What You’re Getting Wrong: Best Practices For Creating Conference Name Badges That Get It Right
We’ve all been there. That moment at an event when someone with a familiar face walks up to you and greets you by name—as your brain tries to place who they are and your eyes search their name badge for a hint.
Typically, one of two things happens next:
Scenario One—Their name on the badge is so small that you can’t read it clearly or make out the name of their company, leaving you to fumble through the conversation.
Scenario Two—The name is printed in a large size in a legible font and you need only a glance to be able to greet the person by name, setting you up for some great networking.
As a networking tool, a name badge that is thoughtfully designed provides a powerful opportunity for participants to learn, connect, and engage. Corporate events that successfully help people generate the right personal and organizational outcomes start with interactions, and your event’s name badge should facilitate making new connections. To learn more about how to avoid putting your guests in “Scenario One” and create the best name badges out there, read on.
Clarity is Key
When it comes to name badges, clarity is key. The participant’s name should be one of the first details to grab attention. The easiest way to accomplish this is by using a larger font size for the name to distinguish it from other information on the badge. One simple trick is to print a sample out to see if you can read it from six feet away.
Here are some other items to consider including on your badge layout:
Attendee’s Last Name—Place the participant’s last name in a smaller font size on the line below their first name for recognition.
Affiliation—This includes the company name or organization that the badge wearer is affiliated with.
Personal Pronouns—Allow the participant to specify the personal pronoun they identify with as a sign of respect and inclusion.
Interests—Allow event attendees to include interests or passions on their name badge to spark a conversation and connect people. This will act as an excellent ice-breaker for less sociable participants. Phrases such as “Ask me about…” make great conversation starters.
Event Identification—Always include the event logo or the event name for security and organizational purposes. If other events are taking place in the same space, this will allow attendees to orient themselves and separate from non-attendees.
Event Role—Identify the badge wearer’s role at the event. Are they an organizer, volunteer, first-time or returning attendee, speaker, session facilitator? Adding color coding can help guests easily identify the various roles of people at your event and where they are allowed access.
WiFi—Have the network name and password right on the badge, saving your staff and volunteers from countless questions from attendees.
Keep Your Guests Well-Informed
We know what you’re thinking: how am I supposed to fit all that on a conference badge? Name badges aren’t as small as they used to be. The more information you can fit on the name badge, the better informed your guests will be and the less they’ll need to carry with them to get to where they need to be.
Once you decide on the size and orientation (vertical name badges are all the rage!), consider the method of attachment. We don’t recommend a sticky badge, but depending on the formality and sophistication of your event, there are many forms of attachment you can take advantage of, such as pins, clips, lanyards, or magnets. In our experience, lanyards not only provide more opportunities for layout—attached at the middle, corner, both corners—but they also come in a myriad of colors and can be imprinted with your event name, sponsor logos, etc. Lanyards are another great way to add color coding for the various roles at your event; easily spotted from across a room!
Design Considerations
When it comes to design criteria for name badges, there’s much to consider. Let’s break it down to just the basics (because less is more when you’re trying to find out someone’s name via their name badge):
Be mindful of printer needs. Coordinate with your printer early in the process to get specifications for printing. Depending on the size of your finished name badge and the method of attachment, you may need to leave space at the top or bottom of your design. Ask your printer for specs before you get started on design to avoid issues later.
Use a legible font and appropriate font size. Your font serves two purposes: 1) to differentiate each piece of information and 2) to create a hierarchy of importance for the details you choose to include. Avoid using all caps in your design unless strictly necessary; this format is more difficult to read at a distance.
Consider a double-sided design. We recommended printing your event’s agenda or a map of the location on the back of each attendee badge as a useful point of reference. If the agenda is too lengthy to fit, consider replicating the front to the back so that it won’t make a difference if the badge gets flipped around.
Use creative design elements. The purpose of an event badge is to catch someone’s attention and inspire engagement. Create a dynamic design to encourage interaction and give people another reason to notice the badge. One idea that we loved was the addition of small buttons (nickel- to quarter-sized) printed with personal pronouns that could be pinned onto lanyards.
Prioritize functionality. Above all else, conference badges should allow attendees to strike up conversations, identify one another and easily wear their badges without discomfort or breakage. Do not let your design come at the expense of practicality or comfort.
Innovative, highly interactive, attendee-driven events leverage attendees’ expertise and personality to create a conference experience that participants want and need. It’s easy to overlook details like event badges when your event has so many moving parts. Investing in attendee experience is an invaluable component of any successful event and a name badge can reinforce overall engagement and opportunities for connection.
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MAGGIE KENNEDY
Maggie Kennedy is the co-owner of Kennedy Events is a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allows our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers, and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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