Comments on: Conference Badges: The Basics http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/ Adaptive Path Blog Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:11:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mark Round http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-175688 Mark Round Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:06:33 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-175688 Great stuff - but 'hometown'? This might be a culture-specific requirement - coming from the UK, I wouldn't need this info. I'd be much more interested in knowing *why* people are attending. Maybe organisers should add a drop-down to the registration page - perhaps including the options: here to ... {sell, buy, learn, burn my budget} ? Great stuff - but ‘hometown’? This might be a culture-specific requirement - coming from the UK, I wouldn’t need this info. I’d be much more interested in knowing *why* people are attending. Maybe organisers should add a drop-down to the registration page - perhaps including the options: here to … {sell, buy, learn, burn my budget} ?

]]> By: Adam Richardson http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163551 Adam Richardson Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:08:17 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163551 Best badges I've ever seen, hands down, were at the IIT Design Strategy Conference a couple of years ago. They had all the right info on the front, done in a visually attractive design that wasn't just center-justified black type. And on the back a very nicely done list of the talks and speakers. The fronts of the ICSID badges were OK, but the info inside about the speakers actually only listed the talk titles, not who was giving them. This made it much harder to remember what to go see next, as usually you were more interested in the person than the name of their actual talk (which wasn't always that self explanatory). Adjustable length: yes. It seems like particularly for women this would be nice, so they can position the badge at something other than chest level if they want. Best badges I’ve ever seen, hands down, were at the IIT Design Strategy Conference a couple of years ago. They had all the right info on the front, done in a visually attractive design that wasn’t just center-justified black type. And on the back a very nicely done list of the talks and speakers.

The fronts of the ICSID badges were OK, but the info inside about the speakers actually only listed the talk titles, not who was giving them. This made it much harder to remember what to go see next, as usually you were more interested in the person than the name of their actual talk (which wasn’t always that self explanatory).

Adjustable length: yes. It seems like particularly for women this would be nice, so they can position the badge at something other than chest level if they want.

]]> By: Leah Buley http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163490 Leah Buley Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:15:02 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163490 As it happens, I'm at a conference right now where our badges don't show company or hometown. For some reason, not having that information on the conference badge makes it feel sort of awkward and weird to ask for it in the chitchat that happens during breaks, over meals, etc. It feels like asking someone's age or weight or something. There's this the concern that I won't recognize the company name or won't know where that town they just mentioned is located, and it all just gets really sticky. If you can read it all beforehand, you sort of know how to tailor the conversation. "Oh hey, you're from [x]. I know [y] from that company. Do you know her?" or "So, you're from [z]? Now where is that located?" I keep running into one guy who for some reason had to hand-write his own badge, and he had the good sense to add where he works. While the rest of us are wandering around the conference like UX orphans, in my mind this guy has a home. I can place him on a map. He's more real! In short, I'm a lot more likely to remember him now. And since one of the most important benefits of going to a conference is the networking, that's really important. As it happens, I’m at a conference right now where our badges don’t show company or hometown.

For some reason, not having that information on the conference badge makes it feel sort of awkward and weird to ask for it in the chitchat that happens during breaks, over meals, etc. It feels like asking someone’s age or weight or something.

There’s this the concern that I won’t recognize the company name or won’t know where that town they just mentioned is located, and it all just gets really sticky. If you can read it all beforehand, you sort of know how to tailor the conversation. “Oh hey, you’re from [x]. I know [y] from that company. Do you know her?” or “So, you’re from [z]? Now where is that located?”

I keep running into one guy who for some reason had to hand-write his own badge, and he had the good sense to add where he works. While the rest of us are wandering around the conference like UX orphans, in my mind this guy has a home. I can place him on a map. He’s more real! In short, I’m a lot more likely to remember him now. And since one of the most important benefits of going to a conference is the networking, that’s really important.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163168 Andrew Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:20:08 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163168 See Mike Davidson's <a href="http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2007/04/building-a-better-conference-badge" rel="nofollow">post and example better badge</a> from a few months ago. See Mike Davidson’s post and example better badge from a few months ago.

]]> By: Kate Rutter http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163160 Kate Rutter Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:03:57 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163160 One thing I've grown to love: the color of the badge holder shows the relationship of the person to the conference. Are they a speaker? Attendee? Staff? Having this info in the color of the hanging strap or outline of the name badge helps me quickly see who I'm talking to, and is also handy when trying to find someone who's working for the conference. One thing I’ve grown to love: the color of the badge holder shows the relationship of the person to the conference. Are they a speaker? Attendee? Staff? Having this info in the color of the hanging strap or outline of the name badge helps me quickly see who I’m talking to, and is also handy when trying to find someone who’s working for the conference.

]]> By: David Pitkin http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163039 David Pitkin Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:00:24 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-163039 love the double sided badge idea. love the double sided badge idea.

]]> By: Fredrik Matheson http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-162957 Fredrik Matheson Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:37:44 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-162957 I couldn't agree more. Conference badges at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/movito/2065568874/" rel="nofollow">IDEA 2007 were great, while those at the Web 2.0 Expo in Berlin left us all squinting</a>. Having the program on the back of the badge would be an elegant solution to the "which session is next, again?" problem. I couldn’t agree more. Conference badges at IDEA 2007 were great, while those at the Web 2.0 Expo in Berlin left us all squinting.

Having the program on the back of the badge would be an elegant solution to the “which session is next, again?” problem.

]]> By: Henning http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-162951 Henning Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:12:59 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/11/25/conference-badges-the-basics/#comment-162951 Back of the badge: too often, the badges are printed out at the registration counter, the back of the badge is left blank. What you get is roughly half of the people running round with blank badges, because the printed side faces to their belly. Why not print out double length badges, with the information printed upside down in the lower half. When you fold the badge, the information would be visible from both sides. I wish, they would have done that at the web2expo in Berlin recently. Back of the badge: too often, the badges are printed out at the registration counter, the back of the badge is left blank. What you get is roughly half of the people running round with blank badges, because the printed side faces to their belly. Why not print out double length badges, with the information printed upside down in the lower half. When you fold the badge, the information would be visible from both sides. I wish, they would have done that at the web2expo in Berlin recently.

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