November 27, 2007

Exhibitors Earmark Money For Green Options

New research from Exhibitor Magazine shows interest in green and sustainable exhibiting is high and growing among both exhibitors and suppliers, resulting in a discernible acceleration toward adoption of green exhibiting options.

Sixty-two  percent of corporate exhibitors indicate that their interest in green options is high or very high, with interest likely to increase in the coming year. They are also beginning to earmark portions of their budgets for green solutions. Seventy-five percent believe they will ultimately spend 24 percent of their trade show budgets on such Green exhibiting options as eco-friendly giveaways, recyclable exhibit properties and those made from green materials, low-energy lighting, and cradle-to-cradle design.

The study, An Inconvenient Booth, also found that a large percentage of suppliers expect to substantially increase the number and variety of Green alternatives they offer - in some cases, nearly doubling the Green percentage of their product lines. But at the moment, a number of factors are mitigating the move toward Green - among them, price. In spite of exhibitor interest, price sensitivity becomes an issue when Green options exceed traditional costs by 10 percent or more. Many Green offerings currently command a 26 percent premium.

The economic impact is expected to be considerable. The survey data identifies an untapped market for Green exhibiting options estimated at $9.24 billion.

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