Sustainability is what all companies and industries are striving to achieve at the moment. With short and long-term plans in place to reduce their carbon footprint in order to protect the planet.
It’s no secret that there are considerable environmental costs associated with major exhibitions. From the materials used, waste generated, and travel involved.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of measures you can take to make your stand more sustainable and friendlier to the environment. These range from hiring your stand over buying to carefully considering flooring materials, lighting options and even promotional giveaways. If all companies contributed sustainable efforts, the exhibition industry may be able to reduce their impact on the environment.
-
Opt for hire or reusable stand solutions
Modular exhibition stands are a reusable, reconfigurable and recyclable solution to trade shows. Opting to hire a stand is more environmentally friendly because the systems are reused time and time again.
It reduces the amount of waste produced and therefore eliminating the ‘build and burn’ concept of custom stands.
Skanska wanted to source a sustainable and reusable stand to best showcase their brand at two exhibitions in 2019 – Digital Construction Week and Highways UK. The stand design and build had to align with their core value of sustainability toward people, customers and communities. The stand also had to be reusable in different configurations so it could be reused for multiple shows and not restricted by size and orientation.
Our team designed a modern and professional looking stand with reusability and sustainability at its core. Each element of the stand was reusable, from the frame structure down to the coir matting. The design concept was modular, allowing them to use the stand at both shows with different configurations in a cost-effective way.
-
LED lighting
UK Energy Lighting explains how ‘’standard LED bulbs can be up to 80% more energy efficient than conventional bulbs, and waste far less energy than other lighting.’’ LEDs require less power than regular forms of lighting which also means it is cheaper to run, making it cost-effective as well as sustainable.
-
Giveaways
If you’ve chosen to convey the image of sustainability through your stand why not go that one step further and offer an environmentally friendly gift, it’s a great technique to encourage visitors to your stand. However, don’t go for the typical plastic pen, key ring or anything that is most likely going to end up in landfill or polluting the environment. Materials like hemp or bamboo send out a great sustainability message and offering something useful like a reusable water bottle or coffee cup is seen as much more of a premium giveaway. Check out our 12 eco-friendly giveaway ideas for your next exhibition blog. It’s packed with great suggestions to suit different budgets.
-
Flooring
Adding carpet to your stand can give the design the finishing touch it needs. It provides a warm and inviting environment to attracts visitors. Instead of purchasing standard carpet, why not opt for fibre mixed materials that can be easily recycled? Or coir matting which is a totally natural material and biodegradable.
-
Go paperless
Promote your green credentials and spread the word about sustainability by cutting back on the amount of paper used on your stand. Instead of having physical hand-outs, you can email prospects your business information and credentials. This is an eco-friendlier alternative and also eliminates the risk of a paper version being misplaced or damaged.
Additionally, creating documents digitally is a more cost-effective solution as when you have any changes or updates to make, it’s as simple as adjusting it on your computer instead of needing to reprint.
Get in touch today if you have any questions on how to make your exhibition stand more sustainable. A member of our helpful team will be happy to assist you!
