Rental companies charge €300 to €600 per sqm at every show, then take the stand back. A modular stand bought once (€600 to €900/sqm) is reused 10 to 20 times: it catches up with renting at the 2nd show, then costs less at every show. We do not rent stands: we design and build the one you keep, and we show you the figures before you decide.
Quote within 48 h · Renting vs buying compared over 3 years · Storage between shows in France
Exhibition stand rental means hiring a stand from a rental company for the length of one show: structure, graphics, furniture and lighting, assembled before opening and taken back at the end. Rental companies typically charge €300 to €600 per sqm, at every show. Nothing stays with you afterwards, so the next show starts again from zero.
A 36 sqm stand rented at €500/sqm costs about €18,000 per show. Three shows a year for three years: €162,000, with nothing on your books at the end.
Rental stands come from the rental company's catalogue: your brand adapts to the stand, and personalisation stops where the catalogue stops.
The stand goes back after the show. At the next edition you book, approve and pay again, often for a very similar stand.
Same floor space, same shows, two ways to pay: renting from a rental company at every show, or a modular stand bought once from TheStandExperts and reused. Buying catches up with renting at the 2nd show, then costs less at every show: in five of these six cases, it is the cheaper option. The sixth is the one case where renting wins: a single show with nothing planned afterwards.
| Your calendar | Shows in 3 years | Renting from a rental company | Buying a modular stand from TheStandExperts | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 sqm · 1 show a year | 3 | €54,000 | €42,000 | Buying saves €12,000 (22%) |
| 36 sqm · 3 shows a year | 9 | €162,000 | €78,000 | Buying saves €84,000 (52%) |
| 54 sqm · 4 shows a year | 12 | €324,000 | €144,000 | Buying saves €180,000 (56%) |
| 72 sqm · 2 shows a year | 6 | €216,000 | €120,000 | Buying saves €96,000 (44%) |
| 90 sqm · 3 shows a year | 9 | €405,000 | €195,000 | Buying saves €210,000 (52%) |
| 36 sqm · one single show, nothing planned after | 1 | €18,000 | €30,000 | Renting saves €12,000: a rental company makes more sense here |
Assumptions, excl. VAT and floor space: rental at €500/sqm per show (market range €300 to €600); modular stand bought once at €24,000 for 36 sqm (about €667/sqm, within our €600 to €900 range); then €6,000 per show for 36 sqm in transport, assembly and dismantling. All amounts in proportion to the floor space.
Same cost at the 2nd show, cheaper at every show after, and the stand is still yours.
About half the cost of renting (52% less).
12 uses, well within the life of a modular stand (10 to 20).
Even at 2 shows a year, buying costs 44% less.
A large stand designed around your brand, paid for once.
For a one-off show or a market test, go to a rental company. If a 2nd show comes up, buying costs the same (€36,000 either way) and the stand is yours.
Four questions about your calendar: the calculator tells you whether owning a stand pays off, with an estimate in figures for a 36 sqm stand.
4 questions, one costed recommendation
Over a single show, renting is cheaper. Over a calendar of shows, buying wins on almost every line. Here is the comparison, item by item.
| Criterion | Renting (rental company) | Buying from TheStandExperts |
|---|---|---|
| Initial cost | None upfront: you pay at every show (€300 to €600/sqm) | Paid once: €600 to €900/sqm modular, €800 to €1,500/sqm custom |
| Each following show | Full price again, €300 to €600/sqm | Logistics only: transport, assembly, dismantling |
| Cheaper over | One single show, nothing planned after | From the 2nd show: same cost, then less at every show |
| Personalisation | Within the rental company's catalogue | Complete, designed around your brand |
| Reuse | None, the stand goes back | 10 to 20 shows for a modular stand |
| Logistics & storage | Handled by the rental company, billed at every show | Handled by our teams, with storage between shows in France |
| At the end | Nothing | A stand you own, ready for the next show |
| Ideal for | A single show or a one-off market test | Any exhibitor with several shows ahead |
Indicative prices excluding VAT and floor space. Rental prices are what rental companies typically charge: TheStandExperts does not rent stands. We calculate your own tipping point in a costing within 48 h.
Example for a 36 sqm stand: rental from a rental company €18,000 per show (€500/sqm), modular stand bought once €24,000, then €6,000 of logistics per show. Indicative figures excl. VAT and floor space; your own break-even point is calculated on your project.
Designed once around your brand, your stand gives visitors the same image from one show to the next.
Materials, lighting and graphics are chosen for your brand, not picked from a stock of standard frames.
The purchase is paid once. Each following show only costs transport, assembly and dismantling: over 9 shows on 36 sqm, €78,000 instead of €162,000 renting. A modular stand is reused 10 to 20 times.
For shows in France, we store your stand, check it and reconfigure it for your next floor space.
3D design, build, transport, assembly and dismantling, run by one team and one project manager.
We compare renting and buying over your real calendar of shows before you sign anything.
Your objectives, floor spaces and the shows ahead.
Renting each show against buying once, in figures.
Designed around your brand and floor spaces, approved before production.
In our workshop for shows in France, by partner workshops in the country of the show abroad; installed before opening.
Dismantled after the show; in France, stored and reconfigured for the next one.
Brand stands for key accounts and international shows, delivered turnkey.
We do not rent stands, so we have no rental stock to fill. We design and build stands that you own, and we show you the numbers first: if a single show is all you need, we tell you that renting is cheaper.
Exhibiting several times a year? Compare our modular stands and custom exhibition stands, or read our guide to the cost of an exhibition stand.
No. TheStandExperts does not rent stands: we design and build stands that you own. A modular stand is reused 10 to 20 times, a custom stand is built around your brand, and for shows in France we store your stand between shows and reconfigure it for the next one. For a single show with nothing planned after, a specialist rental company is the right place; from 2 shows, buying costs the same or less, and the stand stays yours.
Rental companies typically charge €300 to €600 per sqm at every show, assembly and dismantling included: €10,800 to €21,600 for a 36 sqm stand, with nothing to own at the end. The floor space billed by the organiser comes on top (often €150 to €250/sqm), whether you rent or buy.
As an indication, excluding VAT and floor space: €600 to €900/sqm for a modular stand, €800 to €1,500/sqm for a custom stand and €1,000 to €2,000/sqm developed for a double-decker. You pay once; each following show only costs transport, assembly and dismantling.
From the 2nd show. Against rental at €500/sqm, a modular stand bought once catches up with renting at the 2nd show (€36,000 for 36 sqm either way), then costs less at every show: €42,000 against €54,000 at the 3rd, €60,000 against €108,000 at the 6th. Against entry-level rental at €300/sqm, the tipping point comes around the 5th show, with a catalogue stand on the other side.
Only for a single show with no plan to exhibit again, or a one-off test of a new market: hiring a stand from a rental company then costs less than buying. We do not rent stands ourselves, but we will tell you so. As soon as you exhibit at least twice over two or three years, buying a reusable stand costs the same or less, with a consistent image and a stand that belongs to you.
For shows in France, we take it back after dismantling, store it, check it and reconfigure it for your next show, with updated graphics if needed. You do not need storage space of your own.
Yes, that is the strength of a modular stand: the same structure is reconfigured from one show to the next, for example 36 sqm at one show and 72 sqm at the next, by changing the layout and adding modules where needed.
Yes, from a rental company, if that first show is a test. But if a 2nd show is already planned, buying straight away is better: for 36 sqm, renting the 1st show (€18,000) would come on top of the price of the stand, whereas a modular stand bought from the start has paid for itself by the 2nd show.
Tell us your shows and floor spaces for the next three years. We compare renting with buying a reusable stand and send you a costing within 48 h.
Submit your projectResponse within 48 h · Costing over 3 years · Shows in France and abroad
