Trade shows are unfortunately notorious for being not so great for the environment. With hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people all in one space, using one-use plastic when eating on-the-go, throwing away paper, using lots of energy to power booths, and not to mention the traffic emissions that build up when so many people travel to one area at a time, trade shows get a bad-for-the-environment reputation. As a trade show exhibitor, there are many things you can do to create a greener trade show experience. Here are five easy ways for you to go green at trade shows:
Make Your Eco-friendliness Known
Show that you are committed to doing better for the environment by offering recycling at your booth and having eco-friendly tips. No one ever says, “Look at that person recycling, who does that?!” Everyone should be doing just that! Buy signs that are made from recycled material or sustainably sourced. This also encourages other exhibitors to think about how they can go green – peer pressure, in a good way.
If you’re thinking about a new booth design this year, look into some of the eco-friendly recycled materials options. Attendees will appreciate that your company is part of the solution.
If you haven’t done so already, ditch those business card fishbowl contests. There’s no need to run a paper contest these days. Use your device or scanner to capture names and then use a random name or number generator to select your winner. And speaking of paper…
Don’t Pass Out Paper
Paper and printing are no longer necessary for trade shows. It creates unnecessary bulk, more for you to bring with you, takes up valuable table space, and people rarely look at flyers anyway. It will get tossed in with other offers, and be quickly forgotten at the bottom of their swag bag
So then, how can I tell people about my business if I’m not using paper? Put everything they need to know about you on a flash drive or….
Direct People to Your Website or App Using a QR code
This is also a great, interactive way to drive business to your site. When people come up to your booth, have them scan the QR code or go directly to your website or customized trade show landing page. You can even create a special discount for trade show attendees and have them use the code at your booth. They will have all the information they need right on their phone, and can see all of your offerings easily instead of just what fits on a piece of paper.
Don’t Put Dates on Swag or Giveaway Items
It might be tempting to put the name of the event you are attending or the year on your items, but then if you don’t give them all away they won’t be able to be used at other events. Keep the information you put on the items simple – your business name/logo and contact email or phone. Addresses can change, too, so you might want to avoid adding an address unless you know it is permanent.
Give Out Eco-Friendly Swag
We have an entire selection of eco-friendly items in our catalog. Consider reusable water bottles or any type of drink container instead of plastic water bottles, reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags, and items that are going to be useful for a long time (and won’t be thrown away). These items include flash drives for computers, cell phone accessories, and anything unique to your business that people cannot get anywhere else. This will really help reduce your carbon footprint.
There is a common misconception that going green will cost more money, but that’s just not true. We have eco-friendly items in every price range, and going green with these tips can actually save you money. You will reduce your printing costs, and reusable items are better for marketing; people will use them over and over again and spread your business name.
Finally, many trade show planners are moving in this direction and they’ll expect you to do the work as well. It’s time to begin thinking about your options. Not only is going green good for the environment, but it is good for your business.
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