11 best event website designs: What makes them great

Event websites are fully dedicated to a conference, summit, convention, or other kind of event. They’re filled with helpful information to let visitors know what to expect. They can help establish you as a leader in the sector in which you’re hosting an event. And most importantly, they help attendees make reservations or buy tickets.

It may seem like a lot to have a whole website dedicated to a single event, but there’s plenty of content, information, and marketing that makes this kind of build worthwhile. Even so, a full website isn’t a must for all events — you can always create a page on your current site that serves a similar purpose. Whichever route you take, all successful event website designs include similar features. Learn about these must-have features and how to put them to work for your next blockbuster event.

What are the main considerations for an event webpage?

These considerations should be the main drivers of the website design for any type of event, from a sporting match to a networking breakfast:

- Communicating important information. Beyond the basic information about the event, highlight featured speakers, parties, and other components that will attract visitors — and sell tickets.

- Showcasing the highlights. In addition to a full event schedule, elevate the main attractions of your event by placing them front and center on your event’s website design.

- Good design. Just like any other pages on your website, a good event page communicates important information while conveying professionalism and catching visitors’ eyes.

- Informative, persuasive copy. Convince people to come. Remember, the main goal of your event webpage is to sell tickets, and good writing goes a long way in persuading people to reserve their spot.

6 key features for an event webpage

Successful event website pages are information-heavy while retaining their appealing designs — the best of both worlds to help attract attendees to your event. Here are the key features every event website or webpage needs to be successful. 

Easy registration

Photo by cottonbro studio

Signing up attendees is the main goal of any event registration page. Make it easy for visitors to understand their ticketing options, and make it even easier to pay. There are lots of event platforms, like Eventbrite, that handle the ticket sales and payment processing for you. All you need to do is link to the payment page, and attendees are registered with a few clicks.

The main attractions

What makes your event different? Why should someone come to your event? Highlighting the hallmark attractions is one way to turn a maybe into a yes. Utilize your site design to put the main events front and center. That can be a special speaker, a can’t-miss panel, a unique offering, or even a place to showcase event news that can help move more tickets.

Event schedule

Attending an event takes lots of planning, and a clear schedule can help your guests prepare accordingly. This is especially helpful for multi-day events where some attendees may not be able to come every day, or for events where multiple panels or speakers run at the same time.

Travel information

Instructions for how to get to your event can help attendees plan their trip. Some of the details you may want to include are driving directions from local highways, information about the closest airports, and pickup spots for ride-sharing on site. It’s also beneficial to provide parking options for drivers. If your event partners with local lodging options or offers special hotel deals, add that to the travel information.

Images and videos 

Make your event shine! If you have high-quality images and engaging video from prior events, this is the place to showcase them. These potent visuals can bring your event to life in a way that words alone can only take so far.

Important policies

Health and safety, cancellation, conduct, and other types of policies are important to disclose to ticket holders in advance. This way, they can make the best decisions for themselves if they need to transfer their ticket or if they aren’t feeling well. These policies can also reduce the number of questions you need to field, such as inquiries about refunds.

Is there a color scheme you should choose for an event’s webpage?

Photo by Pixabay

There are two types of color palettes to consider when building an event’s online presence, whether a full site or a single page. Those are the brand colors, and any special colors associated with the event itself.

For many organizations, the color scheme of the event is the same as the colors selected for your brand identity. Look at your logo to get inspiration for the colors you want to use on your event’s website or webpage. For larger events that have their own branding, the event itself may have its own color palette. Whichever way you go, make sure you prioritize consistency above all else in your event website design.

11 event website design examples

Ready to put your event out into the world? These 11 events all have websites dedicated to sharing relevant information and guiding visitors to buy tickets. Take some inspiration by exploring the examples listed below.

Austin City Limits Music Festival

https://www.aclfestival.com/

Music lovers, rejoice: Austin City Limits is one of the most renowned music festivals in the U.S., and with such a large festival comes lots of planning. The ACL website prioritizes the dates and location front and center. As you scroll down the page, you’ll find more information about the attractions beyond musicians, including food and ancillary events in between the music acts. And of course, there are tickets: You don’t even have to scroll to find two easy ways to buy your desired ticket.

Remember, if you're contemplating custom features for your event website, they can significantly impact the website design price. However, investing wisely in these enhancements can elevate your online presence and deliver an unforgettable user experience to your audience.

Adobe Summit 

https://business.adobe.com/summit/adobe-summit.html

This conference for creative professionals attracts people from around the world. The Adobe Summit website showcases keynote speakers from the last event and a recap video to highlight what attendees at the next summit can expect. More details about each of the conference’s many sessions are conveniently linked on the home page. 

Bloomberg Technology Summit 

https://events.bloomberglive.com/bloomberg-technology-summit-2022/home

A bold graphic showcasing the conference’s theme greets visitors to the Bloomberg Technology Summit website. An easy-to-navigate menu features all the details for the event, from a list of speakers to a full agenda. Top-tier featured speakers are front and center on the home page, drawing visitors into what they can expect at the summit.

SXSW 

https://www.sxsw.com/

This conference uniquely blends professional panels with culture, showcasing forward-thinking business topics alongside festivals and awards ceremonies. This unique event takes a lot of detail and clear navigation to properly explain all the moving parts, and SXSW utilizes its home page to that end. The navigation bar at the top lists key event components alongside highlights from prior years.

Cirque du Soleil 

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

The iconic performance company puts on unique events through standalone engagements and touring companies. Choose from more than a dozen shows with easy navigation at the top, while easy-to-find search features let you find the right date and buy tickets with ease. An FAQ has details about cancellations and postponements — must-have information for ticket holders to know when circumstances change.

Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas 

https://www.blackartsandideasfest.com/

This multi-day festival puts on a number of events all celebrating Juneteenth. A clear schedule breaks down each event and allows you to view details and buy tickets to each with ease. For the 2022 event, the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas used Eventbrite to manage their ticket sales. A thorough guide on the site covers frequently asked questions and displays highlights from past events.

ESPA Annual Conference 

https://espaonline.org/conference/

A countdown greets visitors to the ESPA Annual Conference website alongside the details on when and where the next event will be held. The conference for event services professionals lists the pricing for tickets on its home page as well as a quick summary of what’s new at the upcoming conference. 

Imex America 

https://www.imexamerica.com/

The meetings and events industry’s annual conference features exhibitors and education over the course of three days in Las Vegas. A “know before you go” link in the hero area of the home page takes visitors to important health and safety policies, as well as directions to download the conference’s official app for more information. 

Comic-Con San Diego 

https://www.comic-con.org/

The iconic pop culture conference is jam-packed with interesting panels and fun events, all of which are organized on the main page of the site. The San Diego installation of the annual conference keeps with the event’s roots as a comic book forum, utilizing these motifs throughout. The main page for the conference features information about how to get to the event, with handy information about transportation and parking options. 

Spartan Race 

https://www.spartan.com/

Spartan Race holds contests across North America, and you can easily find the competition of your choice from the “find a race” button at the top of the website. A handy menu breaks down the event races by type, challenge, and age range, among other categories. Spartan Race also publishes handy content throughout the year, so training and recovering participants alike can still find value in the site even when they’re not actively training.

Pastry Arts Virtual Summit

https://go.pastryartsmag.com/pastry-summit

This one stands out because it’s a fully virtual event, unlike others on this list that are primarily focused on in-person attendance. This virtual format raises new questions about how to access the event, when to watch, and extra features that can be added on. Both basic and extended ticketing options are immediately available from the home page. In addition, an FAQ on the home page explains the ins and outs of the event.

Put your website to work for your next event

The bottom line is that an event page is a living, breathing document of your event. Details will change as you get closer to the event, and its content will shift once your event has ended. Keeping your page up to date makes for a good event website, as it keeps visitors in the loop at all times and is not just contingent on a call to action to buy tickets.

With Namecheap Site Maker, you can begin marketing your event in minutes. Featuring an intuitive drag-and-drop builder, all the main information for your event can be showcased in a mobile-friendly, eye-catching design. You can add content at any time and make modifications as your event draws near. Whether you’re launching a new site dedicated to your event or adding a page to your existing web presence, Site Maker makes it happen.