This year I have gone to several networking events, and the bad ones sometimes stick out more than the good ones. Of those that were not a successful event to me, they all had one thing missing – nametags.

Nametags are essential for any form of networking event. They are a huge icebreaker and can bring down barriers for people to introduce themselves to others. For a networking event where many people may not know each other, it is a great way to make an introduction to the person or their organization. If you are ever attending an event where you may think you know someone, the nametag is the great way to verify who the person is. A personal example was when I met Jason Jacobsohn in person at Tech Cocktail 4 – we had emailed back and forth and posted on each other’s blog, but had not met in person, and our nametags made that introduction easier.

For a membership organization, nametags are vital. Several years ago I was president of the Boston Jaycees, part of a worldwide membership organization of young people 21 to 40. Members of the board of directors, including myself, had hard-plastic nametags with our names and titles. Members of the organization would receive a nametag with a red border when they signed in, and guests or prospective members would receive a nametag with a blue border. We also added nametags with gold borders for special guests or speakers.

The variety of nametags was a win-win for all. For the board, we were able to identify who was a member (sometimes I would forget from our 75+ members) and who was a guest. For members, they were able to identify with other members and talk to guests about joining. For guests, they were able to identify chapter officers if they had a question. Overall, people felt more at ease, welcomed, and we received much positive feedback on having such a nametag system.

And if you don’t believe me, ask Scott Ginsberg, who has been wearing a nametag for almost 7 years straight, and has made a business around it.

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