Blog · 2026-10-31

How to Add a Conference Schedule to Your Calendar

A conference programme is usually a long page or PDF with dozens of sessions, and you only want the five or six you will attend. The goal is to put those sessions in your calendar with the right room and the right time zone. Start with the quickest source, then fall back to capturing the agenda yourself.

Yotei turns a schedule on your screen into calendar events you review first. See how it works

TL;DR

• Check whether the organiser offers an .ics file or an "add to calendar" button per session.
• Pick your sessions first. Do not import the whole programme.
• Conference times are in the venue's time zone. Make sure your calendar stores them that way.
• Add the room or hall to the location field, because that is what you will look for on the day.

1. Use the organiser's tools

Many events have an app or a personal schedule page that exports to a calendar. If you can build a personal agenda there and download an .ics file, do that. Opening an .ics file in Google Calendar or Outlook adds every selected session at once.

2. Choose before you add

A calendar full of sessions you will never attend is as useless as an empty one. Mark your sessions in the programme first, then add only those. Add a short buffer between sessions in different halls so you have time to walk.

3. When there is only a PDF or a web page

Programmes often come as a PDF or a table with no export. You can type each session by hand, or capture the part of the page you need and let a tool read the times and titles.

The quick way with Yotei

1. Bring the programme onto your screen.
2. Press the Yotei shortcut and drag a box around the dates.
3. Check the events Yotei found, edit anything that is wrong and untick what you do not need.
4. Confirm, and they are added to your Google or Outlook calendar.

Time zones and travel days

Check the time zone on anything that crosses borders. Our guide to calendar time zones explains the common traps.

If you fly in the day before, add the travel and hotel check-in as their own entries so your calendar shows the whole trip, not just the sessions.

Yotei deletes the screenshot as soon as you confirm the event, or within 48 hours if you do not. The AI service that reads the screenshot may be outside the EEA and is only used after you consent. Details are in the privacy policy.

FAQ

Can I import a conference programme PDF into Google Calendar?

No. Google Calendar imports .ics and .csv files, not PDFs. Capture the schedule on screen or type the sessions in.

How do I add only some sessions?

Mark your sessions first. With a screenshot tool you can also untick the events you do not want before they are saved.

Should I add the room to the event?

Yes. Put the hall or room in the location field so it shows on your phone on the day.

By Omar Salloum, founder of Yotei (KD Digital).