Event Directional Signage: How to Improve Wayfinding at Your Event

Nobody wants to spend an event asking, "Where am I supposed to go?" But when entrances aren't obvious, toilets are difficult to find or two different event areas look the same, that's exactly what happens. Research into wayfinding has found that the addition of signage can reduce wrong turns by 50% and backtracking by 62%, showing just how much difference clear directions can make.

In our experience, effective event directional signage isn't about putting an arrow on every available wall; it's about identifying the points where visitors are most likely to hesitate and giving them the right information before they need to ask. Get that right and the whole venue becomes easier to navigate for all involved in your event, not just guests.

In this guide, we'll show you how to better map those decision points, position your signs and choose the right materials for different areas.

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Create clear, professionally printed signage for your event, from entrance and registration signs to directions around the venue.

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Start With the Visitor Journey

Your visitors probably don't know your venue.

Before deciding how many signs you need or which signs would be helpful, walk through the event from the perspective of someone arriving for the first time. Think about every stage of their journey:

The important points are where visitors have to make a decision. If they reach a junction and could reasonably turn left or right, that's where direction signs for events become useful.

For larger events, there may also be different journeys to consider. Attendees, exhibitors, suppliers and staff could use separate entrances or need access to different parts of the venue.

Mapping these routes first makes it much easier to work out where signage is genuinely needed rather than ordering a set number of signs and finding somewhere to put them afterwards.

For more detailed sign and banner options for running your own stand, take a look at our event signage guide.

Where Should You Put Directional Signs for Events?

Good wayfinding gives visitors information before they need to make a decision.

Depending on your venue, directional signs for events could be needed around:

Think about viewing distance too. A sign positioned across a large exhibition hall needs to work differently from one mounted beside a doorway.

For longer routes, repeating an important direction can also reassure visitors that they're still heading the right way.

A useful rule when planning your signage is simple, locate decision points, not empty walls.

How Many Directional Signs Does an Event Need?

There's no set number of directional signs an event needs. The right quantity depends on the size and complexity of the venue, the number of visitor routes and how many points there are where someone could reasonably be unsure which way to go. Rather than working towards a particular number, identify each important decision point and ask whether a first-time visitor would know what to do next.

Get visitors heading in the right direction.

Create event directional signage around the routes and destinations that matter most to your visitors.

Talk to Carrick Signs about your event signage requirements.

How Do You Make Event Directional Signage Easy to Follow?

Effective event signs should allow visitors to be able to glance, and then move in the right direction.

It would be helpful to follow these helpful guidelines when placing your event signage:

• Keep wording short and put the destination first. "Registration →" is easier to process quickly than a sentence explaining where registration can be found.

• Arrows should be prominent and consistent throughout the venue. The same applies to the names you give different areas. If one sign refers to the "Main Hall", don't suddenly call it the "Main Event Space" somewhere else.

• Colour can also help visitors distinguish between different areas. A conference with several rooms, for example, could assign a colour to each area and repeat it across directional signage, schedules and maps.

You don’t need to overturn branding either, you can still consistently display branding colours logos and messaging across your event directional signage.

We can help keep your event signage clear, consistent and on-brand.

Carrick Signs' printing expertise makes it easy to carry your colours, graphics and event branding across directional signs, boards and displays without compromising readability.

Speak to our team about professionally printed event signage.

Which Materials Work Best for Event Signage?

There's no single material that's right for every sign at an event. A temporary arrow beside a pathway has different requirements from a large entrance banner or an indoor information display. For short-term events, lightweight materials can make sense for temporary signage for an event. If you're planning to reuse signs across several events, investing in a more durable material may be worthwhile.

The location, expected lifespan and conditions should guide the material you choose.

Material	Ideal For
Correx® board printing	Temporary directional signs for indoor and outdoor use, arrows and short-term information, floor plans
Foamex board printing	Indoor event signage and more rigid directional or information displays
Display card printing	Indoor schedules, notices and temporary information
PVC banner printing	Entrances, larger directions, branding and event announcements
Mesh banner printing	Larger outdoor displays in more exposed locations
Self adhesive vinyl printing	Suitable doors, windows, panels and other smooth surfaces

Choosing the material is only part of the decision. For outdoor events, you'll also need to consider banner size and viewing distance, as well as how your banner design will be seen from different areas of the venue. If you're using banners, our PVC vs mesh banner guide can help you choose between the two, while our guide to how long Correx® signs last outdoors is useful when planning temporary directional signage.

Need several different types of event signage?

Combine boards, banners and printed graphics to create a wayfinding system that works across different parts of your venue.

Speak to our team about your school sign project.

What Makes Outdoor Event Signage Different?

Outdoor event signage has to work in conditions you don't usually have to think about inside a venue. Wind, rain, changing light, larger viewing distances and fewer obvious mounting points can all affect how and where signs are displayed.

Outdoor Banners

Outdoor banners are ideal for entrances, perimeter fencing and other prominent areas to help visitors identify important destinations from further away. The location should influence which banner material you choose. PVC banners provide a solid printed surface for event graphics and messaging, while mesh allows air to pass through the material, making it useful where wind exposure needs to be considered.

Our PVC vs mesh banner guide can help you decide between the two materials for your event.

Personalised Pavement Signage

Personalised pavement signage works particularly well where visitors are moving on foot and directions need to be positioned closer to their route. A-frames, outdoor poster displays and branded barriers can be used around entrances, registration areas, queues, pathways and different event locations.

A-frames are useful because they're freestanding, portable and suitable for indoor and outdoor use, so they can be repositioned as routes or access points change. If you're considering this option, our guide to aluminium A-boards which discusses their durability, appearance, maintenance and suitability outdoors.

Custom printing also means your pavement signage can carry the same colours, graphics and visual style as the rest of your event signage, helping you maintain consistent branding throughout the venue.

Guide visitors while keeping your event on-brand.

Create personalised pavement signs, A-frames and barriers that combine clear directions with consistent event branding.

Explore our custom pavement signage options.

Test Your Event Signage Before Visitors Arrive

Before your event begins, it would be a good idea to test your visitor’s journey. Start where a visitor would arrive and follow the signs through parking, entrance, registration and the main event areas.

Better still, ask someone who isn't familiar with the venue to do it.

Check:

• Can they identify the correct entrance?

• Can they find registration?

• Are important event areas clearly signposted?

• Can they find toilets and accessible facilities?

• Are signs visible before junctions?

• Do all arrows point in the correct direction?

• Can they easily find the exit?

This final walkthrough can reveal signs hidden behind doors, stalls or temporary structures as well as places where an additional direction is needed.

If someone unfamiliar with the venue can find their way around without asking for help, your signage is doing what it needs to do.

Need High-Quality Signage For Events?

Good event directional signage shouldn't make visitors wonder where they need to go. Effective signage should provide them the information they need at exactly the right moment and help them move naturally through the venue. The right combination of wayfinding signs can make the venue easier to navigate while keeping your branding consistent throughout.

Carrick Signs offers a range of high-quality printing options for events of all sizes, with solutions suited to both indoor and outdoor locations. Using UV printing technology, we produce sharp, vibrant graphics that help your event signage stay clear, professional and consistent with your branding. Speak to us today to get started on your event sign planning.

Make your event easier to navigate.

From directional signs and banners to personalised pavement signage, create professionally printed event signage that keeps visitors moving and your branding consistent.

Speak to Carrick Signs about your event signage project.