We’re in agreement with the statistics about nonprofit and charitable giving during the holidays. It’s when we see an increase in orders for branded badges. Many are for holiday events, while some are for company kick-off parties that will happen at the start of the new year.
The themes vary, but our customers have a common objective. They’re looking for ways to make it easy for event attendees to recognize each other. Those badges also are a way to commemorate participation in an event.
It’s our job to make sure that you’re seen clearly. When we do our job right, our badge holders are practically invisible. The only time they may call attention to themselves is a subtle branding element. The “heavy lifting” is up to you. How can you use visuals and text to boost the success of your event? How can you use design to increase their confidence in approaching each other and starting up a conversation?
Start with the Holder and Work Your Way Inside
Kevin Van der Straeten is the founder of eventplanner.net, which serves as a global resource for events. He also hosts a podcast for the event industry. “Not everybody is happy to ‘spoil’ their nice new outfit by pinning a badge to it,” says Van der Straeten. He recommends considering lanyards or even magnetic attachments instead of the traditional pinned badges.
The Goldilocks Principle
Event industry experts agree that the overall goal of event badges are to help people feel more comfortable in communicating with each other. That means not too little, and not too much.
Name badges must be readable. Aim to pick a readable font at a size that someone can read up to 30 feet away. Generally, a name printed in a bold, condensed font at 72 points or larger works best. Place their affiliation – where they’re from – under the name in a different dark color.
Above all, remember that your event attendees may decide to keep the badge as a reminder of the event. We all talk about displaying the results of an experience as a badge of honor. Take that to heart. How can you use visuals to create a momento, as well as an identification badge?
It’s the representation of attendance at a memorable event. Make it consistent with the experience itself. If it’s happening in the next couple months, there’s a high chance it’s a giving event.
It’s not too late! Got an event coming up? Contact us today to arrange for badge holders to commemorate your event.
Want to Learn More?
Contact the Vinyl Art Team at 800-569-1304
Rob Slattery | Executive Sales Director | robs@vinylart.wpengine.com
Tim Hitchings | Vice President | timhitchings@vinylart.wpengine.com
