A seminar is a series of lectures that each typically lasts around 30 minutes. If you’ve ever been in the audience for one, you know how excruciatingly long it can feel to wait your turn between presentations. Personally, I find this time spent waiting awkward and unpleasant; when developing my own seminars or attending as an attendee, I do everything in my power to make sure we don’t have any wasted time. 

So before anything else—before choosing topics, speakers, venue—you need to plan out how much content will be covered during each session, so there are no gaps or lulls throughout the day. When deciding which people should speak at your event, keep these questions in mind: Who might want to attend? 

Who in your organization has the right skills to speak on a given topic? What are their speaking styles like—do they have an energetic or reserved delivery style, for example? 

What do I want them to say when asked how my event was? How should they position themselves and what we hope attendees will take away from our day together.

How much time is available for this speaker in each session slot (and don’t forget other speakers)? Will there be enough time allotted so that all of the content can be covered without feeling rushed at some points during the day?

What topics might make sense together for one presenter to discuss across two sessions versus splitting up into multiple presenters who only talk about one topic per session?

How much time should we allow for break-out sessions? How many people will be in each break-out session, and how are those groups determined (randomly or by expertise)?

What other attention needs do the topics have that might require a presenter to fulfill them during their presentation—does one need an agenda with visuals, another speaker needs help with handouts.

When does this speaker’s availability start, and when is it available again (for example, after lunch as part of my event).