Jane Doe

We sat down with Jane Doe to discuss her team's approach to sustainable exhibiting. Their booth stood out at the show for its clean modular design and impressively low carbon footprint — earning one of the highest ESG scores we recorded.

"We started by asking: what can we reuse?" Jane explains. "Instead of building from scratch every time, we invested in a modular aluminium frame system three shows ago. Each edition we refresh the graphics and rearrange the layout, but the structural components are the same."

The team also made a deliberate choice to source materials locally. "Our builder is based within 50km of most venues we exhibit at. That alone cuts freight emissions dramatically."

The transition wasn't without friction. "Our marketing team initially pushed back on the modular approach — they wanted a completely custom look each time," Jane admits. "We had to show them that modular doesn't mean boring. With the right graphic design and lighting, you can create a completely different atmosphere using the same structure."

Budget was another concern, though it quickly resolved itself. "The upfront cost of the modular system was higher, but by the second reuse we were already saving money compared to single-use builds."

The numbers speak for themselves: a 45% reduction in carbon per square metre compared to their previous single-use approach, and a 30% reduction in overall booth spend. Their ESG score placed them in the top 10% of all assessed booths at the show.

"The sustainability story has also become a conversation starter with visitors," Jane notes. "People genuinely want to know how we did it."

Jane's advice for other exhibitors: "Start with reuse — it's the single biggest lever. You don't need to overhaul everything at once. Pick one element, like your structure or your flooring, and commit to reusing it for at least three shows. The savings and impact will follow."