Showroom: construction and operating costs

Providing a reliable and informed answer to that question is only possible once the conception phase has been completed. The costs will obviously depend on the size of the showroom, the number of interactive exhibits or stations, the multimedia content and the quality of the materials and technical components used.

However, there are many adjustments that an expert can make to avoid unnecessary costs without detracting from the overall experience. Conversely, there are others where even the slightest misstep can have fatal consequences. After all, your showroom is an experiential space designed to connect your brand with potential clients through fascination and excitement. Animated content marred by an endless progress bar could hinder that experience.

Accurate or not – we are aware that you need at least a ballpark figure to decide whether you can realize a showroom or not. So here’s not one, but three.

▶️ Small Showroom

According to our experience, planning and realization of a small, but exquisite showroom is feasible for 150K – 300K (in Euro). This could, for example, consist of a central multi-touch table combined with a screen wall and a small product display. A centrally controlled lighting and audio system transforms this presentation space into a digital experience. The pragmatically designed space (up to approx. 50 square metres) is suitable for individual visitors as well as guided groups of decision-makers from the region.

▶️ Medium-sized Showroom

For a medium-sized showroom you have to calculate with a sum between 300K and 600K. In addition, there are bespoke highlight installations showcasing your products and innovations, as well as exhibits spread across an area of approximately 100 square metres. Visitors are happy to travel from all over the country to experience this (often at a key production site).

▶️ Large Showroom

A complete corporate exhibition or a unique showroom at the company’s headquarters often starts at 600k, but can cost twice as much. It consists of several rooms or a large interactive space. The aim is to captivate an international audience and host major events. It is no exaggeration to describe it as an immersive experience.

In planning your showroom budget, you should not only consider the one-off investment for purchase and installation, but also keep the recurring costs in mind. These may vary, according to, once again, the room’s size and intensity of usage as well as the desired professionality of guided visits or events.

Checklist operating costs:

• management and organization (appointment/invitation or booking management, internal and external coordination, visitor office/MGMT)
• running costs (cleaning and security service, maintenance, repairs, electricity)
• incidental event-related costs (staff, catering, product samples, transportation or shipping costs)
• content management (creation and recurring adaption of content, updating)
• IT admin (licensing, hosting, maintenance, help-desk service)
• events (event agency, furniture lease, catering, personnel)

The more occasions you find to use your showroom and the more people you reach with this, the sooner the operating costs pay off. So think carefully: Which of your business units or stakeholders might be able to put this showroom to profitable use?

Typical internal stakeholders of a showroom are:

• HR (recruiting events, onboarding, training, professional development)
• Marketing (lead generation, events, production of commercials and/or marketing videos)
• Sales and Distribution (customer/client acquisition, existing customers/clients, special events)
• PR (politicians, press)
• Management/Executive Board (business partners, investors, suppliers/vendors)

Typical external stakeholders involved in the realization of a showroom are:

• exhibition designers/agency
• interior designer/architect
• drywall constructor/ decorator
• electricians/climate tech/cabling
• interactive exhibitions professional/exhibition agency

Tip: The various service providers’ fields of activity may overlap, so one service provider might cover more than one activity under the bullet points listed above. For instance, the exhibition agency can also take charge of exhibition design.

This blog entry is an excerpt from our comprehensive whitepaper "Successful Planning and Realization of Corporate Showrooms - A guide from HOW to WOW". If you would like to receive the whitepaper free of charge, please write an email with the subject "Whitepaper Showroom" to [email protected].