LED screens are very much a part of the contemporary digital fabric of events, marketing, and company infrastructural processing. It doesn’t matter if you are using the screen, as part of a festival, event, trade show, corporate function, or outdoor advertising, you have a fundamental decision to make are you renting or buying?
There is highly relevant arguments for both options and the best option depends on your budget, the frequency of use of your LED screens, your ability to maintain the screens over the long term, and your plans for the screens in the future. This article will outline the options of renting versus owning to help you make the best decision.
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Know About Purchasing LED Screen
If you’re planning an exhibition or event where you’re only going to be using a screen for a temporary event, then renting an LED screen is a great idea! LED Screen rental companies come in all shapes, sizes, resolutions, and designs which allows your organization to strategically plan the rental and find the right option for the screens without the long-term commitment!
Advantages of LED Screen rental
- Cost-Effective for Short-Term Use: If you only need an LED screen occasionally, renting is significantly more affordable than purchasing. You avoid the high upfront investment required for buying and only pay for the duration you use it.
- Access to the Latest Technology: This technology is constantly changing, in speed, resolution, and energy efficiency. You can be sure, if you are renting, you can use the latest and greatest screens without having to think of the depreciation on the asset and never have to think of if it becomes obsolete!
- No Maintenance Hassle: When it comes to business, maintenance and repairs can be expensive and time-consuming. With rentals, when renting, the service provider arrangement covers mostly everything regarding installation, scheduling maintenance, troubleshooting, and logistics. This typically creates personal hassle for you.
- Customizable for specific events: A benefit of renting is you can rent multiple screens with different screen types for different events. For example, renting a high-brightness outdoor LED screen for a sports event or a fine-pitch indoor LED screen for a conference.
- No storage or logistics issues: When you buy an LED screen, you are responsible for the arrangements of the screen storage and moving the screen when you are not using it. Most rental companies will ship the screen, set it up for you, and when they come to pick it up nothing is needed from you as you are not responsible for storage or transporting the screen.
Drawbacks of Renting an LED Screen
Increased long-term costs: If renting an LED screen happens often and the compilation of rental fees exceeds the purchase price of outright buying a unit, then renting may cost you more.
Less Customization: Rental screens typically come as a standard screen size or configuration. If you want dimensions that need to be custom or want to have permanent branding, then you are better off buying a screen unit.
Availability: As the demand for quality LED screens increases during specific times of the year, such as peak event seasons, rental prices can greatly increase or sometimes you may not be able to rent anything at all.
Understanding LED Screen Purchasing
Buying an LED screen is a long-term investment that makes sense for businesses that need frequent or permanent displays. Retail stores, stadiums, corporate offices, and entertainment venues often benefit from owning their LED screens.
Advantages of Buying an LED Screen
- Cost-Effective for Regular Use
If your business frequently uses LED displays, purchasing can be more economical over time compared to repeated rental expenses. - Full Customization & Branding
When you own an LED screen, you can customize it to fit your exact needs, including size, resolution, and display settings. You can also integrate permanent branding elements. - Always Available for Use
Owning LED screens means you have it when you need it. There’s no need to check availability or book it in advance like LED screen rental. - Potential Revenue Generation
Businesses can rent out their LED screens to other organizations or use them for advertising and sponsorship deals to generate additional revenue. - Increased Flexibility
With ownership, you have complete control over how and when you use your LED screens, whether for indoor or outdoor advertising, interactive displays, or special promotions.
Disadvantages of Owning an LED Screen
Large Amount of Initial Cost:1
The purchase cost of LED screens is extremely expensive which is a cost so massive that it may not be sustainable for small companies and for new start-ups.
Ongoing Maintenance and Repair:
The owners is responsible for all ongoing maintenance, repair, and upgrades, all of which contribute to long-term ongoing costs.
Obsolescence:
The technology of LED screens is continually evolving, and owned screens after a few years will become obsolete and will need to be replaced which includes a hefty price tag its next upgrade.
Storage and Transportation Issues:
If not permanently installed, proper logistics will be required to store and transport the screen from site to site.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Renting and Buying
As we’ve discussed several advantages and disadvantages for each option, here are some questions to consider to conclude, regarding a decision:
1. How frequently do you intend to use the LED screen?
If you are going to use the LED screen quite frequently (a couple of times a month), and you can afford it, then buying would be the best option to take.
If you have a very specific one-off event, then renting is the option to go!
2. What is your budget?
If you have a budget, renting is a better option to consider as you can rent a higher specification LED screen without spending the initial capital to buy one. If you do not have a budget when it comes to expenditure, and you will use the screen over a reasonable period of time, then buying is the better option.
3. Do you have the capacity to store and maintain the LED screen?
If you cannot store or maintain the LED screen, then renting will be a better solution. If you have a team that can maintain and warehouse the LED screen, then you would have a superior option available to buy.
4. Do you need customization?
If you need a permanent installation with custom branding, buying is ideal.
If you need a screen for different events with changing requirements, renting provides more flexibility.
5. Are you concerned about technology updates?
If staying ahead with the latest technology is important, renting ensures access to modern screens.
If you’re okay with using the same LED screen for years, buying is a viable choice.
Conclusion: Which Option is Right for You?
If you are purely going to use an LED screen once and down the road, want no maintenance issues, want access to the latest technologies without the hefty cost of purchase, and most importantly, you want to rent an LED screen, go with LED screen rental.
On the other side, if you have a plan to use an LED screen regularly, want full customization, and you see that LED screens are ultimately an asset for long-term business within your brand and content strategy, you should choose to purchase.
Contact KAN UNIVERSAL, and discuss your options!
