Reviews
Part of How to assess event marketing suppliers
Event marketing selection checklist: evidence to request by event type
An event marketing selection checklist for England: the evidence to request from an agency for a ticketed consumer, political or corporate delegate event.
What to take away
- The checks change with the event. A ticketed consumer event, a political campaigning event and a corporate delegate event each need different evidence from an agency.
- Consumer protection duties under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 shape how you price, advertise and refund tickets.
- For political or campaigning events, the ICO publishes guidance on personal data, and an agency that has not read it is a risk.
- Corporate registration and ticketing features should be checked against the platform's own business documentation, such as Eventbrite for business.
- Whatever the event, every agency should supply a data protection policy, a complaints route and a named regulatory contact.
Which checks does your type of event need?
Sort the event first, then ask for the evidence that fits it. Each row below names the body that sets or enforces the rules, the proof to request and the answer that should worry you. Every row sits on top of the baseline pack described further down.
| Event type | Who sets or enforces the rules | Proof to request | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticketed consumer event | CMA and Trading Standards | A sample booking page showing the full ticket price up front, written refund terms, the name of whoever signs off ticket copy | Fees that appear only at the last payment step |
| Political or campaigning event | ICO | A written account of how personal data is collected, used and kept, and which rules apply to its messages | No clear answer on who controls the data |
| Corporate delegate event | The platform's own documentation | A live demonstration of invoicing, delegate lists, accessibility requests and check-in | Features described but never shown |
A mixed event, such as a ticketed conference with a campaigning element, takes the checks from both rows.
Ticketed consumer events: price, advertise, refund
Consumer-facing events sit under their own duties, and the Competition and Markets Authority and local Trading Standards enforce them. Ask the agency to show how its campaign copy and booking pages handle price, advertising claims and refunds before it presents.
The Consumers Act 2024 targets drip pricing, where mandatory fees surface only late in the booking. It also bans fake reviews. So ask where each testimonial in the agency's sample copy came from, and whether the headline ticket price is the price a buyer pays.
Cancellation rights depend on the ticket. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 treat tickets for a leisure event on a fixed date differently from ordinary distance sales, so ask which rule the agency's terms rely on. Test these answers during scoring, not after signing.
The event marketing agency reviews piece shows how to probe an agency's replies on those points. Ask who writes the ticket terms and who signs them off. If the agency drafts them, your team still owns the promise made to customers.
Political and campaigning events: personal data first
Political and campaigning events put personal data at the centre, so read the regulator's guidance before any agency presents. The ICO says its guidance for political campaigning helps those processing personal data comply with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and PECR.
Put three questions to each agency, in writing:
- Has it read this guidance, and how does it shape the way it collects and stores data?
- Who is the controller of the supporter or delegate list, you or the agency?
- Which of its messages fall under PECR, and how does it record consent for them?
An agency that has not read the guidance is a risk. Ask for its data protection policy and compare the answers side by side. A vague reply to a direct question is information in itself, and it belongs in the scoring notes.
Corporate delegate events: platform features
Ticketing and registration platforms carry their own terms. Check whether the platform supports corporate invoicing, delegate lists, accessibility requests and on-site check-in. Ask the agency to demonstrate each feature, not describe it.
Platform feature checks
- Corporate invoicing
- Delegate lists
- Accessibility requests
- On-site check-in
- Who controls delegate data
- Processor or controller role
Ask who controls the delegate data, and whether the platform acts as a processor or a controller. The answer changes what your privacy notice must say.
Corporate event management features are documented by the platforms themselves. The Eventbrite business page lists registration, payment and reporting tools aimed at corporate organisers. Use it as a benchmark when comparing agency recommendations.
Do not accept a platform choice just because the agency has used it before. Ask which features map to your delegate journey, and which do not.
The baseline pack every event type needs
Whatever the event, selection starts with evidence, not persuasion. Ask each agency for its data protection policy, its complaints handling route and its named contact for regulatory queries. If those do not arrive, the agency is not ready for a regulated campaign.
Agency document pack checklist
- Data protection policy
- Complaints handling route
- Named regulatory contact
- Public liability cover evidence
- Complaints log
- Deadline for document packs
Set a deadline for document packs. A pack that arrives after shortlisting closes should score as incomplete. Waiting for it teaches every bidder that deadlines are optional.
Ask for evidence of public liability cover and a complaints log. An agency that cannot produce either is unlikely to manage risk on the day. Once the pack is complete, you can write the agency brief with confidence.
Common questions
Which event type needs the most checks?
None is exempt. A mixed event takes the extra checks of every type it touches, on top of the baseline pack.
Do I need a checklist for a small event?
Yes. A half-day workshop with 30 delegates still involves personal data, payment terms and platform choices. A short version of the same checklist works.
Who decides what a platform can do?
The platform's own business documentation does. Use it to check any claim an agency makes about invoicing, delegate lists or check-in.
What if no agency supplies a complete pack?
Reopen the shortlist. A weak field is a signal to widen the search, not to lower the bar.
