When hosting or attending a live event, conference, or convention, name badges are not required, but at the same time are still highly recommended. After all, most conventions and conferences involve a lot of engagement, conversation, and networking.
If you’re planning on hosting a big event in the near future, then, it’s a good idea to avail of a good badge printing service to help you cover the design and printing of the name badges you’ll be using and giving out to your attendees.
But what, exactly, goes into a name badge? What kind of information should you be asking your attendees for, and what design elements should you include or not include? We’ll answer each of these questions one by one to help you better navigate your way towards the perfect name badge for your event.
Full Name Or First Name Only?
The first question you want to ask yourself is if you’ll be including attendees’ full names, or just their first names or nicknames. This ultimately depends on what type of event it is you’re hosting.
For most conferences and conventions, it’s always a good idea to indicate people’s full names on these name badges. A full name makes the event seem a lot more formal compared to if you merely indicate someone’s first name or nickname. The latter might make the event feel more like a school mixer rather than an actual convention, and is better suited for more informal get-togethers between friends, family, and acquaintances.
Honorifics
Should you include honorifics like Mr., Ms., Dr., Sir, Senator, or Rev. in your name badges? Now, while most name badges don’t require you to add honorifics, it doesn’t hurt to include for your guests or speakers that have them. After all, their addition can also help raise and solidify the credibility and authority of your event.
Company Name
Including attendees’ company name in your name badge ultimately depends on how much information they’re willing to give regarding themselves. Getting people to reveal more information about themselves might require you to build up the authority and credibility of your event. One way to do that would be by inviting one or two more well-known personalities and experts as your keynote speakers.
Once you have your guests’ permission to include their company name, however, it’s a good idea to include this in their name badges, as this may give other guests an indication of the industry or field that their fellow attendees are in.
Job Title
Including guests’ job titles can play a role in helping attendees network. For example, guests whose roles are part of the marketing department may want to either connect with their counterparts in other companies, or with CEOs and small business owners that are at the convention.
Event/Company Logo
Most badge printing services should be able to print photos and images alongside with the rest of the information contained on the name badge. When it comes to choosing a logo to include on a name badge, though, you have two choices: the event logo or the guest’s company logo.
Including an event logo could turn that name badge into a piece of memorabilia for attendees. This could further help with the marketing of future reiterations of the event, and could be a talking piece for guests that choose to wear their old badges to the next convention.
A company logo, on the other hand, would also help guests better identify the company that their fellow attendees belong to.
Custom or Templated Name Badges
When it comes to the design of your name badge, most badge printing services like Imprint Plus should have both templated and customizable options. Choosing whether to go with one or the other ultimately depends on whether your organization has the time and skills to design their own badge, or settle for a tried and tested template.
Either way, what’s most important about your name badges is that they’re visible and readable enough to warrant and encourage engagement among your guests.
