It’s always greener on the other side of the. . . aisle?
Marketing the eco-friendly way. . .
It’s always greener on the other side of the. . . aisle?
By trade, I’m a former media relations specialist turned trade show manager. I like what I do (marketing defense industry products) and I’m pretty darn good at it. Basically, I’m serious about my job.
This was my first year at the show, and I was pleased to see that several of the companies that were represented had made it a point to design their booths in an eco-friendly manner: lightweight construction materials, giveaways that were made from recyclable materials, data and informational sheets that were available in electronic format (forget the heavy print-outs).
I was able to walk away from this event with several ideas to run by my company that I think will not only reduce our environmental impact, but save us money too. I’ve listed a few below. (Not all though, because some of them are top secret – you never know if a competitor could be reading this… J).
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Investigate all methods of transportation for your products/booth – rail, truck, joint-shipping with another nearby exhibitor (non-competing projects, of course). -
Investigate upfront costs (such as those for new structures made of lightweight material) vs. long term costs (such as drayage fees – money the event charges to hold your crates, boxes, etc.)
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Eliminate waste from your exhibit where possible (try a tank of water with biodegradable cups instead of the continually popular water bottles).
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If giving swag or follow-up items, show your commitment (reusable bags, notepads made of recyclable materials, etc. Side note: Derse, an experiential marketing co, sent me one of these the other day. Quite nice. God job, folks. And, yes, I did like the box with confetti-esque stuff.)
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Make your customers part of the process (if they want data and materials, oblige them – with electronic copies, unless they specifically require otherwise)
By Gingerly Green of Two Girls Go Green (@TwoGirlsGoGreen). To comment on the original post, click here.
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