Editor’s Note: Many thanks to banner manufacturer Marler Haley (UK) for sharing this helpful information with us! – Heidi Thorne
As we know, exhibiting is a big, global business. With the number of exhibitions, conferences and trade shows growing, it is only going to get bigger. That inevitably means that the impact on the environment is going to get bigger too. As the infographic below, courtesy of pull up banners manufacturers Marler Haley shows, exhibitions created 640,460 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
With this in mind here are few simple tips that anybody who is looking to attend an exhibition can do to minimise their affect on the planet.
- Transport – Obviously to exhibit or attend an event you need to get there. However we aren’t suggesting only attend those events that are in walking distance, or cycle to the event towing your stand. Instead of this try to use group transport where possible, for example a minibus to take all your delegates in rather than driving in cars. Alternatively use public transport, and organizers could have incentives for people doing so.
- Energy Saving Facilities – Anybody at an exhibition should be made aware of any eco-friendly practices on site. This could involve minimising lighting, heating or even air-conditioning. Where possible use low-wattage lighting such as CFLs and LEDs. Finally ensure there are plenty of recycling bins at hand.
- Use an environmentally friendly banner display provider – Your banner display company should be ISO14001 recognised, which is an internationally accepted Environmental Standard. Ensure that they use recycled materials, and that they don’t burn any used products in to the atmosphere.
- Measure your impact and set goals – How much affect can these small changes actually have? Well calculate your Carbon Footprint using the many online tools available, and then try and think how you can have a smaller impact at your next event. By constantly trying to make small gains one event at a time you will soon find that these all add up and equate to a large reduction in your carbon emissions.
