Comments on: Badges http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/ Thoughts on a changing society. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:40:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: Victoria Visser http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2473 Victoria Visser Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:22:27 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2473 Funny, I never thought about the badge effect at conferences until you posted your article. It seems like an innocent detail but apparently it isn't. For now, I favour the no badges approach. I think it fits LIFT08's unity in diversity leitmotif well, which to me is all about discovering people, novelties and how to live life differently. However, since to wear or not to wear a badge has sparked some discussion, why not let conference participants decide for themselves if they wish to wear a badge or not. Afterall, last year's no badge experience hasn't provoked a lot of criticism or did it? The networking experience at the conference was perceived as an effective one by those who were surveyed, if I remember the Benchmark study correctly. Why not distribute blank badges at registration? My guess is that some peope will like it, some won't; some will personalise them and others won't. However, I wouldn't encourage wearing badges as correct conference behaviour or make wearing and personalising them the subject of a competition in creativity. On the other hand, it might be interesting for Benchmark to include a question in their next survey about badges. For example, how wearing a badge or not is perceived by participants to have influenced their networking opportunities at the conference? Or some other question that could ferret out just how important or not the wearing of a badge is in this context? Maybe this is much ado about nothing. After all, it is a detail. I just don't know how important a detail breaking with well-honed conventional behaviour is. Funny, I never thought about the badge effect at conferences until you posted your article. It seems like an innocent detail but apparently it isn’t.

For now, I favour the no badges approach. I think it fits LIFT08’s unity in diversity leitmotif well, which to me is all about discovering people, novelties and how to live life differently.

However, since to wear or not to wear a badge has sparked some discussion, why not let conference participants decide for themselves if they wish to wear a badge or not. Afterall, last year’s no badge experience hasn’t provoked a lot of criticism or did it? The networking experience at the conference was perceived as an effective one by those who were surveyed, if I remember the Benchmark study correctly.

Why not distribute blank badges at registration? My guess is that some peope will like it, some won’t; some will personalise them and others won’t. However, I wouldn’t encourage wearing badges as correct conference behaviour or make wearing and personalising them the subject of a competition in creativity.

On the other hand, it might be interesting for Benchmark to include a question in their next survey about badges. For example, how wearing a badge or not is perceived by participants to have influenced their networking opportunities at the conference? Or some other question that could ferret out just how important or not the wearing of a badge is in this context?

Maybe this is much ado about nothing. After all, it is a detail. I just don’t know how important a detail breaking with well-honed conventional behaviour is.

]]> By: christophe http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2469 christophe Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:57:55 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2469 Give everyone special glasses: when you look at someone you see his name and whatever he decided to display as customizable info ;-) Ok...... Maybe I know nothing about budget and logistic :-) More seriously, I think the idea of customizable text is really good and can be fun ! The option to have a writable area on the badge is I think very good. You can then give a prize to the most unique/funny/attractive badge. Give everyone special glasses: when you look at someone you see his name and whatever he decided to display as customizable info ;-)
Ok…… Maybe I know nothing about budget and logistic :-)
More seriously, I think the idea of customizable text is really good and can be fun ! The option to have a writable area on the badge is I think very good. You can then give a prize to the most unique/funny/attractive badge.

]]> By: Climb to the Stars (Stephanie Booth) » Badges at Conferences http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2453 Climb to the Stars (Stephanie Booth) » Badges at Conferences Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:47:06 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2453 [...] to BlogTalk Laurent Haug blogs about conference badges and his desire to make LIFT a badge-free [...] […] to BlogTalk Laurent Haug blogs about conference badges and his desire to make LIFT a badge-free […]

]]> By: Alexis Perrier http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2452 Alexis Perrier Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:25:23 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2452 Hi Laurent Why don't you make customizable badges. Leave some space on the badge so that people can write whatever they want or have them select some iconography possibly funny and inspiring. The trick would be to make people understand they're supposed to customize their badge. Hi Laurent
Why don’t you make customizable badges. Leave some space on the badge so that people can write whatever they want or have them select some iconography possibly funny and inspiring.
The trick would be to make people understand they’re supposed to customize their badge.

]]> By: Mark Kuznicki http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2448 Mark Kuznicki Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:15:49 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2448 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinking_badges" rel="nofollow">We don't need no stinking badges!</a> At LIFT07, without the help of badges, I was like a kid in a candy store. EVERYONE was worth talking to. And my friends would talk to people and tell me, oh you HAVE to talk to so-and-so. It worked perfectly. I hate the dynamic of chest-staring. I vote no badges. Or if badges, they should be something creative and personal, not corporate. We don’t need no stinking badges! At LIFT07, without the help of badges, I was like a kid in a candy store. EVERYONE was worth talking to. And my friends would talk to people and tell me, oh you HAVE to talk to so-and-so. It worked perfectly.

I hate the dynamic of chest-staring. I vote no badges. Or if badges, they should be something creative and personal, not corporate.

]]> By: marc http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2444 marc Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:48:53 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2444 Why not put a badge in the back - worn as a neck-etiquette? Why not put a badge in the back - worn as a neck-etiquette?

]]> By: laurent http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2443 laurent Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:46:03 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2443 I'm not sure technology can really work as it forces people to turn a device on, etc.. You don't see things like <a href="http://www.spotme.com/" rel="nofollow">spotme</a> much at conferences even if it's a really cool product. I’m not sure technology can really work as it forces people to turn a device on, etc.. You don’t see things like spotme much at conferences even if it’s a really cool product.

]]> By: Salman FF http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2430 Salman FF Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:58:03 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/laurent/2007/12/13/badges/#comment-2430 I agree re: the pluses and minuses of badges. But I've always been baffled that tech conferences don't use more technology to connect participants. Admittedly, I haven't been to a big tech conference in almost a year (ouch), and I obviously missed out on the summer conference (at Denver was it?) where twitter made a big splash. But having the conference officially encourage twitter (or other light weight communication platform) can be an easy way to achieve some cool stuff: - You could twitter specific people you are looking for to get in touch with them. Or you can twitter your location for people to find you at specific times/places. (I've always found the practice of trying to read people's badges in mid discussions a little distasteful, though unavoidable.) - You can have an official conference twitter id following all the participants so people can, for example, live-comment on speakers and sessions. A couple of years ago, I actually talked to someone at etech about doing live chats in conference sessions and showing the chat on a big screen in the room. Obviously there is a risk that speakers / sessions get totally disrupted by this. But it might work well for a conference like lift. And a company like Twitter could even become a sponsor. Just some thoughts. I agree re: the pluses and minuses of badges. But I’ve always been baffled that tech conferences don’t use more technology to connect participants. Admittedly, I haven’t been to a big tech conference in almost a year (ouch), and I obviously missed out on the summer conference (at Denver was it?) where twitter made a big splash. But having the conference officially encourage twitter (or other light weight communication platform) can be an easy way to achieve some cool stuff:
- You could twitter specific people you are looking for to get in touch with them. Or you can twitter your location for people to find you at specific times/places. (I’ve always found the practice of trying to read people’s badges in mid discussions a little distasteful, though unavoidable.)
- You can have an official conference twitter id following all the participants so people can, for example, live-comment on speakers and sessions. A couple of years ago, I actually talked to someone at etech about doing live chats in conference sessions and showing the chat on a big screen in the room. Obviously there is a risk that speakers / sessions get totally disrupted by this. But it might work well for a conference like lift.
And a company like Twitter could even become a sponsor.
Just some thoughts.

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