How to Write an AV Brief for Your Event

Every event organizer has lived this: you send an AV quote request to three vendors, and you get back three proposals that are impossible to compare. One includes setup, the other does not. One proposes an LED screen, the other a projector. One quotes production management separately, another bundles it into a package. The problem is almost never the vendor — it is the brief. A well-written brief eliminates ambiguity and lets you compare offers on identical scope.

An AV brief must answer 5 fundamental questions. 1. What is the event? (Format, objective, number of participants, duration.) 2. Where is it taking place? (Venue, room dimensions, technical access, available electrical power.) 3. What do participants need to see and hear? (Presentations, videos, speeches, music, livestream.) 4. What production level is expected? (Basic/functional, intermediate/professional, premium/show.) 5. What is the budget envelope? (A range, not an exact figure.)

Section 1: Event description. Include: date and times (including setup and teardown), venue with full address, room dimensions or capacity in people, expected attendance, detailed format (plenary, breakouts, cocktail, dinner), and whether the venue has an in-house AV team or exclusive vendor requirement. That last item fundamentally changes the brief — if the venue mandates an exclusive vendor, comparing external vendors is pointless.

Section 2: Audio requirements. Do not specify equipment models — describe what you need to achieve. Example: '4 wireless microphones for a panel of 4 speakers, sound system for 200 people in a 300m² room, stage monitors for speakers, background music during breaks.' The vendor recommends the right equipment. Specify the number of simultaneous speaking positions, whether live instruments are planned, and whether simultaneous interpretation is needed.

Section 3: Video requirements. Include: the number and preferred size of screens or projection surfaces, the type of content being displayed (PowerPoint, video, live camera feed), whether video recording is needed, whether a livestream is planned (and which platform), and how many cameras are needed. Important: specify whether the room can be blacked out — this determines whether a projector is adequate or an LED screen is required. An LED screen costs 3–5x more than a projector but works in full ambient light.

Section 4: Lighting requirements. Minimum: stage lighting sufficient for cameras to capture a clear image and the audience to see the speaker's face. Beyond that: ambient lighting (LED uplights to color the room), stage lighting (moving heads, spots, effects), and architectural lighting. Describe the desired atmosphere: 'professional and understated seminar' or 'spectacular evening with lighting effects' — this guides the vendor more effectively than a list of equipment.

Section 5: Technical logistics. These details turn an estimated quote into a precise one: loading dock access (dock, freight elevator, stairs), available electrical power (3-phase, number of 32A outlets), ceiling height (critical for screens and overhead lighting), noise constraints (city center venue, permitted setup hours), and a floor plan if available. Serious vendors will insist on a technical site visit — always accept.

Section 6: Budget and conditions. Share a budget range: '$8,000–$15,000 net for the complete technical production.' This lets the vendor propose a proportionate solution rather than over-speccing to impress or under-speccing to win on price. Specify your conditions: quote deadline, selection criteria (price, equipment quality, references, dedicated crew availability), and whether you want two scenarios (one at the lower budget, one at the higher).

Mistakes to avoid in your brief. Don't ask for 'all necessary AV equipment' without describing the event. Don't request quotes in 24 hours for a complex event. Don't ask for pricing on 10 different configurations — 2 or 3 scenarios maximum. And never skip the technical site visit: a vendor who quotes a complex event without seeing the space is giving you a quote based on assumptions — and assumptions become change orders.

Tools like CueQuote can actually replace the traditional brief process for many events. Describe your event in plain language and get a production plan with equipment recommendations and budget estimates in under two minutes. For complex events that still need competitive bidding, the CueQuote output makes a far better brief than anything you would write from scratch. Try CueQuote free.

A brief and a proposal mirror each other. The AV proposal template shows what a supplier should send back.