3 Nov 2026
Event badges that look as good as the show
A badge is the one piece of an event everyone wears all night. It sits on every artist, every organiser and every crew member, in every photo. So why does it usually look like an afterthought?
Printed badges do their job, but only just. They carry a name and a role, they get tossed the next morning, and they rarely match the care that goes into the stage, the lights and the visuals.
Event badges can do more. A digital event badge with an ePaper screen holds all the information people need, looks elegant and modern, and can be reused from one event to the next. It becomes part of the experience instead of a piece of plastic on a string. Here is what we learned putting Joan ePaper badges on 200 artists and organisers at the UMEK 5.0 show in Ljubljana.
About the night: UMEK 5.0
UMEK 5.0 (NE)ZDRUŽLJIVO took place on 23 October 2026 at Gospodarsko razstavišče in Ljubljana. It was a one-night birthday festival and a sold-out, one-off production built around a single idea: bringing together artists who seem incompatible at first sight or sound.
The night opened with a 90-minute concert show, where around 70 musicians, singers and dancers crossed techno with rock, choral music, ballet, folk and 1980s pop, backed by a production and technical crew of a similar size. After the show, the party moved across two arenas until the morning, with more than 20 artists on the line-up. Slovenian icons shared the bill with internationally known artists.
A line-up that size means a lot of people backstage, from many genres and many countries. Each of them needed a badge.
Event badge design that carries the look of the show
Every show has a visual identity: a key creative, a colour palette, a typeface that turns up on posters, screens and social posts. A good event badge should carry that identity, not fight it.
Joan ePaper badges use a four-colour ePaper display. It isn’t a full-colour screen, so the best badge creatives are designed for it from the start: bold shapes, strong contrast and a limited palette that looks sharp up close. And because one badge holds several screens, it can still carry everything practical: who you are, your role, where you can go.
Knowing this, the UMEK 5.0 organisers approved a black-and-white version of the event’s key visual for the badges. Nothing was lost in translation. The visual gained character instead: a graphic, clever spin on the original that looked striking under stage lights. Organisers and artists wore something that felt designed, not printed.
When the screen changes, it’s part of the show
ePaper has one signature move. When the content changes, the screen blinks for a couple of seconds before the new image settles. It’s a natural trait of the technology: the display rearranges itself, then holds the new picture without using any power.
In an office, that blink is a small detail. At a concert, it turned into a moment. Under stage lights and between beats, a badge flashing to its next screen looked like it was part of the light show. People noticed it, and they liked it.
It’s a good reminder that the right setting can turn a technical quirk into a feature.
Pre-prepared or created on the spot: how to set up event badges
Every event is different, so the badge setup should be too. The first question to ask: how much will the guest list change?
Choosing your event badge approach
Match your badge setup to how predictable your guest list is.
| Pre-prepared badges | Badges created on the spot | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Fixed roles and known people | Changing guest lists, walk-ins |
| Typical events | Concerts, festivals, shows, crew-only access | Conferences, business events, open registration |
| How it works | All badges loaded before doors open | Known guests pre-loaded, new badges made at registration in seconds |
| On the day | Hand out and go | A laptop or tablet at the desk |
At UMEK 5.0, the categories were fixed and no last-minute guests were expected, so every badge was prepared in advance. Organiser badges shared one design per category, while each artist got a personalised badge with their own name. On the day, there was nothing to improvise: badges went from the box to the lanyard.
For artists: a sustainable badge worth keeping
The artists’ reaction surprised us most. Several wanted to keep their badge after the show, as a souvenir of the night. A printed pass ends up in a drawer or the bin. A badge with your name on the event’s artwork becomes memorabilia.
Some artists also picked up on the sustainability side. The badge has a rechargeable battery and is made to be reused, event after event, instead of being printed, worn once and thrown away. For performers who think about their footprint on the road, that matters.
For organisers: reusable event badges with dynamic content
Organisers looked at the badges differently. For them, the value lies in two things: reuse and content that can change.
Reuse. The same badges can be recharged, reloaded and handed out at the next event. The UMEK 5.0 organisers are already planning to use them again.
Dynamic content. This is what organisers valued most. A badge can hold up to six screens, and the wearer moves between them with a button on the back. That turns a name tag into a small channel the organiser controls. A few ideas:
- Sponsor activations. A screen with a sponsor’s QR code that leads to a giveaway, a discount at the bar or a contest. Sponsors get a real touchpoint on every guest, not just a logo on a banner.
- Programme at a glance. A QR code to the line-up or timetable, so nobody has to hunt for it.
- Practical info. Wi-Fi, maps, cloakroom or transport details, one button press away.
- A scheduled goodbye. A “thank you for coming” screen at the end of the night, with a link to tickets for the next edition.
One tip from our events: QR codes need light to scan. Plan sponsor screens for moments and places with good lighting, such as the bar, the entrance or the after-party, rather than the darkest part of the dance floor.
The badge as part of the experience
A great event is made of details, and the badge is one people carry with them all night. Make it elegant, give it the event’s look, and let it do more than show a name. Artists will want to keep it, and organisers will want to use it again.
Planning a festival, concert or show? Talk to us about Joan ePaper badges for your artists, crew and guests. Get in touch
UMEK 5.0 was organised by FM Agencija (futuristing.com). Thank you for trusting Joan with the badges for your artists and organisers. Photo credits: Žiga Intihar.
Event badges FAQ
What is an ePaper event badge?
An ePaper event badge is a reusable digital badge with a low-power ePaper screen. It shows a name, role and the event’s artwork, and can hold extra screens with QR codes or practical information. It runs on a rechargeable battery.
Are Joan ePaper badges full colour?
No. Joan ePaper badges use a four-colour ePaper display. Creatives work best when designed for it, and black-and-white versions of an event’s visuals often look the most striking.
Why does the badge screen blink when it changes?
A short blink of a couple of seconds is how every ePaper display refreshes. Once the new image is in place, the screen holds it without using power.
Can event badges be reused?
Yes. After the event, the badges are recharged, loaded with new content and handed out again.
Which events are ePaper badges suited for?
Concerts, festivals and shows with fixed roles work well with pre-prepared badges. Conferences and business events with changing guest lists can create new badges on the spot.
How much information can one badge hold?
Up to six screens. The wearer switches between them with a button on the back of the badge.
