Rayne Neave, granddaughter of Laurie Wale, a pioneer in the South African building industry and founder of the Building Centre, is the brainchild and private owner of the permanent exhibition space. Eco Exhibit was created for building suppliers to showcase green products and services with a manned online service as back up, and is situated conveniently off the N1 at Northgate Estate in Ysterplaat, Cape Town.

Products displayed range from cladding, facades and insulation, to piping and stairs as well as sewer treatment and trusses, to name but a few. Heavyweight exhibitor brands include Corobrik, Everite, Hansgröhe, Duravit, Geberiet, Grohe, Lafarge, Saint Gobian, Wiehan and Led Lighting.

Neave points out that, “Eco Exhibit is cost-free to visitors. Trade may either view or receive on-the-floor advice with regard to an exhibitors’ product or service at our showroom from Monday to Friday (9:00 to 16:00) or Saturday to Sunday (10:00 to 15:00). Alternatively, our website may be visited at www.ecoexhibit.co.za for subscription-free keyword searches or to scroll through ‘exhibitor’ or ‘building supply’ inventory listings to source vetted environmentally-considerate and beneficial materials.”

While viewing an exhibitor’s profile on www.ecoexhibit.co.za, the site visitor has the option of emailing the exhibitor directly should they require specific information. Visitors can fill out an online enquiry form, which appears directly beneath each exhibitor profile, then it is up to the exhibitor to get back to the enquirer timeously.

Since launching in 2008, Neave and her three-member team have signed on 75 exhibitors, pursuing a heart-felt passion to genuinely increase the easy flow of access to information between manufacturer, buyer and/or consumer, as far as alternative technology and environmentally-considerate products are concerned. “It’s in our family,” she says, “and it just made sense to consolidate my vision for this business and its offering – all through one easy medium, one central location, using the Web and the Building Centre’s new premises in Ysterplaat, à la Eco Exhibit!”

“There is a demand for our service, without question. Random Google searches and rankings don’t offer the credibility and vetting that we do,” says Neave. “All exhibitors are vetted by Eco Standard, which acts as a filter to check the legitimacy of their environmental claims. This does not serve as a certification or product rating, however, so we strongly encourage transparency via official assessment by any recognised certification body.”

To take advantage of the platform to reach a green-hungry audience, interested suppliers and prospective exhibitors can expect to pay a monthly fee of R1 100 to showcase their product at Eco Exhibit. This fee includes daily management of a stand, a profile on www.ecoexhibit.co.za, exposure through the company’s monthly PR and marketing campaign – to both trade and consumer audiences, as well as a channel through which to receive online enquiries concerning a showcased product, range or service.