Fall is packed with events: harvest festivals, craft fairs, holiday markets, trunk-or-treats, open houses, and Small Business Saturday right after Thanksgiving. Every one of them is a crowd walking past a row of booths and storefronts, deciding in a few seconds where to stop.
Good signage is what makes them stop. Here's how to pick the right signs and banners for the events on your calendar, and how to get them in hand before the date.
Start With Where People Will See It
From across the parking lot or down the street. A vinyl banner is your billboard. Hang it on a fence, a building, or the front of your tent, and size it big enough to read from a distance.
From the aisle. At an indoor fair or expo, a pull-up banner gives you height behind your table, so people can spot your booth over the crowd.
From the sidewalk. An A-frame sign out front pulls in foot traffic for a sale, a special, or "Open House Today."
From the road. Yard signs point the way to your event, mark the entrance, or announce it around town in the days before.
At your table. A branded table cover turns a borrowed folding table into a booth that looks like it belongs to you.
Your Options
Vinyl banners. Heavy-duty 13oz vinyl in matte (low glare, easier to read in sunlight) or glossy (brighter colors), in sizes from 1 ft wide up to 12 ft. Add grommets to hang them with zip ties or rope. For a windy outdoor spot, mesh banners let the wind pass through instead of turning the banner into a sail.
Pull-up banners. The banner rolls up into its own base and pulls up in seconds. Choose a standard stand, a premium aluminum stand, a double-sided version for booths seen from both directions, or a small tabletop version. Most come with a carrying case.
Yard signs. Weatherproof Coroplast in thicknesses from a standard 4mm up to a heavy-duty 10mm, printed on one or both sides, with optional metal H-stakes that push right into the ground.
A-frame signs. A black metal sidewalk stand with two replaceable Coroplast signs, one on each side. When the event's over, slide in new signs for the next one.
Table covers. Washable, wrinkle-resistant polyester for 6 ft or 8 ft tables, with an open back if you sit behind the table or a closed back for all four sides. They meet flame-retardant standards for exhibit halls.
Design Tips That Work at Event Distance
Keep it to a few words. Your business name, what you do, and one more thing (a special, a website, or "Booth 12"). If it takes more than a few seconds to read, people walk past.
Make the text big. If a banner will be read from 20 feet away, the letters need to be several inches tall. Bigger is almost always better.
Use high contrast. Dark text on a light background, or light on dark. Busy photo backgrounds make text disappear.
Put your logo where people will see it. On a pull-up banner, the top third is what shows above the crowd. Anything near the floor gets blocked by your table.
Match everything. When your banner, table cover, and handouts share the same colors and logo, your booth looks established and trustworthy.
Plan Backward From the Event Date
Signs and banners take time to design, proof, print, and ship, and fall events tend to bunch up. Work backward from your date:
- List your events for the rest of the season, including holiday markets and Small Business Saturday.
- Decide what you'll reuse. A pull-up banner, an A-frame stand, and a table cover with your name and logo work at every event. Keep dates and specials on smaller pieces you can swap out.
- Get your artwork ready, or ask us to help with layout.
- Request a quote early so there's room for a proof and shipping before the event.
Ready for Your Next Event?
Tell us what events you have coming up, and we'll help you choose the signs and banners that fit your space and your budget.
Request a free quote today, or call Rex directly at (866) 407-7468.