Better Stands, a new framework designed to champion sustainability in the global events industry, is now accessible worldwide.
This means event organisers, service providers, venues, and associations across the globe can adopt its principles to foster a more environmentally conscious approach to event infrastructure.
The initiative specifically promotes and celebrates the shift from single-use to reusable exhibition stands, encouraging best practices that not only enhance sustainability, but also drive cost savings and greater efficiency.
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 and celebrating 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 during the event itself. More than 50,000 stands have so far been assessed under the Better Stands criteria in the development stage of the initiative.
Better Stands is stewarded by a Steering Committee of 13 organisations, representing organisers, service contractors, assessors, venues and associations who have trialled the initiative. It is supported by the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services, and hosted by Net Zero Carbon Events.
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 successfully implemented at over 400 events in more than 37 countries.
