Commercial Holiday Lighting Site Brief and Intake Worksheet

Close view of professionally installed holiday lights and décor at a guest-facing entrance

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Bring one clear property record to the first project conversation

Complete this brief with your property, operations, and marketing contacts before the first vendor conversation. It turns scattered ideas into one shared record of the address, experience goals, priority zones, dates, access, budget, stakeholders, and materials available for review.

Who this is for: Commercial teams preparing to request a holiday lighting concept, site review, budget conversation, or installation proposal.
Updated: August 3, 2026 · 7 minute worksheet

Section 01

Property and decision team

Start with the people and place. Use the commercial project planner to align the experience goals, keep the proposal checklist ready for vendor review, and send the finished brief through the commercial consultation form. A vendor needs one coordination path even when several stakeholders influence design, budget, access, and final approval.

Property

Record the property name, complete installation address, property type, website, and any separate billing or ownership entity.

Project lead

Name the day-to-day contact, phone, email, role, and preferred communication method.

Decision makers

List the people who approve design, budget, operations, legal or insurance requirements, and final installation.

Site contacts

Identify engineering, facilities, security, loading, parking, tenant, resident, or event contacts who control access.

Section 02

Experience goal and priority zones

Describe what the display should do before describing what it should contain. Then rank the physical areas so the design can build a clear hierarchy.

Primary goal

Choose the main outcome: arrival impact, curb appeal, resident experience, campaign support, public gathering, tenant connection, photography, or another defined job.

Audience

Identify guests, shoppers, residents, tenants, event attendees, employees, public visitors, or passing traffic.

Must-have zones

List the areas that must be included for the display to succeed.

Optional zones

List enhancements that can be added only after the core experience and budget are protected.

Visual references

Attach current property photos, plans, past displays, brand standards, campaign art, color direction, and inspiration with notes about what is actually relevant.

Section 03

Dates, approvals, and budget

A target live date is useful only when the team also records the decisions that must happen first. Put internal approvals and public milestones in the same brief.

Target live date

Record the date the display must be fully tested and ready, not only the preferred installation week.

Fixed events

List ceremonies, guest events, campaigns, photography, board meetings, ownership visits, or public openings that affect the schedule.

Approval path

Name required concept, budget, contract, insurance, landlord, board, municipal, or brand approvals and the expected turnaround for each.

Working budget

Share a realistic planning range. HLI commercial projects begin at $3,000; larger property-wide or custom programs require individual scoping.

Section 04

Access and site conditions

Photographs show appearance; they rarely show every operational constraint. Flag known conditions now and reserve the right site questions for the walkthrough.

Work windows

List allowable hours plus guest, tenant, resident, delivery, worship, school, event, or public-access periods to avoid.

Loading and equipment

Describe loading zones, vehicle limits, lift routes, parking, escorts, keys, gates, roof access, and restricted spaces.

Power and controls

Record known outlets, circuits, controls, timers, existing infrastructure, unavailable zones, and the property contact who can answer electrical questions.

Surfaces and landscape

Note historic or delicate surfaces, waterproofing, trees, irrigation, active landscaping, construction, tenant work, and any attachment restrictions.

Section 05

Service, removal, and storage expectations

Finish the brief with the work that happens after launch. Clear expectations here prevent the property from making a second set of urgent decisions during the season.

Service route

Name the person authorized to report an issue, provide access, approve uncovered work, and communicate operational changes.

Display end date

Record the last required display date and the earliest and latest acceptable takedown windows.

Storage model

State whether the property has storage, expects vendor storage, owns existing décor, or needs a new supplied program.

Next-season notes

Identify elements expected to return, known expansion plans, and who will approve changes for the following year.

Buyer questions

Frequently asked questions

+Can I submit the brief without every answer?

Yes. Complete what the team knows and mark unknown conditions for site review. The purpose is to expose important questions early, not delay the first conversation until the project is fully designed.

+Why should I include a working budget?

A planning range helps the design team prioritize the right property zones and avoid developing a concept that does not match the property's intended investment.

+What photos are most useful?

Include wide views from the street and primary approach, closer views of entrances and priority zones, trees or landscape areas, power locations when known, and any access constraints that are difficult to explain in text.

Research and references

Sources and further reading

These first-party and public-agency references support the planning, safety, access, and procurement guidance used in this resource.