What sets a standout event website, agency site, or management platform apart in 2025?
Should you incorporate AI-generated content, and if so, what’s the best way to use it?
How can your website attract and connect with the next generation of event participants?
Let's delve into the key elements that make an event website truly exceptional in 2025 - from innovative design trends to practical strategies, using the best event sites as an example.
10 best event websites for inspiration in 2025
CES
CES (Consumer Electronics Show), taking place from January 9–12 in Las Vegas, marks the start of the tech year and features a website that is a must-study for anyone in the event industry.
The site is expertly designed, using AI-generated videos to captivate and engage users. It balances classic design elements and neo-brutalism with deep, muted accent colors instead of bright tones and bold typography. This design approach aligns with prioritizing user comfort by reducing eye strain through less intense visuals and reserving brighter colors for the most essential and engaging elements. The result is a website that is both visually stunning and user-friendly.
The welcome screen is a masterpiece of transparency and soft animations, highlighted by dynamic video content featuring trendy 3D elements. For us, this kind of introduction is pure one love.
We believe they’ve unlocked the secret to seamlessly combining “live” and AI-generated images on the same page using filters and backgrounds.
The website features a lot of text with large fonts, but everything is well-structured, making the information easy to digest and understand.
CES boasts an extensive lineup of speakers and activities, and the way they’ve organized their directories is a perfect blend of years of refined expertise and cutting-edge modern trends.
The website also offers numerous guides tailored to all types of participants.
CES was one of the first to adopt and promote an event app.
Art Basel Hong Kong
Half of your website design is already done if your event revolves around art. The overall style of Art Basel is reminiscent of CES, with similar animations, a refined color palette, and transparency effects.
Minimalistic and flat, the site is designed to ensure that the focal point for users is the artwork - sculptures, paintings, or exhibition photos. There are no accent colors, only white and shades of black, creating a neutral backdrop that directs maximum attention to the artists' creations.
An idea that caught our attention is Art Basel’s Survey of Global Collecting—the most comprehensive and far-reaching survey to date conducted for their visitors and clients.
C2MTL
A winner of the 2023 Awwwards Site of the Day—the Oscars of web design—this site is a masterpiece where every element, page, and layout deserves close attention and study.
It’s so vibrant, dynamic, and full of life that it could get you out of bed even on the rainiest autumn or winter day.
You can find technical details on the Awwwards page (C2 Montreal) if you’d like to use the site as a reference.
Brooklyn Book Festival
Somehow, the team found the perfect balance between the event’s concept and the website’s style.
The flat design with illustrations immerses visitors in the atmosphere of books from the moment they land on the page. The focus is on providing only helpful information—no fluff, no distractions. However, it also lacks a certain level of intrigue.
Our take: In some places, the content feels sparse, likely done to accommodate multiple sections. While this approach works, the navigation could be improved, the site could be enriched with more content, and the structure slightly refined to enhance the overall experience.
The website features an excellent donation flow: at the bottom of the screen, real-time interactive updates display incoming donations, effectively encouraging users to contribute.
Sneaker Con
Sneaker Con is the world’s premier sneaker show, held in 30 cities worldwide since 2008. In 2025, the event kicks off in Florida, Philadelphia, and Singapore.
Their website is a nostalgic journey into your childhood emotions, a thirst for adventure, and nods to some of the best-animated universes.
It’s a shining example of websites that successfully cater to Gen Z, millennials, and older audiences without overdoing it. The layouts are familiar yet brought to life with vibrant colors and a fusion of styles, including modern and flat designs. Despite the boldness of the elements and accents, the use of color remains balanced, avoiding overwhelming visuals.
The design maximizes informativeness while maintaining plenty of breathing space between elements. Active and striking as these elements are, the site achieves an excellent balance of energy and clarity, making it engaging and user-friendly.
In addition, the site features a store with absolutely mind-blowing merch that no one can resist.
Cannes Lions
This website is about how not to be pretentious—even if you’re Cannes Lions. It’s filled with vibrant visual content showcasing a wide range of people and emotions, capturing not just joy and inspiration but the full spectrum of human experience.
The style is understated yet impactful, relying heavily on photos and videos to immerse visitors in the event. The focus is on conveying what you will gain from attending the festival. This is achieved through visitor testimonials sharing their experiences, engaging videos, and articles like "What You’ll Get"—all expertly designed to sell the experience.
Soft accents and muted colors add to the elegance, creating a website that is beautiful, engaging, and original. It’s a masterclass in combining aesthetics with purpose-driven storytelling.
And oh, that Gantt chart—it’s made its way onto many event websites, including Cannes Lions.
Chicago Marathon
The website of one of the largest races by number of finishers worldwide showcases this achievement right on the first screen.
The design is crafted to awaken emotions in the user—whether it’s reliving the exhilaration of completing a marathon or imagining what it would feel like to conquer the challenge. It’s both supportive and motivating, urging visitors to push their limits. A countdown timer on the homepage adds urgency, compelling users to take action.
This site is built on emotions and for emotions, leveraging the drive and excitement to inspire users to sign up for the marathon. It’s a perfect example of how to connect with your audience on a deeply personal level while achieving clear conversion goals.
A countdown timer is featured on every page, keeping the sense of urgency alive and encouraging action at every step.
And take a look at the sleek and minimalist sponsor section.
DEMO (Design in Motion Festival)
DEMO showcases the world’s best motion design on outdoor screens in public spaces.
The website is tailored for a niche audience of highly skilled professionals - motion designers. It embraces trends akin to haute couture in the design world - difficult and unnecessary to replicate, but an essential source of inspiration.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Firstly, it’s one of the best events of 2024. Secondly, it’s a website that brought together people, politicians, and organizations worldwide to tackle a complex challenge.
The use of clear sky colors throughout the site is rich with symbolism, reflecting a story of hope and a positive outcome.
5 trends of event websites to follow in 2025
Masterful Use of AI for Content and Communication
Event websites are in charge of leveraging AI to create dynamic and engaging experiences.
For instance, training custom AI models allows websites to generate tailored content that resonates with event audiences. One notable example is Dyvo AI, a fully AI-driven website recognized by Awwwards, which uses AI to craft content and design elements specific to its niche.
The Salesforce State of Service report indicates that high-performing organizations are more likely to implement AI-powered chatbots, leading to improved customer experiences and operational efficiency. According to industry studies, AI-powered chatbots can boost user engagement and conversions by up to 25%. Templates like the AI Chat Template help event organizers automate communication, answer FAQs, and drive ticket sales efficiently.
Virtual Tours and Dynamic Maps
Immersive tools like virtual tours and interactive maps revolutionize how attendees interact with event websites. Platforms hosting conferences, festivals, or expos often integrate these features to allow users to explore venues, locate exhibitor booths, or visualize seating arrangements.
For example, CES 2025 introduced an interactive map feature that significantly increased pre-event engagement, as attendees could explore the venue virtually before the event, leading to smoother on-site experiences.
Interactive and Personalized Experiences
Personalization drives user satisfaction; event websites use data-driven tools to deliver tailored experiences. Features like customized schedules, gamified elements like quizzes or leaderboards, and interactive ticket-booking processes enhance engagement. For example, Ticketmaster's personalized recommendation algorithm boosted ticket sales by 20%, demonstrating the value of understanding user preferences and creating interactive elements to meet them.
Eco-Friendly Practices
Sustainability is a growing concern in the event industry, and websites reflect this trend by promoting green initiatives. For example, Earth Day events often feature eco-friendly design elements, such as optimized visuals and minimal animation to reduce energy consumption. Websites highlighting sustainability efforts - like paperless ticketing and recycling programs - have reported increased interest from environmentally conscious audiences. Studies show that 70% of millennials and Gen Z prefer supporting eco-conscious brands, making this a crucial trend for event organizers.
Inclusive and Accessible Design
Accessibility is critical in ensuring event websites cater to a diverse audience. Inclusive design features, such as high-contrast text, alt-text for images, and keyboard navigation, help create user-friendly experiences for everyone. For example, SXSW 2024's accessible website redesign increased site traffic and ticket purchases as the platform became more manageable for all users to navigate.
24 questions before starting
Before starting event website development, consider asking yourself the following questions and making key decisions.
- What is the main idea of your event? - One and only, to implement everywhere - from structure to palette and fonts.
- What is the primary purpose of the website? Is it for event promotion, ticket sales, providing information, networking, or all of the above?
- What are the measurable goals for the website? Increase ticket sales, boost event awareness, gather registrations, or improve attendee engagement.
- Who is the target audience? Define interests, preferences, and online behavior.
- What specific needs or expectations will the audience have when visiting the site? Easy navigation, quick ticket purchase, mobile responsiveness, or detailed event schedules.
- What key features does the website need? Event calendar, ticket purchasing or RSVP functionality, speaker or performer profiles, location maps and travel info, live streaming options, post-event content (photos, videos, or summaries)
- Will the site need integration with third-party tools? Payment gateways (e.g., Stripe, PayPal), event management platforms (e.g., Eventbrite), CRM systems, social media platforms
- Will there be interactive features like forums, chat, or Q&A sessions?
- What types of content will you need? Event details, multimedia (images, videos), speaker bios, or FAQs.
- Will you need a multi-language website?
- What design style and branding will the website follow? Minimalistic, vibrant, formal, or user-centric. How will you incorporate your brand's color palette and logo?
- Will the design include accessibility features? ADA or WCAG compliance for users with disabilities.
- How will the website support event marketing? Email newsletters, promotional banners, or social media links.
- What SEO strategies will you employ? Optimize for event-related keywords, meta tags, and mobile usability.
- What is the budget for the website? Include design, development, hosting, and ongoing maintenance costs.
- What is the timeline for launching the website? Align it with the event date and marketing campaigns.
- Will you use a website builder, CMS, or custom development?
- Who will handle website updates and maintenance post-launch?
- What hosting solution and domain provider will you use? Choose reliable hosting to ensure uptime during peak traffic.
- How will you measure the website's success? Set KPIs like page views, ticket sales, or engagement rates.
- What analytics tools will you integrate? Google Analytics, heatmaps, or CRM tools.
- How will you handle post-event feedback or surveys? Add forms or links to collect attendee insights.
- How will you ensure website security? SSL certificates, regular backups, and security plugins.
- What contingency plans are in place for high traffic or unexpected issues? Scalable hosting, content delivery networks (CDNs), and monitoring tools.
