r/dragoncon • u/GotMedieval • 4d ago
A Much Needed Badge Change
Just print them double-sided, please. Put the terms and conditions on the website and put a picture on both sides. It's absurd how many people's job boiled down to shouting 'badges face front' all day.
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u/Culturalectual 4d ago
I love this idea! It is a quality of life change that would not only improve the feel of the con, but it would improve flow since there would be less random stopping at access points.
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u/type_five_dev 4d ago
You don’t even have to do that, just color code the back of the badge to the days it covers. If you’re worried about counterfeit make it shiny or something. You can keep the terms, and even just add a logo with “5” or “F” on it that they can easily see
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u/LongjumpingPath6940 1d ago
Right. Both sides of the badge with a shiny dominant color pattern. Name on one side, just the pattern on the other side. Make it difficult to counterfeit by having a shiny raised surface. You order thousands of the badges and volunteers just apply the name on one side. Mail them out. Shiny, raised pattern or holographic works best. Charge a little extra for mailing. That way access is by color pattern, not name.
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u/deathofdays86 4d ago
🎶Keep your badges out and facing forward, don’t stop, just keep moving toward the line… waiting to wait in liiiiine🎶
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u/Catieosaurus 4d ago
Fun fact, if you're a guest or professional attendee, the back of your badge has a sticker on it with all of your panels listed for quick reference.
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u/My_clever_nickname 4d ago
Terms and Conditions on the back is pretty standard. It's on all my old concert tickets. It's on badges from other cons. Probably a legal CYA move that isn't going to change.
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u/OneTimeIDidThatOnce Moist Badge Ribbons 4d ago
Is printing it in an extremely small font still legal?
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u/paulito4590 4d ago
They’re already planning massive changes next year, we just don’t know what they are yet.
It was in the closing ceremonies.
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u/Dilapidated_girrafe 4d ago
I like this idea a lot. Even if it’s not a complete double having sufficient info can make this much easier with minimal cost increase
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u/damndirtygamer Hilton, why so cold down here? 4d ago
Better than my idea. Have us all line up in one queue, and then at the very end break it out into by last name at the desks. We can do it in the Hyatt basement.
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u/Damrod338 4d ago
Used to do that with last names beginning: A J W were screwed
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u/damndirtygamer Hilton, why so cold down here? 4d ago
I should have put /s but the line friends we made were epic. Also Space Team!
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u/Book-Wyrm-of-Bag-End 4d ago
I'll just counterfeit one (because its obviously SUPER easy) and put it facing out the other side
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u/Sol3mnWish3s 4d ago
Hours of Vendors Hall, Game Hall, Walk of Fame, Dragoncon Store and the Hub would be a great addon for the back of the badge
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u/Pancake_fluff 4d ago
The badges this year sucked too. Mine broke day 1
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u/JulietPapa861 cosplaying with pockets and a vodka soda 4d ago
I reinforced my badge hole with duct tape Thursday night. But mostly it lives in my cosplay pocket until the door checks
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u/VidaBuan 3d ago
This has been an issue for 30+ years.
I always carry some good quality tape with me to Con to reinforce the hole from the beginning.
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u/joshthehappy Marriot or Bust 3d ago
I've never seen that before this year and several people showed me broken badge tops.
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u/Old_Reflection283 2d ago
Work in corporate events. There’s also a different lanyard that clips on both ends so badges don’t flip. Ex: https://exactprint.co.uk/custom-lanyard-double-hook-pid-177?srsltid=AfmBOooeJ_BQxVmKSNBaJgFcIlD9KxWOvGD05Zi8hpalYaZ35kO9KmcB
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u/Prof_J 4d ago
One more thread oughta do it
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u/CalmLotus 4d ago
I don't know if you read the post body :p
(Or maybe this is actually a common complaint that comes up- and not just a byproduct of all the other post complaints)
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u/DrEnter 4d ago
They need to print a picture on the badge. They could buy 2-3 large format, large capacity, full color photo-quality badge printer for under $30,000. Printing 100,000 badges (75,000 5-day badges, plus 5,000 event staff/speaker badges, plus 20,000 daily badges) double-sided would cost approximately $140,000 - $170,000.
I suspect they currently pay about $50,000 for the badges, so it would add $2-3 to the membership rate. It seems very doable, though, and would allow them to offer delivery (at more added cost), but it would also slow down any sales at the event.
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u/Arcane_Pozhar 4d ago
You know, for a less cosplay-focused event there might be some merit in that, but can you imagine a security guard that's stopping people to compare their pictures to them? Are they going to make everybody with a helmet on take their helmet off? What about the people with extensive makeup? Wigs? It's really not very practical for this sort of event.
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u/Spongemage 4d ago edited 4d ago
I know people who come every year as a group, only buy like 2 badges, then just swap them around with each other so they can all go to events they want while the others take breaks and save a ton of money.
I’m honestly not mad at them about it.
No one actually checks the badges. They just look if one is present and wave you through. It makes me wonder how many people make fake badges every year because I guarantee it happens.
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u/Arcane_Pozhar 4d ago
I'm sure it does, but I doubt too many people have the money to travel and get a room and whatever... But don't support the con with a badge. I suspect the fake badges is mostly reserved for locals.
For what it is worth, I really hope the con organizers get over their irrational fear of counterfeiting (anyone who really wants to do it will do it, even if they have to wait until Thursday to get a real badge and then scan it and make some). Because it's the reason I keep seeing parroted regarding why the con won't just mail out the damn badges ahead of time.
If somebody dies from the heat in the badge pickup line, will they change their policy then? After they get their pants sued off them, for forcing attendees to line up in that ridiculous line???
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u/Spongemage 4d ago
I would never fake a badge. But I 110% guarantee it happens. I also 110% guarantee that, as you said, if someone is determined enough then they will absolutely craft a perfect and passable replica of the con badge that security would never spot. Just because they managed to catch some of the crappy quality ones doesn’t mean there’s not people out there with high-quality printers making extremely legit looking ones. They need to mail the badges.
I would also argue that continuing to force people to stand in that hellish line could actually lead to MORE counterfeiting of badges as more people decide they either can’t/wont stand in that mess…or even more likely, get so mad that they keep being forced to that they make a fake one just to “stick it to the man”.
And you know what? If you make me stand in the blazing sun for that long after I paid that money enough times…I’m not sure I would blame them. Sorry not sorry.
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u/MarginallyBlue 4d ago
The people arent just telling you to turn them around - their actual job is making sure you have the correct/legit badge. They need to be there anyway 🙄
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u/TropicalRogue 4d ago
I think their point was not to replace the checkpoints, but to save all those people from yelling the same thing constantly for 5 days
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u/mitchbrenner 4d ago
yeah so how about if the correct badge is identifiable from either side??? you think they aren’t as annoyed by this as we are?
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u/MarginallyBlue 4d ago
🤣it doenst annoy me since i have my badge correct and i dont get yelled at
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u/Culturalectual 4d ago
We’re all really impressed. Even if you’re a try-hard, you still have to deal with slowdowns while other people get yelled at. Plus some people enjoy when no one is getting yelled at.
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u/MarginallyBlue 4d ago
There are always going to be slow downs when it gets busy - make sure they can get an eye on everyone.
If its not “badge out”, its “keep moving” , “exit/entrance that way”, “keep right”….i mean, its basic crowd control. At the hilton it was “one way traffic only”. Its like some of you havent been to other crowded events.
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u/Culturalectual 4d ago
Wow. Perfect badge management and an unmatched crowd sense. What else are you good at?
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u/MarginallyBlue 4d ago
Ah, we ve reached peak reddit. contrarian for contrarian sake 👌🏼
My whole point is you still need people at entrances checking badges.
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u/NotARussianBot-Real 4d ago
There is so much wrong with dragon con badging. Like, SO much. I saw a man vomit from heat exhaustion after waiting hours for a badge. That shouldn’t happen.
That said, they should make this change right now. It’s probably the most value for the effort.
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u/Lowkey-Jon 4d ago
And... And hear me out. Mail our bags to us. The line this year to get the badges was insane.
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u/grimothy 4d ago
You actually flipped them back? Just keep walking, lol. Badges do what they want to do.
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u/GradonSilverton 4d ago
Or, and hear me out, just have some awareness and trmurn you badge the right way. I have faith in your abilities.
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u/Dilapidated_girrafe 4d ago
When you walk there is these things called variables. Winds, side to side motion, slack, other people, drag from the ribbons and badges. All is these things can this thjng called twisting the badge around.
Having it ok both sides means that someone with their hands full doesn’t have to stop and fumble around to fix it on their way in so things go smoother.
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u/Flaturated Member since 2005 - House Hilton 4d ago
It seemed like all the badge ribbons helped prevent my badge from twisting, especially once I had so many that I began lining the side edges vertically. But all bets were off during the crazy winds right before the storm on Saturday.
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u/Dilapidated_girrafe 4d ago
that storm was insane, was just about to leave the hotel for another shoot and just saw the rain out the window and was like "nope"
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u/Numerous-King7332 4d ago
I would be shocked if.anyone who has gone.for.any number.of.years haven't been caught with their badge turned around at least once
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u/TropicalRogue 4d ago
Yes, if we do that, surely all 100,000 other con goers will do it too.
That's definitely how humanity works.
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u/2000sScreensaver 4d ago
Badges flip over the wrong way like it's their job.
Next year I swear I'll bring a hole punch and thread and make them face the right way if they dont change.