4 Ways to Help Association Conference Attendees Find Their Way

Finding your way around a large resort, hotel or conference center can be hard enough – now throw in hundreds of conference attendees going to multiple workshops, keynote presentations and events all while other conferences are going on in the same location! An attendee that can’t find their way can quickly become frustrated – resulting in an unpleasant conference experience.

Here are 4 ways that you can help your association conference attendees find their way. The result will be relaxed and comfortable guests that get where they need to be on time and in an organized manner.

1. Consistency - Have a conference look and theme that carries through all of the conference materials – your website, printed materials and onsite signage should all have the same look. By the time your attendees get to your conference, they should easily be able to identify your signage by the overall look.

2. Placement - Proper placement is crucial to effective signage. Especially if the conference is being held at a large venue there needs to be ample amounts of signs to direct visitors of exactly where to go. Begin with placing signs in the hotel lobby and by the check in desk and have arrows or a creative symbol that ties in with the theme of the conference to direct attendees where to go to register. If you are having workshops or breakout sessions, have a sign outside of each room.

3. Planning - Before the conference make sure to do a run through of the location and plan exactly where the signs should be placed to maximize the effectiveness. This will also help you with how many signs to order. Before the conference begins and after you have placed all of the signs, walk through the space to make sure that the signage placement makes sense.

4. Types - Depending on the type of conference you are planning there are various types of signs available. Below are some different types of signs that can be used to make navigating around the conference as straightforward as possible.

Reusable signs - If your conference is taking place at a number of locations throughout the year you can create signs that have plastic insert pockets to update for the different locations.

Disposable Signs - This type of sign is good for conferences that will only take place once and have a very specific look. There are many options available including various sizes and pockets for slip-in sheets.

Floor signs - Large stand alone floor signs are a great way to grab the attention of the guests. They could be used as a welcome sign or be placed outside of a conference room to inform the guests of what is taking place in that room.

Directional signs - Using a consistent logo from the theme of the conference could be a creative way to guide guests to various locations of the conference. The guest will associate the logo or image with the conference, and know that if they follow the image they will get to where they need to be.

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