1. Break the ice.
One of the primary functions of a name badge is to increase conversations and networking. For the ninth iteration of the Engage! luxury-wedding business summit, held in Las Vegas in 2012, name badges served as an icebreaker: The number of crystal charms on the tag identified how many times the badge-wearer had attended an Engage! conference. Veteran attendees had nine balls, while first-timers had one.
Photo: Readyluck
For the inaugural Teen Vogue Summit, held in Los Angeles in December, badges also aimed to spark conversation: Each one included the attendees’ social handle and a cause they were most passionate about. Guests could also customize the badges—which were adorned with the hashtag #Goals—with fun, on-theme buttons throughout the day.
Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
TEDActive in Palm Springs, California, in 2013, had a similar idea: Buttons with blank fields labeled "Talk to Me About ... " invited guests to write a short list of topics they love or are knowledgeable about, to encourage meaningful mingling. Attendees could attach the buttons to their existing badges. The independent TED-style event TEDxWaterloo in Canada, takes it a step further, leaving titles and company names off of name badges. Instead, organizers leave 40 characters on the badges for attendees to finish the phrase “I'm chasing … ,” which gets conversations started among attendees on a deeper level.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Another way to let guests express their personalities is through badge ribbons, which hang at the bottom of the badge. While ribbons often are used to designate event roles—speaker, alumni, etc.—they can also be used to break the ice. PC/Nametag offers seven themed “fun packs” of ribbons that can be customized with items such as emoji.
Photo: Courtesy of PC/Nametag
2. Kill two birds with one stone.
Badges are also an opportunity to give attendees necessary information—without making them carry around a heavy event program. At C2 Montréal last month, attendees wore klik name badges from Montreal-based technology company PixMob. In addition to displaying guest credentials in a large, easy-to-read format, the badges connected them to the klik technology—an audience engagement solution that can be used for ticketing and registration, data and analytics, event communication, and much more. The LED wearable can light up in 16-million different colors in response to remote control commands. In addition to badges, the klik technology can be used in wristbands and in buttons on lanyards; event organizers can rent or buy the wearables.
Photo: Mateo Casis
For Etsy’s first New York conference in 2013, organizers demonstrated simple changes to enhance sustainability. The conference program and badge were combined into one item to minimize waste and to keep attendees' hands free.
Photo: The Photo Booth Party
Another way badges can increase effectiveness is through the addition of a Poken. The device attaches to a badge's lanyard and comes in dozens of conversation-starting designs such as a panda bear, a ninja, and a bumblebee (as well as a simple black-and-white model). The device uses near-field communication, so simply tapping two together exchanges the information stored on them, such as contact information, social network profiles, documents, videos, and Web sites. After the event, users plug the Poken into their computer's USB port to see all the people and information collected.
Photo: Courtesy of Poken
3. Complement the decor.
If every attendee is going to be wearing a badge, it's a good chance to enhance an event's decor. For the 2016 edition of Engage!, held in Palm Beach, Florida, Vanessa Kreckel of Two Paper Dolls designed the colorful leather name tags, which tied into the event’s tropical theme.Â
Photo: Jeremie Barlow
National badge-design company PC/Nametag offers a variety of attractive options for events, including colorful badges printed on metallic silver. The lanyard colors can be matched to the badge to create an eye-catching tag that can complement an event’s decor.
Photo: Courtesy of PC/Nametag
Summer Brand Camp—an annual conference in Dallas for foodservice industry professionals working in human resources, marketing, and operations—incorporates camp-style elements every year. For the 2015 conference, organizers evoked a craft station at a kids’ camp, inviting guests to decorate their name badges with colored beads.
Photo: Jill Harper/Summer Brand Camp
For Be Inspired PR’s Tassels and Tastemakers networking event, held in Los Angeles in 2016, name badges added to the event’s simple yet upscale design. The multicolored tags, which simply listed attendees’ first name and social-media handle, were displayed on a wall designed by Couture Events.
Photo: Anna Delores Photography
4. Sometimes, less is more.
For smaller events, name tags don’t have to break the budget—or stick to a standard format. Artist marketplace Minted suggests a D.I.Y. option for event hosts using a simple button maker. The colorful round buttons are a simple, unobtrusive way to share guest names plus a small fun fact about them—which encourages conversation. Read more about the process on Minted’s Julep blog.
Photo: Melanie Blodgett for Julep
For New York Fashion Week in 2009, sponsor YKK—a zipper manufacturer—created unique lanyards for the badges every attendee needed to access the tent. Instead of a branded fabric strap, YKK supplied an oversize, functioning zipper, which gave attendees something to fiddle with while waiting for shows to start.
Photo: BizBash
BMF Media Group designed 25 activations that each were reflective of a specific Marriott hotel brand. For the Aloft Hotels “Listen Up” section, the design reflected the brand’s passion for music and technology innovation. A structure with four cube-shape directional speakers was built to allow guests to place their heads inside and listen to artists from brand’s “Live at Aloft Hotels” concert series.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Moxy, which is known for having a fun, millennial-focused aesthetic, showcased a “Play On” area that featured a ball pit hanging from a truss cube. Guests were invited to jump in and search for prizes in the hot pink plastic balls. The station also had a bar that served cocktails in Capri Sun-inspired pouches.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Courtyard’s “Classics with a Twist” was inspired by the game Twister, featuring a structure that resembled an oversize game board on the floor that extended to the walls. The dots on the game board represented Courtyard’s brand positioning, food and beverage concepts, partnerships, and the breadth of the brand’s portfolio. Attendees were encouraged by brand representatives to participate in a game of Twister as a photo op.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Element’s “Balancing Act” featured a living wall of moss and greenery with letters spelling out the eco-conscious brand’s tagline. The floor mimicked a natural bike path with wood chips and grass. Three green bicycles were mounted in front of the greenery as a photo op for attendees.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
As the brand positioning of Autograph Collection is that every property has “its own unique story,” BMF created a library-inspired installation with a massive book staged in the center of the space. The book highlighted Autograph properties and brand pillars.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
While many stations incorporated color, Delta Hotels “Clean/Chaos” featured a white bedroom set staged in front of a string art installation. The string material spelled out the brand’s name and tagline: “Delta Hotels. Simple Made Perfect.”
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Le Meridien’s “Swings of Glamour” featured a chic travel-theme swing set photo op, designed to remind guests about the meaning of savoring a travel experience. The activation was inspired by the “France is in the Air” campaign from Air France—the founder of the hotel brand.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
The Renaissance Hotels “Navigators Hot(e)line” was designed to highlight the local and personalized service offered by the brand’s Navigators—hotel employees that give guests tips on finding local experiences. Five rotary phones were placed on plinths in front of a black wall showcasing quotes related to destinations including Dubai, New York, and Beijing. Guests who picked up the phones heard pre-recorded audio from Navigators offering tips for that particular destination.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
For W Hotels “Color Boldly,” BMF built an all-white room that served as a blank canvas. The room’s centerpiece presented six paint colors that corresponded to six W experiences, which were described on labels.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Guests were invited to take brushes and rollers to paint what they wanted on the walls. The word “luxury” was displayed on the back wall.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Sheraton’s “Revolution” scratch-off wall was inspired by the brand’s transformation and the power of community. The initial black matte wall displayed gloss black negative connotations about the brand, including “old” and “tired.” Guests could take hotel keycards to scratch away those worlds.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
The wall was gradually scratched off to reveal new Sheraton brand messaging, which offered terms such as “community,” “modern,” and “global exchange”—nodding to the guests’s team effort.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
For TownePlace Suites “Closet Essentials,” BMF created a custom walk-in closet. To emphasize the brand’s appreciation of guests’s D.I.Y. attitude, the closet had hanging racks displaying paper fashion pieces that attendees could pose with. Additional items on closet shelves nodded to the hotel’s brand partnerships.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
The Ritz-Carlton “#RCMemories Shop” was inspired by the brand’s mission of selling memories, rather than simply room nights. The activation featured shelving units styled and displayed like a retail shop with all-white framed photos of travel images and social media posts. A brand representative was on site to speak about what memories were “for sale.”
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
SpringHill Suites’s “Space to Infinity” provided guests with an indoor planetarium experience. The exterior of the cube featured constellation-style brand messaging.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Inside the SpringHill Suites cube, guests could walk around and “stargaze.” A 360-degree fiber optic installation provided the starry night effect.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
For St. Regis, BMF created an illuminated tree installation to demonstrate the history of the brand, which has roots that go back to 1904 in New York. The installation, which was inspired by the brand’s modern indulgence aesthetic, hung over a long table that displayed key milestones in the history of the brand.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
The Luxury Collection offered guests three “portals” designed to virtually transport them around the world. Guests were greeted by a “concierge” who directed them to the closed doors. When guests looked through the door peep holes, they saw digital vignettes of locations in Peru, Thailand, and off the coast of the western U.S.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Tribute Portfolio’s “Add Your Own Color” featured a life-size coloring book, inspired by the brand’s colorful aesthetic. The content of the coloring book design offered illustrations and names of Tribute destinations.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Attendees were encouraged to color in the book using a variety of colored pencils.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
Wellness-focused hotel brand Westin showcased a modern take on the apothecary shop. The shop consisted of shelves with curated items including herbs, fresh fruit, fitness items, essential oils, and Westin sleep balm.
Photo: Courtesy of Marriott
TED curator Chris Anderson interviewed psychologist Steven Pinker during the opening session titled "Doom. Gloom. Outrage. Uproar."
Photo: Bret Hartman/TED
Hosted by TED speaker Manoush Zomorodi, Facebook Live segments included a conversation with Marjory Stoneman Douglas teacher Diane Wolk-Rogers, who spoke at the conference, and student activist Emma González, who participated via videoconference.
Photo: Jason Redmond/TED
More than 400 attendees got a first-person look at the future of mobility when they took a ride on an indoor course in a self-driving BMW i3—the first time the carmaker has offered its autonomous “personal copilot experience” in North America.
Photo: Lawrence Sumulong/TED
An area called the Food Trend Lab offered samples of plant-based foods and various juices and elixirs. On the menu: puffed lily pad seeds from Lily Puffs; banana milk smoothies from Moola; kombucha floats from Betterwith; and plant-based cheese by Blue Heron.
Photo: Lawrence Sumulong/TED
Attendees could also experience talks from an open-air installation dubbed the “Katerra Simulcast Cinema,” a wooden structure created by former TED speaker Michael Green and a student architecture team studying sustainable design.
Photo: Lawrence Sumulong/TED
Stair clings read, "This is going to be amazing," a riff on this year's conference theme of "The Age of Amazement."
Photo: Jason Redmond/TED
In collaboration with sponsor Marriott, organizers created an on-site studio from where it broadcast eight Facebook Live interviews with conference speakers.
Photo: Lawrence Sumulong/TED
An exterior view of the welcome party at TED2018.
Photo: Ryan Lash/TED
The event, which took place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, set the tone at the entrance.
Photo: Clint Brewer
The Pavilion served as a networking hub and site for mini-seminars such as Millennial Mimosas, Females Entrepreneur Meetup, Makers’ Bazaar, Bookkeeping Buds, and more.
Photo: Clint Brewer
The greenery-filled Park was another space for attendees to meet. Design details such as swingset-like seats at a table added a playful touch.
Photo: Clint Brewer
In addition to traditional seating, the main space offered couches and oversize chairs.
Photo: Clint Brewer
Crowd-sourced content collected via a hashtag was used in a mural in the conference space.
Photo: Clint Brewer
A social-media wall aggregated conversations with the conference hashtag #QBConnect.
Photo: Clint Brewer
Attendees were offered complimentary rides in pedicabs that featured conference branding.
Photo: Clint Brewer
Attendees took part in a virtual-reality demo at the Emerging Tech Showcase.
Photo: Clint Brewer
Colorful signage was displayed prominently throughout the campus. The conference continued last year’s method of a neighborhood-like design, with a single Main Street connecting all areas of the massive event.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
The 12th edition of Google I/O was held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for the third consecutive year, drawing more than 9,000 attendees each day. Organizers expanded the event’s footprint this year, adding a ninth stage in a neighboring parking lot.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
A three-dimensional version of the Google I/O logo offered a popular photo op area—and included the event's #IO18 hashtag.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Stage backdrops complemented the year's logo design, with geometric, 3-D lines and circles. Google’s events and experiences team, as well as the developer marketing team, worked with Sparks on the event production.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Organizers drew inspiration from wayfinding and line management tools at well-trafficked theme parks. “Wayfinding was the most obvious and apparent thing from the minute you walked on campus,” explained Google’s Amanda Matuk. “Everyone understood exactly where they were and where they were going at all points in time.”
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Larger-than-life versions of Bugdroid, the Android mascot, marked certain areas of the event—such as the food pavilion—and also provided fun photos ops.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
New this year was an increase in information-sharing: Attendees could scan their badges at any session to receive more details on the topic.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
The on-site Codelabs allowed attendees to get hands-on coding experience at kiosks. The event also included Sandboxes, which were dedicated spaces to learn about and test Google’s latest products and platforms.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
As in previous years, the conference incorporated music-festival-inspired elements, such as oversize Jenga and Checkers games.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Tongue-in-cheek signage on the ground added a fun touch for the crowd of developers, including one that spelled out “I love you” in binary code.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
As in years past, organizers provided postcards and invited attendees to write a note to a colleague, friend, or family member and drop it into one of the mailboxes located around the event. The goal was to add an analog touch to a tech-heavy environment.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Another Budgroid photo op area featured a version made from greenery.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Large tents that held sessions during the day were illuminated for the nighttime events, which included an arcade, musical entertainment, magic shows, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
One evening event featured a cereal station as an out-of-the-box dessert.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
Attendees could also unwind after hours in a moon bounce.
Photo: Courtesy of Google
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