It supports productive networking, enhanced attendee interaction, and contributes to an overall positive event experience.
Traditionally, name badges for events have been manually printed ahead of time. Attendees then had to sort through a trestle table stacked with name badges to try and find their individual badge; it was an inefficient and time consuming process!
The production of modern event name badges is now a slick and automated experience. Many event planners opt for a fleet of badge printing kiosks that can process attendees’ check-in and badge printing in moments.
However, with so many options available in the event market, how can you find the right badge solution and provider for your next event?
Let’s take a look at some of the key considerations for your solution and your provider:
Essential Event Name Badge Features
When considering your ideal name badge for your event, start with the badge itself. There are a number of factors to review:
- Name Badge Material: The choice of cover material is crucial, influencing both aesthetics and durability. Opt for materials that not only convey a professional appearance but also withstand the rigors of the event. If you have a single day event, a lightweight paper badge may work well. However, for a multi-day event where attendees need to re-use their badge each day, a stronger, heavy-weight material may be needed.
- Eco-Credentials: In an era where sustainability is under scrutiny, choosing event badges with eco-friendly materials is a smart decision. Look for options that align with environmental goals, such as recycled or biodegradable materials.
- Custom Design: The ability to customise badges is instrumental in reflecting the event’s branding and theme. Look for options that allow for personalised designs, ensuring a cohesive and professional visual identity.
- Lanyard Options: Lanyards contribute to both functionality and aesthetics, so you should consider the various lanyard options available, such as different materials, colors, and attachment mechanisms, to complement the overall look and feel of the event badges while providing comfort for attendees.
Finding the Right Event Name Badge Solution
Now you know what type of badge you need, the next step is to find the right delivery solution.
Event badge printing kiosks are chosen by planners and organisers who want their attendees to experience an efficient and fast entry to the event.
Here are some important factors to review when looking for a great name badge solution:
- Kiosk Size: Assess the dimensions of the kiosk to ensure it fits seamlessly into your event space without causing congestion, the right kiosk sizing will ensure a smooth flow during badge printing.
- Number of Kiosks: Evaluate the anticipated attendance and event layout to determine the optimal quantity of kiosks. Sufficient kiosks prevent bottlenecks and long waiting times, ensuring a positive attendee experience. Your kiosk supplier should be able to help you work out the ideal number of kiosks for your attendee flow.
- Customisation: Opt for an event name badge kiosk that allows for customisation, enabling you to align the badge design with your event theme and branding for a cohesive and professional appearance. The design should include physical decals on the kiosk itself as well as on-screen branding.
- On-Site Support: Consider the availability of on-site support from the supplier. Having knowledgeable personnel on-site ensures swift issue resolution and minimises downtime, contributing to a seamless event experience. It also means you can utilise your event team resources in other areas.
- Kiosk Logistics: Understand the logistics around kiosk delivery, bump-in and bump-out. What’s the timeline between order confirmation and kiosk delivery? Is delivery included in the quote? Do you need your supplier to complete the bump-in, set-up, take-down and bump-out? A reliable logistics plan ensures timely kiosk deployment and removal without disrupting event proceedings.
- Kiosk Content Management System (CMS): A user-friendly CMS is crucial for effortless badge design and data management. Ensure the chosen kiosk integrates seamlessly with your event’s data systems for efficient information processing. Think about whether you need a system to integrate with your registration and event app platforms.
- Touch-Free and QR Code Functionality: In the era of contactless interactions, prioritise kiosks that offer touch-free functionality and support QR code scanning for a streamlined and hygienic badge printing process.
- Printing Options: Consider the printing capabilities, including color options and whether badges can be printed single or double-sided. Versatile printing choices accommodate diverse event needs and preferences.
Choosing the Right Event Name Badge Provider
So, you know what type of event badge you need for your event and you also know what you need from your badge-printing kiosk.
The final task is to choose the right provider who can meet your event badging needs!
Review the Market
By working out what you need from your event badge and the delivery solution you’ve also narrowed down the options for a suitable provider.
Once you’ve matched your needs with a provider’s capabilities, look for independent reviews and opinions on consumer sites such as Trustpilot.
Tip: exercise caution if reviews that are entirely positive. Occasional slip-ups or niggles are inevitable and should be expected. However, the positive should far outweigh the negative. If the provider does receive less favourable feedback the way they address the criticism is a powerful indicator of their service standards and commitment to client care.
Kiosks in Action
Once you have 2-3 preferred name badge kiosk providers, it’s very useful to see the badges in-person, and the kiosks in action.
Your preferred providers should easily be able to show you some badge samples that showcase print quality and lanyard options. You may be able to go on-site at their premises and see a demonstration of the event name badge production, or view a video that shows the process in step-by-step detail.
Pay attention to processing speed, ease of use (especially for attendees who may not be tech savvy), look and feel of the kiosks themselves.
Flexible Badging Options
One of the elements we talked about at the top of this post is kiosk fit and logistics.
Your event name badge provider may have perfect badges and awesome kiosks – but what about the practical elements of venue appropriateness and hardware delivery?
Ideally, your provider will have a range of kiosk sizes to choose from. Events in small venues with limited reception space will need a ‘petite’ kiosk or kiosks that take up minimal room (but still meet functionality requirements). At the opposite end, larger venues will need a more sizeable kiosk that doesn’t get lost in a big reception area.
Don’t forget to ask about the delivery logistics. Can your provider get the number of kiosks you need to your event venue when you need them?
On-Site Service Support
Once your kiosks have been delivered, they need to be taken to the check-in area, set-up, and tested.
After event doors open, the badge printing kiosks will get on with the business of producing name badges. However, it’s ideal if a team is on-hand to answer questions and help attendees who need additional support.
And of course, at the end of the event the kiosks will need to be packed-down, boxed-up, and bumped-out.
In short, this process takes some work and resources. If your kiosk provider has a team that can take care of it for you it will take the strain from your event resources.
Streamlined Connections for Additional Services
If your event management includes tech such as registration and an event app, chat to your preferred provider about their capabilities to either deliver a streamlined solution, or managing API to connect the kiosks to your other platforms.
The smooth transfer of data will not only deliver a more efficient experience for your attendees, it will also provide powerful analytics post-event.
Event app providers if they offer streamlined solutions that cover one or all of these additional options.
CrowdComms’ Name Badges for Events
Since 2011, CrowdComms has established an industry reputation for exceptional event technology, software and service.
When it comes to name badges for events, CrowdComms provides a range of options for badges, self-printing kiosks and local service support.
CrowdComms understands the importance of flexibility. Our range includes the free-standing Pronto! kiosk and the portable, table-top Pronto! mini. Both will ensure a tailored fit for large or small venues .
We take customisation to the next level with their bespoke design options. Event organisers can personalise badges, lanyards, kiosk panels and the kiosk screen graphics to reflect the unique theme and branding of each event.
Service support is a cornerstone of the CrowdComms’ experience. Our dedicated on-site teams ensure a seamless bump-in, set-up, pack-down and bump-out process. With a commitment to addressing attendees’ questions and resolving technical hitches in real-time, CrowdComms provides comprehensive service support that contributes to the overall success of your event.
In addition to expert teams in major global centres, including the US, UK, Ireland and Australia, we also have kiosks stationed in key locations around the world so you can be confident in delivery for every event.
Complementing our badge-printing kiosks is a suite of services that are designed to make a seamless connection from event start to event finish. Personalised event registration, ticketing, and our award winning event app combine to transfer data, minimise data entry and create a friction-free experience for event attendees.
Key CrowdComms Event Badge Solution Features – at a Glance
- QR code touch-free check-in
- Range of kiosk sizes
- Name badge printing
- Custom design for badges and kiosks
- Attendance tracking
- Badging kiosks in key locations around the world
- Seamless connection with CrowdComms end-to-end event tech
CTA: If you want to talk about name badges for your event, get in touch.
