# QR codes for events and conferences

> Conference QR codes should be on badges (both sides), on session signage, and on the last slide of every talk. Badge codes should carry a short opaque id or a profile URL — not a full vCard, which puts personal data into a pattern anyone can photograph.

Source: https://useqr.app/qr-codes-for/events · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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## Badges: print both sides

Lanyards rotate. A single-sided badge is unscannable half the time, and asking a stranger to
turn their badge over is the friction the code was meant to remove.

Use **matt** badge pouches. Glossy PVC under conference lighting reflects and the code inside
becomes unreadable.

## What to encode on a badge

| Payload | Trade-off |
|---|---|
| Short opaque id | Best for door scanning and lead capture; nothing personal on the badge |
| Profile URL | Updatable, attendee controls what is shared, short payload |
| Full [vCard](/vcard-qr-code) | Works offline, but bakes personal data into a photographable pattern |

A profile URL is usually right: short payload means a coarse, easily scanned code, and the
attendee can decide what it shows.

## Session signage

- **10–20 cm** of code for a 1–2 m corridor distance.
- Point at *that session's* page — abstract, speaker, slides, feedback form.
- Add a [calendar event](/calendar-qr-code) code so attendees can add the session to their
  diary. Store times in **UTC**, or international attendees get the wrong hour.

## The last slide

The highest-yield code at any conference is on the final slide of a talk, left up during
Q&A. Twenty seconds minimum on screen; the whole Q&A is better. Size it at 15% of screen
height and accept that the back rows will use the printed URL instead.

## Feedback

A code on the exit door of each room, pointing at a one-question form. One question. Every
extra field halves the response rate.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/vcard
- https://useqr.app/calendar
- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/feedback