How To Make a Program for an Event – A Guide with Examples and Templates

A well-planned and written program is necessary for the successful execution of an event and to give attendees a good experience. It’s like the blueprint for a house that determines what the final output will look like, and the order in which the event must happen. 

Creating a program can seem like a daunting task, but with a little bit of planning, research, and organization, you can easily create a comprehensive event program that will keep your guests informed and engaged throughout the event.

In this blog post, we created a complete guide on how to create a program, the fundamentals of the event program, strategies and tips to craft an engaging event, examples, and some bonus event templates you can download for free.

What is a Program for an Event

An event program is a document that contains all the details of the event with a detailed schedule of activities. It usually contains the sequence of events, adlibs, inside information on activities, notes on speakers, a background of the company, and other additional details event organizers want attendees to know. 

Event programs are used to provide attendees with a clear understanding of what to expect during the event and to help them plan their time accordingly. They may also be used to promote the event and provide information to potential sponsors or partners.

Event programs can take many forms – ranging from simple printed schedules to more elaborate booklets or creative digital experiences with documents or videos or pictures or event videos. 

How to Create a Program For an Event

As an event organizer, creating a program is the first step you want to take in order to have everything in place. Here are step-by-step guide on how to get started: 

1. Organize and list the event details – As with every event planning, basic event details like date, time, address, speakers, and topic/ theme must be determined first. This is the foundation for your event before proceeding with other supporting details and strategies

2. Identify the objectives and purpose of your event  – Your event program must be clear in addressing the objectives and purpose of your event. Once this is clear, this should translate into the different aspects and details of your event program. Some examples of event objectives are: raising awareness, networking, fundraising, education, entertainment, celebratory, team building, etc.

3. Decide on the format of your event – The format of your event is influenced by the objectives or purpose your event wishes to achieve. Some usual examples of formats are conferences, seminars, workshops, webinars, networking events, product launches, trade shows, charity, festivals, camps, etc. Your creativity is the limit when it comes to event organizing.

4. Write the event program content – This is where you write the specific details of your program flow like session descriptions, speaker profiles, activity details, venue details, acknowledgments, sponsor information, keynote speeches, instructions for hosts, contact information such as email addresses or social media profiles, and marketing strategies. The event core team usually sits down together to craft this to make sure everyone is aligned.

5. Edit and proofread – Double-check the important details before proceeding to production. Your event program will be the main source of information for your whole event including your vendors, so you want to make sure that every detail is clear and accurate. 

Elements of an Event Program

To help make sure you don’t miss out on writing your program for your event, here is a checklist that can be a guide on the must-have elements of your program:

• Welcome and Introduction
• Schedule of Events
• Speaker Bios
• Session Description
• Venue Map
• Execution of Activities
• Sponsor and Partner Information
• Special Announcements
• Contact Information

Each event program is different depending on the type of event you are hosting but you’ll not go wrong with these.

Strategies and Tips for Creating an Engaging Event Program

Your event program is important to make sure your events are not boring but engaging. As event planners, we want to make the most of our attendees’ attention and time once they attend our events. 

The event program has the capability to boost publicity, retain an audience, and increase conversion so it’s important to apply sales and marketing strategies to your event program planning. The event program can also be memorabilia from the event that can remind people of their experiences and attract them to attend again.

Listed below are some strategies event marketers and planners can refer to:

Develop these Skills as Event Organizers

Event Planners are the ones responsible for creating the event program and flow. With that said, these skills are necessary to note. 

• “Event Chill” – This term was mentioned by Event experts from the Better Events podcast as they were talking about their learnings in handling events. As event organizers, it’s essential to recognize that organizing events can be stressful and demanding. Mishaps and unforeseen circumstances are bound to occur, but how you handle stress plays a vital role. Managing stress effectively is crucial as it directly impacts the guest experience and the overall success of the event.
• Willingness to learn – There is always something new coming in events. An event organizer must continually learn to adapt and be flexible with the rapid changes happening in the industry. Even with a role that you’re not used to, having the attitude of a willingness to keep learning can bring additional expertise to your craft. After all, we continue to learn as we live.  
• Interpersonal Skills – Interpersonal skills are fundamental in the field of event management. Event organizers have direct interactions with various individuals and personalities. The ability to communicate clearly and engage effectively is a skill that can be honed. Possessing strong interpersonal skills provides an advantage when planning event programs as it facilitates a better understanding of the diverse audiences that the event aims to cater to.
• Creativity Skills – Social Media has elevated how organizers do events. Event programs should not only be engaging but also have to have “social media-worthy” moments. Fun games, activities, and creative aesthetics on the venue are now considered during the event planning process to make it shareable. 
• Marketing Skills – Events are a marketing tool and activity. In order to create a program for your event that converts and meets your objectives, organizers should have basic marketing skills like understanding the target audience, branding, content marketing, social media, and more. 

Create Preliminary Research

With your objectives and goals in place, you can start understanding your target audience and what value can benefit them the most. In conducting your market research, these are the starting questions you can ask:

• What are the needs and preferences that the program of your event can address?
• What motivates their purchase behavior and how can the program aid in the conversion process?
• What are the trends and shifts in the market industry your audience is in? How can this be incorporated into the program flow?
• Who are your competitors or what are the hindrances/ hesitations your market faces with regard to your product or service? How can this be eliminated throughout your program?

Additionally, if there are similar events as the one you’re planning, you can do an analysis of what went right and what went wrong with theirs.

The preliminary stage is also the part where event planners can list down budget considerations, appropriate vendors, and the best marketing strategies for your market. 

Structure your Event Content Strategically

Event experts suggest incorporating interactive and enjoyable elements within educational or formal activities. By sandwiching these elements, you can prevent dead air and awkward moments. 

To facilitate ice breakers, it is recommended to come prepared with prompts or conversation starters. As the event organizer, it is important not to solely rely on guests for initial socializing. Instead, take the initiative to create a welcoming atmosphere by introducing activities or engaging talking points.

For the program proper, try mixing up and adding variety to keep the audience engaged. Use visual aids, add personalization, and incorporate technologies if needed.

Humans are social beings so adding networking activities in your event program will be of benefit. Whether through an icebreaker, short game, breakout groups, or team-building activities, these can help the audience loosen up throughout the event.

The Power of Experiential Marketing in Your Event Program

Experiential marketing has been a buzzword in the events industry for a while now. It is a type of marketing strategy that is based on creating imaginative and memorable branded marketing experiences for consumers. The idea is to emotionally connect brands through customer engagement and experience thereby increasing awareness and customer loyalty.

Event experts from the Event Marketing Redefined podcast shared some valuable insights about this. They discussed how the end goal of an experiential event is to form a narrative-driven experience. It starts with truly understanding what is motivating your market and asking a lot of “why”s. 

Event professionals can employ a reverse engineering approach to shape the desired experience for their attendees. Just like designing a retail store, where careful consideration is given to what customers should encounter first and the emotions they should experience, a similar mindset can be applied to event planning. 

By envisioning the desired outcome, event organizers can strategically plan their event program to create a specific atmosphere and evoke intended emotions. This thoughtful approach ensures that attendees have a memorable and impactful experience.

Getting Your Customers Talking about Your Event Program

In marketing, word of mouth is still king. With the presence of social media, word of mouth is more important than ever. User-generated content on social media is one of the ultimate goals of any event organizer for their brands. Nothing beats actual testimonials or recommendations from peers about your brand or event. 

Event expert Dan Gingis shared in an event marketing podcast shared a helpful acronym to make an experiential event worth talking about. He introduced W-I-S-E which means witty, immersive, shareable, and extraordinary.

As event planners, we want people to share things because they want to not because we told them to but because they were presented with something that compelled them to. This can be done in a series of touchpoints that can stop them in their tracks and get them to smile. 

Creating shareable experiences doesn’t need to be expensive but can be simple and practical. An example would be through signage in your event. A usual and ordinary signage can just say “Do Not Enter” or you can create something more witty and creative that can make them smile. After all, no one’s going to hate you for being too creative. 

Aside from signages, another idea shared was improving your agent’s script. Instead of the usual sales-y pitch, you can create a narrative that can resonate with your target audience. 

Always think of your attendee’s experience from start to finish. Walk through the actual touchpoints they will experience from ticket registration until the post-event experience. Remove parts that are boring or repetitive and make sure to add a hint of creativity and personalization in every step. For ticket registration, you can customize your own webpage and copy with Event Smart. 

Prepare a Contingency Plan for your Event Program

There are a lot of factors that can make an event unpredictable so a well-planned event program has a backup plan in place. 

Here are three key elements to consider when planning for contingencies in your event program:

1. Risk assessment: Before you can plan for contingencies, you need to identify potential risks that could impact your event and guests. This includes everything from weather-related issues to technical difficulties, security breaches, and more. Once you have identified these risks, assess the likelihood and potential impact of each one. This will help you prioritize which contingencies to plan for and allocate your resources accordingly.
2. Contingency plan development: Once you have identified potential risks, you can begin developing contingency plans for each one. This involves outlining specific actions that you and your team will take if the identified risk materializes. For example, if there is a risk of inclement weather, you might develop a contingency plan that includes an alternate indoor venue or a rain plan for outdoor activities. Make sure to communicate these plans to your team and stakeholders to ensure everyone is aware of the contingencies in place.
3. Testing and refinement: Once your contingency plans are in place, it’s important to test them and refine them as necessary. This could involve running simulations of potential scenarios, conducting tabletop exercises with your team, or doing a walkthrough of your event site to identify any potential issues. By testing your plans in advance, you can identify gaps or areas for improvement and make adjustments before the event.

Something to take note of is that these contingency plans have a cost for your budget so as an event organizer, you must be willing to educate your clients or decision-makers. By taking a proactive approach to risk management, you can help ensure the success of your event, regardless of any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

Online Tools and Resources for Event Program Planning

There are a number of tools and resources that can help create an effective event program. From event layout, courses, ticket registration, and more, here are some tools you can use to make your event planning a breeze:

1. Event Smart (Event Ticketing Software)
2. Canva (Event Layout Software)
3. Udemy (Event Planning Courses)
4. Trello (Event Project Management Software)

Sample Event Program Templates (Downloadable PDFs)

We created some general templates for different types of events you can download for your convenience: 

• Conference Program Template
• Wedding Program Template
• Charity Program Template
• Webinar Program Template

Customize your Event Program and Event Page with Event Smart

Create a special event program with Event Smart. It has features that allow you to customize your event page, optimize for SEO, measure analytics, and more. 

Event Smart is a ticket registration platform that offers a $0 commission fee on an UNLIMITED number of tickets sold. Just a simple and flat fee for stellar customer support and all the features you’ll need for your event. 

Check out our free trial now.