Event Branding: Where Your Business Logo Should Go

When hosting or attending events, branding is essential. If you don’t have a large budget, you will need to get creative to make the most of your branding, and there are countless ways to do this. Try to be imaginative and don’t just get any old decorations and put your logo onto them. Think carefully about your target audience and what they expect, then focus on creating a unique experience for them.

Here are some ideas to use as inspiration for your next event, whether that is a conference, a convention, a new product launch, a fundraising dinner, or anything else.

Unique Gifts

Small gifts go down well, but try to come up with something different or unusual rather than a pen or a badge. Think about your attendees and ask yourself what they would really want. If your branding is quirky and fun, consider something like custom playing cards complete with your logo.

Branded Bags

Many businesses hand out branded bags at fairs and conventions, but although they may not be very original, they can be highly effective. People always want bags to carry around all of their free samples at conventions, and a good quality bag will be very useful for them. In addition, they will be advertising your business all day long, and even after the event.

Invites

A unique invite is a great way to get your branding across before the guests even arrive at the event. Again, be creative. The more you can surprise your guests, the more memorable the invite will be. Try to create some intrigue. Think about Apple’s invitations to its major product releases, for example, which are very simple but highly effective. If it is feasible, you could even make your invites hand written for a more personal touch. Check out Pinterest for lots of ideas for branded invites.

Make Use of Color

If you are hosting the event, use your brand colors in the decorations for a subtle form of branding. Furniture, curtains, seat covers, table cloths, dinner mats—you have various options to choose from.

Food and Drink

The food is a great opportunity for branding. For example, a cake in the form of your logo at an event you are hosting will go down well. Or you could hand out snacks, sweets, and drinks wrapped in branded packaging. Just make sure they really are tasty, otherwise you’ll have the wrong impact.

Clothing

If you are attending a convention or conference, you could get some branded clothing designed for your staff. Alternatively, design some items of clothing like hats that you can give away. Hopefully the hats will be worn after the event, which is great for ongoing brand exposure.

Print Items

Don’t discount simple print items when it comes to branding at events. Simple flyers, posters, signs, and handouts can all be effective and don’t have to cost much. Again, try to be original with your ideas to make them stand out.

Make Your Event A Memorable One

Branding is essential in any event, whether you are hosting an event yourself or attending a conference or fair. Always put some thought into your branding and get creative, and remember that you don’t have to spend a fortune to make a big impact.

William K. McWilliams is a marketing manager. He likes to share his insights on the web. Look for his articles on many marketing and business websites.