership
These kinds of trade show rental displays are a method of custom exhibit building that is used to pitch unique rental solutions to exhibitors. While it is basically exactly the same as building a custom exhibit, it secures a first-use discount and comes with a contract that ensures multiple uses of the display. This guarantees ongoing profits for the exhibit house. And if the exhibitor changes the rental exhibit after its first use, they are charged for the modifications.

Custom Exhibits
Custom exhibit design is considered the most impressive and unique forms of display rental for exhibitors. For custom rentals, designers work with clients to choose a number of elements that make up a custom display. This includes structural elements, aesthetic elements, and the necessary connector parts. Booth designs are all unique and create a valuable display for the client and the exhibit house.