As mentioned in last week's post, events are a popular and effective way to increase awareness about your brand. Our upcoming concert requires a lot of design materials, so we put together this checklist to make sure we have everything ready to go on the 23rd of this month. 

• Billboards - You can use traditional billboards for your event, or if you'd like a less expensive option, we chose to go with Blip billboards. With Blip, you can set a daily budget to have your ad shown dozens of times throughout the day for about $0.35/per 8-second "blip". There are several billboards along I-15 in Utah County, which was the ideal location to advertise our event. We recommend checking out Blip's website to locate a sign near you for an affordable advertising solution. 
  
  
• Posters/Flyers - Don't underestimate the power of plastering posters and handing out flyers all over your city. These kind of printed materials are one of the most inexpensive ways to get the word out about your event and they're incredibly effective.
  
  Put up posters in areas where people are actively engaging with their surroundings - like shopping centers, main streets, malls, universities, etc. Be careful not to put up your posters too far in advance - many bulletin board moderators will take down posters that have been up for longer than a month. Also, remember to ask neighboring businesses to have flyers for your event on their desk or to hang up a poster in their front window. 
  
  
• Banners - Banners are a great way to fill empty space at an event and add a touch of professional coordination. Consider what kind of messaging you'd like to present before and during your event - will you be doing any street banners to promote it? What about banners outside your building? If your event has sponsors, considering printing out a banner with their logos to promote their businesses at your event as well. 
  
  
• Custom Badges/Lanyards - Whether your next event is a trade show, concert, networking opportunity, or something else - it's a great idea to bring custom badges and lanyards to distinguish your business. These can be used to identify VIPs, sales executives, volunteers, sponsors, or anyone who has special access at your event.
  
  Consider using protective hard plastic badge holders for an even more professional look. The best part about this combo is that it's inexpensive and your guests can keep these to use forever and further advertising for your brand! 
  
• Apparel - Another aspect of event design is apparel, many of our clients choose to advertise their sponsors' logos on the back of t-shirts for events, which has a lasting marketing impact. You could also create special event shirts, hats, wristbands, and more to give away or sell at your event to expand your reach. We chose to create shirts featured in an earlier blog post, the Benefits of Branded Apparel. 
  
  
• Directional/Parking Signs - You can use a-frame signs or digitally printed yard signs to point your audience to the right direction to make sure they know where your event is and the right place to park. Yard signs are the less expensive route unless you already have access to a-frame signs, but either will work effectively with bold text in readable colors and lettering. 
  
  
• Tickets - Does your event have tickets that you'll be selling online or at the door? Eventbrite is a good platform if you'd like to sell tickets online only. If you have a physical version of your tickets, use the same brand guidelines you've set before for the event to stay consistent.
  
  Tickets are a fun way for your guests to remember the event and can also be used for drawings. You can add a custom barcode to the bottom to be able to scan tickets to automatically enter your guests to win a prize at your event. 
  
  
• Social Media Posts - Take pictures of everything you're doing for the event and post them on social! Whether it's putting up posters, designing materials, or putting giveaways together, posting these pictures will help build the hype for your event. Get your followers to share your event with contests or other incentives. Social sharing is one of the most effective ways to spread the word and get people to attend your event.

We hope you find this helpful for your next event - let us know if you have anything coming up, we'd love to hear what events you have in store!