Foursquare starts experimenting with “badge rewards”

Foursquare is once again offering badges for users who check in to Internet Week, but this year’s badges are special. They represent Foursquare’s first experiment with making badges meaningful in the real world.

Users who check into the Internet Week HQ receive the Internet Week 2010 badge. Users who’ve unlocked this badge can show it to bouncers at select Internet Week parties to receive VIP access. Those who visit enough of the parties will unlock a separate badge that will entitle them to an autographed bottle of wine if they’re one of the first 25 people to show it at the Internet Week HQ.

In another “badge reward” experiment, Foursquare and Bravo are partnering today with Sephora to offer a $100 gift card to the first holder of the Bravo Real Housewife badge to show their badge to the manager of the Sephora Garden State store in Paramus, NJ.

Speaking at the Mashable Media Summit, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley cited these new badge rewards as Foursquare’s way to combat “badge fatigue,” as more and more sites and services add badges.

Watch the video from Mashable’s Media Summit. Crowley talks about badge rewards starting at the 20:00 mark.