Event Planning and Marketing Services

The vendor is required to provide event management and marketing services to include event planning and strategy, preparation, scheduling, execution, and post conference and evaluation services. 
- Provide requirements listed below:
1. Staffing requirements:
•    Supplier shall provide a qualified, professional team with a minimum of the following roles: event manager and director, venue manager and director, logistics manager, graphic designer, and communications specialist.
•    Supplier shall have a minimum of 5 consecutive years of experience providing related services.
•    Supplier shall have at least one team member serving as a key role for the agency event who holds a certified meeting professional (CMP) certification from the events industry council (EIC) or equivalent certification.
2. Planning, preparation, and strategy services
•    Supplier shall plan, schedule, and attend an initial planning and strategy session to align expo goals, objectives, understand target audiences, and key performance indicators.
•    Supplier shall develop a detailed event plan to include event concept and timeline
•    Supplier shall meet with agency personnel weekly. 
•    Weekly meetings will be a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings in agency sole discretion.
•    Supplier shall develop and provide a timeline and approval process for buyer and exhibitor outreach, including evites, social media, printed mailings, online newsletters, etc.
•    Supplier shall plan exhibitor reception on eve of trade show, to take place at main street station. 
•    Planning shall include at a minimum but is not limited to:
o    Menu planning;
o    Managing exhibitor invitations and RSVPs;
o    Staffing reception welcome table; and
o    Any special extras (e.g.: live music, special guest speaker if available)
3. Promotion and publicity
•    Supplier shall develop an event promotion and publicity plan to support all agency goals and objectives for the expo to include all appropriate channels. 
•    Plan shall be presented to agency for approval prior to execution. 
•    Supplier shall strategize, develop, create, and execute trade show advertising campaign (online, print, social media, trade related broadcast). 
•    Strategy and plan shall be approved by agency prior to execution. 
•    Supplier shall strategize, create, and execute all aspects of exhibitor recruitment. 
•    Strategy and plan shall be approved by agency prior to execution. 
•    Supplier shall strategize, create, and execute all aspects of buyer recruitment and relations. 
•    Strategy and plan shall be approved by agency prior to execution. 
•    Supplier shall strategize, create, and execute all aspects of pre-show communication. 
•    Strategy and plan shall be approved by agency prior to execution. 
•    Supplier shall create and provide all expo marketing and promotional materials to agency. 
•    Assets shall include both printed and electronic versions. 
•    Assets shall be approved by agency contact prior to printing and distribution. 
•    Promotional and marketing materials include but are not limited to save the date cards, formal invitations, reminder cards, e-vites, and calendar news releases for distribution to industry and media contacts, marketing materials for exhibitor recruitment. 
•    All marketing and promotional materials shall be available in low resolution, electronic format for emailing capabilities and high resolution for print format. 
•    Supplier shall direct and manage expo advertising campaigns, with options for applicable social media advertising and print advertising. 
•    Estimated media purchase for advertising is $20,000 and will be billed as a passthrough with no markup. 
•    Supplier shall identify and secure opportunities to communicate with industry associations, such as chambers of commerce, chef associations, retail associations, food and beverage manufacturing associations as well as through industry publications (e.g., food and beverage magazine). 
•    Supplier shall develop a marketing campaign by month which shall include a monthly calendar of exhibitor focused communications for the purpose of providing guidance and highlights regarding the expo. 
•    Communications are expected from Labor Day through the day of the expo. 
•    Supplier shall secure an area hotel group discount coordination, to include a “primary host hotel” and negotiate individual discounted guest rooms preferably consistent with government rate.

- Contract Period/Term: 2 years