Name Tags

Number of People: 2-4

Budget:  consult with chairs

We have stopped trying to recycle the name tags. The effort and postage to get them to the right people is just not worthwhile. In any case they tend to be in pretty rough shape after a week on Star. Bring a receipt and the treasurer will reimburse you on the island.

A few weeks before Star, the Chairs will send you a conference list (hopefully the final one, but probably not, given the increasing variability with the wait list), with notations for the New Shoalers. Put a star or other symbol on the New Shoalers' tags.  There needs to be a subtle visual distinction on the nametags of those under 21 in order to assist servers at Social Hour in identifying them.

Arrive at the dock in Portsmouth by 11AM to set up to hand out the tags as people arrive. This process is made easier if tags are in envelopes, labeled with the family name, and the envelopes are alphabetized in a box. Otherwise, you'll go crazy on the dock. This job can be divided into groups - one group doing the actual label making and another handing them out on the dock.

It is wise to have several extra plastic holders and extra name tag paper and markers to replace lost, incorrect and/or broken name tags as the week progresses. Also, some people arrive on later boats on different days and you'll have to leave their nametags on the lobby desk, and track them down if they don't pick them up on their own.

Feel free to be creative within the framework mentioned above. Some years, the name tags are decorated, other years they aren't. However, name tags should be very legible, and large print should be used. (It has been suggested in 2001 that the first name be written a little larger to stand out for easy recognition.) Writing tags by hand probably takes longer than you would expect. It takes a few days at several hours per day.

Name tags should display the conferee's first name (in the largest font size), last name, and where they are from. Contact the Chairs or Registrar for information for the tags and for how to use the spreadsheet for the needed information. Please provide receipts to the conference treasurer for reimbursement for the costs of materials and printing.

Last reviewed May 2026