Never Plan An Event Without this.

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Hi there!


In speaking with new clients, I’m often shocked about the lack of a single SOT (source of truth) outlining the purpose of an event and why they are planning one. So for this week’s Gianna’s Gem, let’s talk about the importance of establishing an Event Brief before you start creating a pinterest board or reaching out to your first speaker.

Creating an Event Brief is crucial for the success of any event, whether it's an offsite, a product launch, or a large-scale conference, tradeshow, or even a dinner series. Creating a crisp, comprehensive 1-2 page Event Brief is important to establish a solid foundation for the entire event planning and execution process. 

It becomes your roadmap, guiding all aspects of the event and ensuring that everyone involved (both internal and external vendors) work towards the same goals.

Establishing this level of clarity and organization is one easy way to significantly increase the chances of hosting a successful and impactful event.

Need more convincing? Below are the benefits to establishing an event brief:

  1. Set Clear Objectives and Measurable Outcomes:

    • Includes/defines the purpose and goals of the event

    • Ensures all stakeholders are aligned on KPI’s are and what success looks like

    • Provides a basis for post-event evaluation (ROI/ROO)

  2. Scope Clarification:

    • Outlines the size, budget, and key elements to include in the event

    • Helps prevent scope creep during planning and execution (see last week’s Gianna’s Gem’s on managing this via Cost/Schedule/Features method!)

  3. Target Audience Identification:

    • Clarifies who the event is for and who is is not for

    • Clarification on key audience/s guide decisions on content, format, and marketing strategies

  4. Resource Allocation:

    • Helps in estimating and allocating budget, time, and team resources

    • Aids in identifying potential for external support via freelancers, consultants or agency partners

  5. Consistency in Communication:

    • Serves as a reference point for all team members and vendors

    • Ensures everyone is working with the same information

  6. Risk Management:

    • Identifies potential challenges or constraints early

    • Allows for proactive problem-solving and contingency planning

  7. Team, Stakeholder and Vendor Briefing:

    • Helps share details internally, specially when onboarding new team members to the project

    • Acts as a proposal document for getting approval from decision-makers

    • Helps in securing necessary support and resources

    • Offers clear guidelines for external partners and suppliers and obtaining accurate quotes and proposals

  8. Creative Direction:

    • Sets the tone, theme, and style of the event

    • Guides branding and design decisions


9. Budget Management:

    • Provides a framework for cost estimation and control

    • Helps in prioritizing spending based on event objectives

10. Post Event Analysis:

    • Post-Event Analysis:

    • Provides a benchmark against which to measure the event's success

    • Facilitates meaningful post-event reporting and lessons learned

    • I also like to include links to previous event iterations surveys/photos in Event Briefs as a reference point.

There are organizations, like Amazon, which will not allow any project to move forward without a brief. This may sound extreme, but is great organizational hygiene for all the reasons outlined above. 

If you’re not sure what to include or where to start, shoot me a note and I can share my template with you. Go get ‘em!