Messe Frankfurt Locations: Five years of sustainable booth design at IMEX Frankfurt
For the Messe Frankfurt Locations team, IMEX Frankfurt may feel like a home game. But even on home turf, you only win if you perform well.
Certified sustainable booth design requires not only expertise and creativity, but also determination and discipline. That’s why Messe Frankfurt is proud to mark five years of a consistently sustainable booth concept at IMEX Frankfurt.
In 2022—after many years as part of the Frankfurt joint booth—the team, together with fairconstruction Messe Frankfurt, designed the first independent Messe Frankfurt Locations booth at IMEX. The goal was a long-term concept with changing appearances and the smallest possible ecological footprint. From the outset, this meant balancing creative individuality with sustainable standardization. And the concept worked: these three very different booth messages and campaigns were delivered using the same core booth materials:
- Flexible Locations & Smart Locations
- Plan and Play with the Messe Frankfurt Champions Team!
- We Make Your Event Sparkle!
Sustainable thanks to reuse and recycling
Together with fairconstruction, many creative ideas were distilled into a clear, fully sustainable booth concept:
- Octanorm Maxima modular system elements have formed the basic structure for five years
- Reusable, individually replaceable textile graphics provide content and color
- Flooring is reusable and made from recycled materials (virtually no carpet)
- All furniture is rented
- The elevated roof structure (no rigging) is stored and has been reused for five years
- When all graphics were replaced once due to a campaign change, the retired materials were upcycled into giveaway bags
Eye-catching through activation and ideas
The booth was brought to life with changing interactive games in the activation area
- 2022: Smart postcards to take away and send
- 2023/24: Table soccer inviting visitors to play
- 2025/26: A throwing game collecting points for a charity donation
- Catering variations ranged from seasonal and regional to fully vegetarian, complemented by a popcorn machine (2025) and barista coffee (2026)
- Lighting evolved from postcard-style lamps to disco balls
- Staff clothing changed from team T-shirts to sparkling outfits
The consistent commitment to sustainable design has paid off. In 2025, the Messe Frankfurt Locations booth received Better Stands Gold certification. And for 2026, the team is once again aiming for gold on home ground. Come see for yourself at booth B020 at IMEX 2026.
Messe Frankfurt booth B020
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