The name badge is an important, yet inexpensive, marketing tool!  Make no mistake, the name badge isn’t just proof that someone has checked in at your event, it is the simplest networking tool you can provide.  Use it to your full advantage.

Six sure-fire tips for creating an excellent and efficient name badge for your event participants:

  1. Don’t overcrowd the badge!  Keep it simple and maximize the print area by using larger size fonts for the information that’s most important to see readily: the name of the person.  Design the badge to include your branding at the top or bottom, one line for their first name (in larger font), another line their family name in slightly smaller font, and a third line for their organization.  You may want to add a fourth line to include the city/province or, for international events, the country, which can help break the ice between attendees who don’t know each other.

  2. Make sure you use your event branding on the badge.  This is a simple and easy opportunity to reinforce your brand and keeps everything nicely tied together.  If the branding on the name badge needs to be bilingual, plan for a concise design so that the text will be legible on the badge.

  3. Ever noticed how badges attached to a lanyard or string flip over and all you see is the back of a blank name badge?  If you are not using the back of the badge for personalized agendas, print the same information on both sides of the name badge, and voilà! The name badge functions properly at all times.  If you need to use both sides for different information, consider lanyards with two clips (one for each top corner).

  4. If your delegates are asked to pre-select their conference sessions, use the back of the badge to print their personalized individual agenda, including room assignments.

  5. Not everyone likes lanyards, so make sure you offer the option of a lapel clip.  Most badges are designed to accommodate both.  And, let’s face it, it’s easier to read a badge from someone’s lapel.  On the other hand, be careful not to suggest to someone that they attach a ‘clip/pin’ type badge to their expensive suit jacket or fancy dress!

  6. Choose the right badge holder – it’s as important as the design of the badge itself!  Is the badge holder meant to hold banquet tickets or a ‘pocket’ program?  If so, make sure you choose the right sized badge holder.  Should the badge holder be totally clear or should it have a colour bar at the bottom which could be used for colour coding of categories of registration (e.g., exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, etc.)?

Registration is the first on-site experience of your event your attendees will have.  By making sure the name badge is professional, efficient and effective, you are creating a positive first impression.

Above all else, never, under any circumstances, ask your participants to write their name on a sticky peel-off label that says “Hello… My name is”.

Written by:

Jessica Ward, CMP
Event Manager
Golden Planners Inc.

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