Choosing Your Event Booth: Four Formats, Four Budget Approaches
Event booth, exhibition booth, trade show booth: depending on whether you’re in marketing, procurement, or event planning, the same thing goes by different names. The question, however, remains the same: What format is best for which trade show, within what budget, and in how much time?
This page compares the four formats we design and manufacture, along with their actual turnaround times and approximate price ranges. It is not a substitute for a quote—and for good reason: since our products are custom-made, the price depends on a variety of factors, not just the surface area. It is intended to help you make an initial assessment before calling us.
The four formats in a table
| Format | What It Is | Reuse | Deadline | The context in which it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom-made | Designed just for you and this trade show. Custom woodwork, printing, and layout tailored to your brand. | Possible, with some adjustments | 6 weeks | All of them—decisive beyond 24 m² |
| Modular | Standardized aluminum frame, fully customized cladding. | By nature, reconfigurable | 4 weeks | 9 to 100 m² |
| Hybrid | A modular structure for volume, custom signature elements for impact. | Partial | 5 weeks | Starting at 24 m² |
| Eco-designed | Reuse, sourced materials, and disassembly. This concept complements the previous three rather than contradicting them. | Maximum | Depending on the basis used | All |
Scroll through the table →
Each type has its own dedicated page: custom booths, modular booths, and eco-friendly booths.
How to Referee: Four Questions
How many trade shows per year? This is the most important factor, yet almost no one asks it first. A single trade show per year makes a custom-built booth a perfectly viable option. Starting at three, the math changes: a modular framework that can be reconfigured between events is less expensive for the trade show than a booth that’s rebuilt each time.
What size space? For spaces under 24 m², the format matters less than the layout: circulation and storage space are the deciding factors. For spaces between 24 and 60 m², the format becomes the primary consideration. For spaces larger than 60 m², structure and logistics take precedence, and the focus shifts to installation as much as to design.
What level of design? A custom-built booth is worth the investment when the booth itself needs to be an event—such as for a product launch—or when your direct competitors are in the same aisle. At a customer retention trade show, a well-designed modular booth can achieve the same sales results.
How much time is left? If there are less than four weeks, a modular system is often the only realistic option. This is a manufacturing constraint, not a matter of choice.
How Much Does an Event Booth Cost?
The booth accounts for half the budget, not the entire budget
This is the most common mistake in planning. Even before we get to the booth itself, a trade show budget consists of four components.
| Position | Order of magnitude observed in the French market |
|---|---|
| Rental of an empty lot | €200 to €600 per square meter, depending on the trade show, location, and date |
| Registration and Technical Fees | €500 to €3,000 |
| Exhibition Booth Design and Construction | See the table below |
| Logistics, transportation, assembly, marketing | the rest |
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Overall, the booth itself generally accounts for between 40 and 60 percent of the total budget. A corner location on a main aisle can cost, on its own, as much as the booth set up there.
Market ranges, by format
These figures represent the general price ranges observed in the French trade show market. They are not our rates: we provide quotes on a project-by-project basis, because the price depends on a variety of factors, not just the floor space.
| Format | Market Range |
|---|---|
| Modular | approximately €400 to €700 per square meter |
| Hybrid | approximately €600 to €900 per square meter |
| Custom-made | approximately €800 to €1,500 per square meter |
| Custom multi-story or complex architectural designs | more than €1,500 per square meter |
Scroll through the table →
Think of these ranges as broad estimates, not specific prices. Within a single line, the difference between the low and high ends is as much as double, and that’s normal: that’s exactly the range within which the design takes shape.
What causes variation, given the same surface area and format
- Height and structure. A second story, a hanging sign, or a portico change the load calculations—and thus the structure—and therefore the budget.
- The number of open sides. A corner or island booth requires a consistent design across three or four sides, whereas a linear booth only needs to address one.
- Furniture and audiovisual equipment. An item that is often underestimated, and sometimes the second-largest expense in the estimate.
- Storage space, storage solutions, and comfort. Invisible to visitors, but crucial to the budget. Hospitality equipment accounts for just as much of the budget as storage space: a refrigerator, kitchenette, dishes, water dispenser, and coffee maker. A truly functional reception area also requires water and electricity connections, which are arranged through the park and billed separately from registration fees.
- Transportation and storage. The distance between the workshop and the yard really makes a difference. Our two locations, in Alsace and Île-de-France, exist for this reason as well.
- The deadline. An emergency takes the form of workshop reorganization before it takes the form of materials.
Tell us the trade show, your dates, and the size of your booth: you'll receive a detailed quote within 48 hours, with no obligation.
A rough estimate is no substitute for a detailed quote. Request your quote within 48 hours.
How long does it take?
Four weeks for a modular booth, six for a custom booth, starting from the approval of the brief—not from the first discussion. These timeframes include design, approval, workshop fabrication, and on-site assembly.
Emergency orders are still possible, and we handle them regularly. This requires two things: a modular base already in stock, and quick approval on your end. It’s the approval process—not the manufacturing—that causes short-lead-time projects to fail.
The actual cost is based on three trade shows, not just one
The natural tendency is to compare two quotes for a living room. That’s the wrong approach.
A custom-built booth designed for a single event often ends up in the dumpster on Sunday evening. An aluminum frame, on the other hand, is returned to the workshop, stored there, reconfigured for a different location, and then sent out again. The investment is spread out over several events instead of being used up in three days.
Over the course of three trade shows, a well-designed modular booth consistently costs less per show than a one-time, custom-built booth, while looking better by the third show than it did at the first. This is also what purchasing and CSR departments look for, and what our EcoVadis Silver Award helps demonstrate.
Three projects, three scales
The same craft does not produce the same object depending on the surface. Here are three examples, ranging from the most constrained to the most expansive.
12 m² · B.E 5.0, MulhouseSNCF BoothA small space leaves no room for error: it all comes down to foot traffic and a message that can be read in three seconds from the aisle.
36 m² · Wine ParisBestheim BoothThe area where the referee's calls matter most: enough space to receive the ball, but not enough to do whatever you want.
508 m² · Wine ParisCIVA BoothAt this scale, structure and logistics become full-fledged disciplines, just like design.Frequently Asked Questions
Should you rent or buy an event booth? Renting makes sense for a one-off trade show or a market test. If you attend two or three trade shows a year, purchasing a reusable modular booth becomes more cost-effective, and you retain control over your brand image.
Who sets up the booth? Our teams. Carpentry, large-format printing, assembly, and setup are all done in-house, without any subcontractors. You know exactly who’s on site and who to contact if anything needs to be adjusted the day before the opening.
What happens to the booth after the trade show? Our teams dismantle it, transport it back, and store it in our workshops. Between trade shows, the structures are inspected, cleaned, and reconfigured for the next location.
Can a booth be reused on a space of a different size? Yes, that’s actually the main advantage of modular and hybrid booths. A frame designed for 36 m² can be reconfigured for 24 or 54 m² by changing the layout and some of the cladding.
Let's talk about your next trade show
The trade show, your dates, and the size of your booth. You’ll receive a detailed quote within 48 hours, with no obligation.
