Written by Paul Strack
Imagine the Scene…
It’s a crisp fall day in Arkansas. Imagine the golden leaves along the river, high school football is in full swing, food trucks parked on Main Street. The air is cooler, weekends are busier, and outdoor events pop up everywhere: festivals, art walks, charity runs, and concerts.
If you’re hosting one of these events, you’ve probably spent hours planning the music, food, and fun. But have you thought about your signage? It’s the difference between smooth sailing and total chaos.
Signage is more than decoration. it’s communication, branding, and wayfinding all rolled into one.
Good signage improves:
- Wayfinding (no lost crowds!)
- Sponsor visibility
- Public safety
- Branding
- Donor and attendee engagement
Must-Dos and Tips for Event Signage
Use QR Codes
Place QR codes on banners, A-frames, and posters to link to schedules, maps, menus, donation portals, or FAQs. The beauty? You can update info in real time, so attendees always have the latest details.
Speak a Universal Language
Not everyone reads English fluently, but everyone knows a fork and a knife mean food! Use icons and pictograms for medical tents, restrooms, accessibility, and more. Think emojis, but maybe more professional.
Pro Tip: Use high-contrast colors for icons so they’re visible even from a distance.
Wayfinding Matters
You got people to your event — now help them move around. Don’t overlook parking, check-in, or volunteer stations. Keep signs clean, uncluttered, and positioned where they’ll be noticed.
Bonus tip: Adjust signs on the fly if crowd flow changes. Nobody wants a food-truck line blocking the porta-potties.
Branding Is Free Advertising
Every event is a branding opportunity for you and your sponsors. Use bold colors (ink doesn’t cost extra), experiment with shapes, and think beyond the rectangle.
“Color is free — use it boldly.”
Go Experiential
Attendees don’t just want information; they want experiences. Turn signage into photo ops. A little imagination and design can create selfie walls, chalkboard message boards, or sponsor-branded backdrops. Interactive signs = unforgettable memories.
Quality Counts
Signs look bigger in real life than they do on your designer’s monitor. Invest in high-resolution or vector files to keep everything crisp. Nothing undermines a sponsor faster than a pixelated logo on a giant banner.
Wrap-Up
Some things about outdoor events you can’t control. Examples include the weather, traffic, or whether the funnel-cake stand runs out of powdered sugar. But signage? That’s on you.
Smart, well-designed signage guides your guests, showcases your sponsors, and elevates your event.
Plan thoughtfully, invest in quality, and let your signs work as hard as you do.
Need help designing signage that works as hard as you do? The CustomXM team is here to help you Market Smarter. Click here to get started!
