Roller Banner or Stretch Fabric Stand? How to make the best choice for every event

For a long time, if you attended a trade show or conference, you were just about guaranteed to see roller banners everywhere. It makes sense. They’re easy to transport, very easy to put up, and extremely versatile - with options ranging from the entry-level, such as our best-selling Raptor Roller Banner, through to double-sided, low-profile, super-wide and even heavy-duty outdoor options. Some units are even available with replacement graphics. However, as you walk around those same events, you’ll see more and more fabric, with stretch fabric stands growing in popularity as buyers look for options that are more suited to reuse.

But when faced with two great looking options, knowing which one to opt for and which one will better suit your customer’s needs can be challenging.

There are six main considerations that can help you decide:

If cost is a major concern, it’s hard to go wrong with a basic roller banner. That’s why our entry-level roller banner remains one of our best selling products, long after we started introducing fabric options. However, if the banner is going to be repeatedly put up and taken down, it may be worth considering either opting for a unit that allows for replacement graphics or a fabric-based stand such as our Stretch Fabric Economy Stands, which are fairly comparable in price.

Roller banners are very quick to set up, easy to take down and typically roll into a small base that fits into an easily transportable carry case. This makes them great for short events, as well as any where the team member using them is likely to be working alone or under time pressure. However, because they’re typically printed on PVC, even high quality materials such as the PVC-based grey-backed light-stop material we use may eventually begin to show creases or wear with very frequent use.

While replacement graphics are available for our Legend Roller Banner, if your customer is intending to use their graphic very frequently at events such as trade shows or consumer exhibitions, a stretch fabric stand can be an investment that pays off. If they’re only looking for something to use for a single event, such as a one-off conference or pop-up, a roller banner should deliver the impact they need cost-effectively.

Where a signage or display solution is going to be used is just as important as how often it will be used. After all, the requirements for a university graduation will be very different to a farmer’s market, just as those of a B2B manufacturer demonstrating machinery at trade shows will differ vastly from those of a luxury children's brand showcasing its nursery furniture at consumer exhibitions.

Beyond basic considerations such as indoor or outdoor locations and the likelihood of passing foot traffic, the overall context of a sign’s intended location is fundamental to making the right choice. For example, roller banners can be great for narrow spaces and small booths, for supplementary signage in exhibitions, or as stand-alone signage in business premises. While they can take up a similar amount of space to roller banners, fabric stands can require more space during set-up, which may make them less practical if space is very limited.

In the world of marketing, a premium brand can be easily tarnished by cheap-looking signage. A consumer walking around a travel exhibition is hardly likely to be attracted to a luxury hotel that is promoting itself with a scuffed, creased roller banner that has clearly seen better days. And with the exponential growth the industry is seeing in fabric signage, fabric stands also increasingly look more modern, so even a pristine roller banner can look outdated in some environments.

That’s not to say the trusty roller banner cannot deliver a premium look and feel, but if you’re looking for a luxe feel or to achieve a high-end look with a solution that can be used again and again, fabric-based signage is often the way to go.

Most roller banners are great options for static messages that won’t change, but if your customer is planning to frequently change the messaging on their signage, a fabric stand may be best. They can keep the stand and order replacement graphics as and when needed, recycling the old graphics with other textiles. If they’re not yet sure whether they’ll want that flexibility, but want to future proof their signage just in case, they could also opt for a roller banner that supports replacement panels, such as our Legend Roller Banner.

Roller banners are typically favoured for quick one-off events such as conferences and industry meet-ups because they’re easy for one person to put up and take down, often pack easily into a suitcase, and don’t take up much space in between uses. Because they rely on a frame, fabric stands are often bulkier to transport and store than a roller banner of a similar size, and setting up can take a little more time because they have more components. For example, our Stretch Fabric Economy Stand takes most people five or six minutes to assemble, whereas a similar roller banner can be simply pulled up in well under a minute.

Overall, the decision between roller banners and fabric stands will always vary from case to case. Flagship brands exhibiting at high footfall events a few times a year will likely need to opt for a fabric stand, while a small business showcasing their wares at local craft markets would do very well with a basic roller banner. For everything in between, considering these six questions should help your customer find the right solution for them.