Today, eco-consciousness is the rule rather than the exception for companies from all sectors of industry and commerce. “Green” booths are no longer the sole preserve of green trade shows, and it is rare indeed to see a booth design brief of any kind that doesn’t include at least an element of sustainability.
Creating a full-on eco-friendly booth, however, is another matter; but it can be done at minimal additional cost or with a small sacrifice of function by following some common-sense guidelines.
The first and most important of these is conceptual: don’t think of sustainability as something that is simply “added” onto an otherwise conventional booth design. Instead, plan ahead, think “green” right from the start, and avoid the compromises of forcing eco-friendliness onto an unsuitable design.
For example, “green” design means more than using eco-friendly materials and systems – it’s just as important to minimise the materials needed (and potentially wasted) in the first place. A “green” booth design would therefore tend to feature planar and linear architecture instead of using more material-intensive, harder-to-fabricate curves. Its individual architectural elements would also be functionally maximised, such as by designing partition walls to also serve as display showcases.
Inside the booth, furniture should be kept to a minimum (a measure that will also increase the amount of space available for display and circulation). Integrating devices like digital picture frames and tablets into the design can make once-essential items such as brochure racks, computer counters, and even some product displays completely unnecessary.
These devices themselves are, of course, highly adaptable and can be re-used over and over, simply by changing their graphic content as needed. Digital signage offers a similar kind of versatility and reusability, and at an up-front cost that continues to drop as their use becomes more widespread.
Thinking “green” from the beginning of the design process also makes it easier to consider alternative approaches to elements, such as flooring, fabrics, and other materials used in the booth’s construction and fit-out. The general rule, of course, is to choose materials with a minimal impact on the environment. That means recycled materials or those that are recyclable, biodegradable, and from sustainable sources. Ideally, materials used should embody one or more of these qualities simultaneously.
Interestingly, the palette of materials that qualify as eco-friendly by these criteria is quite large, and includes many types of paper, plastics, metals, glass, textiles, and woods. There really is no shortage of material choices for the green booth designer.
However, it is important to keep in mind that if the booth or elements of it are to be re-used, its materials must be reasonably durable, as well as eco-friendly. Biodegradability is not necessarily a desirable trait when it happens during storage, or worse yet, during a trade show.
In addition, keep in mind that even some eco-friendly materials can be less than friendly to human health. Therefore, it’s always necessary to choose materials, paints, and adhesives that won’t “off-gas” harmful volatile organic compounds.
From the big picture to the small details, the key to a great “green” booth design is simply to think “green” all the way through. With “going green” as the starting point, the rest of your eco-friendly design should come quite naturally along the way.
