I've prepared a complete long-form RFP suitable for distribution to software vendors and developers.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Membership and Event Management Platform

International Platform Association (IPA)

Introduction

The International Platform Association (IPA), founded in 1831, is one of America's oldest organizations dedicated to public speaking, civic education, freedom of expression, and informed public discussion. IPA seeks proposals from qualified software vendors and implementation partners to design and deploy a modern membership and event management platform that will serve members worldwide while supporting conferences, seminars, sponsorships, committees, and a public speaker directory.

The selected system should provide a scalable, cloud-based solution capable of supporting future organizational growth.

Project Objectives

The platform should:

• Manage memberships, renewals, billing, and communications.

• Provide online event registration and convention management.

• Offer a searchable public speaker directory.

• Support sponsors and exhibitors.

• Improve member engagement through self-service tools.

• Provide reporting and analytics for management.

• Integrate with common payment and email platforms.

Functional Requirements

Membership Management

• Multiple membership levels

• Online applications and renewals

• Recurring dues billing

• Discounts and promotional codes

• Member self-service portal

• Automated renewal reminders

Speaker Directory

• Public searchable profiles

• Speaker topics and expertise

• Photos and media

• Video embedding

• Inquiry forms

• SEO-friendly URLs

Event Management

• Conferences and webinars

• Multiple ticket categories

• Sponsor registrations

• Exhibitor management

• QR code check-in

• Waitlists and capacity controls

Communications

• Email newsletters

• Segmented mailing lists

• Event reminders

• Committee communications

• Social media sharing

Reporting

• Membership statistics

• Financial reporting

• Event attendance

• Revenue analysis

• Sponsor reporting

Technical Requirements

The platform should provide:

• Mobile-responsive design

• Secure payment processing

• API integrations

• Role-based permissions

• Daily backups

• Encryption of stored and transmitted data

• Accessibility compliance

• Exportable member data

Data Migration

Vendor shall migrate existing:

• Member records

• Speaker profiles

• Event history

• Committee information

• Contact lists

Training

Proposal should include:

• Administrator training

• User documentation

• Knowledge base

• Post-launch support

• Maintenance options

Platforms Under Consideration

IPA is currently evaluating:

• WildApricot

• Brilliant Directories

• Glue Up

• MemberClicks

• Raklet

• Custom WordPress implementations

Equivalent solutions are encouraged.

Proposal Requirements

Please include:

1. Executive Summary

2. Proposed Solution

3. Implementation Timeline

4. Technical Architecture

5. Migration Strategy

6. Project Team

7. Relevant Experience

8. Pricing

9. Support Options

10. References

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based upon:

• Functional capability

• Ease of use

• Total cost of ownership

• Security

• Scalability

• Vendor experience

• Support services

• Documentation

• Data portability

Timeline

Questions accepted: 10 days after release

Proposal deadline: 30 days after release

Vendor demonstrations: Within two weeks

Award announcement: Approximately four weeks following demonstrations

Project kickoff: Within two weeks of contract award

Contract Terms

IPA anticipates a fixed-price implementation with milestone payments tied to deliverables.

All organizational data shall remain the exclusive property of IPA and must be exportable in standard formats at any time.

A minimum twelve-month support option should be included.

Submission Information

Submit proposals electronically in PDF format with live links.

International Platform Association

Platform1831.org

Greensboro, North Carolina

proposals@platform1831.org

IPA looks forward to partnering with an experienced technology provider capable of delivering a modern, scalable platform that supports nearly two centuries of leadership in public speaking and civic engagement.