Kardo / Guides

Digital business cards for events: a practical guide

At an event you meet many people in a short time, and paper cards get lost in the bag. A digital contact card lets the other person scan once and keep you in their phone. This is how to set it up so it works on the day.

Why digital cards suit events

• No app to install. The card opens in the phone's browser, so the other person does not need to download anything.
• One tap to save. On iPhone the Contacts sheet opens with your photo and every field. On Android the contact file imports into Contacts.
• Nothing goes stale. The QR holds a link. If your title or phone number changes, everything you have already printed shows the new details.
• You can see what happened. Admins can see views, saves and QR scans for each card, without anyone's IP address or device details being stored.

Where to put the QR

• On the badge or lanyard. The place people already look when they meet you.
• On a slide. Leave the QR on the final slide, big enough to scan from the back of the room.
• On the table or booth. A printed card standing on the table works when your hands are busy.
• In follow-up messages. Send the link in a chat or email signature. It works the same as the QR.
• On paper. Print it on a card, poster or folder. Since the link never changes, printing early is safe.

Set it up for the whole team

1. Create one company account and add your people. Admins manage everyone's cards and access, and members edit the cards they created.
2. Set a brand kit once, with a theme, fonts and colours, so every card looks like your company.
3. Share each person's own link or QR, one card per person, so every scan lands on the right contact.

Test before you print

1. Scan the QR with an iPhone and with an Android phone, using the Camera app.
2. Save the contact and check that the photo, name, title, phone and email are correct.
3. Try it from inside WhatsApp or Instagram too. Those built-in browsers may download the file instead of opening Contacts, so decide what to tell people. The fix is to open the link in Safari or Chrome. Our guide to saving a contact from a QR code covers it.
4. Print one sample at the real size and scan it from arm's length and from a table's distance.

Make the QR easy to scan

• Keep dark modules on a light background, with a blank border around the code.
• Do not stretch, crop or overlay it with other graphics.
• Print it large enough to scan from where people will stand, then test that distance.

After the event

People you met already have you in their Contacts, so there is nothing to chase for details. Use the per-card counts to see which cards were opened and saved, and keep each card current as roles change. Kardo is free, and setting up a team takes a few minutes.