SOLUTION
1. Select sustainable materials
Materials used at trade show booths are where the environmental impact is often greatest and is where the United States and Asia differ the most.
Asian booths primarily use wood that has been nailed or screwed together onsite during construction. This wood is left behind and then thrown away
as garbage at the end of the trade show. The carpets used are thin and made for only one-time use. This “build and burn” approach is extremely
wasteful, especially considering most trade shows last less than a week.
The USA has moved on from using more expensive wood, and instead has replaced wood with modular aluminum systems wrapped in plain or printed
fabric. Lighter and cheaper than wood, aluminum can be used for years, and the fabric can be kept and used multiple times as long as the
necessary size remains the same across events. Due to their light weight, aluminum systems are easier to transport, which means lower handling
charges and less gasoline. Similarly, when wood is used, they’re laminated and constructed in a modular way where they can be easily taken
apart and used again several times. Exhibitors in the United States also have the opportunity to buy their booth and have it stored between
each show, using it for perhaps 3 to 5 years before creating a new one. Even then, a new booth may only just mean replacing the laminate and
reworking old materials. With this methodology a single wood reception counter, wall or cabinet may easily be used for even as long as
10 years – an impressive use of what is traditionally considered a “non-sustainable” material. Generally speaking, in the United States more
than 95% of what is brought in to build the booths is shipped back out again at the end so that it is ready for use in a future event.
2. Recycle and donate materials
It has become common practice now in the United States to donate products used in home goods, furnishings, and restaurant shows.
This practice has arisen because many products are usually shipped one way to the venue. This usually results in products being disposed of at
the end of the show. By partnering with local charities and NPOs, these products are collected and subsequently donated to people in need of
such items. This ensures that very little is wasted and that people can continue benefiting from it at the same time. Many show organizers make
these arrangements in advance so that it’s very easy for exhibitors to participate.
3. Reuse materials for multiple events
In the United States show organizers now demonstrate a more conscious effort to reuse certain materials so that they last over multiple events
and avoid waste in the process. For example, many shows generally omit the year of the event in their signage so that it can be reused in the
following years. Carpeting is still pretty common for aisles in events in the United States, so to be more environmentally friendly,
a longer-lasting, thicker variety of carpet material is used. Unlike the thinner ones that are often found in Asian events and only used once,
these thicker, more sustainable carpets, are cleaned and re-used for several shows.
