What to include in your live-streaming event brief

1. Define the audience and the purpose

Describe who will be in the venue and who will watch remotely. Is this a public sporting event, an internal stakeholder update or a conference with remote participants? Explain what viewers should see, hear or understand by the end.

Include how people will find the broadcast. If you already have a preferred platform, registration process or audience access requirement, put it in the brief. If these choices are undecided, flag them for the planning conversation rather than guessing.

2. Share the schedule and the venue details

Provide the event date, venue address, expected start and finish times, and available setup time. Add a draft run sheet if you have one. Identify presentations, panel discussions, audience questions and any changes of room or location.

Name the venue contact who can help with production access, power, audio and internet questions. A short list of confirmed details and open questions is more useful than a polished document that hides uncertainty.

3. Check the connection and plan a real test

Ask the venue about the connection available specifically for production, including upload capacity and whether other users will share it. YouTube's streaming guidance recommends checking outbound bandwidth, allowing headroom and thoroughly testing the setup. A fast download figure alone does not answer the upload question.

Agree a test that includes the intended connection, equipment, sound and viewing experience. Discuss how the team will respond to an interruption and which parts of the production need a backup. The appropriate arrangement depends on the event and should be scoped before the day.

Source: YouTube Help — Streaming tips.

4. Identify speakers, slides and audience participation

List the people appearing on camera and indicate which speakers will join remotely. Note any slides, prepared videos or other presentation material. Agree who supplies the final files and when they will be ready.

For a hybrid event, describe how online viewers will participate. Will they watch only, submit questions or speak directly? Give these interactions a place in the run sheet and assign someone to coordinate them. Include a rehearsal opportunity for remote contributors.

5. Decide what you need after the broadcast

A live stream and a finished edited film are different deliverables. Tell the production team whether you need a full recording, individual sessions, short highlights or clips for your website and social channels. Agree delivery timing and formats as part of the scope.

Confirm who will approve any edits and who will look after publishing. If you want to reuse presentation material or footage, identify any permissions that still need to be confirmed with the people responsible.

Your brief, in one checklist

• Event purpose, audience and preferred viewing platform
• Date, venue, run time and setup access
• Draft run sheet and named event and venue contacts
• In-person and remote speakers, slides and prepared videos
• Available production internet connection and a test plan
• Audience questions, participation and coordination
• Recording, editing, delivery and publishing requirements
• Budget range, priorities and decisions still to be made