Your customers increasingly care about sustainability. In a recent PwC report on corporate sustainability, 75% of CEOs polled indicate sustainable business practices are important. These business leaders and their employees are looking to connect with companies that offer opportunities to further their sustainability goals. A trade show display offers a powerful way to communicate with customers and potential clients that your company is equipped them meet their sustainability goals.
However, when incorporating sustainable messaging and design elements into your booth, it’s important that you go beyond the surface. Companies, like consumers, are leery of “greenwashing,” which involves claiming commitment to sustainability with no real action to back those claims up. Work to support your sustainability messaging with evidence and action to build trust in your environmental efforts.
Here are a few ways you can communicate sustainability to booth visitors:
Share your company’s sustainability achievements
Multinational corporations like Coca-Cola and Walmart put together detailed, complex documents outlining their organization’s sustainability achievements, and their goals for the future. They also share them publicly, so that shareholders, industry partners, and even consumers know what they’re up to. Consider doing the same with your company’s environmental activity. You can offer copies of your report to booth visitors and include notable achievements and goals in display messaging.
Offer sustainability-minded promotional products
Branded handouts are a popular way to create a positive impression with trade show attendees. Instead of offering visitors pens with plastic barrels or synthetic drawstring bags bearing your logo, consider an eco-friendly alternative. Many promotional product producers offer a variety of eco-friendly items that could help you underscore your company’s sustainability message. These include bags made from natural fibers, pens with bamboo barrels, travel mugs made of post-consumer recycled content, and more. Consider fulfilling literature requests via email or electronic means instead of printing. Email fulfillment of requested information gets into the inbox of your attendee immediately, reducing waste and the risk that your literature doesn’t end up in the landfill.
Let your booth do the talking
Choosing a trade show display composed of sustainable materials is a great way to communicate to visitors at first sight that your company is interested in sustainability. What’s more, incorporating natural walls, surfaces and accents into your display elements can serve to give your booth a standout appearance that sets your display apart from other companies exhibiting at the event. Your trade show display partner can work with you to come up with eco elements that send a solid message to visitors and fit in with your company’s goals.
Looking for more on-trend booth ideas?
Download our Trade Shows 2020: Trends for Next Year’s Successful Exhibits resource for more inspiration.
