5 reasons why event program design is important

January 12, 2023

The event program plays an important role in the event - it is the attendees' guide. So it's vital to present a program that is well-designed to contribute to event success. Here are five reasons why event program design should not be overlooked.

(Design in this blog refers to the overall layout, appearance, and visual organization of the event itinerary.)

#1 Good design makes it easier to navigate the event

A well-designed program is important for presenting information in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. A thoughtful layout makes it easier for attendees to follow the schedule of events and find additional information. This can make it much smoother for attendees to navigate the event.

An attendee needs to refer to the program during the whole event, as it is their event guide so information should be clearly laid out. The most common information to include for an event would be:

• Dates and times

• Name of sessions/workshops

• Location/venue

• Activities

• Flight and accommodation information

Presenting these in a consistent and compact pattern will ensure that attendees find the program easy to follow.

Additional information, such as a guide to transport, speakers or destination information should be easy to access, but can be kept separate from the itinerary to maintain clarity and focus.


#2 Good design evokes interest and engagement

First impressions count. If the program grabs the attendee’s attention instantly, then it is bound to create interest and excitement early on. Providing a program that is aesthetically appealing has a greater chance of eliciting enthusiasm and getting registrations, great for when attendees receives the program prior to the event.

The visual design should also match the tone of the event so that it generates a cohesive experience. For example, a formal business event should have a formal design, and casual events could have more of a casual and bold design.

Visual appeal plays an important role, so be thoughtful in your choice of visual design. Choose an appealing yet tailored colour scheme, readable font and high-quality images.


#3 Brand design helps attendees identify your company

Whether you are creating an event program for you or your customer, it’s likely you will want to incorporate the brand. This is crucial to create a sense of familiarity with the organiser, company or agency. Use your brand guidelines or obtain your customer’s and include the logo and colour scheme.

This too can help with point number 2 in creating interest and excitement for the event if attendees recognise your company and have an affinity for it. Using the brand design also differentiates you from competitors, increases brand awareness and creates a sense of professionalism.

As the event program is the attendees' first point of contact with the event, it is also a vital opportunity to market sponsors and speakers.


#4 Good design enhances the overall event experience for attendees

A program is a crucial event component. See it as the event’s partner as it goes hand in hand with the event. A well-designed itinerary can help to enhance the overall experience of an event for attendees and make it more successful. If attendees receive their program in advance, they have the chance to familiarize themselves prior to the event. This is important as it enables attendees to plan their time at the event and know what to expect.

Ensuring that the attendees can easily find where they need to be on the day and quickly is essential. This could even ensure a higher attendance and punctuality at, for example, a seminar or workshop. If the attendees can find the information they need, they are better equipped to get to where they need to be.


#5 Good design helps the organiser to keep control of activities and costs

Lastly, whilst the benefits are huge for the attendee, a well-designed program is also beneficial for the organiser. An easy-to-follow program helps organisers to keep control of all planned activities and thus keep control of costs.

Ensuring a good design

Depending on which software you use to create your event programs, you could create templates which your whole team has access to. It’s important to communicate why to use the templates, and where to find them to ensure consistent output among the team. Event planning teams may find this difficult to standardize or may not have the time or a program template that can be easily amended. Neither a designer in-house to edit or create a good-looking program template. If you are in this predicament you would benefit from a tool that takes care of this for you.

Qondor Programs allows all team members to create an online program which always looks good and consistent. It has a clear, user-friendly layout, allows planners to present any information they need, and the visual design can be changed in a minute! Add a logo and your brand colours without any coding, just simply upload the desired logo and choose the colours either by pasting in a colour code or selecting from the palette. Insert great images to make your programs really stand out and even upload videos from Vimeo or YouTube to feature a destination, venue or other.

Qondor programs allows for one source of truth, as you only need to create one program, customise the design once and both organisers and attendees get the same version.

Conclusion

Program design is important to consider as a well-designed program has several benefits. Attendees can navigate the event smoothly and find the information they need when the program is presented clearly. Visual design contributes to creating excitement and engagement, and incorporating the brand creates familiarity and increases brand awareness. A well-designed program informs attendees of what to expect and allows them to plan their time at the event, enhancing the overall event experience. Lastly, good design is useful in helping the organiser to keep control of all planned activities, thus keeping control of costs.

Qondor programs enables organisers and attendees one source of truth, eliminating the need to create and distribute multiple versions.

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