There’s no denying that live events are busy, fast-paced environments that are constantly evolving. Agendas shift, breakout room assignments change, sponsors update branding or change entirely at the eleventh hour, and your messaging needs to stay current right up to show time. Unfortunately, traditional event signage doesn’t always keep pace with that reality. From static signage that can’t keep up with changing information to fragile materials that don’t always survive shipping or the bustling event floor, the result is costly reprints and unnecessary waste.
This cycle of reprinting and replacing signage is equally bad for both your budget and your event’s sustainability goals, all while adding a last-minute rush and stress. Good event signage is graphics that hold up to the demands of live events, adapt easily as information changes, and maintain a polished, professional look event after event. The EDGE SMARTsigns® was designed for planners, by planners, to do all this and more! Join us as we kick off our new Product Spotlight series with our flagship product and explore what makes this revolutionary easel sign a favorite for event professionals everywhere.
What Is EDGE?
While we’ll be talking largely about the easel-based EDGE SMARTsigns® in this blog, the EDGE actually refers to the type of material these signs are made of. Created using an extremely durable, proprietary thermoplastic, the EDGE material is engineered specifically for the demands of multiple live events and aims to help planners make the most of their budget by offering an updatable long-term graphic solution for just about any visual niche.
While many printers commonly label rigid signs made of 3mm plastic or Sintra as “reusable”, the reality is that these traditional boards can crack if dropped, flexed in transit, or tipped from an easel, often forcing unexpected reprints. The EDGE, on the other hand, is revolutionizing the concept of reusability. Built with an impact-resistant core, our EDGE material delivers unmatched durability on easel signs, tabletop and podium graphics, handheld signage, and is designed to withstand years of professional use, making it a powerful ROI generator when it comes to branding your meetings. Lightweight, yet virtually indestructible, the EDGE guarantees your branding holds up through shipping, handling, and the fast pace of event environments. In fact, we’re so sure of the EDGE’s durability that we offer our EDGE SMARTsigns® with 5 year limited warranty that covers any breakdown in material. At its core, the EDGE is a long-term signage investment built for the realities of live events.
Durability That Changes the Cost Equation
So what does EDGE’s durability mean for planners? It’s actually more than you might realize! Yes, it means signage that holds up through shipping and setup, saving you the headache and pricetag of last-minute reprints when signs show up damaged, but the real value shows up over time, across multiple events and changing programs.
Because EDGE is built to last, it doesn’t need to be replaced when meeting details shift or branding evolves. Instead, the same signs can be reused event after event, with messaging updated using SMARTlens® inserts or removable sign stickers. Room names change, sponsors rotate, agendas update, and your base signage stays in circulation. The shift from disposable to reusable signage has a direct impact on budgets and planning workflows. Fewer last-minute reprints, fewer emergency replacements, and far less signage waste, all while streamlining the logistics of planning. When you know your signs are already event-ready, that’s one less item to manage before show time and one less task on your already crowded to-do list. In short, the EDGE’s durability is a money saver. Instead of rebuying signs for every event cycle, planners can simply invest once and adapt as needed, reducing long-term spend while maintaining a consistent, professional look across multiple events and for years to come.
Lighter Weight, Lighter Logistics
It’s not just printing costs where EDGE helps save budget dollars. Typically, when we think of highly durable signage, we picture heavy, cumbersome signs that are expensive to ship and awkward to handle on-site, especially for a small team. And that’s exactly what sets the EDGE SMARTsigns® apart from other high-density plastic signage. Its impact-resistant construction delivers exceptional durability in a surprisingly lightweight format.
Weighing in at just 2lbs per sign, this lighter weight translates directly into planning advantages, as well as some cost-cutting perks! To start, EDGE signs are simply more cost-effective to ship than traditional high-density plastic signage. When paired with our custom-designed shipping Sign Shipping Case, dispatch is as simple as packing up your signs and slapping a label onto your case, no extra packing materials or protection required! These cases also come complete with a handle and wheels, making transportation on-site just as simple. The lightweight EDGE signs are easy for staff to carry and reposition, and faster to deploy across the venue. And because a single EDGE sign can serve multiple purposes throughout an event (like using your registration signage to identify breakout rooms in the afternoon and thank sponsors later in the evening via the magnetic SMARTlens®), signs often move from space to space as needs change. Lightweight construction makes this kind of flexibility practical without adding strain to staff or risk of damage to your graphics. The result is lower freight costs, quicker setup, and less handling stress with durable signage that works hard without “weighing down” your logistics.
The SMARTlens® : One Sign, Endless Possibilities
If EDGE’s durability extends the life of your signage, the SMARTlens® is what unlocks its true flexibility. This unique pull-back lens system allows planners to update messaging in seconds. Simply by printing a new insert on a standard desktop printer, pulling back the lens, and sliding the update into place. Rather than juggling multiple signs for different messages, a single EDGE sign outfitted with a SMARTlens® can do the heavy lifting of keeping attendees informed and everyone in the loop, even when information changes at the last minute. That flexibility makes the EDGE ideal for the types of content that shift most often at live events: agendas, room assignments, schedules, wayfinding, and session updates. Instead of ordering new signs each time details change, or worse, crossing out old information with a marker and squeezing in updates by hand, planners simply refresh the message inside their SMARTlens®. The impact is immediate and long-term. Updates happen faster, signage stays in circulation longer, and the same sign investment supports event after event, year after year. In practical terms, the SMARTlens® turns a single sign into a flexible communication tool by transforming one sign into many!
Adaptable Add-ons
An EDGE's reuse story doesn’t stop with just the SMARTlens® , either! A full ecosystem of removable graphic add-ons allows planners to adapt their signage visually and functionally without replacing the base sign.
Our removable sign stickers make it easy to shift branding or lean into event themes by applying temporary overlays directly to the sign face. Many planners create a clean, general branded “base” EDGE sign, then update its look for specific programs, sponsors, or seasonal events using these removable decals. They’re great for dressing your signs up for an annual tradeshow, special on-site activation like a pickleball tournament, or displaying event-specific hashtags. Then, when the event is over, these graphics peel away cleanly, leaving behind no residue, no damage, and no need for new hardware. Alternatively, leave them in place as long as needed to reinforce less-frequently changing information, like your brand’s social media channels or core themes carried across your event year.
This approach is not only flexible, it’s economical. Sign decals and overlays cost a fraction of printing new rigid signs and ship flat or rolled, making freight costs negligible compared to replacing full signs when it comes to needing updates. The same decal approach also supports functional updates, from repositionable and reusable directional arrows to QR codes and other temporary messaging elements that can be applied and removed as needs change. Together with the SMARTlens®, these add-on options turn your EDGE SMARTsigns® into a modular system that adapts easily to branding, navigation, and messaging shifts, all without the pricetag associated with new hardware.
Sustainable Signage for Greener Events
EDGE’s durability and reuse don’t just improve budgets, but actually significantly reduce the environmental impact of event signage. Did you know a typical foam sign can spend 400 years in a landfill before it breaks down? When you consider all the foam signs being used across all the events, it adds up to a pretty staggering amount of waste. Because EDGE SMARTsigns® are designed with reuse in mind and are built to stay in circulation for years, planners avoid the repeated production and disposal cycle associated with traditional single-use signage.
And while reducing what you use is awesome for your event’s overall carbon footprint, the EDGE’s green features don’t just stop there! The material itself is designed with its end-of-life in mind. The EDGE is fully recyclable, printed with GREENGUARD Gold certified inks, and manufactured right here in the USA, helping organizations align their graphic choices with their broader brand goals and values. And when branding evolves or signs eventually reach their end of life, Madison Avenue’s send-back recycling program ensures the material is responsibly reclaimed rather than discarded. Simply send your old signs back to us, and we’ll take care of the rest! The result is a signage solution that actively supports event sustainability goals by reducing disposable signage waste and paying careful consideration to the sign’s impact once it’s no longer needed, all while maintaining the polished, professional appearance planners and attendees expect at an event.
For Planners, By Planners
The EDGE SMARTsigns® is designed for planners and organizations that rely on signage again and again, whether it be conferences with evolving agendas, multi-event programs, venues with frequent meetings, or wayfinding-heavy environments where messaging must stay current. It’s especially valuable for teams prioritizing reuse, sustainability, and long-term budget efficiency without sacrificing professional presentation.
By replacing disposable signage cycles with a durable, updateable system, the EDGE helps reduce long-term costs, eliminate reprint waste, and maintain a consistent, distinctive look across events. Messaging adapts instantly through SMARTlens® inserts or removable graphics, while your base signage remains in circulation year after year. If you’re ready for signage that works as hard as your events do or simply want to learn more about what makes EDGE’s durability, flexibility, and long-term value so impactful, contact us! Our Customer Relations team is here to help you craft a smart, more flexible signage strategy for your events this year!
