Setting a trade show budget can be an overwhelming endeavor, given the seemingly endless list of expenses involved. It takes time and careful planning to capture everything from big-ticket items like booth space and exhibit displays and graphics to details like catering and giveaways, and everything in between. Since there’s no getting around the fact that trade show exhibiting is expensive, it’s especially important to be sure you have an accurate budget.
Include These Costs in Your Budget
Here are some of the costs you’ll want to plan for when preparing your trade show budget:
- Booth space
- Exhibit properties (displays and graphics)
- Show services such as installation and dismantling, shipping, staging, material handling, carpet, furniture, electrical, lead retrieval, cleaning, internet, rigging, catering, floral, etc.
- Product that will be in the booth
- Promotional giveaways and literature
- Staff time, travel, food and lodging, and staff uniforms (if applicable)
- Pre- and post-show marketing campaign
- Sponsorships and/or events at the trade show
Choose Your Exhibit Properties
Once you’ve established a budget, you’ll want to reserve a booth space and decide how to fill it. Exhibitor Magazine recommends a budget of roughly $165 per square foot of booth space for a custom modular exhibit. At OnePoint, we’ve designed booths that cost less or more, but find this to be a good general rule of thumb for budgeting purposes.
Some OnePoint clients reserve booths of different sizes at each trade show they attend. In this case, a OnePoint custom modular exhibit is the perfect solution since they’re designed to be flexible and scalable, accommodating a variety of layouts. Custom modular exhibits can be rented for around one-half the purchase price (and less if graphics are re-used in the future). For 10×10 booths, some clients choose a portable display that they can wheel in and set up themselves; these displays are budget-friendly and have shorter lead times than custom-modular exhibits.
At OnePoint, our discovery process includes confirming your budget and goals before we start the design process, so we can deliver an exhibit or display that provides the biggest bang for your buck.
Optimize Your Budget with a Trusted Partner
With decades of experience as West Michigan’s leading trade show exhibit design company, OnePoint Integrated Exhibits is your trusted trade show partner. From helping you design and build exceptional exhibits to managing all the show services involved, you can count on OnePoint to maximize your trade show dollars and help you achieve the highest possible ROI for your trade show participation. Contact us today to learn more.
