TML Annual Conference and Exhibition RFP
Texas Municipal League (TML)
Request for Proposal for the
2017 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition
Conference RFP Questions & Answers
GENERAL BACKGROUND AND POLICY INFORMATION
The League began in 1913 when then Austin Mayor AP Wooldridge convened a conference in Austin of city officials from around the state. His call was issued to all cities, regardless of size, and 14 cities and 26 delegates responded to his call. At the conclusion of the 1913 meeting, the assembled delegates made a commitment to meet annually, and since that first meeting the League has held an annual conference each year.
The TML Annual Conference and Exhibition provides a forum in which city officials can study municipal issues, network with their counterparts from across the state, meet with vendors who provide services and products to cities, hear from speakers who have timely and important information, and exchange ideas. Today’s annual conference attracts 2,500 attendees, 350 exhibiting companies with 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 wants to ensure that the site selection process for the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition is fair and reasonable because potential locations are also TML member cities. The host city and the League staff will work closely together to coordinate what is in the League’s best interest and in the best interests of the host city. What is most important is that TML, its member city officials, and the potential host cities have a successful conference and continue to advance the mission and goals of the League.
One final proposal for the 2017 conference shall be submitted by mail (United States Postal Service) or by commercial overnight carrier (FedEx, UPS Overnight, Lone Star Overnight, etc.) to: Texas Municipal League, 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, Texas 78754, and must arrive no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2013.
Selection of the host city will be made not later than April 15, 2013.
Questions about any aspect of this RFP or the response process should be submitted to conferencerfp@tml.org. Answers will be posted at an online conference RFP Q&A page at www.tml.org. No individual answers will be provided; all answers will be posted online. Selection of the host city will be based solely upon timely written responses to the RFP. The only interaction that will take place between TML staff, TML Board members, and applicants is through the online conference RFP Q&A.
CONFERENCE DATES AND FORMAT
This RFP addresses the 2017 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition only.
For 2017, the preferred conference date is October 3-6, 2017. An alternate date is October 10-13, 2017.
No other dates will be considered for the 2017 conference.
The conference begins on Tuesday and concludes on Friday afternoon. Conference setup (exhibits, conference staff office) begins on Sunday. The conference pattern (Tuesday-Friday) is not flexible.
CRITERIA
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.
Host city must be accessible by an airport with major airline access and have airport to hotel and meeting facility transportation available at reasonable rates.
Host city must have amenities to accommodate projected conference attendance and have a variety of cultural attractions, entertainment, restaurants, and shopping easily accessible from the meeting facility and hotels.
MEETING FACILITY
All meetings should be held in a single facility. (Facilities, including hotels, connected to the main meeting facility by covered walkways or similar pathways are considered part of a single facility.)
Below are the minimum requirements for a meeting facility to host the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition.
- Exhibit space – Minimum 140,000 gross square feet
- Conference staff office – 1,500 square feet
- First aid room
- Banquet facilities for two delegate luncheons – capacity for approximately 1,750 persons at round tables for 8, with a two-tiered head table for 50 persons with the ability to divide and reset rooms to accommodate breakfast meetings for 400-500 persons
- Opening general session - theater seating for 2,500 persons plus stage
- Concurrent educational sessions - 10 concurrent sessions; 3 rooms with theater style seating for 300 each, and 7 with theater style seating for 150-200
- 12 additional meeting rooms of various sizes, ranging from 100 - 400 persons theater style
- Guest hospitality room – minimum 2,000 square feet
Meeting facility should have adequate daily parking for conference attendees and exhibitors and should include 15 complimentary parking passes for TML staff during conference dates, including conference setup days.
Meeting facility caterer must accommodate meeting attendees (delegates and exhibitors) by providing concession area during conference setup and conference dates with no minimum guarantee required by TML.
Should meeting facility undergo any renovations or remodeling during the dates of the conference, TML reserves the right to terminate conference contract or be compensated for the inconvenience of both TML and the conference attendees and exhibitors.
Meeting facility contract should be attached and made part of the host city proposal.
HOTEL REQUIREMENTS
Host city must secure written hotel room commitment for hotel rooms as outlined below. Hotel contracts should be attached and made part of the host city proposal.
- Tuesday – 1,100 hotel rooms
- Wednesday – 2,200 hotel rooms
- Thursday – 2,200 hotel rooms
Room commitment should include, for peak night, 800 first-class, full service hotel rooms within walking distance (three blocks or approximately 1/4 mile) of the meeting facility and must include room blocks at any hotels designated as “convention center hotels.”
Room commitment should include, for peak night, 600 additional hotel rooms (first class, full service and limited service) within a ten-minute commute from meeting facility.
Balance of room commitment should include, for peak night, both first class, full service and limited service hotel rooms within a fifteen-minute commute from meeting facility.
Total room block should be fulfilled by using as few hotels as possible. Final room blocks will be adjusted by TML staff according to history and location.
Hotel with largest room commitment within walking distance of meeting facility should provide presidential suite and junior suite complimentary for the TML president and president-elect. These suites should be available Monday through Friday of the conference.
A range of rates is preferred. Rates should be economical and allow for a wide variety of rates reflective of the accommodations available and prevailing economic conditions.
Room rates should be inclusive of any “extra fees” such as resort fees, rebates, and other charges. Any additional charges must be disclosed.
Hotels should provide TML with complimentary room nights based on room pickup of 1 per 50, with an additional 10 percent of total room block at each hotel available at a rate of 25 percent less than conference rate.
Hotels will agree that room rates posted on the Internet (either direct or through a broker) or rooms sold by other third-party vendors will not be less than the proposed conference room 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.
CITY COMMITMENT
- Sponsor the dessert at Friday delegates’ luncheon during the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition prior to the year the city hosts the conference. ($5-7 per person, based on final guarantee based on number of tickets sold for luncheon)
- Provide for and staff a promotional table at the TML Annual Conference and Exhibition prior to the year your city hosts the conference.
- Appoint a contact person within the Mayor’s or City Manager’s Office to coordinate conference activities with TML staff.
- Provide mayor’s letter of welcome to conference attendees, with photograph, for inclusion in the Texas Town & City magazine and final conference program.
- Provide “Host City Story” with photographs for use in the conference issue of the Texas Town & City magazine.
- If possible, provide short welcome video (no more than two – three minutes in length) for use on TML Conference Web site. This can be a message from the mayor or can be a narrated city highlights video.
- Provide staff assistance for conference bag stuffing.
- Provide 4-6 staff (city or convention and visitors bureau) to assist in TML staff in directions, meeting room set ups, speaker assistance, etc.
- Provide the staff (city or convention and visitors bureau) for the Host City Information Center which also serves as the Conference Message Center during designated hours.
- Assist in identifying and coordinating the following conference highlights:
- Musical entertainment or other “walk-in” entertainment prior to the Opening General Session.
- Color guard for presentation of colors at the Opening General Session.
- National Anthem performer(s) during Opening General Session.
- Welcome to conference delegates by host city mayor or other city official during Opening General Session.
- Persons to deliver invocation at the Thursday delegates’ luncheon and Friday delegates’ luncheon. (To involve other members of the city council, we encourage consideration of those individuals)
- If available, a host city councilmember can provide a short welcome during the Friday morning Women in Government Breakfast.
Other
(The following activities are designed to allow host cities to showcase their city and are entirely optional.)
- If feasible, arrange for mobile workshops to city facilities/sites for field demonstrations. Please note that it is the host city’s responsibility to provide all logistical and/or financial support for these tours. These can either 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.
- Arrange and cover the costs for information tables at each of the conference hotels, to suggest points of interest, restaurants, and entertainment options in the host city.
- Provide mementos from the host city to all registered conference delegates, spouses, and exhibitors. (Quantity required: 4,500 - 5,000.)
- Local entertainment can be used during the exhibit hall grand opening and during the Thursday and Friday delegates’ luncheons.
TML COORDINATION
TML’s conference planning staff will coordinate and staff all conference events with the assistance of host city volunteers.
The host city is provided up to twenty complimentary conference registrations for use by host city councilmembers and staff, including ticketed events. The host city should provide a list of the individuals to TML for appropriate processing not later than 30 days in advance of the conference.
PROPOSAL SCORING
Proposals will be scored on quality and certainty of the written commitment from meeting facility and from each hotel included in the proposal. Consideration may be given to additional levels of commitment from host city.
FORM OF RESPONSE TO THE RFP
Cities’ response to this RFP shall be in writing and contain detailed commitments to the criteria contained in this RFP. Proposals may not be modified after the deadline for submitting proposal(s).
The TML Board of Directors in conjunction with the TML staff may reject any or all proposals when awarding the 2017 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 2017 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition.
Final decision on proposals submitted will be communicated to the host city mayor and the appropriate CVB personnel.
