A conference report template your team will read
Open with the event, the dates and why you went. Then give three to five talks with the main idea and one slide each, and finish with the actions you suggest.
On this page8 sections
In short
- Put the short version first: what you learned and what you suggest.
- Pick three to five talks. Give each the main idea, why it matters to your team and one slide.
- End with actions, each with an owner and a date.
- Aim for one page, and link to the full notes.
- Write it soon after you are back, while the talks are fresh.
That is the whole shape of a good conference report. Below is a template you can copy, a short example, and a few habits that make it easier to write. You do not need any app for it.
What a team wants from a conference report
Your team did not sit in the room. They want to know three things: was it worth the time and money, what did you learn that they can use, and what should happen next. Everything else is optional.
- Be selective. Five talks that changed your mind beat twenty you sat through.
- Lead with the recommendation. A reader who stops after the first paragraph should still know what you suggest.
- Show the source. One slide per talk lets people check the idea for themselves and find the speaker.
- Make actions concrete. Name an owner and a date, even if it is only a suggestion.
The template (copy and paste)
Copy the block into an email, a document or your team chat, and replace the brackets.
CONFERENCE REPORT: [Event name]
[City], [dates] | Written by [your name] on [date]
WHY I WENT
[One or two sentences: the goal, and who asked or approved the trip.]
THE SHORT VERSION
[Two or three sentences. What you learned and what you recommend we do.]
TALKS WORTH YOUR TIME
1. [Talk title], [speaker, company]
Main idea: [one sentence]
Why it matters to us: [one sentence]
Slide: [attach or link one slide]
2. [Talk title], [speaker, company]
Main idea: [one sentence]
Why it matters to us: [one sentence]
Slide: [attach or link one slide]
3. [Talk title], [speaker, company]
Main idea: [one sentence]
Why it matters to us: [one sentence]
Slide: [attach or link one slide]
PEOPLE AND COMPANIES TO FOLLOW UP WITH
- [Name, company]: [why, and the next step]
- [Name, company]: [why, and the next step]
WHAT I SUGGEST WE DO
1. [Action] - owner: [name] - by: [date]
2. [Action] - owner: [name] - by: [date]
3. [Action] - owner: [name] - by: [date]
COST AND TIME
[Ticket, travel, days away. One line, so the next person can decide.]
MORE
Full notes and slides: [link]A short example
This is what the top of a finished report can look like. The event and talks are made up.
Short version. Two talks changed how I think about onboarding, and one vendor can fix our reporting gap. I suggest we run a two-week pilot of the checklist from talk 1 and book a call with the vendor from talk 3.
Talk 1: Onboarding in the first week. Main idea: people who finish one useful task on day one stay longer. Why it matters to us: our first-week email asks for three things at once. Slide: the one-task checklist.
Write it while you still remember
Write the first draft soon after you are back. One writer who has done this for years puts it this way:
I've found that the longer I leave doing a write-up the worse the write-up becomes.
It helps to collect material during the event, so the report is mostly assembling, not remembering:
After each talk, write one line
The main idea, and what it means for your team.
Photograph only the slides you may quote
Our guide to taking notes at a conference covers what to capture.
Write down who you met and why
Do it the same day.
On the last evening, pick your three to five talks
Delete the rest from the report.
Send it as PDF, Markdown or text
Match the format to where the report will be read. A PDF suits managers and attachments. Plain text or Markdown pastes cleanly into email, chat and wikis, and your team can edit it.
Shorter version: the recap
Some teams only want a recap of a few lines. Keep the same order and cut everything else:
[Event], [dates]: recap
Top three takeaways: 1) [ ] 2) [ ] 3) [ ]
My recommendation: [one action, owner, date]
Full report and slides: [link]Where Eventnote fits
If you keep your slides and notes in Eventnote, most of this report already exists by the time you are home. Each event holds its talks, slides, notes, voice notes and the people you met. You get one summary for the event that you can edit, and you turn it into a Report to send as a PDF, Markdown or text.
Eventnote is coming to iOS and Android, and is free to start. See the plans and the FAQ.
Not ready to use an app? The template above works on its own. For what happens after the report, read how to remember what you learned at a conference.
Questions
What goes in a conference report?
The event and dates, why you went, three to five talks with the main idea and one slide each, what you learned that applies to your team, the people worth following up with, and the actions you suggest.
How long should a conference report be?
One page is a good aim for a team report. Readers want the main ideas and your recommendation, not a transcript of every talk. Link to the full notes for anyone who wants more.
How soon after the event should I write it?
Soon after you are back, while the talks are still fresh. One experienced writer says the write-up gets worse the longer you wait.
How do I write a conference recap for my manager?
Use the short version of the template: three takeaways, one recommended action and the cost or time it needs. Put the recommendation first and the detail below it.
Your conference memory
Slides, notes and voice notes from every event, ready to ask about.
Free to start: 100 slides and a sample event. No card needed.