Tips for Briefing an Event Agency on AR Experiences
AR is exciting, doesn’t it?. However, reality hits fast: the majority of initial ideas are missing critical details. The client asks for “something interactive” – and the event agency is left scratching their heads.
In this article, I’ll share practical tips for communicating AR needs to planners on AR activations. If you’re a marketing director, these tips will save you money.
Why AR Briefs Go Wrong So Often
I’ll be honest with you: Most people don’t understand AR. They’ve seen Pokémon Go. But that’s like saying “I know cars because I’ve driven one.”
Data from 2024 that over 60% of event planners can’t distinguish between AR, VR, and mixed reality. That’s not an insult – it’s a learning opportunity.
So here’s the result: A client briefs “AR experience”. The production team thinks something way off base. Time is lost. Experienced firms have seen this happen – which is exactly why clear briefs matter.
Tip One: Define Your “Why” Before Your “What”
Don’t even bring up “face filters,” get clear on: “What problem does AR solve?”
Strong purposes might be:
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“We need to show a product that hasn’t been manufactured yet.”
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“We want to extend engagement beyond the event.”
“The demographic is Gen Z and young millennials.”
A weak reason is: “Our competitor had an AR booth.”
A great event agency will ask you “why” repeatedly. Welcome those questions. They’re not being difficult and ensuring you don’t waste money on the wrong tech.
Tip Two: Describe the User Journey, Not Just the Technology
This stage is where agencies get frustrated. You’ll see language like “people interact with digital elements on screen.” That’s missing 90% of what matters.
Do this instead: Walk through each moment of the participant flow.
Consider this: “A guest walks up to a seemingly empty space. On their personal phone, they scan a QR code. Once they allow access, a 3D animation starts playing. The animation explains key features. They can rotate the view by moving their phone. This takes 30 seconds. The app offers to save a video to their camera roll.”
That level of detail is gold to an AR developer. Experienced AR partners can quote accurately from that brief. Vague descriptions get you ballpark estimates that double later.
Whose Phone Is It Anyway?
This single choice completely changes price, execution, and happiness.
BYOD means people download an app or visit a website. Pros: You don’t buy 500 iPads. Disadvantages: App compatibility issues.
Agency-supplied hardware means the event staff distributes iPads, HoloLens, or specialty devices. Upsides: You control the environment. Cons: Staff to hand out and collect.
Your brief must state: “We are using BYOD” or “We expect the agency to provide 200 iPads.”
Don’t leave this vague. We’ve witnessed where a client assumed BYOD and the production team rented expensive corporate event planner devices. Nightmare.
Tip Four: Talk About Triggers and Markers
This gets technical. The magic doesn’t happen automatically. Standard activation methods include:
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2D targets like posters or business cards
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GPS coordinates
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Detecting a human face
Quick Response codes on everything
Object recognition
Be specific about: “The AR activates when someone scans our product box.” On the other hand: “As soon as someone enters the VIP lounge, information panels pop up.”
Listen to this advice: For 2D target-based AR, test the trigger conditions beforehand. What about bright sunlight? Bad contrast can cause the trigger to fail 50% of the time.
Tip Five: Set Realistic Expectations for Scale and Concurrency
This is the question that makes quotes skyrocket. What’s the peak attendance will be standing in line for the experience?
There’s a huge difference between 10 people per hour and a high-traffic activation.
Don’t exaggerate about busiest 15-minute window. When you guess low, the agency will build for 100. But on event day, crowds arrive. Everyone’s phone freezes. Guests complain.
On the flip side: If you say “10,000 possible” but only 50 show, you’ve spent on cloud servers you don’t need.
Experienced AR planners will ask follow-up questions about traffic. Help them help you.
One Day or One Year?
Is the activation get used for three hours only – or will it keep working afterward?
This event planner kl choice drives technical architecture. An experience that lasts three hours can skip long-term maintenance. AR that stays in an app forever needs ongoing hosting.
Think about updates: Will the content change? For a product with trim levels, the AR needs content management system.
Write this down: “The activation ends when the venue closes on Sunday night.”
Tip Seven: Budget Transparency and Hidden Costs
Here’s the uncomfortable part: Good AR isn’t cheap. But bad AR is worse than nothing at all.
State clearly that you know what makes AR expensive. Key cost factors:
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3D asset creation – significant range depending on complexity
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Cloud infrastructure – significant for 10,000+ users
Design and coding time – usually a significant investment
Compatibility matrix – often underestimated
Request line-by-line estimates. When a partner gives one number for everything, be suspicious. Honest agencies will detail each phase separately.
See Their AR Before You Buy It
Take this advice: Always ask for a demo of a previous activation. PowerPoint concepts are dangerous. You need to see something that shipped to real users.
Pose these questions: “Do you have footage from a live deployment? Can we speak to that client? What went wrong?”
A partner like Kollysphere agency will eagerly show case studies. If they say “confidential” too quickly, be very careful.
Final Thoughts: Good Briefs Make Great AR
Setting up your partner for success on augmented reality experiences isn’t rocket science. The secret is sharing context and admitting what you don’t know.
Most successful digital experiences come from partnerships where the client and agency collaborate. You bring the brand vision. They bring the technical know-how. Together, magic happens.
Before your next AR conversation, use this as your template. Your AR activation will work better – and your customers will remember that moment.
