How to Write an Event Planning Proposal

Use an Event Planning Proposal Template for Better, Faster Bid Preparation

Using an event planning proposal template can speed up the process of writing a bid. It can also help ensure that your event planning strategy covers everything which needs to be addressed. A complete, well-designed proposal should include these sections:

1. Executive summary
2. Event goals
3. Event description
4. Services included
5. Proposed budget
6. Planner experience
7. Planner biography
8. Planner certifications
9. Planner history in business
10. Planner portfolio of successful events

Here we’ll walk you through how to write each of these sections. We’ll also provide our event planning proposal template to give you a head start on creating a proposal. 

Lay a Foundation for a Winning Proposal with a Discovery Meeting

Before you start writing an event planning proposal, gather the information you need by holding a discovery meeting with your prospective client. During the meeting, use a list of discovery questions to assess your prospect’s needs. Sample questions include:

• What type of event do you need organized  (conference, workshop, trade show, etc.)?
• What is the name of your event?
• What business goals does your event aim to accomplish?
• Have you selected a location for your event?
• How many attendees do you expect?
• Will you need catering?
• Do you need help promoting your event?
• Will you be registering attendees in advance online using event registration software?
• What is your budget?
• Etc.

Consider creating your own customized list of discovery questions which you can use when meeting with prospects. Some of your questions might be unique to the industry and audiences of your clients. Depending on which answers you get during your meeting, you may need to ask additional questions.

How to Write an Event Planning Proposal

After meeting with your prospect, you can use the information you gathered to craft your event planning proposal. Here we’ll walk you through how to write a bid using an event planning proposal template with ten main sections. When you apply this template, you can adapt it to fit your needs. Depending on the complexity of your event and your prospect’s needs, some of these sections may range in length from a paragraph to multiple pages. You do not necessarily need to include all these sections, or you may choose to expand on these sections if applicable. 

1. Executive Summary

This section briefly sums up the heart of your proposal for your prospect’s reading convenience. It should preview the highlights of your proposal with respect to two key areas:

• What you’re offering your prospect
• What you’re asking

Your summary of what you’re offering should focus on what your client needs and how you’re offering to meet their needs. For instance, you might say something along these lines: “This proposal documents my bid to provide you with event planning services for your upcoming virtual conference, tentatively called ‘How to Shift Your Workforce Online’ and scheduled to be held on September 4, 2020.” You may wish to add a few brief details summarizing which event planning services you’re offering, or you can save this for the section which covers it in greater detail later in the proposal.

You can then go on to offer a bid. For example, you might say, “For these event planning services, I would like to propose an estimated budget of $2,000.” Again, you may wish to add brief details, or you can wait until you itemize this in greater detail later in the proposal.

Keep this section of your proposal brief and to the point. Tell your prospect the key details they need to know. Save supporting details for the remaining sections.

2. Event Goals

This section of your proposal should lay out proposed objectives for your client’s event based on their input. Goals should be expressed in terms of measurable key performance indicators. Examples of metrics you can use to define event goals include:

• Registrations
• Ticket sale revenue
• Attendance
• Conversion rate of attendees into customers
• Overall sales revenue generated by the event
• Post-event satisfaction surveys

Registration apps and plug-ins such as Event Espresso include built-in features you can use for event marketing metrics tracking.

3. Event Description

This section of your proposal describes key details about your client’s event. Typical items covered include:

• The type of event
• The name of the event
• Where the event will be held
• When the event will be held
• Featured speakers
• Schedule of events
• Estimated number of attendees

Depending on the nature of the event, you may wish to include additional details.

4. Services Included

Here you specify which services you are offering to provide your client. Examples of services which may be mentioned include:

• Event concept development
• Location selection
• Logistics planning
• Management of vendor contracts
• Event marketing
• Registration processing
• Day-of-event coordination
• Follow-up surveys

This is also the place in your proposal to mention any important services you will not be providing. For instance, if you have agreed with your client that they will be arranging their own catering, you should mention this. This helps prevent potential misunderstandings, disputes and liabilities.

5. Proposed Budget

In this section, you provide a total budget proposal with an itemized breakdown of estimated costs. Typical expenses may include:

• Food and beverages
• Location or venue rental
• Tables and chairs
• On-site staffing
• Lighting and audiovisual equipment
• Speaker fees
• Promotional fees
• Advertising fees
• Event registration and ticketing technology
• Printing costs
• Office supplies
• Decorations
• Gifts
• Prizes
• Gratuities
• Taxes

To save time writing proposals, develop your own customized checklist of budget items that you can incorporate into your event planning proposal template. Your accountant can help you develop and categorize your customized list and make sure you haven’t overlooked anything.

6. Planner Experience

This section describes your planning service’s experience with organizing events. Your event planning proposal template can include a general summary of your experience. When modifying your template for specific prospects, place an emphasis on any aspects of your experience which are especially relevant to your prospect’s needs. For example, if your prospect is a nonprofit organization and you have prior experience organizing events for nonprofits, you may wish to highlight this.

7. Planner Biography

Here you include a brief biography of you and any key members of your planning team. Cover your experience in the planning industry along with any other work experience, educational background, and personal details you wish to include. As with the previous section, you can highlight any parts of your biography especially relevant to your prospect’s needs.

8. Planner Certifications

Here you can list and describe any professional certifications possessed by you or your firm. Examples of certifications you might list include:

• Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) from the International Live Events Association (ILEA)
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) from the Events Industry Council (EIC)
• Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) from Meeting Planners International (MPI)

If you don’t have any certifications, you can skip this section. Consider acquiring a certification to boost your credentials in the future.

9. Planner History in Business

In this section, you can provide a brief history of your event planning business. Include a summary of your mission statement and what you specialize in which makes you distinct from other event planning providers.

10. Planner Portfolio of Successful Events

You can conclude your proposal by listing the events you’ve successfully hosted. You may list events in chronological order, or you may organize your list to highlight events that best showcase your credentials. For instance, you might wish to start your list with events most similar to the type of event you’ll be organizing for your prospect.

Follow Your Event Planning Proposal Template Map to Success

An event planning proposal template lays out the path to a well-planned event. Follow these guidelines and use our templates to chart your course to successful events and satisfied clients.

Download Your Event Planning Proposal Templates Now!

 

To help you put your event proposal into practice, we also provide a WordPress event registration plug-in with ticketing capability which lets your clients sign up attendees right through their website. Try a live demo now to see how we can help you boost your clients’ event attendance and increase your customer satisfaction.