20,000 reusable bottles at WTM London: how a travel trade fair does refills
Join the Pipe has handed out 20,000 reusable City Bottles at WTM London in 2024 and again in 2025 (10,000 branded and 10,000 unbranded), with the same 20,000-bottle order placed for 2026. The bottles are given away at a City Water stand where visitors can fill them with filtered tap water, so the free bottle replaces single-use plastic on the show floor.
What the WTM London stand looks like
The World Travel Market at ExCeL London brings travel, tourism and hospitality professionals together to share sustainable practices and ethical methods and to drive the responsible tourism agenda. Our stand sits inside that programme. The photo shows the set-up:
- a matte black tap with a City Water bottle on top, where visitors fill up;
- a rack of white bottles printed with "London", under a "Get your free bottle" sign;
- a "Refill. Re-use. Reduce." header, with a QR code on the stand for anyone who wants to know more.
The numbers behind a trade-fair bottle order
| Item | WTM London |
|---|---|
| Bottles per edition | 20,000 (2024 and 2025; same order placed for 2026) |
| Material | 99% sugarcane bioplastic, BPA-free, EU 10/2011 food-contact compliant |
| Weight of material | about 30 g per 0.5 L bottle, roughly 600 kg per 20,000 bottles (calculated) |
| Logistics | 2024: shipped Amsterdam to ExCeL on pallets; 2026: trays on 12 block pallets |
| Repeat customer | Third consecutive year |
A bottle is only reusable if it can be refilled, which is why trade-fair organisers pair it with refill points. Our page on water tap rental for events and trade fairs covers the rental side; for a venue that wants a permanent point, the Street Tap is an outdoor drinking water tap in AISI 316 stainless steel with KIWA and WRAS approved water-contact parts.
What other hospitality and tourism events can learn
- Brand the bottle with the city. The "London" print turns a giveaway into a souvenir that visitors take home and keep using.
- Order early. Printed bottles take about 10-12 working days after proof approval, plus transport; large pallet orders need freight planning.
- Mix branded and unbranded. The 2025 order split branded and unbranded bottles 50/50. Printed orders start at 100 bottles.
Hotels and resorts that want the same effect for guests can start with our hotel page. More trade-fair cases: IBTM World Barcelona and IMEX Frankfurt. Browse branded bottles or request a quote. For every bottle sold, one is donated to an African schoolchild.