Whether you are unhappy with your current audiovisual vendor or just want to ensure you’re getting good value for your dollar, make the most of the request-for-proposal process by asking vendors the right questions and providing them with all the information they need to give you an accurate price up front.
Here are the 12 things that meeting organizers typically forget to include in their audiovisual RFPs:
• Detailed event schedule
• Room specs, including how long rooms are available for set-up and tear-down. Do you have a 24-hour hold on the rooms? (If not and the hotel is planning to use the room for another event, multiple tear-downs and set-ups will increase labor costs dramatically.)
• Equipment specs, including rental time (which should include set-up)
• Pictures and diagrams from the most recent event
• Program from the most recent event
• Itemized list of equipment from the previous event, including the equipment schedule from load-in to load-out
• Exhibition details (if applicable), including the square feet of the hall, number of exhibitors, and, historically, the number of exhibitors that order equipment or services from your audiovisual partner
• Information on ancillary meetings or events that could be additional revenue opportunities for the bidding companies. These additional events may make bidding companies more willing or able to structure a deeper discount for the main meeting.
• Storage availability and accessibility information. If an event takes place in multiple locations, can equipment be stored in each or will it have to be transported back and forth?
• Existing agreements (i.e. contracts/scopes-of-service) with the facility that would directly impact an outside audiovisual provider
• Company (i.e. vendor) information, including profile; history; vision/mission/values; and owned/warehoused equipment
• Desired attendee experience
Excerpted with permission from How to Write an AV RFP, an ebook from Projection.
