Live Event Procurement

Procurement Departments are often given a really hard time. As Marketing Communication Agencies we often accuse them of not knowing how to buy, of asking too many agencies to pitch and of providing insufficient information.

How refreshing then to find that this isn't always the case. Take the recent BP Event Management Tender. BP asked around their business and found that over 100 different agencies were being used to supply their event management needs. Forty were shortlisted and invited to pitch for a place on their preferred supplier roster.

The tender information was clear. There was to be an initial round during which BP asked questions about each agencies areas of expertise, financials and reference requests were made etc. Those who got through to round two answered a live brief. Both of these parts of the tender process were run via a secure e-tendering system. Every agency invited to submit a proposal for round two was invited to pitch before a panel.

The timelines were generous and the information clear. Questions were encouraged and answered and every agency who tendered had visibility over all the questions and answers given.

Of course, perhaps we're seeing it like this because we were one of five agencies who secured a place on the roster? We'd argue that no, that had nothing to do with it. At the start of the process we knew that if we didn't make it onto the tender list we were liable to lose a client with whom we have worked for over six years. Tendering for procurement is not therefore our favourite pastime either. However, it is becoming more and more common and agencies like ourselves have to learn how to tender effectively and give our potential clients a really strong reason to buy from The Phoenix Partners.

This process focussed our minds and our energies on the task at hand and pulled us together as a team. Now we're working with BP to ensure that information about the roster is communicated clearly out to their businesses. We're hopeful that far from being a negative process this will be positive for both us and BP.