February 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 49

Designing Effective

RFPs

for Live
Entertainment
Events and Venues

By Adam Friedman

equests for Proposals (RFPs) are a common way to seek out qualified developers,
operators, promoters and programmers with respect to publicly owned or presented
concerts, music festivals and entertainment venues. No matter the size of the event,
budget, park, agency or municipality, the goals in designing the RFP and the process around it should be the same. Attention to detail is essential no matter the scale.
In addition, it's not only about low-bid or
highest-financial guarantees, but also about
selecting a contractor who understands
your mission, can execute in compliance
with all the applicable requirements and
guidelines, and remains focused, from start
to finish, on the production of this important part of your annual schedule and budget. In the end, the process and the ensuing
arrangement must be defensible against
claims and potential litigation emanating
from various naysayers, including those
who are simply sore losers. Yes, I know
it's hard to believe that entertainment folks
may act immaturely.
Designing a Clear and
Concise RFP Document
Depending on the nature of the project,

there may be a sizable number of potential bidders, so it's important to have an
RFP that is carefully drafted to elicit clear
and concise responses and, in turn, allows
you to select the best candidate for the job.
The idea of using a general RFP form
that is used for other supply or development projects is misguided, since concert
promotion and venue development/operation is a unique business. General criteria
may get at some of the obvious points that
apply to any project, but miss the nuances associated with concert promotion and
venues. This may result in your inability
to assess the true expertise of the respondents. Likewise, simply taking pieces of actual concert venue RFPs or forms off the
internet and cobbling them together may
save time and money in the short term,

but there is potentially a bigger price to pay
when you have selected the wrong operator. There is value in reading up on the
topic and reviewing such agreements, but
at the same time, it may be helpful to seek
assistance from local experts (especially if
they do not intend to bid) or from other
NRPA members who have held similar
events or developed similar facilities.
As with any RFP process, the goal is
to elicit multiple bids providing for the
option to choose from the best offers and
operators. To achieve this, avoid requirements that only few players can satisfy
and result in fewer potential responses.
It is certainly understandable that you
want folks who are financially and organizationally capable of executing.
Tightening some qualifications too
much may result in your process yielding
only one or two responses. Not only will
you have reduced your choices, but you
also will have missed the opportunity to
learn from experienced players who may
not have satisfied all your criteria, but of-

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February 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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