When it comes to portable trade show displays the most common type on the market today is the pop-up, expandable-frame style; surprisingly it has been around for over 15 years. The first models had a flexible fiberglass frame with aluminum channels bars and rollable fabric that was attached to the framework with magnets. Over the years the basic design has not changed but the materials, sizes and weights have made pop-up displays less expensive and easier to transport to trade shows than ever before.

Today's frames expand to larger sizes allowing a full 10-foot wide exhibit to be transported in a relatively small case. Most 10-foot pop-up displays weigh less than 90 pounds in their case; this typically includes the fabric, lights and vertical bars. Pop-ups come in a variety of sizes with a number of different options to give consumers greater flexibility when planning for their trade show booths. Within the industry there are 5 common types:

1. Standard Pop-up Displays
2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays
3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays
4. Commercial Pop-up Displays
5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays

1. Standard Pop-up Displays – The most common pop-up available, Standard Pop-ups are generally a 10-foot wide, curved design. They are made up of a light-weight aluminum frame, individual aluminum, PVC or steel channel bars, Velcro fabric panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and a thermo molded shipping case with wheels. The case can usually be converted into a podium and most pop-up packages also include two 200-watt halogen lights. The price range for the Standard 10-foot, Curved Pop-up runs $995-$2995 depending on the vendor.

2. Photo Mural Pop-up Displays – This display is just like a Standard Popup but has photo mural panels instead of Velcro fabric panels. Photo murals have a greater appeal as they have powerful large-format graphics that attract attention. Photo Mural Pop-ups are more expensive because of the photo panels, but still are just as lightweight and portable as Standard Pop-ups. Be aware, there are many types of panel printing offered for this type of pop-up which will change the price dramatically, from the most expensive DURST LAMBDA to inexpensive ink-jet processes. Prices run from $2195-$5995 depending on the vendor and the print process selected.

3. Fabric Mural Pop-up Displays – A Fabric Mural Pop-up display offers the large images of a Photo Mural Pop-up without the cumbersome set up procedure. The fabric mural is pre-attached to the frame, making set-up much easier than the Standard or Photo Mural Pop-up and they weigh less than half of what a Standard 10-foot Pop-up weighs. The fabric usually gets wrinkled during transport but this can be remedied by stretching and steaming. This pop-up comes curved or non-curved and can be transported in a lightweight nylon bag or a hard shipping case. The print process needed for Fabric Mural Pop-ups is important as they are generally viewed as a lower quality graphic than what is found on Standard Pop-ups but this is not always the case depending on the vendor. Prices for these pre-attached models with fabric faces run $1695-$4995, depending on the vendor and print process chosen.

4. Commercial Pop-up Displays – Less common because they are more expensive, Commercial Pop-ups come in different shapes–straight or curved–and in many widths. This display is built to be sturdier and can take far more abuse than the standard pop-up making it a good choice for companies that travel and exhibit often. There are only a few brands that may be labeled "commercial" as the tendency in the marketplace has been to make pop-up exhibits lighter and less expensive to own. Commercial pop-up displays typically include a heavy weight frame with nylon connectors, folding steel channel bars, Velcro panels (Frontrunner or Prelude), and the choice of 1 or 2 thermo molded shipping cases with wheels. Prices generally run $1795-$3495 depending on the vendor.

5. 3-D Style Pop-up Displays – These are the newest entries to the pop-up market; essentially, they are the fabric style, pre-attached, graphic pop-up with a twist. 3-D Pop-ups come in different shapes, from square to round and even trapezoidal, and have graphics attached to the framework to give a three dimensional effect. Because the graphics are already on the frame, set up of a 3-D Pop-up is simple and quick. The graphics are also easily removable and replaceable making updating the display less costly than creating a new display. 3-D pop-up display prices run $995-$8995 depending on the shape, numbers of graphics and print process used.

As you can see, there are a lot of choices and many things to consider when selecting a pop-up display system. What is most important to keep in mind is how often you will be using the display. This will help you decide how durable you need the pop-up display to be, how easy it should be to set up and how lightweight it should be for transporting from trade show to trade show.