5 Things You Should Know About Hanging Signs

Your goal when exhibiting at a trade show or event is to stand out right? Well nothing helps you tower over your fellow exhibitors like a large suspended graphic structure. We’re talking hanging signs, and while they may be a no-brainer as the fastest way to carry your brand to the top of the show hall, there are a few things you need to consider first. 

1. All Shapes and Sizes

There are a few ways to suspend your branding from the rafters, but for the most part hanging signs are constructed with aluminum tubes and tension graphics. This method of construction allows for bright, continuous graphics, light-weight signs that are easy to lift and hang, and structures that break down into small, easily shipped packages. This type of structure also allows from some pretty dynamic shapes.

Circles, squares, rectangles, and pinwheels are just a few of the shapes available. Add to that some variation in size and you have many options to choose from. 

So how do you choose the right size and shape? There are a few things to consider, budget of course will help, but two things are most helpful to look at: location and booth layout. You’ll want to take a look at traffic flow and determine what shape will allow your branding to be seen a it’s most optimal. A triangle might be the perfect fit for the island in the upper corner, a pinwheel may make the most sense for a centrally located booth. Next take a look at your booth layout. Will the sign act as a roof for you space? Can it help direct traffic around your space?

2. On a Roll

Maybe just being up in the sky is not enough. Maybe it needs to spin too… Add a hanging motor and your over-the-booth signage just went up a notch. Movement is a great way to attract attention and the rotation of your sign ensures that your full branding is seen from every vantage point on the show floor.

3. Light the Way

There are few ways to shine the spotlight on your hanging sign. The simplest approach is to order can lights from the venue to light up your sign. This has the added benefit of illuminating your booth space as well. Another option is stage-style truss lighting. Many shows will rent full light rigs from which you can hang your sign and add lights to spotlight each section of graphic. Lastly, you can illuminate from the floor by attaching spots on your booth structure and point to your sign.

4. Rigging

One important point you’ll need to know prior to your show is that you will need to hire a rigging crew to hang your sign. This varies from venue to venue, but for the most part this is a separate crew (from your labor or show decorator) and will most likely have it’s own order form in your show book. You may need to provide your own Harness and Cables (most signs will come with them), or some venues will require that you use theirs. 

One more note: Some venues require that the lift crew assemble your sign – not you or your labor, so plan accordingly when budgeting.

5. Hanging Signs that Don’t Hang

Some venues simply don’t allow hanging from the ceiling, sometimes your booth location just doesn’t work with a hanging sign, or sometimes the added cost of a rigging crew prevents you from employing a hanging sign. What to do? Simple, don’t hang it. As long as your show’s height restrictions are at or over 14’ you can often build supports into your booth structure to simply sit the sign on your booth. You get all the benefits of a hanger with a lot less labor cost.

So matter the size or shape of your space, frequency of your shows or size of your budget, there is probably a sign that will work for you. Remember to check your show book for rules and regulations regarding hanging signs and height restrictions first, or contact us for some help!