Best Sustainability Practices for Custom Exhibits

By Dionne Holder

There are many ways to promote your organisation. One fantastic way is through events， which， with the right planning， can pull your audience in.

Although custom-built exhibits are eyecatching and impressive， they can be detrimental to cost if you are not cautious. All of the given factors that go into creating a custom-build exhibit， including design time， production， shipping， labour and waste， cause harm to both your budget and the environment. However， strategy and imagination can come together to create an environmentally-conscious booth that successfully immerses your audience.

Challenge your team

Get your team and vendors to rise to the challenge of creating a custom feel by reusing elements from previous exhibits. Replacing trim or changing a graphic may be all thats needed to refresh an old exhibit. This is an excellent opportunity to collaborate， as theyll likely have a wealth of ideas for updating existing elements instead of starting over.

If you do need to implement fullycustomized updates， keep your carbon footprint in mind. Why not add a dash of modern appeal to your old exhibit by replacing older materials with lightweight， recycled materials that use fewer resources？

Consider costs

Its true， added upfront costs associated with lightweight exhibits exist， but the savings realized in shipping and maintenance costs more than make up for it.

Old-fashioned wood exhibits need constant maintenance between shows and are susceptible to warping. With aluminium and fabric， setup is often faster， and you only need to wash it periodically to bring back the original glory.

Also， remember many shipping companies price by weight. Aluminium is lighter than wood， so transporting is less costly and better for the environment. Plus， your sleek， high-tech exhibit will win over attendees show after show.

Build sustainably

When the time comes for a new build， create the booth using sustainable materials. Think about your costs beyond just one show； your organization is no one-trick pony and neither are your exhibits！

Here are two options to consider：

？A lightweight event frame can be fitted with brand-specific fabric signage and just a few event-specific elements， giving you maximum versatility and longevity for a minimal footprint.

？Custom cut cardboard with direct-print graphics that create a seamless look – think a brick backdrop or custom-cut mountain range. This modern lightweight option is ideal for single-use booths， graphic walls or backdrops， and event structures like registration desks or entry pillars. Plus， the materials are completely recyclable！

Explore the options available so you know what to expect when its time to reuse， replace and recycle your old exhibit and its materials. With a green plan in place， you can move strategically toward increased sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

The future of events is sustainable. So， by thinking about the environmental and financial costs of your exhibits up front， you can lead the way with a sensational， sustainable booth that creates buzz for your brand and the environment.

Freeman， a leading global brand experience provider， helps clients to design， plan and deliver immersive experiences for their most important audiences. And at the same time， the company adheres to the concept of sustainable development. It sticks to optimising the use of energy and materials， minimize waste， and measure and improve ecological impact when building fantastic brand experiences."We realize our opportunity as the market leader to really make an impact. Not just because its a good story to tell but because its the right thing to do. "Carrie Freeman Parsons， Vice Chair Freeman observes.

Freeman has met the requirements to achieve the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certification. This is the Olympic Standard and now qualifies to bid on international level events like the Olympics and United Nations events. Freeman is the first in event industry to make this commitment on a global scale.

（The author is Managing Director of FreemanXP China）