What should a reception digital signage screen show, and what does it cost?
A reception digital signage screen should show a short rotation that helps a visitor in their first thirty seconds: a welcome naming the guests expected that day, wayfinding to the lifts and meeting rooms, a muted brand video, company news, a meeting room directory, and an emergency override slot that replaces everything else when the fire or lockdown system fires. A single reception screen costs £500 to £4,000 installed in the UK, plus £15 to £40 per screen per month for the content management system.
The welcome layer is what makes the screen earn its place. When the visitor management system pre-registers a guest, the screen can greet them by name and company and show which room they are in, so front-of-house staff on a call do not have to break off. The rest of the rotation:
- Wayfinding: a floor map or directory showing the lifts, toilets and the meeting rooms visitors are most often sent to.
- Brand video: 60 to 90 seconds, muted and captioned; sound in a lobby irritates the people who work there.
- News: three to five items, refreshed weekly, pulled from SharePoint or the intranet so nobody has to re-key it.
- Meeting room directory: today's bookings from the Microsoft 365 or Google calendar, with room names matching the door signs.
- Emergency override: the CMS must accept a trigger from the fire panel or lockdown system and swap the whole screen to evacuation or invacuation instructions.
A counter hearing loop and its blue ear sign belong next to the screen rather than on it; see the hearing loop installation cost FAQ for what that adds.
For hardware, a reception screen is a 55" to 86" commercial panel (Samsung QM, LG UH, Philips Q-Line) rated for 16/7 operation, landscape for video or portrait for a directory, with a System on Chip or BrightSign player. Specify 700 nits or more if the lobby is glazed, because a 350-nit office panel washes out in direct daylight. The same digital signage platform can run the reception screen and any corridor or canteen screens added later.
| Reception signage | What it includes | Typical UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Single reception screen | 55" to 75" commercial display, SoC player, wall mount, install | £500 to £4,000 installed |
| Large atrium screen | 86" display on a heavy-duty or ceiling mount | £3,500 to £6,500 installed |
| Multi-screen reception and wayfinding | 3 to 6 screens, one portrait directory, shared CMS tenant | £5,000 to £15,000 |
| CMS subscription | Scheduling, templates, visitor and calendar integrations | £15 to £40 per screen per month |
Installation labour is £150 to £600 per screen of the installed price, rising for ceiling drops or glazed walls where the mount needs a bespoke bracket. Visitor-management and calendar integrations are usually included in the CMS tier, but a bespoke feed (for example an access control system) is custom work at day rates.
Quick reference: show a visitor welcome from the VMS, wayfinding, muted brand video, news, room directory and an emergency override; single screen £500-£4,000 installed, multi-screen reception £5k-£15k, CMS £15-£40/screen/month.
Related solution: Digital signage solutions and services.
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