How should you score a ticketing platform RFP?
A ticketing platform request for proposal (RFP) should score verified operational fit, not simply count features claimed by each vendor. Set weighted criteria before demonstrations, make suppliers show representative workflows, and record assumptions and gaps separately from scores.
How should a ticketing RFP scoring model work?
Start by agreeing mandatory requirements and weighted differentiators. A mandatory issue—such as legally required payment processing in a target market—should not be offset by attractive interface features. Use a scoring scale with explicit evidence levels: 0 = unsupported, 1 = roadmap claim, 2 = documented capability, 3 = demonstrated in a relevant workflow, 4 = validated by a reference or test. Do not imply these scores are objectively universal.
Which criteria deserve weight?
A platform business may weight API extensibility and multi-tenant controls more heavily than a single venue; a multi-venue operator may prioritise permission boundaries, admissions, reconciliation and central reporting. Include implementation burden, uptime evidence, data portability, commercial rights, settlement responsibility, accessibility and support coverage. Weighting is a business decision, not a standard benchmark.
How should demonstrations be evaluated?
Give each vendor the same sample event: complex inventory, a presale restriction, a refund, a third-party allocation and end-of-day finance reporting. Ask evaluators to record completed steps, manual workarounds and configuration dependencies. Ask for sample API responses when integrability is critical.
What should the ticketing RFP decision record contain?
Keep the signed-off criteria, scores, demo evidence, reference checks, open exceptions, negotiated commitments and decision owner. Separate a conditional shortlist from a production approval. Run security and privacy due diligence before contracting.
How should buyers turn a ticketing RFP score into acceptance criteria?
Set mandatory gates and weighted criteria before demonstrations so every ticketing supplier is assessed against the same workflows. Record demo evidence, exceptions and contractual commitments rather than treating a feature-list response as proof.