Buyer worries, capacity and internal approval
How to assess an event consultant without relying on famous logos
Three consultants have sent proposals, and the committee keeps asking which one has worked with the biggest names.
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The short answer
Judge a consultant on evidence you can examine yourself: the questions they ask about your event, how they would run the work, what documents they produce, how clearly they define scope and what they say they will not do. A logo on a slide tells you who a consultant spoke to once, not how they would handle your event.
Agree the criteria and their weights before reading proposals, so the choice follows the criteria and not the most impressive page.
Why logos mislead
A client logo does not show who did the work, how large the role was, or whether the situation resembles yours. It can also be used with or without the client's permission.
A smaller or newer consultant may fit a one-day member conference better than one known for very large events.
What to look at instead
- The questions asked before quoting. Good questions are specific to your audience, decisions and constraints.
- The method. How are decisions, risks and supplier handovers managed week to week?
- Sample documents. Ask for an anonymised plan, responsibility matrix or status note that shows how they write.
- Scope. Is it clear what is included, what is excluded and what you must provide?
- The named person. Who will actually do the work, and how much of their time?
- References, if offered. Ask the referee what the consultant did, not whether they were pleasant.
Scoring the proposals
| Criterion | Weight | What a strong answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of our event | 25% | Restates our purpose, audience and constraints in specific terms. |
| Method and decision handling | 20% | Describes weekly rhythm, decision log and risk handling. |
| Sample work | 15% | Documents are clear, usable and anonymised properly. |
| Scope and boundaries | 20% | Inclusions, exclusions and dependencies are written plainly. |
| People and capacity | 10% | Named person, availability and cover are stated. |
| Fit with our team | 10% | Can work with our committee and existing suppliers. |
Check with a short paid or unpaid exercise
Give each shortlisted consultant the same one-page problem, such as a supplier clash or a late committee change, and ask how they would handle it. Compare answers on clarity and judgement.
If the exercise takes more than an hour of their time, consider paying for it.
Worked example · Fictional example
A committee scoring three proposals
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional dental association committee is hiring a consultant for a two-day conference of 400 delegates. Before opening proposals, it sets six criteria and weights, and each of three members scores alone.
One proposal lists many familiar brands but its scope is vague and the named lead is unclear. Another has fewer references but asks eight specific questions and attaches an anonymised responsibility matrix. The committee compares scores, discusses the gap on the first proposal and appoints the second after a short call with its named lead.
Use this yourself
Event consultant assessment sheet
Each assessor scores 1 to 5 against the weights agreed earlier, writes a one-line reason and discusses differences before deciding.
| Criterion | Weight | Consultant A | Consultant B | Consultant C | Reason in one line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding of our event | |||||
| Method and decision handling | |||||
| Sample work | |||||
| Scope and boundaries | |||||
| People and capacity | |||||
| Fit with our team | |||||
| Questions to ask on the follow-up call |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- Your committee has procurement experience and a clear brief.
- You can compare two or three proposals on the same criteria.
- A peer organisation can speak to the consultant's actual work.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The brief is unclear and you need help writing it before you can compare proposals.
- Committee members disagree on criteria and nobody can arbitrate.
- You want a neutral summary of what each proposal really covers.
Want a clearer brief to compare consultants against?
A conference project lead can help you turn your needs into a one-page brief, scoring criteria and a question list, so each proposal can be compared on the same basis. Send your event dates and the shortlist you have, and we can talk through the criteria first.
Questions organisers ask
Is it wrong to ask for references?
No, but ask what the person did and how decisions were handled. Treat references as one input among several.
Should we ask for a free pilot task?
A short, same-for-all exercise is reasonable. Pay for anything that takes substantial time.
What if a consultant cannot share client names?
That is common. Ask for anonymised documents and a description of the role instead.
How do we involve procurement?
Share the procurement checklist early, and agree the criteria before proposals arrive.
Related resources
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