Demystifying RFI’s, RFP’s and Proposals to Win Business uncover the mysteries behind great proposal writing. Learn how to decipher proposals to avoid surprises down the road. You'll leave this session with greater confidence to tackle your next RFI, RFP, or proposal.

Moderated By Robb Thornsberry Infinity Events Inc. Panel of Experts Charles Massey, CMP SYNAXIS Meetings and Events Janine Micucci Along Came Mary Events Lenny Talarico MGM Mirage Events

A RFI: A RFI or Request For Information is a standard business process whose purpose is to collect written information about the capabilities of various suppliers.

A RFP: A RFP or Request For Proposal is an early stage in a procurement process, issuing an invitation for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service.

Questions for the panel: - How often do you submit a RFI?

- How often do you receive RFI’s?

Questions for the panel: - What information are you seeking?

- What are some of the standard questions you receive?

Questions for the panel: - At what stage in your planning is it submitted?

- Do you respond to RFI’s or send clients to your website instead?

- Do you use a template when submitting a RFI?

- What do you add to make you stand out?

- How critical is the information you receive in making your decision?

- What are the key critical pieces of information you need?

- Have you found that responding to RFI’s increases your chances in winning business?

- With the internet, are RFI’s still relevant?

The RFP process is no day at the zoo. "The RFP" Be an animal when submitting your RFP.

PLANNER: - When submitting a RFP, what information do you provide the supplier?

SUPPLIER: - What information would you like to see in a RFP that you currently don’t see?

PLANNER: -Do you provide specifics or just general details?

PLANNER: -How much if at all does procurement play a role in the RFP process.

PLANNER: - What are some of the common mistakes a seller can make when responding to a RFP?

SUPPLIER: - What are some of the common mistakes a buyer can make when submitting a RFP?

PLANNER: - Does your company have a three bid requirement?

SUPPLIER: - How do you ask if the planner is obligated to request 3 bids even if they know they cannot use you?

SUPPLIER: - How often have you had to bid on a piece of business for a long time existing client?

PLANNER: - Do you submit an “apples to apples” template to be used for fair evaluations?

RESPONDING TO A RFP Planner / Supplier - What are the key elements needed in creating a winning bid?

RESPONDING TO A RFP Supplier What format do you use in creating a winning bid? - - Word Document - - Power Point - - Story Boards

RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL What is your #1 frustration when receiving a proposal?

RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL What does the supplier have to do to set them apart?

SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL Supplier: How creative do you get? Descriptive paragraphs, renderings, photos…etc.

SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL Planner: How much is the creativity necessary? Are you just looking at the bottom line?

RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL What are the reasons you may not select a company?

RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL What can a supplier do to improve their responses?

SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL How much lead time do you need for a standard proposal? How much lead time do you typically get? How much does the lead time effect your creativity?

RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL Do you allow in person presentations? Why or why not? How much follow up after a proposal has been sent is expected? How much is too much?

ETHICS Planner: Do you share information from one bidding company to another?

ETHICS Supplier: How do you protect your intellectual property?

Are RFP’s and RFI’s altered based on a demographic or industry?

Does the economy effect the RFI and RFP process?

Can RFI’s and RFP’s be used as a negotiating tactic? How much is negotiable? When do you walk away?

QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE