Event Brief Template

What an event brief includes

Keep it to one or two pages. A brief nobody reads in full is worse than a short one that everyone does. These are the parts most briefs need:

Event brief template

Copy the text below. Where you do not know an answer yet, write that down rather than leaving the line out, so the planner knows what to help you decide.

EVENT BRIEF
Event name (working title): [name]
Prepared by: [name, role]    Date: [date]    Version: [number]

1. BACKGROUND
About us: [two or three sentences]
Why this event, why now: [reason]
Previous events and what we learned: [notes, or first event]

2. GOALS
Main goal: [one sentence]
Secondary goals: [list]
How we will measure success: [attendance, leads, revenue, satisfaction, other]

3. AUDIENCE
Who should attend: [roles, industries, customers, members]
Expected number: [number or range]
What they want from the event: [description]
Accessibility and language needs: [description]

4. FORMAT AND DATES
Format: [in person / virtual / hybrid]
Preferred dates: [dates and alternatives]
Length: [hours or days]
Location or region: [description]

5. PROGRAMME IDEAS
Fixed elements: [keynote, speakers, sponsors, awards]
Open elements: [what we want help with]
Tone and feel: [for example, formal, relaxed, creative]

6. BUDGET
Total: [amount]    Includes: [list]    Excludes: [list]
Income expected: [ticket sales, sponsorship, none]

7. CONSTRAINTS AND MUST-HAVES
Brand guidelines: [link or notes]
Approvals needed: [who and when]
Things to avoid: [list]

8. TEAM AND DECISIONS
Decision maker: [name]    Day-to-day contact: [name, email, phone]
Other stakeholders: [names]

9. TIMELINE
Proposals due: [date]    Decision by: [date]
Event announced: [date]    Registration opens: [date]
Event date: [date]    Report due: [date]

10. WHAT WE WANT BACK
[Proposal format, number of options, level of detail, budget breakdown]

How to write a brief that works

A complete brief is not always a useful one. These habits make the difference:

• Lead with the goal, not the idea

  If the brief says "a gala dinner" before it says what the event is for, you will get gala dinners. State the outcome and let the planner propose the format.

• Be honest about the budget

  A planner who knows the real figure designs for it. Hiding it wastes proposals on both sides.

• Separate fixed from open

  Say what cannot change, such as the date or the keynote, and what you want advice on. It tells the planner where creativity is welcome.

• Name one decision maker

  A brief that goes to five approvers produces five sets of changes. Name who decides and who only comments.

• Say what success looks like

  Give the number or the outcome. It lets you judge proposals and, later, the event.

• Share what you learned

  If there was a previous event, say what worked and what did not. It is the most valuable page you can add.

From brief to plan with Eventdex

Eventdex does not create or store event briefs, and it is not an agency. It is the software an event is then built and run on, once the brief has set the goals. The pages that cover that stage are:

• Planning tools

  Floor plans, seating charts, registration and tickets, guest lists, the agenda and the event app, in one platform.

  Event planning software

• Registration

  Branded registration pages, ticket types, promo codes and confirmation emails, and previously built events can be recreated for recurring events.

  Event registration software

• Onsite and measurement

  Check-in and badges on the day, and attendance reporting to compare against the goals you wrote in the brief.

  Onsite event management software