Speakers and moderators
How to write a speaker session brief
The speaker said yes, and now needs to know what you want from the 30 minutes, not just the title.
Opens WhatsApp with a draft you can edit before sending. Nothing is sent automatically.
The short answer
A session brief tells a confirmed speaker what the session is for, who is in the room, the exact time and format, who else is on stage, what technical set-up exists, what is due and when, and who to call. It is shorter than the invitation and more specific.
Write only what has been confirmed. Mark anything still open with an owner and a date, and never invent a speaker biography, fee, hotel booking or consent.
How the brief differs from the invitation
The invitation helped the speaker decide to accept. The session brief helps them prepare and arrive.
It repeats nothing that is not needed and adds the operational detail the speaker could not know when invited.
Sections of the brief
| Section | Content | Check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| Session purpose | What the audience should take away, in one or two sentences. | Matches the session objective. |
| Audience | Who, how many in range, level and language. | Registration profile or expected range. |
| Time and slot | Date, start and end, slot position, how time is split between talk and questions. | Time confirmed in the run-of-show. See keynote placement if it is a keynote. |
| Format | Single talk, panel, workshop, interview, in person or remote. | Programme owner approval. |
| Other people in the session | Moderator, co-speakers, chair, by role where names are not yet confirmed. | Only confirmed names. |
| Technical set-up | What is on stage and in the room, how slides are shown, whether a clicker or video is possible. | Ask the venue and audio-visual supplier to confirm in writing. |
| Deadlines | Slide submission, biography, rehearsal, technical check. See slide deadlines. | Dates agreed. |
| Arrival and logistics | Arrival window, who meets the speaker, where to report. Detail in the logistics form. | Liaison named. |
| Recording and materials | Whether the session may be recorded, and that permission is handled separately. See recording permissions. | Decision made by the organiser. |
| Contacts | Speaker liaison and programme owner, with the channel to use on the day. | Names confirmed. |
Order of work
- Collect the confirmed facts from the programme owner, the venue and the audio-visual supplier.
- Draft the brief with the speaker briefing generator, leaving unknown fields open.
- Ask the programme owner to approve the content and the deadlines.
- Send it to the speaker with a request to confirm receipt and flag problems.
- Record the date sent and any questions, then reissue if the programme changes.
Items to avoid
- Guessing at room size, screen format or microphone type.
- Setting a time without confirming it against the run-of-show.
- Mentioning fees or travel terms unless approved. Direct questions to a named finance contact.
- Copying text from the invitation that has since changed.
Worked example · Fictional example
A brief for a 40 minute session
Fictional organisation and figures. No real person is named.
A fictional professional association confirms a speaker for a 40 minute afternoon session. The brief states the purpose, a 30 minute talk and 10 minutes of questions, the audience range, and a slide deadline set by the programme owner.
Where the screen format was not yet confirmed by the venue, the brief says: To be confirmed by the audio-visual supplier, owner programme coordinator, date. A week later the brief was reissued with the confirmed format and a note of what changed.
Use this yourself
Speaker session brief template
Copy and fill in. Leave unknown items as: Not yet decided, owner, date.
- Session title and purpose (what the audience should take away):
- Date, start and end time, slot position:
- Time split: talk and questions:
- Audience: who, range of numbers, level, language:
- Format: single talk, panel, workshop, in person or remote:
- Others in the session (by role if not confirmed):
- Stage and room set-up as confirmed by the venue or supplier:
- How slides and video are shown, and how files are submitted:
- Deadlines: slides, biography, rehearsal, technical check:
- Arrival window, where to report, who meets the speaker:
- Recording and materials: handled by a separate permission:
- Speaker liaison and programme owner contacts, and channel on the day:
- Open items with owner and date:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The programme is small and the same coordinator handles all speakers.
- Technical and venue facts have been confirmed in writing.
- Few speakers and no complex travel.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many speakers, sessions and suppliers need briefs that agree with each other.
- Facts keep changing and nobody reissues the brief.
- Several people are in touch with speakers and the messages differ.
Need speakers briefed and kept up to date?
A conference project lead can draft each session brief from confirmed facts, check them against the run-of-show and supplier requirements, reissue them when the programme changes and track acknowledgements. Content decisions stay with your committee. Send your programme and the facts you have confirmed.
Questions organisers ask
How early should the session brief go out?
As soon as the speaker confirms and the time and format are fixed. Reissue when anything changes, with the new version marked.
Should the brief include the speaker's biography?
Only a request for it and the deadline. Use the biography the speaker supplies or approves. Never write or invent one for them.
What if the technical set-up is not known yet?
Say it is to be confirmed, by whom and by when. Do not guess. Reissue when the venue or supplier confirms.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.