Lanyards with Logo Printing and ID Cards for a 200-Delegate Conference

This spring we put together a full set for 200 delegates at an industry conference in Riga: lanyards with logo printing (20 mm, sublimation printing on both sides), clear PVC pouches and personalised ID cards with name, surname and organisation. The whole job, from quote approval to delivery, took 7 business days, and the total cost came to roughly EUR 2.90 per set, excl. VAT. The client agreed we could describe the project here, but we're not publishing the event name or photos containing delegates' personal data.\n\n## The brief\n\nThe organisers contacted us 12 business days before the event. The requirements were clear:\n\n- 200 lanyards in one design featuring the event logo and two sponsor logos;\n- ID cards in three colour groups — delegates, speakers, organisers;\n- each card showing the delegate's name, surname and organisation;\n- 20 spare blank cards to be filled in on-site at registration.\n\nThe main risk in projects like this isn't printing — it's the delegate list. Registration stayed open until the last day, so we agreed to split the work into two stages: lanyards and pouches would be produced straight away, while the ID cards would wait until the list came in.\n\n## Materials and technical solutions\n\n### Lanyards\n\nWe chose a 20 mm polyester strap with sublimation printing. Sublimation lets you print a full-colour image without extra charges per colour — important here, since the design had three logos with gradients. Screen printing would have been cheaper for a single-colour logo, but in this case sublimation worked out less expensive overall.\n\nHardware: a metal swivel hook clip plus a breakaway safety clasp at the back of the neck. A breakaway clasp is a standard requirement for conferences — the strap releases if someone pulls on it.\n\n### Pouches and cards\n\nPouches — clear PVC, vertical, sized for 86×54 mm cards. Cards were produced on 350 gsm card stock with matte lamination on both sides. Laminated card stock is more than sufficient for a two-day event and costs significantly less than PVC cards. Personalisation was done using variable data printing from the client's Excel file.\n\n## Costs\n\nIndicative pricing for this project, excl. VAT:\n\n| Item | Quantity | Price per pc | Total |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Lanyard 20 mm, sublimation, both sides, hook clip + breakaway | 200 | from EUR 1.45 | EUR 290.00 |\n| PVC pouch 86×54 mm, vertical | 200 | from EUR 0.35 | EUR 70.00 |\n| ID card, 350 gsm, laminated, 4+4, personalised | 220 | from EUR 0.95 | EUR 209.00 |\n| Artwork setup and proof | 1 | EUR 25.00 | EUR 25.00 |\n| Total | | | EUR 594.00 |\n\nCost per set — roughly EUR 2.97. At 500 sets, the price per lanyard drops to around EUR 1.10; at 1,000, to around EUR 0.90. The exact figure always depends on strap width, hardware, printing method and card material.\n\n### Where you can save\n\n- 15 mm strap instead of 20 mm — roughly 10–15% cheaper, but less space for the logo;\n- printing on one side only — saves around EUR 0.15/pc;\n- plastic clip instead of metal — saves around EUR 0.10/pc;\n- unlaminated cards if the event only runs for a single day.\n\n## Schedule: how we split the 7 business days\n\n| Day | Task |\n| --- | --- |\n| 1 | Quote approval, artwork received, technical check |\n| 2 | Digital proof for the lanyard, colour matching to Pantone |\n| 3–5 | Lanyard production and pouch assembly |\n| 5 | Delegate list received in Excel format |\n| 6 | Card personalisation, printing, laminating, cutting |\n| 7 | Sorting by group, packing, delivery |\n\nWe sorted the cards alphabetically and packed them in boxes of 50 with labels — this saves the registration desk at least half an hour on the morning of the event.\n\n## What to prepare on your end\n\n- Logo as vector artwork — .ai, .eps or .pdf, colours in CMYK or Pantone. A JPG pulled from a website won't work for a narrow 15–20 mm print area.\n- Delegate list in a single Excel file with separate columns: first name, surname, organisation, group — not one column with everything bundled together.\n- Check long names — if an organisation's name runs to 60 characters, it will need to be shrunk or split across two lines on the card. It's best to decide this before printing.\n- One person responsible for approving the proof. A single contact, not a committee — this alone saves 1–2 days.\n\nIf you don't have a design yet, we can prepare the artwork for you; for a simple lanyard and card this typically costs around EUR 25–40.\n\n## What's usually added to an order like this\n\nConference sets often also include folders, notebooks and pens with the same logo. For this project, the client also ordered 200 A5 notebooks and pens — you can browse these in our promotional products with logo printing section. For the registration area we also produced a roll-up banner stand and two A1 posters with the programme; these are standard printing services that can be added to the same order and delivered together.\n\n## Frequently asked questions\n\nHow much time should I allow for lanyards with logo printing?\n\nSublimation lanyards usually take 7–10 business days from artwork approval. If your deadline is tighter, we can offer stock straps with screen printing or a DTF transfer, which can bring the timeline down to 5–7 business days. Urgent jobs are assessed individually.\n\nCan I order fewer than 100 pieces?\n\nYes. The minimum quantity for sublimation lanyards is around 50 pieces, and we also produce ID cards in batches of 10. At smaller quantities, the price per piece is noticeably higher, since setup costs are spread over a smaller run.\n\nWhat's the difference between card-stock and PVC ID cards?\n\nLaminated 350 gsm card stock costs from EUR 0.95 and suits events lasting 1–3 days. A PVC card costs from around EUR 2.50, is water-resistant and lasts for years — it's the better choice for staff access passes rather than a one-off conference.\n\nCan you print cards with QR codes?\n\nYes, we generate QR codes from your list and print them as part of the variable data printing. The recommended minimum QR code size on a card is 15×15 mm, so it scans reliably on a phone even in a dimly lit hall.\n\nCan lanyards be reused after the event?\n\nYes, as long as the design doesn't include a year or a specific event name. Many clients order neutral lanyards with just the organisation's logo and only swap out the cards each time — this saves roughly half the cost of the set on every future event.\n\nIf you're planning a conference or seminar, send us your delegate count, preferred strap width and logo — we'll prepare a quote within one business day. Email info@attaprint.lv, call or message us on WhatsApp at +371 25776699; more details in our contacts section.