18 Jul Advertising Signage for Your Next Event Part 2 – Quick Tips for Event Signage
Last month, we began our two-part series on advertising signage for events. We looked at common types of event signage and began our list of tradeshow signage best practices tips. This month, we conclude those tips.
Big, Bold, Beautiful, Basic
Big: make the most important sign heading and tagline large enough to be seen from a distance.
Bold: use thick or “chunkier” fonts for headings. Although thin fonts look great in magazines and on websites, they are often difficult to see on printed materials, like event signage, from a distance.
Beautiful: engaging design and color attract attention. Consider using splashes of color and high resolution images in your event graphics.
Basic: keep messaging simple. The point of advertising signage is to attract not distract. Have one main heading, a simple tagline, a few list items, CTA (call to action) and contact info. Paragraphs of text, long lists, and multiple headings are great for brochures, but don’t work well for signage. You have just a few seconds to get the attention of a passing event attendee. A person won’t read paragraphs of text on a sign (even if you deem them important). Too much information also detracts from your main marketing message.
Design “Evergreen” Event Signage
To keep design and redesign costs down, the foundation of tradeshow advertising signage should be comprised mostly of “evergreen” advertising. Evergreen means that the message is always applicable, not tied to a particular time or new products and services. In “evergreen” signage, the main messages about your company and the benefits of your products and services will remain true and relevant today, tomorrow or a few years from now. These signs may not change for several years and can be augmented with signs that showcase new products or services.
Aim Your Signs Toward Traffic Lanes
It may go without saying that your event signage should face traffic lanes, but the impact of well-placed signage cannot be overemphasized. Most tradeshows provide you with a map showing the position of your booth on the tradeshow floor. This map will clearly show you where the traffic lanes are. Depending on your position on the tradeshow floor, consider signs facing in three directions: forward, left and right. To be seen at a distance, you may be able to hang banners several feet above your table or booth.
Clear the Clutter
It’s tempting to bring every advertising sign you have, every brochure, boxes of business cards, a video, a laptop demo, giveaways etc, but it can create a very cluttered booth space that looks disorganized, unfocused and detracts from your main tradeshow signs and their messages. Tradeshows are about creating connections. Your brochures and swag won’t make those connections for you. That is the job of sales staff. Your signs get them to the booth or table. Your people take over from there.
Get Professional Help with Advertising Signage for Events
Sandbox Signs is a seasoned creator of event signage. If you need help creating an advertising signage package for tradeshows, contact us. We’ll provide a free consultation and guide you to the tradeshow signage choices that will work best to help your business stand out from the crowd.