How can you design an agenda that is achievable?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before you start drafting your agenda, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your conference. What are the main objectives, themes, and messages? Who are your target audience and what are their needs and interests? How will you measure the success and impact of your conference? These questions will help you define the purpose and scope of your agenda, and guide your decisions on the content, format, and duration of your sessions.

2 Consult and collaborate

You don't have to design your agenda in isolation. You can benefit from the input and feedback of other people who are involved or interested in your conference. For example, you can consult with your speakers, sponsors, partners, and potential attendees to understand their perspectives, preferences, and expectations. You can also collaborate with your team, committee, or advisory board to share ideas, insights, and resources. By consulting and collaborating, you can ensure that your agenda is relevant, diverse, and balanced.

3 Prioritize and organize

Once you have gathered enough information and ideas, you need to prioritize and organize them into a coherent and logical structure. You can use various criteria to prioritize your sessions, such as relevance, importance, urgency, novelty, or popularity. You can also use different methods to organize your sessions, such as chronological, thematic, or functional. You can also consider different formats for your sessions, such as keynote, panel, workshop, or networking. The key is to create an agenda that is clear, concise, and consistent.

4 Test and refine

After you have created your draft agenda, you need to test and refine it to make sure that it is achievable. You can test your agenda by checking if it meets the following criteria: Does it align with the purpose and scope of your conference? Does it match the needs and interests of your audience? Does it fit the time and budget constraints of your conference? Does it provide enough variety and interaction for your participants? Does it reflect the feedback and suggestions of your stakeholders? You can refine your agenda by making adjustments, additions, or deletions as needed.

5 Communicate and execute

The final step in designing an achievable agenda is to communicate and execute it effectively. You can communicate your agenda by using various channels and tools, such as websites, emails, social media, or apps. You can also communicate your agenda by using clear and engaging language, graphics, and images. You can execute your agenda by following a detailed plan, checklist, and timeline. You can also execute your agenda by being prepared for contingencies, changes, or emergencies.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?