Ever tried planning and running a big event without a proper event brief? It’s like constructing a skyscraper without a blueprint. Not a good idea…
With hundreds of people involved, things can quickly turn to chaos.
Use an event brief to keep all the details about your event in one place. It’ll help you keep everything under control when there’s so much going on. And keep everyone on the same page. Key ingredients to hosting a great event!
After 20+ years of working alongside global companies like Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Sanofi, Deloitte, PwC, and EY (to name a few!), we’ve seen that events turn out so much better when they follow an event brief template.
In this article, we’ve listed the huge benefits having an event brief can bring and the crucial things you need to create an exceptional event brief template. And we’ve created our very own template that you can download and start using straight away.
Download our free template now and follow the guide below to start creating a clear roadmap for a successful event!
Event brief? What’s that?
An event brief is a crucial document that gives a clear and concise summary of your event’s purpose, scope, target audience, timeline, and other details that are key to its success.
Think of it like the instructions, blueprint, or user manual that gets passed around before any big project. It helps everyone involved in the event plan stay on the same page and make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s also a great reference for sponsors who want to stay up to date with your event’s progress.
An effective event brief template should be comprehensive yet easy to understand and should contain enough information for everyone involved to have a shared understanding of what’s expected. Event briefs are typically used by event planners, marketing teams, and other stakeholders to guide the planning and execution of successful events.
6 benefits of having an event brief
Writing an event brief is an essential part of any event planning process. Whether it’s virtual, hybrid, or in-person. And there are multiple benefits to having a thorough, well-drafted one. From boosting the planning and execution of your event to informing your event staff, here are some of the best things about having an exceptional event brief template:
#1 Makes things clear
Your event brief is your roadmap while organizing your event. It helps everyone involved understand their roles and responsibilities. It also makes the event’s purpose crystal clear. It clarifies expectations and keeps everyone focused on achieving success.
#2 Boosts efficiency
A well-structured, detailed event brief helps reduce confusion among team members when working on their tasks for the event. The document outlines everything from the audience to the timeline as well as a list of all the main resources. This ensures smoother workflows and efficient operations across different departments.
#3 Keeps everyone on the same page
By sharing all the event details with all stakeholders, an event brief enables better collaboration among team members from different areas of expertise. With an effective event brief in place, you can be sure that everyone will be working toward the same goals.
#4 Saves time
Once you’ve created one event brief template, you can use it again and again. No need to reinvent the wheel every time you plan a new event. You can use the base of your previous event brief template and adjust it slightly. Plus, you don’t have to waste time explaining things about your event to different people several times, as it’s all there in the document.
#5 Prevents mistakes
With so many things going on during the run-up to your event, it can get chaotic. But having an event brief that contains all the vital details in one place, you significantly reduce the chance that you or any team members will overlook anything.
#6 Helps you run a great event (and hit your targets!)
By creating an outstanding event brief, you boost your chances of hitting your targets. Plus, you make sure everyone involved knows how they’re contributing to its success. In short, having a comprehensive event brief can make or break your next event!
Want to know how successful your event really was and take on feedback to help you improve future events? Download our free event debrief template now.
How to create an exceptional event brief
First, you need to choose your event brief format. Most event planners prefer Excel or Google Sheets because. You can easily divide the different sections into separate worksheets. This way it’s easy for everyone to find everything.
Download our event brief template in Google Sheets or as an Excel and start using it right away.
Once you have your event brief template, you can start filling it out with:
- Information
- Audience
- Theme
- Agenda
- Resources
- Timeline
- Speaker wishlist
- Partners
- Team members
- KPIs
- Ideas
To make things easy for you, we’ve already put each of these categories into separate worksheets in our downloadable event brief template.
Here’s what you should include in each worksheet in more detail:
Event brief section #1 Information
The first section of your event brief should go into detail about the event itself. This is the time to get into the specifics and think carefully about what you want from your event and how you’re going to make it happen.
Include as much information as possible, so everyone involved has a clear understanding of what’s expected. Here are some things to think about when writing this section:
- Describe your event in a few sentences, including its aim, objectives, and target audience
- Outline your event’s purpose and goal. What do you want to achieve at the end of the event?
- Specify when the event will take place, at what time, and how long it will last
- Indicate the type of event (e.g. congress, conference) and its format (hybrid, virtual, or in-person)
- Give an estimate of how many virtual and in-person attendees you expect to come (depending on your event format)
- Include the venue and its exact location to avoid any confusion
- Add a link to the event registration webpage and the hybrid event platform
Your event description should have enough detail but also be concise – it should give all key information but be easy for people to take in. Leave out anything irrelevant or unnecessary to keep your event brief focused on relevant facts that will help make your event a success.
What to include in this section:
- Title
- Short description
- Purpose
- Goal
- Date
- Time
- Duration
- Type (conference/congress)
- Format
- Venue, City, Country
- Event website/registration link
- Event platform
Event brief section #2 Audience
The second step in creating an exceptional event brief is adding details about your audience.
To ensure your event is a success, you need to know what makes your audience tick. Research your audience thoroughly to understand their pain points, needs, experience, and background. You need to give your audience what they want and keep them engaged so that they remember your event and become promoters of your brand and products/services.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Who is the event for?
- What does my target audience want from this event?
- What type of experience do I want attendees to have?
- How will I reach out to potential attendees?
- How can I best engage my target audience during the event?
Knowing as much as you can about your target audience is an important part of creating an exceptional event brief. By asking yourself these questions when writing up your event brief, you’ll have all the right details in place and will be able to tailor your event to meet the needs of your attendees.
What to include in this section:
- Total attendees expected (better to overestimate)
- Target demographic:
- Profession
- Education
- Age
- Gender
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to keep your virtual audience engaged, check out our blog post full of virtual event engagement ideas.
Event brief section #3 Theme
Your event theme is the central focus of everything you do. It helps set the mood for your whole event. Think of the theme as the core idea behind everything you do and plan. It’s what will bring your attendees together.
Your audience should clearly see your theme in your marketing. And they will expect to see consistency when they turn up to your event. Even on your branded mobile event app and platform.
So, in the third section of your event brief, you should sum up your event theme in a few words, and add information about the branding, colors, and layout. This is especially important if you have project managers that are setting up your event platform for you.
What to include in this section:
- Topic
- Description
- Branding guidelines
- Graphic assets
- Colors
- Layout/Design
- Inspiration
- Music/Entertainment
- Food/Beverage
Looking for inspiration on how to upgrade your marketing and get more people to your events? Read our article with lots of B2B event marketings ideas.
Event brief section #4 Resources
Yes, your event brief is a document that contains all the key information about your event. But, it should also be concise enough that everyone involved in the event planning process can navigate it easily.
That’s why we suggest having a section in our event brief with a list of links to useful resources. For example:
- Event email templates to communicate effectively with invitees and attendees
- Run of show to plan out every minute detail of what will happen on the day
- Event budget template
- Pre-event checklist
- Post-event checklist
Event brief section #5 Agenda
One of the most important things to include in an exceptional event brief is the agenda. A summary of what activities will take place during the event, and when. This should include both major events, like keynote speeches, and smaller activities like group discussions or breakout sessions.
You don’t have to be too specific here. Just provide a general overview. You can share the details later on when you prepare your run of show!
To get all the key points in your agenda, ask yourself these questions:
- What should happen first?
- How long should each part last (more or less)?
- Do any special guests need extra time for questions?
- Will there be a break for food or networking?
What to include in this section:
- Time
- Duration
- Activity
- Topic
- Speaker
Event brief section #6 Timeline
To ensure success and continuity while you’re planning your event, creating a timeline is key. Lay out when specific tasks should be completed and when key stakeholders need to be involved. That way you can ensure that everything is on track.
Be realistic when setting your timeline. Estimate how much time it will take to complete each task. And be sure to include some leeway in case anything changes or takes longer than expected.
What to include in this event brief section:
- Event kick-off date: Identify when the planning process begins and when the planning meetings will take place
- Deadlines for RSVPs: Write when you need to receive RSVPs by so that you can manage catering and event staffing needs
- Pre-event activities: We suggest creating a list to a separate pre-event to-do list so that this section doesn’t become unmanageable
- Onsite setup date: Note when on-site setup must begin
- Post-event wrap up: We suggest creating a list to a separate post-event to-do list
Creating a timeline can sound intimidating but it’s an crucial step in the event brief process, so don’t shy away from it! When done right, you’ll have an effective roadmap that keeps everyone within the same framework throughout the entire planning process.
Event brief section #7 Speaker wishlist
The seventh section of your event brief should contain your speaker wishlist. It should include information about the speakers you’d like for your event. It should also include information about their job, company, and expertise. That way you can match them with the topics you would like them to cover.
Having a list of speakers you want in your event brief will make it easy for you to quickly identify potential candidates and make the whole process of reaching out to them and getting them on board more efficient. It may also help out when sourcing speakers for future events, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
What to include in this section:
- Name
- Job title
- Company
- Contact info
- Expertise
- Session
- Time commitment*
- Status (Contacted/Confirmed)
*Time commitment: Specify how much time each speaker should be expected to commit to being part of the event such as hours spent participating in pre or post-event activities as well as time spent presenting at the actual event itself.
Event brief section #8 Partners
Partners can be indispensable when it comes to planning an event. Not only can they offer invaluable advice and support, but they can also help promote your event and bring more attendees.
When creating your event brief, add a list of all the partners and sponsors you will work with. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Does the event need any sponsors?
- Are there any organizations that need to be involved?
- Will there be any partnerships or collaborations?
- Are there likely to be any collaborations before or during the event?
- Who will provide logistical support?
Include all relevant partners in your brief, so everyone knows ahead of time who is involved and what their responsibilities are. That way, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards a successful outcome!
What to include in this section:
- AV company
- Event platform
- Sponsors
- Exhibitors
- Catering company
- Emcee
- Producer
- Check-in
- Security
- Onsite coordination
- Onsite participant desk
- Speaker orientation
- Live production
- Live coordination
- Campaign build
- Live interpretation
Event brief section #9 Team members
It’s a good idea to list your colleagues in your event brief too. These are the people involved in putting on the event. Include them so that they are aware of all the event details. Even if they’re not integral to the project, they can act as a support role and help keep track of everything.
Add information about who is responsible for what within each team. This can make it easier for everyone to know their own individual responsibilities and stay on track leading up to your big event.
Include roles such as:
- Event manager
- Design manager
- Finance manager
- Logistics manager
- Marketing & Communications manager
- PR manager
This should serve as a guide, but adapt it based on your individual needs. By creating a list of roles and responsibilities, it will help ensure that everything runs smoothly and nothing gets forgotten in the planning process!
What to include in this event brief section:
- Role
- Name
- Responsibility for this event
- Contact
Event brief section #10 KPIs
How will you know if your event has been a success? From the start of the planning process, you need to set measurable KPIs. That way you can see at the end of your event what worked best and what you should do at future events.
It’s a great idea to have a KPI section in your event brief. It helps make the goals clear for everyone involved so that everyone drives towards the same objectives.
Some event platforms can give you detailed analytics from your event, so you can clearly see if you hit your targets. Some examples of metrics you can track are:
- Number of registrations
- Number of attendees
- Email open and clickthrough rate
- Returning participants
- Engagement rate
- Event app adoption rate
- On-demand content engagement
For more information about what KPIs to put in place, check out our article about the essential event metrics to track.
Event brief section #11 Ideas
This event brief section isn’t mandatory. But we suggest having an extra section for any ideas that come to mind during the planning process.
Of course, ideas should be original, memorable, and tailored to fit the event’s brand and purpose. Brainstorming is key. To ensure that no great idea is overlooked, list out as many unconventional thoughts and concepts as you can think of.
It doesn’t matter if they’re suitable or not. The right concept for a future event could arise when looking through these prospective ideas so don’t be afraid to get creative!
What to include in this event brief section:
- Idea
- Description
- Suggested by
- When
Making an event brief doesn’t have to be hard
Yes, thinking of everything you need to include in your event brief can be time-consuming. But, with careful planning and strategizing, you can craft an exceptional event brief that will make planning your event easy.
And we’ve done a huge chunk of the work for you. Get our well-structured and easy-to-use event brief template and fill it out with all your information. You’ll save yourself so much time! Download your event brief template now.
I’ve created my event brief. What’s next?
Now your event brief is ready, you’re ready to find the event platform that can help you achieve your goals and hit your targets.
Download our event RFP template, fill it out with what you would like an event platform to deliver at your event, and send it to a selection of vendors to see what they have to offer.
If you want to make your life even easier, consider an event platform like SpotMe that helps you create engaging events that audiences love with a team of experts who are always on hand to help. Request a demo today.
