If you’ve ever faced a moment in a conference where an acquaintance came striding towards you and your mind went completely blank for the name, you already know the importance of name badges.
Those little things that are usually the last detail that event planners remember or put their energy into creating are actually lifesavers in tricky situations like that.
Because while some people are good with names, most have trouble remembering even the name of the neighbor they lived next to for six years.
In business, that’s a no-no—at least if you want to get signed on for a project and network for potential collaboration opportunities. People you forget the names of aren’t likely to come to you with a project opportunity.
That said, name tags are super important in business gatherings like conferences, seminars, conventions, tradeshows, and others. But having one is only half the battle. If the tags aren’t effectively designed to be helpful, there’s little purpose in having one.
Designing conference name badges can be a difficult project. An effective conference badge is equal parts creative and functional.
Here are some tips for designing inspired conference badges that work.
Bigger Font for First Names
You want to make name tags where the first names jump out at you immediately. So when designing name labels, make sure the first names are easily visible. One way you can do this is by making the font size of the first name larger than the last name’s.
A good design is one where the first name is on top of the last name. This especially works for portrait name tags.
Readable from Afar
To make sure your tags are also clearly visible, you want to design them with readability from afar in mind.
Try creating mockups and placing them at least 15 feet away from you. If you can’t read the first name at least, then either make your fonts larger or choose impactful and clear fonts. You don’t want your participants squinting at the name IDs of everyone because they aren’t readable.
Test your final design under different lighting conditions as well, because that’s also going to affect your tags’ readability.
Big Badge Size
To have more real estate for the more important details, don’t scrimp on the size of the card. Always opt for a bigger size card, at least no smaller than 4” x 6”.
Clear Font
As mentioned, you want to stick with a readable font. No, you must stay away from Edwardian script and similar fonts. Those are better reserved for wedding invites, not conference name tags.
Small Logo and Small Conference Title
Resist the urge to make your company logo bigger than it should be. Logos are important for branding and such, but they should not be bigger than your participants’ names.
The same goes for the conference title. You should also avoid putting unnecessary details like conference dates and location. Get the most important information out there first, and the most important detail is always your participants’ names.
Contains Conversation Ice Breakers
Consider putting a little fun info about the wearer on the card. Little info like, “I don’t like chocolates,” for example is sure to start a conversation.
You can pull this off by asking your participants upon registration of a fun fact about themselves that they don’t mind sharing. Don’t ask for stories. You don’t have a space for how their grandmother once sewed their ripped pants because she thought it was, well, ripped.
A simple one-liner would do and enough to make it easy for everyone to strike a conversation and get it going.
If you need more help with designs, visit Imprint Plus for inspiration. Imprint Plus can also custom design name badges for you. Drop by their website and see how they can help make your conference a big success.
