How To Choose An Event Topic That Actually Attracts The Right People
If picking an event topic has you staring at a blank page for days, you are not alone. I talk to so many course creators and online entrepreneurs who want to host a bundle, summit, or other collaborative event, and feel stuck on the very first step: what on earth should this thing be about?
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to find a magical, never‑seen‑before idea that blows everyone away. In reality, a great event usually comes from a simple, well-scoped topic that speaks to real humans and is executed with care.
In this post, I am sharing the exact way I think about event topics, the same process I walk clients through behind the scenes. By the end, you will know how to narrow in on a clear, compelling idea that fits your audience, your expertise, and your business goals, without needing a stroke of genius to get started.
Why We Overcomplicate Choosing An Event Topic
When we think about events, we usually want at least three things:
To stand out in a busy inbox
To feel proud of what we are hosting
To bring in the right people for our offers
So we start hunting for a “brilliant” idea. Something no one has ever done before. Something shiny. Something big.
That is where most people get stuck.
From what I have seen, the success of an event usually has a lot more to do with:
How clearly the topic speaks to a very specific group of people
How well the project is scoped and organised
How much attention you give to the humans involved, not just the numbers
A simple, focused event topic that feels obvious to your audience will often outperform a clever idea that no one really understands or needs right now.
The good news is, you do not need to be wildly creative to land on a strong topic. You only need to get specific in the right places.
The Simple Framework I Use For Every Event Topic
When I help clients pick an event topic, we always come back to three key pieces:
Who the event is for
What timely challenge they are facing
What you are actually an expert in and well positioned to host
When you put those three together, you get a topic that:
Is automatically more niche
Feels timely for your people
Matches your authority and your offers
You do not have to guess. You just have to answer these questions with honesty.
1. Get Clear On Who You Are Speaking To
This sounds basic, but it is where most people skip ahead.
If your answer to “who is this event for?” is “online business owners” or “busy mums” or “anyone who wants to grow their audience”, your pool of possible event topics is enormous, and very hard to work with.
I like to zoom in until the audience feels almost a little too specific.
For example, there is a big difference between:
“Online business owners”
“Online course creators in their first 2 years who want to fill their next launch”
Or:
“Parents”
“Parents of neurodivergent kids who want calmer afternoons after school”
When I lock in that kind of detail, a few things happen:
My brain can start to imagine real people, not a vague crowd
I can already discard lots of event topic ideas that do not fit
I can start to notice patterns in what those people ask me about
A practical way to test your audience clarity is to ask yourself:
Could I name three real humans who would be a perfect fit for this event?
If the answer is no, your audience is probably still too broad.
2. Spot The Timely Challenge They Are Facing
Once I know who I am speaking to, I ask:
What are they struggling with right now, in the area I help with?
Timeliness is a big part of a strong event topic. I am not talking about chasing trends for the sake of it. I mean noticing what feels urgent for your people at this moment.
Think about what they are:
Googling late at night
Venting about to friends or biz buddies
Journalling about in frustration
Some examples of timely challenges might be:
“I have a course but my list is too small to sell it”
“My last launch flopped and I do not know why”
“I am drowning in client work and never have time to create content”
“I want to move from 1:1 to group offers but feel scared to lose income”
When your event topic hooks directly into one clear, timely struggle, your people feel like you have read their mind. That is what makes the event feel worth signing up for now, not “sometime later when I have time”.
It is also what makes it easier to invite collaborators and speakers. They know exactly who they are talking to and what angle they should bring.
3. Match It To Your Real Expertise
The final piece is the one we often skip in our rush to chase a good idea.
You can choose a topic that your audience cares about, but if it does not line up with:
What you are known for
What you have real experience in
What your current offers and business model support
…Then it is going to feel off, both for you and for your attendees.
Your event topic should make it obvious why you are the person hosting this event.
I like to ask myself:
What am I already helping clients with?
What topics do people naturally come to me for advice on?
Which offers do I want this event to lead into as a next step?
When I can answer those, it becomes clear which ideas support my bigger strategy, and which ones would just send people in a random direction.
You want the event to be helpful on its own, but also to act as a natural bridge into the deeper work you do.
Bringing It All Together Into One Clear Event Topic
Once I have those three pieces, I look for the overlap. You can think of it like three circles:
Circle 1: Your niche audience
Circle 2: Their most timely challenge
Circle 3: Your proven expertise and offers
Your best event topic sits in the middle, where all three meet.
From there, I start playing with language:
What simple phrase would make my person say “that is exactly what I need”?
Can I name the outcome they care about in plain words?
Can I hint at the method or angle without getting too clever?
I personally love a fun event name, but I treat that as the icing, not the cake.
The real power is in a topic that is:
Niche enough that people can see themselves in it
Specific enough that they know what they will walk away with
Timely enough that it feels relevant to what they are facing today
When those parts are right, you do not need fireworks around the title. The clarity does the heavy lifting.
How A Strong Event Topic Helps The Rest Of Your Business
Here is my favourite part about doing this work. The same three pieces you need for a great event topic are the same ones you need for your whole business:
A clear niche audience
A deep understanding of their challenges
A clear position for your expertise and offers
So when you sit down to define these for your event, you are also getting clearer on your:
Messaging
Content ideas
Offer suite
Long-term marketing strategy
You can reuse what you find here for your emails, sales pages, and future events.
If you want support with getting more visible once your topic is set, my post on the How to pitch yourself for events guide walks through how to land spots as a guest expert and use events to grow your audience even further.
When You Feel Stuck Or Overwhelmed
If you are midway through planning and feel like your idea is “not quite right”, I like to come back to three simple questions:
Who exactly am I speaking to with this event?
What are they struggling with right now that I can genuinely help with?
Why am I the right person to host this particular conversation?
If you cannot answer one of those clearly, that is your homework.
You might need to talk to your audience, look at recent client questions, or look over your past content and offers to see what themes keep popping up.
There is no prize for picking the most original event topic. The win is choosing the topic that feels obvious, helpful, and aligned for the people you most want to support.
Want Help Picking Your Event Topic? Listen Along With Me
If you want to walk through all of this with more guidance, I created Timely Topics, a free private podcast designed to help you land on a standout event topic.
Inside this audio series, I guide you through:
Getting in touch with topics that actually excite you
Spotting what your audience is already asking themselves
Looking at the bigger picture so your topic lines up with your offers
Seeing what competitors are talking about so you can stand out
The most important question to answer before you lock in your event
You can sign up to the Timely Topics private podcast for event planners and listen on the go while you walk, clean the kitchen, or open a fresh Notion doc for your next event.
If you like to think out loud or brainstorm with someone in your ears, this will feel like having me there coaching you through it.
Once You Have Your Event Topic, What Comes Next?
After your event topic feels locked in, the next question is often:
What kind of event should I host to bring this to life?
Not every idea needs a huge summit. Sometimes a simple bundle, a short interview series, or a small challenge fits better with your energy, capacity, and goals.
If you are not sure which format is right, you can use my free quiz to discover the perfect online event genre for your business. It only takes a couple of minutes and gives you a clear event style that matches how you like to work.
With a clear topic and a clear format, everything else in your planning gets lighter. Speaker outreach, promo, tech, and timelines all become decisions that support one focused idea instead of a vague “let’s host something cool and see”.
Wrapping Up
Choosing an event topic does not have to feel like pulling teeth or waiting for inspiration to strike. When you strip it back to three pieces, it turns into a practical decision, not a creative crisis.
You look at who you want to serve, what they are struggling with right now, and how your real expertise fits into that picture. From there, the best topics tend to feel simple and almost obvious, in the best way.
If you want support while you work through this for your own summit, bundle, or collab, grab my free Timely Topics private podcast and let me walk you through it step by step.
I would love to see you choose an event topic that feels clear, exciting, and aligned, then watch the right people show up because you spoke directly to what they needed.
