Off To Seattle And #NAMPC 2018

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I’m en route to Seattle for the 2018 National Arts Marketing Project Conference (#NAMPC) where I’ll be presenting Everything Tech Providers Wished You Knew About Writing An RFP (Plus The Stuff They Want To Keep Secret) along with co-presenter, Ceci Dadisman.

Adaptistration People 048Sunday, November 11, 2018
11:00am to 12:15pm

Description
Wouldn’t it be nice to have enough confidence to know if the proposal you get from tech providers is a meaningful bid or just a bunch of techy BS? Wouldn’t it be swell if you didn’t have to be afraid of throwing good money after bad, because you realize too late the questions you should have asked?

Most arts managers would rather write grant proposals that require seven years of detailed financials than deal with tech-based RFPs. Most of the geek-speak and platform considerations fall well outside their wheelhouse, which means the odds are slim to successfully write an RFP capable of producing the solution they want and need.

This session will pull back the curtain on how tech providers craft their proposals and the questions arts managers should be asking. But crafting an RFP and evaluating proposals is a two-way street. Getting a good provider means being a good client. Attendees will learn how to get tech providers the information they really need to provide meaningful and authentic proposals. They’ll also learn about valuable options to traditional RFPs that could save them heartache and money.

If you’re attending the conference, be sure to connect and say hello or set aside some time to talk shop. If your group is in the process of soliciting RFPs for a new website redesign project, then you should absolutely reach out as I’ll be offering a NAMPC special in the form of 10% off all first-year annual fees to all new Venture Platform users that make first contact during the conference.

Connecting Is Easy!

If you aren’t able to attend, I’m sure I’ll be posting away on Twitter so feel free to follow along at @VentureTweets and @Adaptistration.

Keep an eye out for an overview and link to the session slide deck next Monday.

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

View all posts by Drew McManus | Website

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