A Look at How Proper ID Badging Provides Extra Value for Event Managers
Along with making sure attendees go only where they are allowed to at events, ID badges are also used to obtain data for future marketing.
“Event Security” has become a common term over the past decade. Most people can’t walk into a concert or sporting event, for instance, without having their bags searched or body frisked to check for unauthorized items.
The main focus has been on “the search,” but what about identifying if the person really belongs there in the first place?An event should not take place without the proper security measures in place.
However, it is not just about physical security anymore. Demographics has become a huge focus for event managers — they want information on who is attending their events. So knowing what identification measures should be taken and having a trusted security partner to help explore options is beneficial.
The relationship between New York City security provider Idesco Corp. and Princeton, N.J.-based event management company TRC serve as a good example of how collaborating with a knowledgeable ID partner can pay off.
Expertise Earns Partnership Trust
TRC and its Badge Rite service assists clients that are hosting events such as tradeshows and corporate outings and shows up with the equipment and software along with staffing for onsite registration, providing a complete solution to customers.
The company manages 2,200 events annually, including 300 international events, and prints an average of 1 million badges per year. TRC follows the badge throughout the event and tracks the entire journey and touchpoints of an attendee.
This information is crucial not only for security purposes, but also for reporting on who is getting in and where they go. The larger badge allows an attendee’s credentials to be easily identified, thus preventing the wrong person from getting in and causing harm.
Offering the appropriate badging solutions to customers is critical to TRC’s success and to do so, company leaders need to stay in the know about the latest technologies in ID card printing. Looking for guidance to find the right oversized ID badge printers for onsite jobs, TRC found New York City-based Idesco, which provides ID badging solutions among its portfolio and has been entrenched in the event industry for more than two decades.
“Over the years, we’ve invested a tremendous amount of inventory and technical expertise in the event industry and it is now paying off tremendously,” says Andrew Schonzeit, president at Idesco Corp. “We have sent our technicians out on sites all over the country and have made a major impact in the industry by helping to provide oversized badge printers and accessories for a few hundred events each year.”
Idesco’s unique roster includes turnkey solutions for oversized badges such as the XXL 2.0, the SwiftColor or the Zebra ZC10L printers. Widely adopted by event managers across the country, the XXL 2.0 ID card printer is used to secure major venues, concerts, award ceremonies, tradeshows, and other corporate functions.
Compatible with Windows and Mac, the XXL printer can print up to 180 full cards per hour in color, and up to 1,400 cards per hour in monochrome.
Attendee Information Is Rich Data
Recently there has been a clear shift with more and more event managers inquiring about not only physical safety but also how to add value to the badging process. With a push toward mobile apps and wearable technology, event management companies have to anticipate the needs and adapt as quickly as possible.
Delivering solutions that help event organizers understand who attended which sessions at a national conference yield valuable information that can aid attendance at future events.
“We have been getting more and more requests for badges with RFID, UHF and NFC technology,” says Schonzeit. “Adding technology to a card is a great way to get unique data about your attendees and visitors. In an increasingly customer-centric world, the ability to capture and use this kind of data to shape solutions and improve the event experience as a whole is extremely important.”
Idesco has developed solutions that are tailored to the event industry and designed a comprehensive rental program to meet the needs of event management companies such as TRC.
“Our philosophy at Idesco is to collaborate with our partners and come up with the best possible solution for a particular application,” says Schonzeit. “Our technical team is available to meet last-minute deadlines and travel onsite to be there for our customers whenever they need us.”
Adds TRC President Greg Lazzaro: “Our technology specialists will continue to work together with the technical team at Idesco to explore new ways to utilize the available technology in the event space. They are an invaluable component in our technology roadmap.”
Monique Merhige is President of Infusion Direct Marketing & Advertising, Inc.
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