If you are putting together an external meeting or conference then you’ll need to create a request for proposal (RFP), so that subsidiary vendors, such as transport companies, can put together the necessary quotes for you. It’s best to give them as much information as possible so that the proposal is accurate and the quotes comprehensive. What are your specific needs? Comprehensiveness in the RFP will yield thorough and accurate quotes, which in turn will be good for your budget predictions.

But what do you include in an RFP? Here are the four steps of the process. If you work through all these steps you are sure to put together a successful RFP:

1. Collate Basic Information

The first things the vendors will need to know is the key information on the group and meeting:

• Company name
• Meeting name
• Number of attendees
• Your name and contact details
• Meeting location
• Meeting dates. And make sure you let them know if these are holidays at all, as this may affect their quote.
• Profile of attendees. This is very important when creating an RFP for entertainment services such as tours and performances. It will help the vendor to plan an appropriate event.
• Previous locations of the meeting
• Proposal deadline. Make sure you give vendors at least two working weeks to put together their proposals, so that they will be as comprehensive as possible.

2. List Items to Be Priced

When listing the items to be priced, try to be specific as possible. If you provide a template then it’ll make both yours and the vendors’ job easier. If everything is in the same format then comparisons will be simpler. Here are items to include in the RFP:

1. Transport to and from Airport
   
   
   • Arrival date
   • Departure date
   • Attendee numbers
   • Whether individual pick-ups or group pick-ups are required.
   • Where we want thee “meet and greet” staff stationed
   • Type of taxi vehicle required (car or bus)
   • Whether a toilet is needed on the bus
   • Capacity of buses required
   • What the maximum wait time is. Shorter wait times can be more expensive, because they require more vehicles.
   • Where the vehicles should be stationed at the airport
   
   
2. Entertainment and Tours
   
   
   • Timeframe. Some days may be unavailable because of meetings.
   • How long you want the tours
   • Attendee profile
   • Tour preferences. What time of tour would you prefer?
   • Minimum number of attendees required before a tour is cancelled
   • Maximum number of attendees you want to go on each tour
   • Food and drink to be provided
   • Ask them to specify the transportation employed. If a bus, ask if there will be an onboard toilet.
   • Whether or not taxes and tips should be included in the price
   • Some background info on previous tours and entertainments, so the same ones aren’t repeated
   
   
3. Audio-Visual Equipment
   
   You should provide the vendor with the whole conference program.
   This includes:
   
   
   • Number and location of all of the conference and meeting sessions
   • Equipment needs in each session
   • Whether projectionists are needed
   • Setup and dismantling timeframes
   • Are projectionists required?
   • Whether the AV vendor will be able to display their products or provide equipment to exhibitors. This could give you a discount.
   
   
4. Facilities Contractor
   
   
   • If you are having an exhibition or trade show you should specify your exact needs, from number of booths required and their size to your labour requirements.

3. Your Wish List

Put a wish list together, letting the vendors and suppliers know what you would like to be discounted. You might not be completely successful but it is very important to ask. You may be surprised at what can be thrown in to the price. It’s very often possible to obtain some sort of discount.

4. References

Remember to ask the supplier or vendor for references, and make sure you check them before taking them on.