Give guests one useful message
Put the event or brand name where it is easy to see on an open fan. Add one useful action: “Scan for today’s schedule,” “Find our booth” or “View the offer.” A fan covered with small sponsor text is harder to understand while people are walking.
Try the design open, partly open and held at the grip. Keep key words out of the hand area. Use a clear background behind text and keep decorative details away from any QR code. For several sponsors, compare the actual printed logos rather than making every logo box the same size.
Choose the fan and pack together. A compact sleeve may suit fast handouts; an elaborate box may suit a hospitality gift but add work at a busy entrance. Compare closed length and open width using the size guide.
Put handouts where guests can stop
Choose a point guests naturally pass and where a short pause will not block entry. Get venue approval before adding a table or queue.
| Handout point | Useful approach |
|---|---|
| After registration | Hand fans over after ticket or badge checks; keep the checking desk clear |
| Sponsor booth | Display an open sample and keep ready-to-hand-out stock within reach |
| Hospitality seating | Place fans before arrival, with the message facing the guest |
| Several entrances | Split stock by expected flow and keep a reserve that staff can move |
Keep routes and exits clear, including accessible routes. Protect paper fans and cartons from rain and spilled drinks. Keep silk fans dry too; fabric does not automatically mean water-resistant.
Leave clear space around the QR code
A standard QR Code needs an empty border at least four modules wide on every side. A module is one small square in the code. Keep logos, wording and patterns outside that border.
Use a short, stable address that your team controls. More encoded data can make the code denser, so generate the final code before laying out the fan.
Printed code width = (modules across the code + 8) × module width. This includes the four-module border on both sides. Choose the module width through a print test on the actual fan.
Place the code on the flattest practical part of the template, away from the grip and severe creases. Do not crop the clear border to make it fit. Add a readable short web address for guests who cannot scan it.
Test the printed fan and the page
Scan an assembled sample at the final print size. A code that works on a computer screen has not yet passed this check.
- Use several phones, the normal fan opening and lighting similar to the event.
- Try holding it as a guest would, including a partly open position.
- Check that scanning opens the correct page on a phone.
- Complete the action: find the schedule, redeem the offer or submit the form.
Check the venue network where possible. Keep the destination page available for the campaign, and recheck the code after artwork or URL changes. Use sample review to solve placement problems before bulk printing.
Fix the part that failed
If a code scans only when the fan is flattened, try a less creased position or a larger code. If scanning works but the page will not load, investigate the address or network. If guests reach the page but cannot complete the action, fix the mobile page or offer.
Note which phone and opening position failed so the revised sample gets the same test. A single successful scan is not enough to show that the design works in normal use.
Plan handout staffing
Use a timed trial with the actual packs to plan staffing. Include opening cartons, handing over the fan and explaining the offer.
- Divide fans handed out by trial minutes to find the observed rate per person.
- Multiply that rate by the available handout time to estimate capacity per person.
- Divide the planned quantity by that capacity and round up for the starting staff count.
- Allow additional time for refills, pauses and uneven guest arrivals.
Unpack in advance where practical. If wrappers slow the line, choose simpler individual packing or prepare counted groups. Keep one open demonstration fan separate from the giveaway stock.
Track handouts and responses separately
Fans handed out = opening stock + stock received − unused returns − damaged or retained fans. Reconcile missing stock before treating the count as final.
Label stock by handout point and record transfers between locations. Moving reserve fans to a booth does not count as a handout.
To calculate cost per handout, divide the total campaign cost by the confirmed number handed out. Track QR page visits and completed actions separately: repeat visits do not equal unique recipients, and visits alone do not measure sales or profit.
Use the result to improve the next event
If one entrance runs out while another returns stock, change the split or refill timing. If few fans leave the booth, check its position, message and staffing. If plenty leave but the link gets little use, recheck the scan and whether the offer gives people a reason to act.
Send the fan style, quantity, artwork, packing and delivery date with your next event enquiry.