The team representing your brand only knows what you tell them before they start, whether in a store or at a conference. A good briefing fits on a couple of pages and takes ten minutes to read.
What you sell and to whom
Describe the product or service in sentences that can be repeated standing up, in front of someone. Say which audience matters to you, so the team knows who is worth a longer conversation.
The messages you want people to take away
Choose a few and put them in order. If there is something new or an offer, put it first. Add the questions people usually ask, with their answers, because the team will hear them again and again.
What to do with each contact
Explain how details are collected (form, tablet or cards), what you need to know about each person and who gets a promising lead on the spot. If people have to consent to something about their data, say so too.
The space, inside
A floor plan or a few photos help a lot: where the materials, samples, storeroom and phone charging point are. Include the schedule and the breaks.
Who decides
Give the name and phone number of the person from your company who will be there each day, and of the agency contact. Make clear what the team can sort out on its own and what it must check first.
When to send it
Early enough to read it calmly before the first day. If you can, spend a few minutes going through it on site at the start: that is when the questions come up.
At A10 we send the team the event information before the first day, and your account executive answers any questions that come up.
More in our guides to planning an in-store promotion and choosing an agency.