The great Green wave is here and has made it into the trade show industry. Here are some great principles and practices to incorporate into your current trade show exhibit program.
1. Give your old exhibit a new look. When you no longer have a use for your existing exhibit materials, search out companies in the trade show industry or associations in your local community (such as colleges, high schools or even nonprofit organizations) that would be thrilled to repurpose and recycle your old display.
2. Reduce the weight of your Exhibit. By reducing the weight of your exhibit through material selections, or the use of modular or portable exhibits, makes a big difference in your overall carbon footprint. Light weight properties require less energy to transport. Try reducing the amount of printed materials you send to a show to decrease weight and save some trees in the process. Try putting all your catalogs and products on a pre-loaded flash drive and hand those out at the show instead of actual hand out printed materials.
3. Detox your exhibit. Try reducing pollution and health hazards by building an exhibit with low – or better yet – no VOC (volatile organic compounds), adhesives, paints, varnishes, or other finishes. Also traditional carpet can be another source of harmful fumes and you may want to consider incorporating nontraditional materials such as bamboo, cork, marmoleum, recycled rubber, seagrass or sisal.
4. Print less or print Green. Use electronic displays rather than bringing printed materials to the show as this is typically a greener option. While a certain amount of printing is usually necessary, try working with a printing company that uses water-based vegetable inks and, whenever possible, print on the highest percentage of post-consumer-recycled material such as fabric, paper or plastic.
5. Eco-accessorize your exhibit. Be sure your exhibit signs, lighting, racks, giveaways and accessories promote sustainability. Ask your current suppliers and/or vendors for products made of sustainable, renewable and/or recyclable materials. For example, did you know that energy-efficient LED lights can reduce power usage by as much as 90 percent?
6. Increase sustainability. Whenever possible, select materials that are reclaimed, recycled or rapidly renewable (such as bamboo, sorghum, or plant fibers – hemp and jute). Try reducing the amount of nonrenewable materials in your exhibit such as PVC, which is harmful to the environment and to your health. Substitute PVC with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood or incorporate recycled metals or plastics.
7. Make your current materials last. Build, buy or even rent your exhibit materials with durability and multiple use in mind. Design your signs with messages that don’t need to be updated very often or include signage components that can be switched out for different events but are still reusable.
8. Focus on becoming carbon neutral. When you have invested in exhibit materials that you can’t eliminate or reduce, consider offsetting your purchase with carbon offsets from reliable sources. See this directory rating with more than 80 offset providers that can be found online at www.carboncatalog.com. Also work with an eco-friendly shipper that offers free carbon offsets to its trade show customers as part of its green program. Shipping accounts for more than half of an exhibitor’s carbon footprint.
9. Encourage social responsibility with your strategic partners. Choose your partners and/or vendors wisely to favor those who use responsible labor practices, have water- and energy- saving programs and also feature recycling and/or waste-reduction programs in place through their operations.
10. Shop local. Buy local. To reduce in excessive energy usage in shipping, shop local and buy local. Consider a local storage warehouse or one that is centrally located between your show sites or one that is close to your show site(s) to save on costs and energy in long distance shipments. Not only will you save a bundle on shipping, but you will also be helping the local economy!
With the awareness of green exhibiting and businesses becoming more conscious of going green, it is important to do what you can to eco-up your trade show program. Try focusing on incorporating just one or two of these practices to begin with and before you know it, you’ll be a Green Company that is focused on saving the environment while preparing for your trade show exhibiting programs.
