Why QR codes are an event manager’s best friend

The humble QR code is everywhere these days.

Although first invented way back in 1994 to help identify auto parts, these clever little black and white boxes really blew up during the COVID pandemic – along with other cool stuff like Tiger King and talking to your neighbours.

But unlike facemasks, QR codes are very much here to stay, especially in the event space.

Why are they so useful? Well, we all know about using QR codes to handle things like ticketing and on-site check-in. But they can handle way more than just this.

We’re living in an age sometimes awkwardly referred to as ‘phygital’ – in which attendees increasingly expect a thoughtful combination of physical and digital experiences during in-person events – one in which digital elements and augmentations can be strategically deployed to elevate the tangible part of an event.

And as the most accessible means of linking physical materials (displays, signs, screens etc) with an attendee’s personal smartphone or tablet – the QR code offers exciting possibilities for event professionals and marketers looking to deepen interaction and engagement at their meetings.

What actually are QR codes?

QR (Quick Response) codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can store a significant amount of information – much more than the traditional one-dimensional barcodes you scan at the supermarket checkout.

Their primary use is for providing quick, effortless access to websites, contact details, or other data without the user having to remember or input any information (such as the actual URL itself).

The useful event data we can embed into QR codes includes:

Event Details Date, time, and location of the event.
Attendee Information Name, ticket type, and access credentials.
Links to Digital Content Event agendas, maps, and promotional materials.

QR codes are machine-readable and can be scanned by smartphones and other devices with cameras. And while it used to be the case in the olden days that phones needed an app of some kind to read a QR code, all modern devices just handle it automatically.

In short, there’s currently no better way of displaying a visual trigger in the physical world, and having that open digital content on an attendee’s personal device, than the good old QR code.

Better still, they’re basically free and incredibly easy to generate and deploy.

OK, what can we use them for?

Honestly, the only limit is your imagination. But basically, we can break it down into five main areas:

– pre-event marketing and discovery
– getting attendees to install the event app
– secure, automated check-in and access control
– on-site interactions and information
– attendee networking and lead capture

Pre-event marketing and discovery

QR codes can be helpful in your online and offline event marketing strategy.

For offline marketing channels (think brochures, posters and billboards) including a QR code is a natural way to provide prospective attendees with the full event details in an instant. The ad intrigues them, then the QR code draws them to your site or landing page and reduces friction by eliminating the need to remember your event URL or search for the event manually on Google.

QR codes can also help ensure messaging about your event is accurate and up-to-date. Printed matter goes out of date quickly. Perhaps you designed and printed your brochure or flyer before finalising the event schedule, speakers, or vendor list. Including a QR code in your printed materials gives attendees an easy way to get the latest information.

Getting attendees to install the event app

Most events spend a bunch of money buying and populating a smartphone app for their attendees (containing the programme, participant list and other good stuff).

And most event managers struggle to persuade enough attendees to actually download that expensive app from one of the two app stores.

But there is another way.

Because AttendZen uses Progressive Web Application technology to serve our clients’ attendee apps, we’re able to bypass the Apple and Android app stores altogether, saving our clients a lot of money (and their attendees a lot of time and hassle).

‘Great!’ you say, ‘but what has this to do with QR codes?’

Well, attendees can load and install the attendee app directly from the link in a QR code.

And this is really useful when you think about it.

At home, or in the office (pre-event) the attendee can open your email or visit your event website and simply scan the QR code to install the app on their phone. This is nice, but lots of people don’t think about the app until they’re on-site and realise that you didn’t chop down all those trees to print programme brochures.

But wait! You can just print the QR code for the app on your signage in the lobby and elsewhere, put it up on screen at the start of every session, and so on. You only need one QR code for Apple and Android devices – and one simple instruction ‘Scan to install the MEGACONF app!’

Lower costs, lower friction, improved app adoption rates. What’s not to like?

Secure, automated check-in and access control

QR codes have long been popular as a means to speed up your event check-in process.

Platforms like AttendZen let you easily embed a unique QR code into the confirmation and joining instructions emails so that all your attendee needs to do is open the mail on their device and have it scanned by a phone or tablet when they arrive at your venue.

This has several advantages, the first of which is speed. Scanning a QR code is typically a quicker way to check an attendee in compared with the alternative (which is having the attendee or staff start typing the first characters of the attendee’s name and then narrowing down the list to identify the correct record).

The efficiency gain is marginal for smaller events, but for those with 1,000+ attendees it’s significant. You also eliminate the risk of a hurried delegate accidentally picking the wrong ‘Smith’ from the on-screen list.

A related benefit is security. If you want to make sure that the person checking in is the person who registered for the event, a QR code is your best bet. And if attendee confidentiality is a factor, using a QR code eliminates need for UI on the check-in device showing all the other ‘Jones’ ‘Jonson’ ‘Jonas’ – you get the picture.

In theory, if an individual wanted to rock up at your event and just mooch around the kiosk having a look to see who was coming, they could do so by typing in three or more characters. QR code-based check-in removes that.

Of course, most event managers choose QR-based check-in for efficiency. Guests can check themselves in, or staff can move along the line with a hand-held device during the busiest part of the registration period.

Better still, modern platforms like ours enable you to do all this using the off-the-shelf smartphones and tablets you already own. No need to bring in expensive, specialist kit and people to do it.

Some event managers are nervous that QR-based check-in requires internet connectivity (which isn’t always great in some venues). In reality though, even if the Wi-Fi connection is sketchy, the phone or tablet can fall-back on its cellular connection. The amount of data involved in handling check-in and badging is so miniscule, we rarely if ever experience issues. And in any case, the more evolved event platforms are capable of scanning codes, checking attendees in and printing badges without any connection to the cloud.

On-site interactions and information

Once the event itself is underway, this is when QR codes can really come into their own.

They’re a great way of augmenting the live, physical experience of an in-person event with additional information, context and interactivity.

If you’re planning to run live polls or a Q&A as part of a session, displaying a QR code on-screen is a great way to direct the audience to the questions quickly.

Most event planners aspire to go paperless and QR codes, along with attendee apps, are a great way of achieving this.

Want people to fill out your feedback form at the end of a session? Put the QR code up on the screen.

They can also be useful at virtual and hybrid events to help facilitate a unified in-person and digital experience. For instance, you can use QR codes on slides for a presentation leading to the speaker bio or the speaker’s website so attendees can learn more about them.

QR codes excel when it comes to providing additional details through what UX designers call ‘Progressive Disclosure’. In other words, they’re an easy way to hide additional details that are not necessarily interesting to all people at your event. This is important because event designers typically have to work with limited display areas in on-site signage, banners and other graphical displays.

For example, a few weeks ago I went to an event about sustainability in events. Much was made by the organisers and sponsors about how the catering was sustainably and locally sourced.

There was a nice big attractive sign next to the sushi platter saying something like ‘This sushi is local! Scan me to find out how’ with, (you guessed it) a QR code.

Scanning the code took me to a simple, dedicated landing page with details about the origin of the ingredients, how they make and deliver the food, how they employ people, etc. It was a really smart way to connect people at that event with the catering brand and provide a personalised experience.

And this is a great example of how QR codes can be useful. Many (though not all) of the attendees would have been interested in reading more. But if the organiser had tried to get a 500 word description of the food with supplier links etc, the sign would have been bigger than the table! Nobody would have been able to get a California roll for all the people crowding around trying to read it.

Attendee networking and lead capture

Last (but by no means least) modern event platforms make it a breeze to add a unique QR code to your delegate badges, allowing participants to exchange details – ranging from business card information, through to more detailed profile data if you’re collecting that via your registration system or app.

They also offer an easy, cost-effective way to provide your exhibitors with a lead-capture tool. The exhibitors’ app can be configured such that, scanning a person’s badge will automatically send that delegate’s details directly to the exhibitor’s CRM, allowing them to quickly add notes about the conversation and what the individual prospect wanted to know more about.

Advanced platforms like AttendZen allow organisers to define and lock-down which attendee data is available and to whom.

For larger events with dedicated session registration or addition paid content options, QR codes on the badges are the fastest, most robust way of handling access control and session-check-in – helping your on-site staff make sure people are where they’re supposed to be.

The beauty of QR codes is in their simplicity and flexibility.

You should use them whenever (and wherever) you need to encourage an attendee to interact, access more information, opt-in or take action.

That said, there are a few tips when it comes to creating and deploying QR codes at your events.

They don’t have to be black and white

While black on white is most common and generally recommended for ease of scanning, today’s device cameras are really good at handling colour differences. So you can customise the colour of both the foreground (the code itself) and the background to use your brand colours – as long as there’s enough contrast for scanners to read the code accurately.

But don’t invert the colours

QR codes should be presented in light mode – which is to say, with a dark foreground and a light background. While it’s true that most cameras on updated phones and tablets can cope with scanning QR codes where the colours are inverted (eg white blocks on a black background) not all scanning technology used in physical locations can do this. For example, rented scanners supplied by event tech providers for things like check-in or lead-capture might struggle with inverted colours.

This is because dark colours reflect less light, providing clearer edges for the scanning technology to detect the code’s unique pattern. This is an even bigger factor if you need your QR codes to work well in extreme lighting conditions, such as darkened auditoriums or direct sunlight.

Make sure they’re big enough

Users must be close enough to QR codes to successfully scan them. While many phone cameras offer zooming capabilities, proximity is still essential. The official minimum size for a QR code is 1 cm x 1 cm (0.4 inches x 0.4 inches), but this size can be too small for reliable scanning. Aim for a minimum size of 2 cm x 2 cm (0.8 inches x 0.8 inches) for best results.

The farther away you expect users to be when scanning the code, the bigger you should make it. As a rule of thumb, for every 10 cm of distance to the code, add an extra 1 cm to the height and width of the code.

For example, if you expect users to scan from 10 cm away, the code can be 1 cm x 1 cm; if users will likely scan from around 50 cm away, then the code should be at least 5 cm x 5 cm in size. It’s particularly important to make codes large when they will be scanned in dimly lit environments to increase visibility and scan-ability.

Time is also a factor

QR codes are great but always consider the context in which they’re being presented.

For instance, you might be better off using a short, memorable URL rather than a QR code if users will have less than 15 seconds to scan it.

Users actually require more time than you might think to scan a QR code. They have to:

1 Notice the QR code
2 Consider where the code might lead
3 Decide to scan it
4 Retrieve their phone
5 Open the camera
6 Aim the camera
7 Focus the camera
8 Tap the link

UX research suggests that, as a rule of thumb, you should assume users need at least 15 seconds to scan a QR code. Many users will require even longer if they are undecided about whether it is worthwhile to scan the code, are not very dexterous, have trouble navigating mobile devices, or must dig a phone out of a pocket or purse.

Consequently, QR codes are not well-suited to quickly rotating carousels (such as digital signage on large monitors) that show them only for a few seconds at a time. For quick-exposure scenarios, a short, meaningful, memorable URL will perform better because users can hold it in their working memory while deciding to visit the site.

QR codes should lead to mobile-friendly pages

It should go without saying that users scanning a QR code will visit the associated site or content on a mobile device. So, make sure you’re taking them to a landing page that’s either mobile-dedicated or – at the very least – fully responsive.

Tell users what the QR code is going to do

UX designers use a concept known as ‘information scent’ to refer to a user’s perception of how relevant a piece of information or a link is to their current information need. Think of it as being like the ‘smell’ of information – guiding users towards potentially useful content.

Well, unlike links with labels or raw URLs that contain destination information, QR codes have no information scent by themselves. They tell users nothing about where they lead or what will happen when they are scanned. So, when designing your signage and other marketing collateral, make sure you provide enough contextual information about the code to convince the attendee to scan it. Without contextual information, QR codes are neither trustworthy or enticing.

If the code is rendered in the event branding, users will intuit that it’s from the event itself. If it carries (or is surrounded by) a sponsor’s branding, they’ll better understand that they’re accessing third-party, commercial content.

Additional contextual information might include a short URL indicating where the code leads, a label, or styling with company branding. However, a logo by itself is not sufficient contextual information.

To be effective, QR codes need clear, brief, contextual information and must lead the user to relevant pages.

For the best response rates, try to avoid using generic CTA language like ‘Learn more’ next to your QR codes. Attendees are more likely to scan if you provide richer contextual information about where the code will take them. Like I did with the sustainable sushi. Which was lovely and fresh, by the way.

At events, people tend not to be willing to read a paragraph to find out what a code does; instead, they will ignore it – especially if it provides only additional information.

Information telling users what will happen if they scan the code should be as clear and visually prominent as the code itself.

Deep-link QR codes directly to relevant pages or actions

Users expect a QR code to link to information directly related to the context of the code rather than to a generic homepage. It's annoying to scan a code that appears to offer a certain action or piece of information and end up on the website's homepage. This is like giving users a link with a high information scent, but not taking them where the link promises to go.

In summary

QR codes are great for events because they streamline processes, remove the need for wasteful printed materials and improve attendee engagement, and enhance event management.

More than this, QR codes are your passport to a seamless transition from the physical world to digital spaces or across digital channels. Their uniquely low interaction cost makes them perfect for in-person gatherings where digital content can deepen the experience, making the event more valuable and memorable.

As ever, if you need advice on how to start integrating this functionality into your next event, we’re more than happy to help.