Conference Agenda Template

What to include in a conference agenda

Each entry on the agenda needs enough detail for an attendee to decide whether to go, and find it:

• Date, start and end time

  With the time zone for virtual and hybrid events.

• Session title

  Specific and benefit-led: what attendees will learn, not just the topic.

• Session type

  Keynote, panel, workshop, breakout, roundtable or networking.

• Speakers

  Names, job titles and companies, with a link to their bios.

• Room or link

  The room name and floor, or the session link for online attendees.

• Track

  For multi-track programs, the theme or audience the session belongs to.

• Description

  Two or three sentences on what will be covered and who it is for.

• Breaks and logistics

  Registration, coffee, meals, exhibitor time and the evening reception.

Sample one-day conference agenda

A one-day, two-track conference with an exhibit hall. Adjust times and lengths to your event; the pattern of plenary sessions, parallel tracks and breaks works for most.

Conference agenda template

Copy this into a document or spreadsheet. Keep one master version and publish from it, so the website, app and printed program never disagree.

[CONFERENCE NAME]
[Date(s)] | [Venue or platform] | Times in [time zone]

DAY 1: [Date]

[Start] - [End]  Registration and breakfast
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Welcome and opening remarks
                 Speaker: [Name, title, company]
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Keynote: [Session title]
                 Speaker: [Name, title, company]
                 Location: [Room / link]
                 About: [Two sentences on what attendees will learn]

[Start] - [End]  Break

[Start] - [End]  Breakout sessions
                 Track A: [Session title] | [Speaker] | [Room]
                 Track B: [Session title] | [Speaker] | [Room]
                 Track C: [Session title] | [Speaker] | [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Lunch and networking
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Panel: [Session title]
                 Moderator: [Name]
                 Panelists: [Name], [Name], [Name]
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Workshop: [Session title]
                 Facilitator: [Name]
                 Seats: [number], booking required
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Break

[Start] - [End]  Closing keynote: [Session title]
                 Speaker: [Name, title, company]
                 Location: [Room]

[Start] - [End]  Closing remarks and survey

[Start] - [End]  Reception
                 Location: [Room]

DAY 2: [Date]
[Repeat the structure above]

Agenda subject to change. Check the event app for the latest times and rooms.

How to build a conference agenda

Build the agenda in this order, from the fixed points to the details:

1. 1

   Fix the frame

   Doors open, the first and last sessions, meals and the reception. These come from the venue and catering, so set them first.

2. 2

   Place the plenaries

   Put the opening keynote early and a strong closing session last, so people arrive on time and stay to the end.

3. 3

   Decide the tracks

   Group breakouts by audience or theme. Two or three parallel tracks give choice without splitting the room too thin.

4. 4

   Set a standard session length

   Use the same slot lengths throughout, so tracks start and end together and people can switch between them.

5. 5

   Leave real breaks

   Allow time to move between rooms, plus longer breaks in the exhibit hall. Exhibitors and sponsors need that traffic.

6. 6

   Schedule networking on purpose

   Block time for booked meetings, roundtables or a reception rather than hoping it happens in the coffee line.

7. 7

   Avoid clashes

   Do not run two sessions for the same audience at once, or put a popular speaker in a small room.

8. 8

   Confirm and publish

   Confirm every speaker and room, then publish. Mark changes clearly and tell attendees about them.

Publishing the agenda and handling changes

Publish the agenda as soon as the main sessions are confirmed, even if some slots still say "to be announced". Attendees, their managers and sponsors use it to decide whether to come.

Changes will happen: a speaker drops out, a room is too small, a flight is late. Keep the master agenda current, update the website and app at the same time, and send a notification to the people affected. A printed program is out of date the moment something changes, so consider printing a short version and pointing attendees to the app for the rest.

Building your conference agenda in Eventdex

In Eventdex, the agenda lives in the event's Schedule and Seminars, and the same entries appear in the event app.

• Schedule and seminars

  Add each program with its name, start and end time, room, speaker and description, and set it to public or private. Seminars add tracks, panelists, attachments and a video link.

  Conference management software

• Import and export

  Import seminars and schedules from a template file, and export the schedule as XLS or CSV.

  Conference management software

• The agenda in the app

  Attendees star sessions to build their own schedule and add them to their calendar, and you push changes as notifications.

  Event mobile app

• Session registration and check-in

  Attendees choose sessions when they register, and staff check them into each session to track attendance.

  Attendee check-in app