If you’ve worked long enough in the meetings and events industry, you have likely responded to hundreds of RFPs.

Many client businesses believe that RFPs are the most effective way to secure the best service, creative and pricing from suppliers. But is that actually true? And is it time to disrupt this practise?

Partnership and collaboration are core values of every agency in our industry. And for good reason. In my experience, our most successful programs have consistently been the result of collaboration and transparency. Yet an RFP—with its strict rules, clinical format, limited information and request for ideas ‘on spec’—is often at odds with achieving the kind of relationships that lead to outstanding work.

Furthermore, the practise of requesting speculative work without compensation consumes industry revenue, adding to the infrastructure costs of agencies and incentive houses. These costs ultimately get pushed back to the client. 

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