What if the worst part of your next conference actually made the whole thing better?

Many people dislike conference name badges because they are plain and boring. Slapping one on top of a suit or a dress just feels like a weirdly informal formality.

However, there are many ways that you can use badges to improve your next corporate event. Here are just a few of our favorite suggestions!

1. Boost Networking With a Big Font

The biggest crime regarding most name badges is that the font is too hard to read. To fix this, you should make the first name really large and ensure that it is readable from at least 15 feet away.

This helps to boost networking by making it easier to read and remember someone's name. And it helps avoid scenarios where one person is staring at another person while awkwardly trying to read their name tag.

Make sure the font is simple and easy to read. For best results, choose a sans-serif font.

2. Go Magnetic and Look Professional

The most common approach to badges is to give attendees a single-hole badge and a lanyard. But this creates more problems than you might imagine.

For example, it's impossible to know how tall everyone will be. When you go with a "one size fits all" lanyard, some people are going to have badges down to their belly buttons. If you go too short, badges might hang right over someone's breasts and create some uncomfortable situations.

If you have the budget, go with badges that attendees attach via magnet. This allows them to place the badge wherever they want. On top of that, ditching the lanyard is more comfortable for attendees and makes your company look more professional.

3. Spark Socialization With a Conversation Starter

Every conference organizer says they want attendees to mingle and socialize. On top of helping with networking, such socialization makes otherwise dry events very fun.

If this is your goal, you need to ask yourself a simple question. Are your conference badges helping spark those conversations?

One fun way to do this is to include a conversation starter on the badge. Below someone's name, there may be a "fill in the blank" section that says "As a child, I always wanted to be _____."

This adds a bit of creativity and whimsy to the conference experience from the very beginning. And people are going to start conversations based on badges anyway, so this makes things much easier.

4. Save Space With a Small Conference Name and Logo

To some degree, great badge design means swallowing your pride. For example, it's tempting for conference organizers to put the conference name in a huge font right alongside a large logo.

Why is that a bad idea? Simple: badges are here to present new information to people, like helping strangers learn each other's names. But everyone assembled already knows what conference they are at and who organized it, so giant conference names and logos are completely superfluous.

Truly stellar badge design should always focus on user experience first, and everything else will sort itself out.

5. Make Things Smooth by Ditching Titles

Plenty of conference organizers like to honor their "VIPs" with special flair. This may be something printed on the badge that says something like "presenter." Alternately, the flair may come in the form of a separate ribbon that you attach to the badge.

It's actually good to ditch that flair for a few reasons. For one, it doesn't really make those speakers and other VIPs feel special. They already know why they are there, and they are likely going to mention it to other attendees in any prolonged conversation.

Ditching the title flairs makes socialization easier and more organic while saving room on the badge for more important information.

6. Avoid the Flip or Go Double-Sided

No matter how great the front of your badge looks, plenty of people will barely see it. Why? Because the badge flips over as people walk around, and they don't notice it until it's too late.

Badges flip when there is only one hole for the lanyard. Magnetic badges can fix this problem, or you can simply have 2 holes for the lanyard to keep the badge in place.

Arguably, the best way to prevent this problem is to create double-sided badges. No matter how often the badge flips, other attendees can still see all pertinent info.

7. Function Over Form

You've probably picked up on our key design philosophy by now. If not, let's spell it out: you should always choose function over form.

There are countless badge designs out there that look like they belong in an art museum instead of a conference. That's because the design is really provocative or quirky in an attempt to make a positive impression.

However, as soon as that design gets in the way of key information such as attendee names, the badge is already a failure. That's because all of that quirky design is keeping the badge from actually doing its job!

8. Strike an Impression and Don't Go Cheap

Our final bit of advance about event name badges is nice and simple: don't cut corners and go really cheap when it comes to the badges.

For most attendees, picking up a badge is going to be their first real impression of the event. If your badges are really cheap-looking (such as stickers that people simply write their names on), it makes your entire event look cheap.

You don't need to break the bank to create a good-looking badge. Just keep in mind that badge design helps build your brand just as much as the event itself!

Conference Name Badges: Take Your Next Event to The Next Level

Now you know how conference name badges can improve your next corporate event. But do you know where you can find the right badge for all of your needs?

We specialize in creating perfect badges and customizing them to your exact needs. To see what we can offer your next event, come browse our badges today!