Event management company RFP

[pagojo]

I have already contacted one event management outfit, BUT to make this transparent and easier we'd need to have an RFP for them. In which we'll describe what we need and don't need from them based on what we discussed during our meeting.

Following the RFP, we'll interview them and decide which one to go for.

So i'll draft something small and circulate it here first. The point is to make something cogent and not a legal doc of course. If someone can't work with something small, they're not for us. Any objections?

in the mean time I'll try to get some feedback from the ones I found :-)

[pagojo]

Just had a call with an event management outfit.

The RFP should at least state:

• approximate venue location
• venue seats (excluding spouses)
• A&V support needed
• when (31/05 - 1/06) Do we need a pre-conf day for people to register, settle etc?
• spouse programmes and/or parallel activities
• costs covered by the tickets (are parties, parallel tracks, catering, spouse tracks, etc included)
• pre/post event activities if any (cocktails, parties, etc)
• Wi-Fi and other computer network requirements
• catering (coffee, light lunch, dinner?)
• accommodation (do we need accommodation for VIPs, others?)
• hosts for the day (usually provided by the venue)
• are we going to pay for certain VIP speakers?
• wheelchair access

more to come...

[petros]

Excellent list of information @pagojo

[vvatikiotis]

I've been talking to my colleagues at Demokritos and one thing they stressed about the company organising the event was that the best route would be to work with a major travel agency instead of just an event management company. The rational behind this approach is that a travel agency will approach the event organisation from a more holistic viewpoint and offer an end-to-end solution. They would handle air tickets and hotel bookings and payments, pagojo's points and offer several short visits/excursions/holidays plan after the event.

They also stressed that the company should be a major/big one for a) the committee's financial safety b) guaranteeing (so to speak) that the company has fewer chances to go belly up during the crisis and thus ensuring that the event's safety.

[pagojo]

It is customary of course for EuRuKo for delegates to deal with their own travel arrangements.

[pagojo]

Work in progress https://github.com/euruko2013/committee/wiki/Event_management_RFP

I'm sort of the view that if we could communicate this minimal RFP and some event management outfit were to have a reasonable discussion around it, they are good candidates. I don't want and can't make this into a watertight contract (which is probably why we can't go to someone big in my view). Having said that i've seen some ver experience event organisers that prefer to work as freelancers or in small teams.

Shall we make this RFP public? Or how are we going to attract event management outfits?

What do you think?

[vvatikiotis]

"I don't want and can't make this into a watertight contract (which is probably why we can't go to someone big in my view)" I don't get it.

I get the traveling arrangement bit. And if the freelancer/team will undertake all financial responsibility under signed contract I'm ok with it. If this, then, is a given, an experienced event organising outfit would fit the bill.

Even so, we should invite a traveling agency (maybe as a minor sponsor) to offer some short of individual/group getaway or some other plan to our guests after the event. After all, impressions is king and it could make the difference between a nice conference and an experience to remember for those participants planning or itching for some greek holidays. We should keep it in mind for later on.

Any other takes on this issues guys?

[vvatikiotis]

To attract is simple. We need a list of companies doing this thing, phone them up, email the RFP, wait for answers. List is no 1.