What is the Pitchcode IDEA?

For a long time, the events industry lacked uniform guidelines for pitches. This led to situations that nobody wanted: twenty agencies invited to a pitch without compensation, a two-line briefing, and feedback that simply said, “We’re going in a different direction.”

Agencies invested hundreds of hours in concepts that were never brought to fruition. Creative ideas ended up gathering dust in a drawer. And clients were left with a stack of proposals they could barely compare—because one pitch had been thoroughly developed, while another was just a rough exploration.

The Pitchcode IDEA was created in response to a need for greater professionalism. The industry recognized that a fair pitching process benefits everyone. Clients receive better proposals. Agencies can invest wisely. And—if you’re selected—the collaboration begins on the basis of mutual trust rather than resentment.

That last point is perhaps the most underestimated one. An event agency that can tell right from the pitch that you’re serious, that you respect the rules of the game, and that you recognize the investment involved will approach the project with more energy. And that energy is reflected in the event itself.

The Pitchcode is not a legal requirement. It is an industry standard—a conscious choice made by agencies and clients to conduct business with one another professionally. There are agencies that choose not to participate. But when you choose an agency that adheres to the Pitchcode, you are choosing professionalism and transparency. And that is exactly what you want when organizing a business event.

The Pitchcode IDEA provides concrete guidelines. No vague statements of intent, but practical guidelines on what a pitch should look like.

A maximum of three agencies. Including more than three agencies in a pitch results in too much investment for too small a chance of success. The Pitchcode recommends a maximum of three selected agencies. This requires you, as the client, to conduct a rigorous pre-selection process. Choose agencies that are truly a good fit for your project, your organization, and your budget—not just anyone with a nice website.

A comprehensive briefing. Agencies can only create a solid proposal if they know what you want. The briefing must be specific: target audience, objective, budget, date, location preferences, and the story behind the event. A one-page briefing yields a one-page proposal. Read our article on how to create a strong pitch document →

Reasonable preparation time. Two weeks is not enough time to develop a fully fleshed-out concept. The Pitchcode refers to a reasonable timeframe—in practice, that means at least four weeks for a major event.

Pitch fee. This is the most talked-about aspect of the Pitch Code. Agencies that develop serious concepts invest dozens of hours. A fee serves as recognition of that investment. More on this later.

Feedback after the fact. Every agency that participated deserves constructive feedback. Not “we’re going with another agency”—but: what appealed to you, what was missing, and what was the deciding factor? That feedback helps agencies grow. And it lays a respectful foundation for a potential future collaboration.

The answer: as little as possible. That sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true.

Many clients believe that more agencies mean more options. In reality, it means more irrelevant proposals, more time spent comparing them, and more agencies working for free. That’s not fair—and it doesn’t result in a better pitch either.

The Pitchcode IDEA recommends a maximum of three agencies. This means you’ll need to do a thorough shortlisting process. Ask yourself in advance: Which agencies are truly a good fit for us? Which ones have experience with this type of event? Which ones understand our target audience and our culture?

A good way to test this: have an exploratory meeting with each agency before inviting them to pitch. No preparation is needed on the agency’s part—just an hour to see if there’s a connection. This way, you save everyone from making an unnecessary investment if the chemistry isn’t there.

At Live Impact, we always have that conversation. We want to know what you’re really looking for—and you get to see how we think and work. If that conversation feels right, we’ll go all in on the pitch. If it’s not a good fit, we’ll be honest about it. That way, we both save time.

Practical approach: Start with a shortlist of five to eight agencies. Hold preliminary meetings with four or five of them. Invite no more than three to the actual pitch. That way, you can be sure that every proposal is taken seriously and that you’re comparing apples to apples—not apples to oranges.

By the way, a pitch involving two agencies is perfectly fine. Sometimes the shortlist is so clear that you know it’s down to two agencies. In that case, there’s no need to invite a third one just to fill out the field. Quality trumps quantity.

The pitch fee is the most talked-about—and most avoided—part of the IDEA Pitch Code. Many clients are put off by it. But let’s take a moment to let the concept sink in.

An event agency that puts together a full-scale proposal for an event costing between €80,000 and €150,000 can easily invest 40 to 80 hours in the process. That’s equivalent to two weeks of work for a senior event manager. If three agencies compete for the same project and none of them receive compensation, the industry collectively works 120 to 240 hours for free—per proposal. That’s unsustainable.

A pitch fee helps offset that investment—at least in part. The standard fee in the industry ranges from €1,500 to €5,000 per agency, depending on the scale of the event and the depth of the pitch required. For large, complex projects, this amount may be higher. If you choose the agency, this fee will be credited toward the project.

For you as a client, offering a pitch fee has a direct benefit: agencies that know their efforts are valued will go the extra mile. They’ll invest more in research, in developing concepts, and in tailoring their proposal to your specific organization. You’ll receive more—and better—input.

A pitch fee also acts as a filter. If you’re willing to pay for the pitch, it attracts serious agencies. Agencies that aren’t serious will drop out. And that’s exactly what you want. You don’t want six proposals, four of which were thrown together in two hours. You want three proposals that really matter.

Practical tip: Agree on the fee in advance. Include it in your briefing. Mention it in the invitation. That way, agencies will know upfront what they’re getting into and what to expect. No surprises later on.

We follow the IDEA Pitch Code. Not because it’s mandatory, but because it works. A fair pitching process leads to better collaboration—and better events.

What does that mean in practice? When we’re invited to a pitch, we always ask about the rules. How many agencies are participating? Is there a pitch fee? Is there a comprehensive briefing? These aren’t difficult questions—they’re the right questions. They determine whether we can go all in.

If the conditions aren’t right, we’ll say so. Sometimes that means: “We’d rather not participate in a pitch involving eight agencies without compensation.” Not because we’re arrogant, but because we know that pitches like that don’t produce good concepts—for anyone. And a mediocre concept doesn’t serve you well.

If the conditions are right, we’re fully committed. We’ll develop a concept tailored to your organization, your target audience, and your budget. We’ll carefully consider the experience, the program, the venue, and the story behind the event. And then we’ll show you what Live Impact can do.

For us, the Pitchcode is a starting point, not an end point. We go beyond the minimum requirements. We are transparent about our approach, our rates, and our working methods. And we always provide honest feedback to clients who request it—even if we aren’t selected.

Are you unsure whether your pitch process complies with the Pitch Code? Or would you simply like to know how such a pitch works in practice at our agency? Please contact us. We’re happy to help, even before the formal briefing.

A pitch is the first step toward a successful event. If the pitching process is done right—fair, transparent, and with clear guidelines—the partnership gets off to a strong start. And that shows in the results.

Live Impact is happy to collaborate on pitches that comply with the IDEA Pitch Code. We take the time to develop a concept that’s truly the right fit. We’re honest about what we can and can’t do. And we’ll provide a proposal that’s useful to you—even if you ultimately decide to go with someone else.

Wil je meer weten over hoe wij omgaan met pitches? Of wil je gewoon sparren over jouw event — zonder pitch, zonder druk? Neem contact op via philip@live-impact of via het contactformulier op onze website. We reageren binnen één werkdag.

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