The best event coverage I have ever shot started with a really good brief. Not a long one. A clear one. When I know what matters to you before I walk in, I can be in the right place when it happens instead of turning towards it afterwards.
I cover conferences, awards nights, launches, fight nights and live music across Liverpool and the North West, and this is the brief I would love every client to send over. Steal it, fill it in, and your photographer or videographer will thank you.
The short version
- Send the running order. Even a rough one. It tells me where to be and when.
- Name the must haves. The people, sponsors and moments you cannot go home without.
- Say where it is going. Website, LinkedIn, press, Reels, sponsor reports. It changes how I shoot.
- Tell me about the room. Venue, lighting, stage, access and any areas that are off limits.
- Agree the deadline. Same night social posts need a different plan to a gallery next week.
1. The running order
This is the single most useful thing you can send. Doors, welcome, speakers, breaks, awards, the first dance, the headline act. With timings I can plan where each camera sits, when to swap lenses and when to grab the room shots while everyone is still fresh. If the timings move on the day, that is completely normal. I just need to know the shape.
2. The must have people and moments
Every event has a handful of shots that really matter. The CEO on stage. The award winners with the sponsor board. The founder with the keynote speaker. The fighter walking out. Write them down as a short list with names, and if possible point someone out to me on the day who knows who everyone is. That one person saves a lot of guesswork.
3. Where the content is going
Photos for a press release, a highlights film for next year’s ticket sales, vertical Reels for Instagram and TikTok, sponsor reports. Each one wants something slightly different. Vertical social content is framed differently from a landscape film, and press images need clean, simple frames. Tell me the plan and I will shoot for all of it on the day. It is much easier than trying to crop your way there afterwards.
4. The venue and the light
Let me know the venue and what the room is like. Is it a bright conference hall, a dark club, a cathedral, a ringside setup? I can work with the light the room gives me, bring my own, or plan it with the venue’s lighting tech team so the stage looks as good on camera as it does from the seats. It also helps to know about access: stage passes, photo pits, green rooms and any areas that are off limits.
5. Branding, logos and sponsors
If your logo or a sponsor’s needs to appear on the photos or in the film, send it over with the brief. The same goes for any sponsor boards, stands or products that need to be clearly seen in shot. It is far easier to plan those frames than to find them later.
6. Deadlines
Do you want a few photos the same night for social? A highlights film within the week? The full gallery in 24 or 48 hours? Agree it up front and it becomes part of the plan, not a scramble.
Your event brief checklist
Send over before the day
- Date, venue and arrival time
- Running order with rough timings
- Must have people, with names and roles
- Must have moments: speeches, awards, reveals, performances
- Where the content is going: web, press, social, sponsors
- Photos, video or both, and vertical, landscape or both
- Logos or sponsor branding to include
- Delivery deadlines
On the day
- One contact who knows everyone
- Access sorted: passes, stage, green room
- Any changes to the running order
Questions organisers ask
How far ahead should I send the brief?
A week before is ideal for most events, so there is time for a quick call to go through it together. For big conferences or multi day events, earlier is better. A rough version early and a final running order a few days before works really well.
What if the running order changes on the day?
It nearly always does, and that is fine. Once I know the must haves and the shape of the day, I can adapt as things move. Just give me a shout if something big shifts, like an award being moved or a speaker dropping out.
Do I need a separate brief for photography and video?
No. One brief covers both. When I shoot photos and video on the same booking, I plan them together so nothing important gets missed on either.
More guides for event organisers: How to get Reels, photos and a film from one event and Questions to ask before you book an event photographer.
Got an event coming up?
Send me the brief and let’s plan it together
Tell me the date, the venue and what the day needs, and I will come back with availability and a clear quote.