How to Write Clear and Effective AV RFPs for Corporate Gatherings
If you’ve ever requested proposals for audio-visual (AV) support, only to end up with a confusing assortment of bids that don’t quite line up, you’re not alone. Sorting through proposals that don’t address your specific needs wastes valuable planning time and can lead to missed expectations down the road. The good news? By crafting a clear and detailed Request for Proposal (RFP), you can save yourself and your vendors time, effort, and frustration.
Drawing from years of AV industry experience, let’s break down a simple, step-by-step approach to building RFPs that yield precisely the bids your project requires.
1. Always Start With the BASICS
It seems obvious, but the essentials are often the first things to get overlooked or under-detailed. Always include these foundational elements at the beginning:
Event Dates: Specify exact dates, including setup and rehearsal times. Don’t assume vendors know load-in schedules. Be precise.
Venue Details: Don’t just name the venue; include locations for all rooms and spaces in use. Even better, share web links or floor plans.
Official Name and Client: Use the exact name for your gathering, and designate how it should be referred to in all communications and documents.
Nature of Gathering and Attendees: Is this a sales kick-off, a client-facing conference, a training session, or something different? Specify your objectives and describe your primary audience. Noting the specific tone, goals, and attendee expectations helps your AV partner design the optimal setup.
2. Clarify the Attendance Model
It’s critical to indicate whether your participants will be there in person, joining virtually, or if you plan a hybrid approach. For hybrid setups, define the streaming extent. Does every session need a live stream, or just certain portions? Will recordings be made available afterward? Prioritize either the on-site atmosphere or the virtual experience, depending on your audience composition.
3. Clearly Outline Your Technical Requirements
This is where many RFPs fall short, leading to vastly different interpretations (and pricing) from AV providers.
AUDIO
– How many will need to hear the content?
– Are there special considerations, like moderated panels? If so, give an idea of the maximum number of panelists who may be on stage at once (this impacts microphone counts).
DISPLAY/VISUAL NEEDS
– What kind of visuals do you plan to show? Are you working with intricate data, such as detailed spreadsheets that require high-resolution screens and large displays?
– For presentations, do you need dynamic visuals for an awards segment, or just clear visuals for training?
LIGHTING
– Will you have recordings or video documentation? Specifying this will inform the lighting direction.
– Will there be any live performances requiring concert-style lighting or is functional lighting sufficient?
TECHICAL STAFFING
– If possible, identify crucial technical roles: Think Technical Director, Show Caller, skilled backstage support for executive speakers, and Stage Managers for complex movement or green room management. Even if you’re unsure about every role, sharing your previous experience or anticipated needs really helps.
PRESENTATION SUPPORT
– If you anticipate last-minute slide changes, mention this. It may prompt your AV company to assign someone specifically to manage and quickly update content.
4. Distinguish Baseline Needs vs. Enhancements
Be explicit about what must occur versus “nice to have” additions.
Baseline Needs: This list covers everything that’s fundamental to the success of your gathering, the bare minimum for AV support.
Enhancements (Nice to Haves): After you’ve covered the basics, outline any upgrades or creative extras you’d like to consider.
Examples:
– Custom scenic pieces highlighting a mascot or brand
– Advanced live streaming that looks like a polished broadcast
– Large LED displays in entry areas for extra impact
– Post-gathering video editing, such as highlight reels or session breakdowns
By making this distinction, you guide AV partners to prioritize essentials first, then offer creative solutions for optional requests that fit within your budget.
5. Supply Visuals and References
Don’t underestimate the power of supplementary visuals. You don’t need professional renders; even simple photo folders, floor plans, cellphone pictures, videos from previous years, or a Pinterest board can help clarify your vision. The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” is particularly true for AV planning- what you have in your mind becomes easier for others to understand.
6. Standardize Bid Formatting for Apples-to-Apples Comparison
Request that all vendors provide:
– Labor costs at set hourly or daily rates (e.g., 10-hour day), and specify when overtime kicks in
– Details on when your team (or vendors) get access to the room (which can affect setup costs)
– Clarity on whether hotel room costs for crew and meal provisions are the client’s or AV team’s responsibility
– Confirmation on whether in-house venue charges route through you or are managed by the AV provider
The goal is to eliminate variables between proposals, making them directly comparable.
7. Communicate Honest Budget Guidelines
You might hesitate to share your working budget, but an experienced AV company does not use this information to “squeeze every dollar.” Instead, knowing your true limits allows them to propose creative solutions and prevent a flood of unrealistic or low-quality answers. Budget ranges are fine. You’re not locking yourself in, but you are guiding the planning process toward efficiency.
Example: “We have $100,000–$120,000 allocated for AV, including staffing, setup, and post-production.”
8. The Value of Specificity
Every detail you provide saves you (and your AV partner) enormous time later. Vague RFPs yield frustrating, widely divergent proposals that are nearly impossible to compare.
By following this structured approach, you are:
– Providing comprehensive who/what/where/when/why info
– Defining baseline requirements vs. enhancements
– Including supporting materials like visuals and prior examples
– Requesting standardized pricing formats
– Being transparent about available resources
You empower AV providers to submit targeted, realistic options that fit your objectives and budget, and you’ll spend a fraction of the time making your final choice.
The clearer you are *up front*, the easier and more cost-effective the rest of the process becomes. You’ll receive proposals that fit both your needs and resources and that’s the AV advantage.
Ready to put these approaches into action? Start outlining your next RFP with these steps, and watch your planning process become faster and far less stressful.