How to Write an RFP — Playeasy
Event RFP Best Practices

How to write an RFP
that destinations actually respond to.

Best practices, key data points, and downloadable templates — so you can get your event in front of the right destinations faster.

Destinations are evaluating your event before they ever pick up the phone.

A well-written RFP doesn't just describe your event — it signals that you're organized, serious, and worth their time. Destinations receive hundreds of leads. The ones that generate the most competitive bids are the ones that make the opportunity clear upfront.

"We don't need it to be over the top or visually appealing. We're just looking for a clear outline of your minimum requirements and must-haves. That's what gets us to respond."

— Destination panel, Playeasy Innovators Summit 2026
More responses, faster
Complete RFPs get more bids. Destinations don't have to chase you for basic info before deciding to engage.
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Better-fit destinations
When your requirements are clear, only destinations that can actually host will respond — saving time on both sides.
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Stronger economic case
Hotel rooms, participants, and out-of-market travelers are the numbers CVBs use to justify hosting. Give them what they need.

What makes a strong RFP

You don't need a beautifully designed document. You need the right information, presented clearly. Here's what separates RFPs that generate real interest from ones that get skipped.

Lead with the opportunity. Before listing requirements, give destinations a reason to care. What's the event, how long has it been running, and why is this a win for the host city?
Be specific about hotel rooms. Peak room nights on peak night is the single most important number for a CVB. If you know how rooms ramp up and down across event days, include that too.
Describe the traveler profile. Out-of-market participants, international travel, family groups — these details drive economic impact estimates that destinations use to justify hosting.
State your must-haves clearly. Venue type, size, surface, indoor/outdoor — destinations need to know if they can qualify before they invest time in a full response.
Tell them how to respond. Who should destinations contact? What should they include in their bid? A clear next step increases response rate significantly.
Don't over-engineer it. A two-page doc with the right data points outperforms a 20-page PDF with design flair. Destinations are reading these quickly — clarity wins.
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If you have a formal bid document ready, you can attach it directly to your Playeasy RFP and write "please see attached document" in the text fields — we collect the key data points destinations need and make sure those are captured in the platform.

What destinations need to see

These are the fields that matter most. Required fields are the minimum a destination needs to evaluate your event. Recommended fields will significantly increase the quality and quantity of bids you receive.

FieldWhy it matters
Event name + brief descriptionSets context. 2–3 sentences on what the event is and its history.Required
Event dates or target windowDestinations need to check venue and hotel availability before engaging.Required
Number of participantsDrives venue sizing and economic impact estimates.Required
Hotel rooms on peak nightThe #1 metric CVBs use. Even a rough estimate is valuable.Required
Venue type + key requirementsLets destinations self-qualify. Arena vs. field complex vs. convention center changes everything.Required
Target geographySpecific city, region, or open to the entire U.S. Helps with outreach targeting.Required
Estimated spectatorsAdditional economic impact signal. Families, coaches, and officials add room nights.Recommended
Room night pattern by dayIf rooms ramp up and then drop, destinations and hotels want to know. Helps with block sizing.Recommended
Out-of-market / international travelThe percentage of attendees traveling in from outside the area directly affects the economic impact story.Recommended
Event history + past host citiesCredibility signal. If the event has a track record, show it.Recommended
How to respond + contact infoClear next step for interested destinations. Name, email, and any bid deadline.Recommended

How to post your RFP on Playeasy

The Playeasy RFP flow walks you through each section step by step. Here's what to focus on at each stage.

1
Basic details — event type, sport, urgency
Select the event type and sports involved. If your event spans multiple sports, select all that apply. Set urgency to communicate how quickly you need a host to respond.
2
Location details — travel, hotel rooms, geography
Indicate if participants will travel. Enter your hotel room estimate — even a rough number helps. Choose a specific area or open it to the full U.S. network.
3
Site requirements — venue type, space, surface
Select facility and space types. Use the additional details text box to describe must-have requirements in plain language — this is where destinations decide if they qualify.
4
Time frame — dates, flexibility, response deadline
Enter your target dates or date range. Set a response deadline to create urgency. Note setup/breakdown days if you need the venue beyond competition days.
5
Event details — the most important section
This is where destinations decide if they want to engage. Lead with a compelling 2–3 sentence overview, include participant and spectator numbers, and describe the opportunity clearly. Attach a bid document here if you have one.
6
Public or private — choose who sees your RFP
Public RFPs go to the full Playeasy network and appear in the RFP Marketplace. Private RFPs go only to destinations you select — useful when you have specific cities in mind or aren't ready to go broad.

Need a walkthrough? The full how-to guide with screenshots is available in our help center.

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Ask it anything — additional questions, best practices, research on destinations and venues, or help creating and submitting your RFP. It's built to walk you through the entire process, start to finish.

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