When it comes to portable trade show displays

the most common type on the market today is the pop-up,

expandable-frame style; surprisingly it has been around for over 15

years. The first models had a flexible fiberglass frame with aluminum

channels bars and rollable fabric that was attached to the framework

with magnets. Over the years the basic design has not changed but the

materials, sizes and weights have made pop-up displays less expensive

and easier to transport to trade shows than ever before. Today's frames expand to larger sizes allowing a full 10-foot wide

exhibit to be transported in a relatively small case. Most 10-foot

pop-up displays weigh less than 90 pounds in their case; this typically

includes the fabric, lights and vertical bars. Pop-ups come in a

variety of sizes with a number of different options to give consumers

greater flexibility when planning for their trade show booths. Within

the industry there are 5 common types:1. Standard Pop-up Displays

2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays

3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays

4. Commercial Pop-up Displays

5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays1. Standard Pop-up Displays

- The most common pop-up available, Standard Pop-ups are generally a

10-foot wide, curved design. They are made up of a light-weight

aluminum frame, individual aluminum, PVC or steel channel bars, Velcro

fabric panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and a thermo molded shipping

case with wheels. The case can usually be converted into a podium and

most pop-up packages also include two 200-watt halogen lights. The

price range for the Standard 10-foot, Curved Pop-up runs $995-$2995

depending on the vendor. 2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays -

This display is just like a Standard Popup but has photo mural panels

instead of Velcro fabric panels. Photo murals have a greater appeal as

they have powerful large-format graphics that attract attention. Photo

Mural Pop-ups are more expensive because of the photo panels, but still

are just as lightweight and portable as Standard Pop-ups. Be aware,

there are many types of panel printing offered for this type of pop-up

which will change the price dramatically, from the most expensive DURST

LAMBDA to inexpensive ink-jet processes. Prices run from $2195-$5995

depending on the vendor and the print process selected. 3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays

- A Fabric Mural Pop-up display offers the large images of a Photo

Mural Pop-up without the cumbersome set up procedure. The fabric mural

is pre-attached to the frame, making set-up much easier than the

Standard or Photo Mural Pop-up and they weigh less than half of what a

Standard 10-foot Pop-up weighs. The fabric usually gets wrinkled during

transport but this can be remedied by stretching and steaming. This

pop-up comes curved or non-curved and can be transported in a

lightweight nylon bag or a hard shipping case. The print process needed

for Fabric Mural Pop-ups is important as they are generally viewed as a

lower quality graphic than what is found on Standard Pop-ups but this

is not always the case depending on the vendor. Prices for these

pre-attached models with fabric faces run $1695-$4995, depending on the

vendor and print process chosen. 4. Commercial Pop-up Displays

- Less common because they are more expensive, Commercial Pop-ups come

in different shapes-straight or curved-and in many widths. This display

is built to be sturdier and can take far more abuse than the standard

pop-up making it a good choice for companies that travel and exhibit

often. There are only a few brands that may be labeled "commercial" as

the tendency in the marketplace has been to make pop-up exhibits

lighter and less expensive to own. Commercial pop-up displays typically

include a heavy weight frame with nylon connectors, folding steel

channel bars, Velcro panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and the choice of

1 or 2 thermo molded shipping cases with wheels. Prices generally run

$1795-$3495 depending on the vendor. 5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays

- These are the newest entries to the pop-up market; essentially, they

are the fabric style, pre-attached, graphic pop-up with a twist. 3-D

Pop-ups come in different shapes, from square to round and even

trapezoidal, and have graphics attached to the framework to give a

three dimensional effect. Because the graphics are already on the

frame, set up of a 3-D Pop-up is simple and quick. The graphics are

also easily removable and replaceable making updating the display less

costly than creating a new display. 3-D pop-up display prices run

$995-$8995 depending on the shape, numbers of graphics and print

process used. As you can see, there are a lot of choices and many things to consider

when selecting a pop-up display system. What is most important to keep

in mind is how often you will be using the display. This will help you

decide how durable you need the pop-up display to be, how easy it

should be to set up and how lightweight it should be for transporting

from trade show to trade show. Chad Leiffert is the Sales Manager for Midland Display. Their website, http://www. midlanddisplay. com, provides a variety of other trade show displays,

booths, exhibits and accessories. Permission granted to reprint

article as long as this resource box and link to MidlandDisplay. com are

attached.

Author:
Chad Leiffert