City_of_Santa_Monica_Scope_of_Work_2028_Games.pdf

Draft SCOPE OF WORK

City of Santa Monica — 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Vision, Branding, Activation, Asset Valuation & Volunteer Program

1. Background and Purpose

Santa Monica is an internationally recognized coastal city with a diverse community, iconic public spaces, thriving local businesses, active tourism, and a strong commitment to sustainability and equity. The City intends to leverage the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games to showcase community values, drive local economic benefit, manage visitor experience, and protect public realm quality.

After declining to host beach volleyball, Santa Monica intentionally cultivated a Games program focused on hosting Hospitality Houses. Currently, four agreements have been finalized, and numerous others are actively being discussed. The diversity of countries, breadth of community benefits and opportunities for legacy collaborations create unique opportunities for the City.

Santa Monica is seeking to develop our Games story, curate programming across activations, cultivate community engagement opportunities (volunteer program, business engagement) and develop messaging as well as developing supportive collateral.

Congruent with Santa Monica’s values of accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, culture, and arts, the City intends to develop a comprehensive 2028 rollout plan outlining key milestones at 12 months, 9 months, 6 months, 3 months, and the week of the Games.

2. Objectives

• Develop a unifying vision and narrative that tells Santa Monica's story during the Games.

• Profile each nation’s Hospitality House and associated community benefit programs connected to each country

• Deliver a Santa Monica Games brand and marketing system, including merchandise and licensing approach, consistent with IOC/USOPC requirements.

• Design partner engagement and activation frameworks across public, private, and community partners.

• Produce maps, website concepts, wayfinding, and collateral for visitors, residents, businesses, and media.

• Inventory and value sponsorship/advertising assets and recommend packaging and pricing strategy.

• Identify and prioritize high-opportunity branded locations and ad spaces throughout the City.

• Design a scalable volunteer program tailored to Olympic needs with key partners to support workforce development across the City.

• Provide a phased implementation roadmap and operating budget.

• Align all deliverables with the City's commitments to equity, accessibility, and sustainability.

• Reintroduce the “We Are Santa Monica Fund” to global and local audiences affirming the cities commitment to support major and hyper local activations that will outlive the Olympic games.

3. Scope of Services

The Contractor shall perform the work described under each task below. The mapping table that follows shows how the eight RFP task areas (A–H) are organized within this SOW's three integrated tasks.

RFP Task RFP Description SOW Section

A. Vision, Narrative & Branding

Vision statement, narrative, audience segments, messaging.

Task 1 — Vision and Branding

B. Branding & Marketing System

Brand mark/logo, palette, typography, naming, merchandise/licensing, brand guidelines.

Task 2 — Marketing

C. Partners & Activations

Partner types , activation formats, community engagement safeguards.

Task 1 — Vision and Branding (Activation Framework)

D. Maps, Website & Collateral

Site maps, wayfinding, website IA/wireframes, collateral templates.

Task 1 — Vision and Branding

E. Asset Valuation & Pricing

Inventory, valuation methodology, packaging, ROI metrics.

Task 2 — Marketing

F. Brand Location & Ad Space

Mapped/prioritized ad locations, feasibility, permits, sightlines.

Task 2 — Marketing

G. Volunteer Program

Roles, recruitment, training, ops manual, credentialing, tech.

Task 3 — Volunteer Program

H.

Implementation Roadmap & Budget

Phased plan, costs, interagency coordination.

Section 5 (Timeline) and Final Roadmap deliverable

Task 1 — Vision, Narrative and Branding: Telling Our Story

Objective

Define and articulate Santa Monica's narrative for the 2028 Games and produce the activation framework, collateral, maps, and digital experience that bring it to life for visitors, residents, businesses, media, and sponsors.

Activities

• Conduct discovery: stakeholder interviews (City leadership, SMTT, business districts, cultural institutions, neighborhood associations) and review of existing City brand assets, LA28 brand guidelines, and IOC/USOPC reference materials.

• Develop vision statement and a 1–2 page narrative covering themes, tone, and key messages.

• Identify target audience segments — residents, visitors, businesses, media, sponsors — with tailored messaging priorities.

• Map who is coming and where they will be (venues, fan zones, beach/pier activations, transit hubs, hotels, gateways).

• Define activation typology and example activations: community benefit, pop-up fan zones, cultural showcases, family programming, hospitality lounges, business-corridor activations, beach/pier experiences, watch parties.

• Identify partner types and roles — public agencies, private sponsors, local businesses, community organizations, cultural institutions — and propose engagement model.

• Define community engagement safeguards: equity, accessibility, and noise/impacts mitigation.

• Develop site map concepts and wayfinding strategy for key nodes including the Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Civic Center, Third Street Promenade, and designated activation zones.

• Produce information architecture and wireframes for a Santa Monica Games website/page integrated with City digital channels — content types, user journeys, ticketing/transport info, volunteer portal entry.

• Build and launch the public-facing site/microsite with CMS training for City staff.

• Produce templates for printed/digital collateral: posters, rack cards, signage specs, sponsor signage templates, visitor guides, fact sheets, digital kiosk assets, venue/activation maps.

• Coordinate efforts to be aligned with LA28, LA Tourism, Metro, and Caltrans communications.

• Incorporate philanthropic giving channels embedded in both Olympics and general City of Santa Monica web materials.

Deliverables

Deliverable Description Format / Acceptance

Vision Statement & Narrative

Vision statement plus 1–2 page narrative;

tone, themes, and message maps by audience.

PDF + editable deck;

City Communications approval.

Audience & Activation Map

Profiles of who is coming, where, and the activation typology Santa Monica will deliver or amplify.

PDF report + working spreadsheet.

Partner & Activation Framework

Partner roles, activation formats, equity/accessibility/noise safeguards.

Framework document + sample activation briefs.

Deliverable Description Format / Acceptance

Wayfinding & Site Maps

Site maps and wayfinding kit-of-parts for Beach, Pier, Civic Center, Third Street Promenade, activation zones.

Print-ready PDFs + editable source files.

Visitor Collateral Suite

Visitor guides, posposters, signage and sponsor signage templates, fact sheets.

Print-ready PDFs + source files.

Santa Monica 2028 Website

Public site/microsite covering schedule, venues, activations, transit, accessibility, FAQs; volunteer portal entry.

Live site + WCAG 2.1 AA sign-off + CMS training.

Brand Governance Toolkit

Templates and rules so City departments can produce on-brand materials internally.

Toolkit + 2 training sessions.

Task 2 — Marketing: Brand System, Merchandise, Asset Valuation & Ad Locations

Objective

Develop the Santa Monica Games brand and marketing system; design a merchandise and licensing approach; inventory and value City-controlled advertising assets for digital and print;

and map and prioritize high-opportunity branded locations and ad spaces — all in compliance with IOC/USOPC and LA28 marketing rules.

Activities

• Design Santa Monica Games brand system: primary logo and variations, color palette, typography, photography style, and applications across print, digital, and environmental graphics.

• Develop a naming approach for branded programs/venues consistent with IOC/USOPC and LA28 requirements.

• Recommend a merchandise strategy — product categories, licensing model, retail and e-commerce approach.

• Deliver a brand guidelines document and sample creative mockups: plaza banners, wayfinding, digital ads, volunteer apparel, merchandise mockups.

• License program framework: tiers, eligible product categories, application/review process, royalty/fee structures, template license agreements; coordinate City legal review.

• Inventory potential sponsorship/ad assets across the City — static signage, digital screens, kiosks, billboards, transit shelters, parking structures, trash trucks, City vehicles, building wraps, light-pole banners, beach/pier signage, venue naming, event sponsorships, and merchandise.

• Provide valuation methodology and price recommendations for each asset category (market comparables, reach/impressions, exclusivity levels).

• Recommend packaging options and commercial terms — tiered sponsorships, benefits matrix, exclusivity clauses, measurement/ROI metrics.

• Map and prioritize physical locations for branding/ad placements: installation feasibility, permit requirements, sightlines, estimated impressions, audience types; include temporary and semi-permanent opportunities (street furniture, bus shelters, bridge banners, utility boxes, event perimeter, beaches, plazas.

• Develop sales and partner-facing materials: asset deck, rate card, sample creative.

• Recommend policies for content standards, clean-venue compliance, ambush-marketing protections, and post-Games asset reset.

Deliverables

Deliverable Description Format / Acceptance

Santa Monica Games Brand System

Logo suite, color/type, photography direction, applications, brand guidelines.

Brand guidelines PDF + source files

Naming &

IOC/USOPC

Compliance Memo

Naming approach for programs/venues with IOC/USOPC alignment notes.

Memo + approved naming list

Creative Mockups Sample executions: plaza banners, wayfinding, digital ads, volunteer apparel, merchandise.

PDF + source files

Merchandise & Licensing Program

Product categories, licensing model, retail/e-commerce approach, fees/royalties, template agreement.

Program document + legal-reviewed template.

Asset Inventory & Valuation

Catalog of City-controlled advertising assets with locations, specs, impressions, recommended values.

Spreadsheet + valuation methodology report.

Sponsorship Packages & Rate Card

Tiered packages, benefits matrix, exclusivity options, ROI metrics, Games-time pricing.

Sales deck + rate card PDF.

Ad Location Map & Prioritization

Mapped/prioritized ad locations with feasibility, permits, sightlines, impressions, audience types.

Interactive/PDF map + prioritization spreadsheet.

Compliance & Clean-Venue Playbook

Content standards, IOC/LA28 alignment, ambush-marketing protection, post-Games reset.

Playbook PDF + 1 staff briefing.

Task 3 — Volunteer Program Development

Objective

Design and stand up a scalable Santa Monica volunteer program that supports visitor experience, wayfinding, crowd management, and activation support during the Games — coordinated with, but distinct from, the LA28 volunteer program.

Activities

• Define volunteer roles, shift structures, and required headcount by venue, activation, and time of day; provide demand estimates by role and peak schedules.

• Design recruitment strategy and selection criteria; build online sign-up portal, application form, and screening workflow.

• Develop training curricula: customer service, accessibility and inclusion, emergency procedures, crowd management, Santa Monica-specific knowledge (transit, dining, attractions); include trainer guides and e-learning where applicable.

• Design uniforms, credentials, and volunteer collateral (welcome kit, pocket guide, role-specific cheat sheets).

• Develop crowd-management protocol coordinated with SMPD, Fire, Public Works, and venue operators; include escalation and incident-reporting procedures.

• Establish operations plan: check-in/out, scheduling, supervisor span of control, recognition/rewards, post-shift debrief.

• Define onboarding/ticketing/integration with City, IOC, and organizer credentialing requirements.

• Recommend tech/platform options for recruitment, scheduling, communications, and data reporting.

• Produce an operations manual covering all of the above for City handover.

Deliverables

Deliverable Description Format / Acceptance

Volunteer Program Design

Role definitions, demand estimates, shift model, recognition program.

Program document approved by City.

Recruitment Campaign & Sign- Up Portal

Campaign creative, landing page, application form, screening workflow.

Live portal + recruitment toolkit.

Training Curriculum General + role-specific modules; trainer guides; e-learning content.

Curriculum package + LMS-ready content.

Crowd Management Protocol

Operational protocol coordinated with SMPD, Fire, and venue operators;

escalation paths.

Protocol document + tabletop exercise.

Volunteer Collateral & Uniform Kit

Uniforms, credentials, welcome kit, pocket guide, role cheat sheets.

Production-ready files + sample units.

Operations Manual Day-of-Games operations plan: check-in, scheduling, comms, incident reporting, credentialing integration.

Manual + 1 dry-run with City team.

Deliverable Description Format / Acceptance

Volunteer Tech Stack Recommendation

Comparison of platforms for sign-up, scheduling, comms, reporting;

recommendation and implementation plan.

Memo + selected platform configured.