Meet the Better Stands Programme
From a practical application at IMEX Frankfurt to a framework reshaping how exhibition booths are designed, built and valued, Better Stands is moving the conversation from what happens to a stand to the decisions that determine its environmental footprint.
An exhibition hall can change almost overnight. Empty space becomes a dense landscape of structures, lighting, graphics and meeting spaces; days later, much of it is dismantled and disappears again. For visitors, the transformation is part of the spectacle, but for those watching the build and breakdown, it reveals an intricate chain of design choices, materials, procurement decisions and logistics compressed into a remarkably short window. Developed to address the familiar build-and-dispose model of exhibition booths, Better Stands has evolved from a practical pilot into a framework for measuring and encouraging reusability. At IMEX Frankfurt 2024, it began as an experiment. But by 2026, the question was how to make them progressively more common. For Milda Salciute (pictured below), Director, Events Consulting at GDS-Movement and Better Stands Advisor, the first lesson is that a stand cannot be considered in isolation. At IMEX Frankfurt 2026, her team assessed 180 custom-built booths, with 69% achieving a Bronze, Silver or Gold tier. “The greatest barrier is often not a particular material or construction method, but the disconnect between decisions made at different stages of a stand’s lifecycle,” she says. “Reuse needs to be planned collectively, with each stakeholder’s decisions supporting the stand’s next use, not just its first appearance.”
David Harrison (pictured below), CFO of IMEX, says the organization reached a similar conclusion during its pilot: “The biggest lesson was that sustainability outcomes are largely determined long before the show opens. Reusability has to be considered at the design, procurement and specification stage as a collaboration between exhibitor and contractors.” That finding changed when IMEX gathers the information needed for its assessment. “We quickly learned that gathering accurate data during the build itself is difficult. There are limited opportunities to inspect materials sufficiently once construction’s underway, so we have moved much of that work earlier into the booth design submission process,” Harrison admitted. “We realized that effective measurement requires dedicated time and focus which is difficult for our team to fulfill, particularly during the show itself.” IMEX subsequently brought in specialist partners, like the GDS-Movement, to support the assessing process.
The level of scrutiny involved is largely invisible to visitors. What they do not see is the precision required to turn an empty hall into that environment within days, and then dismantle it soon afterwards. The work behind that process can challenge assumptions about what makes a stand sustainable. Salciute has observed that booths requiring more deliberate assembly and dismantling can sometimes achieve higher reusability ratings. “It is important to stress that this is not a consistent correlation and that construction time is not an assessment criterion. However, it highlights that the way components are assembled, separated and prepared for another use matters just as much as the materials selected.” Better Stands makes this complexity visible through its Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers. “Measurement identifies areas of progress and highlights where progress has already been made. The Better Stands framework gives exhibitors and contractors clarity through a clear and consistent benchmark, rather than broader, less specific sustainability claims,” Harrison tells us. The proportion of exhibitor booths classed as reusable at IMEX Frankfurt rose from 62% in 2024 to 69% in 2026, yet the ambition is not to create a permanent hierarchy in which Gold remains an exceptional achievement. “Success would be reaching the point where reusable booths are no longer viewed as best practice, but simply standard practice. We are seeing year-on-year improvements here,” he adds.
Transport is another major consideration. “One of the most important lessons has been that the greatest opportunity for positive impact often lies beyond the booth materials themselves,” Harrison says. “Through conversations with booth builders and designers, we have learned that transportation can be one of the largest contributors to a stand’s carbon footprint.” For the redevelopment of Hall 9 at IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX prioritized partners able to use materials already located on-site. When exhibitors request recommendations, the organisation also seeks to connect them with suppliers operating locally or with storage close to the venue. Exhibitors create demand when they specify reusability. Contractors respond by developing systems that can deliver it. Organisers can alter procurement requirements and set expectations, venues and local suppliers determine what is practical once the stand has been dismantled.
Their interaction is where Better Stands could have its greatest long-term effect. “Beyond assessing individual booths, it can influence how the industry designs, procures and values exhibition infrastructure,” Salciute highlights. “Over time, this can shift the market towards systems that are designed for longevity, adaptation and multiple uses.” There is also a creative question. The exhibition stand remains a highly visible expression of a brand, and reuse could be interpreted as a constraint on individuality. Salciute sees the relationship differently. “Better Stands is not about limiting creativity, but embedding reusability into the creative brief.” Her example is exhibition carpet, where demand has helped make recyclable options more accessible and commercially viable. “As more exhibitors ask for reusable or lower-impact materials, suppliers have a clearer commercial incentive to develop and scale those solutions,” she concludes.
Reprinted from:
HQ Magazine
https://www.flipsnack.com/8B6DFADEFB5/hq-127-proving-our-worth?p=24
