Brief & discovery: the questions we ask before anything is booked

Every good show starts with the right questions. In the first meeting, on a call or at the venue, we want to understand what the event has to achieve for you: ticket sales, leads, a product launch, brand recall, a celebration, a government programme. We ask who must be in the room, how many people you expect, which dates are fixed and which are flexible, and what money is available.

The output is a one-page brief in plain language. It names the objective, the audience, the date window, the budget band and how success will be measured. You sign it off, and it becomes the document every later decision is checked against.

Photo: Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

What happens in this step

• A 45-minute call or a venue visit with a Showdeck producer
• Objectives and success measures agreed in writing
• Audience, guest list and footfall targets fixed
• Date window, city and venue options reviewed
• Budget band discussed openly, with what each band buys
• Permissions and licences the event will need listed