50-U6900-24-CP436_102324 Burness SS.pdf.PDF

UNM Proposed Sole Source Form – Rev 04/07/2021

I. GENERAL INFORMATION. PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:

Date of Request 10.15.2024 Requisition Number (If Applicable) Request Submitted by: Ben Cloutier Title Dir. Communications &

Marketing Department Project ECHO Email becloutier@salud.unm.edu Phone

Proposed Vendor Burness Communications Amount $70,000 Vendor Address 7910 Woodmont Ave #700, Bethesda, MD 20814 Term of

Purchase 1/1/2025-8/31/2-

Buyer Team - See Commodity list at http://purchase.unm.edu/department-information/comm-code-listing.pdf

Provide a basic description of goods/services to be provided:

Burness will support planning, communications and execution of the MetaECHO 2025 Global Conference.

• Strategic counsel and support to develop the structure and format for the convening.

• Speaker identification and outreach.

• Support to key conference sessions.

• Identify and train ECHO talk speakers.

• Attend Meta ECHO and provide on-site support and counsel during the convening.

• Work with ECHO leadership to develop opening and closing remarks.

• Provide graphic design support as needed for the convening.

• Provide strategic counsel for digital strategies.

• Explore a workshop on communications or policy at the conference.

• Provide ongoing strategic counsel around all aspects of the gathering.

• Support stakeholder outreach and media strategy and activities to advance strategic priorities of Meta ECHO and the ECHO Institute.

Why is this purchase needed?

These services are needed to successfully execute Project ECHO’s flagship global event that brings together over a thousand experts to Albuquerque for several days long programming.

II. BASIS FOR SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT. CHOOSE APPLICABLE BOX(ES) AND

PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, AS REQUESTED:

☐ Proprietary item, technology or service only available from the proposed vendor. (Check box and describe proprietary component) mailto:becloutier@salud.unm.edu http://purchase.unm.edu/department-information/comm-code-listing.pdf

☐ Compatibility requirement with existing item, technology or service. (Check box and describe compatibility requirement)

☐ Renewal of support/maintenance/subscription of software, technology or other intellectual property. (Check box and describe)

☒ Other Basis for Sole Source: Please describe below:

No other organizations have the same experience or expertise with Project ECHO or the MetaECHO conference.

Burness Communications has planned every MetaECHO Conference and has been Project ECHO’s primary communications vendor for over ten years.

III. SUPPLEMENTAL DETAILS. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS

REQUESTED BELOW:

Describe in detail the unique capabilities of the proposed vendor’s goods/service and/or personnel performing the work and why this constitutes the only source. Focus on what is unique about the goods/service and why no other vendor could meet your needs.

Burness communications has been Project ECHO’s primary communications vendor for over ten years and has intimate and unique knowledge and qualifications to support communications work for Project ECHO. Burness has been the primary planning support for each of the MetaECHO global conferences since their inception and has unique expertise in planning the event.

Describe the due diligence made to locate other possible sources including communications with other universities, communications with similar providers, web searches, yellow page searches, review of advertisements and trade publications, etc.

No other organizations have the same experience or expertise with Project ECHO or the MetaECHO conference.

List the other vendors who were contacted. Please describe the specs/qualifications/criteria that the other vendors were unable to satisfy.

No other organizations have the same experience or expertise with Project ECHO or the MetaECHO conference.