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Event Planning

Ways to Get Your Message Out on a Grand Opening Sign (And Beyond)

Author: Leah Edwards

Regardless of your industry or type of business, your grand opening signs make one of your first impressions with the public. To make the most of your grand opening, here are some ideas to inspire you:

1. Signs at Your New Business Location

Make an Impact and Draw Customers in with Exterior Signs

While a Grand Opening event requires special signage, your new business will have permanent signage throughout the life of your business. Use bold and easy-to-read exterior signs to attract attention to your location before you open and once you are fully up and running. From exterior dimensional letters to window graphics, you want to make it easy for people to see you and find you, directing traffic right to your door.

A collage showing exterior signage, banner signs, and window graphics

Inform and Brand with Interior Signs

Your signs should communicate things about your brand, services and products throughout the interior of your space. From branded floor mats to engaging wall graphics, use a variety of surfaces to share who you are and what you can do for your customers. Incorporate digital signs into your grand opening sign plan, sharing event schedules, product overviews and other interesting information. 

Examples of a floor mat, wall graphics, and digital signage

Provide Direction with Wayfinding Signs

When customers or visitors come into your business, your signs should help them easily navigate the space. Use hanging signs to guide people, directory signage to organize offices and display where to go and A-frames to direct traffic toward your business. 

A digital directory on a wall and an A frame sign to provide direction

Include Safety and Regulatory Signs

An important component of making your new business safe is to ensure you are compliant with safety and regulatory signage before visitors set foot in the space. From bathroom signs that are ADA compliant to signs noting restricted areas, confirm that you have the most up-to-date regulatory signs in your grand opening sign plan.

A bathroom has a sign outside of the door and a construction area has a sign on the fence

2. Signs Beyond Your New Business Location

Vehicle Graphics

Business in the 21st century is on-the-go, so you want to make sure you’re moving with it. To share your brand and services with the business community, turn your vehicles into rolling billboards. Use temporary applications such as magnetic car decals that can be easily removed or go “all out” with a full vehicle wrap that highlights your brand message around town.

Examples of vehicle graphics and wraps

Promotional Products

Promotional products are ongoing reminders of your brand and are meant to be shared in the business community and beyond at local events and trade shows, and as sales call leave behinds. Consider creative products for getting your message out or mission into the hands of potential customers.

Examples of promotional products used by companies

3. Your Grand Opening Signs 

Banner/Ribbon Cutting

One of the most important grand opening signs is the banner/ribbon cutting sign, the hallmark of a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador event. It’s the sign that provides the perfect photograph to later send to journalists announcing you are open for business. Make sure you don’t forget to have this important grand opening sign ready to go on event day!

A group of employees stand outside of a business's grand opening

Creative Event Signage

Include podium and backdrop signage that feature your logo, keeping you top of mind with listeners and perfectly branded for photographers. 

Event signage on a podium and behind a speaker's panel

Sponsorship Signage

Thank those who have made it possible for you to be in business or host an event with sponsorship signage, giving them exposure.

A vertical banner thanks sponsors

Social Media-Friendly Signs for Photo Opps

A new business opening is not complete without socially-savvy Grand Opening signs. In the social media world, you cannot afford to miss out on people snapping photos, posting, tagging, sharing and liking. Use cutouts that are always fun or incorporate a branded backdrop for attendees at a more formal affair. Create a selfie frame with your logo. By giving people an interactive sign, they will automatically engage with it and be more willing to post and share on their social channels.

Photo cutouts, backgrounds, and frames with branding and logos on them

Regardless of the industry your new business is operating in, it’s important to put your best foot forward with grand opening signs as you launch your new endeavor. Make your grand opening event shine, but remember that your more permanent signs and graphics need to be ready to attract attention, inform and direct people to your location. Through the use of a wide variety of signs and graphics such as exterior signs, vehicle graphics, grand opening banners, interior wall graphics, wayfinding and safety signs and event signs, you can set your business apart from the competition right out of the gate. 

If you need help with grand opening signs, we are more than ready to help. Give FASTSIGNS a call today.