Last week I said that I would start off with the average cost for an exhibit design fabrication so you can budget for future exhibit purchases. These costs are separated into two categories by the EDPA (for those of you just tuning in that’s the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association). Each year they survey a large number of exhibit houses to get averages for exhibit fabrications. The two categories are Linear Exhibits and Island exhibits.
Linear exhibits are priced based upon a linear foot calculation. If the average cost of a linear exhibit is $1,500 per linear foot then you can use this formula to know that the average cost of a 10’ x 10’ exhibit is $15,000. A 10’ x 20’ exhibit would have an average cost of $30,000 and so on.
Remember we are not just talking about the actual construction. These prototype exhibits go through a full design, detailing and fabrication process. I also need to point out that this is an average cost. An exhibit designer can take a 10 x 10 exhibit and design one for as little as $5,000 or as much as $50,000, which is why it’s extremely important to provide a budget early on.
The island exhibit is priced based upon a square foot calculation. If the average cost of an island exhibit is $140 per square foot then a 20 x 20 exhibit, which is 400 square feet, would cost about $56,000. You can use this formula for all island exhibit sizes.
The cost for each type of exhibit would include the design, detailing, crating, carpeting, and fabrication; graphics are typically an additional cost. Since these prices vary from year to year, you would need to check with an exhibit house who is a member of the EDPA and is part of the yearly survey to get up to date information. Exhibit Edge is a member of EDPA and can provide current survey results for low, middle, and high-end exhibit pricing.
Depending on the size of the exhibit, your exhibit company will allow enough time to complete all the different components of your new exhibit in time for it’s first show debut. If you like, ask them to send you photos every so often so you can see the progress. As an exhibit company it’s rewarding to watch it all come together!
This concludes our series on the Exhibit Design Process. Be sure to check back for more exciting tips on getting the most out of your showroom experience!