Event Manager's Diary (Day-10)
Mahmudul Karim
Strategic Communications | External Relations | Government Strategy | Campaigns Coordination
6.0 Event Proposal:
Writing an event management proposal should be pretty straightforward. For event management proposals, you will also usually need to include detailed information regarding specific event, such as the venue, entertainment being provided, amenities at the site, schedule and so on.
If you are new to proposal writing, one thing to note is that a price list is not a substitute for a proposal. A proposal is a sales document meant to help persuade your potential clients to give you business. To do that, you must trust that you can deliver the services that clients need. It's not all about just giving them a price quote.
Before you start creating a proposal for your client, you should gather enough information about the client to present a proposal that is truly tailored to that client's needs, as opposed to just sending every client an identical sales letter. A tailored proposal stands a much better chance of being accepted by the client.
So, following the general order described above, you should start out with a Cover Letter and Title Page to introduce yourself. The Cover Letter should be a brief message that shows your company contact information and delivers a personal introduction. The Title Page should introduce your proposal and name the specific event you are discussing.
Next, add some topics that show that you understand the needs of your client. Depending on how large an event you are presenting a plan for, you may or may not need to include a detailed summary. For a complex event that needs a summary, this proposal section is normally called an Executive Summary for corporate clients, or a Client Summary for a less formal project. This is where you talk about your specific prospective client and show your understanding of their requirements as well as their goals and desires, and any restrictions or limitations you are aware of. This is not yet the place where you talk about yourself. Put the client first.
Follow the introductions and client information with your Services Provided, Benefits, Services Cost Summary pages and any other topics you need to discuss that describe exactly what you are providing and how much it will cost.
Many types of event proposals may also require specialized topics. This is where you would add pages with relevant details, such as descriptions of the Events, Venue, Amenities, Entertainment, Performers, Presenters, Samples, Equipment, Rentals, Schedule of Events, Fundraising, Volunteering, Security, Permits and Licenses, and so on. You may also want to provide information about your staff members or about other organizations you will coordinate with to stage the event.
A event manager may have to deal with many different topics at once, such as catering for meals as well as receptions, flowers and other decorations, rentals of facilities and furnishings, professional hosts and/or musical performers with their associated equipment needs, and setup and post-event cleanup for multiple venues. For concerts you may have to deal with performers, scheduling, security, permits, a venue, equipment rentals, sound crews and equipment technicians, ticket sales and so on. A music DJ for small parties may only have to deal with equipment and samples of his work. In a corporate event you may have to deal with hotel amenities, conference facilities, transportation and parking issues, scheduling, presenters, staffing, and so on.
The final information sections you should provide in your proposal are your company details. This is where you would put your Company History, Capabilities, Our Clients, Testimonials or References pages. This information comes last in the proposal, and your goal is to convince your client that you can be trusted to deliver the services they need.
After you have all the information written for your proposal outline and chapters, you should focus on making your proposal visually appealing. Add some color and graphics by incorporating your company logo, using colored borders, and selecting custom bullet points and fonts that match your business style.
Once you feel your proposal is complete, make sure to carefully proofread and spell-check all the pages. Have someone who is unfamiliar with your proposal proof it as well. It's very common to quickly scan your own work and miss mistakes.
Finally, you can save your proposal as a PDF file or print it on paper and then deliver it to your potential client. Your delivery method will depend on your business and your relationship with your potential client. Emailing PDF files to clients is very common. however, there are times when a printed, signed and hand-delivered proposal can carry more weight. It shows you value that client enough to put in the extra personal effort.
See also;
Event Manager's Diary (Day-10)
Event Manager's Diary (Day-11)
Event Manager's Diary (Day-12)