Production Value Matters: The Business Event Podcast

How to Build Ethical and Effective RFPs That Vendors Actually Want to Answer

Aug 12, 2025

Discover the secrets to crafting RFPs that vendors truly want to engage with. Learn why withholding information backfires, and how sharing your objectives leads to successful partnerships. Explore a simple seven-part structure to enhance clarity and boost collaboration. Delve into the importance of budget transparency and why events should never be treated as commodities. Uncover legal and ethical pitfalls to avoid, ensuring your proposals are both effective and respectful of creative work.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Share Venue Constraints

Provide venue details, floor plans, CAD files, and constraints like ceiling height or load-in routes.
If you lack venue info, say so and ask vendors if site scouting should be included in the budget.

ADVICE

Give Precise Dates And Windows

State dates, setup/rehearsal windows, and when proposals and decisions are due.
Clear scheduling details let vendors plan accurate staffing, logistics, and costs.

ADVICE

Specify Technical Requirements

Avoid vague terms like "full AV" and list technical needs such as iMag, live stream, recordings, breakout audio, and lighting.
Use images or examples of desired looks and let the vendor propose how to achieve them within budget.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Is your RFP helping you find the right partner—or just the best guesser?

In this solo episode of Production Value Matters, host Matthew Byrne takes listeners behind the scenes of one of the most misunderstood—and misused—tools in event planning: the RFP. With decades of experience on the receiving end of these requests, Matthew unpacks why so many RFPs fall short and how to write ones that actually work. From budget transparency to submission ethics, this episode is a must-listen for anyone sending or responding to RFPs.

You’ll learn why withholding information doesn’t create leverage—it creates confusion—and how sharing your objectives and constraints sets the foundation for real, impactful collaboration. Matthew also outlines a simple, seven-part RFP structure that will help event professionals get better proposals, build better relationships, and ultimately deliver better events.

What You’ll Learn:

Why most RFPs are built for control, not collaboration
What to include in your RFP to get strategic responses
How to clearly define event objectives, audience, and technical needs
Why budget transparency saves time and money
What NOT to ask for in an RFP (like unpaid creative work)
How to avoid legal and ethical RFP pitfalls
A practical 7-section template for your next RFP
Why events aren’t commodities—and your RFP shouldn’t treat them like one

Matthew Byrne is the Founder of Byrne Production Services and host of the Production Value Matters podcast. With over 20 years of experience in large-scale AV and event production, Matthew helps event leaders bring strategy, technology, and storytelling together to create unforgettable experiences.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Instructions on how to do this are here.