Trade show is an
exhibition conducted for the companies in specific business, which can display
and demonstrate their latest products and services. Generally, trade shows are
not open for the general public. They can be attended by the representatives of
companies and by the press members. Exhibiting at trade shows gives an
excellent opportunity to grow the business. This is because it is observed in
the history of trade shows that 86% of trade show attendees are either the
decision makers by themselves or they have considerable influence on the
decision of buying.
Displays play a major
role in trade shows. Trade show display is a graphic display device which
includes table stand displays, banner stands, pop up displays, flat panel
displays and other such things that are used to fill the display booth. These
displays play a major role in attracting the visitors to the display booth so
that the sales representatives at the booth can pitch them about the product or
the service, and handover related flyers or brochures to them.
Though these trade
show displays can boost sales, they create a lot of waste also. From surveys it
is concluded that the trade show displays industry is the second largest industry
to produce waste, next to the construction industry. This waste consists of
flyers, packaging, samples and much more. As a responsible member of the
society we must focus on the ‘Go Green’ approach for making displays, to avoid
any harm to the beautiful nature. We must go for greener and environmental
friendly trade show displays.
Green trade show
displays makes use of green materials. A green material is anything that is
reusable, renewable, sustainable and environmentally friendly. Some of the
green materials that can be used for trade show display are:
- Aluminum
extrusions from recycled aluminum – Mainly, aluminum extrusion products
are used for the framework for all sort of exhibits.
- Bamboo
– It can be used for flooring of the trade show booth and in making panels
for cabinets and counters. Even it can be used in a frame for various
displays.
- Polyethylene
terephthalate (PET and Recycled PET) – it is made from recycled plastic
bottles. It is transparent or opaque in appearance. It can be used for
plastic panels, displays and for anything that has to Velcro.
- Paradise
Fabric™ - It is a cloth like material which is more durable than a cloth.
High quality graphic printing can be done on it. It can be used in graphic
exhibits in trade show booth.
- Recycled
rubber – It is normally used in flooring and as a backing to the flooring of
trade exhibition booth.
- Low
VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) products – These are the eco-friendly
products such as adhesives, paints and special inks.
- GreenCore™
- It is a board normally ¼ inch thick. It can be used for augmenting trade
show exhibits.
- LED,
fluorescent, or electroluminescent lighting – This kind of
illumination saves lot of energy as well as utility costs.
We have seen some of
the green materials that can be used to construct trade show displays and
booths. In addition to this, we can make trade shows further more eco-friendly
by some simple measures.
Travelling to and
from the trade show place is a major cause of waste. Sending necessary equipment to the trade show site from long distances, and sometimes across the
country, for just a few days are not only costly, but it is also inefficient
and unnecessary. Instead, we can consider the local supplier nearby the trade
show site.
Generally, the trade
shows make use of tons of paper in the form of visiting cards, brochures,
flyers and sales related paper work. We can go more and more digital to avoid
such wastage of paper. There are some mobile apps that allow exchanging
information with the visitors and following up with the contacts. This really
brings down the paperwork to minimum.
Also, the design
signs, banners and other exhibits are to be written in such a way that it can
be reused again and again, even in different trade shows. It reduces the
harmful waste drastically.
Conservation of the
nature with maximum usage of eco-friendly ways is must today. If we take care
of nature today, nature will take care of our existence tomorrow.