Checklist: writing an event brief

A clear brief is the single best way to get comparable proposals from organisers. It also forces the internal decisions that otherwise drift until the last month.

The essentials

• Purpose of the event in one sentence.
• Expected headcount and how firm it is.
• Preferred dates and how flexible they are.
• Venue preferences or constraints.
• Must-have segments, such as speeches, awards or a meal.
• Who approves decisions, and how quickly.

Details that prevent surprises

• Accessibility and dietary needs.
• Brand guidelines and any approval steps for materials.
• What your team will handle in-house.
• How you will measure whether the event worked.

For a fuller explanation of each section and how organisers use it, see Get Out! Events' guide to briefing a company event organiser.

Before you send it

Ask one colleague who was not involved to read it. If they cannot explain the event back to you in a minute, the brief needs another pass.

After proposals come back

• Line up each proposal against the same headings from your brief.
• Note anything a proposal has assumed that your brief did not say.
• List questions for each organiser and send them at the same time.
• Record why the chosen proposal won, so the decision is easy to explain later.

A brief is also useful after the event. Reading it again at the wrap-up meeting shows whether the event did what it was meant to do, and what to change next time.