What is a Bidder Conference?
A bidder conference is the meeting where all prospective sellers hear the buyer's requirements and ask questions together, before submitting bids. The governing principle is fairness: every bidder gets identical information, and answers to private questions are published to everyone.
That fairness isn't politeness — it's legal protection. A bidder who can show a rival received extra information has grounds to protest the award.
Worked example
Before bids close on a wastewater plant, the utility hosts all six contractors on a site walk. One asks about rock depth near the intake; the geotech answer goes into a written addendum sent to all six that afternoon. When the losing bidder later hunts for grounds to protest, the addendum trail leaves nothing to find.