The best custom lanyards for events are a non-negotiable. They keep everything running smoothly, whether you’re planning a trade show, festival, or company conference. These are a smart investment to keep your brand visible, your team identifiable, and your guests feeling like they’re part of something organized and professional.

We’ll help you design lanyards that look great and work even better. It just comes down to thinking about materials, width, attachment type, color scheme, and printing method. You’ll also want to factor in comfort for long wear, visibility for branding, and functionality, including breakaway clasps, badge holders, or retractable reels for access cards.

Take the next step towards perfecting your personalized lanyards with CustomLanyard.net today. We’ve served millions of customers over the years and have earned the trust of event planners across the world for ultra-low prices, fast turnaround times, and world-class service.

The best part? Designing your event lanyards is quick and easy. It takes just a few minutes, and you don’t need any experience! We’ll walk you through it step by step below. Or, you can get in touch with our team for one-on-one support today!

Why Events Need the Best Custom Lanyards

There are a number of reasons your event planning isn’t finished until you’ve ordered custom lanyards for it. Event lanyards shape first impressions, improve logistics, and strengthen your brand presence. Here’s why customers come to us for the best custom lanyards for events.

Identification and Access Control

Visibility and access control are everything at busy events. Lanyards let attendees and staff display credentials clearly so security teams can quickly identify authorized personnel and guests.

Color-coded or printed lanyards can even distinguish between different access levels, such as VIPs, media, and general attendees, for smooth, stress-free crowd management.

Branding and Professionalism

Every interaction at an event is a branding opportunity. Custom lanyards featuring your logo, event name, or sponsor design help reinforce your identity while promoting professionalism.

They instantly elevate the perceived quality of your event, especially when paired with coordinated badges or holders. They’re a great opportunity for sponsors in particular, as they offer valuable real estate that turn every attendee into a walking advertisement.

Enhancing Attendee Experience

A well-designed lanyard adds convenience and comfort. It frees attendees from fumbling for passes or tickets so they can network hands-free and focus on the experience.

Soft materials and thoughtful features, like safety breakaways or swivel hooks, keep guests comfortable throughout long event days. They’re a small investment (often as low as $0.27 each!).

How to Create the Best Custom Lanyards for Events

It sounds simple. Just find a brand that lets you customize lanyards and put your logo on it. But, there’s a lot more that goes into how to make custom lanyards than meets the eye - at least, if you’re serious about getting the best custom lanyards for events. Here are some tips.

Start by Narrowing it Down to a Material

First things first, you need to choose among the many different types of lanyards you have at your fingertips. This sets the foundation for both quality and comfort. So what are lanyards made of?

The two most common materials we help our customers choose between are nylon vs polyester lanyards. Polyester is popular because it’s affordable, versatile, and holds vibrant full-color prints well. Nylon is smoother and shinier. It creates a premium look for professional events.

We also sell a ton of woven or tubular lanyards. These are more textured and long-lasting, perfect for outdoor or multi-use events where strength matters. If sustainability is important, RPET (recycled polyester) is an eco-friendly option that doesn’t impact print quality.

Think about how your lanyards will be used when choosing. Are attendees wearing them all day? Then comfort and softness should take priority. Do you expect heavy use or plan to reuse them? Go for thicker, high-denier fabric or woven options that can handle repeated wear.

Pick the Right Width and Length

Standard lanyard lengths range from 36” to 42”, long enough to rest at chest height without getting in the way. That said, 30” lanyards are appropriate for children’s events.

Width affects not just comfort but also design space. ½” lanyards are minimalist and lightweight - that’s great for simple logos or text, but you might need more real estate for detailed branding, event names, or sponsors. ¾” or 1” widths provide extra room.

Customize With the Right Printing Technique

There are also different ways you can go about printing your lanyards. This determines how professional and durable your lanyards look - and it also impacts budget. 

Screen printing produces solid, crisp colors for simple, high-contrast designs. Dye-sublimation (heat transfer) supports full-color gradients, complex logos, and photo-quality imagery that won’t fade or crack over time - perfect for modern, design-heavy events.

On the other hand, woven lanyards sew the design directly into the fabric to bring out a textured, upscale appearance that’s hard to replicate with print. This is great for a luxury brand event.

Choose Attachments Based on Function

The main reason you’re looking for the best custom lanyards for events is that they’re going to be used to hold an ID card with attendee details. 

Swivel hooks and bulldog clips are the most popular for holding badges or event passes because they’re sturdy and simple. Carabiner hooks give you more security for holding keys or access cards. Badge reels are a smart upgrade if your event involves quick credential scanning or retraction.

We also see a lot of customers design lanyards with breakaway clasps. These are a must in school or workplace settings because they detach under pressure to prevent injury.

Incorporate Event-Specific Design Elements

Now comes the fun part of designing custom lanyards. This is where your creativity can shine. Think beyond logos - include event hashtags, QR codes for schedules or maps, or even color-coding for different attendee types.

You can also give sponsors space for branding to increase event revenue or partnership value - assuming there are sponsors involved. Our blog has more tips on what to put on a lanyard if you’re looking for inspiration.

Order in Advance and Test Samples

We can’t stress this enough - you need to get your lanyards designed and ordered well in advance of your event. This gives you plenty of time for proofs, revisions, and shipping. You’ll also have time to request a sample to test fabric texture, color accuracy, and print alignment.

This small step saves you from last-minute surprises and ensures your final product looks and feels exactly how you envisioned it. If nothing else, it provides peace of mind - and that’s invaluable. But for real peace of mind, you need the best custom laynards for events from a brand you can trust. Look no further than CustomLanyard.net. 

Get the Best Custom Lanyards for Events at CustomLanyard.net!

We specialize in helping event organizers, schools, and businesses create lanyards they’re proud of. With years of experience in large-scale custom printing, we’ve become the go-to choice for high-quality, fully customizable lanyards that look professional and perform flawlessly.

Why Event Organizers Trust CustomLanyard.net

Brands like Facebook, Nike, Google, Yelp, and more have worked with us for custom lanyards for events - as have small-scale operations like schools, non-profits, and everything in between. Every order, big or small, gets the same world-class experience at CustomLanyard.net.

Our platform lets you design and customize lanyards in just minutes, with no minimum order quantity required. You’ll enjoy bulk pricing, free digital proofs, and unlimited design revisions, so your vision always comes out exactly right. You can choose from a range of styles:

You’ll also enjoy fast production times, rush shipping options, and 24/7 customer support, so you never have to stress about meeting a deadline. Over 96% of our customers give us a 4 or 5-star rating, so you don’t have to take our word for it when we say this is the best place to get custom event lanyards, either. Take the next step today!

How to Get Started Today

We’ve walked you through how to create the best custom lanyards for events, so all that’s left to do at this point is get started at CustomLanyard.net. 

Choose your preferred material, length, and width, then upload your logo or artwork and select your printing style - from one-color screen print to full-color dye-sublimation. Add attachments like badge holders, reels, or safety breakaways to fit your event needs.

Once you approve your free digital proof, our team handles the rest, ensuring your lanyards arrive on time and exactly as designed. See for yourself what keeps customers coming back for more at CustomLanyard.net!