9 Types of Trade Show Displays

What is a trade show display?
Trade show displays and exhibits come in a variety of shapes, styles, functionality, ease of portability and set up. Some exhibits can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars
while others will run under a thousand. You can literally buy trade show displays to meet any budget.
There are modular, custom and portable solutions. Modularity gives exhibitors the benefit of reworking a display to fit different sizes or add on a multitude of accessories.
Custom exhibits can be modular but can offer the highest range of possibilities. Portable exhibits offer fast set up, easier tear-down and shipping.

Pop Up Displays
Pop ups provide portability, ease of set up, a lower price point and many options to customize your exhibit. They are used as a solid-looking back wall in most cases. Graphic mural panels can be added for higher impact, making your display stand out with a unique message. Pop ups work by using a frame that opens up (accordion style), allowing a structure for mounting fabric or graphic panels to it to create 1 large image wall or fabric wall. Options like lights, monitor holders and shelves can be added to help customize the pop up booth. Even the case is functional because it can be converted into a meet & greet podium by covering it with fabric or graphic “wraps” along with a plastic top.

Panel Trade Show Exhibits
Panel systems, like pop ups, add a solid looking back wall to an exhibit booth, but because panel systems are a little more structural, more things can be done with them. Standard panel systems can be used for table top displays and back walls, but custom panel systems can be used to make large island exhibits that encompass many options such as back lighting, product display, counters, bridges, and more. Panel systems can be covered in Velcro receptive fabric, laminates and graphics. Not all panels systems are equal, so price point signals quality and ease of set up and portability. Obviously the more complex the design in both size and options, the more difficult the set up.

Hybrid Displays
Offer an up-to-date, modern look to exhibiting by using metal extrusions, graphics, dye cut panels, counters and more. Hybrids are a great custom looking step up in value from standard pop up walls and can make your company stand out more without the high price tag that custom exhibits require. They are also portable and easy to set up with most models packing down into a few panel cases. Set up is more difficult than a pop up, but not by much.

Truss
Truss systems not only add structure to an exhibit, but probably offer the most variety of design options too. Practically any exhibit shape can be made using truss from standard
perimeters and hanging displays to custom kiosks. Truss comes in a myriad of looks from the beefy stage lighting truss you see at concerts to design truss used for displays.
Truss can be powder coated in a range of colors, covered with graphics, made into counters, shelves, chairs, podiums, displays and more. There is nothing like truss to display huge graphics. Truss really lends itself to huge displays that reach into the air. Truss trade show displays & exhibits.

Tension Fabric Displays
Tension fabric exhibits utilize aluminum poles and extrusions and stretch large fabric graphics to create beautiful walls and displays. Many of the same accessories can be used on this type of display such as lighting, shelving, monitor mounts, etc. but each system is different. Tension fabric systems offer a very unique look with many custom shapes or off the shelf solutions. Most collapse down for easy shipping and are a breeze to set up. Graphics attach using a pillow case construction or directly into channels in the metal extrusions. Either way, the look is brilliant.

Hanging Displays
Get your message up high by using hanging displays. These systems utilize pillow case graphic attachment and come in a huge variety of shapes from rings, square and pyramids to uniquely custom shapes. Most are lightweight, collapse down to fit inside a small carry case or bag and are very easy to set up and tear down. Hanging them from the ceiling of the exhibit floor requires labor help.

Graphic Tent Logo Canopies
You see these things everywhere. Logo canopies displayed in grocery stores, festivals, special events and even at trade shows. The great thing about a logo canopy is that it’s easy to use and encloses a space very well, displaying your graphics on the valance, back and side walls. Most operate the same way, by opening a frame with the printed canopy already attached. Order a hard case because the standard nylon cases allow for more shipping damage.

Pipe and Drape
At trade shows, pipe & drape is the backbone of the event, providing all of the exhibit spaces from standard 10’x10’s to huge island booths. It is as the name describes; simply a framework of connected pipe with fabric drapes hung on them. What makes pipe & drape an easy trade show display is that you can print your own drapes, hang graphics or banners onto the back wall and side rails to give your exhibit booth a custom look. There is even a great product called the “Booth Buddy” that gives you a fully printed fabric banner wall that packs into a small carrying bag. Trade show booths use pipe and drape.

Banner Stands
Banner stands are the workhorse of marketing and at tradeshows, they can be indispensable. Banner stands utilize a banner and a mechanism for displaying that banner. There are retractable banner stands, tension banner stands, telescoping banner stands and more. You can gang up banner stands to create a graphic wall, use single units aside larger graphics as support messages and even use motorized banner stands to attract attention using motion.