Fees, scope and the quotation process
Before taking a decision to your committee or finance team, you want to know how support is priced.
The short answer
Fees are quoted per brief, because the fee depends on the scope of your event and the level of support. Below you will find what a quotation is based on, how scope changes are handled and what to ask for in writing.
A good quotation lets your finance or procurement reader see what is included, what is excluded, what would change the fee and who is accountable.
How the process runs
- You send a brief, including what is decided and what is open.
- A fit check confirms whether a written plan, a project lead or embedded capacity suits the situation.
- A written scope is prepared, naming the lead, deliverables, exclusions, review points and the factors behind the fee.
- A quotation is issued for that scope for your approval.
- Work starts after you approve the scope and the quotation in writing.
What a quotation is based on
| Support level | Factors that shape the fee |
|---|---|
| Event Blueprint (written plan) | Size and number of programme elements; number of decision owners and review rounds; reusable material available; number of supplier types needing requirements; compressed review period |
| Project lead (coordination) | Length of the engagement; number of workstreams and suppliers; on-site presence agreed in the scope; reporting frequency; number of stakeholders and approval layers |
| Embedded manager (dedicated capacity) | Days or hours of capacity agreed; on-site and remote split; start date and notice; scope of tasks and decisions delegated |
| Planning diagnostic | Number of documents reviewed; number of interviews; depth of the action plan |
What a quotation should state
- The scope, in a list a reader can check against the brief.
- What is excluded, written out in full.
- Who leads the work and how continuity is handled.
- The deliverables, with formats and review points.
- What the client must provide, and by when.
- The factors that would change the fee.
- How scope changes are requested, priced and approved.
- What the fee covers and what sits outside it, such as supplier costs, which are paid under the suppliers' own contracts.
How scope changes are handled
When a request falls outside the written scope, the project lead states the change, its effect on the work and the fee basis, and waits for your written approval before proceeding.
Changes inside the scope, such as moving a milestone, are recorded in the decision log without a new quotation. A change in programme size, number of tracks, number of review rounds or on-site days is a scope change.
Supplier costs are separate
Venue, catering, audio-visual, registration systems and similar costs are paid to the suppliers under their own quotations and contracts. The project lead compares proposals on the same basis, but the client approves and signs.
To prepare your own budget for approval, the budget approval summary builder turns itemised costs, assumptions and exclusions into a finance-ready summary.
What to ask for in writing
Before approving any quotation, from us or any other provider, put these questions in writing and keep the answers with the scope. The checklist below can be used as it stands.
Coverage
Planning and project management can be delivered remotely anywhere in Malaysia, and on-site support and travel can be arranged when needed, subject to availability, project requirements, agreed scope and costs. On-site days are agreed per brief. Travel and accommodation are charged when they are part of the agreed scope. See areas and on-site arrangements and how an engagement works.
To read the quotes you receive, see SST and service charge on event and venue quotes.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional comparison of two quotations
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional banking institute receives two quotations for coordination of a one-day conference. Quotation A lists three review rounds, excludes on-site days and states supplier costs separately. Quotation B lists one review round, includes two on-site days and is silent on supplier costs.
The institute's procurement officer cannot compare them until both are restated against the same assumptions. She asks each provider to confirm review rounds, on-site days, exclusions and how changes are handled, in writing, and then compares the answers in one table.
Use this yourself
Quotation comparison and written-questions checklist
Put each question to every provider and record the answers side by side.
| Question | Provider A | Provider B | Provider C |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is in scope, listed item by item? | |||
| What is excluded? | |||
| Who leads, and what is the continuity arrangement? | |||
| How many review rounds and on-site days are included? | |||
| What deliverables, in what format, by which review points? | |||
| What factors would change the fee? | |||
| How are scope changes requested, priced and approved? | |||
| What payment schedule and terms apply, and what happens if the engagement ends early? | |||
| What does the client need to provide, and by when? |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You can do the work in-house and only need a template.
- A single, small task needs no quotation.
- Your own team has capacity and the necessary approvals.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Finance requires a defined scope and a written quotation before approving spend.
- You are comparing several providers and need them on the same basis.
- You want clarity on what a change will cost before it happens.
Want a quotation against your own brief?
Send a brief, even a partial one. A project lead can run a fit check, write the scope with its exclusions and issue a quotation your finance team can review line by line. The fee is set per brief and stated in writing before anything starts.
Questions organisers ask
How are fees decided?
Fees depend on scope, so a quotation is written for your brief. It states the fee and the factors behind it.
Can I get an estimate before sending a full brief?
Send what you have. A fit check can confirm the right level of support, and the quotation follows once the scope is clear.
Are supplier costs included in the fee?
Supplier costs are paid under the suppliers' own contracts, and the quotation says so explicitly.
What happens if the event is postponed?
Ask for the terms in writing before you approve the quotation. The agreement should say what happens to the scope and fee if dates move.
Related resources
Content record: Written by the EventConsultant team to our editorial rules. Sources are listed on pages that rely on them.