If you have a friend who is an event organizer, ask him or her how he or she does with accreditations. You will see that your friendship will last less than the time it takes to give you an answer.
Many professionals are desperate for the accreditation moment to be perfect. We must take into account that this is the first contact of the attendees with the event and it is here where it begins to materialize in the mind of the individual. Therefore, we must anticipate and think of all those details that can play a dirty trick or become allies.
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- Time to accredit
- Think about the equipment you will need for accreditation, taking into account the number of people attending the event. We recommend using an app in case the number of participants is important.
- It is important to be in contact with the participants. Inform them of news, security controls, call their attention and even announce a gift for those who arrive on time. Also remind them of the importance of accreditation, whether digital or on paper.
- Be tidy and you will avoid many problems. Organize attendees according to their role in the event: speakers, press, participants, sponsors, VIPs.
- Try to comply with the established timing and this way you will avoid attendees getting fed up before their time! Try to make each space and moment pleasant and dynamic for everyone.
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- Accreditations
- Think about who you are targeting: children, competitors, students, potential customers, hipsters? The message should be directed to the public you choose as your target.
- Badges should be clear and concise, and include the necessary information to identify the person. Above all, don’t overdo it with the words! Remember: Less is more.
- Large enough so that they can be read clearly, even at night after some people have already disarmed the bartender. Approximately A6 size is recommended.
Support: Depending on the material we choose, we can add more or less information and technology, as we will explain below:
- Thick cardboard: the most economical.
- Sided paper with plastic sleeve: the most customizable.
- PVC: the most technological.
Lanyard: The ribbon that holds the accreditation can be customized with the color and logo of the event or we can even add the most important partners.
Information: On the one hand we have general information such as venue map, agenda, places of interest, food coupons or discounts. On the other hand, individual information of each attendee such as name, surname, position, company, photo or QR.
TIP: Adding the QR to download the app will significantly increase adoption and usage during the event.
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- Onsite printing
This option begins to cut down on the time required for the traditional printing of all badges. Just by correctly identifying the attendees at the entrance we will be able to print the badge and deliver the accreditation in a few minutes. It will also allow us to register new attendees who are not registered.
If we use the paper support, the onsite system only prints the individual part of each attendee, so the printing is really fast. If on the other hand we use the pvc support, the system will only introduce the person’s identifier in the chip, increasing even more the delivery speed. More speed, less queue.
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- QR or NFC for Access Control
QR and NFC have become a key element to identify and count attendees either to enter the venue or in a specific room. With just a few smartphones and a little bit of personnel we can easily control access. Knowing the number of attendees we can better dynamize the presentations, know how many menus to cook, deliver certificates or simply measure the success of the event.
Practically all access control and accreditation services already include this option. The QR version is more widely used because we can use any smartphone as a reader. Just by installing the control app we can read the accreditation and instantly know how many people have entered or left that space. On the other hand, the NFC version is still used for trade fairs and very specific functions thanks to its versatility and speed. Always linked to NFC reader devices as many smartphones already include.
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- Lead Scanner for exhibitors
Generating measurable value is a decisive challenge to attract the maximum number of exhibitors to our event. Let’s not forget that for them it is always a high cost action, so any metric that allows them to justify the investment will be very important. For this reason, since a few years ago, quantifying the number of leads or new customers that are contacted has become an indispensable metric, and with it, the Lead Scanner device has become a mandatory feature.
Although it depends on the software we use, it basically allows exhibitors to read the QR or NFC that the attendee has on his badge. In this way we can save and count the number of new potential customers we have opened. Depending on the software and the event, the contacts can be consulted or extracted for later contact.
PRO TIP: Using Lead Scanner combined with the networking app will allow exhibitors to show their most human side and establish much more personal connections.
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- Accreditation with Cashless
Although more common at festivals, this option is increasingly being used at large events and trade shows to increase consumption at the venue. Nobody likes long lines at lunchtime, so having this option will surely improve the experience of attendees.
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- PDF directly to your email
Receiving the ticket by mail is a very current point in the events. But if this ticket can be printed, folded and inserted in the plastic sleeve to enter the event… That is saving time.
This option will always go hand in hand with onsite printing and a good access control as we will surely have situations out of control. Although it started being used in free events or online ticket purchase with specialized platforms such as Eventbrite or Ticketea, more and more we find complete accreditation services that incorporate this option.
PRO TIP: Did you know that you can also send accreditations by regular mail, already printed, directly to the address of the attendees? It is a very special and surprising way to invite them.
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- My ticket on the mobile App
Another digital way to have our badge is by enabling the “My badge” section in the event’s app. This allows us to easily access the badge so that no one has to search for lost emails at the last minute. In many apps for events this section already incorporates the personal identification QR with which we can enable other options such as Lead Scanner.
PRO TIP: You can synchronize the ticketing system and activate this module from platforms for creating apps for events and conferences such as Meetmaps.
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- Wearables
If you have a good budget and want to make an impact with technology, this is your option. An easy way to generate interaction between attendees and exhibitors, generate leads and launch notifications. Although there are other cheaper solutions that meet this need, such as Meetmaps apps for events, we are sure that soon we will be able to attend fairs as the friends of Loopd do in this video:
Remember that the use of badges helps to maintain a permanent impact of brand messages, slogans and logos to clients and guests throughout the celebration. In addition, it strengthens certain aspects inherent to the psychology of human beings, such as belonging to a group.
We hope that with these tips, the management of accreditations will not be so complicated for you and that you will resume your friendship. Get started!