The date’s set, the venue’s booked and the agenda’s finalized. Now it’s time to nail down another key element: signage. You want attendees buzzing about your event’s engaging content and effortless flow—NOT that they couldn’t find a meeting space or restroom.
When done well, conference signage seamlessly guides attendees through your event space and agenda, anticipating their needs and questions along the way. Professional, high-quality signage shows you care about their experience and reinforces your brand’s identity and mission. In other words, signage is not an area to cut corners.
From banners to floor decals to tabletop displays, conference signage options are endless. When designing your strategy, start with an analysis of your venue’s unique structure, layout and focal points. Use balconies to hang welcome banners or open floor space for decals and graphics. Hidden or awkwardly placed signage not only frustrates attendees but also degrades your brand.
Remember to keep each piece simple and straightforward, using concise language and an edited color palette that mirrors your brand identity. Stick with two fonts max and make sure each is large enough to read from a distance.
Still stumped? Try these signage ideas:
Make a strong first impression with well-branded, attention-grabbing welcome and registration signage. As your first visual contact with attendees, the design should be appealing AND easy to spot (and read!) from a distance. Oversize welcome banners, standing feather or teardrop flags and wall graphics are ideal. You can also use large corrugated standing signs to make a high impact. Digital welcome screens are another popular—and eco-friendly—choice for their ability to convey up-to-date information and last-minute changes with zero waste.
Use registration tables with smaller (tabletop) signs to communicate:
Consider including a QR code on your tabletop signs attendees can scan for details.
Stand out from the crowd with attractive, highly visible booth signage such as:
Avoid complex designs with too many colors or fonts, which can overwhelm and distract visitors. When in doubt, take the simplest route.
Directional (or “wayfinding”) signage keeps your event running smoothly and eliminates pain points as attendees navigate your venue. Retractable banners, floor and wall decals & signs, standing corrugated or foam core easel-back signs and digital signage placed in high-traffic areas help guide attendees through your space.
Reference key destinations when designing directional signage:
Acknowledge sponsors and partners with a large banner that includes their logos and expresses your thanks. Direct attendees to sponsor booths and include company names and logos in photo backdrops and any step-and-repeat banners as well.
In addition to pre-printed agendas, keep attendees informed in real time via a digital, easily accessible agenda housed on an event app or large display screen. Another option is to publicize your agenda via a QR code that links to your event web site. Make sure the code is widely shared and easy to scan.
Build buzz and excitement around your event with a special social media photo booth or zone filled with fun, branded props and backdrops. Encourage attendees to stop by and post any photos they take, using your event hashtag. If your budget allows, a live social media wall always draws a crowd.
Unlike indoor venues with their pre-established hallways, doors and alcoves, outdoor spaces often require barricades for crowd control and navigation assistance. Aside from their practical benefits, barricades offer a large, highly visible surface to promote your brand, thank sponsors and communicate key messages.
Other popular outdoor signage options include:
Click here for more outdoor signage tips and tricks!
While surveys are prized by event planners, they’re not always a priority for attendees. Eliminate friction by keeping your survey short and to the point (less than two minutes to complete). Link your survey via QR code or embed it in your event app and offer a completion incentive.
Need help with your conference signage? United GMG’s experienced team of designers and print professionals can create high-quality, impactful signage customized to your budget and venue.
We can also help you design and implement an omni-channel marketing strategy for your conference using Omni-Bridge 2.0®.
Contact us for a free quote or call to speak to a United GMG representative today.