Tips from the North America Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee
The North America Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee has amassed this list of sustainable efforts you can implement when exhibiting:
- Consolidate your trade show materials to require the fewest, smallest, and lightest shipping cartons possible.
- Use environmentally friendly shipping materials such as recycled cardboard containers and starch-based biodegradable fillers.
- Use environmentally friendly, responsibly sourced paper for brochures and flyers.
- Make sure your print partner uses non-toxic soy-based inks and pigments instead of petroleum-based inks.
- Count how many brochures and flyers go unused after the show and adjust your print order for the next event. Minimize paper products or don’t distribute printed materials at all. Instead, send your booth visitors to online content or a mobile app instead.
- Specify energy-efficient lighting in your trade show booth.
- Use recycled and recyclable materials in your trade show display.
- Seek out the smallest and lightest booth fixtures possible to minimize the carbon footprint related to shipping.
- Re-use the same signs in your booth for multiple shows.
- Reskin older trade show frames and fixtures rather than ordering new.
- When reskinning just won’t work anymore, donate your retired booth fixtures to a start-up business that can give them a second life.
- Rent trade show booth materials locally instead of purchasing and shipping your own.
- Decorate your booth with rented plants or local recyclable items instead of one-time use banners and other manufactured items.
- Use local vendors for booth setup and support rather than flying in your own team.
- Purchase promo items made from sustainable, renewable materials.
- When considering merchandise and giveaways for an exhibition or event, think through these factors to ensure you are keeping the impact on the environment front of mind:
- Think of the potential lifespan of an idea you might have – how long do you really think it will be used? Is it likely to be passed onto other family members?
- Is it an item you think they need and will come in handy in their day-to-day lives?
- Is the item of a good enough quality that they will want to use?
- Just because something falls in the eco-friendly bucket, like tote bags and bottles, if the quality isn’t good enough these may well be relegated to the trash can. Many companies now give out these types of items and while they are useful, there will come a point when someone might just have too many of them. If you choose to follow this route, make sure it’s yours they prefer to use over others.
- Will the recipient want that item with your branding on it? Think carefully about which items you’re branding. Some things lend themselves to being nicely branded by your company but other items might feel a little strange branded. In cases like this think about discreet ways you can do this, whether that’s by using smaller logos, branded linings or placing the item inside branded packaging instead.
- Purchase promo items that prospects are likely to use and re-use for a long time.
- Eliminate single-use plastics (plastic bags, plastic utensils, straws) from your booth setup.
- Ensure that the office supplies you bring to the show – everything from pens and notepads to paper towels and cleaning products – are environmentally friendly.
- If you use a printer in your booth, switch to refillable ink cartridges.
- Give away reusable water bottles instead of bottled water.
- Offer recycling and composting receptacles to your booth visitors.
- If you do order branded apparel, seek out environmentally friendly items made from recycled or sustainable fibers.
- Recycle all badges, brochures, flyers, etc., that cannot be re-used at your next show.
- Communicate with prospects after the show via email, text, or social media instead of direct mail.
- At the end of the show use the same crates, pallets and packing that you sent to the venue.
