Skip to main content
All CollectionsHow-Tos
The Badge Guide to Event Passes
The Badge Guide to Event Passes

Best practices for digital ticketing

Stanley Tran avatar
Written by Stanley Tran
Updated over a week ago

Badge can streamline check-ins and increase attendee engagement—while saving you time and money—through issuing digital tickets with powerful native wallet functionality.

Key Badge Features for Event Passes

  1. Customizing the design of an event pass, so your end users can easily check in to an event

  2. Updating the design of a event pass if any data needs to be changed or you simply want to change up the look and feel.

  3. Providing a unique Pass Download Link for each event pass (used to easily install the event pass), which can be added to any website or email campaign

  4. Increasing attendee engagement by

    • Making important announcements with campaigns

    • Activating attendees in specific locations with geolocation-based contextual messaging

    • Providing event information and resources in a linktree on the back of the pass

Key User Journeys

Before getting into the Badge Platform, it may be helpful for you to have a view of the following end user journeys—when digital tickets are added to your ecosystem.

A. Event registration

When a user registers for an event, a digital ticket is made available for the end user to install it.

Step

1. Register for an event

2. Install event pass

3. Check in to event

4. Receive notifications

What is your end user doing?

Registering for an event. This may include choosing event times, add-ons, number of attendees—as well as making a payment.

Installing an event pass (or multiple event passes) by clicking on a Pass Download Link (unique per user).

Showing their pass(es) to check in to an event.

Opening a push notification and therefore, their event pass (announcement campaign or geomarketing).

Badge product touchpoints

Badge can automatically issue event passes when users successfully register (using userPassUpsert API endpoint) or a custom integration.

Event passes can also be grouped using the API.

Badge provides a unique Pass Download Link, which can be used in your product touchpoints. If pass grouping is used, a single link can be used to download multiple event passes.

Badge also provides a an easy way to bulk email each user their Pass Download Link.

The event pass(es) with required check-in information, which can be updated using the userPassUpsert API endpoint or a custom integration.

Geolocation can be set up in Badge, so the pass(es) appear on phone lockscreens.

Push notifications can be sent using the Badge campaign tool.

Event-triggered push notifications can be sent using the Push Notification API endpoint (coming soon).

Your product touchpoints

Your event registration flow

Your event management system, which will be used to populate passes with the correct data

Your event registration completion page

Your event registration confirmation email

Your event operators (e.g., doorman)

Your access control systems (e.g., ticket scanner)

Any specific milestone in the user journey that you want to trigger a push notification

B. Existing registered users

Inviting existing registered users to install their event pass.

Step

1. Discover event pass

2. Install event pass

3. Check in to event

4. Receive notifications

What is your end user doing?

Learn about how to get a digital event pass for an upcoming event.

Installing an event pass (or multiple event passes) by clicking on a Pass Download Link (unique per user).

Showing their pass(es) to check in to an event.

Opening a push notification and therefore, their event pass (announcement campaign or geomarketing).

Badge product touchpoints

Badge can automatically issue event passes for existing users (using userPassUpsert API endpoint) or a custom integration.

You can also import a CSV of existing users to bulk issue cards as a low-tech alternative.

Event passes can also be grouped using the API.

Badge provides a unique Pass Download Link, which can be used in your product touchpoints. If pass grouping is used, a single link can be used to download multiple event passes.

Badge also provides a an easy way to bulk email each user their Pass Download Link.

The event pass(es) with required check-in information, which can be updated using the userPassUpsert API endpoint or a custom integration.

Geolocation can be set up in Badge, so the pass(es) appear on phone lockscreens.

Push notifications can be sent using the Badge campaign tool.

Event-triggered push notifications can be sent using the Push Notification API endpoint (coming soon).

Your product touchpoints

Your CRM or whatever you use to manage your users

Your event user account page

Your event email campaigns

Your event operators (e.g., doorman)

Your access control systems (e.g., ticket scanner)

Any specific milestone in the user journey that you want to trigger a push notification

Key Workflows in the Badge Platform

1. Creating a Pass Template for Events

Before issuing event passes, you have to create a pass template. The Badge API and integrations will require you to pass a Pass Template ID. A typical pass template for an event pass looks like this:

Example

Suggested Elements

The following can be set in the Pass Template Editor. Use Custom Attributes when a field is unique per user. Custom Attributes will be updated by your connected data source.

  1. Logo (required)

  2. Event name

  3. Cover Image

  4. Name

    • Use a ⚡️ Custom Attribute for the Field 1 Body

  5. Admission

    • Use a ⚡️ Custom Attribute for the Field 2 Body

  6. Barcode

    • Select the barcode type that you support

    • Use a ⚡️ Custom Attribute for Barcode Data

    • Use a ⚡️ Custom Attribute for Barcode Caption (this is often the same Custom Attribute as Barcode Data, so it can be used as backup if a scanner is not working)

In addition to the suggest elements above, you can use the Pass Template Editor to add any relevant information or links on the back of the pass. And just like the front of the pass, you can use Custom Attributes for more dynamic content.

2. Making Use of Native Wallet Features

Please note that none of the following are required for event passes, but they may enhance the experience for your end users.

Expiration

When a pass is expired, the barcode will be grayed out and the pass moves to the "expired" section of Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. Set an expiration date for event passes by going to the Features Tab of the Pass Template Editor. Since the expiration date is likely going to be different per pass, use a ⚡️ Custom Attribute for the date field. And when using a ⚡️ Custom Attribute, make sure that it is included when you Connect Your Data.

Geolocation

Geolocation allows you to trigger a pass to appear on an end user's phone lockscreen with contextual messaging when they are near one of the specified locations added to Geolocation in the Features Tab of the Pass Template Editor. You can add up to ten different locations with corresponding messaging to each pass template.

In the member use case, we suggest adding key event locations. Since the pass appears on a user's phone lockscreen, checking into an event could not be any easier.

Geolocation is currently available for iOS users only.

Groups

All passes issued by you will be grouped in your users' mobile wallets by default—meaning they will displayed within the same swipe-able row for easy access. In the case that an end user has multiple cards issued to them (e.g. multiple event add-ons or one user buying for an entire friend group) and wants to install all of them at once, you can provide a Multiple Pass Download Link. You can include a Multiple Pass Download Link in your website or email campaigns by using the passGroups endpoint or a custom integration.

3. Connecting Your Data

When using Custom Attributes, it's crucial to connect your data source to ensure that each issued event pass has the correct data. When testing, you can use CSV Import to assign different values for each Custom Attribute you have added in your pass template.

For high volume, real-time issuing and updating of passes, use the Badge API. Specifically, you will want to use the userPassUpsert endpoint to:

  • Issue a pass when a registered user is created in your system with the correct information (the Suggested Elements in Creating a Pass Template for Events)

    • And retrieve a Pass Download Link for display in your

      • Event registration confirmation page

      • Event user account page

      • Emails that contain event access information

  • Update a pass when a change is made (e.g., time or location change)

If you're an enterprise client, you are eligible for a custom integration that handles the steps listed above. Contact your Account Manager or Badge Support for more information.

4. Creating Strong Install CTAs

For your product touchpoints (as seen in Key User Journeys), make sure that include the Add to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet buttons, and have the Pass Download Link linked for both buttons. Please note the official design guidelines:

When an end user clicks opens this link, Badge will provide the best options for adding their event pass to their mobile wallet—displaying a QR code on desktop and buttons for mobile.

5. Sending Push Notifications

Push notification campaigns are effective in reminding end users about their event passes and engaging end users with event announcements and features. Push notification opt-in rates are extremely high with mobile wallet passes because they are opt-in by default when end users install them.

When a pass template is published, you are free to send push notification campaigns to end users who have a pass (associated with the published pass template) installed. When creating a campaign, you can:

  • Target all users or a segment of users by ⚡️ Custom Attributes

    • Remember, it's up to you to add ⚡️ Custom Attributes to a pass template and ensure that they are populated by Connecting Your Data

  • Send it immediately or schedule it at a future time

📣 COMING SOON: Automated push notifications that are triggered by specific events in your system.

A Few Last Words On Event Passes

Remember, these are guidelines on how you can use Badge to create and manage your digital event passes. You are free to use our No Code Pass Editor, Marketing Automation, and API in whatever ways suit your needs. Get creative with it!

The beauty of the digital event pass is that you can also dynamically change its content and continue to send push notification campaigns to it. Unlike a physical ticket or static email, there's so much more that you can do to enhance to the event attendee experience, so the impact of your investment lasts weeks or even years beyond the event date.

Did this answer your question?