Guide to Exhibition Stand Materials: Impact, sustainability, and longevity

Walk through any exhibition, and you will see a wealth of different stand types. Some are designed for reuse across the entire event calendar, others are built exclusively for a specific event. Some are vivid, eye-catching, and polished, while others seem to fade into the background. So, what is the real difference between them? More often than not, it is the materials!

There’s a wide range of exhibition stand solutions available, and each uses different systems and materials. The right ones for your business will depend on goals and objectives, style preferences, sustainability requirements and budget.

When approaching your design, consider:

• The type of impression you would like to make
• The sustainability of the stand
• Whether reusability is a concern

Your answers to these questions will determine the type of stand and materials that are most suitable for your company.

Exhibition stands can be constructed from a range of materials, each offering a different quality and finish. Some of the most common include:

In our experience, the sustainability of exhibition stand materials is often oversimplified. People want clear-cut answers on which materials are “good” or “bad”, but the reality of the situation is a little more complex.

When you get into the nitty-gritty, no materials are perfect, but some are better than others.

Wood is commonly used in custom-built stands, which, in their traditional form, are one-use.

In exhibitions, the use of wood is largely justified by ethical sourcing, and while FSC-certified timber is a definite improvement, it is not a genuine sustainable choice.

Short Duration of Use

Many exhibition stands built with wood are used for just two to three days before they are either recycled or disposed of.

Scale of the Industry

According to Better Stands, single-use stands account for up to 80% of the total waste generated at trade shows and events.

Last year alone, there were 1,100 exhibitions in the UK and approximately 178,000 exhibitors. If each of those businesses opted for a wooden stand, the environmental impact would be severe.

Issues with Recyclability

While some wood in exhibition stands can be recycled, much cannot. Why?

The “timber” used in exhibition halls is actually usually MDF, which is not compatible with most recycling streams, as the synthetic resins used in its production must be removed beforehand.  Not to mention, MDF causes issues in the hall, as when cut, it releases formaldehyde gas, a dangerous grade 1 carcinogen.

Even where traditional timber is used, treatments and chemicals required for the stands to meet fire-retardancy standards often render the wood non-recyclable, resulting in a significant portion being sent directly to landfills.

When you think about the definition of sustainability: a practice that can be “sustained” long-term without causing environmental harm, this use of wood, particularly at scale, does not hold up.

Aluminium is most commonly used in modular exhibition stand systems and aluminium truss systems. Although it can be time and energy-intensive to extract, aluminium is widely considered one of the most sustainable materials used in exhibitions.

Aluminium is used in modular, reusable exhibition stand frames, meaning that, unlike wood in custom-built stands, it is used for years before recycling. Often rented through a hire plan, these aluminium stands can sometimes be used by contractors for their full lifespan, which can reach 20 -25 years!

Alongside a long lifespan, aluminium is unique as it can be recycled infinitely. It is often referred to as a “green metal” because recycling requires only 5% of the energy needed in its initial production.

Overall, aluminium is a very sustainable material for exhibitors to use, but it is worth remembering that aluminium alone does not make a stand. It must be paired with other media.

The sustainability of graphic panels is a little nuanced.

An Imperfect Material

Many graphic panels use at least an element of PVC, which, unfortunately, can make them difficult to recycle and release microplastics and toxins when breaking down.

Lifespan & Reuse

However, many still argue that these panels are a sustainable option. So why is this the case?

It’s all about the use and lifespan before disposal. These panels are specifically designed to be durable, allowing them to be reused time and time again. When used in this manner, they can be a much more sustainable alternative to a one-use display, as both are disposed of, but one has years of use beforehand, while the other has just days.

Less Waste

Even if the panels are not used to their maximum lifespan, there is usually much less waste than an equivalent custom-built stand, since the framework does not need replacing.

Polyester Alternatives

Now you might wonder, why not just skip the PVC? Some contractors offer polyester panels, which are more easily recycled. However, these can be thinner and do not always meet fire-retardant requirements. So you’re playing a balancing act between durability, lifespan and use across Europe.

Stretch Fabrics / Tension Fabrics

Another alternative media type is stretch fabrics, which are also recyclable and reusable. However, because the fabrics are pulled taut to create the displays, they can look warped when reinstalled, and reuse can be limited, since the fabrics are used across large sections of the stand.

Exhibition stand materials vary most significantly by system type and floor space. Let’s get into the details.

Shell schemes are one of the most common types of exhibition spaces, found at nearly every business show in the UK. The spaces come preset, with an aluminium shell, electrics and sockets. Exhibitors can dress this system with their chosen graphic media.

Materials

• Aluminium frame
• Polycarbonate, Polyester (PET) and PVC graphics
• Fabrics

2D shell scheme graphic panels are the traditional solution for shell schemes, designed to slot between the aluminium uprights. They’re often considered an entry-level / budget-friendly option for startup businesses.

While affordable, shell scheme graphics may not evoke the same wow factor as a full shell scheme transformation. The overhead cage and breaks in the graphics can detract from the important messaging on display. To make the greatest impact in the space, it’s worth investing in higher-quality panels and companies that can print vivid colours and high-resolution images. These are more likely to be noticed within the shell scheme system.

Materials 

• Polycarbonate, Polyester (PET), and PVC Graphics
• Fabrics

Shell scheme transformations upgrade shell scheme spaces by inlaying a bespoke, usually modular stand for a custom look. Since each contractor works with a different system, these transformations depend specifically on the stand solution chosen.

Materials 

• Aluminium
• Polycarbonate, Polyester (PET), and PVC Graphics
• Fabrics

Pull-up banners are a popular choice for conferences and charity events, as they are easy and convenient to transport and use.

Materials 

• Aluminium
• Polyester (PET), and PVC Graphics

Space-only exhibition stand spaces do not include the shell scheme structure. They’re a complete blank canvas: all parts of the stand need to be organised by the exhibitor or their exhibition contractor.

Space-only stands come in all different shapes and sizes and can be made from a wide variety of materials. These stands include custom builds, aluminium profile systems, truss systems and bespoke modular stands.

Custom-build stands are the traditional space-only solution. They’re completely bespoke, one-off structures, designed and manufactured specifically to meet a brand’s requirements at an event. While they are impressive, custom-built stands cannot be reused and so are not a sustainable solution for exhibitors.

Materials 

• Timber / MDF
• Paint
• Glass
• Acrylic
• Vinyl

Modular exhibition stands are a reusable, reconfigurable exhibition stand solution. Like custom-built stands, modular exhibition stands can be custom-designed to your requirements. However, they are not designed from “scratch”. Rather, you work within the capabilities of the system.

Modular exhibition stand systems are not all equal. Some allow for minimal customisation and reconfigurations, while others, like the Prestige Events System, offer much more flexibility for custom designs. And again, a lot of this flexibility comes down to the system and materials. Let’s get into the details.

Some modular systems use large expanses of stretch fabrics/tension fabrics. Since marketing messages are printed across large sections of fabric, these systems are able to create a “seamless” effect. However, this seamlessness usually comes at the cost of flexibility.

With fewer components, branding cannot be separated or exchanged when messages change, significantly limiting the lifespan of the stand. Additionally, opportunities for reconfiguration and downsizing/upsizing are often much more limited. It’s also much harder to create dimension, since stretch fabrics struggle with curves at a high level.

Print quality is another factor that varies significantly between modular systems. While renders can show vivid colours and high-resolution images, the final product is not always up to the same standard. Make sure to look at real-world images of modular exhibition stands to assess their print capabilities.

Materials 

• Aluminium
• Polycarbonate, Polyester (PET), and PVC Graphics
• Fabrics

Quadrant2Design exhibition stands use a lightweight yet durable aluminium frame, which is enveloped by high-quality, flame-retardant graphic panels. Most of our clients operate on a Free-Hire Pro plan, so aluminium frames are used to their maximum lifespan.

Our graphics only include a minuscule element of PVC, as this allows our graphics to comply with regulations in and throughout Europe.

• Aluminium framework
• Polyester (PET) Graphics with an element of PVC
• Acrylic (for edgelit feature & custom games)
• Vinyl (Printed photo-floors)

Truss systems are most commonly used for staging at large-scale music events or theatres, rather than exhibitions, as they’re more functional than aesthetic. However, they are sometimes used on the show floor!

Their use cases are quite unique because of their industrial look and feel, but they can work for some brands.

Materials: 

• Aluminium framework
• Fabrics
• Polycarbonate, Polyester (PET), and PVC Graphic

Selecting the right exhibition stand materials is not always an easy task, as each solution balances longevity, quality, flexibility, reusability, and recyclability, alongside changing rules and legislation. When making your decision, you have to weigh up which of these factors, and exhibition stand looks aligns the closest with your brand.

Here at Quadrant2Design, we focus heavily on reuse and circularity, not just through our system, but also through our expert designers, who are practised in creating beautiful, functional exhibition stand designs that last throughout and beyond an exhibition calendar. Because a design optimised for reuse is just as important for long-term use as the stand itself. Contact a member of our team today at design@quadrant2design.com or call 01202 723 500.