What is the Pitchcode IDEA?

For a long time, the events industry lacked uniform guidelines for presentations. This led to situations that nobody wanted. Twenty agencies invited to give a presentation without compensation. A briefing consisting of just two lines. And as feedback, a message saying, “We’re going in a different direction.”

Agencies invested hundreds of hours in concepts that were never realized. Creative ideas ended up in a drawer. And clients were left with a stack of proposals that they could barely compare. One presentation was thoroughly developed, while another was just a rough sketch.

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 the collaboration begins (if you’re selected) on the basis of mutual trust rather than resentment.

That last point is perhaps the most underestimated one. An event agency can tell right from the presentation whether you’re serious—whether you respect the rules of the game and appreciate the investment. That agency will start with more energy, and you’ll see that energy reflected in the event.

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 operates in accordance with the Pitchcode, you are choosing professionalism and transparency. And that is exactly what you want when organizing a business event.

The Pitchcode IDEA contains specific guidelines. No vague statements of intent, but practical guidelines on what a presentation should look like.

A maximum of three agencies. Including more than three agencies in a presentation results in too much investment for too little 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 any agency 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 meaningful feedback. A message like “we’re going with another agency” isn’t enough. What does an agency actually deserve? What did you like, and what was missing? And what was the deciding factor? That feedback helps agencies grow. And it lays a respectful foundation for a potential future partnership.

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

Many clients think that more agencies mean more choices. In reality, it means more irrelevant proposals, more time spent comparing options, and more agencies working for free. That’s not fair, and it doesn’t result in a better presentation 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—not just for your project, but also for your organization and culture. Experience with this type of event is essential.

A good way to test this: have an exploratory meeting with each agency before inviting them to the presentation. 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 we want you to understand how we think and work. If that conversation feels right, we’ll go all out on the presentation. 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 presentation. That way, you’ll know that every proposal is taken seriously and that you’re comparing apples to apples, not apples to oranges.

By the way, a presentation involving just 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 matters more than 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.

For an event costing between €80,000 and €150,000, an agency can easily spend 40 to 80 hours preparing a comprehensive proposal. That’s two weeks of work for an experienced event manager. If three agencies are involved and none of them are compensated, the industry collectively works 120 to 240 hours for free—per proposal. That’s not sustainable.

A pitch fee partially offsets that investment. The standard fee in the industry ranges from €1,500 to €5,000 per agency. The amount depends on the scale of the event and the depth of the presentation required. For large, complex projects, the fee may be higher. This amount is deducted from the project fee if you choose the agency.

For you as a client, paying a pitch fee offers a direct benefit: agencies that know their efforts are recognized will go the extra mile. They 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 presentation, 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 presentation, we always ask about the ground rules. We want to know how many agencies are participating, whether there’s a pitch fee, and whether a comprehensive briefing is available. 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 such pitches don’t produce good concepts—for anyone. And a mediocre concept doesn’t serve you well.

If the conditions are right, we go all in. We’ll develop a concept tailored to your organization, your target audience, and your budget. We’ll think through 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.

Perhaps you’re unsure whether your pitch process meets the Pitchcode standards. Or maybe you’d like to know how such a presentation works in practice at our company? Please get in touch. We’re happy to help, even before the formal briefing.

A presentation is the first step toward a successful event. If the pitching process is done right (honest, transparent, and following the right rules), the partnership gets off to a strong start. And that shows in the results.

Live Impact is happy to collaborate on presentations that comply with the IDEA Pitch Code. We take the time to develop a concept that truly fits your needs. 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 choose to work with someone else.

Would you like to learn more about how we handle presentations, or discuss your event in a casual, no-pressure setting? Please contact us at hello@live-impact.nl or via the contact form on our website. We’ll get back to you within one business day.

Live Impact. Seriously Fun.