Lanyards are now a familiar site in many different environments, but they are particularly popular at corporate events. They are used for security, act as a great ice breaker and can be a very effective way to promote a business.

It is for this reason that customised lanyards are becoming so sought-after, as it gives event organisers the opportunity to put their branding at the centre of the event and ensure that they are completely unique.

In this article, We Print Lanyards take a look at the ways that custom lanyards are used, and why they are so essential for corporate events.

What is a custom lanyard?

Lanyards are straps which are worn around the neck, and usually come with a clip that allows different items to be attached, such as ID cards, pens or even USB drives. These lanyards can come in just about any colour, and the straps can be printed with a range of designs.

This means that it is possible for every business and every event to have its own custom-made lanyards. These can be produced in the brand colours of a business, and can include the name of the event, a tagline or even a web address. There are a whole range of styles available and so the only restrictions are your imagination.

Brand awareness

One of the biggest reasons to create custom lanyards for a corporate event is to boost brand awareness. When every attendee is wearing a lanyard which bears the colours and logo of the event or the business behind it, they will be faced with a constant but subtle reminder of the brand. This can also create a sense of cohesion and unity while everyone is together at the event.

As most people take their lanyards home with them, it gives the brand even greater exposure, whether it is on the train or in the office. This means that more eyes will fall on your branding than just those who attended the event, ensuring that it can be a very effective marketing tool.

It can be a great way to reinforce the credentials of your brand in a striking and creative way and will become a walking advertisement for your event. It should be instantly recognisable and needs to tie seamlessly in with the branding that is carried throughout the rest of the event.

Security

Lanyards are often used as a way to display identity cards or event passes, as this ensures that only the right people gain access. These lanyards ensure that the passes can be easily accessed, and as they are worn throughout the event, it is easy to see if someone is in the right place just at a glance. Some events might also issue VIP passes, or give access to particular paid or specialist functions, and so different lanyards can provide access to these where applicable, with minimal fuss. You can even colour code the lanyards to show the level of access that the wearer is entitled to.

Collectors’ items

If you want your event to be remembered long after it has concluded, then custom lanyards can be an effective way to do this. As they are extremely durable, they will last for a long time, and people often do not throw them away. This means that they can often be found at home or in the office and provide a reminder of the event every time they are seen. If the event was particularly special, then people tend to keep things like the lanyards that they were given as mementos, and even display them, ensuring that the event lives on for a long time to come.

Cost effective

There are many ways to promote a business or an event, but these can often prove to be expensive. Custom lanyards are a much more cost-effective method of being able to pass your branding on to every single person who walks through the door of your event.

Versatility

Custom lanyards can be extremely versatile tools, especially at something like a corporate event. They can include carabiner, alligator and swivel clips to name just a few examples, which means that you can attach almost anything that you want to them. Typically, they are designed to hold identity cards, but there is no reason why you can’t get a little bit more inventive with them.

At big events, lots of promotional materials such as brochures and leaflets are handed out, but these are often lost or put straight into a bin. To save on paper and have a more effective way to ensure that guests take the information away with them, why not upload them to USB drives which can be attached to your lanyards? This guarantees that all attendees will carry it around with them, and other information can even be added to the drive when guests make enquiries during the event.

Alternatively, you could make your custom lanyards into mobile phone charms, zip pulls or tags for bags. You can tailor this according to your audience and create something that they are likely to keep with them and continue to use after the event has finished.

Accessibility

One of the main advantages of a lanyard is that whatever you choose to put on it is easily accessible. There is less chance of things getting lost, and when waiting to get into the event or access a particular area, queues are not likely to build up if tickets and passes are easy to find. When all of the important documents that you need are hanging around your neck, then time does not need to be wasted rifling through pockets, flicking through wallets or rummaging at the bottom of a bag, and this can only make everyone’s life a little bit easier.

Custom lanyards are becoming a bigger and bigger feature of many events now, thanks to the long list of opportunities that they present. They can combine security with branding, practicality with marketing, and this ensures that they are a feature that every corporate event needs to have.