Event Name Ideas

What makes a good event name

Test every candidate against these criteria. A name that fails two should go:

It helps to say who the name is for. A name for a professional conference should sound credible to people who must justify attending to their employer, while a name for a community fundraiser can be warmer and more playful. Write down the audience and the tone before you brainstorm, so you can judge each idea against them and not against your own taste.

• Clear

  Someone who has never heard of it can guess what kind of event it is, from the name or its descriptor.

• Short

  A few words. It fits a badge, a banner and a social post, and it is easy to say aloud.

• Easy to spell and say

  People can search for it after hearing it once. Avoid unusual spellings.

• Distinct

  It does not sound like another event in your field or region.

• Durable

  It still works next year and does not tie you to a date, a year or a trend that will date it.

• On brand

  It sounds like the organization behind it and appeals to the people you want to attend.

Naming formulas that work

Most good event names follow one of a small number of patterns. Pick a formula, then try several words in it:

A descriptor does a lot of work. A creative name followed by a plain phrase, such as the event type and the place, gives you both memorability and clarity, and lets the name itself be shorter. When a name is clever but unclear, the descriptor rescues it. When a name is already clear, you may not need one.

Event name ideas by event type

The patterns below are invented examples to spark your own, not names to copy. Check any name you like before using it.

Use the lists as raw material. Swap the topic, the place or the audience, combine two patterns, and write twenty options before judging any. The first few ideas are usually the most generic, and the useful ones tend to appear after you have pushed past them. Say each name aloud and imagine it on a banner and in a social post.

• Conferences

  Northern Data Conference, The Product Leaders Forum, Future of Care Summit, Hammerline Week, Tidepool Code Day.

  Conference software

• Trade shows

  Midwest Packaging Expo, Home and Garden Trade Fair, Tech Supply Show, Food Makers Marketplace, Gearwell Automation Expo.

  Trade show software

• Galas and dinners

  An Evening of Thanks, The Copper Lantern Gala, Lights Up Annual Dinner, Paper Moon Benefit, The Founders Dinner.

  Gala dinner software

• Webinars

  Ask the Expert: Budget Basics, Thirty Minutes on Hiring, Behind the Numbers, Lunch and Learn: Safer Systems, The Short Course.

  What is a webinar

• Fundraisers

  Jog for Journals, Give Together Day, Bowl for Books, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, The Big Bake Sale.

  Fundraising event planning

• Team events

  Offsite Reset, Team Trail Day, The Quarterly Kickoff, Build Day, Summer Social.

  Team building events

Check the name before you commit

Run these checks on your shortlist, in order, and drop any name that fails:

Do these checks before you tell anyone the name, print anything or buy a web address. It is far cheaper to change a name on a whiteboard than on a banner, and a name that clashes with an existing event can confuse attendees and search results for years.

1. 1

   Search for it

   Search the exact name in quotes, plus your city and field. If another event or business already uses it, expect confusion.

2. 2

   Check the domain and handles

   See whether a matching web address and social handles are free, or whether a close variant is clear enough to use.

3. 3

   Check the hashtag

   Search it on the social platforms you use. An existing meaning or a messy history may be a problem.

4. 4

   Say it and spell it

   Read it out to three people and ask them to write it down. If they differ, simplify it.

5. 5

   Look for unintended meanings

   Check the words and their abbreviations in the languages your audience speaks.

6. 6

   Ask about trademarks

   Whether a name is protected is a legal question that depends on where you are. Ask a lawyer or the relevant trademark office before you spend on printing or signage.

A naming worksheet you can copy

Fill in the first part alone, then brainstorm with two or three others, then score the shortlist.

Bring the filled worksheet to a short meeting and decide as a group within the hour. Long naming debates rarely improve the result. Pick the highest scoring name that passes the checks, write down the descriptor line and move on to the rest of the plan.

EVENT NAMING WORKSHEET
Event type: [Conference / trade show / gala / webinar / fundraiser / team event]
Audience: [Who]   Date: [When]   Place: [Where or online]
One sentence on what the event is for: [Purpose]
Tone: [Professional / warm / playful / bold]
Words that must be in or near the name: [Topic words, place, audience]
Words to avoid: [Overused words, anything tied to a year or trend]

BRAINSTORM (use a formula for each line)
Place plus type: [Name]
Topic plus descriptor: [Name]
Audience plus action: [Name]
Metaphor plus descriptor: [Name]
Coined word plus description: [Name]
Question or promise: [Name]
More ideas: [List]

SHORTLIST SCORECARD (1-5 each)
Name: [ ]   Clear [ ]   Short [ ]   Easy to say and spell [ ]   Distinct [ ]   Durable [ ]   On brand [ ]   Total [ ]
Name: [ ]   Clear [ ]   Short [ ]   Easy to say and spell [ ]   Distinct [ ]   Durable [ ]   On brand [ ]   Total [ ]
Name: [ ]   Clear [ ]   Short [ ]   Easy to say and spell [ ]   Distinct [ ]   Durable [ ]   On brand [ ]   Total [ ]

CHECKS FOR THE TOP CHOICE
[ ] Searched in quotes   [ ] Domain or variant   [ ] Social handles   [ ] Hashtag
[ ] Said and spelled by 3 people   [ ] Meanings checked   [ ] Trademark question asked

DECISION
Chosen name: [Name]   Descriptor line: [For example, Annual Conference for Teachers]
Tagline: [Optional]   Decided by: [Name]   Date: [Date]

After you choose: put the name to work

Once the name is fixed, use it the same way everywhere: the registration page, tickets, badges, signage, email subject lines and the event app. Pair the name with a plain descriptor line, such as the event type and place, so a new reader understands it at once.

Eventdex's event planning software page describes registration pages built with your banner, and its mobile app page describes branded customization of the event app. Use the same name, descriptor and look in both so attendees recognize the event from the first click to the day itself.

Keep a one-line style note for the name: how it is capitalized, whether it uses a year, which short form people may use and the hashtag. Share it with sponsors, speakers and staff so that the name appears the same way in every message, on every sign and in every thank-you note after the event.

If the event repeats, think about how the name will age. A name that works as a brand across several years builds recognition, and each year you can add a theme line or a year label beneath it. Changing the name every year starts the audience-building from zero, so only do it when the event itself has changed in a real way.

When you have a name, write one sentence that explains it to someone who has never heard of it. If that sentence needs more than a moment, the name probably needs a clearer descriptor. Use the sentence in your registration page text and your first invitation so every new reader starts from the same understanding.

• Registration software

  Registration pages and ticket types under your event name.

  Event registration software

• Event mobile app

  A branded event app with your name, agenda and speaker details.

  Event mobile app

• Event topic ideas

  If you are still choosing the theme the name will carry.

  Event topic ideas