4 Ways to Use Hospitality Signage

So why are we talking about Hospitality Signage and the ways you can use Hospitality Signs effectively? First let’s just reflect on the industry for a second. Hospitality as an industry focuses heavily on creating an experience for its customers, guests and attendees. Those experiences can range from memorable / unforgettable ones, to experiences they didn’t even know happened because the goal was to create frictionless interaction that moves the customer, guest or attendee to the next “thing”. 

Now let’s go back to what this has to do with signs for the hospitality industry. What exactly is hospitality signage? Technically anything printed and used as a sign could be considered falling under this category, but in most cases people are generally imagining “signs” and hospitality banners. They actually serve a number of different purposes such as directing guests where to go, sharing important information or simply adding to the ambience or decor of the space. But the truth is that it’s a critical piece to the overall hospitality experience of your event attendees or guests.

In this article we’re sharing some of the ways you can use hospitality signage to ensure your guests have the experience you’ve set up and designed for them.

Wayfinding Signage in the Hospitality Space

Hospitality Wayfinding Signs are a perfect example of one of those experiences where a customer, guest or attendee doesn’t even really know they are experiencing something. The goal of a wayfinding sign is to direct people on where they need to be, how to get somewhere or share locations that people may choose to want to navigate to. It’s something people just expect to see in a space.

If they don’t exist then you run the risk of creating a negative experience for your customers, guests or attendees. This is the opposite of what the hospitality industry stands for.

Additionally you can make the signage fun or add to the theme of a space, which serves multiple purposes instead of just knowing how to get where you need to go.

Examples of hospitality wayfinding signage include maps, simple directional signs, nameplates or placards, banners or even hanging boards or signs. Making it as easy as possible for guests or attendees to navigate throughout your venue is undoubtedly one of the most critical parts to their overall experience. 

Hospitality Event Guides & Directories

Whether you’re hosting a small conference with a few dozen guests or you’re expecting hundreds of attendees, setting up effective displays & signs to guide your guests through the event will provide them with a memorable and frictionless experience.

These types of signs include…

• • Event Guides & Event Directories – These are used to display an agenda, the speakers, time of events, and locations where events will take place.
  • Sponsor Signs & Banners  –This type of sign is used to promote the brands and companies that sponsor an event. They are an effective way to display brand names, what they offer, as well as how to contact them.
  • What to Expect – This is a unique type of sign or banner that can set the mood, create an expectation and share relevant information that educates the guest or attendee.

This applies to hotels as well in the form of guides or directories that inform guests on where to go, what to do, when they can do it and what they can expect during their stay. 

Welcome Signs for Guests or Attendees

What’s more inviting than being welcomed into a new space? Guests arriving on location may have just ended a long day of travel, maybe seeking to relax and have time with their families, or might be there for business. For events, your attendees signed up for a specific experience and they expect to be welcomed in a warm, clear and exciting way. 

These welcome signs can be as simple as something that says “We’re glad you’re here”, “Glad You Could Make It!” or “Welcome to Our Event”.  They can also be more detailed, branded, ornate or very large to evoke a specific emotion, give the impression of significance, or set the tone of the experience the guest or attendee has in store.

Welcome message impressions matter and providing this at your location or venue will most definitely contribute to a positive experience to those being engaged.

Hospitality Safety Signage

While most of us wouldn’t consider this the most exciting type of signage used in the hospitality industry, we could all agree that it’s one of the most important types used on-site. Safety signs assist people in understanding where they shouldn’t be, what to do in case of an emergency or where to be cautious. The last thing that you want is to have a customer, guest or attendee getting injured because an area wasn’t clearly marked so they knew what to do or not to do.

For those who’ve been working in the hospitality industry for a while it’s no surprise that signage plays a significant role in the guest experience and if you’ve only been working in the industry for a short period of time, this is something you can leverage to make your experiences bigger and better.