Badge printing refers to the process of generating and issuing personalized name badges for event attendees – either on-demand directly at the entrance or pre-printed in advance. Badges serve to identify individuals, facilitate networking, and manage access control.
Variants: On-demand, pre-production, self-service
What is event badge printing?
The badge (name tag, accreditation pass) is the first physical element of an event for most conference attendees. It identifies the person, signals their role (attendee, speaker, exhibitor, press), and facilitates networking. Modern badge designs also include machine-readable elements such as QR codes for access control.
On-demand printing vs. pre-production
- On-demand printing: The badge is printed only at check-in – immediately after the QR code scan. Advantage: no pre-sorting required, data is always up-to-date (name changes, last-minute registrations). Disadvantage: printers and infrastructure required on-site.
- Pre-production: Badges are printed in advance and handed out at the entrance. Advantage: faster issuance process with a stable attendee list. Disadvantage: time-consuming pre-sorting, issues with last-minute changes or walk-ins.
Typical badge content and layouts
- Name (large and easy to read – the most important element for networking)
- Organization / Company
- Role / Ticket category (color coding: attendee = blue, speaker = green, exhibitor = orange, etc.)
- QR code (for check-in validation, lead scanning by exhibitors, session access control)
- Event branding (header/logo, colors, year)
- Code for identifying participation in special program items
- Sponsor logo
Badge formats
- Depending on the amount of information to be displayed on the badge, various formats can be used.
- In addition to classic standard formats, custom formats can also be configured in Converia
- Beyond size, formats also differ by attachment method: directly on a lanyard, in a separate badge holder (made of plastic or recycled cardboard), or with a clip
- Print-at-home badges have recently seen increased demand. Attendees print their badge along with their ticket at home. This significantly reduces the workload for organizers on-site and shortens wait times for attendees.
How Converia supports you
- Converia offers a badge module, which allows for the creation of the appropriate badge for every attendee. Individual details such as attendee type and booked services are automatically taken into account.
- easy-to-process butterfly badges for quick and easy printing can be purchased directly through Converia in the exact quantities needed. This eliminates the need for time-consuming research into manufacturers and the purchase of inconvenient bulk packages.
- Converia also offers pre-production of badges in collaboration with a professional printing service, including shipping to the event venue.
- With the Converia self-check-in, a self-service kiosk, allows attendees to check in on-site and print their own badges.
- The Print-at-home badge feature from Converia allows organizers to let attendees print their badges at home along with their tickets.
Technical requirements
- Database connection: The printer should ideally access attendee data in real time – ideally directly from the ticketing system. Alternatively, badges can be exported from the ticketing system and processed as PDFs at the printer.
- Printer selection: Thermal printers (fast, cost-effective) or color printers (higher quality results) – depending on your requirements.
- Badge format: Credit card size (86×54 mm), A6, A5, or larger – with badge holders or adhesive labels.
- Self-service kiosk: Terminals where attendees scan their own QR codes and collect their badges – significantly reducing staffing needs.
Badge printing in Converia
Converia supports on-demand badge printing directly from the check-in app – with configurable layouts, color coding by ticket type, and direct integration with thermal printers. Self-service kiosks can also be integrated.
Perfect badges – automatically at check-in
Converia prints individual badges on-demand right at the entrance – no pre-sorting, no misassigned name tags.
- Digital check-in – On-site event operations
- QR code check-in – On-site event operations
- Walk-ins – On-site event operations
On-demand badge printing directly from check-in – configurable, fast, and stress-free.