If the mere thought of compiling an event brief that accurately conveys your brand’s needs has you breaking out in hives, worry not. Terry Sutherland has put together a list of the essential elements your event brief should contain.
1 A BACKGROUND ON PAST EVENTS It’s essential that the company is familiar with the types of events that you have held in the past. Crucial information to include: What was the event about? Who were the guests? What were the expectations of this event? The length of this section differs – it can be as short as two lines, or as long as two pages. Your background must be explained in such a way that the event company walks away with a thorough understanding of your brand’s previous events.
2 THE HOLY COWS As you may have guessed by the name, this section of an event brief contains the meat of the brief. This is where you’ll include absolute no-nos, for example, don’t use red as a decor accent if that’s the colour of the competing brand’s logo, or, don’t use a particular caterer if the company has had a dismal past experience with them. Include as much information here as possible, including specifications such as an aversion to the colour pink, or the fact that under no circumstances are Brand X’s products to be used.
3 THE RATIONALE The rationale explains the reasons behind the event – what does your company want to achieve by holding this event? What message needs to be conveyed? What needs to be done to create an emotional connection with the guests? What is the best way of achieving this? For example, if you’re planning an internal educational event for a workforce consisting of semi-literate employees, achieving these objectives could involve the use of an educational play. In short, what are the most audience-appropriate means of achieving this?
4 THE OBJECTIVES The objectives of an event are influenced by your marketing objectives. These can range from wanting people to walk away with a clearer understanding of the brand, wanting the EXCO team to get closer to the staff, or wanting to motivate employees or inform clients about a new product or services.
5 THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF YOUR GUESTS Factors including the age, gender and occupation of your guests dictate the way that your event needs to communicate with them. While a line-up of cutting edge bands will resonate with one segment, it won’t be appreciated by a guest list consisting of older guests who’d prefer a jazz quartet, for example. In the same vein, nouveau-cuisine might appeal to a certain demographic, but alienate another. Importantly, your objectives must line up with your demographics.
6 THE BUDGET The amount of money allocated to an event plays a pivotal role in directing the ways in which your event is able to meet your brand’s objectives. Including a stringent budget in your event brief ensures that an event company doesn’t spend hours conceptualising creative ideas that are impossible to realise within a limited budget. If you’re not strict with your budget, the event’s expectations can end up running away from you. Make absolutely sure that your event planning company is aware that it is working within a fixed framework, in order to avoid any costly last minute additions.
Terry Sutherland is the founder of The RSVP Agency and has extensive experience in the development of RSVP solutions for clients across industries. rsvpagency.co.za
