Archive for the ‘Perfect Nametag’ Category

Insert template help is just a click away.

It happens more often than we like. A harried phone call from a planner the morning of the event. She’s been up late trying to figure out printing the nametags and now it’s really crunch time.

But we hate the idea of our customers waiting for help until the office opens. Especially when you don’t have to. We’ve actually posted our Complete Instructions for Microsoft Mail Merge in our Online Resource Center. And we’ve got Video Tips on assembly, and design at your disposal 24/7.

While we certainly don’t wish any midnight disasters on you, at least now you can get help as soon as it happens.

Have any midnight disaster stories of your own to share? Let your fellow planners laugh along by posting them on our facebook page.

What's the question Jeanne gets asked most? Find out now.

One of the many benefits of having seasoned staff is the amount of knowledge they can share with our customers. It’s especially valuable when the customer is new to meeting planning – or when an experienced planner bumps into a last-minute problem and needs to shoot from the hip.

One of our most experienced Customer Service Reps. is Jeanne. Before joining us all the way back in 1997 she had spent the previous decade as a meeting planner.

With that much time “in the business” folks are constantly asking her for advice. That’s why we were so happy she agreed to sit down with us on camera and walk us through one of the most common questions she gets over the phone. To see what it is – and what the answers are, watch here.

Lights, camera, assembly! We’ve got the helpful “how to” videos you need.

Even after 30 years in the meeting planning business I find there’s still plenty to learn.

That’s why I’m thrilled to introduce pc/nametag® Nametag U – a series of E-mails dedicated to the ins and outs of name tag design and assembly.

Over the next few months we’ll be covering topics like speeding assembly, different techniques for segmenting and identifying guests, hassle-free onsite printing and more. In print and video so you can get the knowledge the way you learn best.

We’re also giving you a chance to win the praise of your fellow planners by posting your best name tag tips on our Facebook Wall – we can all learn from each other, get the job done faster and easier.

Look for the e-mails in your in-box or, if you don’t currently receive our pc/nametag e-mails, sign up here.

Pantone color? There's an app for that.

Every event planner worth their salt knows getting print and imprint colors right on your meeting materials is critical. And specifying the right color when you order can make or break the appearance of a product, not to mention the satisfaction level of your client. Pantone color guides are the fastest, surest way to identify the specific color you want to use – Red 032 or Green 347, for example.

And when toting the Pantone Fan book along isn’t an option? Now, you can even check or specify the right color while you are on the road or working out of your home office by adding an iPhone app called myPANTONE which sells for $9.99. You can even use it to pick colors for your bedroom!

What's in a name? Better manners according to behavioral psychologists

There’s a fascinating effect in social psychology known as deindividuation. Without getting too technical, the idea is that when individuals perceive they are anonymous their behavior becomes less socially acceptable – which is to say they get more aggressive, and lose their ability to empathize with the people around them.

So what does this have to do with meeting planning? Read on.

One of the classic studies on this subject was performed by Philip Zimbardo in 1969. In it participants were told to “shock” an actor posing as another participant each time the actor answered a question incorrectly.

The participant was told the voltage increased with each incorrect answer and the actor showed more and more discomfort as the experiment progressed.

The interesting part of the study for me? Participants who were wearing a nametag were more likely to refuse to shock the actor.

So wearing a nametag holds attendees more accountable to accepted social norms. That means guests are friendlier, more open to being approached. And that means productive networking experience all around.

Sure these are thing all of us have learned anecdotally over the years in the meeting planning business, but it’s nice to have science on your side.

What other strategies do you use to keep attendees friendly and social?

QUICK.  It is time to order lanyards before the 4^th of July weekend! Save money, too.  Until July 1, PC/NAMETAG(R) Lanyards are on sale for as low as 78 cents with only six production days for imrpinted lanyards.  Blank lanyards ship the next day.  Use our updated website to walk you through the shipping process.

Don’t forget to order your lanyards for your early July meetings.  PC/NAMETAG’s office will be closed on the third as will most businesses throughout the country.   That means fewer days for manufacture and delivery and could put you in a tight spot.  Each year we get planners who forget to order before a holiday and then run out of time for delivery at standard rates and end up paying high freight charges and rush fees.  So plan ahead and take advantage of our sale on pc/nametag lanyards which are available at a huge price reduction.  Check out the PC/NAMETAG Lanyard on our web site.  Prices go up on orders received after June 30.

Nametag ribbons with fun titles make it easier for people to meet.

Even Seth Godin, the marketing guru, has weighed in on nametags.  Click here to find out what Seth Godin wrote about nametags.  Seth loves nametags and Seth is right, nametags make it easier for people to get to know each other.  People are always more comfortable talking to a stranger if they already know their name.  We’ve heard of planners who use nametags as an ice breaker activity. PC/NAMETAG sells instock ribbons that aren’t serious, they’re just fun.  We call them the Motivational & Fun Titles.  These planners by an assortment of titles and let each attendee pick the fun title of their choice.  Attendees never have trouble deciding whether they are Queen Bee or Goddess.  It’s fun to watch the room as people meet.  They note that people walk differently when their nametag tells everyone that they are a Diva.  Any ice breaker ideas?