Run Venue Shortlist from your own code

Both metered lanes are available over HTTP and each returns one JSON object. The division of labour: the page writes the space programme, desk-checks every venue against it, re-ranks the ladder, the visits and the posture, fills the options grid, prices every contract trap and extracts the hand-off - all free, in venuekit.js. The run writes the shortlist or the brief with the asks; the page then holds the reply to its own board (venuereply.js). Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team. No venue prices and no hybrid technical specifications are supplied.

Base URL and the response shape

Every endpoint lives under https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api, and every response has one shape:

{ "ok": true,  "data":  { ... } }
{ "ok": false, "error": { "code": "...", "message": "..." } }

The token is minted for this app (the guest call takes {"slug":"venue-shortlist"}), so no slug header is needed afterwards. Send it as Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN. The run body is the input object, sent bare.

Status	Code	Meaning
400	validation_error	The body is not a JSON object, or a required key (`task`, `event`, `options`, `facts`) is missing. `contracts` may be an empty string.
401	unauthorized	No token, or a stale one. Mint a guest token or sign in again.
402	insufficient_credits	The balance is under `min_credits`. Price with `/estimate` first.
403	forbidden	A guest token tried to run: both lanes are metered and need a personal sign-in.
404	not_found	Unknown job id.
429	rate_limited	Back off and retry.
5xx	server_error	Transient. Retry with the same `Idempotency-Key` so a retry never double-bills.

The task field comes first

Two lanes, chosen by task:

shortlist - before any price conversation: the verdict, the programme line by line, every venue with its windows, status, short-on lines and traps total, the sourcing-ladder, site-visit and posture picks with their reasons, every trap priced with an ask, the tactics tagged general or venue-specific, and the hand-off (cancellation dates and percentages, the insurance requirement, the day-to-day venue contact) - for validation section by section.
brief - the requirements sheet sent identically to every venue (the event in neutral terms, the programme lines exactly, the windows, the must-haves, how to quote so quotes compare, the questions on every trap, the reply-by date and the contact) and the negotiation asks per surviving venue. The page offers it only when at least one venue survives the desk check.

A missing or unknown task is answered as shortlist. Both lanes send the same five fields; for the brief, the event field also carries the lines the page fills from a shortlist (the posture and each trap's ask). The contracts field may be an empty string.

The input

Field	Required	What
`task`	yes	`shortlist` or `brief`. If it is missing or neither, do `shortlist` and set `"task": "shortlist"`.
`event`	yes	the interview, Q1 to Q9: the attendance and its source, the format and its elements, the candidate windows, the edition and any step-up ceiling, free or paid and which free options exist, the non-negotiables, the sign-by date, one-off or recurring, the effort ceiling with the negotiation channel, what already exists, the organizing entity's details, the reply-by date and the day-to-day venue contact; for the brief, the lines carried from the shortlist.
`options`	yes	one row per venue: rung, windows, rooms, hallway and sponsor space, WiFi and power, accessibility, rental, food-and-beverage minimum, attrition, cancellation, insurance, deposit, terms and notes, and the quote status.
`contracts`	no	excerpts the page took from pasted offer or contract text, one block per venue, each sentence tagged with its trap; may be empty.
`facts`	yes	the page's verdict, the disclaimer, the self-set lines, the space programme, the desk check per venue, the options grid, the three menus with their picks, moves, deletions and notes, the visit per venue, the tactics with their tags, the traps priced per surviving venue with their asks, the hand-off, the brief's questions and quote format, and every finding tagged `[fix]`, `[check]` or `[info]`.
`retry_note`	no	optional; if present, your previous reply was unusable - follow it.

The rules the model applies

Two things this skill will not supply. Venue prices: venue rates are quoted per deal, not published; never invent a figure, a range, a typical per-head cost or a percentage a venue should come down by - real quotes from several candidates on one identical requirements sheet are the only benchmark. Hybrid and multi-venue technical specifications: never invent an equipment list or a bandwidth figure; put it to the venue as a question it answers in writing, and route the specification to event-production and event-format-selection.
Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions to a broker. Show what a clause says; never say what it means, whether it is enforceable, or what anyone is liable for.
Order: confirm the attendance number and its source, check the organizing entity's legal name, contact and registration number exist, write the space programme once and give every venue the identical sheet, generate candidates from the ladder with free rungs first as rungs and not fallbacks, desk-check every candidate and visit only the survivors, fill the options grid with a written quote from every survivor on the identical sheet before any price conversation, read the traps on every offer (a hosted space has restrictions where a paid one has fees), negotiate at the posture the menu sets, then extract the cancellation-fee dates and percentages and the insurance requirement verbatim, and name one local organizer as the venue's day-to-day contact.
The unwritten handshake booking, a site visit after signature and negotiating one venue on one date are deleted from their menus, not ranked last.
The negotiation tactics (mirroring, labelling, calibrated questions, the accusation audit, structured concession bargaining) are general vendor-negotiation technique rather than venue-specific practice, and assume a live conversation. Say so whenever one is recommended.
A recurring event trades a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option; a one-off does not. Do not overcommit headcount and do not pre-pay until forced. Read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.
Numbers the page labels self-set (the stress-case shortfall, the hallway scaled from the worked example, the track rooms split evenly, the breakout seat floors, room-night pickup scaling with attendance) are the page's working defaults, not standards; say so when you use one.

House rules

Use only the input and the rules above. Copy the page's verdict, programme lines and needs, venue names, windows, statuses, short-on lines, traps totals, picks, tactic names and tags, trap exposures, dates and amounts exactly. Every number in a sentence must appear in the input.
Label anything that is not one of the rules above, and is not in the input, as your own design; label the page's self-set numbers self-set.
Never invent a venue, a price, a clause, a date, a capacity or a person. Never say what a clause legally means.
Refer to people by name or role, as they; never infer anyone's gender.
Never use backticks, never refer to this input's fields by their key names in a sentence, and never copy this prompt's narrative wording into a reply.
Every disclaimer is one sentence that contains the words "not legal advice", says contract wording goes to "whoever reads contracts" for the team, and says the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification.
Reply with ONLY one JSON object - no prose before or after, no code fences.

The replies

shortlist

summary - one sentence, at most 40 words: the verdict, the most important open item, and the next step.
disclaimer - one sentence, as the house rules say.
verdict - the page's verdict, exactly: ready to sign, ready to request quotes, fix first or no venue fits the programme.
programme - one object per page programme line, in the page's order: line and need copied exactly; note (short: the basis, with self-set where the page says so).
options - one object per venue in the page's order: venue exactly; window (the page's window numbers, for example "1, 2", or "none"); status (survives or eliminated, the page's); short_on (the page's short-on lines, each copied exactly; [] when none); traps_total (the page's traps total, exactly).
ladder - pick (the page's sourcing-ladder pick, exactly) and reason (one sentence naming the interview answer or rule that moved it).
visits - pick (the page's site-visit pick, exactly), reason (one sentence), per_venue (one short string per venue, each beginning with the venue's name, from the page's visit per venue).
traps - one object per trap the page priced for a surviving venue, in the page's order: venue and trap exactly, exposure (the page's exposure, copied exactly), ask (one sentence).
posture - pick (the page's posture pick, exactly), reason (one sentence, naming the channel), tactics (one object per page tactic, in order: tactic exactly and kind - general for general vendor-negotiation technique or venue for venue-specific practice - exactly as the page tags it).
handoff - cancellation (the page's hand-off cancellation lines, each copied exactly), insurance (the page's hand-off insurance, copied exactly), venue_contact (the page's day-to-day venue contact exactly, or "to be named").
caveats - at most 6 short strings: the [fix] findings first in the page's order, then the most important [check] findings. [] when there are none.

{
  "task": "shortlist",
  "summary": "one sentence",
  "disclaimer": "one sentence",
  "verdict": "fix first",
  "programme": [ { "line": "the page's line", "need": "the page's need", "note": "short" } ],
  "options": [ { "venue": "the page's venue", "window": "1, 2", "status": "survives", "short_on": [ "the page's short-on line" ], "traps_total": "the page's total" } ],
  "ladder": { "pick": "the page's pick", "reason": "one sentence" },
  "visits": { "pick": "the page's pick", "reason": "one sentence", "per_venue": [ "a venue: what to walk" ] },
  "traps": [ { "venue": "the page's venue", "trap": "the page's trap", "exposure": "the page's exposure", "ask": "one sentence" } ],
  "posture": { "pick": "the page's pick", "reason": "one sentence", "tactics": [ { "tactic": "the page's tactic", "kind": "venue" } ] },
  "handoff": { "cancellation": [ "the page's line" ], "insurance": "the page's insurance", "venue_contact": "the page's contact" },
  "caveats": [ "a caveat" ]
}

The page holds it to its own board: the verdict, every programme line and need, every venue with the page's windows, status, short-on lines and traps total, the three picks (never a deleted rung) with reasons, a visit line naming every venue, every tactic with the page's general or venue tag, every priced trap with the page's exposure, the hand-off verbatim, caveats when the page has fixes, a disclaimer containing "not legal advice" and "whoever reads contracts" and naming the two things the skill will not supply, and no number, benchmark price, clause meaning or gender the input does not hold.

brief

sheet.title - a short title naming the event and saying it is a venue requirements sheet.
sheet.about - one or two sentences about the event in neutral terms: format, attendance, days. Never a budget, a ceiling the team can carry, or any venue's name or quote - the same sheet goes to every venue.
sheet.programme - one string per page programme line, in the page's order, each copied exactly as the page's sheet line ("Line: need").
sheet.windows - one string per candidate window, in preference order, each carrying its dates from the input.
sheet.must_haves - one short string per eliminating programme line, each beginning with the page's line name (for example "Main room - ..."); then any other must-have the interview names.
sheet.quote_format - 3 to 6 short strings: how each venue quotes so quotes compare; one must contain the word "total" (the total committed cost, not the room rate) and one the word "ceiling" (whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling).
sheet.questions - the questions the venue answers in writing, from the page's list: they must ask about attrition, the food-and-beverage minimum, the cancellation schedule, insurance (of the organizer and of sponsors), the deposit and sponsor restrictions; when the event runs overnight, ask about overnight working and, separately, sleeping; when it is livestreamed, ask what sustained upstream bandwidth the venue guarantees.
sheet.reply_by - the page's reply-by date exactly, or "to be named".
sheet.contact - the page's contact for venues exactly, or "to be named".
asks - for each surviving venue, one to four objects: venue (a surviving venue's name exactly), ask (one sentence, from the page's traps and posture), why (one sentence), kind (general when the ask uses mirroring, labelling, calibrated questions, an accusation audit, structured concession bargaining or surfacing hidden information; otherwise venue).
disclaimer - one sentence, as the house rules say.
note - one sentence: when the page's verdict is "fix first", begin with "Not ready to send:" and say what to fix first; otherwise say the brief is ready to send to every surviving venue.

{
  "task": "brief",
  "sheet": { "title": "short", "about": "one or two sentences", "programme": [ "the page's sheet line" ], "windows": [ "a window with its dates" ], "must_haves": [ "Main room - ..." ], "quote_format": [ "one instruction" ], "questions": [ "one question" ], "reply_by": "the page's date", "contact": "the page's contact" },
  "asks": [ { "venue": "a surviving venue", "ask": "one sentence", "why": "one sentence", "kind": "venue" } ],
  "disclaimer": "one sentence",
  "note": "one sentence"
}

The page requires every programme line exactly as its sheet line, every window's dates, every eliminating line named in the must-haves, a quote format asking for a total and a ceiling, questions on attrition, the food-and-beverage minimum, cancellation, insurance, the deposit and sponsor restrictions (and overnight sleeping or upstream bandwidth when they apply), the page's reply-by date and contact, no venue name and no budget on the sheet, an ask for every surviving venue and none for any other, general technique tagged general, and a note that begins "Not ready to send:" when the verdict is fix first.

Worked examples - every lane, every sample

These are the page's four free samples (fictional events, organizations, venues and people). Each input is exactly what the page sends; each reply is the saved reply the sample replays, shipped unedited; the last line is the page's own check.

Lakemoor Systems Conference (450, two tracks, a step-up) - shortlist

Verdict: fix first; 450 attendees; 3 of 3 venues survive the desk check; 19 programme lines; 2 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "event": "Event: Lakemoor Systems Conference 2027; organizing entity: Lakemoor Systems Community e.V.; contact: Ines Varrowby, programme lead; registration number: missing\nAttendance and format (Q1): 450 expected, from a demand read; multi-track conference, 2 tracks; 3 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 10; seating theatre-style; 2 days; stress case 20% below the estimate = 360 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. Window 1 - 2027-06-10 to 2027-06-11; 2. Window 2 - 2027-06-24 to 2027-06-25\nEdition (Q3): decided step-up to a bigger venue; ceiling set by the step-up decision: deposit EUR 15,000, attrition and minimum exposure EUR 5,000, lead time 12 months\nSpace (Q4): free or paid; genuinely exists - educational or civic: yes, a company willing to host: no, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: unknown\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2026-12-15 - sponsor budget cycle; about 5 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): recurring\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 120 organizer hours; in-person visits: yes; someone reads the contract for the team: no; irreversibility tolerance: medium; negotiation channel: call; event budget: EUR 160,000; currency EUR\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: none; an organizer's employer has space: no; a campus advocate: yes; a prior marked-up contract: no; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: yes; venues reply by: 2026-11-20; day-to-day venue contact: Tomas Brekkelund, local organizer",
 "options": "V1. Northmere University Great Hall | educational or civic space | windows: 1 | main room: 520 | rooms: 1 x 240, 2 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: foyer 220 standing; 12 tables | WiFi and power: 1,200 devices; outlets at the walls | accessibility: step-free throughout, lifts to every floor | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured | deposit: none | terms and notes: ends 21:00; no alcohol; no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor; outside catering permitted; dock at rear; lockable storage room; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration in the foyer | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV2. Quaymere Grand Hotel | bare commercial rental | windows: 1, 2 | main room: 480 | rooms: 1 x 240, 3 x 40 | hallway and sponsor: ballroom foyer 210 standing; 12 tables | WiFi and power: 900 devices; 300 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 18,000 | F&B minimum: 75% of 500 x 2 days at 70 per head | attrition: 80% of 300 room-nights at 165 expect 250 by 2027-03-01 | cancellation: 2026-12-01: 25%; 2027-03-01: 50%; 2027-05-01: 90%; 2027-06-01: 100% | insurance: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover | deposit: 30% at signing | terms and notes: in-house catering only; receiving fee 15 per package; dock and goods lift; secure storage; setup day from 14:00 the day before; registration desk in the lobby | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV3. Rivermoor Conference Centre | bare commercial rental | windows: 2 | main room: 600 | rooms: 1 x 300, 1 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: concourse 260 standing; 16 tables | WiFi and power: 2,000 devices; 1,200 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 32,000 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2026-11-15: 20%; 2027-02-15: 50%; 2027-05-15: 100% | insurance: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured | deposit: 40% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; fire marshal and janitorial charged separately; dock at rear; storage cage; setup day from 14:00 the day before; registration hall | quote: written, in the venue's own format",
 "contracts": "C1. Quaymere Grand Hotel (V2) - 7 excerpts:\n[attrition] Group room block: 300 room-nights;\n[attrition] the Group guarantees pick-up of 80% of the block, reviewed on 1 March 2027, with any shortfall charged at the group rate.\n[food and beverage] Food and beverage minimum spend applies at 75% of the contracted 500 delegates over both days.\n[cancellation] Cancellation: 25% of the total contract value from 2026-12-01, 50% from 2027-03-01, 90% from 2027-05-01 and 100% from 2027-06-01.\n[insurance] The Group shall hold public liability insurance of EUR 5,000,000 naming the hotel as additional insured.\n[deposit] A deposit of 30% is due on signature.\n[force majeure] Neither party is liable for a failure to perform caused by force majeure.\n[... 158 characters of this text carried no trap keyword or passed the cap and were not sent; the page read all of it ...]",
 "facts": "Verdict: fix first (2 fix-level findings; stage: still quoting)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (360 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (19 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 450 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Track rooms: 1 more room of 225 seated, running at the same time as the main room [must, eliminating; self-set: the attendance split evenly across 2 tracks]\n- Hallway-track space: 200 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 10 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Breakout rooms: 3 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 450 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1800 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 1125 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must, eliminating; the organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Northmere University Great Hall (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 1; short on: none; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (520 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (220 standing); Sponsor tables pass (12 tables); Breakout rooms pass (3 of 3); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 600 devices); Power unknown (not stated); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout, lifts to every floor); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V2 Quaymere Grand Hotel (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2; short on: none; traps total EUR 8,700; committed EUR 18,000 rental + EUR 52,500 F&B minimum = EUR 70,500\n  lines: Main room pass (480 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (210 standing); Sponsor tables pass (12 tables); Breakout rooms pass (3 of 3); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 900 devices); Power short (short by 825 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (mandated, per-head quote 70); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels pass (the venue is a hotel); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V3 Rivermoor Conference Centre (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 2; short on: Breakout rooms: short by 1 room; traps total none; committed EUR 32,000 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (600 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (260 standing); Sponsor tables pass (16 tables); Breakout rooms short (short by 1 room); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (2000 devices); Power pass (1200 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- Window 1 (2027-06-10 to 2027-06-11): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet; V3 not available - 2 surviving venues available\n- Window 2 (2027-06-24 to 2027-06-25): V1 not available; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet; V3 available - written, in the venue's own format - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: Window 1 (2 surviving venues); Window 2 (2 surviving venues). Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 3 survivors; live windows: 2.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Educational or civic space): 1. Educational or civic space [demoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline (2026-12-15) - institutional bureaucracy; made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Northmere University Great Hall); made the pick by Q9: a campus advocate who can fast-track the booking promotes its own rung past everything above it]; 2. Coworking or community rental [promoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline promotes the fast rungs]; 3. Bare commercial rental; 4. Host sponsor buys the venue [demoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline - two negotiations, gated on a sale]. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung); Company-hosted space (Q4: no company is willing to host). Notes: Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Technical walkthrough): 1. Technical walkthrough [made the pick by Q3: a decided step-up to a bigger venue at a venue nobody on the team has worked in]; 2. Working walkthrough; 3. Desk check; 4. Single sales-led visit. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Northmere University Great Hall: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Quaymere Grand Hotel: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Rivermoor Conference Centre: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Structured concession bargaining): 1. Structured concession bargaining [made the pick by a paid rental, a committed amount material against the budget (EUR 70,500 against EUR 160,000; material at 25%, self-set) and a call channel]; 2. Competitive options; 3. Disclosure pass. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Quaymere Grand Hotel and Rivermoor Conference Centre) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a recurring event - trade a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]; Starter room block [venue]; Renewal option [venue]; Calibrated questions [general]; Labelling [general]; Mirroring [general]; Accusation audit [general]; Structured concession bargaining (Ackerman) [general]; Surface hidden information [general]. The general tactics are vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice, and assume this call.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Northmere University Great Hall: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Hosted-space restrictions: terms, not fees: no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor; ends 21:00; no alcohol | ask: each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category [venue]\n- V2 Quaymere Grand Hotel: traps total EUR 8,700 (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Attrition: EUR 6,600 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; EUR 39,600 at most | ask: a starter block of about five rooms that grows as it fills, scoped to the nights actually needed - not the night after the final day [venue]\n  - Food-and-beverage minimum: EUR 2,100 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; owed below 375 attendees; the EUR 52,500 minimum at most | ask: a later catering headcount deadline, and the minimum set against a headcount you can carry at the shortfall [venue]\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2026-12-01 EUR 17,625 (25%); from 2027-03-01 EUR 35,250 (50%); from 2027-05-01 EUR 63,450 (90%); from 2027-06-01 EUR 70,500 (100%) - basis: rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: EUR 21,150 - 30% of rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 30% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover | ask: the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry [venue]\n  - Shipping and receiving: outside the headline quote: receiving fee 15 per package | ask: waived receiving fees, and the earliest shipping date and address in writing [venue]\n- V3 Rivermoor Conference Centre: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2026-11-15 EUR 6,400 (20%); from 2027-02-15 EUR 16,000 (50%); from 2027-05-15 EUR 32,000 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: EUR 12,800 - 40% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 40% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Separately charged items: outside the headline quote: fire marshal and janitorial charged separately | ask: every separately charged item enumerated, and a guaranteed ceiling on the quote [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2026-12-01: 25%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-03-01: 50%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-05-01: 90%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-06-01: 100%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2026-11-15: 20%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-02-15: 50%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-05-15: 100%; insurance Northmere University Great Hall: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured; Quaymere Grand Hotel: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover; Rivermoor Conference Centre: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured; day-to-day venue contact Tomas Brekkelund, local organizer\nBrief: reply by 2026-11-20; contact Ines Varrowby, programme lead; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nPasted contract text: C1 Quaymere Grand Hotel - 7 keyword sentences, 158 characters not sent\nFindings (22):\n[fix] prereq (interview): Missing before the first venue conversation: a business or registration number (workflow step 2) - some venues need them just to place a hold, so a missing number can burn a candidate window while it is found.\n[fix] price_talks (grid): A price conversation is already open while 1 surviving venue has not quoted on the identical sheet - pause it until every survivor has; the filled grid is the alternative that gives every tactic its force.\n[check] lead (interview): Signing 2026-12-15 leaves about 5 months before 2027-06-10 - large events (300+) are booked 9-18 months ahead (the reference); expect thin availability.\n[check] short_3_breakouts (desk check): Rivermoor Conference Centre: breakout rooms - short by 1 room; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] sheet_3 (grid): Rivermoor Conference Centre quoted in its own format, not on the identical sheet - two venues cannot be compared on two different questions; ask for it on the sheet.\n[check] notice_1 (traps): Northmere University Great Hall is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage.\n[check] sponsor_1 (traps): Northmere University Great Hall restricts sponsors (\"no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor\") - settle it in writing before selling a single category.\n[check] fnb_over_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: the F&B minimum is set on 500 heads, above the estimate of 450 - overcommitting headcount.\n[check] dep_ceiling_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: the deposit (EUR 21,150) is over the EUR 15,000 the step-up decision tolerates (Q3).\n[check] x_ceiling_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: EUR 8,700 owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate is over the EUR 5,000 the step-up decision tolerates (Q3).\n[check] caterer_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel mandates its own caterer - a cost constraint to surface now, with a written per-head quote, not a surprise at contracting.\n[check] staff_3 (traps): Rivermoor Conference Centre charges items outside the quote (\"fire marshal and janitorial charged separately\") - compare venues on total committed cost; ask for a guaranteed ceiling.\n[check] fm_1 (contracts): Quaymere Grand Hotel: a force majeure clause is in the text - send it to whoever reads contracts for the team; a clause that names a trigger but no remedy decides nothing, and the page does not assess what it covers.\n[check] lawyer (contract): Nobody reads the contract for the team (Q8) and Quaymere Grand Hotel and Rivermoor Conference Centre are paid: contract review is unskippable on the contracted pole - the page shows what each clause says, never what it means.\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 360 attendees (self-set).\n[info] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 3 surviving venues, with 2 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: Window 1 (2 surviving venues); Window 2 (2 surviving venues) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] block_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: a room block - start very small (as few as five rooms) and let it grow, scope the nights (the night before day one and between days, not after the last), publish the group rate code and watch its expiry about a month out.\n[info] scope_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] scope_3 (traps): Rivermoor Conference Centre: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] sec_cut_1 (contracts): Quaymere Grand Hotel: 758 characters pasted; the 7 excerpts with a trap keyword (689 characters) are sent, the other 158 characters were read by the page and not sent.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "summary": "Fix first: the registration number is missing and a price talk with the hotel is open before the conference centre has quoted on the identical sheet - pause it, supply the number, then get every survivor on the sheet.",
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "verdict": "fix first",
 "programme": [
  {
   "line": "Main room",
   "need": "450 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "note": "The reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating."
  },
  {
   "line": "Track rooms",
   "need": "1 more room of 225 seated, running at the same time as the main room",
   "note": "Self-set: the attendance split evenly across 2 tracks."
  },
  {
   "line": "Hallway-track space",
   "need": "200 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "note": "Self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Sponsor tables",
   "need": "10 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "note": "The organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Breakout rooms",
   "need": "3 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together",
   "note": "The reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Registration",
   "need": "a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Storage",
   "need": "secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "WiFi",
   "need": "for 450 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1800 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published."
  },
  {
   "line": "Power",
   "need": "at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 1125 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound."
  },
  {
   "line": "Load-in",
   "need": "a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Setup access",
   "need": "team access the day before for setup",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Accessibility",
   "need": "step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "note": "The organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Catering",
   "need": "outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "note": "The reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Quiet room",
   "need": "separate from the hangout space",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Transit and parking",
   "need": "reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Nearby hotels",
   "need": "affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "A/V equipment and staff",
   "need": "what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Tables and chairs",
   "need": "supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Security",
   "need": "a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  }
 ],
 "options": [
  {
   "venue": "Northmere University Great Hall",
   "window": "1",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "window": "1, 2",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [],
   "traps_total": "EUR 8,700"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "window": "2",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [
    "Breakout rooms: short by 1 room"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  }
 ],
 "ladder": {
  "pick": "Educational or civic space",
  "reason": "The default rule puts the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-haves first - the university hall - and the campus advocate promotes the same rung; the hard signing deadline demoted it but does not outweigh either."
 },
 "visits": {
  "pick": "Technical walkthrough",
  "reason": "This is a decided step-up at venues nobody on the team has worked in, so the technical walkthrough is the pick for every survivor.",
  "per_venue": [
   "Northmere University Great Hall: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked",
   "Quaymere Grand Hotel: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked",
   "Rivermoor Conference Centre: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked"
  ]
 },
 "traps": [
  {
   "venue": "Northmere University Great Hall",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Northmere University Great Hall",
   "trap": "Hosted-space restrictions",
   "exposure": "terms, not fees: no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor; ends 21:00; no alcohol",
   "ask": "Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Attrition",
   "exposure": "EUR 6,600 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; EUR 39,600 at most",
   "ask": "Ask for a starter block of about five rooms that grows as it fills, scoped to the nights actually needed - not the night after the final day."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Food-and-beverage minimum",
   "exposure": "EUR 2,100 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; owed below 375 attendees; the EUR 52,500 minimum at most",
   "ask": "Ask for a later catering headcount deadline, and the minimum set against a headcount you can carry at the shortfall."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Cancellation curve",
   "exposure": "from 2026-12-01 EUR 17,625 (25%); from 2027-03-01 EUR 35,250 (50%); from 2027-05-01 EUR 63,450 (90%); from 2027-06-01 EUR 70,500 (100%) - basis: rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Deposit",
   "exposure": "EUR 21,150 - 30% of rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 30% at signing",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover",
   "ask": "Ask for the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "trap": "Shipping and receiving",
   "exposure": "outside the headline quote: receiving fee 15 per package",
   "ask": "Ask for waived receiving fees, and the earliest shipping date and address in writing."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "trap": "Cancellation curve",
   "exposure": "from 2026-11-15 EUR 6,400 (20%); from 2027-02-15 EUR 16,000 (50%); from 2027-05-15 EUR 32,000 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "trap": "Deposit",
   "exposure": "EUR 12,800 - 40% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 40% at signing",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "trap": "Separately charged items",
   "exposure": "outside the headline quote: fire marshal and janitorial charged separately",
   "ask": "Ask every separately charged item enumerated, and a guaranteed ceiling on the quote."
  }
 ],
 "posture": {
  "pick": "Structured concession bargaining",
  "reason": "The hotel is a paid rental whose committed total is material against the budget (25%, self-set) and the channel is calls, so structured concession bargaining leads - general vendor technique, run only alongside the filled grid.",
  "tactics": [
   {
    "tactic": "Competitive options on the identical sheet",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Disclosure question list",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Non-monetary asks",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Starter room block",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Renewal option",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Calibrated questions",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Labelling",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Mirroring",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Accusation audit",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Structured concession bargaining (Ackerman)",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Surface hidden information",
    "kind": "general"
   }
  ]
 },
 "handoff": {
  "cancellation": [
   "Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2026-12-01: 25%",
   "Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-03-01: 50%",
   "Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-05-01: 90%",
   "Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-06-01: 100%",
   "Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2026-11-15: 20%",
   "Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-02-15: 50%",
   "Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-05-15: 100%"
  ],
  "insurance": "Northmere University Great Hall: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured; Quaymere Grand Hotel: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover; Rivermoor Conference Centre: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured",
  "venue_contact": "Tomas Brekkelund, local organizer"
 },
 "caveats": [
  "Missing before the first venue conversation: a business or registration number (workflow step 2) - some venues need them just to place a hold, so a missing number can burn a candidate window while it is found.",
  "A price conversation is already open while 1 surviving venue has not quoted on the identical sheet - pause it until every survivor has; the filled grid is the alternative that gives every tactic its force.",
  "Signing 2026-12-15 leaves about 5 months before 2027-06-10 - large events (300+) are booked 9-18 months ahead (the reference); expect thin availability.",
  "Rivermoor Conference Centre: breakout rooms - short by 1 room; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.",
  "Rivermoor Conference Centre quoted in its own format, not on the identical sheet - two venues cannot be compared on two different questions; ask for it on the sheet.",
  "Northmere University Great Hall is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage."
 ]
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Lakemoor Systems Conference (450, two tracks, a step-up) - brief

Verdict: fix first; 450 attendees; 3 of 3 venues survive the desk check; 19 programme lines; 2 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "event": "Event: Lakemoor Systems Conference 2027; organizing entity: Lakemoor Systems Community e.V.; contact: Ines Varrowby, programme lead; registration number: missing\nAttendance and format (Q1): 450 expected, from a demand read; multi-track conference, 2 tracks; 3 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 10; seating theatre-style; 2 days; stress case 20% below the estimate = 360 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. Window 1 - 2027-06-10 to 2027-06-11; 2. Window 2 - 2027-06-24 to 2027-06-25\nEdition (Q3): decided step-up to a bigger venue; ceiling set by the step-up decision: deposit EUR 15,000, attrition and minimum exposure EUR 5,000, lead time 12 months\nSpace (Q4): free or paid; genuinely exists - educational or civic: yes, a company willing to host: no, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: unknown\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2026-12-15 - sponsor budget cycle; about 5 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): recurring\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 120 organizer hours; in-person visits: yes; someone reads the contract for the team: no; irreversibility tolerance: medium; negotiation channel: call; event budget: EUR 160,000; currency EUR\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: none; an organizer's employer has space: no; a campus advocate: yes; a prior marked-up contract: no; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: yes; venues reply by: 2026-11-20; day-to-day venue contact: Tomas Brekkelund, local organizer\nCarried from the shortlist (14): 1. Posture: Structured concession bargaining - The hotel is a paid rental whose committed total is material against the budget (25%, self-set) and the channel is calls, so structured concession bargaining leads - general vendor technique, run only alongside the filled grid.; 2. Northmere University Great Hall - Insurance requirement: Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.; 3. Northmere University Great Hall - Hosted-space restrictions: Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category.; 4. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Attrition: Ask for a starter block of about five rooms that grows as it fills, scoped to the nights actually needed - not the night after the final day.; 5. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Food-and-beverage minimum: Ask for a later catering headcount deadline, and the minimum set against a headcount you can carry at the shortfall.; 6. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Cancellation curve: Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.; 7. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Deposit: Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.; 8. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Insurance requirement: Ask for the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry.; 9. Quaymere Grand Hotel - Shipping and receiving: Ask for waived receiving fees, and the earliest shipping date and address in writing.; 10. Rivermoor Conference Centre - Cancellation curve: Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.; 11. Rivermoor Conference Centre - Deposit: Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.; 12. Rivermoor Conference Centre - Insurance requirement: Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.; 13. Rivermoor Conference Centre - Separately charged items: Ask every separately charged item enumerated, and a guaranteed ceiling on the quote.; 14. Why this rung: The default rule puts the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-haves first - the university hall - and the campus advocate promotes the same rung; the hard signing deadline demoted it but does not outweigh either.",
 "options": "V1. Northmere University Great Hall | educational or civic space | windows: 1 | main room: 520 | rooms: 1 x 240, 2 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: foyer 220 standing; 12 tables | WiFi and power: 1,200 devices; outlets at the walls | accessibility: step-free throughout, lifts to every floor | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured | deposit: none | terms and notes: ends 21:00; no alcohol; no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor; outside catering permitted; dock at rear; lockable storage room; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration in the foyer | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV2. Quaymere Grand Hotel | bare commercial rental | windows: 1, 2 | main room: 480 | rooms: 1 x 240, 3 x 40 | hallway and sponsor: ballroom foyer 210 standing; 12 tables | WiFi and power: 900 devices; 300 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 18,000 | F&B minimum: 75% of 500 x 2 days at 70 per head | attrition: 80% of 300 room-nights at 165 expect 250 by 2027-03-01 | cancellation: 2026-12-01: 25%; 2027-03-01: 50%; 2027-05-01: 90%; 2027-06-01: 100% | insurance: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover | deposit: 30% at signing | terms and notes: in-house catering only; receiving fee 15 per package; dock and goods lift; secure storage; setup day from 14:00 the day before; registration desk in the lobby | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV3. Rivermoor Conference Centre | bare commercial rental | windows: 2 | main room: 600 | rooms: 1 x 300, 1 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: concourse 260 standing; 16 tables | WiFi and power: 2,000 devices; 1,200 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 32,000 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2026-11-15: 20%; 2027-02-15: 50%; 2027-05-15: 100% | insurance: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured | deposit: 40% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; fire marshal and janitorial charged separately; dock at rear; storage cage; setup day from 14:00 the day before; registration hall | quote: written, in the venue's own format",
 "contracts": "C1. Quaymere Grand Hotel (V2) - 7 excerpts:\n[attrition] Group room block: 300 room-nights;\n[attrition] the Group guarantees pick-up of 80% of the block, reviewed on 1 March 2027, with any shortfall charged at the group rate.\n[food and beverage] Food and beverage minimum spend applies at 75% of the contracted 500 delegates over both days.\n[cancellation] Cancellation: 25% of the total contract value from 2026-12-01, 50% from 2027-03-01, 90% from 2027-05-01 and 100% from 2027-06-01.\n[insurance] The Group shall hold public liability insurance of EUR 5,000,000 naming the hotel as additional insured.\n[deposit] A deposit of 30% is due on signature.\n[force majeure] Neither party is liable for a failure to perform caused by force majeure.\n[... 158 characters of this text carried no trap keyword or passed the cap and were not sent; the page read all of it ...]",
 "facts": "Verdict: fix first (2 fix-level findings; stage: still quoting)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (360 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (19 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 450 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Track rooms: 1 more room of 225 seated, running at the same time as the main room [must, eliminating; self-set: the attendance split evenly across 2 tracks]\n- Hallway-track space: 200 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 10 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Breakout rooms: 3 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 450 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1800 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 1125 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must, eliminating; the organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Northmere University Great Hall (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 1; short on: none; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (520 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (220 standing); Sponsor tables pass (12 tables); Breakout rooms pass (3 of 3); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 600 devices); Power unknown (not stated); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout, lifts to every floor); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V2 Quaymere Grand Hotel (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2; short on: none; traps total EUR 8,700; committed EUR 18,000 rental + EUR 52,500 F&B minimum = EUR 70,500\n  lines: Main room pass (480 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (210 standing); Sponsor tables pass (12 tables); Breakout rooms pass (3 of 3); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 900 devices); Power short (short by 825 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (mandated, per-head quote 70); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels pass (the venue is a hotel); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V3 Rivermoor Conference Centre (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 2; short on: Breakout rooms: short by 1 room; traps total none; committed EUR 32,000 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (600 seats); Track rooms pass (1 of 1); Hallway-track space pass (260 standing); Sponsor tables pass (16 tables); Breakout rooms short (short by 1 room); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (2000 devices); Power pass (1200 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- Window 1 (2027-06-10 to 2027-06-11): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet; V3 not available - 2 surviving venues available\n- Window 2 (2027-06-24 to 2027-06-25): V1 not available; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet; V3 available - written, in the venue's own format - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: Window 1 (2 surviving venues); Window 2 (2 surviving venues). Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 3 survivors; live windows: 2.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Educational or civic space): 1. Educational or civic space [demoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline (2026-12-15) - institutional bureaucracy; made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Northmere University Great Hall); made the pick by Q9: a campus advocate who can fast-track the booking promotes its own rung past everything above it]; 2. Coworking or community rental [promoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline promotes the fast rungs]; 3. Bare commercial rental; 4. Host sponsor buys the venue [demoted by Q6: a hard signing deadline - two negotiations, gated on a sale]. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung); Company-hosted space (Q4: no company is willing to host). Notes: Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Technical walkthrough): 1. Technical walkthrough [made the pick by Q3: a decided step-up to a bigger venue at a venue nobody on the team has worked in]; 2. Working walkthrough; 3. Desk check; 4. Single sales-led visit. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Northmere University Great Hall: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Quaymere Grand Hotel: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Rivermoor Conference Centre: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Structured concession bargaining): 1. Structured concession bargaining [made the pick by a paid rental, a committed amount material against the budget (EUR 70,500 against EUR 160,000; material at 25%, self-set) and a call channel]; 2. Competitive options; 3. Disclosure pass. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Quaymere Grand Hotel and Rivermoor Conference Centre) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a recurring event - trade a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]; Starter room block [venue]; Renewal option [venue]; Calibrated questions [general]; Labelling [general]; Mirroring [general]; Accusation audit [general]; Structured concession bargaining (Ackerman) [general]; Surface hidden information [general]. The general tactics are vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice, and assume this call.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Northmere University Great Hall: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Hosted-space restrictions: terms, not fees: no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor; ends 21:00; no alcohol | ask: each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category [venue]\n- V2 Quaymere Grand Hotel: traps total EUR 8,700 (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Attrition: EUR 6,600 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; EUR 39,600 at most | ask: a starter block of about five rooms that grows as it fills, scoped to the nights actually needed - not the night after the final day [venue]\n  - Food-and-beverage minimum: EUR 2,100 at 20% below the estimate; EUR 0 at the estimate; owed below 375 attendees; the EUR 52,500 minimum at most | ask: a later catering headcount deadline, and the minimum set against a headcount you can carry at the shortfall [venue]\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2026-12-01 EUR 17,625 (25%); from 2027-03-01 EUR 35,250 (50%); from 2027-05-01 EUR 63,450 (90%); from 2027-06-01 EUR 70,500 (100%) - basis: rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: EUR 21,150 - 30% of rental plus the F&B minimum, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 30% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover | ask: the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry [venue]\n  - Shipping and receiving: outside the headline quote: receiving fee 15 per package | ask: waived receiving fees, and the earliest shipping date and address in writing [venue]\n- V3 Rivermoor Conference Centre: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2026-11-15 EUR 6,400 (20%); from 2027-02-15 EUR 16,000 (50%); from 2027-05-15 EUR 32,000 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: EUR 12,800 - 40% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 40% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Separately charged items: outside the headline quote: fire marshal and janitorial charged separately | ask: every separately charged item enumerated, and a guaranteed ceiling on the quote [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2026-12-01: 25%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-03-01: 50%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-05-01: 90%; Quaymere Grand Hotel - 2027-06-01: 100%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2026-11-15: 20%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-02-15: 50%; Rivermoor Conference Centre - 2027-05-15: 100%; insurance Northmere University Great Hall: public liability EUR 5,000,000; university named additional insured; Quaymere Grand Hotel: public liability EUR 5,000,000, hotel named additional insured; exhibitors carry their own cover; Rivermoor Conference Centre: public liability EUR 10,000,000; centre named additional insured; day-to-day venue contact Tomas Brekkelund, local organizer\nBrief: reply by 2026-11-20; contact Ines Varrowby, programme lead; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nPasted contract text: C1 Quaymere Grand Hotel - 7 keyword sentences, 158 characters not sent\nFindings (22):\n[fix] prereq (interview): Missing before the first venue conversation: a business or registration number (workflow step 2) - some venues need them just to place a hold, so a missing number can burn a candidate window while it is found.\n[fix] price_talks (grid): A price conversation is already open while 1 surviving venue has not quoted on the identical sheet - pause it until every survivor has; the filled grid is the alternative that gives every tactic its force.\n[check] lead (interview): Signing 2026-12-15 leaves about 5 months before 2027-06-10 - large events (300+) are booked 9-18 months ahead (the reference); expect thin availability.\n[check] short_3_breakouts (desk check): Rivermoor Conference Centre: breakout rooms - short by 1 room; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] sheet_3 (grid): Rivermoor Conference Centre quoted in its own format, not on the identical sheet - two venues cannot be compared on two different questions; ask for it on the sheet.\n[check] notice_1 (traps): Northmere University Great Hall is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage.\n[check] sponsor_1 (traps): Northmere University Great Hall restricts sponsors (\"no competitor of the university's cloud partner may sponsor\") - settle it in writing before selling a single category.\n[check] fnb_over_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: the F&B minimum is set on 500 heads, above the estimate of 450 - overcommitting headcount.\n[check] dep_ceiling_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: the deposit (EUR 21,150) is over the EUR 15,000 the step-up decision tolerates (Q3).\n[check] x_ceiling_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: EUR 8,700 owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate is over the EUR 5,000 the step-up decision tolerates (Q3).\n[check] caterer_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel mandates its own caterer - a cost constraint to surface now, with a written per-head quote, not a surprise at contracting.\n[check] staff_3 (traps): Rivermoor Conference Centre charges items outside the quote (\"fire marshal and janitorial charged separately\") - compare venues on total committed cost; ask for a guaranteed ceiling.\n[check] fm_1 (contracts): Quaymere Grand Hotel: a force majeure clause is in the text - send it to whoever reads contracts for the team; a clause that names a trigger but no remedy decides nothing, and the page does not assess what it covers.\n[check] lawyer (contract): Nobody reads the contract for the team (Q8) and Quaymere Grand Hotel and Rivermoor Conference Centre are paid: contract review is unskippable on the contracted pole - the page shows what each clause says, never what it means.\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 360 attendees (self-set).\n[info] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 3 surviving venues, with 2 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: Window 1 (2 surviving venues); Window 2 (2 surviving venues) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] block_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: a room block - start very small (as few as five rooms) and let it grow, scope the nights (the night before day one and between days, not after the last), publish the group rate code and watch its expiry about a month out.\n[info] scope_2 (traps): Quaymere Grand Hotel: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] scope_3 (traps): Rivermoor Conference Centre: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] sec_cut_1 (contracts): Quaymere Grand Hotel: 758 characters pasted; the 7 excerpts with a trap keyword (689 characters) are sent, the other 158 characters were read by the page and not sent.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "sheet": {
  "title": "Lakemoor Systems Conference 2027 - venue requirements sheet",
  "about": "Lakemoor Systems Conference 2027 is a multi-track conference for 450 attendees over 2 days, organized by Lakemoor Systems Community e.V..",
  "programme": [
   "Main room: 450 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Track rooms: 1 more room of 225 seated, running at the same time as the main room",
   "Hallway-track space: 200 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables: 10 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Breakout rooms: 3 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together",
   "Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights",
   "WiFi: for 450 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1800 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 1125 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "Setup access: team access the day before for setup",
   "Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "Quiet room: separate from the hangout space",
   "Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff"
  ],
  "windows": [
   "Window 1: 2027-06-10 to 2027-06-11",
   "Window 2: 2027-06-24 to 2027-06-25"
  ],
  "must_haves": [
   "Main room - 450 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Track rooms - 1 more room of 225 seated, running at the same time as the main room",
   "Accessibility - step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "Hallway-track space - 200 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables - 10 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Breakout rooms - 3 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together"
  ],
  "quote_format": [
   "Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing",
   "A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate",
   "Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling",
   "For each date window: available or not",
   "The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps"
  ],
  "questions": [
   "Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost?",
   "Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately?",
   "Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it?",
   "What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts?",
   "Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover?",
   "Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees?",
   "Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis?",
   "Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable?",
   "Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site?",
   "Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date?",
   "Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount?",
   "Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?"
  ],
  "reply_by": "2026-11-20",
  "contact": "Ines Varrowby, programme lead"
 },
 "asks": [
  {
   "venue": "Northmere University Great Hall",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.",
   "why": "What the venue requires of the organizer shapes what the organizer requires of sponsors.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Northmere University Great Hall",
   "ask": "Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category.",
   "why": "A hosted space substitutes restrictions for fees.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "ask": "Ask for a starter block of about five rooms that grows as it fills, scoped to the nights actually needed - not the night after the final day.",
   "why": "Hotels generally allow adding rooms; they do not refund an attrition shortfall.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "ask": "Ask for a later catering headcount deadline, and the minimum set against a headcount you can carry at the shortfall.",
   "why": "A smaller crowd owes the same minimum - it moves with attendance risk in exactly the wrong direction.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.",
   "why": "The dates and percentages are what event-risk-management's go/no-go calendar is built from.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.",
   "why": "The dates and percentages are what event-risk-management's go/no-go calendar is built from.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.",
   "why": "Deposits typically run 25-50% at signing (the reference).",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Rivermoor Conference Centre",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.",
   "why": "What the venue requires of the organizer shapes what the organizer requires of sponsors.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quaymere Grand Hotel",
   "ask": "On the call, use a calibrated How question on the term that hurts most, and say it is general vendor technique.",
   "why": "General vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice; it needs a live conversation.",
   "kind": "general"
  }
 ],
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "note": "Not ready to send: supply the organizing entity's registration number and pause the hotel price conversation until the conference centre has quoted on this sheet."
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Riverholt Student Hack (120, overnight) - shortlist

Verdict: no venue fits the programme; 120 attendees; 0 of 3 venues survive the desk check; 20 programme lines; 1 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "event": "Event: Riverholt Student Hack 2027; organizing entity: Riverholt Hack Society; contact: Amara Quillon, lead organizer; registration number: RS-20417\nAttendance and format (Q1): 120 expected, from a prior edition's actuals; hackathon; 0 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 6; seating classroom or workshop layout; 2 days; stress case 20% below the estimate = 96 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. Weekend 1 - 2027-03-13 to 2027-03-14; 2. Weekend 2 - 2027-03-27 to 2027-03-28\nEdition (Q3): first edition\nSpace (Q4): free or hosted space; genuinely exists - educational or civic: yes, a company willing to host: yes, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: no\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight yes; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging hardware; accessibility bar: not set; catering must come from outside\nSign-by (Q6): 2027-01-15; about 1 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): recurring\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 60 organizer hours; in-person visits: yes; someone reads the contract for the team: no; irreversibility tolerance: medium; negotiation channel: email; event budget: EUR 8,000; currency EUR\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: none; an organizer's employer has space: no; a campus advocate: no; a prior marked-up contract: no; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: no; venues reply by: 2026-12-04; day-to-day venue contact: Amara Quillon",
 "options": "V1. Riverholt University Engineering Building | educational or civic space | windows: 1, 2 | main room: 160 | rooms: 1 x 140, 4 x 30 | hallway and sponsor: atrium 100 standing; 8 tables | WiFi and power: 600 devices; 400 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: public liability EUR 2,000,000 | deposit: none | terms and notes: building closes 23:00; outside food permitted; dock at rear; lockable storage; setup day from 17:00 the day before; registration at the entrance | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV2. Forgewell Coworking | coworking or community rental | windows: 2 | main room: 130 | rooms: 3 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: lounge 60 standing; 6 tables | WiFi and power: 500 devices; 350 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 1,500 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2027-02-27: 50%; 2027-03-20: 100% | insurance: public liability EUR 1,000,000 | deposit: 500 at signing | terms and notes: overnight working allowed; sleeping not permitted (fire code); outside food permitted; street load-in only; storage cupboard; setup day from 18:00 the day before | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV3. Kestrelix Labs office | company-hosted space | windows: 1 | main room: 90 | rooms: 2 x 12 | hallway and sponsor: kitchen 40 standing | WiFi and power: 300 devices | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: none | deposit: none | terms and notes: office closes 20:00; outside food permitted | quote: verbal only",
 "contracts": "",
 "facts": "Verdict: no venue fits the programme (1 fix-level finding; stage: still quoting)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (96 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (20 lines), in order:\n- Working zone: 120 participants at tables, power at every table [must, eliminating; the reference names the zone; sized to every participant (self-set)]\n- Talk zone: 120 seated for the opening and the closing, separate from the working zone [must; the reference names the zone; sized to every participant (self-set)]\n- Food zone: separate from the working zone [must; the reference]\n- Hardware zone: separate area for hardware work [must; the reference]\n- Sponsor zone: 6 sponsor tables, where participants pass them [must; the organizer's count]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: 480 concurrent devices (about 4 per attendee); state capacity and whether it can be raised [must; the reference: about 4 devices per attendee]\n- Power: 300 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work [must; the reference: at least 2.5 outlets per attendee]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must; the reference's worked example; the bar itself is set by event-accessibility-inclusion]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted [must, eliminating; a Q5 non-negotiable]\n- Overnight working: participants present through the night, permitted in writing [must, eliminating; a Q5 non-negotiable; the reference's fire-code case]\n- Overnight sleeping: a dedicated safe space for anyone who needs to sleep, permitted in writing (asked separately from working) [must, eliminating; a Q5 non-negotiable; the reference's fire-code case]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Riverholt University Engineering Building (educational or civic space; donated pole): status eliminated (Overnight working: its terms say no); windows 1, 2; short on: Overnight working: its terms say no; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Working zone pass (160 seats); Talk zone pass (a 140-seat room); Food zone pass (stated in its terms); Hardware zone unknown (not stated); Sponsor zone pass (8 tables); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (600 devices); Power pass (400 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Overnight working short (its terms say no); Overnight sleeping unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V2 Forgewell Coworking (coworking or community rental; contracted pole): status eliminated (Overnight sleeping: its terms say no); windows 2; short on: Load-in: its terms say no; Overnight sleeping: its terms say no; traps total none; committed EUR 1,500 rental\n  lines: Working zone pass (130 seats); Talk zone unknown (no separate room of 120 listed - confirm a talk zone on the floor plan); Food zone pass (stated in its terms); Hardware zone unknown (not stated); Sponsor zone pass (6 tables); Registration unknown (not stated); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (500 devices); Power pass (350 outlets); Load-in short (its terms say no); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Overnight working pass (stated in its terms); Overnight sleeping short (its terms say no); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V3 Kestrelix Labs office (company-hosted space; donated pole): status eliminated (Working zone: short by 30 seats; Overnight working: its terms say no); windows 1; short on: Working zone: short by 30 seats; WiFi: short by 180 devices; Overnight working: its terms say no; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Working zone short (short by 30 seats); Talk zone unknown (no separate room of 120 listed - confirm a talk zone on the floor plan); Food zone pass (stated in its terms); Hardware zone unknown (not stated); Sponsor zone unknown (not stated); Registration unknown (not stated); Storage unknown (not stated); WiFi short (short by 180 devices); Power unknown (not stated); Load-in unknown (not stated); Setup access unknown (not stated); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Overnight working short (its terms say no); Overnight sleeping unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- Weekend 1 (2027-03-13 to 2027-03-14): V1 eliminated; V2 eliminated; V3 eliminated - 0 surviving venues available\n- Weekend 2 (2027-03-27 to 2027-03-28): V1 eliminated; V2 eliminated; V3 eliminated - 0 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: Weekend 1 (0 surviving venues); Weekend 2 (0 surviving venues). Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 0 survivors; live windows: 0.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Company-hosted space): 1. Company-hosted space [demoted by the desk check: no listed company-hosted space candidate meets the must-have lines]; 2. Educational or civic space [demoted by the desk check: no listed educational or civic space candidate meets the must-have lines]; 3. Coworking or community rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space; demoted by the desk check: no listed coworking or community rental candidate meets the must-have lines]; 4. Bare commercial rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space]. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung); Host sponsor buys the venue (Q4: no sponsor will buy the venue). Notes: Hackathon scale: \"your venue should be free\" - paid rental is explicitly a last resort, and a venue secured early is proof to sponsors that the event is real. Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Technical walkthrough): 1. Technical walkthrough [made the pick by Q5: hardware, Q5: an overnight event and Q3: a first edition at a venue nobody on the team has worked in]; 2. Working walkthrough; 3. Desk check; 4. Single sales-led visit. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Riverholt University Engineering Building: no visit - eliminated at the desk check; Forgewell Coworking: no visit - eliminated at the desk check; Kestrelix Labs office: no visit - eliminated at the desk check\nNegotiation posture (pick: Competitive options): 1. Competitive options; 2. Disclosure pass; 3. Accept the quote; 4. Structured concession bargaining [demoted by Q8: an email-only exchange - its voice and pacing assume a live conversation]. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have). Notes: Q7: a recurring event - trade a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Renewal option [venue]. The channel is email only: the general vendor-negotiation tactics (mirroring, labelling, calibrated questions, accusation audit, structured bargaining) assume a live conversation and are left out.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\nHand-off: cancellation none; insurance none stated; day-to-day venue contact Amara Quillon\nBrief: reply by 2026-12-04; contact Amara Quillon, lead organizer; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Overnight: is overnight working permitted, and - asked separately - is overnight sleeping permitted, in a dedicated safe space? Please answer both in writing. / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nFindings (7):\n[fix] no_fit (desk check): No listed venue survives the desk check against the programme - go back to the sourcing ladder for candidates; do not shrink the programme to fit a venue.\n[info] range (interview): Early community editions land between 70 and 700, typically around 250 (the reference) - 120 is the number the programme is sized to; it is not this page's to change.\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 96 attendees (self-set).\n[info] out_1 (desk check): Riverholt University Engineering Building is eliminated at the desk check: Overnight working: its terms say no.\n[info] out_2 (desk check): Forgewell Coworking is eliminated at the desk check: Overnight sleeping: its terms say no.\n[info] out_3 (desk check): Kestrelix Labs office is eliminated at the desk check: Working zone: short by 30 seats and Overnight working: its terms say no - capacity cannot be fixed by layout.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "summary": "No venue fits the programme: the campus building and the office close before the night, and the coworking space allows overnight working but not sleeping - go back to the ladder for candidates rather than shrinking the programme.",
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "verdict": "no venue fits the programme",
 "programme": [
  {
   "line": "Working zone",
   "need": "120 participants at tables, power at every table",
   "note": "The reference names the zone; sized to every participant (self-set)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Talk zone",
   "need": "120 seated for the opening and the closing, separate from the working zone",
   "note": "The reference names the zone; sized to every participant (self-set)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Food zone",
   "need": "separate from the working zone",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Hardware zone",
   "need": "separate area for hardware work",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Sponsor zone",
   "need": "6 sponsor tables, where participants pass them",
   "note": "The organizer's count."
  },
  {
   "line": "Registration",
   "need": "a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Storage",
   "need": "secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 2 nights",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "WiFi",
   "need": "480 concurrent devices (about 4 per attendee); state capacity and whether it can be raised",
   "note": "The reference: about 4 devices per attendee."
  },
  {
   "line": "Power",
   "need": "300 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work",
   "note": "The reference: at least 2.5 outlets per attendee."
  },
  {
   "line": "Load-in",
   "need": "a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Setup access",
   "need": "team access the day before for setup",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Accessibility",
   "need": "step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "note": "The reference's worked example; the bar itself is set by event-accessibility-inclusion."
  },
  {
   "line": "Catering",
   "need": "outside catering permitted",
   "note": "A Q5 non-negotiable."
  },
  {
   "line": "Overnight working",
   "need": "participants present through the night, permitted in writing",
   "note": "A Q5 non-negotiable; the reference's fire-code case."
  },
  {
   "line": "Overnight sleeping",
   "need": "a dedicated safe space for anyone who needs to sleep, permitted in writing (asked separately from working)",
   "note": "A Q5 non-negotiable; the reference's fire-code case."
  },
  {
   "line": "Transit and parking",
   "need": "reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Nearby hotels",
   "need": "affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "A/V equipment and staff",
   "need": "what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Tables and chairs",
   "need": "supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Security",
   "need": "a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  }
 ],
 "options": [
  {
   "venue": "Riverholt University Engineering Building",
   "window": "1, 2",
   "status": "eliminated",
   "short_on": [
    "Overnight working: its terms say no"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Forgewell Coworking",
   "window": "2",
   "status": "eliminated",
   "short_on": [
    "Load-in: its terms say no",
    "Overnight sleeping: its terms say no"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Kestrelix Labs office",
   "window": "1",
   "status": "eliminated",
   "short_on": [
    "Working zone: short by 30 seats",
    "WiFi: short by 180 devices",
    "Overnight working: its terms say no"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  }
 ],
 "ladder": {
  "pick": "Company-hosted space",
  "reason": "Every listed rung failed the desk check, so each is demoted by it; company-hosted space stays first on efficiency, and the next candidates should come from the free rungs first."
 },
 "visits": {
  "pick": "Technical walkthrough",
  "reason": "An overnight event at venues nobody on the team has worked in makes the technical walkthrough the pick - for the next candidates, since none of these survives.",
  "per_venue": [
   "Riverholt University Engineering Building: no visit - eliminated at the desk check",
   "Forgewell Coworking: no visit - eliminated at the desk check",
   "Kestrelix Labs office: no visit - eliminated at the desk check"
  ]
 },
 "traps": [],
 "posture": {
  "pick": "Competitive options",
  "reason": "Competitive options stays the default; the channel is email only, so the general vendor tactics are left out.",
  "tactics": [
   {
    "tactic": "Competitive options on the identical sheet",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Disclosure question list",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Renewal option",
    "kind": "venue"
   }
  ]
 },
 "handoff": {
  "cancellation": [],
  "insurance": "none stated",
  "venue_contact": "Amara Quillon"
 },
 "caveats": [
  "No listed venue survives the desk check against the programme - go back to the sourcing ladder for candidates; do not shrink the programme to fit a venue."
 ]
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Riverholt Student Hack (120, overnight) - brief: not offered - no listed venue fits the programme - add candidates from the ladder before the brief and the asks are written.

Midlands Rust Day (180, a known venue) - shortlist

Verdict: ready to sign; 180 attendees; 2 of 2 venues survive the desk check; 18 programme lines; 0 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "event": "Event: Midlands Rust Day 2027; organizing entity: Midlands Rust Community CIC; contact: Priya Ramastel, chair; registration number: CIC-0849213\nAttendance and format (Q1): 180 expected, from a prior edition's actuals; single-track conference; 2 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 6; seating theatre-style; 1 day; stress case 20% below the estimate = 144 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. Option A - 2027-05-13; 2. Option B - 2027-05-20\nEdition (Q3): repeat in a known venue\nSpace (Q4): free or paid; genuinely exists - educational or civic: unknown, a company willing to host: unknown, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: no\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2026-12-01; about 5 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): recurring\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 60 organizer hours; in-person visits: yes; someone reads the contract for the team: yes; irreversibility tolerance: medium; negotiation channel: visit; event budget: GBP 40,000; currency GBP\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: bare commercial rental; an organizer's employer has space: no; a campus advocate: no; a prior marked-up contract: yes; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: no; venues reply by: 2026-11-06; day-to-day venue contact: Sam Okorvale, local organizer",
 "options": "V1. Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms | bare commercial rental | windows: 1, 2 | main room: 220 | rooms: 1 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: foyer 90 standing; 8 tables | WiFi and power: 900 devices; 500 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout, accessible toilets on every floor | rental: 4,800 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2027-01-15: 25%; 2027-04-13: 50%; 2027-05-06: 100% | insurance: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own | deposit: 25% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; dock at rear; lockable storage; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration in the foyer; quiet room; tram stop outside; hotels nearby; A/V technician included; tables and chairs supplied; security on site | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV2. Fennow Library Hall | educational or civic space | windows: 2 | main room: 200 | rooms: 1 x 30, 1 x 18 | hallway and sponsor: atrium 85 standing; 6 tables | WiFi and power: 800 devices; 460 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; ramp to the hall; storage room; setup day from 16:00 the day before; registration in the entrance hall; 30 days written notice either side; ends 21:00; quiet room; tram stop outside; hotels nearby; A/V technician on request; tables and chairs supplied; security on site | quote: written, on the identical sheet",
 "contracts": "",
 "facts": "Verdict: ready to sign (0 fix-level findings; stage: every survivor quoted on the identical sheet - a signing question)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (144 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (18 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Hallway-track space: 80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Breakout rooms: 2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 180 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 720 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 450 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must, eliminating; the organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2; short on: none; traps total none; committed GBP 4,800 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (220 seats); Hallway-track space pass (90 standing); Sponsor tables pass (8 tables); Breakout rooms pass (2 of 2); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (900 devices); Power pass (500 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout, accessible toilets on every floor); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room pass (stated in its terms); Transit and parking pass (stated in its terms); Nearby hotels pass (stated in its terms); A/V equipment and staff pass (stated in its terms); Tables and chairs pass (stated in its terms); Security pass (stated in its terms)\n- V2 Fennow Library Hall (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 2; short on: none; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (200 seats); Hallway-track space pass (85 standing); Sponsor tables pass (6 tables); Breakout rooms pass (2 of 2); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (800 devices); Power pass (460 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room pass (stated in its terms); Transit and parking pass (stated in its terms); Nearby hotels pass (stated in its terms); A/V equipment and staff pass (stated in its terms); Tables and chairs pass (stated in its terms); Security pass (stated in its terms)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- Option A (2027-05-13): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 not available - 1 surviving venue available\n- Option B (2027-05-20): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: Option B (2 surviving venues); Option A (1 surviving venue). Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 2 survivors; live windows: 2.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Bare commercial rental): 1. Bare commercial rental [made the pick by Q9: a standing venue relationship promotes its own rung past everything above it]; 2. Educational or civic space [made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Fennow Library Hall)]; 3. Company-hosted space [demoted by Q1: 180 attendees is above roughly an office floor (the page reads that as 150, self-set) - capacity is the usual failure]; 4. Coworking or community rental. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung); Host sponsor buys the venue (Q4: no sponsor will buy the venue). Notes: Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Working walkthrough): 1. Working walkthrough; 2. Desk check; 3. Single sales-led visit; 4. Technical walkthrough. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Fennow Library Hall: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Competitive options): 1. Competitive options; 2. Disclosure pass; 3. Structured concession bargaining. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a recurring event - trade a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option. Q9: a prior edition's marked-up contract exists - the negotiation starts from this venue's own history.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]; Renewal option [venue]; Calibrated questions [general]; Labelling [general]; Mirroring [general]; Surface hidden information [general]. The general tactics are vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice, and assume this visit.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2027-01-15 GBP 1,200 (25%); from 2027-04-13 GBP 2,400 (50%); from 2027-05-06 GBP 4,800 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: GBP 1,200 - 25% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 25% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own | ask: the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry [venue]\n- V2 Fennow Library Hall: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Hosted-space restrictions: terms, not fees: ends 21:00; 30 days written notice either side | ask: each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-01-15: 25%; Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-04-13: 50%; Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-05-06: 100%; insurance Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own; Fennow Library Hall: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured; day-to-day venue contact Sam Okorvale, local organizer\nBrief: reply by 2026-11-06; contact Priya Ramastel, chair; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nFindings (5):\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 144 attendees (self-set).\n[info] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 2 surviving venues, with 2 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: Option B (2 surviving venues); Option A (1 surviving venue) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] scope_1 (traps): Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "summary": "Ready to sign: both venues quoted on the identical sheet across two live windows and every must-have line is marked - have the contract reader go through the conference rooms' cancellation curve before signature.",
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "verdict": "ready to sign",
 "programme": [
  {
   "line": "Main room",
   "need": "180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "note": "The reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating."
  },
  {
   "line": "Hallway-track space",
   "need": "80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "note": "Self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Sponsor tables",
   "need": "6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "note": "The organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Breakout rooms",
   "need": "2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together",
   "note": "The reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Registration",
   "need": "a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Storage",
   "need": "secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "WiFi",
   "need": "for 180 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 720 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published."
  },
  {
   "line": "Power",
   "need": "at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 450 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound."
  },
  {
   "line": "Load-in",
   "need": "a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Setup access",
   "need": "team access the day before for setup",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Accessibility",
   "need": "step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "note": "The organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Catering",
   "need": "outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "note": "The reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Quiet room",
   "need": "separate from the hangout space",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Transit and parking",
   "need": "reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Nearby hotels",
   "need": "affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "A/V equipment and staff",
   "need": "what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Tables and chairs",
   "need": "supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Security",
   "need": "a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  }
 ],
 "options": [
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "window": "1, 2",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Fennow Library Hall",
   "window": "2",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [],
   "traps_total": "none"
  }
 ],
 "ladder": {
  "pick": "Bare commercial rental",
  "reason": "The standing relationship with the commercial venue promotes its own rung past everything above it."
 },
 "visits": {
  "pick": "Working walkthrough",
  "reason": "A repeat in a known venue with no overnight, rigging or livestream keeps the default working walkthrough.",
  "per_venue": [
   "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked",
   "Fennow Library Hall: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked"
  ]
 },
 "traps": [
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "trap": "Cancellation curve",
   "exposure": "from 2027-01-15 GBP 1,200 (25%); from 2027-04-13 GBP 2,400 (50%); from 2027-05-06 GBP 4,800 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "trap": "Deposit",
   "exposure": "GBP 1,200 - 25% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 25% at signing",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own",
   "ask": "Ask for the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Fennow Library Hall",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Fennow Library Hall",
   "trap": "Hosted-space restrictions",
   "exposure": "terms, not fees: ends 21:00; 30 days written notice either side",
   "ask": "Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category."
  }
 ],
 "posture": {
  "pick": "Competitive options",
  "reason": "Two survivors on the identical sheet give the grid its force; the committed amount is not material against the budget, so competitive options stays the default on this visit channel.",
  "tactics": [
   {
    "tactic": "Competitive options on the identical sheet",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Disclosure question list",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Non-monetary asks",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Renewal option",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Calibrated questions",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Labelling",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Mirroring",
    "kind": "general"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Surface hidden information",
    "kind": "general"
   }
  ]
 },
 "handoff": {
  "cancellation": [
   "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-01-15: 25%",
   "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-04-13: 50%",
   "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-05-06: 100%"
  ],
  "insurance": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own; Fennow Library Hall: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured",
  "venue_contact": "Sam Okorvale, local organizer"
 },
 "caveats": []
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Midlands Rust Day (180, a known venue) - brief

Verdict: ready to sign; 180 attendees; 2 of 2 venues survive the desk check; 18 programme lines; 0 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "event": "Event: Midlands Rust Day 2027; organizing entity: Midlands Rust Community CIC; contact: Priya Ramastel, chair; registration number: CIC-0849213\nAttendance and format (Q1): 180 expected, from a prior edition's actuals; single-track conference; 2 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 6; seating theatre-style; 1 day; stress case 20% below the estimate = 144 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. Option A - 2027-05-13; 2. Option B - 2027-05-20\nEdition (Q3): repeat in a known venue\nSpace (Q4): free or paid; genuinely exists - educational or civic: unknown, a company willing to host: unknown, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: no\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2026-12-01; about 5 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): recurring\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 60 organizer hours; in-person visits: yes; someone reads the contract for the team: yes; irreversibility tolerance: medium; negotiation channel: visit; event budget: GBP 40,000; currency GBP\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: bare commercial rental; an organizer's employer has space: no; a campus advocate: no; a prior marked-up contract: yes; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: no; venues reply by: 2026-11-06; day-to-day venue contact: Sam Okorvale, local organizer\nCarried from the shortlist (7): 1. Posture: Competitive options - Two survivors on the identical sheet give the grid its force; the committed amount is not material against the budget, so competitive options stays the default on this visit channel.; 2. Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - Cancellation curve: Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.; 3. Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - Deposit: Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.; 4. Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - Insurance requirement: Ask for the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry.; 5. Fennow Library Hall - Insurance requirement: Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.; 6. Fennow Library Hall - Hosted-space restrictions: Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category.; 7. Why this rung: The standing relationship with the commercial venue promotes its own rung past everything above it.",
 "options": "V1. Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms | bare commercial rental | windows: 1, 2 | main room: 220 | rooms: 1 x 40, 1 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: foyer 90 standing; 8 tables | WiFi and power: 900 devices; 500 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout, accessible toilets on every floor | rental: 4,800 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2027-01-15: 25%; 2027-04-13: 50%; 2027-05-06: 100% | insurance: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own | deposit: 25% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; dock at rear; lockable storage; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration in the foyer; quiet room; tram stop outside; hotels nearby; A/V technician included; tables and chairs supplied; security on site | quote: written, on the identical sheet\nV2. Fennow Library Hall | educational or civic space | windows: 2 | main room: 200 | rooms: 1 x 30, 1 x 18 | hallway and sponsor: atrium 85 standing; 6 tables | WiFi and power: 800 devices; 460 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; ramp to the hall; storage room; setup day from 16:00 the day before; registration in the entrance hall; 30 days written notice either side; ends 21:00; quiet room; tram stop outside; hotels nearby; A/V technician on request; tables and chairs supplied; security on site | quote: written, on the identical sheet",
 "contracts": "",
 "facts": "Verdict: ready to sign (0 fix-level findings; stage: every survivor quoted on the identical sheet - a signing question)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (144 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (18 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Hallway-track space: 80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Breakout rooms: 2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 180 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 720 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 450 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must, eliminating; the organizer's bar, set by event-accessibility-inclusion (Q5)]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms (bare commercial rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2; short on: none; traps total none; committed GBP 4,800 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (220 seats); Hallway-track space pass (90 standing); Sponsor tables pass (8 tables); Breakout rooms pass (2 of 2); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (900 devices); Power pass (500 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout, accessible toilets on every floor); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room pass (stated in its terms); Transit and parking pass (stated in its terms); Nearby hotels pass (stated in its terms); A/V equipment and staff pass (stated in its terms); Tables and chairs pass (stated in its terms); Security pass (stated in its terms)\n- V2 Fennow Library Hall (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 2; short on: none; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (200 seats); Hallway-track space pass (85 standing); Sponsor tables pass (6 tables); Breakout rooms pass (2 of 2); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (800 devices); Power pass (460 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room pass (stated in its terms); Transit and parking pass (stated in its terms); Nearby hotels pass (stated in its terms); A/V equipment and staff pass (stated in its terms); Tables and chairs pass (stated in its terms); Security pass (stated in its terms)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- Option A (2027-05-13): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 not available - 1 surviving venue available\n- Option B (2027-05-20): V1 available - written, on the identical sheet; V2 available - written, on the identical sheet - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: Option B (2 surviving venues); Option A (1 surviving venue). Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 2 survivors; live windows: 2.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Bare commercial rental): 1. Bare commercial rental [made the pick by Q9: a standing venue relationship promotes its own rung past everything above it]; 2. Educational or civic space [made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Fennow Library Hall)]; 3. Company-hosted space [demoted by Q1: 180 attendees is above roughly an office floor (the page reads that as 150, self-set) - capacity is the usual failure]; 4. Coworking or community rental. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung); Host sponsor buys the venue (Q4: no sponsor will buy the venue). Notes: Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Working walkthrough): 1. Working walkthrough; 2. Desk check; 3. Single sales-led visit; 4. Technical walkthrough. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked; Fennow Library Hall: working walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Competitive options): 1. Competitive options; 2. Disclosure pass; 3. Structured concession bargaining. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a recurring event - trade a better one-year price for a relationship and a renewal option. Q9: a prior edition's marked-up contract exists - the negotiation starts from this venue's own history.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]; Renewal option [venue]; Calibrated questions [general]; Labelling [general]; Mirroring [general]; Surface hidden information [general]. The general tactics are vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice, and assume this visit.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2027-01-15 GBP 1,200 (25%); from 2027-04-13 GBP 2,400 (50%); from 2027-05-06 GBP 4,800 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: GBP 1,200 - 25% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 25% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own | ask: the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry [venue]\n- V2 Fennow Library Hall: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\n  - Hosted-space restrictions: terms, not fees: ends 21:00; 30 days written notice either side | ask: each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-01-15: 25%; Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-04-13: 50%; Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms - 2027-05-06: 100%; insurance Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: public liability GBP 5,000,000; venue named additional insured; sponsors carry their own; Fennow Library Hall: public liability GBP 5,000,000; library named additional insured; day-to-day venue contact Sam Okorvale, local organizer\nBrief: reply by 2026-11-06; contact Priya Ramastel, chair; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nFindings (5):\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 144 attendees (self-set).\n[info] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 2 of 2 surviving venues, with 2 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: Option B (2 surviving venues); Option A (1 surviving venue) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] scope_1 (traps): Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "sheet": {
  "title": "Midlands Rust Day 2027 - venue requirements sheet",
  "about": "Midlands Rust Day 2027 is a single-track conference for 180 attendees over 1 day, organized by Midlands Rust Community CIC.",
  "programme": [
   "Main room: 180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Hallway-track space: 80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Breakout rooms: 2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together",
   "Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night",
   "WiFi: for 180 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 720 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 450 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "Setup access: team access the day before for setup",
   "Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "Quiet room: separate from the hangout space",
   "Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff"
  ],
  "windows": [
   "Option A: 2027-05-13",
   "Option B: 2027-05-20"
  ],
  "must_haves": [
   "Main room - 180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Accessibility - step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "Hallway-track space - 80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables - 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Breakout rooms - 2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together"
  ],
  "quote_format": [
   "Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing",
   "A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate",
   "Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling",
   "For each date window: available or not",
   "The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps"
  ],
  "questions": [
   "Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost?",
   "Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately?",
   "Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it?",
   "What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts?",
   "Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover?",
   "Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees?",
   "Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis?",
   "Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable?",
   "Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site?",
   "Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date?",
   "Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount?",
   "Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?"
  ],
  "reply_by": "2026-11-06",
  "contact": "Priya Ramastel, chair"
 },
 "asks": [
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.",
   "why": "The dates and percentages are what event-risk-management's go/no-go calendar is built from.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.",
   "why": "Deposits typically run 25-50% at signing (the reference).",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "ask": "Ask for the coverages and amounts in writing, including what sponsors and exhibitors must carry.",
   "why": "What the venue requires of the organizer shapes what the organizer requires of sponsors.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Fennow Library Hall",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.",
   "why": "What the venue requires of the organizer shapes what the organizer requires of sponsors.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Fennow Library Hall",
   "ask": "Ask each restriction in writing - which sponsor categories are limited, setup access and the notice period - before selling a category.",
   "why": "A hosted space substitutes restrictions for fees.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Wharfmoor Lane Conference Rooms",
   "ask": "On the visit, use a calibrated How question on the term that hurts most, and say it is general vendor technique.",
   "why": "General vendor-negotiation technique, not venue-specific practice; it needs a live conversation.",
   "kind": "general"
  }
 ],
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "note": "The brief is ready to send to every surviving venue."
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Ourtown Data Day (250, a first edition) - shortlist

Verdict: ready to request quotes; 250 attendees; 2 of 3 venues survive the desk check; 18 programme lines; 0 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "event": "Event: Ourtown Data Day 2027; organizing entity: Ourtown Data Meetup Association; contact: Lena Oseraldi, organizer; registration number: VR-48213\nAttendance and format (Q1): 250 expected, from a demand read; workshop-heavy event; 4 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 6; seating theatre-style; 1 day; stress case 20% below the estimate = 200 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. 1 - 2027-09-16; 2. 2 - 2027-09-30; 3. 3 - 2027-10-14\nEdition (Q3): first edition\nSpace (Q4): free or hosted space; genuinely exists - educational or civic: yes, a company willing to host: yes, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: unknown\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: not set; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2027-02-26; about 6 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): one-off\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 30 organizer hours; in-person visits: limited; someone reads the contract for the team: no; irreversibility tolerance: low; negotiation channel: email; event budget: USD 25,000; currency USD\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: none; an organizer's employer has space: yes; a campus advocate: no; a prior marked-up contract: no; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: no; venues reply by: 2027-01-22; day-to-day venue contact: to be named",
 "options": "V1. Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre | educational or civic space | windows: 1, 3 | main room: 300 | rooms: 2 x 40, 2 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: corridor 60 standing; 4 tables | WiFi and power: not stated | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: none | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; dock at rear; no overnight storage; registration in the lobby | quote: no quote yet\nV2. Brivonna Analytics office | company-hosted space | windows: 2 | main room: 140 | rooms: 3 x 16 | hallway and sponsor: kitchen 70 standing; 3 tables | WiFi and power: 400 devices; 300 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: none | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; no sponsors competing with Brivonna; goods lift; storage room; setup from 16:00 the day before | quote: no quote yet\nV3. Quillnest Coworking | coworking or community rental | windows: 1, 2, 3 | main room: 260 | rooms: 4 x 30 | hallway and sponsor: event floor 120 standing; 8 tables | WiFi and power: 1,000 devices; 700 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 6,500 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2027-06-01: 50%; 2027-08-15: 100% | insurance: public liability USD 2,000,000 | deposit: 50% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; goods lift; lockable storage; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration desk at reception | quote: no quote yet",
 "contracts": "",
 "facts": "Verdict: ready to request quotes (0 fix-level findings; stage: still quoting)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (200 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (18 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 250 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Hallway-track space: 112 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Workshop rooms: 4 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 2 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together, power at every seat [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 250 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1000 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: 625 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work [must; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must; the reference's worked example; the bar itself is set by event-accessibility-inclusion]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 1, 3; short on: Hallway-track space: short by 52 standing places; Sponsor tables: short by 2 tables; Storage: its terms say no; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (300 seats); Hallway-track space short (short by 52 standing places); Sponsor tables short (short by 2 tables); Workshop rooms pass (4 of 4); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage short (its terms say no); WiFi unknown (not stated); Power unknown (not stated); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access unknown (not stated); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V2 Brivonna Analytics office (company-hosted space; donated pole): status eliminated (Main room: short by 110 seats); windows 2; short on: Main room: short by 110 seats; Hallway-track space: short by 42 standing places; Sponsor tables: short by 3 tables; Workshop rooms: short by 2 rooms; Power: short by 325 outlets; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room short (short by 110 seats); Hallway-track space short (short by 42 standing places); Sponsor tables short (short by 3 tables); Workshop rooms short (short by 2 rooms); Registration unknown (not stated); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 600 devices); Power short (short by 325 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V3 Quillnest Coworking (coworking or community rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2, 3; short on: none; traps total none; committed USD 6,500 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (260 seats); Hallway-track space pass (120 standing); Sponsor tables pass (8 tables); Workshop rooms pass (4 of 4); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (1000 devices); Power pass (700 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- 1 (2027-09-16): V1 available - no quote yet; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 2 surviving venues available\n- 2 (2027-09-30): V1 not available; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 1 surviving venue available\n- 3 (2027-10-14): V1 available - no quote yet; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: 1 (2 surviving venues); 3 (2 surviving venues); 2 (1 surviving venue). Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 2 survivors; live windows: 3.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Educational or civic space): 1. Educational or civic space [demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling (30 hours, under 40 - self-set) demotes the free rungs that need chasing; made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre)]; 2. Company-hosted space [demoted by Q1: 250 attendees is above roughly an office floor (the page reads that as 150, self-set) - capacity is the usual failure; demoted by the desk check: no listed company-hosted space candidate meets the must-have lines]; 3. Coworking or community rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space]; 4. Host sponsor buys the venue [demoted by Q8: little irreversibility tolerated - the highest compliance cost]; 5. Bare commercial rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space; demoted by Q8: little irreversibility tolerated - review triggered, reversibility lost]. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung). Notes: Q9: an organizer's employer has space - but its listed venue fails the must-have lines, so the rung is not promoted. Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Technical walkthrough): 1. Technical walkthrough [made the pick by Q3: a first edition at a venue nobody on the team has worked in; demoted by Q8: one visit at most; demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling]; 2. Desk check; 3. Working walkthrough [demoted by Q8: one visit at most - a distant venue may allow only a sales-led visit]; 4. Single sales-led visit. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: technical walkthrough - walk power and setup access; Brivonna Analytics office: no visit - eliminated at the desk check; Quillnest Coworking: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Competitive options): 1. Competitive options; 2. Disclosure pass; 3. Structured concession bargaining [demoted by Q8: an email-only exchange - its voice and pacing assume a live conversation; demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling]. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Quillnest Coworking) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a one-off edition - no relationship or renewal option to trade for; this year's terms are the whole deal.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]. The channel is email only: the general vendor-negotiation tactics (mirroring, labelling, calibrated questions, accusation audit, structured bargaining) assume a live conversation and are left out.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Terms in writing: none stated - a hosted booking still needs terms in writing | ask: the notice period, setup access, storage and any sponsor restriction in writing [venue]\n- V3 Quillnest Coworking: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2027-06-01 USD 3,250 (50%); from 2027-08-15 USD 6,500 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: USD 3,250 - 50% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 50% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability USD 2,000,000 | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Quillnest Coworking - 2027-06-01: 50%; Quillnest Coworking - 2027-08-15: 100%; insurance Quillnest Coworking: public liability USD 2,000,000; day-to-day venue contact to be named\nBrief: reply by 2027-01-22; contact Lena Oseraldi, organizer; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nFindings (13):\n[check] short_1_hall (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: hallway-track space - short by 52 standing places; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] short_1_sponsor (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: sponsor tables - short by 2 tables; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] short_1_storage (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: storage - its terms say no; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 2 surviving venues, with 3 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[check] notice_1 (traps): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage.\n[check] lawyer (contract): Nobody reads the contract for the team (Q8) and Quillnest Coworking is paid: contract review is unskippable on the contracted pole - the page shows what each clause says, never what it means.\n[check] unknown_1 (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: 2 must-have lines not yet marked (power and setup access) - put them in the brief, and walk them at the visit.\n[info] range (interview): Early community editions land between 70 and 700, typically around 250 (the reference) - 250 is the number the programme is sized to; it is not this page's to change.\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 200 attendees (self-set).\n[info] out_2 (desk check): Brivonna Analytics office is eliminated at the desk check: Main room: short by 110 seats - capacity cannot be fixed by layout.\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: 1 (2 surviving venues); 3 (2 surviving venues); 2 (1 surviving venue) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] scope_3 (traps): Quillnest Coworking: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "shortlist",
 "summary": "Ready to request quotes: two venues survive the desk check and none has quoted yet - send the identical sheet to both, and ask the polytechnic whether the hallway, sponsor tables and storage can be patched.",
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "verdict": "ready to request quotes",
 "programme": [
  {
   "line": "Main room",
   "need": "250 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "note": "The reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating."
  },
  {
   "line": "Hallway-track space",
   "need": "112 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "note": "Self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)."
  },
  {
   "line": "Sponsor tables",
   "need": "6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "note": "The organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Workshop rooms",
   "need": "4 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 2 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together, power at every seat",
   "note": "The reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Registration",
   "need": "a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Storage",
   "need": "secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "WiFi",
   "need": "for 250 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1000 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published."
  },
  {
   "line": "Power",
   "need": "625 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work",
   "note": "The reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound."
  },
  {
   "line": "Load-in",
   "need": "a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Setup access",
   "need": "team access the day before for setup",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Accessibility",
   "need": "step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "note": "The reference's worked example; the bar itself is set by event-accessibility-inclusion."
  },
  {
   "line": "Catering",
   "need": "outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "note": "The reference's worked example."
  },
  {
   "line": "Quiet room",
   "need": "separate from the hangout space",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Transit and parking",
   "need": "reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Nearby hotels",
   "need": "affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "A/V equipment and staff",
   "need": "what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Tables and chairs",
   "need": "supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "note": "The reference."
  },
  {
   "line": "Security",
   "need": "a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff",
   "note": "The reference."
  }
 ],
 "options": [
  {
   "venue": "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre",
   "window": "1, 3",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [
    "Hallway-track space: short by 52 standing places",
    "Sponsor tables: short by 2 tables",
    "Storage: its terms say no"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Brivonna Analytics office",
   "window": "2",
   "status": "eliminated",
   "short_on": [
    "Main room: short by 110 seats",
    "Hallway-track space: short by 42 standing places",
    "Sponsor tables: short by 3 tables",
    "Workshop rooms: short by 2 rooms",
    "Power: short by 325 outlets"
   ],
   "traps_total": "none"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "window": "1, 2, 3",
   "status": "survives",
   "short_on": [],
   "traps_total": "none"
  }
 ],
 "ladder": {
  "pick": "Educational or civic space",
  "reason": "The default rule puts the polytechnic's free educational rung first; the employer's office fails the main room line, so that asset does not promote its rung."
 },
 "visits": {
  "pick": "Technical walkthrough",
  "reason": "A first edition at venues nobody on the team has worked in makes the technical walkthrough the pick, even with one visit at most.",
  "per_venue": [
   "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: technical walkthrough - walk power and setup access",
   "Brivonna Analytics office: no visit - eliminated at the desk check",
   "Quillnest Coworking: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked"
  ]
 },
 "traps": [
  {
   "venue": "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre",
   "trap": "Terms in writing",
   "exposure": "none stated - a hosted booking still needs terms in writing",
   "ask": "Ask for the notice period, setup access, storage and any sponsor restriction in writing."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "trap": "Cancellation curve",
   "exposure": "from 2027-06-01 USD 3,250 (50%); from 2027-08-15 USD 6,500 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "trap": "Deposit",
   "exposure": "USD 3,250 - 50% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 50% at signing",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced."
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "trap": "Insurance requirement",
   "exposure": "required: public liability USD 2,000,000",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing."
  }
 ],
 "posture": {
  "pick": "Competitive options",
  "reason": "Competitive options leads; the channel is email only, so the general vendor tactics are left out and structured bargaining is demoted.",
  "tactics": [
   {
    "tactic": "Competitive options on the identical sheet",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Disclosure question list",
    "kind": "venue"
   },
   {
    "tactic": "Non-monetary asks",
    "kind": "venue"
   }
  ]
 },
 "handoff": {
  "cancellation": [
   "Quillnest Coworking - 2027-06-01: 50%",
   "Quillnest Coworking - 2027-08-15: 100%"
  ],
  "insurance": "Quillnest Coworking: public liability USD 2,000,000",
  "venue_contact": "to be named"
 },
 "caveats": [
  "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: hallway-track space - short by 52 standing places; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.",
  "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: sponsor tables - short by 2 tables; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.",
  "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: storage - its terms say no; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.",
  "Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 2 surviving venues, with 3 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).",
  "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage.",
  "Nobody reads the contract for the team (Q8) and Quillnest Coworking is paid: contract review is unskippable on the contracted pole - the page shows what each clause says, never what it means."
 ]
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

Ourtown Data Day (250, a first edition) - brief

Verdict: ready to request quotes; 250 attendees; 2 of 3 venues survive the desk check; 18 programme lines; 0 fix-level findings.

Input:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "event": "Event: Ourtown Data Day 2027; organizing entity: Ourtown Data Meetup Association; contact: Lena Oseraldi, organizer; registration number: VR-48213\nAttendance and format (Q1): 250 expected, from a demand read; workshop-heavy event; 4 breakout or workshop rooms; sponsor tables 6; seating theatre-style; 1 day; stress case 20% below the estimate = 200 attendees (self-set)\nCandidate windows (Q2), in preference order: 1. 1 - 2027-09-16; 2. 2 - 2027-09-30; 3. 3 - 2027-10-14\nEdition (Q3): first edition\nSpace (Q4): free or hosted space; genuinely exists - educational or civic: yes, a company willing to host: yes, a sponsor willing to buy the venue: unknown\nNon-negotiables (Q5): overnight no; livestream or hybrid no; hardware or rigging no; accessibility bar: not set; catering outside or in-house\nSign-by (Q6): 2027-02-26; about 6 months before the first window\nEdition kind (Q7): one-off\nEffort ceiling (Q8): 30 organizer hours; in-person visits: limited; someone reads the contract for the team: no; irreversibility tolerance: low; negotiation channel: email; event budget: USD 25,000; currency USD\nAlready exists (Q9): a standing venue relationship: none; an organizer's employer has space: yes; a campus advocate: no; a prior marked-up contract: no; a sponsor asking to host: no\nNow: a price conversation is already open: no; venues reply by: 2027-01-22; day-to-day venue contact: to be named\nCarried from the shortlist (6): 1. Posture: Competitive options - Competitive options leads; the channel is email only, so the general vendor tactics are left out and structured bargaining is demoted.; 2. Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre - Terms in writing: Ask for the notice period, setup access, storage and any sponsor restriction in writing.; 3. Quillnest Coworking - Cancellation curve: Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.; 4. Quillnest Coworking - Deposit: Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.; 5. Quillnest Coworking - Insurance requirement: Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.; 6. Why this rung: The default rule puts the polytechnic's free educational rung first; the employer's office fails the main room line, so that asset does not promote its rung.",
 "options": "V1. Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre | educational or civic space | windows: 1, 3 | main room: 300 | rooms: 2 x 40, 2 x 20 | hallway and sponsor: corridor 60 standing; 4 tables | WiFi and power: not stated | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: none | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; dock at rear; no overnight storage; registration in the lobby | quote: no quote yet\nV2. Brivonna Analytics office | company-hosted space | windows: 2 | main room: 140 | rooms: 3 x 16 | hallway and sponsor: kitchen 70 standing; 3 tables | WiFi and power: 400 devices; 300 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 0 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: none | insurance: none | deposit: none | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; no sponsors competing with Brivonna; goods lift; storage room; setup from 16:00 the day before | quote: no quote yet\nV3. Quillnest Coworking | coworking or community rental | windows: 1, 2, 3 | main room: 260 | rooms: 4 x 30 | hallway and sponsor: event floor 120 standing; 8 tables | WiFi and power: 1,000 devices; 700 outlets | accessibility: step-free throughout | rental: 6,500 | F&B minimum: none | attrition: none | cancellation: 2027-06-01: 50%; 2027-08-15: 100% | insurance: public liability USD 2,000,000 | deposit: 50% at signing | terms and notes: outside catering permitted; goods lift; lockable storage; setup day from 15:00 the day before; registration desk at reception | quote: no quote yet",
 "contracts": "",
 "facts": "Verdict: ready to request quotes (0 fix-level findings; stage: still quoting)\nDisclaimer: Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing.\nSelf-set lines: the stress case 20% below the estimate (200 attendees); a company floor read as 150 attendees; a low effort ceiling under 40 hours; a committed amount material at 25% of the budget; breakout seat floors 30 and 15 (from the reference's worked example); room-night pickup scaling with attendance where no expected pickup is given.\nSpace programme (18 lines), in order:\n- Main room: 250 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound [must, eliminating; the reference: sized to expected attendance and the format's seating]\n- Hallway-track space: 112 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover [must; self-set, scaled from the reference's worked example (about 80 standing at 180)]\n- Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path [must; the organizer's count; size and siting from the reference's worked example]\n- Workshop rooms: 4 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 2 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together, power at every seat [must; the reference's mix (10-20 and 20-40); the 30 and 15 seat floors are from its worked example]\n- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance [must; the reference]\n- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night [must; the reference]\n- WiFi: for 250 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1000 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound) [should; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound; no conference ratio is published]\n- Power: 625 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work [must; the reference's hackathon figure as an upper bound]\n- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked [must; the reference]\n- Setup access: team access the day before for setup [must; the reference]\n- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level [must; the reference's worked example; the bar itself is set by event-accessibility-inclusion]\n- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote [must; the reference's worked example]\n- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space [should; the reference]\n- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking [should; the reference]\n- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees [should; the reference]\n- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff [should; the reference]\n- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan [should; the reference]\n- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff [should; the reference]\nDesk check, per venue:\n- V1 Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre (educational or civic space; donated pole): status survives; windows 1, 3; short on: Hallway-track space: short by 52 standing places; Sponsor tables: short by 2 tables; Storage: its terms say no; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room pass (300 seats); Hallway-track space short (short by 52 standing places); Sponsor tables short (short by 2 tables); Workshop rooms pass (4 of 4); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage short (its terms say no); WiFi unknown (not stated); Power unknown (not stated); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access unknown (not stated); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V2 Brivonna Analytics office (company-hosted space; donated pole): status eliminated (Main room: short by 110 seats); windows 2; short on: Main room: short by 110 seats; Hallway-track space: short by 42 standing places; Sponsor tables: short by 3 tables; Workshop rooms: short by 2 rooms; Power: short by 325 outlets; traps total none; committed none quoted (hosted)\n  lines: Main room short (short by 110 seats); Hallway-track space short (short by 42 standing places); Sponsor tables short (short by 3 tables); Workshop rooms short (short by 2 rooms); Registration unknown (not stated); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi short (short by 600 devices); Power short (short by 325 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\n- V3 Quillnest Coworking (coworking or community rental; contracted pole): status survives; windows 1, 2, 3; short on: none; traps total none; committed USD 6,500 rental\n  lines: Main room pass (260 seats); Hallway-track space pass (120 standing); Sponsor tables pass (8 tables); Workshop rooms pass (4 of 4); Registration pass (stated in its terms); Storage pass (stated in its terms); WiFi pass (1000 devices); Power pass (700 outlets); Load-in pass (stated in its terms); Setup access pass (stated in its terms); Accessibility pass (step-free throughout); Catering pass (outside catering permitted); Quiet room unknown (not stated); Transit and parking unknown (not stated); Nearby hotels unknown (not stated); A/V equipment and staff unknown (not stated); Tables and chairs unknown (not stated); Security unknown (not stated)\nOptions grid (written quote on the identical sheet per cell):\n- 1 (2027-09-16): V1 available - no quote yet; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 2 surviving venues available\n- 2 (2027-09-30): V1 not available; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 1 surviving venue available\n- 3 (2027-10-14): V1 available - no quote yet; V2 eliminated; V3 available - no quote yet - 2 surviving venues available\nWindows ranked by availability: 1 (2 surviving venues); 3 (2 surviving venues); 2 (1 surviving venue). Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 2 survivors; live windows: 3.\nSourcing ladder (pick: Educational or civic space): 1. Educational or civic space [demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling (30 hours, under 40 - self-set) demotes the free rungs that need chasing; made the pick by the default rule: the highest-capacity free rung that meets the must-have lines (Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre)]; 2. Company-hosted space [demoted by Q1: 250 attendees is above roughly an office floor (the page reads that as 150, self-set) - capacity is the usual failure; demoted by the desk check: no listed company-hosted space candidate meets the must-have lines]; 3. Coworking or community rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space]; 4. Host sponsor buys the venue [demoted by Q8: little irreversibility tolerated - the highest compliance cost]; 5. Bare commercial rental [demoted by Q4: the team wants free or hosted space; demoted by Q8: little irreversibility tolerated - review triggered, reversibility lost]. Deleted, not demoted: Unwritten handshake booking (the skill: no notice period, no setup-day access, no storage commitment, no sponsor-restriction clarity - without terms in writing it is not a rung). Notes: Q9: an organizer's employer has space - but its listed venue fails the must-have lines, so the rung is not promoted. Every ranking is a default, not a law. Ties the skill prints: effort (educational or civic equals bare rental - months either way), value (coworking equals company-hosted), compliance (educational or civic equals company-hosted).\nSite-visit depth (pick: Technical walkthrough): 1. Technical walkthrough [made the pick by Q3: a first edition at a venue nobody on the team has worked in; demoted by Q8: one visit at most; demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling]; 2. Desk check; 3. Working walkthrough [demoted by Q8: one visit at most - a distant venue may allow only a sales-led visit]; 4. Single sales-led visit. Deleted, not demoted: Site visit after signature (the skill: a visit with no leverage left can only produce a list of things to worry about)\nPer venue visit: Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: technical walkthrough - walk power and setup access; Brivonna Analytics office: no visit - eliminated at the desk check; Quillnest Coworking: technical walkthrough - every must-have line already marked\nNegotiation posture (pick: Competitive options): 1. Competitive options; 2. Disclosure pass; 3. Structured concession bargaining [demoted by Q8: an email-only exchange - its voice and pacing assume a live conversation; demoted by Q8: a low effort ceiling]. Deleted, not demoted: Negotiating one venue on one date (the skill: every tactic derives its force from an alternative this posture does not have); Accept the quote (money is involved (Quillnest Coworking) - accepting is a decision not to look). Notes: Q7: a one-off edition - no relationship or renewal option to trade for; this year's terms are the whole deal.\nTactics, each tagged general vendor technique or venue-specific: Competitive options on the identical sheet [venue]; Disclosure question list [venue]; Non-monetary asks [venue]. The channel is email only: the general vendor-negotiation tactics (mirroring, labelling, calibrated questions, accusation audit, structured bargaining) assume a live conversation and are left out.\nContract traps, priced (survivors):\n- V1 Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Terms in writing: none stated - a hosted booking still needs terms in writing | ask: the notice period, setup access, storage and any sponsor restriction in writing [venue]\n- V3 Quillnest Coworking: traps total none (owed on attrition and the F&B minimum at 20% below the estimate)\n  - Cancellation curve: from 2027-06-01 USD 3,250 (50%); from 2027-08-15 USD 6,500 (100%) - basis: the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's | ask: a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation [venue]\n  - Deposit: USD 3,250 - 50% of the rental, no F&B minimum stated, the page's assumed basis - read the contract's; as stated: 50% at signing | ask: a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced [venue]\n  - Insurance requirement: required: public liability USD 2,000,000 | ask: whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing [venue]\nHand-off: cancellation Quillnest Coworking - 2027-06-01: 50%; Quillnest Coworking - 2027-08-15: 100%; insurance Quillnest Coworking: public liability USD 2,000,000; day-to-day venue contact to be named\nBrief: reply by 2027-01-22; contact Lena Oseraldi, organizer; questions: Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost? / Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately? / Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it? / What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts? / Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover? / Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees? / Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis? / Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable? / Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site? / Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date? / Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount? / Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?; quote format: Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing / A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate / Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling / For each date window: available or not / The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps\nFindings (13):\n[check] short_1_hall (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: hallway-track space - short by 52 standing places; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] short_1_sponsor (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: sponsor tables - short by 2 tables; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] short_1_storage (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: storage - its terms say no; ask in writing whether it can be patched before ruling it out.\n[check] measure (grid): Quoted on the identical sheet: 0 of 2 surviving venues, with 3 live windows (self-set observable: at least two venues quoted, two windows still live).\n[check] notice_1 (traps): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre is hosted space with no written notice period - a hosted booking often has none; get one in writing, with setup access and storage.\n[check] lawyer (contract): Nobody reads the contract for the team (Q8) and Quillnest Coworking is paid: contract review is unskippable on the contracted pole - the page shows what each clause says, never what it means.\n[check] unknown_1 (desk check): Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre: 2 must-have lines not yet marked (power and setup access) - put them in the brief, and walk them at the visit.\n[info] range (interview): Early community editions land between 70 and 700, typically around 250 (the reference) - 250 is the number the programme is sized to; it is not this page's to change.\n[info] shortfall (interview): The stress case is 20% below the estimate - 200 attendees (self-set).\n[info] out_2 (desk check): Brivonna Analytics office is eliminated at the desk check: Main room: short by 110 seats - capacity cannot be fixed by layout.\n[info] window_rank (grid): Availability ranks the windows: 1 (2 surviving venues); 3 (2 surviving venues); 2 (1 surviving venue) - hand this to event-date-selection.\n[info] scope_3 (traps): Quillnest Coworking: read the cancellation curve against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.\n[info] disclaimer (honesty): Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing."
}

Reply:

{
 "task": "brief",
 "sheet": {
  "title": "Ourtown Data Day 2027 - venue requirements sheet",
  "about": "Ourtown Data Day 2027 is a workshop-heavy event for 250 attendees over 1 day, organized by Ourtown Data Meetup Association.",
  "programme": [
   "Main room: 250 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Hallway-track space: 112 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Workshop rooms: 4 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 2 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together, power at every seat",
   "Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance",
   "Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night",
   "WiFi: for 250 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 1000 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)",
   "Power: 625 outlets (at least 2.5 per attendee), at the seats where people work",
   "Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked",
   "Setup access: team access the day before for setup",
   "Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level",
   "Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote",
   "Quiet room: separate from the hangout space",
   "Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking",
   "Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees",
   "A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff",
   "Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan",
   "Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff"
  ],
  "windows": [
   "1: 2027-09-16",
   "2: 2027-09-30",
   "3: 2027-10-14"
  ],
  "must_haves": [
   "Main room - 250 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound",
   "Hallway-track space - 112 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover",
   "Sponsor tables - 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path",
   "Workshop rooms - 4 separate rooms: 2 holding 30-40 and 2 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together, power at every seat"
  ],
  "quote_format": [
   "Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing",
   "A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate",
   "Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling",
   "For each date window: available or not",
   "The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps"
  ],
  "questions": [
   "Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost?",
   "Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately?",
   "Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it?",
   "What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts?",
   "Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover?",
   "Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees?",
   "Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis?",
   "Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable?",
   "Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site?",
   "Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date?",
   "Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount?",
   "Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?"
  ],
  "reply_by": "2027-01-22",
  "contact": "Lena Oseraldi, organizer"
 },
 "asks": [
  {
   "venue": "Ourtown Polytechnic Lecture Centre",
   "ask": "Ask for the notice period, setup access, storage and any sponsor restriction in writing.",
   "why": "Without terms in writing a free venue is not a rung.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "ask": "Ask for a softer cancellation step, and the curve read against a scope cut, not only a full cancellation.",
   "why": "The dates and percentages are what event-risk-management's go/no-go calendar is built from.",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "ask": "Ask for a smaller deposit or a later balance date - and no pre-payment until forced.",
   "why": "Deposits typically run 25-50% at signing (the reference).",
   "kind": "venue"
  },
  {
   "venue": "Quillnest Coworking",
   "ask": "Ask whether sponsors and exhibitors must carry their own cover, and the amounts, in writing.",
   "why": "What the venue requires of the organizer shapes what the organizer requires of sponsors.",
   "kind": "venue"
  }
 ],
 "disclaimer": "This is not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and the page supplies no venue prices and no hybrid technical specification - only the quotes in the input.",
 "note": "The brief is ready to send to every surviving venue."
}

The page's check: kept - nothing to flag

The free requirements sheet for the known-venue sample

# Midlands Rust Day 2027 - venue requirements

_Not legal advice: contract wording goes to whoever reads contracts for the team, and insurance product decisions go to a broker. No venue prices are supplied - real quotes from several venues on the identical sheet are the only benchmark - and no hybrid or multi-venue technical specification: bandwidth, rigging and camera positions go to the venue as questions it answers in writing._

**Event:** Midlands Rust Day 2027 - single-track conference, 1 day
**Expected attendance:** 180 (a prior edition's actuals)
**Organizing entity:** Midlands Rust Community CIC - registration no. CIC-0849213, contact Priya Ramastel, chair

## Date windows, in preference order

1. Option A: 2027-05-13
2. Option B: 2027-05-20

## Must have

- Main room: 180 seated, theatre-style, stage or raised area, projection and wired sound
- Hallway-track space: 80 standing, adjacent to catering, a first-class space and not spillover
- Sponsor tables: 6 tables (2 m), sited on the food or hangout circulation path
- Breakout rooms: 2 separate rooms: 1 holding 30-40 and 1 holding 15-20, chairs movable into a circle, close together
- Registration: a check-in area that does not block the entrance
- Storage: secure overnight storage for organizer and sponsor equipment, 1 night
- Load-in: a dock or ramp, and a route to every room that can be walked
- Setup access: team access the day before for setup
- Accessibility: step-free access to every room used, accessible toilets on the same level
- Catering: outside catering permitted, or in-house catering with a written quote

## Should have

- WiFi: for 180 attendees - state capacity and whether it can be raised; up to 720 devices (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)
- Power: at breakout seating, the stage and sponsor tables; up to 450 outlets (the hackathon figure, borrowed as an upper bound)
- Quiet room: separate from the hangout space
- Transit and parking: reachable by public transit, or enough parking
- Nearby hotels: affordable hotels close by for out-of-town attendees
- A/V equipment and staff: what exists, and whether the venue supplies setup staff
- Tables and chairs: supplied by the venue, or a rental vendor and who coordinates the floor plan
- Security: a secure area for equipment, and whether the venue supplies security staff

## The venue answers in writing

- Is catering mandated in-house? At what per-head cost?
- Are catering, security, fire marshal or janitorial staff charged separately?
- Is the quote a guaranteed ceiling, or are there charges not in it?
- What insurance do you require of us, and in what amounts?
- Do you require sponsors or exhibitors to carry their own cover?
- Shipping: from what date, to what address, with what receiving fees?
- Cancellation-fee schedule: what percentage is owed, from which dates, and on what basis?
- Deposit: how much, when, and is any part of it refundable?
- Any restrictions on which companies may sponsor or exhibit on site?
- Attrition: is any headcount or room block guaranteed, at what percentage, reviewed on what date?
- Food-and-beverage minimum: what spend floor, set on what headcount?
- Access: from what time can the team get in the day before, and what hours on each event day?

## How to quote, so quotes compare

- Answer every line of this sheet: met, not met, or the answer in writing
- A total committed cost - rental, catering at the per-head rate, separately charged staff, receiving fees, tables and chairs - not only the room rate
- Whether the quote is a guaranteed ceiling
- For each date window: available or not
- The deposit, the balance dates and the cancellation schedule as dated steps

Reply by: 2026-11-06. Contact: Priya Ramastel, chair.

Build the input yourself

Load the engine in node (global.window = global; require("./venuekit.js"); require("./venuereply.js")), then:

const K = VenueKit, R = VenueReply;
const f = K.form({ name: "My Systems Day", organizer: "My Community e.V.", orgContact: "A named organizer", orgReg: "VR-00000", attendance: "180", format: "single", breakouts: "2", sponsorTables: "6",
  windows: "Window 1 | 2027-04-15 to 2027-04-16\nWindow 2 | 2027-05-06 to 2027-05-07",
  options: "A venue | educational | 1, 2 | 200 | 1 x 40, 1 x 20 | foyer 90 standing; 6 tables | 800 devices; 450 outlets | step-free throughout | 0 | none | none | none | public liability EUR 5,000,000 | none | dock; storage; setup day from 15:00 the day before | written on our sheet" });
// f.lines (line, need, must, hard, basis), f.opts (status, out, checks, shortOn, traps, trapsTotal, curve), f.grid, f.ladder, f.visits, f.posture, f.tactics, f.handoff, f.verdict, f.findings
K.sheetMd(f); K.gridCsv(f); K.curveCsv(f)      // the free requirements sheet, options grid and cancellation curves
const b = K.buildInput(f, "shortlist");        // or "brief" (only when a venue survives)
const wire = K.toWire(b.input);                // POST this to /estimate and /run
// then: const reply = R.normalize(R.parseReply(job.output.output), "shortlist");
// R.check(reply, b)                           // {status: kept or flagged, notes}
// R.carryText(reply)                          // the lines the brief lane carries - set them as f.raw.carry

Get a token for the steps below from /tokens.html.

Step 1 — a tiny client helper

One function that sends JSON and unwraps the response. Paste a personal token from /tokens.html, or leave it empty and mint a guest token in step 2.

BASE="https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api"
TOKEN="YOUR_TOKEN"   # from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html
api() { # api METHOD PATH [JSON-BODY]
  curl -s -X "$1" "$BASE$2" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    ${TOKEN:+-H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN"} ${3:+--data "$3"}
}

import json, urllib.request

BASE = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api"
TOKEN = "YOUR_TOKEN"  # from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html

def api(method, path, body=None, headers=None):
    req = urllib.request.Request(BASE + path, method=method,
        data=None if body is None else json.dumps(body).encode(),
        headers={"Content-Type": "application/json", **({"Authorization": "Bearer " + TOKEN} if TOKEN else {}), **(headers or {})})
    with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
        env = json.load(r)
    if env.get("error"):
        raise RuntimeError(env["error"])
    return env["data"]

// venue-shortlist.mjs -- Node 18+ (global fetch)
const BASE = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api";
let TOKEN = "YOUR_TOKEN"; // from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html
async function api(method, path, body, headers = {}) {
  const r = await fetch(BASE + path, { method, headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json",
    ...(TOKEN ? { Authorization: "Bearer " + TOKEN } : {}), ...headers },
    body: body === undefined ? undefined : JSON.stringify(body) });
  const env = await r.json();
  if (env.error) throw new Error(env.error.code + ": " + env.error.message);
  return env.data;
}

package main

import ("bytes"; "encoding/json"; "fmt"; "net/http")

const base = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api"
var token = "YOUR_TOKEN" // from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html

func api(method, path string, body any, headers map[string]string) (map[string]any, error) {
	var buf bytes.Buffer
	if body != nil { json.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(body) }
	req, _ := http.NewRequest(method, base+path, &buf)
	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
	if token != "" { req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token) }
	for k, v := range headers { req.Header.Set(k, v) }
	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil { return nil, err }
	defer res.Body.Close()
	var env struct { Data map[string]any; Error map[string]any }
	json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&env)
	if env.Error != nil { return nil, fmt.Errorf("%v", env.Error) }
	return env.Data, nil
}

// VenueShortlist.java -- Java 17+, with com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.*;
import java.net.URI; import java.net.http.*; import java.util.*;

public class VenueShortlist {
  static final String BASE = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api";
  static String token = "YOUR_TOKEN"; // from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html
  static final ObjectMapper M = new ObjectMapper();
  static final HttpClient C = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
  static JsonNode api(String method, String path, Object body, Map<String, String> headers) throws Exception {
    var b = HttpRequest.newBuilder(URI.create(BASE + path)).header("Content-Type", "application/json");
    if (!token.isEmpty()) b.header("Authorization", "Bearer " + token);
    if (headers != null) headers.forEach(b::header);
    b.method(method, body == null ? HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.noBody() : HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.ofString(M.writeValueAsString(body)));
    JsonNode env = M.readTree(C.send(b.build(), HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString()).body());
    if (env.hasNonNull("error")) throw new RuntimeException(env.get("error").toString());
    return env.get("data");
  }
}

require "json"
require "net/http"

BASE = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api"
TOKEN = "YOUR_TOKEN" # from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html

def api(method, path, body = nil, headers = {})
  uri = URI(BASE + path)
  req = Net::HTTPGenericRequest.new(method, !body.nil?, true, uri.request_uri,
    { "Content-Type" => "application/json" }.merge(TOKEN.empty? ? {} : { "Authorization" => "Bearer #{TOKEN}" }).merge(headers))
  req.body = JSON.generate(body) unless body.nil?
  env = JSON.parse(Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: true) { |h| h.request(req) }.body)
  raise env["error"].to_s if env["error"]
  env["data"]
end

<?php
const BASE = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api";
$TOKEN = "YOUR_TOKEN"; // from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html

function api(string $method, string $path, $body = null, array $headers = []) {
    global $TOKEN;
    $h = ["Content-Type: application/json"];
    if ($TOKEN) $h[] = "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN";
    foreach ($headers as $k => $v) $h[] = "$k: $v";
    $ch = curl_init(BASE . $path);
    curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => $method, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => $h, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true]);
    if ($body !== null) curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode($body));
    $env = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
    if (!empty($env["error"])) throw new Exception(json_encode($env["error"]));
    return $env["data"];
}

// Program.cs -- .NET 6+ console app
using System.Net.Http.Json; using System.Text.Json; using System.Text.Json.Nodes;

static class Api {
  public const string Base = "https://api.skillsafe.ai/v1/app-api";
  public static string Token = "YOUR_TOKEN"; // from https://venue-shortlist.skillsafe.ai/tokens.html
  static readonly HttpClient C = new();
  public static async Task<JsonNode?> Call(string method, string path, object? body = null, Dictionary<string, string>? headers = null) {
    var req = new HttpRequestMessage(new HttpMethod(method), Base + path);
    if (Token != "") req.Headers.Add("Authorization", "Bearer " + Token);
    if (headers != null) foreach (var h in headers) req.Headers.Add(h.Key, h.Value);
    if (body != null) req.Content = JsonContent.Create(body);
    var env = JsonNode.Parse(await (await C.SendAsync(req)).Content.ReadAsStringAsync())!;
    if (env["error"] is JsonNode e && e.GetValueKind() != JsonValueKind.Null) throw new Exception(e.ToJsonString());
    return env["data"];
  }
}

Step 2 — a token

A guest token is enough for /me and /estimate. A run is metered, so it needs a personal token: sign in on /tokens.html and copy it from there.

# a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
TOKEN=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE/guest" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"slug":"venue-shortlist"}' | jq -r '.data.token')

# a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
TOKEN = ""
TOKEN = api("POST", "/guest", {"slug": "venue-shortlist"})["token"]

// a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
TOKEN = "";
TOKEN = (await api("POST", "/guest", { slug: "venue-shortlist" })).token;

// inside main: a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token
token = ""
g, err := api("POST", "/guest", map[string]string{"slug": "venue-shortlist"}, nil)
if err != nil { panic(err) }
token = g["token"].(string)

// inside main: a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token
token = "";
token = api("POST", "/guest", Map.of("slug", "venue-shortlist"), null).get("token").asText();

# a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
TOKEN.replace("")
TOKEN.replace(api("POST", "/guest", { slug: "venue-shortlist" })["token"])

// a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
$TOKEN = "";
$TOKEN = api("POST", "/guest", ["slug" => "venue-shortlist"])["token"];

// a guest token (enough for /me and /estimate); a run needs your personal token from /tokens.html
Api.Token = "";
Api.Token = (await Api.Call("POST", "/guest", new { slug = "venue-shortlist" }))!["token"]!.GetValue<string>();

Step 3 — `GET /me`

Who the token is (subject_type: user or guest) and the credit balance.

api GET /me | jq '.data | {subject_type, credits}'

me = api("GET", "/me")
print(me["subject_type"], me.get("credits"))

const me = await api("GET", "/me");
console.log(me.subject_type, me.credits);

me, _ := api("GET", "/me", nil, nil)
fmt.Println(me["subject_type"], me["credits"])

JsonNode me = api("GET", "/me", null, null);
System.out.println(me.get("subject_type") + " " + me.get("credits"));

me = api("GET", "/me")
puts [me["subject_type"], me["credits"]].inspect

$me = api("GET", "/me");
echo $me["subject_type"], " ", $me["credits"] ?? "", "\n";

var me = await Api.Call("GET", "/me");
Console.WriteLine($"{me!["subject_type"]} {me["credits"]}");

Step 4 — `POST /estimate`

Free. The body is the run input itself, the bare object (never wrapped in {"input": ...}). hold_credits is a reservation, not the price; min_credits is what the balance must cover; model_alias reads gpt-terra.

# input.json: the run input object - {"task": "shortlist", "event": "Event: ...; Attendance and format (Q1): ...", "options": "V1. ... | educational or civic space | windows: ...", "contracts": "", "facts": "Verdict: ..."}
# - see the input table
api POST /estimate "$(cat input.json)" | jq '.data | {hold_credits, min_credits, model, model_alias, markup_bps, warnings}'

inp = json.load(open("input.json"))   # {"task": "shortlist", "event": "Event: ...; Attendance and format (Q1): ...", "options": "V1. ... | educational or civic space | windows: ...", "contracts": "", "facts": "Verdict: ..."}
# - see the input table
est = api("POST", "/estimate", inp)
print(est["hold_credits"], est["min_credits"], est["model"], est.get("warnings"))

import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
const input = JSON.parse(readFileSync("input.json", "utf8")); // {task: "shortlist" or "brief", event, options, contracts, facts} (see the input table)
const est = await api("POST", "/estimate", input);
console.log(est.hold_credits, est.min_credits, est.model, est.warnings);

raw, _ := os.ReadFile("input.json") // add "os" to the imports
var input map[string]any
json.Unmarshal(raw, &input)
est, _ := api("POST", "/estimate", input, nil)
fmt.Println(est["hold_credits"], est["min_credits"], est["model"])

Map<String, Object> input = M.readValue(new java.io.File("input.json"), Map.class);
JsonNode est = api("POST", "/estimate", input, null);
System.out.println(est.get("hold_credits") + " " + est.get("min_credits") + " " + est.get("model"));

input = JSON.parse(File.read("input.json"))
est = api("POST", "/estimate", input)
puts [est["hold_credits"], est["min_credits"], est["model"]].inspect

$input = json_decode(file_get_contents("input.json"), true);
$est = api("POST", "/estimate", $input);
echo $est["hold_credits"], " ", $est["min_credits"], " ", $est["model"], "\n";

var input = JsonNode.Parse(File.ReadAllText("input.json"))!;
var est = await Api.Call("POST", "/estimate", input);
Console.WriteLine($"{est!["hold_credits"]} {est["min_credits"]} {est["model"]}");

Step 5 — `POST /run`, then poll the job

Send an Idempotency-Key built from the lane and the input: a retry with the same key never bills twice. The page uses venue-shortlist:<task>:<inputHash>:a<attempt> - the lane is part of the key - and its one automatic reformat retry is a new attempt number, named in the page as one extra run. A shortlist carries summary, disclaimer, verdict, programme, options, ladder, visits, traps, posture, handoff and caveats; a brief carries sheet, asks, disclaimer and note. The code below prints the headline of either.

KEY="venue-shortlist:shortlist:$(shasum -a 256 input.json | cut -c1-16):a1"
JOB=$(curl -s -X POST "$BASE/run" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $KEY" --data @input.json | jq -r '.data.job_id')
while :; do
  J=$(api GET "/jobs/$JOB"); S=$(echo "$J" | jq -r '.data.status')
  case "$S" in succeeded|failed|cancelled) break;; esac; sleep 2
done
echo "$J" | jq -r '.data.output.output' > reply.json   # one JSON object, the reply contract
echo "$J" | jq '.data | {charged_credits, truncated}'
jq -r '.verdict // .sheet.title, .summary // .note' reply.json
jq -r '(.options // [])[] | .venue + ": " + .status' reply.json   # the shortlist's venues; a brief has .sheet.programme

import hashlib, time
key = "venue-shortlist:" + inp["task"] + ":" + hashlib.sha256(json.dumps(inp).encode()).hexdigest()[:16] + ":a1"
job = api("POST", "/run", inp, {"Idempotency-Key": key})
while True:
    j = api("GET", "/jobs/" + job["job_id"])
    if j["status"] in ("succeeded", "failed", "cancelled"):
        break
    time.sleep(2)
reply = json.loads(j["output"]["output"])  # the reply as one JSON object
print(j["charged_credits"], j.get("truncated"), reply.get("verdict") or reply.get("sheet", {}).get("title"))
print(reply.get("summary") or reply.get("note", ""))
for o in reply.get("options") or []:
    print("-", o["venue"], o["status"], o["traps_total"])

import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
const key = `venue-shortlist:${input.task}:${createHash("sha256").update(JSON.stringify(input)).digest("hex").slice(0, 16)}:a1`;
const job = await api("POST", "/run", input, { "Idempotency-Key": key });
let j;
do { await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 2000)); j = await api("GET", "/jobs/" + job.job_id); }
while (!["succeeded", "failed", "cancelled"].includes(j.status));
const reply = JSON.parse(j.output.output);
console.log(j.charged_credits, j.truncated, reply.verdict ?? reply.sheet?.title);
console.log(reply.summary ?? reply.note);
for (const o of reply.options || []) console.log("-", o.venue, o.status, o.traps_total);

sum := sha256.Sum256(raw) // add "crypto/sha256", "encoding/hex", "time" to the imports
key := "venue-shortlist:" + input["task"].(string) + ":" + hex.EncodeToString(sum[:8]) + ":a1"
job, _ := api("POST", "/run", input, map[string]string{"Idempotency-Key": key})
var j map[string]any
for {
	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
	j, _ = api("GET", "/jobs/"+job["job_id"].(string), nil, nil)
	if s := j["status"]; s == "succeeded" || s == "failed" || s == "cancelled" { break }
}
var reply map[string]any
json.Unmarshal([]byte(j["output"].(map[string]any)["output"].(string)), &reply)
fmt.Println(j["charged_credits"], j["truncated"], reply["verdict"], reply["note"])
fmt.Println(reply["summary"])
opts, _ := reply["options"].([]any) // the shortlist's venues; a brief has sheet.programme
for _, x := range opts {
	fmt.Println("-", x.(map[string]any)["venue"], x.(map[string]any)["status"])
}

var digest = java.security.MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256").digest(M.writeValueAsBytes(input));
String key = "venue-shortlist:" + input.get("task") + ":" + HexFormat.of().formatHex(digest, 0, 8) + ":a1";
JsonNode job = api("POST", "/run", input, Map.of("Idempotency-Key", key)), j;
do { Thread.sleep(2000); j = api("GET", "/jobs/" + job.get("job_id").asText(), null, null); }
while (!Set.of("succeeded", "failed", "cancelled").contains(j.get("status").asText()));
JsonNode reply = M.readTree(j.get("output").get("output").asText());
System.out.println(j.get("charged_credits") + " " + reply.path("verdict").asText(reply.path("sheet").path("title").asText()));
System.out.println(reply.path("summary").asText(reply.path("note").asText()));
for (JsonNode o : reply.path("options")) System.out.println("- " + o.path("venue").asText() + " " + o.path("status").asText());

require "digest"
key = "venue-shortlist:#{input["task"]}:#{Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(JSON.generate(input))[0, 16]}:a1"
job = api("POST", "/run", input, { "Idempotency-Key" => key })
j = nil
loop do
  sleep 2
  j = api("GET", "/jobs/#{job["job_id"]}")
  break if %w[succeeded failed cancelled].include?(j["status"])
end
reply = JSON.parse(j["output"]["output"])
puts [j["charged_credits"], j["truncated"], reply["verdict"] || (reply["sheet"] || {})["title"]].inspect
puts reply["summary"] || reply["note"]
(reply["options"] || []).each { |o| puts "- #{o["venue"]} #{o["status"]}" }

$key = "venue-shortlist:" . $input["task"] . ":" . substr(hash("sha256", json_encode($input)), 0, 16) . ":a1";
$job = api("POST", "/run", $input, ["Idempotency-Key" => $key]);
do { sleep(2); $j = api("GET", "/jobs/" . $job["job_id"]); }
while (!in_array($j["status"], ["succeeded", "failed", "cancelled"]));
$reply = json_decode($j["output"]["output"], true);
echo $j["charged_credits"], " ", ($reply["verdict"] ?? $reply["sheet"]["title"] ?? ""), "\n";
echo $reply["summary"] ?? $reply["note"] ?? "", "\n";
foreach ($reply["options"] ?? [] as $o) echo "- ", $o["venue"], " ", $o["status"], "\n";

var digest = System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256.HashData(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(input.ToJsonString()));
var key = $"venue-shortlist:{input["task"]}:{Convert.ToHexString(digest, 0, 8).ToLowerInvariant()}:a1";
var job = await Api.Call("POST", "/run", input, new() { ["Idempotency-Key"] = key });
JsonNode j;
do { await Task.Delay(2000); j = (await Api.Call("GET", "/jobs/" + job!["job_id"]))!; }
while (!new[] { "succeeded", "failed", "cancelled" }.Contains(j["status"]!.GetValue<string>()));
var reply = JsonNode.Parse(j["output"]!["output"]!.GetValue<string>());
Console.WriteLine($"{j["charged_credits"]} {reply!["verdict"] ?? reply["sheet"]?["title"]}");
Console.WriteLine($"{reply["summary"] ?? reply["note"]}");
foreach (var o in reply["options"] as JsonArray ?? new JsonArray()) Console.WriteLine("- " + o!["venue"] + " " + o["status"]);

Step 6 — `POST /run-stream`

The same run as Server-Sent Events, with the same input.json. Browsers receive progress ticks rather than text deltas; the final done event carries the reply.

# Server-Sent Events: tick/delta events while the job runs, then a final event with the job
curl -N -s -X POST "$BASE/run-stream" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: venue-shortlist:shortlist:$(shasum -a 256 input.json | cut -c1-16):a1" --data @input.json

rev = json.load(open("input.json"))  # the same run input as input.json: {"task": "shortlist", "event": "Event: ...; Attendance and format (Q1): ...", "options": "V1. ... | educational or civic space | windows: ...", "contracts": "", "facts": "Verdict: ..."}
# - see the input table
req = urllib.request.Request(BASE + "/run-stream", method="POST", data=json.dumps(rev).encode(),
    headers={"Content-Type": "application/json", "Authorization": "Bearer " + TOKEN,
             "Idempotency-Key": "venue-shortlist:shortlist:" + hashlib.sha256(json.dumps(rev).encode()).hexdigest()[:16] + ":a1"})
with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
    for line in r:
        line = line.decode().strip()
        if line.startswith("data:"):
            print(line[5:].strip()[:200])

const rev = JSON.parse(readFileSync("input.json", "utf8"));
const r = await fetch(BASE + "/run-stream", { method: "POST", body: JSON.stringify(rev), headers: {
  "Content-Type": "application/json", Authorization: "Bearer " + TOKEN,
  "Idempotency-Key": `venue-shortlist:shortlist:${createHash("sha256").update(JSON.stringify(rev)).digest("hex").slice(0, 16)}:a1` } });
const dec = new TextDecoder();
for await (const chunk of r.body) for (const line of dec.decode(chunk).split("\n"))
  if (line.startsWith("data:")) console.log(line.slice(5).trim().slice(0, 200));

rraw, _ := os.ReadFile("input.json") // add "bufio", "strings" to the imports
rs := sha256.Sum256(rraw)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", base+"/run-stream", bytes.NewReader(rraw))
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
req.Header.Set("Authorization", "Bearer "+token)
req.Header.Set("Idempotency-Key", "venue-shortlist:shortlist:"+hex.EncodeToString(rs[:8])+":a1")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
sc := bufio.NewScanner(res.Body)
for sc.Scan() { if l := sc.Text(); strings.HasPrefix(l, "data:") { fmt.Println(l[5:]) } }

String rev = java.nio.file.Files.readString(java.nio.file.Path.of("input.json"));
var rd = java.security.MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256").digest(rev.getBytes());
var sreq = HttpRequest.newBuilder(URI.create(BASE + "/run-stream")).header("Content-Type", "application/json")
  .header("Authorization", "Bearer " + token).header("Idempotency-Key", "venue-shortlist:shortlist:" + HexFormat.of().formatHex(rd, 0, 8) + ":a1")
  .POST(HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.ofString(rev)).build();
C.send(sreq, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofLines()).body().filter(l -> l.startsWith("data:")).forEach(System.out::println);

rev = File.read("input.json")
uri = URI(BASE + "/run-stream")
req = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri, "Content-Type" => "application/json", "Authorization" => "Bearer #{TOKEN}",
  "Idempotency-Key" => "venue-shortlist:shortlist:#{Digest::SHA256.hexdigest(rev)[0, 16]}:a1")
req.body = rev
Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: true) do |h|
  h.request(req) { |res| res.read_body { |chunk| chunk.each_line { |l| puts l if l.start_with?("data:") } } }
end

$rev = file_get_contents("input.json");
$ch = curl_init(BASE . "/run-stream");
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_POST => true, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => $rev, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
    "Content-Type: application/json", "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN",
    "Idempotency-Key: venue-shortlist:shortlist:" . substr(hash("sha256", $rev), 0, 16) . ":a1"],
    CURLOPT_WRITEFUNCTION => function ($ch, $chunk) { foreach (explode("\n", $chunk) as $l) if (str_starts_with($l, "data:")) echo $l, "\n"; return strlen($chunk); }]);
curl_exec($ch);

var rev = File.ReadAllText("input.json");
var rd = System.Security.Cryptography.SHA256.HashData(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(rev));
var sreq = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, Api.Base + "/run-stream") { Content = new StringContent(rev, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, "application/json") };
sreq.Headers.Add("Authorization", "Bearer " + Api.Token);
sreq.Headers.Add("Idempotency-Key", $"venue-shortlist:shortlist:{Convert.ToHexString(rd, 0, 8).ToLowerInvariant()}:a1");
using var http = new HttpClient();
using var res = await http.SendAsync(sreq, HttpCompletionOption.ResponseHeadersRead);
using var rdr = new StreamReader(await res.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync());
for (string? l; (l = await rdr.ReadLineAsync()) != null;) if (l.StartsWith("data:")) Console.WriteLine(l);

Run Venue Shortlist from your own code

Base URL and the response shape

The task field comes first

The input

The rules the model applies

House rules

The replies

shortlist

brief

Worked examples - every lane, every sample

Lakemoor Systems Conference (450, two tracks, a step-up) - shortlist

Lakemoor Systems Conference (450, two tracks, a step-up) - brief

Riverholt Student Hack (120, overnight) - shortlist

Midlands Rust Day (180, a known venue) - shortlist

Midlands Rust Day (180, a known venue) - brief

Ourtown Data Day (250, a first edition) - shortlist

Ourtown Data Day (250, a first edition) - brief

The free requirements sheet for the known-venue sample

Build the input yourself

Step 1 — a tiny client helper

Step 2 — a token

Step 3 — GET /me

Step 4 — POST /estimate

Step 5 — POST /run, then poll the job

Step 6 — POST /run-stream

Step 3 — `GET /me`

Step 4 — `POST /estimate`

Step 5 — `POST /run`, then poll the job

Step 6 — `POST /run-stream`