What NOT To Do When Tendering

The great reset on exhibition marketing has begun.

Due to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the exhibition and events industry globally, exhibitor requirements have changed. Many now have different exhibiting needs, some have thrown out their old stands and others are looking at a complete refresh of their exhibition strategy. These changes are activating a fresh reset of exhibitions and trade shows.

The first step for eager exhibitors starting to rebuild their live marketing is often the tender process. However, most companies go about the tender process completely wrong.

Having a solid tendering process in place ensures you get the best goods and services at the right time, with the most favourable costs, while maintaining ethical and transparent procedures.

What NOT to do:

Emailing a brief to multiple companies = bad idea!

In order to get the best results from your tender process, you need to have a conversation and engage with the exhibition provider. A clear brief will result in a satisfactory design. Engaging with a stand builder will ignite the conversation, allowing them to ask questions and get to know your brand better, discussing fresh ideas can lead to great results and an elevated experience!

It is unlikely that a brief sent via email with no further interaction will gain the attention of the best creative team.

Also, having over 3 companies quoting is too many. There are too many variables to consider and to compare in order to make a valid decision.

Providing short time frames = poor response!

It is not a good idea to leave the tender process to the last minute and request exhibition companies provide a comprehensive response in 5-7 days.

Companies are busy with multiple priorities, therefore sending a brief with a short time frame often means you will get no response or not a very good one.

Don’t be the boy who cried wolf!

Most exhibition owners, like myself, who have been in the industry for 10, 20, 30 years, get to know the people or companies who ask everyone to tender and only go for the cheapest quote. Exhibition houses often have a list of these companies and when a tender does come up, we decline. You don’t want to end up on these lists.

Treat suppliers with respect; don’t waste their time.

Don’t let procurement run the process!

Procurement managers are not equipped to run a creative pitch. They are great at sourcing physical objects, but when it comes to creative. They look to find the most cost-effective solutions and in exhibition design and creative, this won’t achieve results.

In my personal experience, I have never heard of an above the line agency being hired by procurement and an exhibition stand is no different.

Don’t always compare on price!

Price should not be the deciding factor. Exhibiting is expensive, you have costs for marketing, floor space, staff travel, collateral etc. Therefore, when a stand builders quote is received, just because the price is cheaper on paper, that does not mean you will receive the same level of product and service.

Many exhibition houses put forward a cheaper price, but this is often not all-inclusive and additional charges will arise as the project continues. The discounted price is unlikely to be compromising their profit margin, so where are the discounts coming from?

When problems during installation do go wrong, a company who has come in at the right price will have a contingency plan and buffers in place to cover unexpected problems and additions, they will rectify the problem on the spot and absorb the extra costs. The cheaper company will see this as an opportunity to charge for last-minute corrections to cover their lost costs.

Is it worth paying slightly more to have a stand completed on time, so staff can set up, test products, carry out staff briefings, and leave feeling relaxed and confident for the show opening?

When a stand isn’t finished on time, the staff cannot set up, they will stay for extended hours until completion, feel stressed and tired, ultimately reducing performance. What is the cost of that?

In the long term, a quote 5-10% more is an inconsequential cost when you consider the total spend on a Expo.

What TO do:

Give the tender process time.

Expect the tender process to take 4-6 months, this is not a task that should be rushed considering the process should only be completed every 3-5 years.

You will already know an extensive list of exhibition houses, some you probably receive regular communication from, others found quickly in googles searches. Do some extensive research into their company profiles, visit their websites and find reviews. In my opinion, then next step is to then pick 6-8 companies to get to know better. Visit their factories, talk to their current clients, understand their capabilities, research their key staff.

After 2-3 months getting to know these companies, you should be able to pick 3 that you feel would be the best fit for you. Now is the time to send only these 3 your formal tender.

It is extremely important that the formal tender is detailed; provides a thorough selection criteria and includes all digital assets required to submit the tender.

TIP: Let the final 3 exhibition houses know in advance that a tender will be coming, so that they can delegate a team and time solely to work on your project.

Be available.

For a good result, the key is to be available. Be open for discussions, development consultations and questions for all 3 companies you submitted your tender to. Extend invitations to the 3 companies to attend factory tours, allow them to meet stakeholders and the broader team, help them understand the brand. The brand education process is essential in order to achieve a great tender result.

Reasonable time frame.

To achieve the best results from a tender process, adequate time must be provided to the exhibition houses. For a stand worth $100,000 2 weeks may be adequate. However, for a multi-year contract, multiple stands or stands with a lot of intricacies, 6-8 weeks should be provided in order to achieve a good result.

Allow pitches to have two-way interaction.

If you only allow an exhibition house to present a written pitch, you may not get the full extent of the creative being presented; it is hard to explain details and thought processes in writing. Allow them to present their creative ideas face -to-face. Be it in person or via Zoom, allowing two-way interaction permits you to ask questions, to query their reasoning and will provide a more complex understanding of the pitch.

TIP: If you prefer an initial written pitch, request a written pitch to be submitted by X date to give your team time to review it. Then allow them to pitch face to face to encourage two-way interaction.

Go with your gut.

Your final decision should come down to gut feel. You have been diligent, completed the reference checks, spoken to clients and visited factories. The final 3 companies you choose to tender with should all be credible companies.

It needs to come down to how strong the partnership can be; in the exhibition game it gets intimate. A lot of hours are spent together brainstorming and executing ideas and throughout the installation process. Mistakes happen and sometimes things don’t go to plan, who do you feel will have your back when you’re in the trenches?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Which team does your team gel best with?
• Who do you feel will deliver the best results?
• Who do you feel cares the most?
• Who gets you?

Make it long-term.

Once you have picked an exhibition house – stick with them. The relationship gets better and stronger as it progresses. During the first activation the team is learning about the brand, new products and new expectations. Always allow a teething process and a vetting down process for the supplier. There is no way the first experience is going to be flawless, it doesn’t happen that way. Something will always go wrong, but if it’s a good team these things shouldn’t go wrong again. Therefore, by the third / fourth project they should be an extension of your team. They will know as much if not more about your brand as your team, making your job very easy:

• The briefing process should be super quick.
• The site execution should be speedy.
• Final result should exceed your expectations.

Read more about this topic with ‘The “DATING” guide to finding the perfect stand builder for your company”.

The tender process can become excruciation, why not make it a smooth experience. Contact us for help with your tender process.