Last weekend, I passed through an event taking place in a public park. Aside from the presence of a Starbucks van, there was nothing to indicate what the event was or why they were holding it. I assumed it was some sort of Starbucks product sampling, and nothing more. Well, after I walked by a couple of tents and tables, I saw a banner that proved otherwise. In fact, it was some sort of “Wonders of Winter” thing, complete with those guys who carve ice sculptures with a chainsaw.

Why didn’t I see this banner in the first place? It turns out there was only a single banner, and it was facing what they considered to be the “front” or “entrance” to the event. Somehow they failed to realize that people could enter the event space from all four sides, rather than just the front of it. I’m not familiar with the traffic numbers, but I would guess at least half of the visitors never saw the identifying signage.

The conclusion here is obvious: if people can enter your space from more than one side, make sure you have banners or signs that are visible on each of those sides. This holds for temporary venues like fairgrounds and parks, as well as permanent locations like stores, schools, and offices. The cost of additional signage is usually quite nominal when you order it all at once. And while you’re at it, order up a few extra banners. You never know what sort of creative entrances people might find, like venturing into a space from the parking garage below.