FY27-32 travel magazine development and printing

The State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism, awarded a six-year contract to Meredith Operations Corporation for the development, production, advertising sales, promotion, and printing of the state's biannual travel magazine, "Enjoy Illinois." The contract, designated as Open Market Competitive Sealed Proposal 27-420DCEO-TOURI-P-97648 (Bid Number B-50441), commenced on July 1, 2026, and extends through June 30, 2032, with a total contract value of $1,857,600.00. The vendor is responsible for producing 500,000 copies of the spring/summer issue and 200,000 copies of the fall/winter issue annually, with magazines required to be printed in the United States. All materials and printing costs are borne by the vendor, while the State provides a fixed fee per issue to offset production costs. The vendor retains any advertising revenue that exceeds production costs.

The contract requires comprehensive magazine development services including creative development, content creation, photography, and digital distribution, with delivery and coordination responsibilities specified in the technical specifications. Printing specifications include 8-1/8" by 10-3/4" dimensions with 84 pages (80 interior plus 4-page cover), 7-point cover stock with 4/4 process color and flood ultraviolet gloss coating, and perfect binding with hinge-scoring. The contract includes a seven percent Business Enterprise Program participation goal, with Fidelity Print Communications, LLC designated as a certified Business Enterprise Program subcontractor. Award selection was based on a 1,000-point scoring system comprising technical qualifications (694 points), commitment to diversity (139 points), and pricing (167 points).