How to Find the Right Meeting Management Partner

A RFP/RFI can be a complex, time-consuming, high-stakes process for everyone. There are a number of reasons to generate RFPs and RFIs. For many companies the bid process is instituted only for high-profile projects, while others may do it as a matter of course. Purchasing may mandate RFPs for projects over a certain dollar amount, or it might be up to the event stakeholder to ensure the best resources are being used. Increasingly, corporations are turning to online RFP and RFI technology to screen prospective suppliers. The intention of this digital process is to keep the playing field level and not give any company an edge based on personality or relationship. Whether this is actually true or not remains to be seen.

Whatever a company’s particular approach, there are some important considerations that ensure the buyer makes the best, fairest, and most effective selection of a partner, and that every bidder can walk away with a better picture of the competitiveness of their offerings and a real respect for the organization that generated the bid.

< Download the Best Practices for Event RFPs Whitepaper >

Customizable to your timeline and needs

CHALLENGE: Timing.
Most meeting and event planning checklists begin with a set amount of suggested time – from 18 months to 36 months out. This framework can be confusing if your timeline is different from the base assumptions of others.

SOLUTION:
Events are developed and executed in increasingly condensed timeframes, and it is possible to plan and execute an event in weeks, not months. We recognize this, and have constructed our checklist based on order and importance of items, not specific timeframes.

CHALLENGE: Customization.
Most event planning checklists try to lump every item a planner might possibly consider into the right timeframe. The only catch is that not every event has the same set of action items. Some have exhibitors – some don’t. Some have event marketing – some don’t.

SOLUTION:
Every event is unique. Our checklist takes this into account, dividing action items into distinct categories so they are easier to delegate to different owners or handle with specific sets of vendors.

CHECKLIST
The following checklist is divided into several areas common to most meetings and conferences. Not every conference will have every category, and even within categories, not every step will apply. This listing is intended to guide your thinking and be more accessible by category than other lists we have seen.

TIP: STOP! DON’T HAVE AN EVENT!
An event or conference is not always the right solution. Ask the right questions –

• Why are we assuming an event is the right solution?
• How has this been effective in the past?
• What else might be effective?

Be certain in every step in the process that you are addressing the core business objectives with the solutions you provide.

< Download the Meeting Planning Checklist >

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