The Polish National Stand at IMEX Frankfurt 2026 achieved a Silver rating under the Better Stands by NZCE framework, recognising its use of reusable solutions across eight key elements of the exhibition stand. The result highlights Poland’s commitment to more sustainable participation in international MICE trade shows and reflects the growing importance of responsible stand design within the global business events industry.
Under the Better Stands framework, exhibition stands are assessed against ten elements covering their construction, fit-out and presentation. A Silver rating means that the first eight elements must be demonstrably reusable as exhibition stand components: stand structure and walls; platform or raised flooring; furniture and equipment; lighting; fascia and overhead signage; rigged structures; ceilings; and display facilities.
The Polish National Stand met all eight of these requirements. The two further elements assessed within the framework are floor coverings and graphics and decorative items. These become particularly relevant at Gold level, where the first eight elements must remain reusable while elements nine and ten must be either demonstrably reused or shown to be recyclable and recycled.
From stand design to measurable sustainability
Better Stands by NZCE is an industry-wide initiative aimed at moving exhibitions away from disposable, single-use stand construction towards reusable solutions. Its ten-point framework provides organisers, venues, exhibitors, service providers and assessors with a consistent way to evaluate stand reusability, using ratings of Single Use, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The initiative was originally developed as an open-source project by Informa and is now led by Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE), with the International Federation of Exhibition & Event Services (IFES) acting as the initiative’s secretariat and neutral implementation partner. According to IFES, disposable exhibition stands made from low-quality materials can account for more than 80% of the total waste generated at events, making stand construction an important area for reducing both waste and associated CO₂ emissions.
For the MICE sector, the framework also introduces a practical business dimension to sustainability. A common assessment methodology enables exhibitors and stand contractors to demonstrate the reusability of their solutions, while giving organisers and buyers a clearer basis for conversations around procurement, supplier standards and environmental performance. Better Stands itself positions certification as a way for service providers to demonstrate their sustainability credentials and identify opportunities for further improvement.
A significant recognition at a global MICE marketplace
The Silver rating carries particular relevance in the context of IMEX Frankfurt, one of the leading global marketplaces for meetings, events and incentive travel. The 2026 edition, held at Messe Frankfurt from 19 to 21 May, welcomed more than 13,000 participants, including over 4,500 buyers and close to 3,000 exhibiting companies. A record 73,000 pre-scheduled meetings took place during the three-day show, reinforcing IMEX’s role as an important B2B platform for destinations, convention bureaux, venues, hotel groups, agencies and other suppliers to the international meetings industry.
Against this backdrop, the Better Stands Silver rating provides the Polish National Stand with a measurable sustainability credential in front of an international audience of event professionals and decision-makers. It demonstrates that the design of a national exhibition presence can combine destination promotion and business functionality with a more circular approach to stand construction.
For Poland’s MICE sector, the recognition also supports a broader message: sustainability is increasingly becoming part of the quality standards expected by international meeting planners, associations and corporate buyers. Applying recognised frameworks such as Better Stands helps translate sustainability commitments into practical, verifiable measures, and strengthens Poland’s positioning as a business events destination responding to the changing expectations of the global meetings industry.
