Name badges do not guarantee networking among the attendees of your event. I told you all about this in my previous blog. If you do use name badges at your event, consider using them as a linking element. I will point out some creative ways to connect your attendees and break the ice.
Wall of fame
Instead of just handing over the name badges at the registration desk, you can have your attendees find their own name badge. Hang all badges on a wall (names facing front). After checking in your attendees, they go over to this wall of fame to find their name. Often people will help each other find the right badge. This is how the key players of your networking event meet each other in a casual way.
Find yourself
Hand out a random badge to all attendees at the entrance - and tell them to go find their own name badge. Once a person ‘finds himself’, it’s easy to start a conversation. Depending on how much insight you have in your target audience, you could consider matching certain people consciously, based on profile or company.
Make it personal
Oftentimes, name badges display the name and the company of your guest. However, this does not necessarily say anything about the person. In order to facilitate conversation, you could ask your attendees to write a personal note on their badge, for example a nice question or an inspiring quote. This exercise stimulates people to think creatively and allows them to show a little bit more about who they are. And of course this is a nice conversation starter! You as an organiser have to facilitate this, so integrate it in your programme.
Conclusion
Events are all about experiences, inspiring speakers and valuable encounters. These tips will help you transform the badge hand-over into an experience element of your B2B events. This will facilitate networking, leading to better event results. Do you have creative name badge ideas? Share them with us!
