Most event websites start as a poster: a name, a date, a striking image and a button that says "Get tickets". That is enough for people who have already decided to come. It does very little for the much larger group still deciding.
Those people have practical questions. Big conferences often publish separate guides on flights, visas and how to plan a schedule, because attendees need so much more than a date and a logo. A smaller event cannot always produce a long guide, but its conference website can answer the same questions on one page, in the order people ask them.
The four questions behind every ticket
Before someone buys a pass, especially for a multi-day event, they usually want to know four things:
1. What is on, and when? The programme, day by day.
2. Who is speaking, and about what? Names alone are not enough. They want the talk.
3. What does it cost for the days I can attend? Many people cannot come to all three days.
4. How do I get there? Venue, transport, and roughly how long the journey takes.
A conference website template that answers these four in order does most of the selling. Everything else, such as sponsors, the story of the event and past photos, is useful but secondary.
The programme by day
The programme is the most visited part of most event sites, and it changes constantly in the weeks before an event. Talks move, speakers drop out, sessions get added.
Lay it out by day, with each day clearly separated. For each session, give:
- Start and end time
- Session title
- Speaker or speakers
- Room or stage, if you run parallel tracks
- Track or topic, if you have them
Colour coding by day or by track helps people scan. Keep the times in the local time of the venue and say so, especially if you expect international visitors.
Because it changes so often, the programme should be easy to edit. If moving a talk means rebuilding a section of the page, it will not be updated on time. A content system where each day and each session is an entry, edited through a form, keeps the programme accurate without a developer.
Speakers with their day and their talk
A wall of speaker headshots looks impressive but answers only half the question. For each speaker, show:
- Name and photo
- Role and organisation
- The title of their talk
- Which day they are speaking
Linking speakers to their sessions helps people plan. Someone who comes for one speaker needs to know which day to buy.
If speakers are still being confirmed, say so plainly, with something like "More speakers announced in the coming weeks". It is better than a half-empty grid with no explanation.
Passes for the days people need
Offer the passes people actually want. For a three-day event, that usually means day passes as well as a full pass. Show each pass with:
- What it includes, such as which days, workshops or the evening event
- The price, with any early-bird deadline as a date
- Who it is for, if you have different types, such as standard, student or group
Most organisers use a dedicated ticketing platform to take payment, issue tickets and handle check-in. The website shows the passes and links each one to the right ticket on that platform. Test every link before you announce.
If prices will rise on a certain date, put that date next to the price. A real deadline is fair to buyers and gives them a reason to act. Do not invent urgency you will not honour.
The venue and getting there
The venue section is often an afterthought, but it answers a real objection. Give:
- The venue name and full address
- A map or a link to one
- Travel times from the nearest stations, airport or city centre
- Parking and accessibility information
- Nearby hotels, if you have arranged rates or recommendations
Travel times are especially helpful. "Twelve minutes from the central station by tram" helps someone decide in a way that an address alone does not.
A countdown and what changes as the date nears
A countdown to the doors opening gives the page a sense of time. It also reminds you that the site has different jobs at different points:
- Months before: announce the date and venue, open early passes, start collecting emails.
- Weeks before: the full programme, all speakers, final pass prices.
- The week of the event: practical information, such as registration times, what to bring and the schedule for each day.
- After the event: recordings or slides if you share them, photos and the date for next year.
Plan these changes in advance so the site stays useful the whole way through.
Setting up Plenary
Plenary is a free Framer template for a conference or a multi-day event. It puts the four questions above on one page in order: a hero with a countdown to doors, the programme as one colour-coded panel per day, speakers with their day and talk, day and full passes, the venue with transport times and a footer.
The programme runs on the Framer CMS. Days and sessions are separate collections with three sample days, so adding a fourth day or moving a talk is a form, not a rebuild. It includes a start-here guide, a 404 page and desktop, tablet and phone layouts.
To set it up:
1. Replace the three sample days and their sessions with your programme.
2. Add your speakers and link each to their day and talk.
3. Set your pass names and prices, and point each button to your ticketing page.
4. Fill in the venue, address and real travel times.
5. Set the countdown to your doors-open time.
Plenary does not include ticketing. Passes link out to whichever ticketing tool you use. You will also need a paid Framer plan to publish on your own domain. Read what is the Framer CMS? if you have not used it before, and see Framer templates for conferences for other options.
The best conference websites are not the most elaborate. They answer what is on, who is speaking, what it costs and how to get there, and they stay accurate until the doors open.