Be clear about how names are used

Names are complicated, and you can’t be sure what name somebody wants to put on their badge – so ask!

When you’re running an event, there are several reasons you might need somebody’s name:

When you ask for somebody’s name, you should be very clear about how it will be used, and where it will appear. Some examples:

This is the name that will appear on your conference badge: ______

You need legal ID to get into the venue. The name on your legal ID will will not appear on your conference badge: ______

We need the name on your passport to book your flights. The name on your passport will not be on your badge: ______

People put all sorts of names on their badges – wallet names, nicknames, their online handle – whatever they think will help people recognise them. Don’t make assumptions about what should be printed there, or what they’ll prefer.

Don’t just use the name from somebody’s legal ID – this causes problems for trans and non-binary people, or anybody using a different name professionally to their legal name. For example, married women who work under their maiden name.

The name field should be a single, free text field – no “first name, last name”, or other assumptions about the structure of names.