Can Exhibitions Become Sustainable?

The world is changing and the environmental impact of products and services is becoming more of an issue.  Consumers are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of the products they buy.  A recent study by Forbes showed that 88% of consumers want companies to help them make a difference by being more environmentally friendly and ethical.  Research by NYU Stern’s Centre for Sustainable Business on US consumers revealed that 50% of growth in consumer-packaged goods from 2013 to 2018 came from sustainable products.  According to this article, products marketed as sustainable grew 5.6 times faster, indicating a shift in consumer preference towards environmentally-friendly products.

Over the last couple of years ‘single-use plastics’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘eco’ have become keywords used throughout social media, news and advertising. This increase in awareness has had a positive impact on the industry and greater thought has been put into how events and exhibitions are created more sustainably, though there’s still more to do.

Exhibitions have traditionally generated a lot of waste – custom-built stands are often discarded at the end of the show and built again from scratch at the next one.  Reams of corporate literature are handed out and frequently discarded in the nearest bin.  Swag bags and plastic promotional items feature on every stand to be taken and rarely used.  All this is very wasteful so how can the sustainability of exhibitions be improved?

Exhibition Stands 

Custom-build stands tend to be built from un-resourceful materials – MDF or ply faced panelling, timber, steel, and acrylics, topped off with paint or stretched PVC covering.  Much of this cannot be re-used so is simply discarded at the end of the show.

Of course, one solution to an environmentally friendly stand would be using a material that can be recycled like cardboard.  However, this doesn’t really produce a great looking stand and won’t last very long so by definition isn’t sustainable.

A far better solution is to have a modular stand that can be re-used many times.  Made from a lightweight aluminium system, stands can be dismantled and collapsed at the end of an exhibition and, thanks to its modular structure, be rebuilt quickly and easily at any time.  Companies like Black Robin Exhibits produce such modular stands, they will even help reconfigure it for future shows.

The aluminium frames are very durable so will last for years; they are also easily recycled.  The whole thing is quickly assembled with no need for power tools.  At the end of the show it can be dismantled and simply stored in a box, ready for the next show.  They can be transported in a van or large estate car removing the need for big, gas-guzzling lorries.  The ability to re-use it and remodel it for another show is an economic advantage too.

Digitisation

A process that was well underway pre-Covid has accelerated in recent months, as reducing paper and material contact is preferable not only for the environment but also for virus transmission. Any and all processes that can be digitised, should be, such as ticketing, accommodation planning and pre-event advertising.

Some have begun declaring that digitisation should be expanded to the point where events are actually held virtually. From an environmental perspective, this is indeed beneficial, but also defeats the entire point of an ‘event’ in the first place.  People will always want to meet face-to-face, holding an event through a screen is just not the same.  An event requires people to gather in a given location, and waste is an inevitable by-product. However, the elimination of handouts and flyers, increasing use of digital screens to display information are all positive steps that can be taken.

Promotional Items

Giveaways have long been the swag that delegates emerge from exhibitions and trade shows with; from bags to pens, USB drives and even that new ‘eco’ mug. While the initial thought is to maintain brand front-of-mind awareness post-event, many of these items end up in drawers, cupboards or even in the bin. Consequently, these giveaways could be labelled as an environmental issue in themselves.

More thought and consideration need to be given to interactive displays, gamification, VR, AR, digital competitions and virtual prizes, giving attendees a reason to visit the stand without weighing them down with tangible goodies, which are likely to end up unused and discarded. Engaging in this way will reflect positively on the brand in the long run and demonstrate a forward-thinking mindset.

Consumables

Food and drink will inevitably be served at any event. But the mountains of waste created by the discarded packaging add to the environmental impact of the event. Short of letting everyone starve (unlikely to foster repeat attendance), event planners can’t completely cut down on food-related waste. What they can do, however, is organise the event such that catering is handled efficiently by a single entity, or as few as possible, and that sensible, sustainable choices are made by the caterer. Biodegradable packaging should be utilised where possible and recycle bins provided by the organiser.

The Future

A new, environmentally aware era has come knocking on exhibitors (recyclable) doors. Whilst organisers, service providers, and exhibitors haven’t traditionally been concerned about sustainability, there is now a clear objective within organisations to present their products and services in the best way possible.  Proving that they can become more sustainable will have an extremely beneficial effect on how their brand is perceived.

Author bio:

Written by Caroline Grey, a Content Writer with a wide variety of experience across a number of different industry sectors.