Posted February 15th, 2009 by richard in Installers Life
I don't to step on that other dude who writes articles on this site about the environment, but, I feel like I have to. I have noticed for years that the exhibit floor at a trade show seems to be a terribly wasteful place. When the truck is loaded up at the end of a show and I look across the floor, I can not believe the mess that is left. It is almost post apocalyptic. Unread literature, trashed exhibits, spent tape, bubble wrap and where did all those little Styrofoam chips come from? Not withstanding the cost to the environment from shipping exhibits that sometimes weigh more than a house from place to place. What can be done?
[more after the break]
I always try my best to be environmentally friendly at home and I try to do the same when I am packing up an exhibit. We try our best to neatly store away our packing material to use it again during the dismantle. We also make an effort at the end of a show to get anything that can be recycled into the bins where it can be turned into something useful and not just go into landfill.
One trend that I like as an installer is the move toward using a lot of fabric in booths. I am amazed at the quality of fabric structures that have developed in the past few years. In the "old days," we used to rail against the idea that we would set up a booth made out of fabric. It seemed less substantial than a good old fashioned custom wood exhibit. But todays fabric structures are dynamic and pose challenges to us installers that rival heavy weight custom exhibits. In the long run the use of these materials will make the exhibits industry more economical and ecologically sensitive to the world around us. More importantly it may help us stay a force in the marketing of businesses for years to come.
Can you see other ways that Installers defile the ecology? Do you have any tips for being an eco-friendly installer?
