AN INNOVATIVE new badging system is being developed by a pioneering Calderdale firm.
AIDC European Centre of Excellence in Halifax is working with Mirfield-based event organiser Hillrich on a 2D barcode system for exhibition delegate badging.
Kirklees Business Conference (KBC), to be held at the Galpharm Stadium later this year, w
ill be the first to trial the AIDC technology which stores data in a credit card sized name badge.
Hundreds of delegates are expected at the major event for entrepreneurs and the world of business so the organisers need a way to effortlessly pre-register visitors and allow them easy access around the exhibition.
Scanning delegates' badge codes on the day will reveal which seminars they have registered for.
Event director Danny Matharu said: "KBC 2009 will involve a mass of 'delegate traffic' throughout the day.
"Entry for delegates is free and as different people have booked for different seminars, we had to identify a process to determine what each individual delegate has booked on the day.
"This process had to be super-efficient in order to cause as little delay as possible.
"We particularly wanted to avoid the waste and hassle of sending out paper tickets for each separate seminar to only then have to issue name badges on the day also."
The not-for-profit AIDC Centre, based at the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, is a world leader in automatic identification and data capture technologies, including 1D barcodes, 2D codes, radio frequency identification and biometrics.
Backed by Yorkshire Forward, it works with Yorkshire companies to improve productivity.
AIDC's Keith Osman, who developed the system, said: "Many people may have seen them on every day things like gas bills or tax forms – they look a bit like tiny crossword puzzles – but they can hold significant amounts of data."
Anyone wanting to know more about the exhibitors can scan the badge and send information in the post or via e-mail without having to fill in any forms.
