Buyer worries, capacity and internal approval
How to brief a new event consultant without starting again
The previous consultant has gone or the committee wants a fresh pair of hands, and nobody wants to repeat six months of decisions.
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The short answer
Brief a new consultant with a handover pack, not a conversation: the decisions already made and why, the decisions still open with owners, the commitments to suppliers, and the people who must be consulted. Then ask the consultant to play it back to you in writing before they act.
The pack lets the consultant start from where you are, and the play-back catches misunderstandings while they are cheap.
Separate what is settled from what is open
The most common reason a handover restarts work is that the new person cannot tell a decision from a suggestion. Sort every item into one of three groups: decided and recorded, decided but not recorded, and still open.
Anything in the middle group needs a short confirmation from the committee or the person who made the call, then a line in the decision log.
What the handover pack contains
- The original brief and any later changes, with dates.
- Decision log, including decisions that were reversed and the reason.
- Programme status: speakers confirmed, invited, declined, and who is dealing with each.
- Supplier and venue list with the status of quotations, agreements and deposits.
- Budget position, what is committed, and who approves changes.
- Communications already sent to members, speakers or sponsors, and any promises made informally.
- Names and roles of everyone with a say, using a responsibility matrix.
Run a handover meeting that settles things
- Send the pack at least two working days ahead so the consultant arrives with questions.
- Walk through open decisions first, not the history.
- Let the committee chair or CEO state in the room what the consultant may decide, what needs approval and what needs a committee vote.
- Introduce the consultant to suppliers by the person they already know, with a written note of the new contact.
- Ask for a written play-back within a few days: what they understand is decided, open, at risk and next.
Risks to name up front
| Risk | What to do |
|---|---|
| Informal commitments never recorded | Ask committee members and the outgoing person for anything promised verbally, and write it down. |
| Suppliers unsure who to listen to | Send one message to suppliers naming the new contact and the effective date. |
| The previous consultant owns the files | Request the plan, contact lists and documents be transferred in a shared location the organiser controls. |
| Authority unclear | State approval limits in writing before the consultant signs or commits anything. |
| The new consultant redesigns what already works | Ask them to list proposed changes separately, with reasons, for the committee to accept or decline. |
Worked example · Fictional example
A mid-project handover, ten weeks out
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The secretariat of a fictional medical device association brings in a new consultant ten weeks before its annual conference after the previous consultant leaves. The pack lists 14 decisions: nine decided and recorded, three decided but never written down, and two open.
At the meeting, the chair confirms the three unrecorded decisions and sets a committee date for the two open ones. The consultant's written play-back identifies that one speaker invitation was promised verbally by a board member and not yet sent, which is then added to the log and assigned.
Use this yourself
Consultant handover checklist
Complete before the first meeting and send with the pack.
- Original brief and change history attached
- Decision log attached, with reversed decisions and reasons
- Decisions still open: owner and decision date for each
- Decisions made but not recorded: confirmed by whom, and when
- Speaker status list with owners
- Supplier and venue list with quotations, agreements, deposits
- Budget position and approval limits
- Informal promises made to members, speakers or sponsors
- Who the consultant may decide, who approves, what goes to committee
- Shared location for plan, contacts and files
- Message to suppliers naming the new contact and date
- Written play-back requested within agreed days
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The outgoing person is still available for a short handover.
- The decision log and supplier files are up to date.
- The scope given to the new consultant is the same as before.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The previous consultant left abruptly and records are partial.
- Nobody on the committee can say clearly what has been decided.
- The conference is close and the handover cannot take weeks.
Need the handover pack built from what exists?
A conference project lead can reconstruct the decision log from emails and minutes, check supplier and speaker status, confirm authority with the chair, and brief the new consultant. The goal is to protect the work already done and move to the open decisions quickly.
Questions organisers ask
How much history does a new consultant need?
Enough to understand why decisions were made, not every email. A decision log with reasons, plus status lists, is usually sufficient.
Should the outgoing consultant brief the new one?
Yes, if available and cooperative. Keep it to one structured session and a written pack, with the organiser present.
How do we avoid the new person undoing earlier decisions?
Mark recorded decisions as fixed unless the committee reopens them, and have the consultant raise any proposed change separately.
Related resources
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