Messe Düsseldorf recently launched an initiative to promote more sustainable trade fair participations. To this end it developed a customer guide that includes measures and ideas on how exhibiting companies can make trade fair appearances more sustainable and conserve resources – across all planning phases. Messe Düsseldorf showed that every step counts when it comes to sustainability at EuroShop 2023. The special stand “THINK SUSTAINABLY – ACT RESPONSIBLY” presented sustainable materials and approaches and was itself an application example of a trade fair appearance that is as sustainable as possible.
Düsseldorf, 16 March 2023. Show green: for Messe Düsseldorf sustainable action is increasingly becoming the focus of attention. “As a marketplace for new technologies and increasingly also as a platform for sustainable developments, we have a responsibility”, explains Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director Operative Trade Fair Business of Messe Düsseldorf. The company takes this into account: among other things by supporting offers that contribute to making Messe Düsseldorf’s own events more sustainable. This includes the newly developed customer guide for a more sustainable trade fair participation which the company presented at EuroShop at the beginning of March. The well-known 7 Rs of resource conservation serve as guiding principles here. The measures and ideas presented show how exhibiting companies can act in the most environmentally friendly way possible and thus come closer to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement – one step at a time.
7 R: seven ways to conserve resources
Because when it comes to sustainability and above all climate protection, every step counts. Messe Düsseldorf bundles its know-how in event management and exhibition stand construction in its customer guide for more sustainable trade fair appearances. Whether before, at or after the trade fair: the topic of sustainability is considered in all planning phases of an event in order to keep the ecological footprint as low as possible. This applies to the operation of Messe Düsseldorf itself but also to the activities of exhibiting companies and visitors. Seven guiding principles – the 7 Rs: Reflect, Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Recycle – are intended to support this. Before the trade fair exhibiting companies set the course for sustainability, for example by working with partner companies with experience in sustainable event management or by establishing CSR guidelines. While shell stands are sustainable per se because of their reusability, custom-made constructions can also be realised in an environmentally friendly way if certain points are observed. During the trade fair, the rule is: less is often more. This applies to equipment, decoration, advertising materials and giveaways. Nevertheless, there are exciting, environmentally friendly ways to make the presentation more appealing. After the trade fair, the focus is on the reuse of materials, recycling and an evaluation: where is there potential for improvement? “Together with our stakeholders we are setting out to protect the climate as much as possible at events. And it’s not directly about the perfect solution – even small steps have a positive effect on the carbon footprint”, says Andrea Eppert, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Messe Düsseldorf. “Moreover many measures are not only good for the environment but also for the companies themselves: reduced use of resources and optimised logistics often save effort and costs.”
