QR Codes for Events

Where QR codes help at an event

Use a code where it saves a step. Each of these has a clear payoff for the person scanning.

Tickets and check-in

Check-in is the most common use. Each registrant receives a ticket or a badge with a code that belongs to them alone. At the door a staff member scans it with a phone or scanner, the system matches it to the registration and marks the person as arrived.

This is faster and more accurate than finding names on a list, and it gives you a live count of who is in the building. A system that flags a code scanned twice also gives you a warning that a ticket may have been shared.

Plan for a few real-world problems. Some guests will lose their ticket, so staff need a way to look people up by name. Some venues have weak signal, so ask how the scanning works when the connection drops. And have more than one scanner at busy times, so one device failing does not stop the line. The guide to event check-in covers the desk setup in more detail.

How to create and place QR codes

Work through these steps for any code you print or display.

1. 1

   Decide what the code opens

   One code, one job. A code that opens a long page of mixed content confuses people. Link straight to the thing they want.

2. 2

   Choose static or dynamic

   A static code holds fixed information and cannot be changed after printing. A dynamic code points to an address you can change later. For printed material, a dynamic code lets you fix a wrong link.

3. 3

   Make the link work on a phone

   The page behind the code must load quickly and read well on a small screen. Do not send people to a page built for a desktop.

4. 4

   Add a short call to action

   Tell people why to scan, such as Find your table or Rate this session. A bare code gets fewer scans.

5. 5

   Place it where people can scan

   At eye level, on a flat surface, with room to stand back. Avoid curved surfaces, glossy finishes that reflect light, and places people cannot stop to scan, such as a moving walkway.

6. 6

   Print a text link as well

   Add the short web address beneath the code for anyone whose phone does not scan it.

7. 7

   Test the final printed item

   Scan the code from the real signs, badges and screens, not just from the design file. Do this on more than one phone.

Size, contrast and testing basics

These are general rules of thumb, not fixed standards. The right size depends on how far away the person scans from, and the only reliable check is to scan the real item.

• Size and distance

  A code on a handheld badge can be small because the scanner is close. A code on a sign or a stage screen must be much larger, because people scan from a distance. Scale up for distance.

• Contrast

  Dark code on a light background scans best. Avoid pale colors, low-contrast pairs and busy photo backgrounds. If you add brand colors, keep strong contrast.

• Quiet zone

  Leave a clear border of empty space around the code. Text or graphics touching the edge can stop it scanning.

• Logos and styling

  A logo inside the code or custom shapes can work, but each change raises the risk of failing to scan. Test every styled code.

• Lighting and screens

  Test in the lighting of the venue. On a screen, check that glare, brightness and refresh do not blur the code. On a printed badge, avoid a laminate that reflects.

• Devices

  Try an older phone and a newer one, an iPhone and an Android, and the actual scanner or app staff will use.

Beyond check-in: agenda, feedback and sponsor codes

Codes on signs and screens do a different job from codes on tickets. They are not tied to one person, so they carry no personal risk, but they still need care.

• Agenda and app download

  Put one code on the registration desk and on the first slide of each session that opens the schedule or the app page. Say what it opens, so people do not scan blindly.

• Feedback and surveys

  Show a survey code at the end of a session, while people are still in the room. A code on a slide that disappears in seconds gets few scans, so leave it up while you close.

• Sponsor and exhibitor links

  A sponsor code should open something worth the scan, such as an offer or a product page, and not a general home page. Check that the link works on a phone before you print.

• Registration posters

  A code on a poster or ad should open the registration page directly. Use a dynamic code so you can change the destination if the page moves.

• Table and seat lookup

  A single code on each table card or at the entrance can send guests to a lookup page. Keep the page fast and the search simple, because a line forms behind every slow scan.

Security basics for event QR codes

A QR code is only a way to carry information, so what it carries matters. Settle these points before you print anything. For rules on attendee data and ticketing where you operate, check with the local authority and your own advisers, as they vary by place.

• Unique per attendee

  Each ticket or badge should carry its own code, so one scan matches one person. A shared code cannot tell guests apart.

• No personal data in the code

  Do not put a name, email, phone number or payment details into the code itself. Let it carry a reference number and look the details up in the system behind it.

• Link to trusted addresses only

  Use an address you control. Printed codes can be covered by stickers, so check displayed signs during the event.

• Watch for duplicates

  If a code is scanned twice, the system should flag it so staff can check the person at the desk.

• Limit what a scan shows

  A scan at the door should confirm the person is registered. It does not need to show everything you hold about them.

• Have a manual route

  People lose phones and tickets. Staff need a way to verify an identity without the code.

QR rollout checklist

Run this list two weeks out, then again the day before the event.

1. 1

   List every code you will use

   Tickets, badges, signs, screens, handouts. Note what each opens and who scans it.

2. 2

   Check each link

   Open each destination on a phone. Confirm it loads on a mobile connection and shows the right content.

3. 3

   Confirm the codes are unique where they need to be

   Tickets and badges must carry one code per attendee.

4. 4

   Scan the printed items

   Scan badges, signs and table cards after printing, on several phones and in venue lighting.

5. 5

   Test scanning at speed

   Scan a batch of badges the way staff will at the door, to see how fast the line moves.

6. 6

   Prepare for no signal

   Find out how scanning behaves when the connection is weak and have a fallback list.

7. 7

   Train the staff

   Show them how to scan, what a duplicate looks like and how to look someone up by name.

8. 8

   Check signs during the event

   Walk the venue once or twice to confirm codes have not been covered or damaged.

QR codes on Eventdex

Eventdex uses QR codes in several places. These are the uses its own pages describe.

• QR and barcode check-in

  The check-in and badge printing page describes check-in by scanning QR codes or barcodes, self check-in and kiosks, and offline check-in that syncs when the connection is restored.

  Check-in and badge printing

• Kiosk QR code

  For contactless check-in, set up a kiosk with a QR code and instructions. Attendees scan it to reach a branded page and enter their details. The attendee check-in app page describes self-service kiosks too.

  Attendee check-in app

• Badge scanning

  The badge scanner app uses a device camera to read QR codes or barcodes on event badges and check the attendee in.

  Badge scanner app

• QR table finder

  Guests scan a QR code, enter their name and are guided to their table. The seating page says the QR codes can be customized with logos and colors, and table assignments update in real time.

  Event seating software

• Not described

  The pages do not describe how codes are encoded or secured, so ask Eventdex directly if you need those details for a security review.