MAKING TRADE SHOW DISPLAY GREENER AND ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY

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.