Corporate Event RFP Checklist: The Fields You Should Never Skip

What we tell planners

Never skip: event type (board, leadership offsite, dealer conference, association congress, product launch); objectives in one sentence; dates and moveable-versus-fixed; headcount by day including accompanying persons; nationality mix; whether the meeting is slide-heavy, hybrid, or exhibition. If hybrid, name the broadcast standard. Safari camps and many highland lodges will fail a live global town hall — that belongs in Nairobi, Addis or Mauritius.

Venue and programme: city versus resort versus bush; banquet and breakout counts; AV already in-house versus specialist; dietary including religious and clinical; accessibility; whether you need a gala off-property; whether an incentive-style day is bolted on (Mara, Amboseli, catamaran). Transfers: airport codes (NBO, WIL, JRO, ADD, SEZ, MRU, KGL, EBB), arrival windows, and a written rule about landing-night events.

Risk and commercial: budget, currency, what is in scope (air, rooms, ground, visas), insurance, medevac, security, political and weather clauses (Mauritius cyclone, election calendars), data/privacy for rooming lists, sustainability requirements that are actual line items. Named decision committee and date. If you are a PCO hiring a DMC, say who owns the client relationship and the run-of-show.

Skip these at your cost: ‘flexible dates’ with a CEO keynote already printed; ‘approximately 100–250’; ‘safari if possible’ on a 400-delegate medical congress; no nationality field; no AV note. We will send clarification questions; the clock still runs on peak inventory.