Events
A request for proposal works when three agencies can price the same job and you can line up what comes back. Most briefs can’t be priced, because they leave out the things that move the cost: whether the venue is booked, how many people are coming, who carries the permits, and what happens to the guest list. Here is what an event RFP should contain, section by section, plus the four things Philippine briefs most often miss.
The sections an agency prices from
| Section | What to put in it |
| Objective | What the event has to achieve, and how you will judge it afterwards |
| Date and venue | The date, whether the venue is booked or still being sourced, and who holds that contract |
| Audience | Headcount, who they are, and what they should leave thinking |
| Scope | Which parts you want quoted — concept, production, AV, manpower, content — and which you are keeping in-house |
| Deliverables | Every item, including what comes out of the day: photos, video, cut-downs and the formats you need |
| Mandatories | Brand guidelines, the approval chain, legal lines and any category rules |
| Budget | A range. Without one, every quote is a guess at what you will accept |
| Timeline | Pitch date, decision date, load-in, and the day itself |
| How you will decide | Your criteria and their weight, so the replies can be compared |
| Contract terms | Payment terms, cancellation terms, and who owns the content produced |
Ask every agency to split the quote the same way — concept, production, AV and manpower — or you will be comparing four different shapes. Judging the replies is a separate job: how to choose an events agency covers the four questions that sort a shortlist.
Four things Philippine briefs leave out
→ Who secures the permits. Put it in the RFP. In Makati alone, the city’s Citizen’s Charter lists separate special permits, each with its own checklist, for activities from shows and selling to fireworks and drones. Our guide to special event permits covers what the city asks for.
→ Whether the date is a holiday. The Labor Code’s Article 94 says an employer may require an employee to work on a holiday, but “such employee shall be paid a compensation equivalent to twice his regular rate.” Crew cost moves with the date, so put the date in the brief rather than in the follow-up email.
→ Who holds the guest data. If the agency runs registration or handles the guest list, it processes personal data on your behalf. Section 21 of the Data Privacy Act makes you “responsible for personal information under its control or custody, including information that have been transferred to a third party for processing”, and requires you to “use contractual or other reasonable means to provide a comparable level of protection”. That is a clause in the contract, not a line in an email.
→ Who insures what. Name the cover you expect the agency to carry, and the cover you will carry yourself. Event insurance in the Philippines covers what a cancellation actually turns on.
Twice the regular rate
What the Labor Code says an employee must be paid for work on a regular holiday. Check the date before you ask anyone for a price.
Send the same brief to everyone
Three agencies, one document, one deadline. If you answer a question for one of them, send that answer to all of them. Anything else produces quotes you can’t line up and a decision you can’t defend later.
One page of answers
Keep a running note of every question an agency asks and the answer you gave, then send it to all of them at once. It is the cheapest way to keep the replies comparable.
What a good reply looks like
→ It prices your scope, not theirs. The line items match the sections you asked for, in the same order.
→ It names people. Who runs the day, who is on site, and who answers the phone at 6am.
→ It says what is excluded. Permits, insurance, overtime, holiday rates, and content usage beyond the campaign.
→ It asks you something. An agency that asks nothing has either not read the brief or priced a template.
Where PUNX fits
PUNX runs corporate events and brand activations from Makati: 50-plus people, founded 2023, with P&G, San Miguel, Petron, GCash and Sun Life on our client list. If you want us on the list, here is what we run as a top events agency in the Philippines. Send the brief and we will tell you what is missing before we quote it.
FAQ
What should an event RFP include?
The objective, the date and the venue’s status, the headcount, the scope you want quoted, every deliverable, the mandatories, a budget range, the timeline, how you will decide, and the contract terms. Ask every agency to split the quote the same way so the replies can be compared.
How many agencies should I send an event RFP to?
Three is enough, briefed identically and in writing. Beyond that you are comparing interpretations rather than prices.
Who pays for permits in an event contract?
Whoever the RFP says. Name it in the brief, because permits are issued by the city and each activity has its own requirements, and an agency that assumes you are handling them will not price them.
Does an events agency need a data privacy agreement?
If it runs registration or handles your guest list, yes. Section 21 of the Data Privacy Act keeps you responsible for personal data transferred to a third party for processing and requires contractual or other reasonable means to give it comparable protection.
Related
Brand activation and events — what PUNX runs, and how
How to choose an events agency — the four questions that sort a shortlist
Special event permits — what the LGU will ask for
Brief half-written?
Send what you have. We will tell you what an agency needs before it can quote it.
Start a project ↗