The Magic of Media Walls – If no one took a picture of it, did it really happen? This is a major question that event organisers and sponsors have to think about carefully. In this day and age of social media and hashtags, the answer is usually no. If no one took a picture and posted it on social media, the event didn’t really happen. Or, at least, it didn’t happen in such a way as to expand its reach beyond the attendees and live on in hashtags and Facebook memories. So how do you make sure that doesn’t happen? 

The key thing is to think about visual impact and photo opportunities. In fact, the two often go together! People want to take pictures of, and with, striking visuals that evoke A-list gatherings and status. 

Stunning backdrops are the best way to complement your event and invite photos and online engagement. In particular, media walls (or press walls) are a simple and affordable tool to boost your branding, maximise exposure, and inspire people to take pictures all night. Make your guests feel like A-listers, and they’ll do all your advertising for you!

In this post, we’re going to dive deep into media walls, what they are, and what they can offer your event. From parties to conferences and launches, having a media wall takes your event to the next level and guarantees a long online after-life. Without further ado, here we go!

What is a Media Wall?

Media walls go by many names. Also known as press walls, step-and-repeat walls, or banners, they all boil down to the same thing: a publicity backdrop used for event photography. They’re printed with a repeated pattern, usually displaying the brand logos of event sponsors or organisers, as well as websites or social media handles. Taking their cues from movie premiers and red carpet events, people know to strike a pose in front of a media wall and send it out into the world wide web. 

While guests feel like the stars of the show, their photographs are the perfect way to advertise your brand, which is flawlessly visible and legible in the background. All the while, your guests are boosting your exposure across their social media platforms. Really, it’s the best photobomb ever.

As well as adding a touch of glitz and glamour to your event, media walls are highly versatile. They’re easy to install, and can be placed almost anywhere. What’s more, Mesh Direct’s media walls pack down into a surprisingly small carrier bag, for transport convenience, and they come with an anti-glare finish so that your attendees can be guaranteed the perfect photo. 

Types of Media Walls

There are three main media wall formats, which lend themselves to various functions and budgets. The one you choose depends on how much you’re willing to spend, the type of event, the number of attendees, and where the banner will be placed. 

Retractable Banners

These banners are ideal for any setting, and they’re highly portable. Many companies use them for trade shows or repeat events. What’s more, they’re very easy to use. The banner simply pulls out of the base to be secured to the stand. 

Vinyl and polyester are the most commonly used substrates, which provide high durability and print quality, so you can get the most out of your investment. They can also be used both indoors and outdoors, as long as it’s not too windy. 

Telescopic Banners

These banners take it a step further, as you can adjust their height and width. This means telescopic banners are the widest banner option, perfect for red carpets or group photos. You can also combine multiple banner stands into one super-banner. 

Two separate and adjustable standing arms support vinyl or polyester banners, which means telescopic banners are easy to install, put away, and transport. The world is your media oyster! 

Spring Back Banners

Spring back banners are the perfect compromise between budget and quality – low-cost and easy to use, they still look great and securely hold your gorgeous banners in place. These stands use tension arms to hold a vinyl or polyester substrate in place, making for perfect photo opportunities without breaking the bank. 

Benefits of Media Walls

Whatever your budget, there’s no question that media walls are a worthwhile investment for your event. They’re highly beneficial from both an audience engagement and a marketing perspective, and they help to secure and keep sponsorship. From making you look good, to helping others make you look good, they do it all! 

Still not convinced? Just you wait. Here’s a rundown of what media walls can do for you.

Branding and Marketing

Alongside a solid online presence, a media wall lends credibility to your brand and generates positive engagement, both on and offline. With a media wall, your brand isn’t only visible to attendees – it will be seen by everyone on attendees’ social media! Furthermore, people will associate your brand with a positive, exciting experience. Those who were there will be glad they went, and those who weren’t will wish they had! 

This means media walls maximise your brand exposure across a varied audience, and they positively impact your brand image. They’re consequently an ideal marketing tool that you can use time and time again, whatever the occasion.

Guest Experience

If your guests are having a good time, you’re more likely to achieve successful and positive marketing goals. So many things contribute to the guest experience, but a media wall definitely helps! Due to their association with glitzy, glamourous, A-list events, media walls make your guests feel like they’re worth a million dollars. As you celebrate them, they’ll celebrate you! Mostly by taking a bazillion photos and tagging you across their social media. 

As long as your guests are enjoying themselves, your brand will be associated with that positive experience. This means anything they share on social media or in-person will imbue your brand and identity with positivity, thus spreading the message that you’re someone to come back to. That’s the kind of publicity you want. 

Happy Sponsors

Media walls are perfect for publicising your sponsors and encouraging guests to engage with their brand as well. As we know, happy sponsors mean a happy budget sheet! If you’re still on the lookout for sponsorship, a media wall also makes the prospect more appealing to potential partners, who know that their brand will also enjoy the exposure, good marketing, and guest engagement. What’s good for the sponsors is good for you! 

A Long-term Relationship

Because media walls are made of durable materials, are easy to transport, and can be installed by anyone within minutes, they’re destined to last you a long time. Once you’ve got your own media wall printed, you can keep using it until you rebrand your business. And you can whip it out anywhere where people will be taking pictures, so it’s always good to have it with you whenever you’re involved in a public event. You’ll quickly get a return on that investment!

Some Design Tips

If you want to make the most out of our media wall, it’s important to get it right. Your media wall will be seen by millions of people all over the world, and it speaks loud and clear for your brand. It’s your job to make sure it’s saying the right things! At Mesh Direct, we know all about designing the perfect signage. So fear not, we’re here for you! Here’s a list of a few do’s and don’ts when designing your perfect media wall. 

Keep it Simple

Media walls are all about that initial impact and creating a great first impression. They’re not there to steal the show, but to complement the event and make your guests feel special. This means simplicity is key. Since their main purpose is branding and marketing, it’s important to keep this in mind when designing the visuals: refine the graphics to what is strictly necessary to achieve your goals (predominantly brand names and logos), and avoid over-crowding your banner with distracting graphics or too many repetitions. Guests (and their online followers) must be able to read and recognise the logos, but if the graphics are all smushed together they simply become a dark and unintelligible mess.

Negative space is crucial to a successful media wall. Let your logos breathe! 

Location, location, location!

Make sure to place your media wall somewhere that gets a lot of foot traffic, but where guests will have the time to stop and take pictures. You can even use carpets and crowd control barriers to direct your guests towards the media wall as they enter the event. 

Let There be Light

Unless your banner is fancy and comes with internal lighting, you’re going to need to make sure your media wall is sufficiently lit (but not over-lit) in order to result in high-quality photographs. Avoid downlights if possible, as they cast unflattering shadows. You’ll also need to consider the shade of your lighting. For example, blue light is very unflattering, but soft white light tends to be more complimentary. Make sure there are plugs within reach and consult with professionals to create the perfect lighting. 

You might also want to consider truss uplights along the bottom of your media wall, which brings out your graphics and will help your logos stand out. 

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Do you have any more questions about media walls, or event backdrops more generally? Feel free to reach out! We’re more than happy to have a chat, offer advice, or give you a quote.