The day of registration is where tips for hosting an event with a Name Tag Tamer™ (NTT) really saves the day. This is a critical time and the one place you don’t want a slow-moving bottleneck is at a registration table.
When hosting large events, it’s not unusual to have 50 or more guests arrive at the same time. One of our tips for hosting an event is to spread out the welcome points to different locations if your venue has available space.
And here is where you make the first impression, which we all know is a very important time. The best of the tips for hosting an event is to make use of our Name Tag Tamers. The Name Tag Tamers are designed to hold signs on top of the name tag boards. This is an ideal place to divide guests alphabetically. When your guests see the signs with large letters of the alphabet i.e. A-H, I-M, N-Q, R-Z they know immediately where to go – no explanation needed.
Using the NTT & Tips for hosting an event at registration:
- Although the boards hold many types of badges, if you use standard 2¼” x 3½” acetate holders with metal clips the badges can be preset in your office. Acetate badges are also more eco-friendly and last longer than vinyl badges, which are easily bent if kept loose in a box. Because of the magnet backing, the name badges will stay in place when using the travel case and will already be organized when opened up at your event location.
- Print signs for the top of the boards. If you have more than 66 guests, splitting badges between two or more boards and alphabetically labeling the signs to direct guests completely eliminates bottlenecks at a table. One of the best tips for hosting an event with the NTT is to separate them.For example, imagine walking into an entrance to find six Name Tag Tamer boards, three spaced apart on each side of the event entrance. This means that as over 200 guests arrive you instantly divide them in half for the two sides. And then each side is divided again in thirds, drastically reducing the crowds for one small spot. And of course, since it is so simple for a guest to find their own name badge quickly and move on, there are never any long lines to wait in.
- Other tips for hosting an event that you may not think about is how much trouble is it to transport and set up items for your registration. The Name Tag Tamer boards provide great solutions to event make transport and setup so much easier. In fact, two name tag boards can fit in each custom-sized case to further simplify transport, or you can hold event literature and/or miscellaneous supplies in the case’s bottom compartment. It is always smart to bring extra blank name tags, marking pens, tape, and large envelopes or zip-lock bags to hold tags after the event.
So, imagine setting all the name tags in place in your office, placing them in the travel case, and then showing up and the event with it already organized. Just open the case and set the Name Tag Tamer boards on tripods. It’s that quick and easy.
- What about guest partners, or “no-shows”? As guests arrive and tell you their spouse or colleague couldn’t come, put those tags in an envelope. When you reach the time no more guests are arriving, combine the unclaimed tags on one board and add the no-show tags you had pulled earlier. This board is now your no-show list until you record attendance from it the next day.
- Some tips for hosting an event really depend on your unique situation. For example, if you are limited on staff, then consider the self-service benefit of the Name Tag Tamer. The name badge boards are easy for attendees to figure out themselves. And this frees up staff to simply greet others or answer questions, or other miscellaneous tasks that come up.
- Always bring one or more nice receptacles for collecting badges after the event so they can be reused, or plan to place them back in the travel case. Or create a sign to prop up that reads “return name tags here.”. We have used empty badge boxes, baskets, or ‘silver’ filigree trays depending on the function.
A final word on tips for hosting an event with the Name Tag Tamer.
We are discovering even more ways our clients are finding to ease the registration process and transport and setup. So, give it a try, and you will find yourself saving time, energy, while being efficient and organized at the same time. And then send us a note to let us know your tips for hosting an event and how the NTT has helped you. Visit our name tag display board store and see the various options available.
