If you’re in the world of exhibitions and trade fairs, you’ll have likely heard of custom-build and modular exhibition stands.
Custom-build stands, also known as build & burn displays, are a one-use solution, designed to meet your specifications at a particular event. Modular stands are custom-designed within a system, but can also be reused and reconfigured across a full calendar of events.
Each of these exhibition stand solutions can offer great benefits to businesses, ensuring brand awareness, lead generation, and memorability after the show. So, what’s the real difference between the two? In this guide, we weigh up modular and custom stands on a range of different factors.
Design Freedom
Both custom-build exhibition stands and custom-designed modular stands offer design flexibility, but to different extents and in different ways! Modular stands offer more freedom in terms of branding, while custom-build stands offer greater structural design freedom.
High-quality modular exhibition stands, like those built within the Prestige Events System, offer fantastic freedom for exhibition stand designs. From a 100% graphic look, curved walls, and variable heights, to towers, moving elements and illuminated features, each stand looks and feels bespoke. In addition to this, modular stands can host completely custom elements, allowing businesses to bring games, features and interactive experiences to life.
There’s no getting away from the fact that modular exhibition stands operate within a system, which means that structural capabilities are not completely unlimited. However, this system by no means constrains businesses to “boxy” or “boring” designs.
Since custom-build stands are created from scratch, they offer total freedom in terms of the structural design. If you want a double-decker stand, a very complex structure, or a custom shape, custom-builds might be a more suitable option for you!
Additionally, while modular stands can integrate heavy products, there are some limits. Custom builds are advantageous in this area because there are fewer load-bearing restrictions.
While this next point is not necessarily an advantage or disadvantage, it is relevant to your style preferences. While custom-builds create very impressive structures and environments, they are often built with wood and acrylic, and therefore offer less space for branding and storytelling than modular systems, which can host imagery, messaging and branding.
Sustainability
If you’re looking for a sustainable exhibition stand, modular solutions are the best option as they can be reused time and time again, rather than repurchased for each show.
Some contractors claim their stands are sustainable because of recyclable materials, and while it’s true that they often use materials like wood, cardboard, hemp and bamboo, the stands are still unfortunately disposable. You wouldn’t call a plastic recyclable water bottle sustainable, because it’s clear that the aluminium reusable alternatives are much better. The same principle applies to exhibition stands.
Given the number of exhibitions per year and the sheer amount of resources consumed by custom-build exhibition stands, they cannot, unfortunately, be considered a sustainable option.
Cost-Effectiveness
From a cost perspective custom-build stands are typically much higher than modular stands, as they are designed from scratch for your event.
Since modular exhibition stands spread the investment over a number of shows, they are a more cost-effective solution. When purchasing a stand, this investment becomes more economical the more you exhibit. When operating on a full-service hire plan, such as Free-Hire Pro, costs can reduce by up to 60% upon reinstallation.
Selecting Your Stand Solution
Both custom-build and modular stands have their advantages and disadvantages, and ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your individual goals and requirements. If you’re not sure which stand solution to choose, speak to contractors directly about the capabilities of their system.
