Supplier evaluation and selection
Hidden cost questions to ask before choosing an event supplier
Two quotations arrived with very different totals, and nobody is sure whether the cheaper one leaves things out.
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The short answer
Ask every supplier the same set of cost questions in writing, and record each answer as included, excluded or not stated. A total is only comparable once every line has one of those three labels.
Run the answers through the supplier quote normaliser so a missing item shows up as a warning instead of a silent zero.
Why totals mislead
A quotation lists what the supplier chose to price. It rarely lists what the supplier assumed you would arrange yourself, or what becomes chargeable later.
The cheaper quote is often the one that priced fewer things, not the one that priced them lower.
Where hidden costs usually sit
Walk through these areas with each supplier. The right-hand column is what to ask, not a statement about what suppliers charge.
| Area | What to ask in writing |
|---|---|
| Time | What hours does the price cover for setup, event and dismantling? What is the rate or rule after that, and who must approve it? |
| People | How many crew are priced, for which shifts, and are meals, transport or accommodation for them included? |
| Equipment | Is every item on the technical list priced, including cables, spares and backup units, or only the main items? |
| Delivery and venue access | Are loading, lift use, security passes and venue-imposed charges inside the price? Ask the venue to confirm its own charges separately. |
| Tax and service charges | Are the figures before or after tax and service charges? Ask the supplier to state its own position and ask your finance adviser about treatment. |
| Quantities | What quantity is each unit price based on, such as meals, badges, printed pieces or screens? What happens if the count changes? |
| Changes | What is the price for adding or removing an item after confirmation, and how is a change quoted? |
| Payment terms | What deposit and instalment dates apply, and what is refundable or not if the date moves? Refer legal wording to your legal adviser. |
A simple sequence
- List the areas above that matter for this supplier type.
- Send the same question list to every shortlisted supplier on the same day.
- Set one reply date and say that unanswered questions will be recorded as not stated.
- Enter each answer as included, excluded or not stated beside the quote lines.
- Ask the supplier to correct the quotation itself where an answer changes the price, so the written offer matches the reply.
Questions that make a supplier's answer useful
- Ask for the answer as a line in the quotation, not only an email reply.
- Ask for a maximum or a rate where a cost cannot be fixed yet.
- Ask which items are provisional and what decision would firm them up.
- Ask what the supplier assumes the organiser will provide.
Worked example · Fictional example
Two AV quotations for a one-day members' forum
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Pengurus Fasiliti received two audio-visual quotations for a one-day forum for about 180 members. Supplier A totals RM 14,200 and Supplier B totals RM 11,800.
After the question list went out, Supplier A confirmed two operators for the whole day and overtime as stated. Supplier B confirmed one operator, said breaks and lunch cover were not stated, and said backup microphones were extra at RM 600. With the second operator and the backup items entered, Supplier B's comparable figure moved closer to Supplier A's, and the committee compared them on that basis.
Use this yourself
Hidden cost question pack for event suppliers
Copy this into an email or form and send the same text to each supplier. Record each answer as included, excluded or not stated.
- Which hours are covered for setup, event and dismantling? What is charged outside them, and who approves it?
- How many staff are priced and for which shifts? Are their meals and transport included?
- Is every item on our technical list priced, including cables, spares and backup units?
- Are loading, delivery, venue access passes and any venue charges included? If not, who pays and when?
- Are prices before or after tax and service charge? State your position in the quotation.
- What quantity is each unit price based on? What happens if the number goes up or down?
- What is the process and price basis for adding or removing an item after confirmation?
- What deposit and instalment dates apply? What happens to payments if the date changes?
- Which items are provisional and what decision firms them up?
- What do you assume we will provide ourselves?
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You have two or three quotations of the same type and one person to collect answers.
- The scope is already written and suppliers are pricing the same list.
- Finance can review tax and payment questions separately.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Quotations cover mixed scopes and nobody can tell what each leaves out.
- Venue, supplier and organiser each assume another will pay for certain items.
- The committee needs a reconciled comparison before approving a deposit.
Need the quotations reconciled before you approve?
A conference project lead can send the question pack, chase the answers, and turn the replies into a like-for-like comparison for your committee. The decision on which supplier to appoint stays with your approvers.
Questions organisers ask
Should I ask these questions before or after shortlisting?
Ask after you have a shortlist but before you compare totals. Sending the same list to each supplier keeps the replies comparable.
What if a supplier will not answer a question?
Record it as not stated and treat it as an unpriced risk. You can ask again, or decide whether to proceed knowing that gap exists.
Does this replace a contract review?
No. These are commercial questions. Payment, liability and cancellation wording belongs with your legal adviser.
Who should keep the answers?
One named person, usually the secretariat or project lead, so the answers sit with the quotation and the decision record.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.