Rent or Buy a Trade Show Booth? Calculator

The decision in five questions

How often do you exhibit? The more shows, the more the purchase price spreads out.
Does your floor space stay the same? A purchased booth fits one size. If space or booth type changes, it becomes a compromise.
Who builds it? Your own booth needs your own crew or paid setup at every show.
Where is it stored? Between shows you pay for storage, upkeep and spare parts.
Does your message stay the same? New products, shows or brands mean new graphics, on a purchased booth too.

Do the maths yourself

The calculator compares both routes over your chosen period. The rental side uses our real fixed prices and volume discount, the purchase side uses your figures.

Net, excluding floor space from the organiser. Transport applies either way and is left out: as logistics costs at EXPRESS, as freight for your own booth. Volume discount is included. The resale value of a purchased booth is not included. The preset figures for your own booth are example assumptions, not market prices. Enter your own quote.

The costs that belong in the comparison

Cost item	Your own booth	Rented from EXPRESS
Purchase	one-off price, capital tied up	none
Storage and upkeep	ongoing, even without a show	none
Setup and dismantling	your crew or a contractor, per show	in the fixed price
Graphics	new with every change	full-surface print in the fixed price
Repairs and replacements	at your cost	none
Transport	freight, depending on distance	logistics costs, listed separately
Changing size	only by buying more	free choice per show
Floor space from the organiser	always on top	always on top

When buying is the better choice

Buying is not wrong. It fits if most of these points apply to you:

You exhibit often in the same format, year after year.
You have your own crew for setup and dismantling.
Storage and transport are already in place.
Your presentation hardly changes.

Tax plays a part too: a purchased booth is usually depreciated over several years, while rent is a running expense. Your tax adviser can tell you which suits your company better.

What renting from EXPRESS means

You pay a fixed price per show. Booth system, full-surface printed walls, lighting, carpet, setup and dismantling and project management are included, and logistics costs are listed separately in the quote. You choose size and booth type anew for each show. Book several shows a year and the volume discount takes 5 to 15% off each booth.

For every other cost item, see the trade show booth cost guide. For a custom-built booth, our parent brand EXFAIR is the right partner.

Frequently asked questions

How many shows does it take for buying a booth to pay off?

There is no fixed limit. It depends on purchase price, storage, setup and new graphics. The calculator on this page uses your figures to show from how many shows your own booth becomes cheaper.

What do you pay on top of buying a trade show booth?

On top of the purchase price come storage, upkeep and spare parts, setup and dismantling per show, transport and new graphics. You pay for floor space from the organiser on either route.

How much does a rented trade show booth cost?

At EXPRESS a system booth costs from €5,999 net per show as a fixed price, plus logistics costs. Book several shows a year and you pay 5 to 15% less per booth.

Can I change the size of a rented booth for each show?

Yes. At EXPRESS you choose size, booth type and package anew for every show, with no commitment.

Rent or buy atrade show booth?