Added on 31 October 2016
By TopMade
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Do you have the right signage for your event?
When attending an event, there are many kinds of signs you should consider preparing to manage the crowds and flow of traffic. These can be useful for any event, from a family wedding to a corporate party. In fact, few event rental companies, who typically rent event tents or furniture, include or offer signs, so be sure you review our list below to cover off event needs.
- Overall Branding Signs – Got a stage you’d like to light up? Name your event and put it on a large banner, board or display. (Even if it’s a family reunion). Just reminding people you are running a branded event gives it more credibility, because it has a name to which people can refer. It also creates elevates it as potentially a recurring event.
- Reserved Seating – To avoid awkward moments of needing to move people out of assigned areas, make sure you use reserved seating signs, and specify the names to which that seating is assigned.
- Nametags – Nametags are another great way to avoid awkward moments – ushers, key guests, and host/hostesses should wear tags invite people to ask them questions and help identify people who are “working” and versus other guests. (Note: distinctly coloured shirts are also a good idea for staff).
- Washroom signs – You can never have too many washroom/directional signs. Be sure to place them in highly visible locations and mark separate Men’s and Ladies’ locations.
- Payment area signs – “Please Pay Here” – If you’re accepting money, be sure people understand how and where to make payments. It also sets the tone that, for example, food or drinks are not free, so people realize this before they place orders for those items.
- Payment Types accepted (Visa/MC/cash only) – This will help guests avoid frustration at having made their way through lineups, only to discover you cannot accept their method of payment.
- Line-up Signs – Clearly, signs on stands and barriers will help manage the flow, avoiding blocking doors or access to key areas. By creating a floorplan of your event carefully, you can ensure you have enough, and anticipate how to move and adjust areas where traffic may become backed up.
- Pricing Signs – Create pricing boards so people are not upset or surprised by the pricing you have set for various items at your event. Pricing boards inevitably improve sales, because few people will get in line to pay an unknown amount.
- Guestbook Signs – If you have a guestbook, it can be easily forgotten without an obvious sign. What’s more, if you’re using it to collect email addresses, it could be a vital part of your follow-through/thank-you post-event strategy.
- Coat Check – Coats, hats or boots can create a mess at tables and take up chair/seating space unnecessarily. If you can create a coat check area (and of course, post a price, if there is one, or mark it as “FREE” or “BY DONATION”) and mark it with bold signage, it will imply to people that they ought to check their coats.
- Congratulations Signs with Names of Guests of Honour – Sometimes, not everyone attending will know the guests of honour, and this can create awkward moments. If you have an important sponsor or guest of honour, consider posting photographic signage of them so that people know who they are, and can acknowledge them as such.
- Communications / Key Messages – What was the key purpose of your event? If it was to let the world know your philosophy of life, get people to appreciate what you stand for, or to make a marketing statement about your products, then signage, perhaps built into a creative display of some sort, is a great, silent way to communicate this while guest are mingling. Not everyone is a great networker, so giving them something to read while they circulate around the room is a wonderful way to get your message across.
- Legal Signs – Is there any risk involved in your event? In this case, any legal signs should be included in a prominent area. If you are serving alcohol, providing a dance lesson, or even taking images that might be posted to a website, be sure to include some version of “This activity is….at your own risk” –
- Signs to Acknowledge Sponsors – Finally, if you got any sponsors to fund your event, signage is an excellent way to acknowledge them. We’ve all been in the position where we’ve forgotten to thank someone in a speech…with signage, you can cover your bases and even take event photos so that sponsors are aware of the exposure they received. You could consider separate signs for each sponsor, or a main sponsor board. In the former case, this allows you to have a “bar sponsor” – in which case the sign is over the bar, for example.
Need to get these, or any other signs produced? Please contact us for your event; we can help you create a budget for your signs and get everything produced on time, made to order.
Added on 14 October 2016
By TopMade
2 Comments
If you frequent the mall, you’ve probably noticed that styles of bygone eras are constantly making a comeback. But this trend isn’t limited to fashion. We’re experiencing a similar shift in our business, thanks to increasing requests for retro signs with vintage-inspired logos. The classic fonts, the neon and the fun and old-fashioned graphics – it’s easy to see why it’s become a popular design choice!
Retro is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “looking like or relating to styles or fashions from the past.”
Retro graphics are especially important in businesses looking to create an atmosphere, such as retail and hospitality. Because of its broad definition, retro offers immense versatility as a design style. For example, if you want your brand to appear glamorous and high energy, a sign based on popular “roaring twenties” imagery is a great choice. If you desire a more “mom-and-pop shop” feel for your business, a 1950s style might be more ideal. In general, while modern design is “cutting edge” it can also be considered “cold.” In comparison, retro design often evokes a warm feeling.
So, you’re ready to go retro. But with so many style choices, where do you start? Here are three popular options:
We’ve gushed about beautiful neon signs before. Aside from neon tubes, you can also incorporate exposed bulbs into your design for an interesting lighting effect. And for a really retro look, use both styles at once! An iconic example of this is the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. As one of Calgary’s original neon sign makers, at Topmade we can build you something from scratch, and refurbish your old burnt-out bulbs.
- Retro Letter and Graphic Styles
Find your ultimate retro fonts online and combine them with some old-fashioned art or imagery. For instance, Creative Bloq has a helpful post of 40 free retro fonts you can download and use. Another interesting approach is to weave in actual 3D elements of, say a classic car or motorcycle, or some other piece of the past – light it up to become part of your sign, and you’ll have a real eye catcher.
- Refurbishing Classic Signs
Did you buy a classic building with an existing vintage sign? Consider restoring it to show off the building’s history, like the Biscuit Building or the King Eddy. This is a way of saying you legitimately respect the history of the area, because you’re adding into it instead of writing overtop of it.
In fact, in some cases, the signs can be so sentimental to the community that the sign itself is the last thing standing. This is the case with Eamon’s Camp site sign, on the 1A heading out of Calgary.
Need more design inspiration? Check out this collection of vintage signage by Smashing Magazine.
If you’d like to make your old sign look like new again, or your new sign look old, give Topmade a call. We’ve been in the sign manufacturing business since 1979. With our team of experts, we can help you brainstorm a retro sign design or refurbish your classic sign.
Signs, as much as we love ‘em, can have a limited amount of space to deliver your message. And if you try to cram it all in, you risk creating an unattractive and illegible sign. So how can you communicate important information, if you can’t increase your sign’s dimensions?
QR (Quick Response) Codes and Text Message Campaigns.
While you might not be familiar with the terms, we’re certain you’ve seen both before. Have you ever read a sign that asked you to text a specific word to a 5-digit number? For example, “text DRESSPLZ to 12345 to receive a 15% off promo code!” That’s a text message marketing campaign.
Need design inspiration on incorporating a text message campaign for your signs? Tatango has 30 excellent advertising examples.
QR codes are like barcodes, but they’re more accessible and can store more information. Its basic form is a series of black and white boxes, like the example above, but they can also incorporate different colors and company logos. To access the QR code’s information, all you need is: a smartphone with a camera and the ability to download a free QR code reader app.
If you’d like to learn about the history of QR codes, visit qrcode.com.
Text message and QR code campaigns can include:
- Discount offers
- Links to surveys, contest entry forms, websites or social media
- Product updates
- General and contact information
- Google map directions
- Event reminders and tickets
- Loyalty program information
- Application downloads
- Streaming video or music
You can use QR codes and text message on:
- Signs and advertisements
- Business cards and brochures
- Product packaging and receipts
- Bus shelters and benches
- Clothing
- TV broadcasts
- Radio ads (for text message campaigns)
- Vehicle wraps
- Websites
In short, they’re an easy way for businesses, non-profits and organizations to distribute information quickly and conveniently via your smartphone. Because the purpose behind text message campaigns and QR codes is very similar, it’s not unusual to see both methods used on the same sign.
Why are QR codes and text message campaign such a helpful marketing tool?
You know it’s messaging the customer wants. Mobile ads appear whether someone desires it or not. If your mobile ads are seen as intrusive, then potential customers might form a negative impression of your company. On the other hand, they need to actively opt in with QR codes and text campaigns. So it’s natural to assume that, if they signed up, it’s because they’re already interested in what you have to offer.
A survey by SAP, a multinational software corporation, found that 76% of respondents are “more likely to read a message sooner if it’s an SMS/text message than if it’s an email.”
You can gather important information on your audience. There are plenty of tracking software options you can use with your QR code or text message campaigns. These applications keep an updated subscriber database and can report of statistics like number of coupon downloads and homepage visits. Using your POS system, you can even find out which customers used your coupons. This is helpful if you’d like to create targeted campaigns for frequent customers or unconverted leads.
You can send messages on a schedule or by proximity. Is your clothing shop throwing a lunchtime sale? Let customers, who have subscribed to your campaign, know in advance with a planned text. Or if a customer is browsing in your store, seal the deal by sending a promo code over Wi-Fi.
You can use a print ad to create an engaging multimedia experience. We’ve talked a lot about sending texts during your campaign, but don’t feel limited to characters and emojis. For instance, when someone scans your QR Code, maybe it sends them to a website, shows them a video or plays them a song.
For examples of creative ways companies have used QR codes, check out this article by Scanova.
Now, let’s get specific. Here’s an example of where a QR code, or a text message campaign, would be a great addition to a sign:
Earlier this month, we listed all the great reasons why you shouldn’t underestimate the impact of real estate yard signs. In the past, some real estate signs would have outdoor brochure boxes. While the printouts were protected from the elements, it was not the most convenient system. You’d have to budget for printing and re-stock it as needed. And what if you have too many signs in too many locations to monitor closely?
Modern real estate signs use QR codes or text message campaigns as a method to send MLS listings, contact details, and open house information to interested folks. Sending a short code, or scanning an image, is much easier than typing a frustratingly long url or trying to find specific information from a homepage.
As with any marketing tool, there are few things to consider before jumping in and using a QR code or text message campaign:
Keep messages brief and on topic. Even if someone subscribes to receive your texts, you should respect their privacy and their time. Keep messages to a minimum and make sure they’re valuable to your audience.
Give them an easy out. Make sure they’re informed, right away, of how they can opt-out. For example, “text ‘STOP’ to be removed from our directory.” And always abide by the anti-spam laws of your country.
Know your audience. While it’s not a new technology, less tech-savvy individuals may be hesitant to participate in QR codes and text message campaigns. Your target audience will determine if a QR code or text message campaign is right for your business.
Make sure your website is responsive. If the goal of your sign is to drive traffic to your website, then any links you send should be easy to navigate on mobile.
QR codes and text message campaigns are just a couple of the ways that signs are evolving in response to trends in communication. At Topmade, we’ve been in the signage consulting and manufacturing business since 1979. If you’d like guidance on what design choices would work best for your business, give us a call.
