Event Promotion and Community Promotion

I still remember my first opportunity to do design work for an event. The event was the Salisbury Faire, a renaissance festival created to raise funds for the Salisbury House in Des Moines, Iowa. The Faire drew more than 10,000 people to River Walk Park. Promotion for the event was everywhere with billboards, bus signs, posters, grocery bags, flyers, and ads, all working toward one clear goal, to get people excited enough to show up.

Years later, in Delta, Colorado, we developed a 50-mile ultra marathon. Delta is surrounded by more than 600,000 acres of public land, an outdoor paradise with endless opportunities for adventure. My friend Brad Kahrs, an avid distance runner, mapped the course. I handled the trail marking. That is another story in itself, but here’s the takeaway. If you are putting on an ultra, make absolutely sure runners cannot get lost. If there is another way to go, someone will take it.

That event sold out, and many runners told us they registered because of the professional design work. The branding gave the race credibility. It signaled that the event was organized, worth their time, and worth traveling for.

If we understand how important professional design is for events, why do we not treat community promotion with the same care?

We expect people to show up for events because we invest in quality visuals, consistent messaging, and targeted promotion. We know it takes a focused, professional effort. But when it comes to promoting a city or community, many places fail to make the same investment. Are you making sure your visuals are professionally done? Are they exciting enough to make someone want to visit? Too often, I have seen communities that pour creativity into event promotion, yet fall back on outdated, uninspired designs for everything else.

When I started working for the City of Delta, their Main Street poles stood empty. No one could remember the last time banners had been hung, and two faded ones still lingered from years ago. I set to work creating designs that would catch the eye of people driving through. We produced seasonal banners for patriotic holidays, Halloween, and the Christmas season. I rotated them myself because I was told no one else had time. Think about that. The city I worked for told me it was not important enough to invest in.

Visual excitement matters. The same energy you pour into promoting an event should be used year-round for your community. That excitement should be visible every day of the year. Unfortunately, when I last drove through Delta, the banners were gone. The colorful touches that once made the street come alive had disappeared. I doubt anyone even thought about replacing them.

So, what would happen if you treated your community like an event? What would you focus on if your goal was to draw people in and make them fall in love with the place you love?

I know not everyone sees a city the way I do. I am a visual learner. I look at a place and immediately start imagining how it could stand out and how it could feel more alive. Others focus solely on the numbers, forgetting that people are more likely to invest in something that draws them in emotionally.

When it comes to events, we understand that without direction, promotion, and purpose, no one will show up. Yet with our communities, we often accept mismatched designs, outdated materials, or the cheapest option available. You would not choose a doctor or dentist based on whether they could do just enough for your family member. Why treat your city’s image that way? Unfortunately, while online design tools do have their place, they also give everyone access to the same templates. If you want your community to stand out, it cannot look like every other town.

Your community is the biggest event you will ever promote. Treat it that way.