Author: Matt Swenson, Contributing Editor
The massive trade show adopted Better Stands as a measuring tool to cut down on waste throughout its portfolio of events.
Corey Clark, director of events & experiences at Honeycomb Strategies, a Denver-based consulting firm specializing in environmental and social sustainability, recently put on her auditing cap in London. She was one of several eco-friendly specialists scanning the booths at Accountex London, produced by Diversified in May. The event included more than 17,000 attendees and 300 exhibitors.
The results were encouraging: The majority of exhibitors were reusing exhibit materials, a key tenet of Better Stands, an industry-wide initiative seeking to limit the waste in trade shows.
Adopting the Better Stands guidelines is part of a larger effort in which Diversified is investing in producing more sustainable and efficient events, according to Alexandra Failla, corporate sustainability manager for Diversified, which produces 33 events across seven industries.
“The events industry has a real opportunity to lead here,” said Failla. “When you think about the scale of what we produce globally, the footprint is significant, and we feel a genuine responsibility to do better.”
Diversified is living up to its name, developing a wide-ranging strategy with 10 goals spanning across its business portfolio. The plan is focused on five action areas:
- Managing emissions
- Reducing waste
- Managing resources
- Caring for communities
- Strengthening partnerships
The Portland, ME-based private company has set a 2030 goal for measuring all emissions and waste across its global events. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” said Failla.
Operating by Better Stands principles as a pilot program was a step in that direction, one that Clark applauded. “Diversified wanted detailed data about exhibitor behavior rather than assumptions about waste generation,” noted Clark.
Even when she was studying the booths, Clark said it was obvious sustainability was a major emphasis of attendees. “This audience has an appetite for it,” Clark said of Accountex London.
In general, United Kingdom-based events demonstrate significantly stronger recycling and reuse infrastructure than the U.S. market, although American convention centers are taking strong steps to catch up.
At Accountex London, Better Stands increased exhibitor accountability by making sustainability performance visible. Exhibitors were aware that organizers were tracking waste generation and material choices, and made choices reflecting the show’s priorities. That’s one of the main goals of emphasizing eco-friendly shows, said Failla.
“We’re being intentional about working with contractors and suppliers who share our values and are willing to grow with us,” Failla said.
One positive trend is the advent of modular exhibit construction, said Clark. Modular booth systems allow exhibitors to adapt the same assets to multiple booth sizes and events, swapping out one or two pieces instead of “build and burn” practices.
Modular booths and other best practices will help produce cleaner events, but Clark says exhibitors are jumping on board for another important reason, as well: “It is better on their budget to build for reuse,” she said.
Failla suggested organizers just starting out on greener shows to treat year one as a foundation-building year. Patience and long-term commitment will have the biggest results, she says.
Clark agreed, adding that just talking about Better Stands and other initiatives will lead to progress. “If we don’t start having the conversations with booth builders, they have no incentive to change,” Clark said.
Reposted from TSNN: Diversified Rolls Out Green Strategy at Accountex London
