Sustainable Branding at Tradeshows & Events, June 2023

The last few years have definitely fallen into the category of “interesting times.” You all know the disruption Covid was to our lives. Amongst a myriad of other personal events, I had two kids at home, attempting to go to school via Zoom, while I was working full time. Something had to give. Sadly, it was this newsletter. Clawing my way back from a serious case of burnout has taken a while.

Today, I sit in gratitude. Outside my office window late spring greenery is everywhere, beginning to settle into the deeper shades of summer. My family is healthy. My kids are back on the path to thriving. I work with incredibly understanding clients who have been patient. And, while not gone, I am on the path to healing from burnout.

So, I’m dusting off this monthly newsletter. Going forward, I’ll use this space to talk more about branding and visual communications as it relates to solar, energy storage, and the modernization of the grid. I want this space to be helpful. To that end, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions you have about branding or visual communications. Also, please share this newsletter. I appreciate it!

And yes, I’ll end each monthly issue with a dad joke. We all need more levity in our lives.

Sustainable Branding at Tradeshows & Events

Ah, tradeshows. After years of hiatus, this year has been FULL of solar and energy storage shows. I haven’t mapped it out, but I’m fairly certain that you could attend at least one solar or energy storage event, conference, or show every week this year.

There really isn’t anything that replaces meeting in person. Sadly, VR isn’t yet at the sci-fi stage, where we can engage with those around us in a lifelike manner without all being in the same location. Google’s Project Starline has gotten closer than other VR spaces, but it’s not there yet. So, we hop on a plane, train, car, bike, or hang glider and meet in person.

We all know the ecological footprint of shows is not small. The carbon footprint from travel, booth manufacture, show signage manufacture, manufacture and disposal of one-time use cups, cutlery, and food containers, energy use from event hosts, etc. is massive.

A 2021 Nature article noted, “… that the annual carbon footprint for the global event industry are of the same order of magnitude as the yearly GHG emissions of the entire United States (U.S.), responsible for more than 10% of global CO2 emissions.”

And yet, grouping meetings and interactions seems less impactful than flying all over the country or world and having those meetings one-on-one. I didn’t find data supporting this supposition, so take the statement as an opinion.

As an industry dedicated to decarbonizing energy and giving energy-users a more sustainable choice, how do we lessen our own impact around shows and events? For most companies, event and show impacts are considered Scope 3 emissions – indirect emissions not directly owned by the company. More organizations are quantifying and reporting on their efforts, as well as their supply chain’s efforts, to decarbonize their businesses. Yet being a company that is directly involved in solar and energy storage is no longer enough to be considered sustainable.

A key reason to exhibit at shows and conferences is to build and strengthen our brand. HOW we exhibit matters when building that brand. If your brand has sustainability as a core tenant – which I sincerely hope it does – this must roll through all actions the company takes, including choices made when exhibiting. Many articles on branding have noted that we humans have excellent b.s. detection skills. Saying one thing while doing another is a fast way to lose your audience and tarnish your brand reputation.

So, follow through. Be thoughtful in your show/conference choices. And don’t be afraid to let people know that you’ve made more sustainable choices. You might even inspire others to follow your example.

Read on for more on sustainable travel, booths, printed materials, and the ever-present promotional giveaways.