Every conference tells a story, and for us at VOUS, that story lives inside the Con Index. Part recap, part guidebook, the Con Index is more than a keepsake. It’s a curated experience designed to help guests get the most out of VOUSCon. It sets the tone, tells the story, and becomes a resource attendees take with them long after the weekend ends.

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Whether you're building your own church conference or thinking through creative ways to document a moment, here's a look inside how we create the Con Index and why we believe it matters.

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What Is the Con Index?

It’s our printed guide to VOUSCon. From theme breakdowns to daily schedule, stories, merch styling to Miami city recs, the Con Index is a tool for both clarity and culture. It reflects our values, our creativity, and most importantly, our message.

Each year, the index is rebuilt from the ground up to reflect that year’s theme. In 2025, it’s Dying to Be Different — a call to lay down conformity and rise in the likeness of Christ.

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Why It Matters

Here’s what the Con Index allows us to do:

• Anchor the theme — We expand the year’s message beyond a tagline into a lived experience.
• Guide the weekend — Schedules, breakout sessions, and add-ons are clearly laid out for easy navigation.
• Showcase stories — Real testimonies from real people build faith and help others see themselves in the bigger picture.
• Capture culture — From VOUS Worship to VOUS merch to VOUS College, each ministry is thoughtfully included.
• Extend the impact — The weekend ends, but the story continues — the Con Index becomes a resource that goes home with our guests.

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How We Build It: The 5-Step Process

Creating the Con Index takes a team, from writers and designers to print vendors. Here's our step-by-step process:

1. Layout the Copy

Our Communications Team builds out all editorial content: the stories, the theme breakdowns, the page-by-page structure. It’s about shaping the voice and message before visuals come into play.

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2. Moodboard

We define the visual direction, often inspired by VOUSCon’s creative tone. This includes textures, color palettes, typography, and photography that will guide the entire look and feel of the booklet.

3. Covers + Master Pages

Before tackling internal pages, we design the front and back covers. These covers set the visual language from typefaces, iconography, to color theory, and guide our Master Pages in Adobe InDesign, helping standardize layout and spacing.

4. Build

With the framework in place, we begin designing each page intentionally. Every ministry section is branded uniquely, and lifestyle elements like merch styling and crawfish boil recipes add warmth and personality. The goal is to be informative and inspiring.

5. Prep for Print

After digital design is complete, we print and review physical mockups, making detailed edits. Once finalized, we export using proper specs and send to print, ready for conference weekend.

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What You Can Do

Not every church needs a printed index, but every church can benefit from curating its conference story with intention. Here are a few simple ways to start:

• Create a digital guide or microsite with your theme, speakers, and breakout topics
• Document stories from attendees to highlight in your follow-up email or Sunday recap
• Capture culture with visuals, from worship setlists to merch to creative installations
• Build something your people will keep, a memento that points back to what God did and points forward to what He’s still doing

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The Con Index helps us remember why we gather. It’s a physical altar — page after page of what God is doing through the local church. Our prayer is that the Con Index doesn’t just reflect the heart of VOUSCon, but inspires churches everywhere to tell their stories with the same intention, creativity, and care.