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Will Regional Signage Plan Benefit Economy?

University of Wisconsin-Extension
Community Development Update

Quarter One – 2007

Lynn R. Peters, Executive Director
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau

Do you remember the Five Man Electrical Band’s biggest hit? While you may not recall the song, you’ll surely remember the refrain that goes, “sign, sign, everywhere a sign.”

Here in the Fox Cities it’s more like “sign, sign, not a sign in sight.” The Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau had our area “secret shopped” in 2004. While the shoppers had lots of positive things to say about the Fox Cities, they told us in no uncertain terms that there were very few wayfinding signs to help them find our attractions. The few signs seen were small, hard to read, and poorly placed for visibility.

There are several reasons to improve signage:

  • Studies show that good signs make visitors aware of things to do in the community, causing them to lengthen their stays and increase their spending. According to the Department of Tourism, visitors in Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet Counties spent $583 million in 2005. If each visitor spent just $5 more, we’re talking about a significant economic impact.
  • Improved signage will help individuals considering a move to the Fox Cities recognize how very much we have to offer them and their families.
  • Similarly, improved signage will help companies thinking about locating in our community recognize that the Fox Cities offer a wide variety of cultural, historic and entertainment options. Although these folks are most concerned about industrial park lots, workforce quality and transportation costs, they also care about the kind of community their business and employees will be in.
  • Intercept studies with actual Fox Cities visitors showed that many of them never leave the Fox River Mall area to visit any of our downtowns. Improved signage will help out-of-town visitors at the Fox River Mall find our downtown areas, insuring that they continue to thrive.
  • Better signage should reduce the number of drivers making sudden turns. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, good signage contributes significantly to driver safety.

Knowing all that, the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau has been working to create a regional system of wayfinding signage. Large groups of community leaders have been involved in the discussion. With the help of a signage consultant, Corbin Design, we’ve divided the Fox Cities into four wayfinding districts, designed a range of different signs and identified destinations to be included on signs.

Our next step is to determine exactly where each sign goes and what it says, and we’re in the process of bidding out that work to professionals. Once that’s done, the Convention & Visitors Bureau will use its Capital Development Fund to provide grants to help Fox Cities communities purchase and install the signs, which are estimated to cost in the realm of $750,000.

Reprinted from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Community Development Update – Quarter One - 2007