Texas Municipal League 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition Request for Proposal

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1 Texas Municipal League 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition Request for Proposal All bids must be received by September 20, 2016

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS RFP Due Date and Mailing Address Page 3 RFP Questions Page 3 Conference Dates and Format Page 4 Host City Requirements Page 4 Conference Exhibition and Facility Requirements Page 5 Hotel Requirements Page 6 City Commitment Page 7 TML Staff Support Page 9 Proposal Scoring Page 9 Response to the RFP Page 9 3

4 Texas Municipal League 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition Request for Proposal The TML Annual Conference and Exhibition, first held in 1913, provides a forum for city officials to discuss city issues, gain insight from speakers on timely topics, network and exchange ideas with other officials from around the state, and meet with vendors who provide services and products to cities. Today s Annual Conference attracts up to 2,800 attendees, 350 exhibiting companies with more than 1,500 personnel, and injects more than $5.5 million into the host city s economy. In addition to the economic boost, the Annual Conference allows the host city to showcase its local attractions and unique points of interest in a way that encourages repeat visits to the city by conference attendees. TML is committed to a fair and reasonable site selection process. The host city and League staff will work closely together to coordinate a successful conference for the host city and conference delegates that advance the League s mission and goals. RFP Due Date and Mailing Address Please submit one final proposal for the 2021 conference by mail (United States Postal Service), or by commercial overnight carrier (FedEx, UPS Overnight, Lone Star Overnight), to arrive no later than 5:00 pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 to: Christina Corrigan Director of Communications and Programs Texas Municipal League 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400 Austin, Texas No walk-ins or hand delivered proposals will be accepted. RFP Questions Questions about this RFP or the response process should be submitted to conferencerfp@tml.org. Individual questions will not be answered by phone or . The only interaction that will take place between TML staff, TML board members, and host city applicants is through the online conference RFP Q&A. Answers will be posted online at our conference RFP Q&A page at Selection of the host city will be made no later than October 14, 2016, and will be based on timely responses to the RFP. 4

5 Conference Dates and Format This RFP addresses the 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition only. For 2021, the preferred conference date is October 12-15, An alternate date is October 5-8, No other dates will be considered for the 2021 Annual Conference. The conference begins on Tuesday and concludes Friday at noon. Conference setup (exhibits, conference staff office) begins on Sunday. The Tuesday through Friday conference pattern and setup is not flexible. For planning purposes, the League s intent is for the second week in October to be the primary date, and the first week in October the secondary date for future years. Host City Requirements The host city must be a TML member city in good standing. Should a host city, with confirmed contracts for hotels and meeting facility, discontinue its membership for any reason, TML may cancel the hotel and meeting facility contracts without penalty to TML. The host city must be accessible by an airport with major airline access. The host city should also have airport to hotel and meeting facility transportation available at reasonable rates. The host city must have amenities to accommodate projected conference attendance. The host city should have a variety of cultural attractions, entertainment, restaurants, and shopping easily accessible from the meeting facility and hotels. Your city s proposal should include information on: ü Distance from airport to convention and exhibition facility and hotels ü Major airlines servicing the area ü Local attractions ü Shuttle service from airport ü Parking options/discounts for conference attendees at convention facility 5

6 Convention and Exhibition Facility Requirements TML Annual Conference Meeting Room Needs # of Rooms Set-up General Session 1 Theater # People After Equipment Notes 2,000-2,500 on the floor (after stage) Stage is a 2 tiered stage measuring 16 x72. An additional 7-10 is required behind the stage. Exhibit Space 1 Minimum 140,000 gross square feet Lunch can be held in the Lunch 1 Rounds 1,200-1,500 on the floor (after stage) General Session room. We have one large head table set up on stage for our 52 person board. TML board meeting and small cities meeting. 1 Hollow square for 52 Requires additional seating around perimeter Breakfast 2 Rounds Breakfast can be held in the General Session room. Concurrent session 7 Theater Affiliate Session (TCAA) 1 Classroom Affiliate Session 12 Theater Guest hospitality room 1 TBD Minimum 2,000 square feet Conference staff office 1 Rounds Minimum 1,500 square feet First aid room 1 TBD Your city s proposal should address that the Convention and Exhibition Facility: ü Is located under one roof, and offered to TML at a discounted fee ü Can accommodate the above conference meeting room needs ü Has adequate daily parking for conference attendees and exhibitors within walking distance ü Will provide concession areas for delegates during conference setup and conference dates with no minimum required guarantee ü Will offer complimentary or significantly discounted Wi-Fi in TML meeting rooms, the Exhibit Hall, and public areas ü Will offer a 20% food and beverage discount ü Will offer 20 complimentary parking passes for TML staff during conference setup and meeting dates ü Will offer competitive benefits or pricing (rigging, electric, etc.) ü Convention and Exhibition Facility contract should be attached to your bid. Should the Convention and Exhibition facility undergo renovations or remodeling during the conference dates, TML reserves the right to terminate the conference contract or be compensated for the inconvenience for TML, conference delegates, and exhibitors. 6

7 Hotel Requirements Your city s proposal should demonstrate that it has a written hotel room commitment to meet TML s need for: ü 2,500 sleeping rooms (on peak night) with the following distribution: Tuesday: 1,600 hotel rooms; Wednesday: 2,500 hotel rooms; Thursday: 2,300 hotel rooms ü Minimum of 1,500 first-class, full-service rooms, within three to four hotels located within walking distance (three blocks or less) of the Convention and Exhibition facility. ü The remainder of the hotel block to be within the city limits and not to exceed 10 hotels or a driving distance of three miles from the convention center. The room block should be fulfilled using as few hotels as possible. ü The hotel with the largest room commitment within walking distance of the Convention and Exhibition facility should provide a complimentary presidential suite and junior suite for the TML president and president-elect. These suites should be available Sunday through Friday of the conference. ü Rates should be affordable for local government officials, and offer a range of rates reflective of the available accommodations and prevailing economic conditions. ü Confirmed sleeping room rates must include the CVB housing fee to process and manage TML room blocks, and a $10.00 rebate per room, per night, payable to TML for conferencerelated expenses. (Proposal should include list of hotels, distance from convention facility, number of sleeping rooms provided, room rate offered, and other required information.) ü Room rates should be inclusive of extra fees, such as resort fees, rebates, and other charges. Any additional charges must be disclosed. ü Hotels should provide TML with complimentary room nights based on a room pickup of 1 per 40, with an additional 10 percent of total room block at each hotel available at a rate of 25 percent less than the conference rate. ü Hotel contracts should include an attrition clause stating there will be no or low attrition based on TML s past history. ü Room rates posted on the Internet or rooms sold by other third-party vendors will not be less than the hotels proposed conference rate. Should conference delegates or exhibitors block rooms outside the conference block due to lower rates or third party offerings, TML will receive credit for those rooms as rooms booked under the hotel contract with TML. TML reserves the right to audit the post-conference hotel rooming list to determine rooms booked outside the block in order to meet room block guarantees. Hotels will not hold TML responsible for cancellations, no-shows, or other rooms not picked up by conference attendees during the dates of the conference. Final room blocks will be adjusted by TML staff according to history and location. 7

8 City Commitment Your city s proposal should include information on the following city commitments (requested and optional). Requested city commitments: ü Provide for and staff a promotional table at the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition one year prior to the year your city hosts the conference ü Appoint a contact person within the Mayor s or City Manager s Office to coordinate conference activities with TML staff ü Provide mayor s letter of welcome to conference attendees, with photograph, for inclusion in the Texas Town & City magazine and final conference program ü Provide Host City Story with photographs for use in the conference issue of the Texas Town & City magazine ü Provide 6-8 staff (city or convention and visitors bureau) to help TML staff with directions, meeting room set ups, speaker assistance, etc. ü Provide staff (city or convention and visitors bureau) for the Host City Information Table, which also serves as the Conference Message Center during designated hours ü Assist TML staff by identifying and coordinating the following conference highlights: o Musical entertainment or other walk-in entertainment prior to the Wednesday Opening General Session o Color guard for presentation of colors at the Opening General Session o National Anthem performer(s) during Opening General Session o Welcome to conference delegates by host city mayor or other city official during Opening General Session o Local entertainment for the Exhibit Hall Grand Opening, Thursday Delegate Lunch, and Friday Delegate Brunch o Persons to deliver invocation at the Wednesday Opening General Session, Thursday Delegate Lunch, and Friday Delegate Brunch. (To involve other members of the city council, we encourage consideration of those individuals.) 8

9 Optional City Commitments: The following activities are optional, and offer opportunity to extend a warm welcome to delegates and showcase your city. ü Sponsor dessert at the Thursday Delegate Lunch during the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition one year prior to the year your city hosts the conference. ($5-7 per person based on final attendance guarantee for the lunch) ü Provide short welcome video (no more than two three minutes in length) for use on TML Annual Conference website. This can be a message from the mayor or a narrated city highlights video. ü Host a Welcome Reception for all registered delegates and spouses/guests on Wednesday following the concurrent sessions (5:00 p.m.). ü Arrange for mobile workshops to showcase innovative and/or unique projects that have been developed and implemented in your city. It is the host city s responsibility to provide transportation, logistical, and/or financial support for these tours. These can be complimentary or fee-based, ticketed tours. Ticketed events (complimentary or fee-based) will be included on the TML conference registration form to facilitate planning and guarantees. ü Provide mementos from the host city to all registered conference delegates, spouses, and exhibitors. (Quantity required: 4,500-5,000) ü Other complimentary branding to welcome delegates (street pole banners, welcome signage, CVB conference webpage, etc.) 9

10 TML Staff Support TML staff will coordinate and staff all conference-specific events with the assistance of host city volunteers. The host city will receive up to twenty complimentary conference registrations for use by host city councilmembers and staff, including ticketed events. The host city should provide TML staff with a list of the individuals receiving the complimentary registration a month before conference. Proposal Scoring Proposals will be scored on the quality and certainty of the written commitment from the Convention and Exhibition facility and from each hotel included in the proposal. Consideration will be given to additional levels of commitment from the host city, facility, and hotels. Response to the RFP Your city s response to this RFP shall be in writing and contain detailed commitments to the criteria outlined. Proposals may not be modified after the proposal deadline. The TML Board of Directors in conjunction with the TML staff may reject any or all proposals when awarding the 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition. Proposals should contain acknowledgement (letter, council resolution, etc.) that the host city mayor, city council, and city executive staff are aware of the proposal, and support the proposal to host the 2021 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition. The final decision on submitted proposals will be communicated to the host city mayor and the lead CVB personnel by October 14,