Pop Up Booths for Trade Shows

It's Simple - POP UP Displays for Trade Shows all have an Expandable Accordion Frame (that's how they "pop up"!)

ALL pop up displays come with a Lifetime Warranty. All are lightweight, quick and easy to setup, compact when packed, and high impact!

We try hard. Let us help you find the best solution for your trade show needs.

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Pop Up Booths for Trade Shows

Just What Exactly are Trade Show Pop Up Displays?

Trade show pop up displays have been around for a long time. They use an expandable accordion frame structure, usually made from aluminum. This frame collapses into about a 20″ square, approx 30″ tall. 

When expanded, the frame literally “pops up” into place, hence the name “Pop Up Display.” Our pop up displays offer traditional “carpet” or roll-able graphic panels; they are also now available with dye sub fabric graphics.

basic pop up display
Original popup system

In a “traditional,” first-generation trade show pop up booth, once the pop up display frame is expanded, separate magnetic bars are hung on the front of the frame, using hooks that attach to the top of the frame and latches that attach to the hubs in front too

Then fabric or graphic panels with magnetic strips on the sides and hooks on top are attached. These panels are rollable so that they can store in the shipping case. These panels historically have either been Velcro-receptive fabric (often called “carpet panels”) or printed and laminated mural graphic panels. 

The first generation pop up trade show displays typically weighs about 100 lbs., including the frame and the carpet panel fabric. It typically shipped in 2 cases, one for the frame and one for the rolled fabric or printed graphic panels and channel bars.

There are at least a dozen manufacturers that make pop up trade show displays, and construction techniques vary a little from one manufacturer to the next, using slightly different hubs and scissor arms, and offering different accessories. The frames can look almost identical to the casual eye, and sometimes even to an experienced eye.

However, there is a range of quality that buyers should be aware of. The least expensive pop up display is seemingly only intended for a few uses because the plastic hubs and scissor arms break or bend pretty quickly. The best trade show pop up displays use better engineering and stronger parts and normally come with a lifetime hardware warranty.

A pop up display booth is available in 6ft, 8ft, 10ft, and 20ft widths, normally 8ft tall, to fit almost every trade show booth size requirement. They are also available in shorter, tabletop sizes.

In these different widths, pop up booths for trade shows are offered in a concave curve, a flat shape, a gull-wing shape, and also as a serpentine or “S” shape. Some designs, particularly the flat floor height flat designs, offer sidewall returns too. These different shapes can be combined, as illustrated in the rendering to the right, which shows a 10ft concave attached to a 10ft flat, with a 3ft sidewall return.

As also shown in the image on the right, trade show pop up booths can combine fabric panels and laminated graphics. Most of the higher quality trade show pop up displays offer a variety of accessories, starting with monitor mounts and lights, but also including shelves, shadow boxes, and internal lighting, as shown in the rendering above. 

Shipping cases are often ordered with case wraps, covering them with either a fabric wrap or a printed graphic, to convert the shipping case into a podium to be used at your show.

qd-228 quadro 20ft pop up display with waterfall hangers shelves and shadow boxes

Next Generation Pop Up Trade Show Displays

After 20 years or so on the market, pop up booths for trade shows were re-invented. The first innovation was released a few years ago and combines the pop up display frame with tension fabric graphics

The newer generation pop up booths for trade shows use lighter frames and lighter graphics; these models include the Hopup, One Fabric, and Embrace pop up display systems. As with the original pop up trade show booths, these new style pop up trade show displays use an accordion-like frame - but they come with lighter weight frames and lifetime warranties.

The full 10ft wide Hopup trade show booth display is about 1/2 the weight of a traditional popup!

The graphic is a very high-resolution dye sublimation printed fabric, attached to the pop up display frame with Velcro. The graphic can be removed quickly to swap graphics or to clean it (machine washable), but otherwise, this graphic does not need to be removed to collapse the frame, making the setup and dismantling quick and easy.

This reduces the setup time for this style of fabric pop up trade show displays from 30 minutes or so for the standard pop up display to five minutes – greatly appreciated by exhibitors!

Hopup 8ft backwall and accessory kit #1 ($850)

The tension fabric graphic on these new generation pop up displays can come with or without side panels, and, while it is normally left in place, it can be quickly removed to swap out graphics. It can also be tossed into a washing machine, gentle cycle if it becomes soiled. 

If these tension fabric graphics are left folded up in the case for too long between shows, the fabric can get a little wrinkled, but the fabric is designed to be wrinkle-resistant, and bringing along a portable steamer solves the problem in just a few minutes.

These pop up come in a variety of different sizes and shapes, including tabletop displays and floor standing displays, flat and curved, with or without graphic sidewalls. Because of the near-instantaneous setup, they are very popular with sports teams, governments, schools, and media outlets that frequently make press releases – 2 minutes and you’ve got a media wall made from a pop up trade show booth, ideal for your TV appearance or photo opportunity!

There are many cheap imitations that are tricky to identify until you realize the frame is plastic and the fabric wrinkles. Comparing the different products reveals that some of the frames are easy to break. The best choices, as usual, come with a lifetime hardware warranty.

Similarly, the fabric used for the graphic is difficult to get exactly right – some of the less expensive knock-offs use cheap fabric that wrinkles a lot more quickly and never seems to get rid of the wrinkles. (A client that switched to models called their former pop up display their “pajama popup”!)

As with the standard pop up trade show booth, shipping cases are available with graphic wraps so that the cases can be converted into podium counters for your trade show booth – no more waiting for the cases to be returned to your booth after the show!

The most recent innovation is backlighting; the backlit popups use a patent-pending frame designed to hold lights and provide a backlit graphic with no shadows cast by the frame.

Multi-Skin Pop Up Displays

Another recent variation on the standard trade show pop up booths is called an Xclaim pop up display. This system also uses an accordion-like frame combined with tension fabric graphics but uses a lighter weight frame than standard pop up displays. 

The Xclaim pop up display frame is similar to the Hopup or One Fabric, making it also about 1/2 the weight of a traditional pop up trade show booth – and this frame comes with a lifetime warranty too! The frames come in a wide variety of configurations. The frame forms squares or "quads", and there are three quad triangular designs, 1×3 vertical towers, 2×3’s, 3x3s, 3x4s, 4x4s, etc.

The most innovative part of the Xclaim displays is the use of multiple, smaller, graphic skins, which can be attached by buttons to either the front or back of the special frames. 

xclaim-5ft-tabletop-fabric-popup-display-kit-04_right

Multiple skins allow quick changes to individual skins, showing a different products for different clients. Attaching the graphic to the front and back allows some 3D effects, creating different and unique looks for the displays.

The Xclaim graphics are a special stretch fabric, with a dye sub print on them. These graphic “skins” attach via a buttonhole on the skin, to a button on the pop up display frame – allowing for very quick graphic swapping. These graphics are also machine washable and also do not need to be removed for setup/dismantle. Many different size skins are available to change the look of your pop up display.

Like the Hopup and One Fabric, the Xclaim display system also allows the graphic skin to remain on the frame while collapsed. It also sets up in seconds and can be stored in a shipping case that converts to a podium. 

Also, like the other new generation light weight popup displays, the Xclaim is available in both tabletop and floor standing designs.

The graphic skins can be squares, larger rectangles, or diamonds. The only limit is your imagination!

The Newest Pop Up Displays for Trade Shows

The newest pop up displays for trade shows use even lighter-weight frames and silicone-edge graphics (SEG) that prevent wrinkling. The EMBRACE is a SEG POP UP Display for trade shows, and it takes the pop up display experience to a whole new level. 

This new generation SEG pop up display is modular - you can connect them together to add returns, extend them from 10ft wide to 30ft wide, and you can even stack them to make towers and tall walls.

These new generation SEG pop up displays are available with or without backlighting.

So if you're looking for a trade show pop up display in 2020 and 2021, the first stop should be to check out one of these displays - the prices are very competitive, but they are indeed the NEXT generation of pop ups and offer top-notch looks at very affordable prices.

Embrace 4x3 SEG Trade Show Pop Up Display

Pop Up Display Booth FAQ

Let's learn a bit more about pop up displays and how they can be beneficial for your next trade show event.

Does your pop up display booth need a few signs?

Some trade shows actually require vendors to display some signs showing the company name, at least. Even when the signs aren't a trade show requirement, it is still a good idea to put out a few good signs because it can boost brand awareness and can add a lot to your exhibit booth.

What are the benefits of pop up trade show displays?

Pop up displays are incredibly versatile and allow you to take them with you almost anywhere with little to no hassle. This means a pop up display allows you to take your display to several different events and can increase the space where you can set up. Pop ups are easy and quick to set up, take up little room, and can go a long way in increasing brand exposure at an event. 

What is the life span of pop up displays?

As long as you properly care for and store your pop up displays, they can last and continue to be used for up to 20 years! If you have outdoor signage and displays, they can last an average of up to ten years.

Which size do you recommend for a standard booth size for trade shows?

The standard size for a trade show booth in the United States is 10 feet by 10 feet. This is the size that can typically fit well and fill the aisles of trade show exhibits. If the exhibitor wants a larger space to work with, however, then they can rent a larger space that will require a slightly larger booth size. 

How do you illuminate your pop up booth?

You can light up the graphics you use on your pop up display by using a backlit display system. A lit-up display can ultimately attract more booth visitors than a regular fabric pop up backdrop. You can use energy-efficient LED lights to enhance your pop up booth. They are easy to replace and are generally shielded by a glass covering.