Conference badges for every role, right up to the doors opening

Export your registrations, upload the file, map ticket types to badge roles and generate every badge in one job. Then print sheets sorted for pickup or send digital badges by email.

Step by step

1. Export attendees from your ticketing or registration platform as CSV or XLSX: first name, last name, company, job title, ticket type and a unique registration ID.
2. Upload it to the event badge maker and choose your badge template.
3. Map columns to fields and map each ticket type to a role: General, Speaker, Sponsor, Staff, Press.
4. Review flagged rows such as duplicate registration IDs, missing names or company names too long for the layout.
5. Generate the batch. Each badge gets a unique QR code.
6. Export print-ready PDFs sorted alphabetically, or by role, for pickup desks.

How many badges per job?

Business plans run batch jobs of up to 25,000 rows, so a large conference fits in one upload. For a multi-day event, re-import new registrations each evening using the same registration ID column; CardDeck adds new badges and updates changed ones without duplicating.

Keep the registration ID

The registration ID is what links a badge to a person across reprints, check-in and networking. Never let it change between exports. The batch generator guide covers column mapping and re-imports in more detail.

Design for reading at a distance: a large first name, a smaller company line, a clear colored role band and the QR code near the bottom edge. Use one template with a variant per role so every badge feels like the same event.

Layout rules that work

• First name at 24pt or larger, readable from about two meters.
• Full name and company smaller beneath.
• Role band in a distinct color: speaker, sponsor, staff, press.
• QR code near the bottom, at least 2 cm across, with a clear margin.
• Sponsor logos in a fixed row so tiers stay consistent.

Sizes

CardDeck supports 4 × 3 in landscape, the most common lanyard size, as well as 3 × 4 in portrait, A6 and custom sizes. Match the size to the badge holders you have bought before you print anything.

Role variants

Create one master design in the card designer, then add variants that change only the role band color and label. That keeps the event brand consistent while letting door staff spot a speaker or staff member instantly.

Double-sided badges

Lanyard badges flip. Print the name on both sides, or put the agenda, WiFi details and a map on the back. Keep the check-in QR code on the side that faces out most often.

Accessibility

Use high contrast between text and background, avoid thin fonts and keep the role label as text as well as color, so attendees with color vision deficiency can read it.

Staff scan the QR code on each badge with a phone or a compatible check-in scanner, which confirms the attendee and records arrival. CardDeck includes a simple scanning page, and badge QR codes also work with compatible check-in tools.

Setting up the door

• Use phones or tablets with good cameras, charged and on a reliable connection.
• Keep a help desk with a printer for missing or incorrect badges.

Printed or digital badges

Many events send each attendee a digital badge by email before the day. Attendees show the QR code on their phone at the door and collect a printed badge, or skip printing altogether for smaller gatherings.

What CardDeck does not sell

CardDeck does not sell check-in hardware or kiosks. If you already use a check-in app or scanners, test that they read your badge QR codes before the event.

Sessions and workshops

Scan at session doors to see which talks drew a crowd. Use dynamic QR codes from the bulk QR code generator on room signs or session slides to share slides or feedback forms, and change the destination after the event.

Contingency

Print an alphabetical attendee list as a backup in case of a network outage, and keep a box of blank badges and a pen at the desk.

Each badge QR code links to the attendee's profile. Attendees scan each other to save contacts, and sponsor staff scan badges to capture leads tagged with the event and booth, with the attendee's consent.

Networking for attendees

When one attendee scans another's badge, their phone opens a short profile with name, company and the contact details that attendee chose to show, plus a save-contact button. No app is needed. That replaces the stack of paper cards that rarely gets typed in.

Lead capture for sponsors

Sponsor staff scan badges at their booth. Each contact lands in contact management, tagged with the event and booth, ready to export as CSV. Business plans include unlimited contacts, so large expos are not capped.

Consent comes first

Attendees should know what a scan shares. Good practice:

• Say on the registration form what appears on the badge profile and that sponsors may scan badges.
• Let attendees choose which contact details their profile shows.
• Ask sponsors to scan only after a conversation, not as people walk past.
• Honor deletion requests promptly.

The contact exchange form records consent and a timestamp with each contact, which helps sponsors and organizers show where a lead came from.

After the event

Badges keep working as networking cards, so the link an attendee saved still opens the profile next month. Organizers can see engagement across sessions and booths.

Fix the record, regenerate that one badge and print it at the help desk. Nothing else in the batch changes, and the badge keeps the same QR code if it is the same person.

Common late changes

• Name spelling or a preferred name.
• New company or title.
• Role upgrade, such as an attendee who becomes a panel speaker.
• Substitutions, when a colleague attends in someone's place.
• Walk-in registrations on the day.

Help desk setup

• A laptop with access to the event workspace.
• A badge printer or a small desktop printer with pre-cut badge stock.
• Spare badge holders and lanyards in each role color.

Substitutions

When a ticket transfers to a new person, update the name and company on the existing registration and reprint. If your policy treats substitutes as new registrations, deactivate the old badge and issue a new one so the original QR code no longer checks in.

Print in sorted batches

For the main print run, sort by last name or by role and print in batches, so volunteers can file badges alphabetically for pickup. Late additions go to a separate "On-site" box.

Every reprint is one row, not a new design job. That is the difference between a calm registration desk and a queue out the door.

Track check-in rate, arrival curve, reprints, networking scans and sponsor leads. Event badges are part of the Business plan, and per-event badge runs are available without an annual commitment.

Metrics to track

• Check-in rate: checked-in attendees as a share of registrations.
• Arrival curve: check-ins by 15-minute slot, to staff the door next year.
• Reprints: how many badges were corrected on site, and why.
• Networking scans: badge-to-badge scans per attendee.
• Leads per sponsor booth: the number sponsors care about most.
• Session scans: attendance by room, if you scan at session doors.

Use event and QR analytics to compare booths, sessions and printed codes, and export data on Business.

Setup checklist

1. Agree badge size, roles and colors.
2. Build the template and role variants.
3. Test-print and test-scan five badges.
4. Brief sponsors on lead capture and consent.
5. Import registrations and print the main run.
6. Re-import daily until doors open.

Pricing

Business starts at $199 per month, or $149 per month billed yearly (from ₹9,999). For one-off conferences, contact sales about per-event badge runs for attendees, speakers, sponsors and staff with no annual commitment. Recruiting teams that work job fairs can also see digital cards for recruiters.