Many businesses include corporate conferences and exhibitions as an important part of their marketing and sales strategy. These events offer the opportunity to showcase a company’s products and services along with reinforcing the company brand and image. A lot of these events are not cheap to attend, so it is important that a business makes the most of these opportunities – which is why you should carefully consider your outdoor events graphics and sign printing. The signage will likely be the first thing an attendee at these events will see – it is what, hopefully, attracts people to your stand. Many companies use large format printing to produce their event signage which, if designed and printed professionally, they can use repeatedly at different events. Here are some aspects of event graphics and signage to consider:

The Function of Event Graphics Design 

There are three main functions of your graphic design and signage – firstly, the design is representing your brand so it needs to be individual and distinctive – a bland or poorly designed graphic will reflect badly on your company image. Secondly, as mentioned earlier, your graphic design is your best opportunity to attract the attention of those attending the event – so ensure that it is interesting and attractive! And thirdly, your graphic display sets the tone for what your company is and does – bright, vivid colours and design can portray a particular artistic image, whilst more sombre, darker designs can suggest a more formal image – ensure the colours and images you use for your graphic display accurately reflects what your company represents.

Essential Design Principles to Consider

There are four basic design principles to adhere to when creating your outdoor events graphics. These are:

  • Consistency – Create your original design for event branding and then use that as a template for future events and marketing materials. An initial well-designed graphic containing your company logo, colours and any strapline can be used as a base and then ‘tailored’ for each event in the future – simply swap out the relevant titles, images, and text for each individual event – there is no point in ‘reinventing the wheel’ every time you attend an event!
  • Hierarchy – This is a reference to the importance of ‘visual hierarchy’ – that is the style, size, font, and colours to use to create the maximum impact for anyone seeing your outdoor event graphics. Use different visual indicators to emphasise the individual types of information and the priority of each on your signage – use larger, bold text for your headline and different styles for other information you are displaying.
  • Alignment – When creating your event signage opt for a clean and professional look by selecting an alignment, either central or right-sided, and stick with that format. Try not to over-complicate your signage with different alignments – it makes your signs more difficult to read and looks less professional.
  • White Space – This is not a reference to using the colour white, but rather making sure that you don’t over-complicate or ‘clutter’ your signage with too much text or imagery. Work on the premise that less is usually more – too much information on your signs will detract from the main message you are trying to convey.

Colour Contrast for Event Branding

It is often very effective to employ colour contrast in your design and sign printing – high contrast combinations are eye-catching and easy to read. White text on a solid colour background is always distinguished but dark text on a white base will also work well, especially if paired with distinctive images. If your other marketing materials employ a specific ‘company colour’ then ensure that is repeated in your outdoor events graphics design – repeated colour and imagery helps reinforce corporate branding and identity.

It is always a good idea to speak with an established print company about your corporate sign printing and marketing literature – they can usually help with the design and materials as well as the actual large format printing.

John E Wright

If you’re planning an outdoor event or any kind of exhibition and want to discuss your requirements, or talk to us about our design service, simply use our contact form to send your questions through to our sales team. Or alternatively, call our head office on: 0115 950 6633.