11 Dynamic Signage Ideas

Signage can serve many purposes. At their most basic level, signs are functional: helping people get where they need to go. “The right signage is crucial for an event,” says Jennifer Spiering, owner, Meeting Creators LLC in Cincinnati. “We just did an event on a large property and having signage to give direction was so important because we couldn’t have a person stationed everywhere to give out directions. It helps from a comfort standpoint for my attendees because there’s nothing worse than feeling lost at a large event.”

But signage can also enhance an event by adding to the décor and promoting a message. “We had an event with a Jimmy Buffett theme and used signs with parrot heads for the restrooms and cards on the tables that listed specialty drinks at the bars,” says Tammy L. Dawson, a certified meeting professional and meeting coordinator for Aegon USA in Baltimore, Md. “We also had fun signage throughout the venue with miscellaneous Buffett trivia. With the help of signage, we were able to tie everything together with a theme that started with the invites and went all the way to the direction and drink signs at the event.”

Dawson says her company made a signage investment a few years ago and has been able to use those purchased signs in place of renting. “If the budget is there, and you can invest in a sign that can be flexible, I highly recommend going that route,” she says.

In the past, using high-quality graphics for signage, exhibits and displays was only within the budgets of large companies. “However, as cutting-edge technology continues to become more affordable and new products or styles of existing products are introduced, the quality and range of display options available have improved,” adds Audra London of Fastsigns, a network of sign centers across the United States and in several other countries.

Scott Abel of The Content Wrangler Inc., a program manager for the Documentation andBus Billboard: Courtesy: FASTSIGNS International Inc. Training Conference series, says planners can save even more money by educating themselves about pricing. “Be willing to challenge your printing shop,” he says. “Don’t expect them to give you the best deal. Ask for it. Ask them if they accept competitors’ bids — most do — and get bids from three shops. Provide the lowest bid to your favorite printer and ask them to beat it.”

What sign is right for your next event? Here are 11 to consider.

that’s a wrap

Full-color digital graphics and wide-format prints allows you to turn a vehicle into a rolling billboard, building awareness for an upcoming event with every trip, says London. Once done promoting the event, the vehicle can be parked outside of the venue as an easy-to-spot sign where the event entrance is located.

Step and Repeat: Courtesy: DDI Signs

step and repeat

The classic step-and-repeat banner is always great option as a backdrop for photos taken at your event. This type of banner uses a repetition of logos printed in a “stepping up and down” pattern. The banner at left, created by DDI Signs, is a slight variation on the traditional step-and-repeat banner. It uses the main company’s logo in the center and incorporates, along the border, the secondary sponsors in a smaller format in the step-and-repeat pattern, says Keith Newsome of DDI Signs.

Light Box: Courtesy: Concept Design Production

light the way

A light box can be an impactful way to display any message you’re trying to get across. The light box shown, from Concept Design Production, is a sleek aluminum unit providing 32 square feet of backlit display. “It plugs right into a standard wall socket, giving you maximum flexibility,” says Jeff Cason of Concept Design. “Large-format graphics are a snap to insert and can be printed independently or by our full-service graphics production department — taking the hassle out of branding your display.”

Cy Tower Graphics: Courtesy: Concept Design Production

build your message

Cy Tower Graphics are a dazzling way to share a message. “These large-format branding vehicles can be made to order — from single graphics in each square to multi-panel images that span any distance,” explains Cason. “Laminated high-resolution graphics fit right onto our popular Cy Tower panels and can be backlit for a stunning effect.” The panels are curved wall segments that can have a textured, translucent or graphic finish.

Crescent Light Box: Courtesy: Concept Design Production

create an organic feel

These light boxes are built to display your full-color large-format graphics in style. “Gently curved, the Crescent can fit together with several units to make a branded wall with an organic feel,” says Cason. “At 12 feet in height, Crescents give you a presence unmatched by other branding systems.”

Entrance Sign: Courtesy: DDI Signs

make a big entrance

Set the tone right off the bat with a sign as the event’s entrance. The sign pictured was at the main entrance to a very big event for Sysco Foods,” explains Newsome. “They asked for the entrance to resemble the side of a luxury ship. We had limited space, but made it look like a ship with wood pillions and some life preservers.”

Floor Graphic: Courtesy: DDI Signs

lead the way

Floor graphics can be especially helpful in terms of direction, but can also be yet another way to get a message to attendees as they walk around a venue. DDI Signs has found that its footprint floor graphics have been especially popular. “They last for approximately a year indoors and up to six months outdoors,” says Newsome. “They are removable, leaving no glue residue, and have a UL-rated non-slip lamination, which is a must.”

MasterTent: Courtesy: Britten Inc

brand your tent

With this large MasterTent frame and digitally printed roof/valance from Britten Inc., get the right brand image across. “The coroplast signage used around the games [under the tent pictured] and the signage on the kiosk [outside the tent], are all products Britten has the ability to screen and digitally print,” says Jenn Ryan
of Britten.

Table Cover: Courtesy: Better Mousetrap LLC

bring your message to the table

Something as simple as a table cover could still convey a message or add to the overall theme of your event. This table cover was created with a Victorian motif printed on opaque fabric via dye sublimation by Long Island City, N.Y.-based Better Mousetrap LLC, which creates custom-imaged fabric décor for a wide variety of applications.

EventTruss: Courtesy: Britten Inc.

go big

A large event, especially if entertainment is setting up on a stage, means large signage. The EventTruss staging and the large AdMesh banners alongside the stage, which provide airflow and do not hinder music coming out of speakers, as well as the vinyl banners along the front of the staging, are effective options according to Ryan.

Printed dance floor: Courtesy: Better Mousetrap LLC

let’s dance

Instead of opting for a standard dance floor, why not continue with the event theme, keeping it right underfoot for your attendees? This dance floor was printed on removable self-adhesive vinyl via inkjet with skid-resistant, transparent protective floor over-laminate, says Jim Cotton of Better Mousetrap. Designed by event design luminary Preston Bailey, the event appeared in Bailey’s book “Inspirations.”