What to send an event company for an accurate quote

A quote is only as good as the brief behind it. When an event company has to guess the build window or the headcount, it does one of two things. It adds a buffer that you end up paying for, or it quotes low and comes back later with extras. Neither helps you compare suppliers.

Here’s what to send, roughly in the order it affects the price. You won’t have all of it at the first enquiry. Send what you have and say which parts are still open.

1. Dates, including build and pack-down

The event date is the obvious part. The build and breakdown days matter just as much, because crew, vehicles and hired equipment are usually costed per day or per shift.

Tell the supplier:

• the event day or days, and when the gates or doors open
• when you get access to the site, and when it has to be clear again
• whether any work has to happen overnight or before sunrise

A one-day event with a two-day build is a three-day job for the set-up crew, plus the pack-down.

2. The site, and how you get onto it

Give the venue name or address. For an outdoor site, drop a map pin as well. Then add the details that change the plan:

• where vehicles can offload, and whether a truck can reach the build area
• who else is using the access at the same time: other suppliers, a venue that stays open, a road closure with fixed times
• whether there’s power and water on site, or whether generators and water have to be brought in
• the ground: grass, sand, tar, gravel or a slope

A site map helps, even a photo of a hand-drawn one. On a small job it can save a site visit.

3. Numbers, and when they peak

Expected attendance or participant numbers decide how many people you need at entrances, registration and information points, and how much fencing, barriers and signage goes up. If the crowd builds at a particular time, such as a race start or a rush after work, say when. Staffing is planned around the busiest hour, not the daily total.

4. Which part you want help with

Say whether you want the whole event run or one piece of it. The usual pieces are event management, set-up and breakdown, crew and event staff, logistics and brand activation.

If you’re not sure what to call it, describe the problem instead. “We have a sponsor stand arriving on Friday and no one to build it” is enough to start a conversation.

5. What’s already booked

List the suppliers you’ve already confirmed: structures, branding, sound and lighting, catering, security. The event company needs this for two reasons. It keeps the quote from pricing things you’ve already paid for. And whoever runs the day has to fit every supplier’s arrival into one schedule.

If an agency designed the activation, send the design and the brand guidelines along with the enquiry.

6. A budget range

Plenty of buyers hold this back. A range lets the supplier tell you early whether the scope fits, and suggest where to trim, instead of sending a quote you’ll turn down. It doesn’t have to be exact.

What can wait

You don’t need final timings, crew names or a finished run sheet to get a quote. Those are worked out once the scope is agreed.

Comparing quotes

When two quotes look far apart, check that they cover the same things:

• the same build, event and pack-down days
• the same number of people for the same hours
• transport and delivery
• who supplies which equipment, and what’s hired in
• the name of the person in charge on the day

Then ask each supplier what isn’t included. That answer usually explains most of the difference.

A short brief you can copy

Event: [name], [date]. Access from [day and time]; site clear by [day and time].

Site: [venue or address and map pin]. Truck access: [yes / no / unsure]. Power on site: [yes / no / unsure].

Numbers: about [number] people, busiest around [time].

We need: [the whole event, or the services you need].

Already booked: [structures, branding, AV, catering and so on].

Budget range: [range, if you have one].

Nahud’s quote form asks for most of this. You can also paste the brief into a WhatsApp message.