Which documents should you always include with your event proposal?
When writing a proposal for an upcoming corporate event, we often find that vendors worry about getting the right balance between being informative and bombarding the planner with unnecessary details. So what documentation should you always include with a new proposal?
Firstly, don’t worry about providing too much information. The only really important guideline on the “quantity” front is to make sure that you include everything in one place.
Now that everything is being done online or via email, planners don’t have to worry about reading and filing absolutely everything, but they do know exactly where they can find those details if they need them. Try to avoid sending every document separately — if your files are large, you can always host them online and provide links.
Each proposal should of course include pricing information, contact details, and other general information about your services, terms, and so on. But we also recommend attaching the following:
1. Service-Specific Information
As you might imagine, this depends on what kind of service you are providing, but almost any service has some additional information to include. For example, a venue might attach a detailed layout showing capacities and recommending different seating arrangements. If you’re in the food & beverage business, you might want to attach different menu options. Other vendors may have relevant catalogs or galleries. This type of information gives you another opportunity to showcase your professionalism and unique capabilities, while also helping to stimulate the planner’s imagination — which can lead to up-sell opportunities.
2. Legal Documents
Establish trust by being fully transparent and upfront about licenses, insurance documents, and so on. Depending on your field and the area, these could include a liquor license, security and firearms license, and various licenses and certificates to operate equipment and vehicles. In the unlikely event that any of your licenses have expired, it’s also best to check them at this point — when you can update/renew them — rather than realizing at the eleventh hour!
3. References, Recommendations & Ratings
This is a catch-all for the range of references you can provide, from professional reference letters to feedback and ratings you have received on various platforms. Where possible, try to provide references and recommendations that are most relevant to the specific type of event. If your work has been presented anywhere (for example, a photography exhibition), include that here too.
4. Staff Credentials
Supplying information about your team helps to put a human face on your company and is especially important if they will be working at the event itself — as caterers, security, ushers, and so on. This can be in the form of full resumes or brief bios stating the relevant experience and qualifications.
5. Website & Social Media
Although this could fall under “contact information,” these days our company website and social media are about much more than contact — they’re a showcase for our services, creativity, and satisfied customers. So make it easy for prospective clients to check out your online presence and get to know you better.
For more assistance with writing the perfect proposal — and saving time and effort with every stage — try the Maryoku proposal tool. It’s optimized to make life easier for you while still highlighting all the unique value you offer corporate planners.
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