Hosted by Net Zero Carbon Events and supported by IFES
One year after its global launch at UFI European Events Week in Thessaloniki, Better Stands by NZCE has moved from a strong industry initiative into an approach that is now being used and discussed across the events and exhibition value chain. Its purpose is simple: to help the industry adopt more reusable, efficient and responsible build practices through a practical, shared approach.
Since launch, Better Stands has grown into a strong global community with representation from over 70 members across the industry in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
From awareness to adoption
Better Stands is guided by a Steering Committee supported by working groups representing the industry ecosystem, including organisers, providers, assessors, venues and associations. The Committee’s position has been consistent from the start: Better Stands has the potential to create a tipping point that changes the industry permanently for the better. This is done through an accessible starting point for a more collaborative and reusable approach to stand delivery, built around progress rather than perfection.
When a stand does not yet meet the reusability criteria, the framework creates a constructive conversation about what can be improved and how the organiser, exhibitor, contractor and venue can work together to make the next build better. That is where Better Stands is making a real difference. The framework gives different parts of the industry a shared language for reusability, making collaboration easier and helping teams talk in practical terms about efficiency, site safety, exhibitor experience, responsible material uses and measurable improvement.
For service providers, organisers and exhibitors, the framework supports better planning, clearer procurement decisions and more consistent collaboration across the exhibition value chain.
Events that are 2-3 cycles into delivery are reaping the benefits
We’ve noticed that events that are now further into their delivery of Better Stands have started to see the benefits from the programme. ReThink Hong Kong, one of the first organisers piloting Better Stands, increased the proportion of raw space stands achieving Gold from 43% to 60% from 2024 to 2025. Meaning their overall waste and logistics from the event was reduced. Informa Markets LATAM events introduced Better Stands certificates for their exhibitors who chose to use reusable. This created lots of exciting engagement for their events, as well as an increase in the number of reusable stands built at their shows.
Strengthening assessment and consistency
The launch of the Better Stands Assessor Training programme has added an important layer to this progress. Now in its second round, the programme is helping current and aspiring assessors build the skills needed to conduct consistent pre-event and onsite assessments using the Better Stands Framework and its 10-point methodology.
As more service providers recognise the value of this capability, assessor training is becoming an important part of the wider Better Stands ecosystem. It supports consistency, protects the integrity of the framework and helps ensure the methodology is applied with a common understanding across markets.
Growing engagement and industry support
Better Stands has also shown steady momentum with increasing visibility, stronger engagement and a widening professional audience across the exhibition and events sector.
That momentum reflects something important. The industry is not short of ambition. What it needs are practical tools that help different stakeholders, in different regions and at different stages of readiness, work towards more reusable and collaborative ways of delivering stands.
Better Stands responds to that need by offering an approach that is open, measurable and grounded in the realities of exhibition delivery, while helping the industry move together towards more reusable practices.
This is only the beginning. As the initiative continues to develop, its role is not only to support better decisions today, but to help shape a more consistent, practical and future-facing approach to stand delivery across the industry.
As Better Stands enters its second year, the priority is to expand education, practical tools, training and participation, while continuing to develop resources that help organisations collaborate more effectively and increase supply chain availability of reusable stands.
The message after year one is clear: reusability is the future. Better Stands as an industry programme strengthens collaboration and leads to better efficiency, better experience, better safety and better sustainability for all.
To learn more, become a member or register interest in assessor training, visit www.betterstands.org
