free event production rfp template
A free event production RFP template built by producers: room-by-room AV specs, labor, power and rigging, and a bid-comparison sheet so every quote lines up apples to apples.
the problem
Most AV RFPs describe the event, not the rooms. Each vendor fills the gaps with its own assumptions, so one bid includes rigging and another doesn't, one counts labor by the hour and another by the call. You end up comparing three different shows.
A good RFP specifies the show room by room, so every vendor prices the same thing.
what's in the kit
It is a working tool, not a white paper: the same structure our producers use when we scope a show.
A fill-in template that walks you through your event, room by room: purpose, seating, screens, audio, lighting, recording and streaming, plus labor windows, power, rigging and a draft run of show. Written in plain English, so you don't need to be an AV expert to complete it.
A spreadsheet with the same categories as the RFP. Drop each vendor's numbers in and every quote lines up side by side, so missing items, padded labor and surprise fees jump out.
who it is for
Send vendors a complete picture of the show the first time.
Get bids in one format you can compare and defend.
Run an AV bid without becoming an AV expert.
Put more of every dollar toward the meeting, not the gaps between quotes. See how we work with associations →
how to use it
Two files, yours right away: the RFP and the comparison sheet.
Start with the rooms you know; leave blanks where you need a vendor's advice.
Same document, same deadline, same pricing format.
Drop the bids into the sheet and ask about every gap. Or send them to us for a free Green Light Review.
why we built it
We read RFPs from the vendor side every week, and most of them describe the event but not the production. No room-by-room specs, no run of show, nothing on labor, power or rigging. Every vendor fills the gaps with its own assumptions, and you end up comparing three different shows.
So we built the AV RFP we wish every client sent us: the same structure our producers use when we scope a show ourselves. We are giving it away because a clearer RFP makes for a better show, whoever ends up producing it.
how it helps you
Every vendor prices the same rooms, the same hours and the same crew, so differences are real differences.
Labor, power, rigging and venue fees are on the table before the contract, not on the invoice after.
When you can see exactly where two quotes differ, you know what to push on.
Fewer rounds of clarifying questions, and a sheet you can hand to finance as it is.
Vendors respond to your spec, not their standard package.
walk-through
Use the page as a checklist even if you never download the files.
Dates, venue, audience size, format (in-person, hybrid or virtual) and the decision timeline.
For each room: purpose, seating, screens, audio, lighting, recording and streaming needs.
A draft agenda so vendors can see when each room is live and what changes between sessions.
Load-in, show and load-out windows, and the venue's labor rules if you know them.
What the venue provides, what vendors must order, and who pays for it.
A required pricing format so every bid drops into the comparison sheet.
watch out
Vendors pad for the unknown.
Every room gets priced as if it is live all day.
Overtime and minimums show up after the contract.
The venue bills them later, separately.
Bids you can't line up side by side.
planning a tour?
A roadshow RFP needs a few things a single-event RFP doesn't. Add these to the template so every vendor prices the whole tour, not just the first stop.
Both files in the kit cover tours: the RFP has a route table and roadshow questions, and the bid sheet has a Roadshow by Stop tab that separates one-time costs from what each city adds.
See how we plan multi-city roadshows, or talk your tour RFP through with a producer, free.
free download
The RFP document plus the bid-comparison sheet, ready to download.
An event overview with dates, venue, audience size and format; room-by-room specs; a draft run of show; labor windows for load-in, show and load-out; power and rigging; and a required pricing format. That last one matters most: it makes every bid line up, so you compare the same show from every vendor.
Usually not. Describe what each space needs to do: audience size, what's on screen, who's speaking, and what's recorded or streamed. Then let vendors propose the gear. Pasting last year's equipment list locks in last year's mistakes and invites padding. If you have must-haves, like a specific LED wall size, list those and leave the rest open.
A range helps more than it hurts. Without one, vendors guess, and you get three bids for three different shows. A range lets them propose what's realistic for your number and tell you where it's tight. If you'd rather not share it, ask for a base proposal plus clearly priced options.
Review the venue's AV terms before you sign, then issue the RFP once the venue is confirmed. The contract decides whether outside vendors are allowed and what fees they'll face, so vendors need those terms to price accurately. Include the venue's AV and outside-vendor rules with the RFP.
Yes, if the contract allows outside vendors. Send the in-house team the same RFP and pricing format as everyone else, so you can see the real difference once patch, power and liaison fees are added to outside bids. Sometimes in-house wins on total cost; you only know when the bids line up.
Enough to compare, few enough to manage. Three serious bids usually tell you more than eight rushed ones, and vendors put more care into a response when they know the field is small.
As soon as the venue and dates are set, so vendors can walk the space, ask questions and price accurately. Give them a reasonable response window and a set date for questions, and share every answer with all bidders.
Ask every vendor to price in the same format, then drop each bid into the comparison sheet. Missing items, padded labor and surprise fees stand out once the categories line up. Ask about every gap before you decide, or send the bids to us for a free Green Light Review.
Look at who will run the show and whether they've done events like yours, how clearly they explained their choices, what redundancy they've built in, and how they handled questions during the RFP. The cheapest bid often leaves out labor or backups. When you check references, ask whether the show ran on time and how problems were handled.
Yes. We're based in New York and produce coast to coast and on four continents, with the same producer and the same desk wherever the project lands. See where we produce. Scoping one show for several cities? See how we plan multi-city roadshows.
already have the bids?
A producer answers, not a sales queue.
Every note goes to a producer, not a sales queue.
p.s. whatever you're planning next, let's make it your best one yet.
Want someone to run the whole process? See production management, or browse more resources.