Absolutely—here’s your updated full article, now incorporating the expanded “How Did We Get Here?” section with historical context and citations. This version adds depth, industry credibility, and maintains your voice and vision throughout:
We don’t need another spreadsheet to prove it—just a quick look at our calendars and bank accounts.
Proposals take time. Strategy takes brainpower. Creativity takes collaboration. And when agencies, creative firms, or event pros deliver that upfront for free, there’s a bigger cost than most clients realize.
Recently, Iain Morrison posted an eye-opening breakdown on LinkedIn titled “A $100k Reality Check: The Real Cost of Free Pitching”. In it, he lays out what many of us know all too well:
“This agency spent over $100,000 in time and resources on pitches last year… for opportunities they didn’t win or that never went anywhere.”
Let that sink in.
Six figures of time.
Countless hours of work.
All for free.
And the events world is no different.
Event Pros, Stop Giving It All Away
We’re often so eager to win the business—to prove our value—that we give away the strategy for free:
- Building custom proposals
- Sourcing destinations and suppliers
- Designing event concepts and themes
- Pricing out AV, F&B, décor, entertainment
- Providing timelines and logistics support
Before a single dollar is exchanged.
It’s not just unsustainable—it’s hurting the industry.
And worst of all? Some clients expect it.
How Did We Get Here?
The roots of “free pitching” go deep, and this isn’t just a meetings industry problem—it’s systemic across advertising, creative services, and event production.
In the advertising world, the shift from commission-based compensation to fee-based structures in the late 20th century created a highly competitive landscape. Agencies began offering more spec work—often unpaid—to stand out and secure business. The rise of global agency holding companies only accelerated the pressure to pitch for free, especially for small to midsize firms trying to survive (The New Yorker).
In the design industry, free proposals and creative mockups became a norm that many professionals now actively resist. As Marketing Magazine points out, free pitching not only devalues the work but sets unsustainable expectations for creatives trying to make a living.
In the event world, the problem looks like this:
- Full proposals requested before contracts are signed
- Custom concepts and venue sourcing offered as “just part of the process”
- Strategic input given away for free in the name of winning business
It’s not “just a proposal”—it’s unpaid labor.
Let’s Be Honest: “Free” Proposals Aren’t Free
Every proposal has a cost:
- Strategist hours
- Research and sourcing labor
- Time spent negotiating sample rates
- Design mockups, decks, outlines
- Emotional energy from your whole team
When that proposal doesn’t convert, it’s not just a lost opportunity. It’s time you can’t get back—and a hit to your margins.
And when multiple proposals stack up with no compensation or commitment?
That’s a business risk we can’t afford to normalize.
So What’s the Solution?
At virsitour, we believe in rewriting the process.
We’ve seen this “free work” cycle hurt talented planners and agencies—and we’re done playing by the old rules. Here’s how we’re flipping the model:
✅ Set Boundaries with Scope
Before jumping into a proposal, outline what’s included in the exploratory phase—what’s free, and what isn’t. Don’t be afraid to charge for deeper strategy or sourcing.
✅ Use a Paid Discovery Model
Offer clients a low-cost strategy session or discovery project with a clear deliverable. If they move forward, you can credit the amount to their final invoice.
✅ Value Presentation, Not Just Execution
Explain that your ideas and network are part of your intellectual property. If they want access, it comes at a cost.
✅ Use the virsitour Platform
Instead of custom-sourcing from scratch, use virsitour to:
- Show clients vetted suppliers and destinations
- Provide virtual site tours to speed up decisions
- Build smart proposals based on platform data
You save time. They see value. Everyone wins.
A Shift in Mindset
We’re not saying proposals should disappear.
We’re saying they should be respected—and compensated accordingly.
You wouldn’t walk into a restaurant, ask for a full tasting menu, and leave without paying. So why do we treat professional expertise any differently?
Let’s stop undercutting ourselves. Let’s stop apologizing for charging.
Let’s stop calling it “free” when it’s costing us everything.
Final Thought: Free Doesn’t Scale
You can’t build a sustainable business on hope and unpaid labor.
So here’s our challenge:
✋ Stop working for free.
Start building fair agreements.
Protect your time.
Respect your expertise.
The clients who value you will stay.
The ones who don’t? Weren’t really clients to begin with.
Have you lost time or money on free proposals that went nowhere? What boundaries have you started setting? Let’s start talking.