https://www.moddisplays.com/post/portable-trade-show-displays
Portability is one of the most important aspects to weigh when researching a new trade show display. If you have a small team of one or two people, and need to be able to easily transport or ship your display affordably, you’ll want to make sure that the display you’re purchasing is easy to move. While many modular displays such as XVline or Exhibitline are also portable, there are three highly portable displays to focus on if portability is important in your search.

Tension Fabric Displays
Easily one of the biggest innovations in trade show displays in years, tension fabric displays hit a sweet spot for many companies. They’re lightweight, portable, durable, and relatively inexpensive. Due to the lightweight aluminum frame, they can easily be setup and taken down by one person. Assembly is obviously even faster with two people.
The fabric graphics are vibrant due to the dye-sublimation printing process, and the stretch fabric is machine washable providing longevity to the visual. Because the fabric graphic is independent from the frame and relatively inexpensive to print, they’re also ideal for storing multiple graphics for use depending on what type of event you’re exhibiting at. Swapping out graphics allows your company to switch messages depending on the target audience you’re marketing. Also, since the fabric graphic slides over the frame similarly to a pillowcase over a pillow, it provides a professional and wrinkle-free visual.
The latest inventive evolution of the tension fabric display is the backlit version. Columns of LED lights hang from the aluminum frame providing consistent top-to-bottom, left-to-right illumination of the fabric graphic from within. The way the lights are hung from the frame provides a more dispersed lighting than many of the lightbox systems which only light the display graphic from the frame edges.
Here at MODdisplays, tension fabric displays are the most popular display systems that we produce year round.
Advantages of tension fabric trade show displays
• Machine-washable graphics: The polyester stretch fabric can simply be cleaned with soap and warm water in a home washing machine or can be taken to a drycleaner.
• Easily Exchange or Swap Graphics: Because the fabric graphics are independent of the frame, multiple graphics can be utilized to mix-and-match messages to target depending on time of year or event.
• Highly Portable: Nearly all tension fabric displays from MODdisplays come with a shipping case that converts into a counter, so the entire booth can pack down into an easy to wheel or ship case.
Pop-Up Displays
A practical solution for companies looking for a booth display with the absolutely fastest setup is a Pop-Up Display. Trade show displays such as 3D Snap and OneFabric are built on accordion-style frames where the graphic is stored while still attached. These systems quickly expand open to their intended size, then get latched into place on the backside. While they are fast to setup, some care must be taken into account to maintain its structure.
Again, if speed is your greatest pain point in searching for a trade show display, then a pop-up display is an ideal solution. Because of the way in which the graphic attaches to the frame and the way in which the graphic is stored, there is a tendency for this style of display to occasionally have puckers or wrinkles on the edges of the graphic. However, this is a trade-off for the ease of setup and takedown. One person can easily manage to transport, setup, and dismantle the display.
Banner Stand Walls
Perhaps the lowest tech yet most versatile option for portable trade show displays is the workhorse banner stand wall. It provides a quick solution for filling a standard 10’ x 10’ booth space while also doubling as an adaptable marketing tool outside of the event. Many companies will repurpose their trade show banners as signage in lobbies and atriums or reuse them for special events such as fundraisers, open houses, receptions, conferences, and conventions.
As individual banner stands, they can be easily packed down into nylon carrying bags for simple transport. Even with three banner stands to setup for a banner stand wall, one person can carry all three bags and setup the entire booth on their own within 5 minutes or much less if you’re working on a personal setup time record. Because of the sleek profile, the stands are easy to move around to optimize your booth space depending on foot traffic or your surrounding neighbors.
Regardless of the solution you choose for your next trade show booth, knowing that there’s a range of options for portable displays is key. Reach out to our sales department if you need assistance navigating the options available.