What Is a Meet Me Badge?
A meet me badge is a digital event badge made for LinkedIn instead of a lanyard: the attendee's photo, the event's branding and a short line like "Meet me at" with the event name and date. Attendees post it before the event, and it does what a printed badge can't. It tells their network where they will be and invites people to say hello.
A printed badge starts working when someone walks through the door. A meet me badge starts weeks earlier, in the feeds of colleagues, clients and peers who might want to join, or at least want to meet. We run events ourselves, and the conversations that start online before the doors open are usually the ones people remember.
Meet me badge vs. printed event badge
They are not competitors. You still need the printed badge at the door. The difference is what each one is for.
Meet me badge (digital) | Printed badge | |
|---|---|---|
Job | Promotion and networking before the event | Identification at the venue |
Who sees it | The attendee's LinkedIn network | People in the room |
When it works | Weeks before, during and after | On event days |
Networking | Messages and meetings planned in advance | Chance encounters |
Measurable | Views, downloads, posts | Check-ins at best |
If you want the broader picture of this format, our guide to Meet Me At graphics for LinkedIn covers design, timing and captions in depth, and the glossary has a short definition of a Meet Me At graphic.
Why a meet me badge makes the event itself better
Most attendees arrive without a single meeting planned. They walk the hall, hope to bump into the right people and leave with a handful of business cards. A meet me badge changes the order of things.
When someone posts "Meet me at" with their face on it, they are signalling that they are open to conversations. People in their network reply in the comments, send a message or ask for fifteen minutes at the coffee bar. By the time the event starts, the meetings are already in the calendar, and the attendee has a better day because of it.
For you as the organizer there is a second effect. Every badge shows your event to a network you could not have reached yourself, and the people in that network trust the person posting far more than they would trust an ad. In our analyses of past partner campaigns, 100 posts generated over 250,000 organic impressions on LinkedIn.
How to create meet me badges for your event
Go Spread was built for exactly this. You publish one branded design, share one link, and every attendee creates their own badge from it.
Import your branding. Paste your event website and Go Spread reads your colours, logo and event details.
Add the badge design. Upload your own artwork or build it in the Design Editor, and mark where the photo goes. Portrait 1080 x 1350 takes up the most space in the feed.
Add role versions. Attendee, speaker, sponsor, mentor or first-timer, all behind the same link.
Write three short captions. One excited, one networking-focused ("Who else is going?") and one about a topic or session.
Share the link. Attendees open it on their phone, add a photo, and post to LinkedIn directly or download the image. No account, no app.
Between 40 and 60% of people who open a Go Spread link go on to download their graphic. The branding stays locked, so every badge looks the way you designed it, and the dashboard shows views, downloads, direct LinkedIn posts and which version performed best.
Types of meet me badges
Attendee badge
The default version for everyone. A clean design with a large photo area, your event name, date and city.
Speaker badge
Adds "Speaker" and the talk title. Speakers often have the largest networks in the room, so this version tends to travel furthest. For one-off cards, the free speaker card generator works too.
Sponsor and exhibitor badge
The sponsor's logo next to yours, or a "Meet me at booth 12" line for exhibitors, which is what booth graphics for exhibitors are about. Sponsors get reach they can actually see in a report.
VIP, mentor and first-timer badges
Small labels with a big effect. VIPs like to show their access, mentors attract mentees before the event, and a "first-timer" badge invites regulars to reach out to someone new.
Where meet me badges work well
Professional conferences are the obvious fit, because pre-event networking makes the whole event more productive. Startup events come close: founders and investors use the badge to say they are open for conversations at a demo day or summit. Communities and associations use it to grow, since each badge introduces the community to a new network. And for workshops or trainings, a "participant" badge is a quiet way for people to show they are investing in their skills.
How to get more attendees to share their badge
Put the link in the confirmation email. Excitement is highest right after registration.
Add a button to the event website. "Create your badge" next to the ticket button.
Go first. Your team, your speakers and early registrants post theirs before you ask everyone else.
Brief speakers and sponsors personally. A short note with their version of the badge works better than a mass email.
Remind people once. About a week before the event, with a few real badges as examples.
Reshare from the event account. People notice, and it nudges the rest.
For more ideas on getting people to post, read how to get speakers and attendees sharing your event on LinkedIn.
Get started with meet me badges
You can create your first meet me badge campaign for free, with no credit card, at Go Spread. If you have special requirements, such as many roles or your own subdomain, contact the team.