# Event marketing graphics: from save the date to recap [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/event-organizer-marketing) An event is marketed in stages, and each stage needs a different graphic. Here is the full sequence an organiser can follow, with sizes, wording and one look that ties it together. ## The short version - Event marketing graphics follow a sequence: save the date, the full announcement, lineup or speaker cards, countdowns, on the day material and a recap. - Every graphic in the sequence should share one background, one type pairing and one layout family, so people recognise the event before they read its name. - A save the date needs only three things: the event name, the date and the city or venue. - Countdown posts work best when each one adds a new reason to come, not just a smaller number. - The recap post, published within a few days, is the first piece of marketing for next year's event. **Event marketing graphics** work as a sequence, not a single poster. An organiser needs a save the date, an announcement with the details, lineup or speaker cards, a run of countdown posts, signage and screens for the day itself, and a recap afterwards. Each graphic does a different job, but they should all look unmistakably like the same event. That consistency turns a scattered set of posts into a campaign people notice, and it is far easier to set at the start than to fix halfway through. ## Event marketing timeline: what to post and when The exact weeks depend on the size of the event, but the order rarely changes. A small evening event might compress this into a month; a festival might stretch it over a year. Write the dates into your [content calendar](https://gradiently.design/guide/social-media-content-calendar) before designing anything, so you know how many graphics you are really making. | Stage | When | Graphic | Main words | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Save the date | As early as you can confirm a date | One post and one story | Name, date, city | | Announcement | When tickets or registration open | Post, story, event cover, email header | What it is, who it is for, how to book | | Lineup or speakers | Weekly, one name at a time | Speaker or act cards | Name, role, session title | | Countdown | The final two weeks | Stories and posts | Days left, plus one new reason to come | | On the day | The event itself | Signage, screens, backdrop, live stories | Directions, schedule, the hashtag | | Recap | Within a few days | Carousel and short video | Thank you, highlights, next date | Six stages, from first mention to the thank you. The graphics change; the look does not. ## How to keep event graphics consistent Decide three things once: a background, a pair of typefaces and a layout family. The background carries most of the recognition, because people see it before they read anything. Choose something with a mood that fits the event: deep and glowing for a night event, light and printed for a daytime talk, bright for a family day. Then use it everywhere, from the first story to the badge lanyard. [Event branding](https://gradiently.design/guide/event-branding) covers naming and identity in more depth. - Night ground: #0b1026 - Stage blue: #1e3a8a - Spotlight violet: #7c3aed - Wristband pink: #f472b6 - Ticket cream: #fef3c7 A palette for an evening event: a dark ground, two stage colours, one bright accent for dates and buttons, and a cream for type. A gradient or material background has a practical advantage here: it renders cleanly at any size, from a phone story to a stage screen, without the pixelation a stretched photo shows. In Gradiently, a Mark gives you that background and keeps the words legible wherever they fall. Once you claim it, only you can export with it, so no other event ends up wearing the same look. ## Save the date and announcement graphics A save the date is deliberately sparse. People only need to block the evening; details can follow. The announcement comes later and carries the practical information: what happens, who it is for, the price if you share it, and exactly how to book. Keep both in the same layout so the second reads as the continuation of the first. A save the date post for Northern Lights Social on Saturday 14 March in Leeds, with the name large and the date below The save the date: name, date, city. Nothing to read twice. The same event post announcing that tickets are open, listing live music, food stalls and doors at 6pm The announcement in the same layout, with the eyebrow and detail line doing the new work. If you list the event on Facebook, the event cover is a wide 1920×1005 frame that appears at several sizes, from the event page to small thumbnails in lists, so keep the title in a generous central area. [Facebook event cover size](https://gradiently.design/guide/facebook-event-cover-size) has the safe area. ## Speaker cards and countdown posts Announce speakers or acts one at a time. A single name per card gives each person a post they will share with their own audience, which is often where the most ticket interest comes from. Use the same card every time and change only the name, role and photo. With many names, connect a spreadsheet of names and roles to one card and create the whole set at once; Gradiently's [bulk create](https://gradiently.design/guide/bulk-create-from-spreadsheet) does this on Pro. Countdowns are where most event feeds get repetitive. "5 days to go" followed by "4 days to go" gives people nothing new. Pair each number with one fresh reason to come: the food lineup, the closing act, a workshop that still has places, the after party. A vertical countdown story reading 3 days to go, with a line announcing a late set from the house band A countdown story that earns its place: the number, plus one piece of news. More formats for the final fortnight are in [countdown post design](https://gradiently.design/guide/countdown-post-design). ## Signage, screens and backdrops on the day The day itself is where your look meets people in person. Welcome signs, directions, the schedule, the screen between sessions and the photo backdrop should all come from the same files you used online. Guests take photos in front of the backdrop and post them, so it becomes marketing for the next event too. - Slides 16:9 1920×1080: 1920 × 1080 - A3 poster 3508×4961: 3508 × 4961 - Story 1080×1920: 1080 × 1920 - Facebook event cover 1920×1005: 1920 × 1005 The sizes most events need on the day and around it. A3 at 300 dpi covers directional signs and schedules. 1. **Write the signs as instructions** "Talks upstairs, food in the courtyard" beats a decorative title. People read signage while walking. 2. **Make type huge** A sign read from across a room needs letters far larger than feels natural on screen. Test by printing at real size. 3. **Print with bleed** Ask the printer for their bleed and trim, and export a print PDF with crop marks. [Bleed and margins](https://gradiently.design/guide/bleed-and-margins) explains why. 4. **Ask about backdrop specs** Large backdrops are viewed from a distance and printers set their own size and resolution. Get their template before you design. For layouts that photograph well, see [event backdrop design](https://gradiently.design/guide/event-backdrop-design). ## The recap post starts next year's campaign Publish a recap within a few days, while attendees are still posting. A carousel works well: a thank you slide, four to six of the best photos, one line about what happened, and a final slide with next year's date or a way to register interest. Tag speakers, sponsors and venues so it reaches their audiences. [Event recap post](https://gradiently.design/guide/event-recap-post) has a slide by slide template. ### Avoid - A new style for every stage - Countdowns that only change the number - Ten speakers crammed onto one card - Signs written as slogans - A recap three weeks later ### Do - One background and layout family throughout - Each countdown adds one new reason - One card per person, shareable by them - Signs written as directions - A recap while people are still talking about it ## FAQ ### What graphics do I need to promote an event? A save the date, an announcement, speaker or lineup cards, countdown posts, on the day signage and screens, and a recap post afterwards. ### What should a save the date graphic include? The event name, the date and the city or venue. Leave tickets, prices and schedules for the announcement. ### When should I start posting about an event? As soon as the date is confirmed. Post a save the date first, then the full announcement when registration or tickets open. ### What size is a Facebook event cover? 1920×1005 pixels. Keep the title in a generous central area, because the cover is also shown smaller and cropped tighter in invitations and event lists. ### How do I keep event graphics consistent? Choose one background, one type pairing and one layout family before the first post, and change only the words and photos from stage to stage.