How to Make Your Event Booth More Sustainable

Key Takeaways

• Reduce your expo booth’s environmental footprint while keeping money in your pocket through strategic choices: rent instead of buy (saving 50% to 75%), swap to LED lighting (cutting energy use by 75% to 80%), and embrace digital materials to slash paper waste by 40%.
• Your flights to trade shows are the hidden environmental culprit, contributing 80% of the impact and releasing 265 pounds of CO2 per person into the atmosphere, while venue energy is a mere 10%.

• Almost half of the exhibition booths get tossed in landfills after just four shows, highlighting the urgent need to reimagine how we design and reuse these marketing spaces.

How to Make Your Event Booth More Sustainable

Trade shows: exciting but secretly trashing the planet. As per Meetings Net, flights alone account for 80% of the environmental impact, dumping an average of 265 pounds of CO2 per person into the atmosphere. Venue energy? A mere 10%.

And get this: nearly half your expo booth (46%) ends up in a landfill after just four shows. Only half make it to 29 events. We can’t all teleport to the next expo, but we can overhaul expo booth design for the long haul. Ready to make your exhibition booth leaner, greener, and built to last? Let’s dive in.

The Shift Toward Sustainable Expo Booth Design

More and more consumers, investors, and regulators are holding businesses accountable for their environmental impact. With global emissions targets tightening and climate risks escalating, industries must align with net-zero goals. 

Since tradeshows are highly visible marketing platforms, they naturally face increased scrutiny to reflect these values. Therefore, a sustainable expo booth reduces environmental harm and signals your company’s commitment to responsible practices, an increasingly important factor for eco-conscious audiences.

Current Industry Challenges

Booth construction often relies on single-use materials like PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is difficult to recycle and ends up in landfills. Additionally, the logistics of transporting heavy booth components add to emissions. 

And event organizers struggle to implement large-scale recycling programs at venues. Cost concerns also deter some exhibitors from transitioning to eco-friendly solutions, as sustainable materials may have higher upfront expenses. 

The Business Case for Sustainable Design 

Despite challenges, sustainable expo booth design offers clear business benefits. Durable materials like aluminum frames, fabric graphics and recycled plastics can be reused across multiple events, reducing long-term costs. 

Lightweight design also cuts transportation emissions and expenses. Moreover, as governments introduce stricter regulations on corporate responsibility reporting, early adopters will have a competitive edge by staying ahead of compliance requirements.

5 Strategies to Increase Expo Booth Sustainability

Ready to make your exhibition booth more sustainable? You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. Here are five practical steps that can make a real difference.

1. Use Sustainable Materials on Your Booth

Aluminum, for instance, is highly recyclable. Globally, 75% of the 1.5 billion tons of aluminum ever produced is still in use today. And recycling the metal requires 95% less energy than producing products from raw ore. 

Bamboo is another sustainable material: It grows up to 3 feet per day and regenerates without replanting. Its impressive strength-to-weight ratio can be used as load-bearing support, partition walls, or custom furniture. 

Exhibition designers also use recycled plastics, FSC-certified wood, and bio-based composites. These materials can be transformed into everything from structural panels to decorative finishes, while cork and reclaimed textiles offer sustainable solutions for acoustic treatment and visual impact.

Top quality exhibit houses like Metro Exhibits use aluminum frame systems, like the one from Aluvision, throughout their process.

2. Rent an Event Booth Instead of Building a New One

One of the primary advantages of renting is the significant reduction in upfront expenses; you can rent a booth for a portion of what a purchased booth would be.

However, if you exhibit several times a year, purchasing may be the better decision in the long run (for cost-efficiency as well as sustainability). An exhibit expert at a top-quality exhibit house will have the best advice depending on your situation.

3. Opt for Efficient Event Booth LED Lighting 

LEDs consume up to 75-80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer, significantly lowering energy costs and waste. Plus, LEDs emit light directionally, reducing energy loss and the need for reflectors or diffusers. Incorporating them into your lighting design is one of the simplest ways to be more sustainable.

4. Implement Digital Alternatives

Recall printed brochures you’ve picked up at exhibitions. How many end up in the recycling bin or worse, the hotel trash can? Going digital saves trees (an estimated 40% reduction in paper waste from marketing materials) and offers attendees more dynamic experiences.

Here’s where you can cut down paper: 

• Printed Brochures: Replace with digital brochures or e-books that can be accessed via QR codes or downloadable links.
  
  To make an even bigger impact while avoiding printing hundreds of pieces of expensive, heavy marketing collateral, collect street addresses of your visitors, and mail them your beautiful brochure as a follow-up.
• Business Cards: Use digital business card apps for easy sharing and storage on mobile devices.
• Promotional Flyers: Transition to interactive digital booth displays or screens that showcase real-time promotional content.
• Posters and Signage: Utilize digital signage that can be updated instantly for different events or messages without printing new materials.
• Product Catalogs: Offer online catalogs or interactive PDFs that attendees can browse on their devices, reducing the need for physical copies.
• Feedback Forms: Replace paper surveys with digital feedback forms accessible via smartphones or tablets, enhancing data collection efficiency.
• Event Schedules: Use event apps or websites to provide attendees with up-to-date schedules and information, eliminating the need for printed agendas.

Giveaways: Consider digital giveaways, such as e-gift cards or downloadable content, instead of physical items that may contribute to waste in landfills.

5. Choose Eco-conscious Vendors

​​The right trade show display companies minimize environmental impact and enhance your brand’s green commitment. Look for recognized certifications like ISO 20121 or B Corporation, which prove they meet rigorous environmental standards. 

Don’t hesitate to request proof. The best vendors will eagerly share documentation or case studies and collaborate to achieve your sustainability goals. They may suggest innovative, eco-friendly solutions!

Metro Exhibits Is Your Sustainable Event Booth Partner

Trade shows are a prime opportunity to spotlight your brand, but their environmental footprint calls for a rethink. Sustainable event booth design offers a win-win: it trims waste, keeps costs down, and shows your commitment to eco-friendly practices that today’s audiences value.

Simple moves that make a big difference:

• Renting instead of buying
• Switching to efficient lighting
• Embracing digital materials

With its commitment to sustainability, Metro Exhibits should be your first stop when aiming to get a custom event booth built with sustainability in mind, whether you are renting or purchasing.

From reusable setups to tailored solutions, we’ll help you craft trade show display stands that look great and are kind to the planet and your budget. Let’s make trade shows smarter. Impactful displays don’t have to cost the Earth! Contact us today. 

FAQs About Sustainable Booth Design

Isn’t sustainable event booth design significantly more expensive than traditional methods?

While sustainable materials may have higher upfront costs, they typically save money in the long term. Durable materials like aluminum can be reused on an event booth across multiple shows, and renting a sustainable booth can cost 50%-75% less than purchasing. Energy-efficient features, like LED lighting, reduce operational costs by up to 80%, making sustainable design a smart financial investment.

How can I measure the environmental impact of my event booth?

You can calculate your booth’s carbon footprint by measuring shipping weight, distance traveled, and power usage during shows. Monitor how many events your materials last and what percentage gets recycled versus sent to landfills. Most sustainable vendors can help provide these measurements.

What immediate steps can I take to make my existing booth more sustainable?

• Switching to LED lighting, which uses 75% to 80% less energy.
• Digitize marketing materials with QR codes and digital displays to eliminate paper waste.
• Consider renting components instead of buying new ones
• Work with vendors to identify eco-friendly material alternatives for replacements.
  
  These changes can significantly impact sustainability without requiring a complete booth overhaul.

Using digital alternatives to traditional paper is the most common way to be environmentally conscious