by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
While the idea is great it is and was not really a trail of any kind as visitors have no idea where the relevant booths are.
What is needed is either a mark, a real trail, on the floor – and I have seen this before in shows – that visitors can follow easily or, even, as many exhibitors told me, to put all green, ethical, etc., traders into a block.
I must say that both ways would work but something must be done as neither buyers who are interested in green and ethical products nor journalists have the time to just go traipsing across the isles trying to find the little stickers on the name boards.
And while we are at the subject of the “Eco Trail” chosen by Oliver Heath for Top Drawer it would be more than interesting to know the criteria by which those are chosen for some, definitely, fail to fit into the category by the best of will and farthest stretch of one's imagination.
Then again others that should, ideally, have been included, such as “Green Glass”, were not, and others that had products that could also be included, had not a mention either.
It is not rocket science to organize something like that in a proper manner, and the best solution, in my opinion and that of a number of the stand holders I spoke with, would be to forget about the “Eco Trail” and to create a block of stands of ecological aware and ethical companies. My suggestion would be to then call it an “eco village” or such.
© 2011
