As a business, you’re likely going to attend a trade show in your industry in the coming year. But when you leave the office, are you also bringing your green practices with you? A trade show is a great place to not only put your CSR goals into practice, but also encourage other businesses to promote sustainable business as well. Here are 4 ways to address corporate social responsibility in a trade show you attend or sponsor.
1. Pick out greener giveaways. Many vendors give away small goodies to attendees, such as pens earbuds, USBs and more. To stand out and stay green, pick greener alternatives, like pens and notepads made from recycled materials, or provide items like reusable shopping bags to encourage green action.
2. Underwrite a coffee break with compostable cups. If you’re sponsoring a trade show, consider sponsoring the coffee break with compostable cups (with your logo on it), and sourcing the coffee from fair-trade, organic companies.
Also, you can recommend sustainable food options from local producers, or sponsor food donations to local food banks after the event, which will help reduce food waste at the trade show.
3. Move print collateral to the digital world. Instead of providing paper brochures about your business or products, you can go green by encouraging digital downloads instead. At your booth, provide a QR code for attendees to download materials directly to their smartphone, or use bluetooth technology or apps to encourage digital downloads. Not only does it save you and the potential client some paper, but by utilizing technology in a smart way, you’ll stand out as a greener company.
4. Make recycling and waste an important booth. Shine the light on what going green could mean to businesses; it can be a great learning experience to present a booth that focuses on going green at the trade show. For example, you can set up a booth as the central collection point for recycling, compost, and trash. After the show, you can present how much waste was collected over the span of the show, and publish your findings. This can demonstrate how even one-off events can produce a lot of waste, and encourage attendees (visitors and vendors) to reconsider how waste plays a role in their businesses. Also, it can help the trade show organizers plan a greener event next year.
Overall, you can help transform other businesses and supporting greener industry practices when you bring them with you to your next trade show and incorporate your CSR practices outside the office.
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