Comparing 36 Trade Show Displays in 12 Price Ranges

Trade Show Blog

New exhibitors often experience sticker shock when they see the price of a trade show display. And it’s hard to blame them. They’re accustomed to identical widgets flowing from an assembly line with economies of scale prices.

Except for imported portables, trade show exhibits are not widgets. Most are built to order, even if it starts from a pre-existing design. At Classic Exhibits, for example, every display is “made-to-order.”

The wide range of prices can also be confusing, even for 10 ft. inlines. Your client may ask, “What’s the difference between a 10 x 10 display at $3500 and another at $23,000?” The easy answer is design, complexity, materials, packaging, and accessory options, but without visuals it can still be perplexing.

12 Price Ranges

Below are 12 price ranges, starting at $3K and ending at $24K. In each range, there are three design examples from Exhibit Design Search, so 36 total. These are meant to be representative, not comprehensive since EDS has over 300 10 ft. kits. No rental designs were included. That would have created more chaos than a 5-year-old after two glasses of Mountain Dew.

The descriptions are generalizations, not specific features for every exhibit.

Range: $3000-$4000

Portable display backwalls with fabric graphics, stem lights, and rolling cases or carrying bags.

SYK-1034 | $3692
VK-1905 | $3499
X1 8 ft. | $3877

Range: $5000-$6000

Portable and portable hybrid displays with workstations/counters, stem lights, fabric and direct print graphics, and roto-molded case(s) with wheels.

SYK-1016 | $5843
VK-1120 | $5854
VK-1912 | $5199

Range: $7000-$8000

Upscale portables with counters/workstations, monitor mounts, stem lights, and floating graphics or LED lightbox with tension fabric graphic.

SYK-1033 | $7954
VK-1233 | $7499
VK-1968 | $7999

Range: $9000-$10,000

Sustainable and elegant portables with monitor mounts, shelves, counters/workstations, and stem lights or LED lightbox with large monitor mount and backlit graphics.

ECO-1050 | $9945
SYK-1044 | $9098
VK-1977 | $9190

Range: $11,000-$12,000

Modular exhibits with shelving, literature, counter and monitor options, along with backlit and stem light choices.

VK-1318 | $11,600
VK-1319 | $11,520
VK-1362 | $11,050

Range: $13,000-$14,000

Custom modular and sustainable exhibits with stem light and backlighting options, shelving, locking storage, direct print and fabric graphics, and monitor/iPad mounts.

ECO-1116 | $13,450
GK-1009 | $13,553
VK-1961 | $13,395

Range: $15,000-$16,000

Modern custom modular and custom exhibits with downlighting/backlighting, shelving, locking storage, and large monitor mounts.

ECO-1015 | $15,900
VK-1340 | $15,550
VK-1974 | $15,995

Range: $17,000-$18,000

Contemporary custom, modular, and sustainable exhibits with modular counters, shelving, monitor mounts, shelving, multiple lighting options, and customized accessories.

ECO-1098 | $17,611
GK-1001 | $17,696
GK-1012 | $17,808

Range: $19,000-$20,000

Upscale custom, modular, and sustainable exhibits with shelving, lightboxes, closet storage, and reception counters.

GK-1017 | $19,259
VK-1359 | $19,810
VK-1366 | $19,615

Range: $21,000-$22,000

Elegant custom, modular, and sustainable exhibits with storage, monitor, shelving, monitor, and lighting options including backlit and halo lit logos.

ECO-1091 | $21,164
ECO-1123 | $21,225
VK-1354 | $21,750

Range: $23,000-$24,000

Customized exhibits with stylized counters and a broad range of graphic, A/V, lighting, and accessory options.

GK-1003 | $23,913
VK-1322 | $23,700
VK-1363 | $23,470

The Classic Exhibits Distributor Network

Successful trade show marketing doesn’t happen by accident. There’s always a strategy and a plan. The key is identifying the right strategy and executing the right plan. For over 30 years, Classic Exhibits has been a reliable source of expertise for new and seasoned trade show marketers.

The Classic Exhibits Distributor Network includes over 200 exhibit houses and display professionals in North America. Find success on the trade show floor with an exhibit that reflects your marketing message. For more information, see www.classicexhibits.com and explore Exhibit Design Search or request a meeting with a Classic Distributor Partner.

Filter by Category

Filter by Year

Recent Posts

Trade Shows and the Desire to Change

Are trade shows are relevant? Is there a future for industry trade shows? Are companies willing to spend their valuable marketing dollars building a temporary structure just to attract new customers or meet with existing ones?

Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show!

Where’s Waldo at the Trade Show? @Pink Unicorn Comics? Nope. @Petting Zoo? Nope. @Zombie Killing Workshop? Perhaps.

Buying a Trade Show Exhibit? Ten “Must Ask” Questions

It’s common to express remorse after a big ticket purchase. Typically when the purchase is infrequent, such as a home, car, or expensive equipment. Buying a trade show exhibit is that type of purchase, especially an inline or island exhibit for a large trade show. .

Trade Show Rental — Mullets, Trapper Keepers, Pagers, and Rentals

Recently, what I thought would be a simple, straight-forward conversation left me scratching my head. I was meeting with exhibit industry colleagues, and the topic turned to rentals. Admittedly, rentals shouldn’t be puzzling. Rentals have exploded at a rate 3 to 4 times faster than exhibit purchases. What surprised me was the perception and the language used to define the exhibit rental landscape.

What is Your Trade Show Kryptonite?

We shouldn’t but we do. We hope hope hope that the next attendee who walks in our booth is Superman. Not Superman Superman, but the sales equivalent of Superman. Faster to sign a contract than a speeding bullet. More powerful than the VP of Purchasing.

How To Make Your Trade Show Backdrop Stand Out!

Many exhibitors assume a backdrop is a simple two-dimensional graphic along the backwall of an exhibit. But it can be so much more. A backdrop in a 10 x 10 or 10 x 20 booth space doesn’t have to be basic. Modern inline displays come in various shapes, heights, and configurations.

Is Your Trade Show Display an Oreo or a Fig Newton?

As an adult I can rate just about everything on a cookie scale. For brevity, I’ll limit this article to Oreos, Fig Newtons, and Nilla Wafers, but be assured that the “science” behind my methodology includes Frosted Animal Cookies, Pepperidge Farms (as a collective group), Girl Scout Thin Mints, and Chips Ahoy.

Does Your Trade Show Exhibit Have To Be Clever?

That’s not to say your trade show exhibit shouldn’t be attractive. It should, but I would encourage you to focus on more practical matters the next time you design or rebrand your display. What do you need in the booth space to conduct business? Make it less about showmanship and more about conversations and information.

What Cats Can Teach Us About Trade Shows

We are a nation devoted to pets, whether they’re on the farm or in a purse. They learn from us, but we learn from them as well. The other day while watching Animal Planet with a cat in my lap, one on the sofa, and another puking upstairs ( it sounded like the world’s worst ventriloquist), I realized that we could learn a thing or two about trade show marketing from our feline companions.

Gravitee One Step — The World’s Easiest Modular Wall System

Gravitee — The World’s Easiest Modular Wall System. Unlike traditional modular wall systems, Gravitee has no loose connectors. The frames are constructed with durable engineered aluminum extrusion and the system uses time-tested patented technology.

Who is Our Biggest Trade Show Competitor?

Recently, I’ve been on the road, visiting Classic Distributors in the Midwest and South. We chat about industry trends, new products, and challenges in their market. Occasionally, they will ask me about competitors. That’s a topic, to be honest, that makes me uncomfortable.

3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions

These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally affect the design of a booth. The Why can greatly impact the How in Exhibit Design.

What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing

Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs from the other types of marketing.

Managing Your Trade Show Budget

Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise.

Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding

With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.

« Previous