Better Stands, a project designed to drive the transition from single use to reusable exhibition stands, has now launched itself to the global events industry, meaning the framework can now be adopted by all organisers, service providers, venues and associations around the world.
The official launch took place 6 June at the global association of the exhibition industry, UFI’s European Events Week in Thessaloniki, Greece. The initiative is supported by the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES) and hosted by Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE).
Better Stands is stewarded by a Steering Committee of 13 organisations, representing organisers, service contractors, assessors, venues and associations who have trialled the initiative.
The concept for Better Stands was created by Informa and has been piloted by a group of organisers since 2023. This pilot was extended to a group of service providers, assessors and others in 2024. To date, Better Stands has been implemented at over 400 events in more than 37 countries.
Better Stands operates by providing a consistent framework to measure the reusability of event stands, setting classification criteria according to how much of a stand or booth is reusable or recyclable. Stands can achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold Better Stands level, recognising the work and commitment of exhibitors and stand contractors to sustainability. This status can be achieved either through a Pre-Certification process, where contractors gain recognition for their reusable build methods ahead of the event, or via onsite assessments conducted by trained assessors. More than 50,000 stands have so far been assessed under the criteria in the development stage of the initiative.
James Rees (pictured), president of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), which hosts Net Zero Carbon Events on behalf of the conference, exhibition and business event industries worldwide, said: “The Better Stands Steering Committee deserve tremendous praise and great appreciation from the industry worldwide for pioneering this initiative and developing it so successfully in a very short time.”
“The pilot period of Better Stands has rapidly demonstrated that it is has enormous potential to make a major contribution to the industry’s drive to reduce its carbon emissions substantially. By combining the Better Stands and Net Zero Carbon Events initiatives we will be able to use JMIC’s global network to reach many more exhibition and congress organisers, stand and service contractors, exhibitors and venues enabling everyone to better understand the measurable benefits they will bring.”
Rees told EW: “The launch announced today is big news for Better Stands, both in terms of its potential impact and the access it gives to everyone involved in the business events industry. Better Stands is about transition, moving towards better, more sustainable practices in a thoughtful and manageable way for all stakeholders across the industry. It is also an example of great collaboration – working together to deliver meaningful and tangible change and supporting the positive economic and societal outcomes that our industry brings.”
Jörg Zeissig, IFES president, also commented: “The Better Stands initiative gives us the opportunity to unite the industry by providing easy solutions for an ecosystem that drives innovation and value adds to all stakeholders in the event and exhibition industry by promoting reusable resources at all events globally. The beauty of Better Stands within the NZCE is the neutral ground, ease of usability, open source and the potential to become a global standard to compare apples to apples.”
Zeissig told EW the Steering Committee was proposing a model where the Better Stands Framework and some tools are available for everyone to use for free and then organisations can also choose to be a supporter/member through an annual subscription or pay for one-off resources such as training as an assessor or official public certification as needed. “Membership fees will be released later this year but it is expected that costs will be tiered based on the size of the organisation and their level of desired participation. All fees are reinvested in creating resources and training to support members in successfully introducing Better Stands. Steering Committee members are volunteers, who are supporting the initiative through their belief in the potential positive impact it can have,” he said..
Chris Skeith OBE, CEO and MD of UFI, said: “Better Stands fosters collaboration among organisers, venues, contractors, and exhibitors to drive sustainability and set a new standard for future-ready exhibitions. Under the Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, this shift towards reusable stands also boosts creativity, cost-efficiency, and smarter resource use across the industry. UFI is proud to support this important initiative and looks forward to continuing to do so.”
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EW also asked Ben Wielgus, head of sustainability at Informa how many organisations were involved in the pilot project and how they were chosen/volunteered?
“The pilots happened in two waves. The first comprised around a dozen organisers and the second added the same number again. A working group of service providers also joined the second wave of the pilot to develop the framework for their community and to allow reassessment of stands before the event. Each organisation got involved at their request to be involved because they saw value in collaboration and an initiative that was already being tried and tested,” Wielgus said.
Wielgus added that the Better Stands framework, created over several years and tested in more than 30 countries, offered straightforward approaches to understanding the reusability of the elements of exhibition stands and celebration for those exhibitors and service providers who already meet future customer demands. “We’re really excited for this next stage of its growth, leveraging NZCE’s global scale to increase the efficiency, sustainability and commerciality of events of all shapes and sizes. This is an invitation to the whole industry – join us, explore the opportunities the programme creates and help grow Better Stands as the international standard,” he said.
Another supporter of the initiative, Natalie Wing, commercial director, GES EMEA, said her company looked after the infrastructure of some of the biggest events in the industry. “We’re constantly looking at ways we can reduce our impact, use and re-use resources, and be smarter with environmental design; it’s central to our own Net Zero commitment.
“Better Stands helps us collaborate even closer with our industry peers to find best practices, share data, and give reassurance to customers across the event ecosystem. We’re delighted to give it our full support and encourage other businesses to do likewise. This is a shared, industry-wide ambition that we can achieve better together.”
Support came in too from Clarion. Ellen Osborne, the company’s ESG manager commented: “Clarion Events joined Better Stands as connecting people more sustainably is a business imperative for us. Better Stands offered a proven way to exhibit more sustainably while aligning the industry around a consistent, credible framework. It lets us track progress, reinforce positive behaviours, and move faster – together.”
Johannes Siems, founding partner & CSO, DIFER – Event Crafting, noted that the Better Sands platform not only helped train staff and change the business vision, but also mad clients happy due to an improved end result. “And all of this under one umbrella organisation which will result in straightforward demands being able to be met globally, whatever the size of your company may be. It is a great step forward for the whole industry and will greatly improve the way stands will be built and perceived in the future.”
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
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