The fifth annual National Signage Research & Education Conference (NSREC), scheduled for October 9-10 at the Kingsgate Marriott on the University of Cincinnati (UC) campus, will include numerous presentations that document the benefits of signage. The conference, which is presented by The Signage Foundation, isn’t mere sign-industry self-promotion; mostly, it presents bona-fide, university researchers reporting on scientific studies.
A senior research associate at the UC Economics Center will present five actual examples of how electronic-message centers have impacted retailers. A Villanova professor, who’s written a book about the marketing value of signage, will present a session entitled, "The Value of the Cost of Replacing Exposures Valuation Method: Using Advertising Rates to Estimate a Sign’s Worth." Again, it’s scientific documentation, not mere rhetoric, of signs’ value.
Case studies will be presented about the rebranding of both Boston Chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken, in terms of mistakes made and successes achieved. This will significantly reinforce the branding function of signs, far beyond mere identification. A UC marketing professor will present the third year of a consumer study about attitudes toward signage that involves readers of Better Homes & Gardens magazine. It will document such situations as “I’ve passed stores because I couldn’t find/read their sign”, along with more than a dozen other statements.
A land-use/city planner/college professor will discuss successful strategies for balancing the sometimes conflicting agendas of First Amendment rights and aesthetics. A trio of association representatives and consultants will discuss how cities are using signage to sustain economic viability through wayfinding programs.
I can’t endorse this conference enough. It’s designed for everyone who has a vested interest in signs: planners, academicians/students, end users, product manufacturers and sign companies. It’s a fantastic opportunity to network with people from myriad professional disciplines in a non-confrontational setting.
To register, arrange for housing or to learn more, visit www.thesignagefoudation.org. Early registration is now open.