How to brief a show director.

1. Explain what the event needs to achieve

Describe why the event exists and what should change for the audience. A product launch might need guests to understand a new range. A conference opening might need to establish the theme before the first speaker. A gala might bring a business community together around a shared milestone.

Choose the main outcome, then describe how you will judge it. This could be feedback on the clarity of the message, participation in a planned moment or a client review against the agreed creative objectives. Avoid asking a show alone to guarantee a commercial result that depends on many other activities.

2. Describe the people in the room

Include approximate audience size, their relationship with the host, the languages used and their familiarity with the subject. Explain whether they will be seated, standing, moving between rooms or arriving throughout the programme.

Tell the director about accessibility requirements and any limits on audience participation. “Guests can choose to join a short collective moment from their seats” is a more useful starting point than “make it interactive”. For international events, identify who will review language and cultural references with the local team.

3. Separate fixed decisions from open questions

List the date, venue, programme length, confirmed speakers and mandatory brand content. Mark each item as confirmed, provisional or still to be developed. Attach the current floor plan and available venue information, with a date or version so everyone knows what they are reviewing.

References are useful when you explain what you value in them: the pace, scale, atmosphere, audience involvement or relationship between performers and media. A reference from a different venue or budget is a conversation starter, not a production specification.

4. Define the director's scope and the existing team

State whether you need a new concept, development of an approved idea, direction of a specific sequence or support through rehearsals and live delivery. Identify what is already covered by the agency, creative producer, technical director, stage manager and venue.

Agree the expected working materials. Depending on the engagement, these might include a creative treatment, show structure, speaker entrances, multimedia briefs, a rehearsal plan and a cue sequence developed with the responsible departments. Specify who creates the media, who approves it and who calls the show. The Show Direction page outlines how these elements can fit together.

5. Share budget boundaries and preparation time

Give an available budget range and explain what it includes. A fee for show direction and a total production budget cover different things. Clarify whether performers, media production, technical equipment, travel and venue costs sit inside or outside the stated amount.

Include the time available for concept development, content approvals, installation and rehearsals. Ask the production team to confirm the practical constraints before committing to a detailed show sequence. If rehearsal time is limited, make that visible early enough to shape the creative approach.

6. Name the people who make decisions

Identify one person who can consolidate feedback, the people who approve the concept and budget, and the deadlines for each decision. Explain how late changes will be assessed for their effect on content, timing and production.

A simple approval path helps the director develop a coherent version of the show. Conflicting comments from several teams need a shared decision before they become new instructions for performers or technical departments.

What a recurring event adds to the brief

The published BIG DAY series brings together conference content, product presentation, exhibition and live entertainment across successive editions. That kind of project raises an extra question: what should audiences recognise from the previous edition, and what should feel new?

The LUMEN case describes one creative framework adapted to seven venues in Russia and Kazakhstan. For a new touring brief, identify the parts of the audience experience that need to remain consistent and the venue details that are still unknown. The roadshow planning guide explores that distinction in more detail.

These published cases provide context for the questions above. The example below is illustrative and does not reproduce a client brief.

A short example you can adapt

We are planning a product launch for approximately 300 distributors in Bangkok. The event will combine a business presentation and an evening programme. The opening should introduce the new product range and lead into the first speaker.

The event date is provisionally set; the venue shortlist is still under review. The brand identity and key messages are approved. We need support with the opening concept, show structure, speaker entrances and rehearsals. Our agency will manage the venue and suppliers, with a technical director to be appointed.

We will share the production budget range and clarify which costs it covers. The first concept review is planned six weeks before the event. Our marketing lead will consolidate feedback. Rehearsal access, language support and the final media-production scope remain to be agreed.

Your first-brief checklist

• Purpose: what the audience should understand, feel or do.
• Audience: approximate size, languages, participation and access needs.
• Place and time: date, venue or shortlist, programme length and touring locations.
• Current stage: confirmed decisions, existing assets and open questions.
• Scope: what you need from the director and who handles the other work.
• Resources: budget range, what it covers and time for preparation and rehearsals.
• Approvals: decision-makers, feedback contact and key dates.

Copy these headings into an email or project document and add what you know. “To be confirmed” is a useful answer when it clearly identifies a decision for the next conversation.