There are a few considerations that go into purchasing trade show display hardware.

Most common are the “modular pop-up” displays. They’ve a metal grid that opens up to support the art or collapses to fit in a case for easy transport. They are available in several sizes, the most common are 8 feet high by 10 feet wide to function as a backdrop for a typical 10 foot booth.

Price doesn’t always tell the tale. This is an industry where you can pay high prices and get junk. However, it’s hard to find a good quality display cheap. There are reliable brands (such as Nimlok), but high price goes along with the name, and it isn’t hard to get a quality “no name” display.

Good hardware is durable. Some (including the ones we supply) have a lifetime warranty.

They should set up quickly and easily. The best can be set up in about 2 minutes by one person, including hanging the art.

The should be sturdy, meaning, not wobble but have positive locking mechanisms.

A few options are routine. Lights that can be attached to the top of the display. A hard case for transport and protection. A conversion kit for turning the case into a podium.

Nine times out of ten, that’s all there is to the hardware. You can get a lot fancier, and of course, the sky’s the limit on price with custom displays.

But the design and production of the art are paramount. A good design can easily make or break a trade show.