The modularity of the multi-use exhibition display stand allows for clean disassembly and reuse across events, an effort to support the transition towards a waste-free future.
To showcase the newly launched range of acoustic design solutions, Rockfon partnered with the Copenhagen-based architecture and production house Archival Studies for a new sustainable exhibition stand concept.
First unveiled at the Workspace Expo in Paris, France, in April 2023, the exhibition concept is designed for reuse and will continuously make appearances at forthcoming trade fairs and exhibitions, including the Workspace Design Show in Amsterdam, Netherlands, October 2023 (view the Rockfon Events Schedule here).
As part of the exhibit, attendees can touch, feel, and smell the different elements that make up the new range in a raw material library, including volcano stone – the primary component of Rockfon solutions – and the leaves, Alpine meadow flowers, and moss that make up the tactile surfaces of Rockfon Senses acoustic wall panels.
The exhibition display stand is a modular wooden structure crafted from CNC-milled laminated plywood. The wood’s surfaces change over time, gaining imperfections, and coming to embody the innovation and experiences enjoyed at industry events.
By the end of each fair, the lightweight panels are disassembled, packed, transported, and stored until the next scheduled event.
“There’s a lot of waste created in the trade show industry”, said Christian Klinge, Director of Design Solutions at Rockfon. “With this modular reuse concept, we hope to inspire others to take a similar approach.”
The new exhibition design falls under ROCKWOOL Group’s commitment to circular principles and a waste-free society. Much like the construction industry, the events industry is one of the largest producers of emissions and waste. One 2017 study estimates that a three-day trade show with 11 600 m2 of occupied area generates around 75.5 tonnes of CO2.[1] Although an approximate measure has been challenging for research bodies to obtain, the production and disposal of display stands undeniably contribute to that number. An adoption of the “Three Rs” (reuse, reduce, recycle) and responsible material sourcing are some of the most impactful actions that exhibitors can take to address the collective action dilemma of emissions and waste in the events industry, while still being present.
For ROCKWOOL, reducing waste across business and marketing activities is one effort in supporting a transition towards a waste-free society. It complements the following goals set for the production and recycling processes of stone wool solutions:
Reduce factory waste going to landfill by 85 percent by 2030 compared to 2015
Increase the number of countries with reclaimed material services to 30 by 2030
To learn more about ROCKWOOL’s commitments and achievements in reducing waste, download the 2022 edition of the Sustainability Report.