Sign Expo Canada 2024, which took place on September 19 and 20 at The International Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, brought the Canadian sign industry together. The event, aimed at providing a comprehensive and immersive signage experience for all attendees regardless of their background, successfully increased general signage knowledge and amplified networks.
“This year we were focused on the experiences. Educational sessions, workshops and networking opportunities,” says Sign Expo Canada executive director Karin Eaton. “It was tailored specifically for sign manufacturers and installers. We were playing around with words and landed on ‘raising the wow factor.’ We wanted to build a very dynamic and diverse agenda so there’s something for everyone. Our industry is not mono-anything, it’s very diverse!”
The 2024 show featured bootcamps from the Make It Happen Signage Academy, which were well received by attendees. Many of the immersive activities offered valuable information for business owners, to installers, to designers alike.
Sign Expo Canada was thinking outside of the box with their scheduling this year, and this was strongly demonstrated by choosing Jake Carls as the keynote speaker. Carls, the striking cofounder of Mid-Day Squares, a popular new chocolate company, was a finalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He was also named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2023 (Food and Beverage category) and is featured as a regular contributor to media outlets across North America. Carls detailed how the company relied on authenticity and social media to grow their brand and audience.
“His story had an emphasis on authenticity and storytelling, they grew this chocolate company and he was brought on board for his story-telling success. The way to set yourself apart is through authentic storytelling,” says Eaton. “He had to get through the highly competitive chocolate market, and they started on social media authentically, showing all the ups and downs. We need to offer a platform to listen to signage legends and also have a platform for this younger generation, because the marketing technologies they’re using are wildly different.”
Another favorite for attendees was the Tool Tech Zone, which was hosted by Sign Maker Tools. The Zone unlocked the secrets to precision and efficiency in sign fabrication for attendees and featured live demonstrations and interactive, hands-on sessions led by industry experts from Sign Maker Tools. The focus was on crafting top-tier, high-quality signage that takes fabrication skills to the next level.
The expo also featured a new speed networking session for sign manufacturers and installers to connect. “The challenge of finding an installer is universal, and on the flip side, installers are always looking for great partners to work with,” says Eaton. “We called our event ‘Connect’ and we had 27 participants, it was really dynamic and great. It was something we are going to do in the future.”
And finally, as always, the event’s capstone moment was the 2024 BOCSIes (Best of Canda Signage Industry Awards), which honor impressive work from across Canada’s sign industry.
“Award-winners from all parts of Canada came together,” says Eaton. “It’s important for us to invest our time and energy to honor all our wonderful members that put so much energy into the industry themselves. It’s important for us to have as much representation from across Canada as possible.”
