The Event Staff Briefing Checklist: What to Send Your Agency

4 min read

Picture your brand ambassadors arriving at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre at 8am. If all they know is the stand number, they will spend the morning asking your team what the product does while buyers walk past. If they had a solid brief last week, they will be pitching before the doors open.

Use the checklist below as your template. Work through it, attach the extras, and get it to your agency seven days or more before the event.

Part 1: Getting staff there and signed in

• Venue, full street address and your stand, aisle or store number
• Each shift’s start and finish time, plus bump-in and bump-out if staff are helping
• The staff entrance, where to collect exhibitor passes, and the sign-in process
• Your on-site contact’s name and mobile
• Parking, the nearest train or tram stop, and a safe spot for bags
• The uniform, or the branded shirts and caps you will hand out on arrival

Part 2: What you sell

• A one-line description of the business that staff can repeat word for word
• The exact products or services on show this time
• Three key messages you want every visitor to hear
• Show pricing, bundle deals or discount codes
• Your top five customer questions, with the answers
• Claims staff must avoid, such as health promises or pricing you cannot honour

Part 3: What a win looks like

Staff pace themselves very differently if the goal is 400 samples versus 20 qualified leads. Pick the measure that matters and put a number on it where you can.

• Qualified leads, with your definition of qualified
• Samples poured or handed out
• Demos run or appointments booked
• Units sold on the day
• Competition entries, app installs or social follows

Part 4: How staff should run the stand

• A suggested opener, which staff will adapt to their own style
• Your qualifying questions, ideally no more than three
• The hand-off rule for passing hot prospects to your sales team
• Step-by-step instructions for the demo, sampling or tasting
• The lead capture method, whether a scanning app, an iPad form or paper
• Break times and who covers the stand during them

Running a liquor tasting? Add the retailer’s own rules, the state sample limits and the RSA the staff need. Our guide to tasting and RSA rules by state lays it out.

Part 5: What you want back

• The format of the shift report and the numbers it should include
• Feedback you want captured, like common objections or competitor mentions
• Photo or video content for your socials
• The email address the report goes to and the deadline

Attachments worth including

• The exhibition floor plan with your stand circled
• Product sheets or a five-slide product overview
• A photo of your stand set up at a previous show
• Tone of voice notes from your brand guidelines

Habits of brands that brief well

Lead with the essentials. Logistics and key messages go on page one. Detail can follow.

Give staff a week. That is enough time to learn a product properly. For anything technical, book a 20-minute video call too.

Reuse your template. A consistent format means returning staff spot what has changed in seconds.

Welcome questions. If your agency replies with queries, they have read the brief closely. Answer them early.

Frequently asked questions

How much detail should go in a staff brief?

Two pages covers most events. Put product sheets and floor plans in separate attachments.

How far ahead should the brief go out?

A week before the event is the minimum, with more time for technical or regulated products.

Will I have to train the staff?

Not usually. Your agency trains its team from your brief, and a short call on day one helps with complex ranges.

What happens if plans change after the brief is sent?

Tell your agency contact as soon as you know, so the update reaches every staff member before they start.

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