Industry_Questions_HQ0013PMROCT2013.docx

Questions for HQ0013PMROCT2013

1. Will equipment be required at the evening events? If yes, what equipment is needed?

No equipment will be required at the evening events.

2. Please provide more detail regarding the room dimensions and seating arrangement where booths will be required.

The main interpretation booth will be used in the main ballroom of the hotel (Salon AB). There is plenty of room for the booth and it can be set up so the interpreters can see the participants if so desired. The main booth will only have to be moved one time during the conference to an adjoining room.

3. Will booths be in the same room as the meetings so the interpreters have direct line of sight to the proceedings? If not, video monitors and cameras would be needed if the interpreters are to be in a different room from the meetings.

Yes, the interpreters will have direct line of sight to the proceedings.

4. Will the five booths (4 table top and 1 full-size) remain in their same rooms for the full 5 days of the event, or will they need to be moved? If the latter, will they be moved to different buildings or nearby rooms?

The one full size booth will only have to be moved once during the week to an adjoining room. The 4 table top systems will need to be moved during the week to various breakout rooms. All breakout rooms are in the same hotel and are usually on the same hallway or wing of the hotel. There will be time provided for moving equipment.

5. Are each of the five booths located in different rooms?

The 4 table top systems will be in different rooms...one system per breakout room. The full size booth will used for the plenary sessions and for one larger group session in an adjoining room. First in Salon AB, then in Salon B.

6. How many attendees will be in each room in which a booth is required? Of these, how many will require interpretation?

There are a total of 24 foreign participants (Afghans) that will require interpretation. All 24 will be in the plenary sessions for which we will use the main full-size booth. The anticipated size of the audience for the plenary sessions is 200 people. For the breakout sessions, there will be 3 to 5 Afghans that will require interpretation. The size of the audience for the breakout sessions is approximately 20 to 40 people.

7. If only 8 interpreters are requested, how will it work using 5 booths? It seems that this would require 10 interpreters (2 interpreters per 5 booths = 10 interpreters). Perhaps a schedule during which the table top booths versus the full-size will be used would be helpful for bidders to have access to.

Only 8 interpreters are required because at no time will both the full-size booth and the table top systems be required at the same time. The conference will either be in plenary session, or in breakout rooms. The concept is to use all interpreters for the large sessions, and then only those necessary for the smaller breakout sessions.

8. What is the schedule of the event during which interpreting services and equipment will be needed?

Services and equipment will be needed for plenary sessions and breakout sessions, but the plenary sessions will not take place at the same time as the breakout sessions. There will be plenary sessions on Monday, breakout sessions Tue to Thurs, and then final plenary session on Friday. Additionally, there will be 3 events outside the hotel during the week that will not require equipment. A detailed agenda will be provided a week before the conference.

9. What is the address of where the five booths will be required?

Address is the Double Tree Hotel Crystal City VA

10. Are 5 receivers with headphones required per room in which a booth is located? Based on the CLIN structure, it appears that this is the way the arithmetic works out (25 receivers / 5 booths = 5 receivers/booth).

Yes, but there may be a few sessions where more are required.

11. Are 3 push-to-talk delegate microphones required per room in which a booth is located? Based on the CLIN structure, it appears that this is the way the arithmetic works out (15 mics / 5 booths = 3 mics/booth).

Usually yes, but there may be sessions where more than 3 are required.

12. We strongly recommend increasing the number of technicians required. To ensure continuous, uninterrupted functioning of equipment, with booths in multiple locations, it is physically impossible for 2 technicians to monitor all rooms simultaneously.

With all equipment being used in the same wing of the hotel, we feel 2 technicians are sufficient. Two technicians have been sufficient for previous similar programs.

13. What is the location of the three evening events, and what is the format of these events?

The evening events are in the DC area and are still being finalized. We anticipate one being at the Lexington Institute, and one being at the Afghan Embassy. The third evening event was cancelled.

14. A portable, wireless headphone system is requested but it doesn’t appear in the CLIN structure. Infrared receivers and headsets used with a booth system are tied to that system, that is, they cannot be used separately as a tour guide system. We kindly request that an additional CLIN for this equipment be added, with the requisite number of units needed.

CLIN 0008 supports the Wireless Infrared Receiver with Headphone with all necessary equipment (25 sets x 5 days). As noted in the response to the following question, no equipment will need to be transported to off-site locations.

15. Will the portable interpretation system (no booths) be the only equipment used for the several off-site locations, or will booths be needed to be transported from Crystal City to each off-site location?

No equipment will need to be transported for the off-site locations.

16. Push-to-Talk Microphones (CLIN 0006): how many rooms and how many microphones per room?

We will need interpreters to work in up to 4 rooms at the same time with 2 microphones in each room.

17. Wireless infrared receivers (CLIN 0008): how many rooms and how many receivers per room?

Ssame as #16 above.

18. Audience size room: the number of participants would be extremely helpful. If that information is not available, please provide seating capacity. If that's not available, the room names would be helpful to assess our equipment needs.

For the large plenary sessions there will be approx. 150 people in the audience. For the breakout rooms, there will be approx. 20 to 40 people in each room. The names of the hotel breakout rooms for each sessions can be provided the week before the conference.

19. A need for portable equipment is listed in the PWS but not in the CLIN - if portable equipment is needed, please kindly specify it in the CLIN along with the number of 'portable' systems needed (this can be in the form of individual groups/locations the attendees will divide into).

CLINs 0005, 0006, and 0008 all list portable equipment. The only non-portable equipment necessary is the one main interpreter booth in CLIN 0007. The table top equipment, the receivers and the microphones all need to be portable. There will be time during the conference to allow for moving the equipment from room to room.

20. No. of receivers required per 'portable' group.

Two or three receivers will be required per breakout room. All receivers can be used at once in the plenary sessions.