Decorating a single table, curating a specific playlist, or drafting a welcome sign will make an event seem thrilling in theory, but they cannot address the most pressing planning questions. Decorations will not feel right in context until the event has a concise brief that outlines the purpose of the event, the identity of the attendees, potential locations, and the objectives the event should accomplish on the day. Without the brief, these micro-decisions will pull the plan into conflicting directions.
An event brief does not need to be lengthy. One page should suffice for a first-timer. Start by defining the purpose of the event in plain language: whether the purpose is a birthday dinner, a workshop, community discussion, or a small scale product presentation. Each purpose will require different timing, seating arrangement, guest flow and supplier communications. If the purpose is undefined, creating a timeline will become more difficult, as one would not know which moments should take precedence.
The following section is the audience. Don’t just write down “guests” as a general descriptor, but define them in concrete terms. Will they be acquaintances of one another, parent-child pairs, first time visitors, co-workers or attendees from a variety of locations? This will affect guest check-in, way-finding signage, seating, breaks or if more time should be allotted to explaining the schedule. This can be helpful to create a list for the spreadsheet, but the purpose of the brief is to define the types of guest experiences the planner is trying to achieve.
Next is event format. This is where early events may become too broad. For example, a vague idea such as a nice evening event is less useful than a description like a seated dinner which includes a two hour event length, a short opening welcome, one activity, a dinner break and a closing time. The lengthier description allows one to develop an event agenda, the amount of time needed to arrive at the location and set up, notes to caterers and a clear end time. The description of the event also helps determine if the idea will fit within the timeframe, space or budget limits of the event.
A helpful exercise can be taking one example event and writing down five items: The purpose of the event, the target audience, event format, location requirements, and required experiences. Do not include things like colours, flowers, music or menus. Review the five items and see if someone not involved with the event could easily understand what must take place. If the answer is no, the brief may not be concise enough and should be clarified in advance of a full planning checklist.
Constraints also belong in the brief. These can be simple notes like a tight arrival and set up window, the need for clear directions to the event, suppliers needing to arrive early, or space requirements within a venue room. Constraints are not bad things, they help guide a plan and keep it from becoming too ambitious. They also strengthen vendor outreach and quotes as you provide them with a date, time, quantity, location and service needs instead of a vague request.
Once the event brief is clear, choosing decorations becomes much easier as each piece will serve a purpose. Way-finding signage, table settings to support guest flow, event lighting to support the format. The brief helps keep all these things in mind, keeping all items within the framework of the event purpose. This prevents the plan from becoming a disjointed series of unrelated elements. Before moving on to the fun things like décor, make sure that the brief can be used as a guide to the planning timeline, task list, and event run sheet. If the answer is yes, the event foundation is stronger.