Running an Event? Learn about the best printing materials to advertise a convention center. Let's jump into it with this guide!
The best printing materials and products for conventions:
- Posters
- Banners
- Postcards
- Direct Mailers
- Stickers
- Brochures
How to use posters to advertise a convention?
Posters are a great way to advertise an event. They can be used in several different ways, such as:
The poster itself acts as a way to promote the event, but if you give out some flyers with it you will have more chance of getting them into the hands of people who don't usually read this kind of information - which means more exposure!
They are often displayed throughout public areas, where they make new visitors aware that your event is on and readily available for them to attend.
Also very commonly seen at conventions are large promotional banners. These are typically displayed over stages or on walls around important locations within the convention space. These allow everyone entering to see what's going on and possibly entice them to check out what's going on.
Banner advertising the right way
Banners, like posters, can also be used for contests or giveaways of different types.
For example: If you're looking for a way to get more people into the artist alley area - consider having a signup sheet where people can sign-up if they want to enter your contest (where the prize is something like 'an original sketch' from one of the artists in that location).
The use of Brochures
Brochures are another great piece of material that often get forgotten about. They aren't always necessary, but if you feel like it would fit with your theme - then they're certainly worth considering using at some point!
These work especially well when there isn't a big chance of the person that will be seeing it actually talking to you about them needing one.
For example, these are often very well received by customers who just walk into your store and aren't looking for anything in particular at first.
Postcards work great as an invitation, but they can also be used as a way for people to pull out their phones and text or email themselves information so they don't forget it!
A lot of companies these days do direct mailing, which is essentially using postcards as a way to advertise directly via post.
This is far more expensive than other advertising methods, but it's been proven to have high success rates with certain targets - especially those who rely heavily on mobile technology where SMS/Email marketing may not reach them all that well.
In the end, these are all simply supportive pieces that can help encourage people to come and visit and play your game and show!
These posters and so on allow them to see what they're missing out on! It's a way to offer them an incentive without having to say a word.
If you do it right, you'll have people walking around talking about how awesome your convention/game is before it has even begun!
How long does it usually take for signs or advertisements to be printed?
Orders of marketing materials such as posters or banners typically only take 24 hours to print, although this may vary depending on the time of year (for example during conventions).
Postcards tend to be less urgent than those and may take a few days, and direct mailers will likely take the longest since they're printed in bulk in most cases.
How long should a sign or advertisement be displayed?
This varies depending on the product, but as a rule of thumb: posters and banners should be displayed for at least two weeks.
Direct Mailers can often go on display for longer - perhaps even months! If you're not too sure about how long to keep them up, it's best to err on the side of caution and give yourself more time than you think you'll need.
How far in advance do you need to order convention prints?
The more time you can give yourself, the better!
Generally three or four weeks is a good amount of time to allow. Posters and Banners are generally printed at this kind of speed, whereas postcards vary depending on your chosen supplier. Direct mailers may take several months to print in some cases.
Printing Your Own Signs & Advertisements?
Make sure they're high quality! Printing from home can be great for creating low budget prints quickly - but it isn't exactly the best way to produce quality pieces.
In most cases it's far better to print these things through a professional printing service so that you know you have a consistent finished product. If you do choose to go down this route, make sure you have the files ready that you need to send them! That way there's no waiting around while they sort out your design for you.
So how will you advertise a convention?
With posters, banners, postcards or direct mailers - depending on which route you choose. These are all great ways to get the word out there about what you have planned! Just make sure everything is of high quality so it can be read.