Hi all,
Introduction
As part of the ADPC mandate, this post offers the Events RFP toolkit for use by authorised Arbitrum DAO Events managers and organisers.
This toolkit consists of an end-to-end set of templates and documents for the procurement of Events services, whether in the context of a panel arrangement or as a one-shot procurement. Depending on the circumstances, some adjustments will be required to the drafting but I have prepared these to simplify the procurement task.
No legal agreements have been proposed because the head agreement will be defined by the OpCo or Arbitrum Foundation (as applicable). These entities will provide the relevant service contract to include within the RFP pack for publication and be the relevant counter-parties for the Events service provider/s.
The full suite of documents can be found here. These documents are for the exclusive use of Arbitrum DAO events. Please refer to the license for further details on the use of these documents.
This User Guide provides practical, step-by-step guidance on preparing, issuing, and evaluating proposals for event service providers for Arbitrum DAO Events. It also highlights some of the useful templates and communication resources we developed at the ADPC.
Here’s a simplified overview of the process and tips on using these documents:
1. Preparing and Issuing the Request for Proposal (RFP)
The RFP sets out clearly what you need from providers to successfully deliver events. Before issuing, carefully complete the sections marked with placeholders (e.g., [insert description], [Insert Currency], [Insert Submission Email Address], [Insert Jurisdiction]). This form has been designed specifically for Events but can be tailored for other uses - speak with counsel on how best to achieve that.
Important areas to focus on:
- Event Description and Milestones: Provide a detailed but concise description of the event and relevant milestones, including helpful background if available. Providers rely on this to understand the project’s scope.
- Submission Instructions: Clearly define submission deadlines, how to submit proposals (e.g., online portal, Notion, Fillout or email), and your time zone for clarity. The submission deadline is the most critical one - stick to this religously as granting extensions during the process is not fair to applicants who have already submitted or are aiming for the original deadline.
- Evaluation Criteria: Criteria are provided in categories such as Experience, Concept, Operational Capability, Marketing, Post-Event Reporting, and Pricing. Make sure these reflect the priorities for the events in question.
When publishing the RFP, feel free to use my post as a model of what is required to be included in the instructions for applicants as well as other important information required: Request for Proposal - RPC Service Providers Panel and Procurement Framework
This post also shows a typical workflow once a marketplace is established although the ADPC anticipated that Events would more likely be “one-shot” procurements rather than strategic sourcing panel arrangements. This means that you only need to scope out your requirements, include them in the RFP and select suppliers for that specific Event. If you think there’s benefit in keeping a pool of trusted suppliers engaged, then establishing something like a strategic sourcing marketplace makes a lot of sense as you can use it to streamline and expedite engagements rather than having to re-do the entire process for each Event.
2. Using the Evaluation Form
The Evaluation Form allows providers to demonstrate their capabilities clearly, simplifying your assessment process.
Key points for evaluating responses:
- Experience and Qualifications: Providers should detail past crypto or tech events, including measurable results and client references.
- Event Concept and Strategy: Providers need to explain how their event idea aligns with your objectives and how it stands out from similar events.
- Operational and Technical Capability: Providers must outline their practical event management approach, including venue selection, technical reliability, and risk management.
- Marketing and Communications: Providers should describe their marketing strategy and how they’ll handle communications before, during, and after the event.
- Post-Event Analysis and Reporting: Providers must show how they will collect and analyze feedback and metrics, and present meaningful post-event reports.
- Pricing: Providers should provide clear pricing breakdowns, including milestone-based payments and any specific discounts offered to Arbitrum DAO.
Not all questions are equal! The ADPC developed detailed evaluation weightings for each question so that the final scores reflected performance against criteria of greater importance. If you can create weightings for each question, your final evaluation will have more meaningful results and provide clearer indication of which provider is going to deliver on the overall set of requirements.
3. Recommended Submission Method
It’s strongly recommended to use a structured online submission form (such Fillout). This simplifies submissions, maintains consistency in proposals, and helps speed up evaluation. I have included a .json file exported from Fillout for you to use. Simply import this file back into Fillout to give you the basic outline you will need for the RFP responses.
I also recommend you set up connections in Fillout back to Google Docs and/or Notion to capture all applications in separate folders and tabulate the responses. This will make collaboration on evaluation much simpler.
4. Communications Templates and Resources
To simplify communications throughout the RFP process, we’re including some commonly used email templates. These include things like the Acceptance Notification and a polite Rejection letter.
Hope these materials are of use and may all your procurements be competitive! Feel free to reach out if you need further information.
Paul Imseih
Daimon Legal
Telegram: @Pablo3442