Be More Sustainable In Your Exhibitions In 2022

Corporate sustainability has become increasingly more important over the past few years as the circular economy and climate change continue to gather momentum. It is no longer acceptable to simply have a sustainability policy but to consider the impact of all activities and organisations are becoming more aware of the impact created at all marketing touchpoints to reach customers and end-users.

If there were an industry where enacting change in this regard could create real impact, it would be in the exhibitions industry, where the use of unsustainable materials and inefficient planning and energy sources has been prevalent. We can all commit to being more sustainable in exhibitions. 

With this in mind, Tecna UK has created some pro-tips to help make move the needle when it comes to sustainability.

Many businesses and marketers are not even aware of the wider impact marketing activities can have when launching new products, primarily through a lack of awareness. A lot can be done to reduce impact by how we plan and implement these activities as part of go-to-market strategies, as well as the types of builds we utilise for specific briefs. Within exhibitions, brands turn up to showcase all that is good about their products or services in an effort to attract buyers and raise brand awareness. So, standing out as a force for good and showing consumers that sustainability is on the company agenda in a considered way, can positively reinforce your brand values.

In this blog, we talk more about why your annual exhibitions are such a big contributor to waste and what you can do to help. Our MD and Founder, Simeon Wicks spoke at one of the UK's leading events on exhibitions recently on this topic. International Confex is THE exhibition, for THE exhibition and events industry, and he took to the stage and laid bare some of the startling facts we all need to be aware of.

• Did you know that a study by Ecobooth found that 100,000 tonnes of waste were burnt or sent to landfills from the UK events industry in one year alone?
• Just as shocking is that the UK events industry emits 1.2bn kg of CO2e every year according to a report by Hope Solutions & Zap Concepts.
• At just one event alone, complimentary mints were removed, resulting in 520,000 individual plastic wrappers avoiding landfill proving small changes can make a BIG impact.

Completely removing all waste within the exhibition process is pretty much impossible, but we need to start somewhere. More than ever there is a responsibility on businesses, and exhibition decision makers, to reduce the impact on the environment that these often one-off usages create, and the industry as a whole is now taking real steps to reduce the environmental impact of this sector, and to help educate those not involved in the finer details.

Whether you are an exhibitor attending an event, or an organiser within the events industry, we all have a part to play in creating sustainable solutions that will ensure that the resources we use at an event, from packing to our stand materials, have longevity that will go beyond the day or so at the venue.

Exhibitions by their very nature are transient. They take place for a specific amount of time, which presents a sustainability challenge. How can we ensure that we are making the most of everything used at any trade show or event, and ensure that we reduce our longer-term environmental impact?

Environmental Responsibility At Exhibitions

The exhibitions industry as a whole creates a substantial carbon footprint. Everything from the materials used, the power and resources, and the physical waste during and afterwards, including food waste, along with both country and worldwide logistics and travel for both the setup and also headcount, all contribute to carbon emissions.

With organisations pledging to environmental and sustainability targets, events are often an area that requires careful planning. And there's a developing desire for carbon-neutral practices when running or attending events, helping to reduce carbon emissions and be kinder to the planet.

By creating a greener and more environmentally friendly event experience you can help to build your brand and reputation in this area, alongside sustainable product strategies and create positive conversations with clients, and even generate more sales by taking direct action.

Ways To Make Your Exhibition Participation More Sustainable

Create A Stand That Is Reusable

A modular system is reusable and reconfigurable, designed so it can be used multiple times, on average this makes it 50 x more sustainable as a choice, than a one-off custom-built wooden unit. You do need to consider HOW you will use the stand, as modular is not right for every business need.

Before creating a stand, consider what your usages may include across a specific time period. Will you be attending multiple exhibitions or trade shows across a year, or throughout the promotion of a specific company campaign or product launch? Do you need a solution that can adapt to different-sized event spaces? By putting the focus on a set of exhibitions rather than single use, you can opt for a more environmentally friendly solution.

You can then create a stand designed flexibly with those events in mind. In addition, removing date callouts, and forward-thinking on stand graphic artwork means they can be reused over and over again without getting out of date.

You don't have to rinse and repeat and lose stand out though, for stronger marketing messages, with a modular display stand you can choose new graphics to keep your brand message fresh and showcase specific benefits for different audiences at multiple events, but keep your structure and reuse the base materials.

Ultimately a modular display system allows you to completely adjust and reconfigure your stand across multiple uses and events. Plus, if you are doing overseas events modular systems can be easily packed down into flight cases, reducing shipping cost and impact.

Use Recycled Or Recyclable Materials

When it comes to standing materials, not all are created equal. Consider whether materials can be sourced regionally. Are they made from recycled fabric or are they produced sustainably? Can they be recycled afterwards or disposed of in an environmentally-friendly fashion?

Ensure your supplier works with printers that use eco-friendly substrates and water-based inks, some providers may not do this for cost-saving purposes so it's important to ask the right questions as a client. The good news is that, as exhibitors increasingly require environmentally-friendly graphic substrates to deliver on their corporate social responsibility targets, the availability of such substrates has followed suit, which has also reduced costs.

When considering fabrics and materials, consider things like finish. Some stand materials may have toxic chemicals used during the process. This means that they have a negative environmental impact both during production, and when it comes to disposal.

Repurpose Waste Wherever Possible

The circular economy has grown up and gone prime time. Look at repurposing graphics via the local textile colleges or with recycling companies who upcycle into gifts and resell, side hustles are thriving as people look for smart ways to reuse something which has become surplus to requirements.

Before your event, consider the waste that you are likely to generate. From overstocking on merchandise, to the need for printed materials there are several steps you can take to both reduce the amount of waste you produce, and to plan for what to do with the waste that cannot be avoided.

Many in the events industry are taking advantage of the circular economy to share resources between partners. Event Cycle is top of the list when it comes to working within the industry to reuse anything used at events and exhibitions and finding a new home for them.

Of course, choosing to reduce waste will also positively affect your bottom line - the less stuff you buy, the smaller the budget required more often than not.

Go Paperless

With so many options for presenting your wares digitally, you can cut down on the need for paper almost entirely. People no longer want to walk away from an exhibition with a heavy bag full of brochures.

There are some fantastic options for showcasing your product or service that don't involve paper brochures. You can cut down the environmental cost of production, transport, and waste.

And of course, we have all seen the resurgence of the QR code. Allow your stand visitors to digitally capture information on their smartphones.

In fact, collecting contact data digitally and then sending relevant collateral gives you a better reason to follow up with prospective leads.

Choose An Environmentally Friendly Gift

Long gone are the days of handing out plastic "tat" on your stand. A gift or freebie being sustainable can be based on the materials used or on the behaviour they inspire. Even the most environmentally friendly gift is still wasted if it's disposed of two seconds after someone leaves your stand, so consider how appealing your merchandise is.

Do your research when it comes to your freebies.

Take a look at new merchandise companies that have specialised in removing the ‘tat’, Tiger Global is a great example of this. While certain materials can be touted as "environmentally friendly" they may not quite have the credentials you expect.

Choose items that help to reduce reliance on single-use plastics in everyday life, or which are likely to be used for a longer time.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

From how your materials are transported to the method of travel for your team, almost every aspect of an event will produce a carbon footprint.

Reducing carbon footprint and improving energy efficiency can be easily achieved with an event-specific carbon calculator. There are a few free carbon calculators such as Myclimate Event Carbon Calculator, and Terrapass Events Carbon Footprint Calculator (also offer the option of buying your carbon offsets).

Where possible, ask your teams to use public transport, or opt for the most sustainable travel options.

Energy Efficiency On Your Stand

Consider exactly how energy is likely to be consumed on-site. While you always want to make your brand stand out at the event, think about where you can choose the more sustainable solution - be it opting for LED lighting, or choosing digital displays that use less energy. Every year, venues are flooded with exhibitors trying to engage with potential prospects and build relationships with existing clients. Every trick in the book is used to grab attention – usually through light, sound and movement. So, what can we do to limit the impact on the environment and at the same time create the wow impact exhibitors demand?

Thankfully, long gone are the days when fluorescent lighting was the only option on the market; now there are myriad innovative and energy-efficient alternatives, from the ever-reputable Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), to Eco Halogens and Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs).

Powerful and engaging presentations, show reels and interactive experiences can also be achieved using sophisticated tech that is kinder to the environment: flat screens, interactive surfaces, and smart technology, all of which come with energy-efficient options. Look out for the colour-coded energy efficiency guide at the back of electrical equipment and opt for models with an A++ or A+++ efficiency rating.

Consider Rental

Last but not least, one of the benefits of using a modular display system over custom built is that you can consider rental over purchasing an exhibition stand which may be more economical if its not being used many times and is definitely reducing wastage so better for the environment too.

If you want to make your exhibition strategy more sustainable get in touch with Tecna UK who can help exhibitors from all sectors to create stands that are long lasting, re-useable and re-configurable in all manner of applications.