Antalis is championing the drive for sustainable exhibition stands by using modular structures made from their own eco-friendly materials that can be reused, repurposed and recycled.
In recent years, Antalis has been showcasing its range of sustainable substrates for traditional POS and display applications by using them to create every element of its own exhibition stands. An early example, Sustainable Street, was created for display at the VM & Display Show and subsequently won the top prize for sustainability at the World Exhibition Stand Awards.
Increasingly over time, exhibitions have come under scrutiny for the volume of waste they produce. A study by Ecobooth revealed that 100,000 tonnes of waste was burnt or sent to landfill from the UK events industry in just one year.
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Specification Consultant at Antalis, Claire White, comments: “Waste and sustainability are clearly huge challenges for the UK events industry; as exhibitors ourselves, as well as suppliers of substrates for exhibition stand manufacture, we have been working hard to find solutions to this issue, and I am delighted to say that we’ve experienced some incredible successes.”
For creation of some of their recent exhibition stands, Antalis has collaborated with wide-format print and signage specialist Imageco; a business with extensive experience in exhibition stand design and a strong sustainability ethos. Using materials from Antalis’ range combined with the structural design skills of the Imageco team, they have devised stands that are not only made from sustainable materials that can be recycled, but that are modular in structure so they can also be reused or repurposed.
Antalis has already used the original stand four times for exhibitions across Packaging and Visual Communications sectors, and is set to use again for various upcoming events. The materials used have proved robust and durable, and if there become any signs of wear and tear, components can be replaced without the need to reproduce the whole stand. Additionally, every element is recyclable, so at end of life no part of the stand will go to landfill.
Claire continues, “The benefits go even further than sustainability. Because the stand can be reused and repurposed – the modular nature of the design means the stand can be adapted to fit spaces of different size and shape – considerable design and production time is saved, which, of course, also means cost savings.”
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Key to the success of the stands is the materials from which they are made. For the structural components and many furniture items, Xanita board, in a variety of thicknesses and finishes, has been used. This sustainable fibreboard has a closed cell core, which makes it perfect for structural concepts such as exhibition and event stands, internal furniture and 3D displays. Lightweight and load bearing, it is a great alternative to other, less environmentally friendly materials such as MDF. Other sustainable materials from Antalis, such as Katz Display board, Dispa, and Triaprint are also frequently used for exhibition stands, POS, signage and displays.
Taking the concept of sustainable exhibition stands one step further, Imageco has developed the ExhiBox, a rentable exhibition stand in a box. Comprising a core stand skeleton made from Xanita, Exhibox is eco-friendly, easy to assemble, easy to transport, customisable and reusable. The skeleton frame is customised with the addition of bespoke wall graphics, printed on Xanita, which can be removed and kept by the client for future exhibitions for which the only cost would be the hire of the ExhiBox.
A number of businesses have already benefited from switching from traditionally constructed exhibition stands to sustainably produced alternatives made from Antalis substrates. One such example is a huge 1,300-square-metre stand created by Woodlodge, the UK’s leading supplier of garden ware and horticultural products, who were inspired to create a stand from Xanita after reading about Antalis’ Sustainable Street stand. Woodlodge’s stand, which they created for Glee – the international festival for all things garden, leisure and pet – comprised an enormous 800-square-metre wall system made entirely from Xanita board.
Claire finishes, “It’s wonderful to see how the success of our own exhibition stands are inspiring others to follow suit. Exhibitions are an important date in the calendar for many businesses and with sustainability being a core ethos, sustainable exhibition stands not only make sense, they are also completely achievable.”
For more information, please visit www.antalis.co.uk
