Recently our company was discussing attending a trade show and what materials we would need to make a good impression. The subject of company shirts came up.

We needed less than a dozen shirts. That can be problematic because many shirt printers that do polo shirts want an order of at least a dozen shirts, sometimes the minimums are 24 shirts. Also, someone brought up that they didn’t want to wear a company shirt and wanted to wear more formal business clothing at the trade show.

The solution was name badges. Names badges can be ordered in quantities as small as one and there is great flexibility with a name badge. Logos, names, and color schemes can be easily changed. They also cost far less than a custom shirt and name badges rarely show wear, get ripped, and aren’t outgrown.

There are several types of name badges and fasteners. Aluminum is a common backing material and it is light and durable. Plastic is also common but is not as classy as aluminum. These types of badges can be ordered with a pin clip or magnetic fastener.

A nimbler badge can simply be a plastic pocket with a clip. Info can be printed on cardstock and slipped into the pocket. These are great for people who represent multiple companies.

Trade shows are coming back and many employers are facing employee turnover and hiring. These are both reasons to look at name badges and avoid the expense associated with company shirts.