If you are uncertain about what to include in your RFP -- or just want to make confident you are covering all the bases -- assessment the 4 actions crucial for writing a detailed request for proposal.
STEP One
Begin by giving the selected vendors basic data about your meeting or group:
o Organization name
o Name of meeting
o Your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and
e-mail address
o Location of meeting (city and facility or facilities)
o Headquarters hotel, if applicable
o Dates of meeting. Be sure to point out if any of the dates are a holiday. Even if your organization doesn't celebrate a specific holiday, a union may . . . and overtime and double-time can have a significant impact on your spending budget. It is equally necessary to check for holidays when organizing meetings outside the United States.
o Number of attendees
o Attendee profile. The attendee profile is tremendously important when putting together an RFP for services such as tours, entertainment, and theme parties. Understanding the degree to which your delegates have "been there, completed that" will support the vendor come up with the most suitable events for your group.
o Prior locations (city and facility)
o Deadline for proposals. Allow vendors at least 10 company days to support assure that the proposals you receive will be as total as doable.
STEP TWO
List the items for which you require pricing, and keep in mind to be as precise as achievable. Let the vendors know, for example, if you would like the audio-visual equipment priced a specific way (a la carte vs. package cost per meeting space). We suggest that you produce a template for the suppliers to make their job, and yours, easier. A uncomplicated spreadsheet document will assist keep all bids in a standard format, enabling you to make comparisons alot more efficiently.
The following is a rundown of significant items to incorporate in your RFP:
o Airport Transportation
o Major arrival date
o Key departure date
o Number of attendees
o Specify whether or not you need individual pick-ups or group pick-ups upon arrival or departure.
o Do you want the meet and greet staff stationed at the gate or in the baggage claim area?
o Type of vehicle requested (van vs. sedan)
o Is a restroom on the bus necessary?
o Age and capacity of buses
o Do you want driver gratuities included in the cost?
o Do the vehicles meet ADA standards?
o Specify the maximum "wait time" for any individual. The shorter the wait, the greater the price since this usually needs extra vehicles.
o Do you call for a dispatcher at each the airport and the staging area?
o Where will the company stage the transportation?
Tours/Entertainment
o Date and time frame obtainable for tours. Are some days unavailable for tours due to meeting activities? Do you want full-day or half-day tours on particular days in the course of the conference?
o Profile of attendees for any distinct tour or all tours (spouses or companions only, children, couples, age, etc.)
o Specific thoughts or preferences on tour choices. Have museum tours been pretty successful with your group in the past? Do your attendees prefer extra physical activities like biking or snorkeling or even city walking tours?
o Offer actual attendance figures from previous tours to illustrate the type of activities that usually do and do not go over properly with your delegates.
o Minimum number of attendees needed to conduct a tour. If you want a lower minimum than most destination management firms commonly demand, specify this in your RFP. It will boost your per-person expense, but it may possibly spare you from canceling a tour at the last minute due to lower participation.
o Maximum number of attendees allowed on tour
o Lunch, dinner, or snacks to be provided in the course of tour
o What kind of transportation will be provided?
If buses, do they have restrooms?
o Specify no matter whether you want all taxes and gratuities included in the pricing.
o Indicate the types of themes and entertainment you have employed in recent years so that history is not repeated.
Audio-Visual
o Provide the entire conference plan such as:
1. Number and location of concurrent sessions. Indicate regardless of whether you have a 24-hour hold on any or all of these rooms due to the fact setup and teardown could have a big impact on your labor costs.
two. General session. Incorporate move in, move out, and actual session times.
three. Equipment desires. If you already know your desires for this year, spell them out. If you're going out to bid just before understanding your precise needs, still, you could use last year's equipment list (just be certain to alert the suppliers that this is the case) or estimate what you will call for this year. The latter method works properly if you deliver the similar equipment in each and every breakout space such as an LCD projector, screen, and lavalier microphone.
4. The price of tear-down and setup time needed to move equipment from 1 room to a further.
5. Are projectionists required?
6. Exhibitor rentals. If your conference consists of a trade show and the AV vendor will have an chance to give equipment to exhibitors and create additional income, your overall piece of home business becomes much more attractive, which could result in a deeper discount. So be particular to consist of some history on exhibitor rentals from previous years.
7. Acquire normal printed cost sheets and explanations of the discount you will receive.
General Service Contractor
o Number of booths
o Size of booths or booth packages
o "Extras" about your show such as the size aisles you want, number and location of any lounge locations, and so on.
A copy of last year's floor strategy may perhaps prove helpful.
o Number of registration counters
o Signage needs. This consists of not only signs inside the exhibit hall, but also any other signs you might possibly demand for meeting rooms, sponsor acknowledgements, banners, etc.
o Drayage needs. Common service contractors (GSC) make most of their revenue from drayage. As a result, if you know how heavy your show is, you might possibly be able to negotiate extra complimentary items such as moving freight from the dock to the registration location, entrance units, and so on.
o Labor specifications
o Exhibitor income. Specify how much revenue your exhibitors generated for the GSC in previous years. If the GSC can't deliver you with exact amounts, ask for usage figures on items such as carpet, tables and chairs, upgraded furniture, prefabricated booths, assisted labor, and so on. Armed with this data, you might possibly be in a position to negotiate a deeper discount or extra complimentary items.
STEP Three
When preparing a meeting and requesting a proposal, compile a wish list. Let the suppliers know what complimentary or discounted items you would like to receive based on the value of your piece of organization. You could not get every little thing you ask for -- the vendor has to turn a profit, just after all -- but if you do not ask, you may possibly not get anything. An audio-visual vendor, for example, may be in a position to supply complimentary walkie-talkies, speaker ready room equipment, or even 1 microphone per day per room. A DMC might possibly be able to provide complimentary tour desk staffing or site check out transportation. A common service contractor may well be able to choose up the tab for all or some of your show management shipping wants or furniture or equipment for your show workplace. It is virtually at all times possible to obtain a discount off the full cost. Be certain to uncover out how superb a discount you will obtain.
STEP 4
Lastly, ask the vendor to produce a list of references... and be sure to check them before creating your final decision.
