Traditionally (in the old days!?), reception staff hand out pre-printed badges to participants right after the check-in step. In this article, I'll share my experience and explain why this method seems inefficient to me. It's worth noting that Digitevent lets you print badges both in advance and on-site; here we're simply trying to promote good practices and share tips with our readers that will benefit their events :).
Here are a few unwanted effects of printing badges before the event that we want to call out. Repeat after me:
“I will keep my guests' sensitivities intact”
It's common for a participant to be invited or register after the list of names has already been sent to the printer. Spelling mistakes can also slip into that list. In both cases, you'll have to hand out a backup badge on the day, probably handwritten. The participant will resent this different treatment, which singles them out and could be seen as “amateurish” by other guests.
“I will not make my participants wait at the door of the event”
After check-in, searching for and handing out the badge automatically slows down the participant's entry. Alphabetical searching is often tedious, especially when you have to go through trays of badges and there are a lot of participants. These badge racks, besides visually cluttering the reception desks, also need to be sorted before the event. Anyone who has already done it knows how time-consuming it is, even with an intern! As the wait grows longer, it's not uncommon to see impatient participants quietly criticize the organization, or even look for their own badges in the trays! Finally, searching for badges requires splitting the different reception points alphabetically: Mr. Bonnet and Mr. Bonnard show up, so they'll both be handled by the same hostess, while the hostess in charge of names from C to F sits idle! Without meaning to, you've just slowed down check-in.
“I will not waste my budget”
Printing badges in advance is often more expensive, because it usually means printing right before the event date, since the list of participants keeps changing until the last minute. By printing personalized and generic badges well ahead of time, you avoid last-minute surprises and get much more competitive prices (printers can then produce abroad, though lead times are slightly longer). It's also worth noting that most printers charge an extra fee for the personalized naming of printed cards.
If your event allows it, have you thought about reusing badges across your different events throughout the year? The Digitevent solution involves attaching name labels, printed in real time, onto generic badges. That way, the label can be peeled off, letting the badge and its lanyard be reused. The hundreds of euros saved on badges can then make up for the slightly lower personalization of the event! On top of that, on-site printing means you no longer need to pre-print badges for future no-shows. They'll still be in the wrong, but they won't waste badges anymore!
I sincerely hope this defense of on-site printing has convinced you that badges should be produced as people arrive. At Digitevent, we let you combine check-in with badge printing thanks to mini printers connected wirelessly to tablets. Feel free to contact us if you'd like to learn more about our solution or schedule a demo.
We're planning an upcoming article featuring the nicest badge designs to inspire your next events. Of course, feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences with us!
