Fifteen years ago, Classic Exhibits made a commitment to sustainable exhibits with ecoSmart Sustainable Displays. Our commitment hasn’t waivered with over 150 eco-friendly islands, inlines, and accessories.
We invite you to explore ecoSmart Sustainable this month. Our Summer Savings Promotion features over 25 contemporary eco-friendly designs. Effective through 8/31/23.
The sky’s the limit for our ecoSmart Sustainable Displays. All of our ecoSmart products are designed and constructed with the most environmentally-friendly materials available.
If you do not see a design that meets your specific needs, let us know. We have an exhibit design service. Allow us to create a unique, custom display that is specific to your needs.
If you’re reading this article, then you’re already an excellent candidate for a custom eco friendly exhibit. You may be personally committed to green materials, or your company may have a sustainability initiative. Either way, it’s a positive choice. In this post, we’ll explore what sustainable means when it comes to designing, building, and shipping a “green exhibit.”
Historically, trade shows have not been eco-friendly. There’s the “build and burn” philosophy in some parts of the world where exhibits are abandoned after one use. There’s also the tremendous waste created before, during, and after a show – like packaging, paper, wood, foam, and fabric signs, and flooring. Fortunately, about 15 years ago, show organizers, general contractors, and builders took a (somewhat) more enlightened approach with the goals of more eco-friendly trade shows.
You Can Make a Difference with Our Sustainable Exhibits
As an exhibitor, you can make a difference, and that difference doesn’t have to cost more or compromise your design or marketing goals. Green display materials such as Eco-board, ReCo, and FSC wood products are smart choices that are comparable to non-sustainable materials in performance, look, and feel. However, none of that matters if you can’t get the design and the features you need in your exhibit.
Thankfully, since 2007, Classic Exhibits has been designing modern ecoSmart Sustainable Displays for our clients ranging from islands to inlines and counters to charging tables. There are hundreds of options and a wide range of designs.
Why Choose Eco-Friendly Exhibits?
Contemporary, Dynamic Designs
Environmentally Friendly Materials
Fulfill Your Company’s Sustainability Initiative
It’s an easy choice. There is no downside to going with an Eco-friendly Exhibit.
How Are EcoSmart Displays Sustainable Trade Show Exhibits?
Every Eco-Systems Exhibit starts with sustainable materials. These include:
Aluminum Extrusions: 70% recycled content and aluminum is endlessly recyclable.
Forest Stewardship Council Wood Products: Certified grown and harvested sustainably.
Laminates: Greenguard Certified.
Adhesives: Water-based, low or VOC free (Volatile Organic Compounds).
Eco-Board: Biodegradable polystyrene.
ReCo Board: 100% recycled plastics.
Eco-Glass: 100% post-industrial recycled acrylic or plexi-glass.
Fabric Graphics: 100% post-consumer material including dye-sub SEG backlit graphics.
LED Lights: Lightboxes, accent lights, stem lights, and downlighting.
Shipping Cases made from recycled plastics and 100% recyclable when no longer needed. All wood crates are made using FSC Wood.
Reusable Packing Materials Made from Recycled Foam
In addition, Eco-Systems exhibits are manufactured in
Portland, OR at a sustainably managed facility.
OK, But Will My Eco Friendly Exhibit Look “Green”?
Do you mean funky, crunchy, or recycled-looking? It can but most exhibitors want a sustainable exhibit with a contemporary look and feel. In other words, no one knows it’s “green” unless you tell them. That applies to 10 ft, 20 ft., islands, and accessories.
10 Eco Friendly Exhibit Examples
Here are some examples from the 200+ kits in the ecoSmart galleries.
Eco Friendly Island Exhibits
ECO-4022: This modular design, with 10 ft. and 20 ft. inline options, has bright LED Lightboxes, reception counters with locking storage, and even a spacious interior conference room
ECO-4055: An elegant island with product shelving and showcases. This design comes with curved headers and a monitor option.
ECO-4094: This open design with seating and a reception counter is cost-effective as a purchase or a rental.
ECO-4071: The custom modular design is perfect for the exhibitor with an aggressive show schedule that includes 10 ft, 20 ft., and island booths. The ECO-4071 is easy to reconfigure and includes sustainable options like LED lights, graphics printed on recycled materials, and an aluminum structure.
SustainableInlineExhibits
ECO-1071: Modular and customizable, the ECO-1071 makes it easy to demonstrate products or services on the show floor with casual seating, counters, and rotating tablet displays.
ECO-2060: Big, bold graphics make this an enticing exhibit. There’s even a full-size closet for product samples, coats, purses, and briefcases.
ECO-2113: The perfect balance between backlit graphics and extensive shelving. The curved display counters put your products front and center on the aisle.
ECO-1038-B: Backlit and beautiful, the ECO-1038 shines with backlit graphics, locking closet storage, and a practical reception counter. Need more space? The ECO-1038-B easily reconfigures to a 10 x 20 with even more storage and backlighting.
Sustainable Exhibit Accessories
ECO-42C Reception Counter: The contemporary design, backlit graphics, and raised plex countertop will attract attention, but it’s the FSC wood, LED lights, and recycled acrylic that make it sustainable.
ECO-22C Pedestal: Attracting shelving options on the aisle are like unicorns. People talk about them but no one can find one. The ECO-22C is the ideal solution for featuring products “front and forward” at a trade show with six adjustable shelves.
How Much Customization is Available with Green Exhibits?
In short, we’ll build whatever you want. The online galleries are idea generators where you can see what’s possible, and mix and match designs to fulfill your specific marketing needs. For example, we have clients in the natural foods industry. Most want a bright and colorful exhibit with extensive shelving and storage, plus convenient counters for sampling. They also need a reconfigurable sustainable exhibit since their shows vary from local tastings when a 10 ft. booth is ideal to an industry show in Las Vegas, Anaheim, or Boston where only an island will do to handle the crowds, meetings, and press conferences.
When it comes to an eco-friendly display, there’s no reason to limit your vision. The materials are comparable in price to non-green materials and have the same construction flexibility.
Is There an Ultimate Sustainable Exhibits Option?
Looking for the ultimate sustainable exhibit for your trade show program? Don’t buy it. Rent it. Rental displays made with sustainable materials are a win-win. They’re constructed with eco-friendly materials, including aluminum, FSC wood, and recycled graphic fabric and substrates.
Custom rental exhibits are quickly becoming the greenest of green choices for exhibitors who want to make a difference. Many rental exhibits are built with the same materials previously mentioned, come in a variety of sizes and designs, and can be customized for any exhibitor — even from show to show. Rentals give exhibitors the ultimate flexibility to change their messaging without the hassle of ownership.
An eco-friendly rental from Classic Exhibits looks identical to a purchased exhibit. Just imagine your beautiful island display with large LED lightboxes, big overhead signs, conference and meeting rooms, and workstations at a price 40% less than a comparable purchased display.
Because rentals are used again and again, as long as the components are functional and attractive, they are more sustainable for the exhibitor and the builder. Plus, at Classic Exhibits, when components can no longer be used, we recycle them – wood, aluminum, and plastic. That may not always happen when an exhibitor decides to dispose of their purchased display.
To view all of the rental designs, click on Rentals or Exhibit Design Search. Or start a conversation with a Classic Exhibits professional about designing a one-of-a-kind custom rental display.
Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufactures portable, modular, hybrid, and custom exhibit solutions, including Symphony Portable Displays. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.
First held in 1970, Earth Day challenged and mobilize Americans to bring awareness to the issues caused by air and water pollution as well as the amount of trash going into landfills. Rivers on fire, dead fish floating on the surface of lakes, and smog blanketing major US cities were common news items back then. Does anyone remember when the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was on fire in 1969?
Here’s Walter Cronkite reporting on the first Earth Day in 1970.
New Laws and Agencies
These environmental disasters and health issues caused by
pollution led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
OSHA, The Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act among others. These
laws have protected millions of men, women, and children from disease and death
and protected hundreds of species from extinction.
Recycled and Green Materials
Environmental issues also led to the practice of recycling
which became mainstream in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that
states began mandating the recycling of paper, plastics, and metal. Recycling decreased the amount of waste going
into landfills and created a new industry dedicated to producing recycled raw
materials and products with the same look, feel, and quality of products made
from virgin raw materials.
Aa a trade show veteran in the 80s and 90s, I remember the
staggering waste produced at a typical show or event that went into landfills.
Since then, recycling and sustainability have had a positive impact on North
American trade shows. We no longer see mountains of brochures, paper products,
give-a-ways, and carpeting thrown away.
However, building eco-friendly exhibits continued to be a
challenge. Green materials either weren’t available or were expensive. Plus,
there was a misconception that sustainable meant designing a building a display
that was either structurally unsound or aesthetically unattractive.
Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits
In 2006, Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits was founded to give exhibitors eco-friendly trade show booths that didn’t compromise on design or quality. Eco-Systems utilized eco-friendly materials similar to Sintra, fabric made from recycled plastics, aluminum extrusions produced using new and recycle aluminum, FSC certified wood, Green Guard laminates and water-based adhesives and inks. As technology has evolved, so has the quality of the material we use today in the construction of Eco-Systems displays. But one thing has never changed: the innovative designs that made Eco-Systems appealing.
Over the past 15 years, sustainability has been a major
initiative for most corporations, a trend we’re seeing again as companies
revisit their trade show program. Unfortunately, many exhibitors don’t realize
they have sustainable options.
Offering your clients an eco-friendly exhibit is not only is
the right thing to do for the environment but also gives your clients the
ability to tie their corporate sustainability initiatives into their trade show
program. And the best thing is they can do this without compromising the design
or the quality of the materials used to build the exhibit. Plus, purchasing or
renting an Eco-Systems display never costs more than a non-sustainable exhibit.
We encourage you to visit the Eco-System’s Galleries in Exhibit Design Search with over 200 contemporary designs.
The Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is right around the corner, taking place in Toronto, ON from October 4-7. For those who have never been, the show is spectacular, filled with some of the most innovative sustainable products that you will ever see.
The Greenbuild Expo exemplifies the idea of utilizing GREEN to grow businesses. The show provides an unrivaled opportunity to learn about the latest innovations, explore new products and exchange ideas with other professionals. The 3-day event also includes numerous educational seminars and workshops, and is the four-time winner of Tradeshow Week’s Fastest 50 growing trade shows in the U.S. Last year, in Chicago, IL, the event drew nearly 40,000 attendees and over 1,000 exhibiting companies.
Greenbuild’s attendee base is large, diverse, and geographically distributed. In 2010, the show welcomed attendees from 114 countries, many of which were high-level decision makers. This year, as the show moves to Toronto, the international intrigue only expects to rise.
Eco-Systems Sustainable Exhibits prepares for this event months in advance, expecting a spike in sales and RFP’s. Although Eco-Systems is not “officially” affiliated with Greenbuild, many exhibitors are drawn to our line of sustainable displays. Last year, Eco-Systems built over 35 exhibitsthat were displayed at the show. Some of the materials used in the construction of these exhibits include:
Textured Coatings of America Inc. purchased a 20′ x 20′ Eco-Systems exhibit for the Greenbuild Show last year. President and CEO Jay Haines had this to say:
“I think it’s one of the greenest booths here, and we’re extremely happy to showcase it at the Greenbuild Show.”
Classic’s Green Initiatives (What You Should Know)
So, you may be saying, “Well it’s about time!” But not so fast.
Over the past three to four years, we have witnessed a lot of companies jump, or should I say “belly-flop,” into the Green/Sustainable movement. In doing so, many have looked foolish by attempting to make “Green” a marketing ploy rather than a responsible business plan. I’m sure you’ve seen many of the claims. My favorite was the exhibit manufacturer that claimed their lunchroom was a green initiative since many employees ate there rather than drive to a fast food joint.
As a result, we have opted not to market a green plan that is not real. Instead, we have taken real steps to become a more responsible business when it comes to recycling and being a steward of the environment.
Granted, we’ve had help. As many of you know, we acquired ownership in Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits last June. But even before that, we had a very close partnership with Eco-systems where we provided manufacturing expertise to Eco-systems, and they, in turn, guided us toward more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Again, this has been a learning process for Classic Exhibits — one we are still learning almost daily. We still have a long way to go, but our Production and Administrative employees are clearly passionate about it. Make no mistake, we will continue to become more and more environmentally conscious. But understand one thing. It’s unlikely we’ll refer to Classic as a “Green Company” anytime soon. Because we are not. For exhibit solutions that are 100% “Eco-friendly,” we encourage you to turn to Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits, the industry leader in sustainable displays.
Here are a few of the Green/Sustainable changes in our manufacturing process over the past few years.
Recycle, Reuse, Reduce
1. Eco-fi Fabric
Classic uses Eco-fi fabrics, which are made from recycled soda bottles, for many of our fabric needs. Whether it’s on Quadro Pop-ups, Intro Folding Fabric Systems, Euro LT Modular panels (backsides), or the wood crates that we line with fabric and completely jig for your displays.
2. Glues
Classic primarily uses 3M’s Fastbond 3000, a water-based adhesive. It’s a replacement for many of the standard glues of the past which were not only unsafe for the environment, but also did not work as well.
3. Metal Recycling
You can’t be the leader in hybrid exhibit manufacturing and MODUL aluminum extrusions without metal drops. Nearly every order creates drops whether it’s Aero Overhead Hanging Signs, Visionary Designs Hybrids, Sacagawea, or specialty work on our CNC mill. We work with a local company called Metro Metals. They pick up our drops for recycling and pay us for the metal.
4. Aluminum Extrusions
We are very fortunate to work with a local aluminum extruder that believes in using as much regrind aluminum as possible in their billets. So much so, that they are the only extruder we know that certifies the recycled content of their billets with a 27 percent post consumer minimum! Combine that with the fact that they recycle their own drops off the extrusion press (post industrial) and you get a level of recycled content that often exceeds 70 percent.
5. Sheet Goods
Like others in our business, we use a lot of sheet goods: Sintra, Lexan, Styrene, Coroplast, Black Foam, Acrylic, Laminate, and certainly Wood.
On the plastics, we developed a program with a local company, Denton Plastics, where they pickup our drops and recycle it into reusable pellets. With a simple series of labeled drop bins, our shop staff has someplace other than the trash to throw even the smallest pieces of laminate and acrylic scraps. Which leads me to the next item . . . .
6. Regrind Cases and Black Foam
All of Classic’s roto-molded cases are made from 100% regrind plastic. The beauty is that the plastic pellets used to make our regrind cases are supplied by Denton Plastics, the same company that recycles all of our sheet good drops (except the wood of course). So, the drops we produce are actually in some cases recycled into pellets that are then used by our local roto-molder to make our cases. Pretty cool and a fast reclamation of goods.
In addition, the die-cut foam packaging you’ve come to expect and love from Classic is made from recycled content. The next time you receive a Sacagawea or a Perfect 10 and open a roto-molded case (regrind plastic), unpack the MODUL aluminum (recycled content), and admire the packaging (recycled foam), you’re witnessing our commitment to finding green solutions.
7. Wood
Classic has many local options for recycling our wood drops as well. All of which, like the plastics, get ground down and then sold for re-use in either recycled sheet goods or other recycled wood products.
8. Cardboard and Paper
Recycling cardboard and paper has always been easy. We’ve been recycling all our paper products for years.
So rather than send out press releases about how we encourage carpooling, or how our systems are reconfigurable, or how we offer a substantial rental program, all of which make us green somehow, we’ll continue to take it one positive step at a time and learn from our suppliers, our employees, and from our partner Eco-systems Sustainable Exhibits.
