Signage and Way-FindingDesign & Approach

Event BrandingManaging event branding can be a difficult task at the

best of times, but when it comes to ensuring that the needs of customers and sponsors are balanced out, it can be extremely difficult. Every company involved with an event wants their logo or brand to be seen by as many customers as possible and the organising company needs to keep everybody happy. This can place a great strain on the team designing the promotional material for the event. However, there are some simple steps to follow to ensure that all guests and sponsors are happy with the overall promotional activity undertaken for the event.

Consistency Is ExcellenceIn all kinds of event branding, but especially with signage

and way finding designs, consistency is the key. This is why it is helpful to decide upon a layout design early on in the process and then stick with the decision. Depending on the type of sign that is being used, there can be a good reason for using different sizes of fonts but in general, there needs to be an element of consistency across all of these signs. This should reflect in the type of font used, the colour used and the style of alignment on the sign, whether it is right, centre or left aligned. The information should also be easy to read and comprehend.

Influence of LayoutsDepending on the layout of the event, it may not be

possible to know where everything will be before arrival on site. This can make completing some signs and banners in advance a bit more difficult. However, there will be main elements of event branding that can be completed in advance, and these should be completed as early as possible to make life easier on site. 

The best solution is to complete as much as possible in advance but do not add all the arrows or directions until the signs have been put in place. Using removable arrows can ensure that all of the directions are correct, which is one of the most important issues in event branding. If the directions on the signs are incorrect, people will not remember how great they looked, just that they contained the wrong information.

Working with SponsorsAnother issue to be aware of when creating signage and

way-finding material for event branding is how to deal with different sponsors. Some events may feature a long list of sponsors or partners and it can be difficult to ensure that every company gets the exposure and promotion they deserve. There may be contractual obligations about sponsors' logos or where they are placed but if not, it is best to go for the simplest approach and list sponsors alphabetically with their logos clearly spaced.

Importance of Good Quality ArtworkIn advance of designing the signs, all of the sponsors

should be contacted to request a good quality high resolution version of their logo for use on promotional material. These logos or brands should be collated and then placed in alphabetical order on any promotional material. This is the fairest way of representing all of the sponsors' brands and should make life a lot easier for any designer and firm. If you have different levels of sponsor why not split the branding packages to include certain areas or items of branding.