Planning a Church Conference: Speakers, Schedule and Budget
A church conference or retreat can shape a community for years. The planning, though, has many moving parts. This guide gives you a simple timeline and the key decisions in the order you'll face them.
9–12 months out: theme and team
Agree the purpose and theme, set a target attendance, and form a small team with clear owners for programme, venue, registrations and hospitality.
6–9 months out: book speakers and venue
Book your keynote speaker first — popular speakers fill their calendars early. Then fit the workshop and breakout speakers around them. Check that each speaker's strengths match the theme.
Confirm venue capacity, AV, accessibility and catering at the same time.
3–6 months out: programme and promotion
Build the run sheet with realistic changeover times. Open registrations and promote through your church networks, using speaker photos and short video clips.
The final month
Send speakers their run sheet, travel details and an AV checklist. Brief volunteers. Confirm dietary needs and accessibility requirements.
Budgeting tips
List speaker fees, travel and accommodation, venue, AV, catering, printing and contingency (around 10%). Set ticket prices to cover costs at about 70% attendance, then use sponsors or church funds for any gap.
FAQ
How many speakers does a one-day conference need?
Typically one or two keynote speakers plus three to six workshop leaders, depending on how many streams you run.
Can we book several speakers through one platform?
Yes. On Preach you can request each speaker separately and manage every booking, agreement and payment from one dashboard.