We have discussed at length the ways in which many trade shows are attempting to operate more according to the principle of sustainability, but we haven’t covered trade shows that actually feature the sustainable technology industry and related sustainability industries. A new post over at Ecopreneurist does just that. It covers the 3 largest expos within this industry and gives a brief explanation of each. We want to highlight these expos and discuss a little bit why a sustainability trade show is still something that hasn’t quite caught on (especially in the US).
The first trade show that is spotlighted is the Eco Expo Asia which is one of the most comprehensive trade shows in terms of including the widest range of products, technologies and trade show ideas from a diverse set of areas. The Eco Expo asia provides several categories that exhibitors can include themselves in. These range from air and water quality to eco-friendly products and green building technologies. Exhibitors who purchase a spot for their trade show booth are part of one of the largest sustainability trade shows in the world. The previous show had over 270 exhibitors and nearly 12,000 attendees.
Two of the other major sustainable industry trade shows which are spotlighted in the Ecopreneurist piece are the Eco Transport and Logistics trade show in Paris and the Eco Build Trade Show in London. Conspicuously absent are any sustainability-minded trade shows in the United States. Trade shows are a huge industry in the US, so it is somewhat surprising that this burgeoning industry doesn’t have a major trade show to represent it stateside, especially considering all of the buzz around sustainability and ‘being green.’
The Eco Transport trade show features industry leaders in sustainable transportation infrastructure and technologies (something the US very much could use a bit of). The trade show which is held for 4 days in Paris, will feature more than 100 exhibitors. Some of the cooler ideas that have been floated for this trade show include a competition for who can transport and fabricate their trade show booth in the most sustainable fashion. The trade show officials expect around 7,000 attendees from the shipping industry, the transport and logistics industry, the construction and real estate sector and government. Anyone who has spent some time in Europe knows that it is a veritable mecca of efficient and sustainable public transportation with efficient trolleys, trains and more. There will certainly be some interesting technology on display when the trade show gets underway on the 26th of March.
We can’t keep from wondering where all the trade show ideas are for the US when it comes to demonstrating sustainable technologies and promoting sustainable industry. It certainly is interesting that trade show booth technologies and fabrication processes have been improving in terms of sustainability and that trade shows themselves are becoming more sustainable-minded but there still aren’t many trade shows that focus on sustainability as a whole in the US.