01
Asking for free designs
A free rendering shows how hard a company will work to win you, not how they’ll work once they have you.
Do this insteadWalk through a real past project from brief to show floor. Pay your winner to design properly.
Bonus session · Choose your exhibit partner
Choose the exhibit partner who shows up.
Anyone can pitch a booth.
The right partner delivers it, show after show.
How to choose a trade show exhibit company with a short RFI that tests people, process and proof, not slide decks.
25 questions · 5 lensesFree scorecard & RFI templateNo sign-up · Works in your browser
THE BOOTH IS THE PROMISE.THE TEAM KEEPS IT.
✓Before you send — write an honest brief
↔While you compare — score the proof
↗Before you sign — meet the real team
The short answer
To choose a trade show exhibit company, send a short RFI of 20–30 questions to 4–6 companies, score the answers on five areas (People, Process, Craft, Flexibility and Proof), call two references for each of your top three, and meet the people who’ll actually work on your account before you sign. It takes about four weeks.
Key takeaways
- Hire the team, not the pitch. Score named people and real examples.
- Skip free designs. They show sales effort, not how a partner works all season.
- Share a budget range. Without one, answers can’t be compared.
- Use one scorecard. Everyone scores alone first, then compares.
- Ask what went wrong. Honest answers beat perfect track records.
7 parts · about 45 minutes with your team
Your session at a glance
Work through it in order, or jump to the part your team needs most.
- 01Know what you’re sendingRFI vs. RFP vs. free designsAbout 4 min ↗
- 02Avoid the 4 classic mistakesWhat tilts RFIs toward the best salespersonAbout 4 min ↗
- 03Plan your 4 weeksA timeline and a one-page briefAbout 8 min ↗
- 04Ask the 25 questionsWith green-flag and red-flag answersAbout 15 min ↗
- 05Check your current partnerAn 8-question gradeAbout 2 min ↗
- 06Fit it to your program1–3, 4–10 or 10+ shows a yearAbout 3 min ↗
- 07Score and decideCompare up to three companiesAbout 10 min ↗
Part 01 · The basics
What is an RFI for a trade show exhibit?
An exhibit RFI (request for information) is a short document you send to exhibit companies to learn who they are, how they work and what they can prove, so you can build a shortlist before asking anyone for designs or prices.
The one rule of this workshop: if they can’t prove it, score it like they didn’t say it.
RFI vs. RFP vs. RFQ vs. spec design
| Item | RFI | RFP | RFQ | Spec design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You ask for | People, process, proof | A solution + price for one project | A price for a defined item | Free booth concepts |
| It tells you | Who’s best to work with all season | Who has the best plan for this project | Who’s cheapest for the same spec | Who pitches best |
| Your effort | Low | Medium | Low | High |
| Use it | First, to shortlist 2–3 | Second, with your shortlist | For simple repeat orders | Rarely, and paid if you do |
What you’re really buying
Not a booth. A season of show days.
Every one of these started as a brief. What made them work on the floor was the team behind them: the people, the process and the follow-through you’re about to test.
All photos: Purple Exhibits projects.See the case studies ↗
Part 02 · Before you write a single question
4 mistakes that make most RFIs useless.
Each one quietly tilts the result toward whoever sells hardest, not whoever delivers best.
02
Sending 120 questions
Giant questionnaires get copy-pasted marketing answers. Every response looks the same.
Do this insteadAsk 20–30 sharp questions. Start with the 25 below and cut what doesn’t fit.
03
Hiding your budget
Without a range, vendors guess. Some lowball to win, others pad. Answers stop being comparable.
Do this insteadShare a range and ask: “What would you do with this, and what wouldn’t you?”
04
Scoring company size
A big company isn’t a big team on your account. You might get one overloaded project manager.
Do this insteadScore the specific people assigned to you, and how much of their time you’ll get.
Part 03 · Step by step
How to run the RFI in 4 weeks.
Start four to six months before your first show with a new partner. Rushed searches end with whoever’s available, not whoever’s right.
- Week 1
Write your brief
One to two pages about your program (checklist below). Choose 4–6 companies to invite.
- Week 2
Send & answer questions
Allow 10 business days. Offer each vendor one 20-minute call so everyone hears the same thing.
- Week 3
Score & call references
Everyone scores alone first, then compare. Call two references for each of your top three.
- Week 4
Meet the real team
Meet the people who’d work on your account, not the sales lead. Decide, or send an RFP to your top two.
Exercise · 10 minutes
Your one-page program brief
Vendors can only give honest answers to an honest brief. Tick off each part as you write it.
Part 04 · The core of the workshop
25 questions to ask a trade show exhibit company.
Grouped into five lenses. Open any question to see why it matters and what a green-flag and red-flag answer sound like.
People
Who actually does the work, and how much of their time you’ll really get.
1No named team, sales-only contact
3Named contact, unclear backup or workload
5Named team you’ve met, clear backup
01Who will be our day-to-day contact, and how many other accounts do they manage?
Your experience depends on this one person far more than on the company’s size.
Green flagA named person you can meet before signing, with a workload that leaves room for you.
Red flag“Our team will take care of you.” No names, or a salesperson who disappears after the contract.
02Who covers for that person if they’re out during a show week?
Shows don’t move when people get sick or go on vacation.
Green flagA named backup who already knows your account.
Red flag“We’ll figure it out,” or a long pause.
03Who will be on the show floor during setup and teardown?
Most booth problems happen on the floor, in the hours before the show opens.
Green flagTheir own supervisor, or a named installation crew they’ve worked with for years.
Red flag“The labor company handles it,” with nobody from their side checking.
04Will the designer in the pitch be the designer on our project?
Some companies send their best people to win the work, then hand it off.
Green flagYes, and you can meet them now.
Red flagVague answers about “our design department.”
05Tell us about a time a client needed a big change two weeks before a show.
This shows how they behave under pressure, which is when you’ll need them most.
Green flagA specific recent story: what changed, what it cost, how it went.
Red flag“No problem, we can do anything!” with no process and no mention of cost.
Process
How they get from your brief to a finished booth, and how they keep your budget honest.
1No clear process, lump-sum pricing
3Process exists, loose budget tracking
5Dated process, line-item budget
06Walk us through your process from brief to show floor, with dates, for a booth our size.
A real process has real dates. A vague one means you’ll be the one chasing them.
Green flagA clear schedule with milestones and approval points.
Red flag“It depends,” with no example timeline.
07How many design revisions are included, and what costs extra?
Revision fees are where many budgets quietly grow.
Green flagA clear number of rounds and a written price for extras.
Red flag“As many as you need”… until the invoice arrives.
08How do you handle each show’s rules: height limits, hanging signs, fire codes and union labor?
Every venue is different. Getting the rules wrong means fines, or a booth that can’t be built.
Green flagThey read each exhibitor manual and tell you early what’s allowed.
Red flag“The show handles that,” or no mention of exhibitor manuals.
09How do you track our budget, and when would we hear about an overrun?
You should never learn about extra costs from the final invoice.
Green flagLine-item estimates and written approval before extra work starts.
Red flagOne lump-sum number and “we’ll true it up after the show.”
10What do you need from us, and by when?
Clear client deadlines protect you. Unclear ones get used later to explain delays.
Green flagA simple list of what they need from you, with dates.
Red flagNothing specific, which usually means the blame lands on you.
Craft
Build and graphics quality. Your booth is your brand at full size, so it has to look right up close.
1No samples, can’t explain production
3Some samples, unclear color process
5Physical samples, color proofs
11What do you make yourselves, and what do you send out, and to whom?
Outsourcing is normal and fine. Not being honest about it isn’t.
Green flagAn honest breakdown, naming long-term production partners.
Red flagClaims that “everything is in-house” that don’t hold up.
12How do you make sure our brand colors match across fabric, hard panels and screens?
Fabric, rigid panels and screens all show color differently. Mismatched colors look cheap.
Green flagPrinted color proofs before production, with target colors for every material.
Red flag“We’ll print the files you send us.”
13Can we see and touch a sample of your fabric (SEG) graphics?
Photos hide quality. A real sample shows the stitching, the edges and the color.
Green flagYes. They’ll send or bring samples.
Red flagOnly photos, or excuses.
14How do you check our files before printing?
Bad files make bad graphics: blurry images, cut-off text, wrong sizes.
Green flagA real check for resolution, bleed and sizing, plus a proof for you to approve.
Red flagNo file check. They print whatever arrives.
15If a graphic is damaged at a show, how fast can you replace it, and will it match?
Damage happens in shipping. A replacement that doesn’t match is almost as bad as none.
Green flagA clear turnaround time, and saved color settings so reprints match.
Red flag“We’d have to reprint the whole set.”
Flexibility
Whether your booth and budget can grow, shrink and move as your show schedule changes.
1Pushes one model, you’re locked in
3Some options, unclear costs
5Fits your schedule, you own your files
16Should we rent, buy, or mix both, and why, for our schedule?
The right answer depends on how often you exhibit. A partner should do that math with you.
Green flagAn answer based on your show count, with the numbers shown.
Red flagThey always push buying (or always renting), whatever you tell them.
17Can one booth be set up in different sizes, like 10x10, 10x20 and 20x20?
Reconfigurable booths stretch one budget across more shows.
Green flagYes, with photos of real reconfigured booths.
Red flagA new build every time you change size.
18What will storage, handling and shipping cost us per show?
These costs come back every show and can add up to more than the booth itself.
Green flagWritten monthly and per-show estimates up front.
Red flagStorage fees that only come up after you own the booth.
19What happens when two of our shows overlap?
As programs grow, overlapping shows become a given.
Green flagA plan: duplicate kits, rentals to fill the gap, or splitting the booth.
Red flagSurprise at the question.
20If we leave one day, what do we keep?
It’s your brand. You should own your design files and the assets you paid for.
Green flagYou keep your design files, graphic files and the booth you paid for.
Red flagYour files stay with them, or there are “release fees.”
Proof
Anyone can say the right things. Proof is what they can show you.
1No comparable references
3Some references, no measurement
5Comparable references, results reports
21Show us a client with a program like ours, and let us call them.
Similar programs have similar problems. You want proof they’ve solved yours.
Green flagA real, comparable client who will take your call.
Red flagOnly famous logos, and no one you can speak to.
22Tell us about a project that went wrong. What did you do?
Every company has bad days. What matters is how they handle them.
Green flagA real story, owned honestly, and what they changed afterwards.
Red flag“That’s never happened to us.”
23How will you help us know if a show was worth it?
If you can’t measure a show, you can’t defend the budget for the next one.
Green flagGoals agreed before the show and a simple report after it.
Red flagA folder of booth photos and nothing else.
24How long have your three longest clients worked with you?
Long relationships mean clients keep choosing them, show after show.
Green flagReal numbers, and they’re happy for you to call those clients.
Red flagA dodge, or only brand-new clients.
25Why might we not be a good fit for you?
The most honest question in the RFI. Good partners know who they serve best.
Green flagA clear, honest answer about who they’re best for.
Red flag“We’re a great fit for everyone.”
Take all 25 questions with you, ready to send.
Part 05 · Quick check · 2 minutes
Is your current partner passing?
Eight yes/no questions about the company you work with now. Your grade tells you whether it’s time for an RFI.
- You know your account manager by name, and they reply within one business day.
- Your final invoices match the quotes, or you approved every change in writing first.
- Your brand colors look the same on every graphic, at every show.
- Someone from their team checks your booth on the show floor.
- They’ve suggested ways to save money, not just ways to spend it.
- You own your design files and could take them elsewhere.
- After each show you get more than photos: some kind of results summary.
- Managing them takes less of your time each year, not more.
Part 06 · One size doesn’t fit all
Fit the RFI to your program.
A company doing two shows a year needs a different partner than one doing thirty.
1–3 SHOWS / YEARFocused exhibitors
Weigh People highest
- You need a partner who guides you, not one who waits for instructions.
- Push hard on rent vs. buy. Owning a booth you use twice a year rarely pays off.
- Ask for a simple, all-in price per show.
4–10 SHOWS / YEARGrowing programs
Weigh Flexibility highest
- One booth that works as a 10x10, 10x20 and 20x20.
- Ask how they handle two shows in the same week.
- Color matching across shows starts to really matter.
10+ SHOWS / YEARLarge programs
Weigh Process and Proof highest
- Budget tracking and reporting across the whole season.
- Ask who covers when your main contact is out.
- Request a full-season budget, not a single-show quote.
Part 07 · Free interactive tool
Score and decide.
Pick your program size to set the weights, or drag them yourself. Score each company 1–5 per lens using the guide under each lens. The radar shows where each one is strong or weak.
Weights for
Strength map
Verdict
Score each company to see who leads.
Bonus · 10 minutes per call
The reference-call script.
Every company hands you happy references. These six questions get past the polite answers.
What’s the last thing that went wrong, and what did they do?
Listen for how fast and how honestly it was fixed.Has a final bill ever been higher than the quote? Did you know in advance?
Invoice surprises are one of the most common frustrations.Who do you talk to week to week? Has that person changed?
Turnover on your account is a real cost to you.How much of your own time does working with them take?
A good partner takes work off your plate.Did the booth on the show floor look like the design?
Ask about colors, fit and finish, especially graphics.Would you hire them again if you were starting over?
Listen to the pause before the answer.
Speak the language
Terms you’ll see in RFI answers.
In plain English. For the full list, see our trade show glossary.
- RFI · Request for Information
- A short document to learn about vendors’ people, process and proof so you can build a shortlist.
- RFP · Request for Proposal
- A request for a specific solution and price for a defined project, sent to your shortlist.
- RFQ · Request for Quote
- A request for pricing on a clearly specified item, like replacement graphics.
- Spec design
- A speculative booth design made for free during a pitch, before the vendor is hired.
- SEG · Silicone Edge Graphics
- Dye-sublimated fabric with a silicone edge that presses into an aluminum frame for a tight, frameless look.
- I&D · Install & Dismantle
- The labor to set up your booth before the show and take it down after.
- Material handling · drayage
- The show’s fee to move your freight from the dock to your booth and back, usually by weight.
- Reconfigurable booth
- A booth system built to set up in several sizes, such as 10x10, 10x20 and 20x20.
Good to know
A few questions
A few questions
before you choose.
How do I choose a trade show exhibit company?
Send a short RFI of 20–30 focused questions to 4–6 exhibit companies. Score their answers on People, Process, Craft, Flexibility and Proof. Call two references for each of your top three, meet the people who’d actually work on your account, then decide. It takes about four weeks.
What’s the difference between an RFI and an RFP for a trade show booth?
An RFI screens companies on people, process and proof so you can build a shortlist. An RFP asks that shortlist for a specific solution and price. Run the RFI first, then send an RFP to your top two or three.
Should I ask exhibit companies for free booth designs?
Usually not. A free design shows how hard a company works to win you, not how it works across a show season. Pay your chosen partner to design with your full brief.
How many questions should an exhibit RFI have?
About 20–30. Long questionnaires get copy-pasted marketing answers. Fewer, sharper questions get real answers you can compare.
How long does it take to choose an exhibit partner?
About four weeks. Start four to six months before your first show with the new partner.
Should I share my trade show budget in an RFI?
Yes, a range. Without it vendors guess, and their answers can’t be compared. Not sure of your range? Try our booth cost calculator.
How many exhibit companies should I send an RFI to?
Four to six. Narrow to two or three for reference calls and team meetings.
Should I rent or buy a trade show booth?
It depends on how often you exhibit. Companies doing only a few shows a year often save by renting or a hybrid, once storage and handling are counted. Frequent exhibitors often benefit from owning a reconfigurable booth.
What are red flags when choosing a trade show exhibit company?
No named account team, lump-sum pricing, storage fees revealed only after purchase, no physical graphic samples, keeping your design files if you leave, mismatched references, and claiming nothing has ever gone wrong.
What are SEG graphics?
Silicone edge graphics: dye-sublimated fabric with a silicone strip sewn around the edge that presses into an aluminum frame. They’re light, resist wrinkles and are easy to replace.
YOU’VE WRITTEN THE RFI.
Send it to us.
Send it to us.
We’ll answer all 25.
Including #25. We’ll answer in writing, introduce the people who’d actually work on your account, and tell you honestly if we’re not the right fit.
- Written answers to every question
- Meet your real team, not just sales
- An honest “no” if we’re not the fit
Keep going
More from Purple Exhibits
About this workshop & photo sources
Written by the Purple Exhibits team from our day-to-day work designing, renting and managing trade show booths, and from the questions we wish more buyers asked us. It’s meant to help you choose well, even if you don’t choose us. All photos show Purple Exhibits projects: Fabuwood, Kleemann, SpecialtyRx, Amazon at the ESSENCE Festival, French Avenue, Trilliant, Pixee Medical, Machu Picchu and Shapoorji Pallonji. Download the template and scorecard freely; if you share this guide, please link back to this page.