What to Include in an Event Brief

An event brief should give suppliers enough information to understand the event, price the right scope and advise you honestly. Include the event purpose, audience, date, venue, schedule, budget range, supplier responsibilities, technical requirements, content deliverables, approval process and measures of success. It does not need to be long; it needs to be specific.

If you are contacting a venue, AV company, caterer, event agency or video team, the brief is the first useful test of the relationship. A clear brief reduces assumptions, makes quotes easier to compare and gives everyone a shared definition of a successful event.

What is the purpose of the event?

Start with the reason the event exists. Suppliers need to understand more than the event type because the objective affects almost every later decision.

For example, a leadership conference designed to align an internal team needs a different room layout, agenda and content plan from a customer summit designed to generate conversations. An awards evening, fundraising event or product launch will have its own priorities too.

Write down:

• the event name or working title
• the type of event
• the main objective
• the secondary objectives
• what attendees should think, feel or do afterwards
• how you will judge whether it worked

Try to express the main objective in one sentence. “We are holding a conference” describes the format. “We are bringing regional business leaders together to share practical growth ideas and create qualified conversations” gives suppliers something useful to work with.

This also protects the event from collecting unnecessary extras. If a proposed idea does not help the main objective, it may not deserve space in the programme or budget.

Who is the event for?

Describe the audience as people, not just a headcount. The audience affects the tone, accessibility requirements, venue choice, content level, registration process and event experience.

Include:

• who the attendees are
• their roles, sectors or communities
• whether they are existing customers, prospects, members, staff or the general public
• what they already know about the subject
• what they want to gain from attending
• any important access, dietary, language or support requirements
• whether VIPs, speakers, sponsors or press need a different experience

Give an expected number as well as a maximum capacity. If you are planning for 120 attendees but could realistically see anything from 80 to 180, say so. That range helps a venue and catering team plan properly, and it tells an AV or video supplier whether the room needs wide audience coverage, breakout support or additional crew.

What, when and where is happening?

Dates and locations sound basic, but incomplete logistics create expensive confusion. Set out the information you know and clearly label anything that is provisional.

Your event brief should include:

• event date and backup date, if relevant
• city, venue or preferred venue type
• event start and finish time
• guest arrival and registration time
• access time for suppliers
• setup, rehearsal and breakdown windows
• expected attendance and room capacities
• number of rooms or spaces in use
• parking, loading, access and accommodation information
• the main venue contact and on-the-day decision-maker

For a Newcastle or North East event, mention the expected travel pattern if it affects the brief. Delegates arriving by rail, travelling from across the region or moving between venues will have different requirements from a local evening audience. The details do not need to be final, but suppliers should know what assumptions they are being asked to make.

For safety planning, use the HSE event-safety guidance as a starting point and make responsibilities clear between the organiser, venue and contractors.

What should the programme include?

Attach the latest running order, even if it is still being developed. A supplier can work with a provisional agenda as long as changes are visible.

For each session, include:

• start and finish time
• room or stage
• session type
• speaker or contributor names
• expected audience size
• presentation, playback or staging needs
• audience questions or interaction
• whether the session is essential, preferred or optional

Mark the moments that cannot be missed. These might be the keynote, awards, sponsor activation, panel, audience Q&A, product demonstration, VIP arrival or closing announcement.

This is especially important when several things happen at once. If a main stage session overlaps with sponsor interviews and networking, a single supplier may not be able to cover everything. A good brief makes that trade-off visible before anyone arrives on site.

What do suppliers need to deliver?

Do not write “we need the event filmed” or “we need AV support” and leave the supplier to guess what that means. Describe the finished outcome.

For event video, specify whether you need:

• a short highlight film
• a same-day or next-day edit
• interviews with speakers, delegates or sponsors
• social cutdowns in vertical, square or landscape formats
• short clips for LinkedIn or email
• sponsor-specific edits
• a longer recap film
• full session recordings
• a live stream or remote viewing option

Also state where the content will be used, who will approve it and when it is needed. A highlight film for next year’s event has a different production plan from a same-day edit to screen before delegates leave.

Read the DS Media conference video production guide for examples of how camera coverage, audio planning and turnaround affect the brief. If you are considering a rapid edit, the same-day conference highlight guide explains why the workflow needs to be decided before the event.

What technical and access information should you include?

Give technical suppliers the information they need to identify risks early. If you do not know an answer, say that it needs confirming with the venue rather than leaving a blank space.

Useful details include:

• room dimensions and layout
• stage size and position
• screen, projection or LED requirements
• microphone types and number of speakers
• presentation format and playback needs
• available power and internet connectivity
• venue audio outputs and AV contact
• lighting restrictions
• rigging, tripod or filming restrictions
• access equipment and lift dimensions
• delivery, loading and parking arrangements
• whether the event is in-person, hybrid or streamed

Accessibility belongs in the main brief, not in a last-minute note. Include step-free routes, accessible seating, hearing assistance, captioning, interpretation, quiet spaces and any known adjustments. A useful venue checklist from Historic England follows the route a visitor takes through the event, which is a helpful way to spot practical barriers.

How should the budget be presented?

You do not always need to publish a fixed budget, but suppliers need to understand the scale of the opportunity. A range is usually more helpful than asking for the cheapest possible option.

Explain:

• the total working budget, if available
• which costs are already committed
• which items are optional
• whether VAT should be shown separately
• whether travel, accommodation, equipment hire or overtime need to be included
• the payment timetable
• what would make the budget increase or decrease

Ask suppliers to separate the core scope from optional additions. That makes it easier to compare like with like and gives you a sensible way to reduce scope if the event changes.

Who makes decisions and what happens next?

Finish the brief with the process. Suppliers need to know what you expect from them and when you need an answer.

Include:

• the person requesting the quote
• the person who can approve the scope
• the deadline for questions
• the quote deadline
• the decision date
• the booking or contract date
• the deposit or purchase-order process
• how changes will be approved
• who signs off content after the event

Name one day-of decision-maker as well. Events move quickly, and suppliers should not have to ask five people whether a schedule change is approved.

A simple event brief structure

If you need a starting template, use this order:

1. Event overview and objectives
2. Audience and expected attendance
3. Date, venue and access information
4. Running order and priority moments
5. Supplier scope and deliverables
6. Technical, access and safety requirements
7. Budget and commercial information
8. Approval process and deadlines
9. Attachments: floor plan, agenda, brand guidelines, speaker list and venue specification

The best event briefs are clear enough to price and open enough for an experienced supplier to improve. You are not expected to know every technical answer before you ask for help. You are responsible for explaining what the event needs to achieve, what cannot be missed and what constraints matter.

Final checklist

Before sending the brief, ask whether a supplier could answer these questions without guessing:

• What is the event trying to achieve?
• Who is attending and how many people are expected?
• When and where is it happening?
• What are the priority moments?
• What does each supplier need to deliver?
• What technical, access or safety issues need planning?
• What budget and deadline are we working to?
• Who approves the quote and the finished work?

If the answer is yes, you are ready to contact suppliers. If you need help translating a conference agenda into a practical filming plan, contact DS Media with the brief, even if some details are still provisional.