5 Ways to Exhibit Greener and Reduce Your Environmental Impact

Small Changes Make It Easy to Go Green

By the nature of the beast, trade shows tend to be wasteful and they have a very negative environmental impact. Historically, there has been a very “disposable” culture surrounding trade shows. A lot of displays and items are intended to be used once and then thrown away. Add to that all of the freight and travel associated with trade shows, and you are driving up the carbon footprint even more. Things have definitely gotten better in recent years, but there is still room for improvement. Here are 5 ways to exhibit greener and reduce your environmental impact at your next trade show.

1. Pay Attention to the Materials Used

   Between displays and marketing materials a lot goes into exhibiting at a trade show. Be aware of the materials you use for whenever possible, select promotional items made from recycled content. Utilizing items made from recycled content repurposes materials that may have otherwise ended up in a landfill. When determining a green marketing plan ask questions like, what are reusable bags made of?

   It may take some extra research and placing calls to vendors for confirmation, but with a little work you can drastically make your trade show booth much greener. When it comes to printed materials, try to use paper made from recycled content or FSC-certified paper.

2. Reduce Waste

   Look for materials that can be used over and over again. The more often you can reuse displays and furniture, the better. Purchasing more durable products may cost more upfront, but if you have able to repurpose items for future trade shows and events you will save money long term. If you want to switch up the look of furniture and displays after a few shows you can always paint or refurbish items. This will give items a new look, and reduce your environmental impact.

3. Prevent Pollution

   Renovating furniture and displays can be green, but in order to make the process as green as possible pay attention to the solvents you use. You want to use paints, stains, glues or adhesives, and other solvents that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Low VOC solvents will reduce your environmental impact, while also being a safe alternative for you and your staff, and everyone who visits your booth.

4. Pack Light

   A major contributing component to the environmental impact of trade shows is transportation. Items needed to construct a booth, displays, furniture, catalogs, samples and more need to be shipped from the home facilities to the host venue, and this requires fuel. Try to pack only what you need. For instance, if you think 500 catalogs is enough, do not bring 700 catalogs.

   Also, in terms of things like catalogs keep track of how many you give out, so you have an idea of about how many you will need for future events. When selecting items for your display be cognizant of what things weigh. The lighter your crates or shipping containers, the less expensive it will be to ship items roundtrip, and the less environmental impact.

5. Use Custom Trade Show Bags as a Takeaway.

   Takeaways are a great way to connect with customers, vendors and other key contacts. Custom trade show bags are a great takeaway, because they are something useful that people can use right away. Reusable bags are also great during an event, because people will carry your branded bag (and your marketing info) around the venue for other people in the industry to see.

   Custom trade show bags are also useful after the event is over. Depending on how often it is used and cared for a custom trade show bag can last for about 6 years. A lot of impressions can be delivered during that time. Design a custom trade show bag made from recycled or sustainable materials to further reduce your brand’s environmental impact.

Durability Matters for Custom Trade Show Bags

We are a worldwide leader in providing the best pricing and service for customers looking for custom trade show bags. But we know it goes beyond low pricing and claims of great customer service when ordering custom trade show bags. You need to ensure that your bags are the absolute strongest on the market and we can verify that ours meet the strength test and more. I have been to far too many trade shows and seen bag after bag in the trash or worse yet, just sitting on the exhibit hall floor with the handle ripped off; not a nice association for your brand.

After more than 20 years manufacturing custom trade show bags, we obviously offer great pricing and customer service but we also know how to make the process easy. Take the worry out of making the right choice when purchasing your custom trade show bags by contacting us today.

• Custom Bags