Eco stands at trade fairs - extravagance or necessity?

For centuries humans have been adversely affecting the environment - usually consciously, in order to maximise profit and sometimes out of necessity, since they cannot afford the fashionable ecology and opt for cheaper alternatives. However, the future of our planet depends also on man. Each of us should take steps within our own living space to contain the unfavourable environmental changes that can be easily seen without reading environmentalists' reports. The sum of individual actions can add up to a sense of collective responsibility for our future, for our children and for future generations.

Responsibility for the environment is borne particularly by those enterprises which, while producing goods and services, seek to maximise their profits and at the same time generate the highest levels of pollution and waste. Nowadays, profit should not be the main objective, but sustainable development with respect for the environment and natural resources.

Post-fair waste - more and more hot topic

As the trade fair industry in Poland developed, so did the stand construction technologies. Several decades ago, simple system stands prevailed at trade fairs, such as Syma at the beginning, followed by Octanorm and finally Maxima which offered more design possibilities. Stands constructed in wooden technology were less popular, while this segment developed only in the 1990s when international companies entered the Polish market and domestic enterprises began to care about brand recognition and their own image. At present, the variety of materials used is enormous, while their quality is so high that they could successfully serve as interior finishing elements. Even though such stands are impressive, a side effect of this phenomenon is the mass of rubbish that remains after the trade fair, with quantities counted in tens of tonnes. However, trends in Europe and worldwide clearly indicate that the problem of post-fair waste will also have to be tackled in Poland. It can be expected that waste collection fees will continue to rise and waste separation standards will become more stringent. At the same time, customers' expectations are changing, as they make increasingly conscious purchasing decisions and choose products manufactured with care for the environment. Furthermore, which is worth emphasising, the expectations of conference and congress organisers are also changing, as they expect declarations concerning the materials used as early as at the stage of defining the terms of the order. They should be multiple-use materials, and if the reuse is not possible, it is necessary to indicate how the waste remaining after the event will be processed and how it will be recycled.

IDEA Expo - the leader in stand construction in environmentally friendly technology

As IDEA Expo, we are proud that we have been able to implement a range of solutions that fit into the stream of change aiming to reverse adverse environmental changes. Last year, we extended our offer by a new, innovative exhibition system which offers a possibility to arrange stands in almost zero waste technology. It is a unique system combining the advantage of modularity with individual solutions expected by the customer.  It consists of aluminium frames, on which fabrics with prints are stretched or - in more advanced version - led modules.  In the first case, it is possible to reuse the prints by the customer or give the fabrics a second life - e.g. making advertising bags from them.  More recently, biodegradable fabrics have also become available. In the second case, we do not print graphics at all but only display multimedia content dedicated to the specific customer on LED screens.  Such fully multimedia stands demonstrate a new trend on the exhibition market and the most ecological solution.  It is worth adding that this system works especially well in situations where a very short time of assembly and disassembly is required and in places where typical carpentry work cannot be carried out (e.g. hotels, conference centres), while the aesthetics similar to the quality of stands made in wood-based panel technology is important.

Owing to the application of the new system, we can significantly reduce the number of panels which until now have served as the basic material for the construction of stands.  We also avoid labour-intensive processing and, consequently, reduce assembly time and the number of used materials.

As it is known, the use of wood-based panels will not be 100% avoided, but it is worth using panels that are recyclable.  Owing to signing a contract for the collection of recyclable waste, raw particle board, MFP and OSB as well as other wood waste (e.g. scantlings) will be placed in a special container and used to produce new boards.

In addition, we are increasingly using a latex-free carpet which is 100% recyclable.

Environmental awareness - a common issue

As a rule, ecological solutions are slightly more expensive than traditional technologies. It is therefore essential that these changes are also accepted by customers. Fortunately, most customers, especially international corporations and market leaders, have themselves implemented green solutions in their companies. This is what their customers expect from them and this trend cannot be reversed. They are the first to join the group of exhibitors who, also at the trade fair, want to use environmentally-friendly solutions in line with their corporate strategy. The group of environmentally conscious customers also includes the aforementioned organisers of large events, also from the public sector.