A Study of My Favorite Poetry Event Passes
Here's something that doesn't get it's props enough: passes! No big event works without them, and yet it's pretty rare that anyone talks about these and gives their designers their props.
I’m designing the passes for next week’s Rust Belt event and for reference I pulled out some of my favorite passes from poetry events in my career. Here are the highlights:
NPS 2002, Minneapolis
This pass is one of the few that hangs just right. It’s the one of only four passes in the “long” style, with large, red block lettering and a very cool shouting man logo. I have two of these: a staff pass and a poet pass. This was the first year I was on the Executive Council for Poetry Slam, Inc., so that’s how I got two. This thing also has a heavy-duty lanyard, one of the best I’ve ever seen.
NPS 2003, Chicago
Chicago had a strong, if sometimes perplexing logo on this one, but its overall pass design was clear, sharp and in my favored “long” style. It had a strong black border and it is laminated with industrial strength plastic. You couldn’t cut that thing for nothin’.
Also, it had info about the Finals on the back that was clear and useful, and the website to boot.
NPS 2005, Albuquerque
ABQ took the multiple pass design thing to the maximum level and these are probably my favorite passes of all time. I get the impression that whoever was in charge of their passes did the same thing I’m doing: going over old passes and taking the bets elements to make a new and great pass. They had FIVE different passes with three different painted graphics between them. I have all five passes, and not just because I had access to the room where they were kept: I got one for being a competing poet, one for being a SlamMaster, one for being staff, one for being an EC member, and one for “all access” so that I could navigate all stages and backstages in my capacity as president and overseer. Of COURSE I walked around with all five of them on! These are pretty passes, with different colors, in the long style, featuring a killer logo (the flaming heart and thorns), and info on the back that mirrored Chicago’s. Also, this is the only time EC members received their own pass. Considering there are only a handful of EC members, that’s a special pass.
NPS 2007, Austin
This is a heavy-duty, no-nonsense pass with strong, clear lettering and colors AND team-specific wording. This pass isn’t laminated so much as cut from plastic it seems, with atypical rounded edges. Also, it’s a HUGE pass, which is either good or bad, depending on what’s on it. In Austin, it was good. Austin spent a lot of time on branding and marketing image, and the pass reflects that: the back of the pass has pics of poets in various poses, pictures that appeared on flyers, posters…everything. A truly Texan pass.
WOWPS 2008, Detroit
This pass is notable for its size - it has the same dimensions as Austin’s huge pass - and its color: green. I don’t know if I have green on anything, even clothing. This event was truly notable for its logo, which is featured prominently on the pass. It has solid lettering going on but no one’s done big as good as Austin. It's an awesome use of an awesome logo, though.
Honorable Mention
IWPS 2005, Worcester
Worcester’s event had one of the best logos for a poetry event ever: the street sign with the typically round head with a mic and journal. The lamination on this hasn’t held up well over the years, splitting on me. The lanyard bears particular note, as it is white with smiley faces all over it to match the yellow of the sign…a unique touch!
I’m designing the passes for next week’s Rust Belt event and for reference I pulled out some of my favorite passes from poetry events in my career. Here are the highlights:
NPS 2002, Minneapolis
This pass is one of the few that hangs just right. It’s the one of only four passes in the “long” style, with large, red block lettering and a very cool shouting man logo. I have two of these: a staff pass and a poet pass. This was the first year I was on the Executive Council for Poetry Slam, Inc., so that’s how I got two. This thing also has a heavy-duty lanyard, one of the best I’ve ever seen.
NPS 2003, Chicago
Chicago had a strong, if sometimes perplexing logo on this one, but its overall pass design was clear, sharp and in my favored “long” style. It had a strong black border and it is laminated with industrial strength plastic. You couldn’t cut that thing for nothin’.
Also, it had info about the Finals on the back that was clear and useful, and the website to boot.
NPS 2005, Albuquerque
ABQ took the multiple pass design thing to the maximum level and these are probably my favorite passes of all time. I get the impression that whoever was in charge of their passes did the same thing I’m doing: going over old passes and taking the bets elements to make a new and great pass. They had FIVE different passes with three different painted graphics between them. I have all five passes, and not just because I had access to the room where they were kept: I got one for being a competing poet, one for being a SlamMaster, one for being staff, one for being an EC member, and one for “all access” so that I could navigate all stages and backstages in my capacity as president and overseer. Of COURSE I walked around with all five of them on! These are pretty passes, with different colors, in the long style, featuring a killer logo (the flaming heart and thorns), and info on the back that mirrored Chicago’s. Also, this is the only time EC members received their own pass. Considering there are only a handful of EC members, that’s a special pass.
NPS 2007, Austin
This is a heavy-duty, no-nonsense pass with strong, clear lettering and colors AND team-specific wording. This pass isn’t laminated so much as cut from plastic it seems, with atypical rounded edges. Also, it’s a HUGE pass, which is either good or bad, depending on what’s on it. In Austin, it was good. Austin spent a lot of time on branding and marketing image, and the pass reflects that: the back of the pass has pics of poets in various poses, pictures that appeared on flyers, posters…everything. A truly Texan pass.
WOWPS 2008, Detroit
This pass is notable for its size - it has the same dimensions as Austin’s huge pass - and its color: green. I don’t know if I have green on anything, even clothing. This event was truly notable for its logo, which is featured prominently on the pass. It has solid lettering going on but no one’s done big as good as Austin. It's an awesome use of an awesome logo, though.
Honorable Mention
IWPS 2005, Worcester
Worcester’s event had one of the best logos for a poetry event ever: the street sign with the typically round head with a mic and journal. The lamination on this hasn’t held up well over the years, splitting on me. The lanyard bears particular note, as it is white with smiley faces all over it to match the yellow of the sign…a unique touch!