Working towards 100% sustainable

Working towards 100% sustainable

Trade shows aren’t always seen as environmentally friendly, but the team at 100% Optical is working towards a more sustainable show for 2022.

Nathan Garnett is the Director of Media 10 who runs the show and he says, “We have a wide range of initiatives to improve the sustainability of our events. This includes a new no print policy, saving over half a million pages of A4 paper. This means we will in future only have a show app rather than a show guide. Visitors can download PDFs for show maps and CPD trails.”

The event will be using reused and recycled signage, bamboo lanyards, and show tote bags made from recycled materials. Nathan says, “We are asking all exhibitors to reduce the use of printed materials too.”

Catering is another area with significant steps towards sustainability. Nathan says, “We have worked with venue to remove single use plastic from catering outlets. We have stationed water fountains to avoid single used plastic water bottles and encourage attendees to bring their own reusable bottles to refill.”

The exhibition hall and stands will be more environmentally friendly for the 2022 show too. Nathan says, “We are using hydrogen powered fuel cells for a feature build. We will be donating all fabric graphics to The Textiles Project so they can be re-used by fashion students. We are only using certified sustainable contractors and procuring staff clothing from used, sustainable or recycled materials. When the show comes down, all the shell scheme stands are re-useable and we will recycle all carpets.”

There will be a “Most Sustainable” stand award at the event, and plans are underway to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of the educational and events programme.

If you’re thinking of attending 100% which takes place from 22-24 January 2022, Nathan says, “We’re asking all attendees, speakers and exhibitors to use the public transport to get to the venue or share cars.”

Find out more about 100% Optical here.