QR Codes for Events: Signs, Badges, Wi-Fi, and Feedback
Where QR codes help at events and conferences (schedule signs, badges for networking, guest Wi-Fi, feedback and photo uploads), why a plain QR code is not a ticket, sizes in cm for signs and screens, and a checklist for the day.
At an event, a QR code works best for things people need right now, on their phone: the schedule and venue map on signs, a contact card on badges, the guest Wi-Fi on tables, a poll or the slides on screens, and a feedback form or photo upload at the exit. Size each code for the distance (scan distance ÷ 10: 20 cm on a sign read from 2 m) and give it a label. One thing a plain QR code should not be is a ticket: tickets need a unique code per guest that the door checks, so they come from your ticketing system.
You can make all the other codes free, with no account, in the Pretty QR editor.
Which QR codes are useful at an event?
| Use | Where | Link or content | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule, agenda, speaker list | Entrance sign, room doors | Schedule page | 15–20 cm on signs |
| Venue map, directions | Entrance, invitations | Map link | 3 cm on paper, 15 cm on signs |
| Guest Wi-Fi | Tables, reception desk | Wi-Fi network and password | 3–5 cm |
| Networking | Badges | Contact card (vCard) | 2.5–3 cm |
| Live poll, Q&A, slides | Projector screen | Poll or slides link | A fifth of the screen height |
| Feedback form | Last slide, exit sign | Form link | 15–20 cm on signs |
| Photo upload | Tables (weddings, parties) | Shared album link | 3–5 cm |
Each code does one thing, with a label that says what: "Today's schedule", "Free Wi-Fi", "Share your photos". One code that opens a page of every link makes people think, and at an event they will not.
Why isn't a QR code from a generator a ticket?
A ticket must let one person in, once. Ticketing systems do this with a unique code per ticket and a door app that checks each scan against a list and marks it as used. A screenshot of a used ticket then fails.
A QR code from a generator holds the same link for everyone who has it. Anyone can copy it, and nothing marks it as used. So:
- Tickets and check-in: use the ticketing platform you sell tickets with.
- Everything else on the day: signs, badges, Wi-Fi, and feedback codes from a generator are fine. They do not need to be secret.
How do I make a QR code for event badges?
A badge code that saves the wearer's contact card is the fastest way to swap details. No app, no typing.
- In the editor, choose Contact.
- Fill in first name, last name, company, email, and maybe job title. Leave out the address and other long fields: a badge has little room, and every field makes the code denser.
- Download SVG and place it on the badge at 2.5–3 cm.
For hundreds of badges, the badge printing tool or the ticketing platform usually makes one code per attendee from the guest list. Our business card guide explains how many contact fields fit at each size.
How do I put a QR code on a slide or screen?
- Make it big. At least a fifth of the screen height. A small code in a corner works for the front row only.
- Leave it up long enough. At least 20–30 seconds. People need time to open the camera.
- Say the short link out loud too, and show it under the code, for people who do not scan.
- Test from the back row before the session, with the room lights as they will be.
- Dark code on a light panel. On a dark slide, put the code on a white box with empty space around it.
What sizes work for event signs?
| Sign | Scan distance | Code width |
|---|---|---|
| A4 sign on a door or table | 0.5–1 m | 6–10 cm |
| A2 / A1 poster at the entrance | 1–2 m | 10–20 cm |
| Roll-up banner | 2–3 m | 20–30 cm |
| Stage backdrop | 3–5 m | 30–50 cm |
The numbers come from the scan distance ÷ 10 rule in our QR code size guide. For codes with a logo or brand colors, add 20–30%.
How do I make event QR codes look good?
- Match the event colors, dark on light. A deep version of the event color for the modules, a pale tint for the background. Our QR code colors guide has fifteen tested palettes.
- Add the event logo small, under about 25% of the code.
- Use a frame with a label. The Banner template and Speech Bubble template have a call-to-action band you can rename.
- Weddings and parties: a heart-shaped code works well for the photo album or the RSVP page. See our cute QR codes for examples that still scan.
What should I check on the day before guests arrive?
- Scan every printed code once, on site, with a phone on mobile data, not only on the venue Wi-Fi.
- Open each link and check it is the final version of the schedule, form, or album.
- Check the Wi-Fi code with a phone that has never joined that network. See how to make a Wi-Fi QR code.
- Check the light: glossy posters under spotlights reflect. Move or tilt them.
- Keep a paper fallback for the schedule and Wi-Fi, for guests with a flat battery.
Tickets from the ticketing system; signs, badges, Wi-Fi, and feedback from a QR generator, each with one job and a label. Make your event codes, free and with no account.
Questions? [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
How are QR codes used at events?
On signs that open the schedule or venue map, on badges that share the wearer's contact card, on table cards that join the guest Wi-Fi, on slides that open a poll or the slides themselves, and at the exit for a feedback form or photo upload. Tickets also use QR codes, but those come from a ticketing system.
Can I make event tickets with a free QR code generator?
Not safe ones. A ticket QR code must be unique per guest and checked against a list at the door, so a copy or screenshot cannot get a second person in. A QR code from a generator is the same for everyone who has it. Use your ticketing platform for tickets, and a generator for signs, badges, Wi-Fi, and feedback.
How big should a QR code be on an event sign or screen?
Use scan distance ÷ 10. A sign people read from 2 m needs a code about 20 cm wide. On a projector screen, the code should fill about a fifth of the screen height or more, so people in the back rows can scan it; test it from the last row before the session starts.
What should a QR code on a conference badge do?
Share the wearer's contact details. A vCard code saves name, company, email, and phone in one tap, with no app. Keep it to a few fields so the code stays small enough for a badge, about 2.5–3 cm wide.
How do I collect event feedback with a QR code?
Make a short form in any form tool, put its link in a QR code, and show the code on the last slide and on a sign at the exit. Ask for feedback while people are still in the room, not in an email the next day.
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