How to publish a convention program online

Publishing a convention or conference program online has gotten easier — and a lot more confusing. Most of what's confusing is the gap between the messy reality of what you have (PDFs, Word docs, folders of speaker bios) and the clean structured data most platforms expect you to provide.

This is a practical walkthrough — what content you need, how to structure it, where most platforms break down, and how Evonli handles each step.

Step 1 — Know what "program" means

A real convention program is a composed multi-section thing, not just an agenda. The full shape, drawn from the printed-brochure tradition:

Cover (event name, dates, tagline)
Welcome message (president's letter, host's note)
At-a-glance summary (days, headline numbers, venue photo)
Headliners (keynote speakers with bios)
Agenda (day-grouped sessions with times, rooms, speakers)
Speakers (full directory with photos and bios)
Sponsors (tiered showcase: gold, silver, bronze)
Vendor / exhibitor directory (booth numbers)
Venue (floor plan, hotel info, getting there)
Engagement (bingo, scavenger hunt, networking activities)
Closing / thank-you / next year

Not every event needs every section. The right approach is conditional: sections that don't have content simply don't render. Most platforms force structure that won't be filled; the better approach is to build to the content you actually have.

Step 2 — Audit what you actually have

Before picking a platform, name what's on hand:

Last year's printed program (PDF or Word doc) — usually the most complete single source
Speaker bios + headshots — often a folder of mixed files from speakers
Sponsor agreements with logos at print-quality resolution
Exhibitor / vendor list — often a spreadsheet from registration
Venue floor plan, hotel block info, directions
President / chair welcome letter

This is the messy reality most platforms don't acknowledge. They expect you to come with structured data and forms-ready content. If your starting point is "here's last year's 40-page PDF, the speaker bios are in a Google Drive folder, and the sponsor list is somewhere in my email," that's where most of the work is — and it's where most platforms make you do the cleanup yourself.

This is where Evonli is different. Iris, our AI editor, accepts the messy input directly. Drop the PDF, drop the folder of bios, drop the spreadsheet — she reads them and extracts structured proposals you review.

Step 3 — Decide a few high-level things

Before publishing, settle:

Track structure. Do sessions group by theme (Safety, Operations, Finance) or just by day?
Sponsor tiers. Gold/Silver/Bronze, or named tiers (Platinum/Diamond/etc.)? How many companies in each?
Speakers vs. presenters. Are keynotes treated differently from session leaders?
Engagement mechanics. Bingo, scavenger hunt, sponsor passport, networking icebreaker — pick one or none for the first year.

These decisions can be revised after a draft exists. Don't over-plan; let the first draft tell you what feels right.

Step 4 — Get the data into the platform

This is where most platforms break down. The shape of the work depends on what you're using:

Form-entry platforms (Sched, Whova, Cvent, Eventbrite) — type the data into structured forms, or import it via templated spreadsheets. Best for organizations with a content coordinator who can spend a week on data entry against fresh forms.
Design tools (Microsoft Publisher, Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher, Canva) — lay out the program by hand, frame by frame. Best when print is the primary artifact and you have a designer.
Evonli — drop your existing materials into Iris. She extracts the structure into reviewable proposals; you confirm, fix what's wrong, accept what's right. No re-typing, no re-formatting.

The right tool depends on what you're starting from. If your data is already clean CSV, form-entry is fine. If you're starting with last year's PDF and a folder of bios, AI extraction skips the rebuild.

Step 5 — Publish and distribute

Two distribution channels matter most:

A short, memorable URL on email, social and printed handouts. Avoid app-store install requirements — they cost you 30-50% of attendees.
QR codes on signage at the venue — pointing to the program (or to specific sections: agenda QR at the registration table, sponsor QR at the exhibitor hall entrance).

If your platform supports it, generate a printable PDF brochure for the registration table. The web is the master; the PDF is a secondary artifact. Evonli does both from the same canonical content.

Step 6 — Know what attendees actually use

Across many published events, the use patterns are clear:

"What's happening next?" — the most common interaction by far. Live agenda view, sorted by current time.
"Where is room X?" — venue page or floor plan.
"Who's the speaker for the 2pm session?" — speaker pages reached from agenda links.
"What's the WiFi password / lunch time / shuttle schedule?" — practical-info FAQ.
Engagement games — when there's a bingo card or scavenger hunt with prizes, participation is high.

A program that nails these five interactions, with a clean mobile layout and reliable search, will be used. A program that buries them under sponsor logos and a busy navbar won't.

See it on your own program

The fastest way to understand what publishing online looks like is to see it on your own input. Drop your last printed program — the PDF, the Word doc, whatever you have — into Iris and watch the brochure come out. Get in touch.