5 questions you must ask during your event briefing

When planning a conference or event, knowing the right questions to ask during the event briefing is a crucial first part of the event process. Whether you are an in-house event planner or an event agency, asking the right questions ensures that if your client or manager is either heavily involved in what you are doing, or absent from the event planning process, you are unified by the comprehensive answers that have informed the direction of the planning process from day one.

1. Why are you having this event, what do you plan to achieve and how do your objectives align with those of your audience?

We encourage our clients to include events within their overall marketing and communicate strategy to maximise the outcome of all their efforts. The event design, planning process, and financial goals will differ if your aim is networking, increasing brand awareness, communicating your new strategy, or increasing employee retention. And very importantly, when, and how will you know that your event was successful? With the ever-increasing competition when it comes to your audience’s attention and ongoing pressure on budgets, getting this first step right is crucial.

2. How much can you spend and who is paying?

The majority of the events we organise do not aim to make financial profit, though the attendees do contribute towards the costs. Having an upfront discussion on who picks up the bill and how much your content and experience is worth to your audience is important as it sets the expectations for all stakeholders. Budgeting for an event is a complex process, and we suggest being realistic on what can be achieved with your means. Even with the best intentions and hard negotiations, you may want to move the event’s location, consider different accommodation categories, or limit food options. This will enable you to offer an amazing experience without the added pressure on your finances. Consider utilising incentive schemes available at many destinations or temporary special offers from venues, and always, always include healthy contingency.

3. What are your expected attendee numbers?

Understanding your forecasted attendees’ number is vital, though we understand that in the ever-changing environment and audience habits, getting these numbers right is challenging. Over the last year, we have seen a continuous trend of underestimating attendance. This means the event’s budget is based on a lower attendance but since the brief is based on ‘anywhere between 100-350’, the venues are booked to accommodate the higher number. Having some contingency is great, but with such a wide range, you may end up paying for a space you do not need and the cost per person will be unnecessarily pushed up. Read our article on ‘how to increase attendee numbers through effective communication’ to help you reach your attendee goals. On the other end of the scale is a highly overestimated attendance number, which will also result in similar issues unless contingency plans are in place. Keeping historical data from your previous events, checking your audience’s interest in advance and including healthy attrition into your contracts will all help you to manage your financial liabilities.

4. When are your major deadlines?

Understanding the major deadlines for the marketing campaign, registration, confirming speakers, agenda, and how these relate to each other, will enable your event planner to work efficiently. We all understand how tasks get delayed for various reasons. Very often we see that milestones get postponed, and in this case we must make any stakeholders involved aware of the knock on effect to the rest of the planning process. Some situations just happen and you will need to react promptly, but many can be avoided if the milestones and the reasons behind them are communicated clearly with everyone involved.

5. What are the non-negotiables?

Finally, make sure you are aware of any non-negotiables. Find out what elements the event must have whether that is a central location with adequate transport links, a sustainable venue, great wi-fi connection or easy disabled accessibility. What is on your ‘nice to have but not so crucial’ list? This second list may help you to maximise your budget and focus on what is important. One of the benefits of working with an event agency year on year is that they will keep a record of these non-negotiables, ensuring that they are thought of for future events.

Asking the right questions early on during the event briefing will make it easier for you to plan your entire event process and justify your choices. Framing your event planning process around these questions will enable a strategic prioritisation and organisation of your event that impresses the stakeholders involved and reflects the vision of what event success looks like, as discussed in the brief.

Book a FREE call with one of our event experts today for further advice!