And I’m not talking about the color. More and more, people are choosing to be more environmentally conscious in their daily life. This leads to them choosing to do business with like-minded companies. If you think it’s just people buying goods and services online or in their day-to-day life, you’re wrong. People want to see an eco-friendly trade show exhibit as well – especially the environmentally conscious companies within your industry. You’re not going to gather as many leads if you don’ t demonstrate your company’s desire to reduce its carbon footprint, that’s for sure.
Attending a trade show isn’t necessarily the greenest thing you can do. Just look at the giant carbon footprint: traveling leads to a high gasoline consumption; trees are sacrificed for the many handouts that will later end up in the trash; the slick marketing materials like brochures that will probably suffer the same fate as the handouts. Fortunately, you can take steps to make your exhibit greener.
Reuse Materials. If you reuse materials whenever you can, you will reduce waste significantly. You’ve relied on Blazer Exhibits to design and build the perfect custom display for your business. Fill that display up with your marketing materials, and include a sign that asks people to take them only if interested to minimize the number of people that will throw the papers away. When it’s time to move on to the next trade show, pack it all up carefully in order to use them again.
Consider Going Paperless. It’s true that paper handouts and brochures are commonplace at events like this. Set the new trend, and go digital! There are numerous apps on the market that trade shows can embrace that give attendees who choose this green option everything they need all on their smartphone such as exhibitor map and place to get information on all exhibitors. Set up a tablet at your booth instead of a paper email list signup form to collect email addresses from interested attendees. Added bonus – no data entry when you return from your trade show tour!
Eco-Friendly Displays. Talk to your designer about your wishes for making your exhibit as eco-friendly as possible. Whether this is relying on sustainable materials or relying on only recycled materials in your handouts, any measure will be appreciated by green potential clients. Print any handouts you might have on recycled paper, and find printing companies that rely on soy- or vegetable-based inks. Do a bit of research, and select a company that boasts minimal waste during the printing process.
Go LED. While the fluorescent lights the building probably has are out of your control, you can control those lights that might be part of your display. Consider going LED whenever possible.
Incorporate QR Codes. Business cards are a thing of the past. Welcome to the age of the QR code, putting to use the smartphones just about everyone is carrying around every day to conveniently open up business-specific content of your choosing. Simply incorporate a QR code on a banner, for example, that visitors can scan with their phone to instantly receive your contact information for future use. You can put a variety of QR codes on your display for a variety of different information. Link to an e-brochure, an interesting article, a product catalog, or a web page detailing a special award or recognition your company may have received. There’s really no limit to the kinds of things you can do with a QR code!
Take Advantage Of Storage. Blazer Exhibits provides storage services for your custom booth, which will significantly reduce gasoline costs from hauling the exhibit to and from trade shows. Another bonus – you can trust us to make sure everything look, as it should.
Consider Renting Your Booth. Another way to lower the cost of transporting everything you need for your booth is to rent it. Although it might not be customized the way a booth designed just for you would be, it’s easy to make it your own with signage and decorative touches. What’s more, it’s a great way to try out different booth setups before you commit to a custom booth.
Seek Out Eco-Friendly Venues. There are many buildings, referred to by the green crowd as “smart buildings,” that are specifically designed with the planet in mind. They significantly cut down the amount of energy that is used during an event in many ways. The most obvious is lighting, but some buildings also have a high-tech heating and cooling system that monitors air both inside and out. In this way, the building can sense when the air outside is optimal (proper temperature and humidity) for cooling the building. Flooring might be made from recycled or more durable materials. These buildings are designed with a smaller carbon footprint in mind.
Looking to appease the green crowd at your next trade show? Show them your company cares by going as green as you can with your trade show exhibit. This is great for business, and the planet too! Contact us today and see how we can help you in your green endeavors.