Questions_Social_and_Digital_Media_Final.pdf

Vendor Question Answer

Lighthouse Digital Results

Besides the Key Personnel, does each role(Graphic or Creative Designer, Video Editing or Production Specialist, Paid Media Specialist, Social Media

Specialist and Data Analyst) need someone dedicated to that role or can someone serve multiple roles? (i.e.

Graphic Designer is also Video Editor)

Someone can serve in multiple roles. However, Per Section H.2 - you must provide a description of the specialized experience and qualifications of the Key Personnel that serves in multiple roles. Also, Per Section H.3 - you must provide a brief statement and resumes of Key Personnel to include a description of experience directly related to their role(s) and the scope of work .

Lighthouse Digital Results What is the budget for this project?

The not-to-exceed amount will be given at the time of Contract Award. Bugets per projects will be provided when Events DC intends to activate the contractor on a specific project.

Design Army, LLC

Section C2 - Items I, K, L, R These asks seem more relevant for a webiste vs social platforms, please define what level of development/programming is requested or required.

Generally, the intention is to drive audience growth of platforms which may include Social Media channels including YouTube. However, in the case of a multi-award, a contract will be dedicated to website content management and limited development work. A responding contractor should clearly state their interest and capabilities.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Are there any current or incumbent vendors? If so, how large is the vendors’ pool, and how many new vendors will be added to the pool

This is a new contract award. Events DC will determine the number of contract awardees after the bid evaluation phase (related to the Evaluation Factors in

Section J.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Is it required that vendors demonstrate experience in all listed industries, or will strength in specific areas be acceptable?

Per Section B.2 - yes, the documented domestic and international experience and proven performance in social and digital media services, integrated marketing campaigns, creative design, social and digial campaigns and specific initiatives in sports, entertainment, conventions, culinary arts, cultural affairs, hospitiality and destination marketing.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Section C.4(c) requires in-house key personnel.

Would freelancers be allowed in any of these key roles? Per Section C.4.(c.) - The Contractor must employ all Key Personnel in-house.

3 Heads Creative LLC

If a team member becomes unavailable, what is the approval process for substituting personnel, and can equivalent alternates be pre-approved? Please see section C.4(e) & C.4 (h) of the RFP.

3 Heads Creative LLC

For the influencer engagement program, will Events DC fund influencer compensation directly, or should vendors include those fees within their cost proposals? Either is acceptable.

3 Heads Creative LLC

How closely will the awarded vendor(s) collaborate with Events DC’s internal creative and marketing teams? Will Events DC retain creative direction, or is the vendor expected to lead concept development?

Events DC will work with the awarded contractor(s) to assess our needs to develop a strategy on specific project requirements and deliverables required.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Does Events DC require or prefer specific analytics, project management, or content scheduling tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Meltwater, etc.)?

We currently use Sprout and Meltwater, but are open to other tools that a contractor may use provided that the contractor have the ability to aggregate campaign results and It should be expected to deliver monthly analytics reports, and at times, specific research analysis.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Section E.4 lists specific insurance coverage amounts (e.g., General Liability, Umbrella, Professional Liability, Cyber, etc.). Could you please clarify whether vendors are required to already hold these insurance limits at the time of proposal submission, or if they may adjust or increase coverage after award, depending on the size or nature of a specific task order issued under the IDIQ contract?

The insurnace requirement should be inplace prior to any commencement of Work and/or within 30 days of Contract Award date.

3 Heads Creative LLC

What is the typical payment term (e.g., Net 30, Net 45), and are partial invoices allowed for long-term campaigns?

Standard Contract Terms are Net 30; Partial invoices for completed services are allowed.

3 Heads Creative LLC

Will Events DC be providing the budget for influencers, or will we be responsible for identifying those costs?

The not-to-exceed amount will be given at the time of Contract Award. Budgets per projects will be provided when Events DC intends to activate the contractor on a specific project. However The contractor is expected to identify potetnial costs for any influences recommended regardless of whether Events DC contracts directly or through the contractor.

Arrison Group

Is the DSLBD certification required, summary/announcement states it is a set-aside but the RFP denotes it as a preference?

This RFP is designated for District of Columbia Department of Small, Local, and

Business Development (“DSLBD”) small, certified business enterprises only.

Arrison Group Will Events DC accept a joint venture where only one partner is DSLBD-certified?

No Joint Ventures will be accepted. Subcontractors must be approved by the

COTR.

Zuri Productions

What are the anticipated volumes/frequencies for task orders? Events DC utilizes Purchase Orders- Which will be issued per project.

Zuri Productions Are there specific platforms Events DC prioritizes? Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook and YouTube

Zuri Productions

What social media management tools does Events DC currently use? Meltwater and Sprout

Zuri Productions

What is the expected response time for urgent social media needs? Typically real-time posts at events, or in the instance of a campaign, 24 hours.

Zuri Productions Are there existing brand guidelines we should review?

Yes, but these are under revision which may be collaborative with the contractor.

Zuri Productions

What are the key performance metrics Events DC values most? Impressions, engagement, followers

Zuri Productions

Will awarded contractors work independently or collaboratively?

Both, collaboratively on concepting and campaign development; independently on execution and data analysis.

Arrison Group What percentage of work must be performed by the certified SBE prime versus subcontractors?

No Joint Ventures will be accepted. Subcontractors must be approved by the

COTR.

Arrison Group Will Events DC allow inclusion of hyperlinks for case studies or multimedia samples? Hyperlinks are acceptable (the Hyperlinks must work).

Arrison Group Can we propose annual escalation in labor rates for

Option Years?

Yes. The labor rate (including the esculation must be included in your Cost

Proposal for all Option Years.

Arrison Group

Will Contractor need to interface with other divisions (e.g., Sports & Entertainment) or is this work exclusively with Creative Services or ? It is possible that a collaborative project will cross divisions within Events DC.

Arrison Group

What marketing-tech and analytics platforms does Events DC currently use, and will Contractor receive access? Meltwater and Sprout

Arrison Group Does Events DC have a Digital Asset Management system or preferred file storage platform? A DAM has been procured and assets are being ingested and catalogued.

Arrison Group Will Events DC or the contractor manage influencer payments and contracts?

Per Section C.3(d) - The Contractor shall negotiate deliverables, contracts, and content rights with selected influences. The contracted vendor will invoice

Events DC for influence fees at the approval of the Events DC COTR.

Arrison Group Are there preferred categories or minimum engagement thresholds for influencers?

The areas of sports, entertainment, conventions, culinary arts, cultural affairs, hospitality and destination marketing.

Arrison Group Can Events DC provide baseline engagement metrics or reporting examples for benchmarking? Yes.

Arrison Group Will Events DC consider tiered insurance levels for small-business primes? Please see Section 18 of Attachment F- Standard Contract Terms

Arrison Group Can pre-approved subcontractor lists be approved at contract start for future use?

No Joint Ventures will be accepted. Subcontractors must be approved by the

COTR.

Arrison Group Will debriefs be offered post-award for future improvement? Yes.

Arrison Group Will Events DC accept proposals that include AI-assisted creative or analytics tools? Potentially. We would have to learn more so please include this in your reponse.

Arrison Group Should all digital assets comply with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards? Preferred.

Arrison Group Is there a minimum response time expectation for task-order requests under the IDIQ? Within 30 days of project estimates being provided

Arrison Group Will Events DC allow for inclusion of podcasting or broadcast support under this contract? Potentially.

Arrison Group Does Events DC encourage or require local subcontractor participation for community impact?

This RFP is designated for District of Columbia Department of Small, Local, and

Business Development (“DSLBD”) small, certified business enterprises only.

Arrison Group Will ESG or sustainability practices be evaluated as part of the proposal review? Please see Section J- Evaluation Factors

Arrison Group Will there be flexibility for virtual kickoff meetings, or is in-person attendance mandatory? In-person preferrred, but virtual is ok.

Arrison Group Is there a page limit or formatting requirement for the technical proposal (font size, spacing, etc.)? All Technical Proposal requirements are listed under Section H of the RFP.

Arrison Group

"Should the Cost Proposal include only hourly rates (per Section I.1) or also sample budgets/ODC assumptions? The table ATTACHMENT 1 PRICING/COST FORM does not include ODCs. If so, should it be included toward the TCV for the contract?

Please see Section I.1 (b):ODC should be submitted as a separate list in the

Cost Proposal.

Arrison Group

Will each awardee support specific business lines (e.g., Convention Center, RFK Campus) or will task orders be assigned from a common IDIQ pool? It is unlikely that a contractor would be dedicated to a specific line of business.

Arrison Group How will task orders be competed—mini-competitions, direct assignments, or rotational distribution?

Projects will be assigned by tasks orders/purchase orders. Events DC will determine which contractor is awarded a task; which is most advantageous to

Events DC.

Arrison Group

For website work, should the Contractor assume responsibility for hosting/maintenance, or only content design and updates?

Maintenance would be required in addition to content management and limited development.

Arrison Group

Approximately how many concurrent campaigns or initiatives does Events DC run per year? Projected scaling over the life of the contract?

Events DC executes over 185 individual organic and/or paid campaigns to support initiatives across the company.

Arrison Group If multiple task orders are active, will billing be per task order or cumulatively under one monthly invoice?

Events DC utilizes Purchase Orders- Which will be issued per project and Invoicing would be submitted based on work completed for each Purchase

Order.

Arrison Group Are SBA Small Business Certifications Valid for set aside scoring?

Please see Section J.5 of the RFP. You must be a District Certified CBE to receive preference points.

Whitecap Consulting LLC

Section I - Cost proposal I.1(b) Other Direct Costs requests that bidders "submit a list of, and total price for, anticipated ODCs and proposed costs which may be paid on a cost-reimbursement basis." However, the provided pricing/cost form only asks for hourly rates, and not any ODC estimates. Given the scope of this work and potential shifts in strategy for different events/campaigns, it is difficult to estimate media buy costs, video equipment requirements, etc. for the entire year and option years. Can you confirm that we only need to provide hourly rates as requested in

ATTACHMENT 1 PRICING/COST FORM?

Alternatively, if ODC proposals are requested, can you please provide a budget we should use, expected number of events/campaigns per year and estimated scale, or annual goals for metrics/objectives that we can use as a guide for estimating requirements and related costs?

Events DC executes over 185 organic and/or paid individual campaigns to support initiatives across the company.Based on the bidders experience in this field, the Bidder must be able to provide a list of anticipated ODC cost for products and/or services outlined in Section I.1(b). You can use a separate document to provide ODC Costs. Some ODC's are not based on hourly rates but rather an overall fee (i.e., Advertising purchases).

The Brand Guild

In Section A.3, 'public relations tactics to grassroots efforts, video creation and design efforts' is mentioned. However, this is not included in Section C- Scope of Work. Can you please confirm that you are not looking for any resourcing or scoping for Public

Relations as part of this RFP? Thank you.

A contractor should be familiar with the impact of public relations on campaigns, design campaigns that create synergy, but there are no public relations services being sought in this solicitation.

Reingold Link

Analytics and reporting are a big part of this scope of work. Recognizing that the Contractor is expected to develop, define, and refine measurement tools, are there any specific tools Events DC already uses (or would prefer for contractors to use) that we are expected to give consideration to?

We currently use Sprout and Meltwater, but are open to other tools that a contractor may use provided that the contractor have the ability to aggregate campaign results and present data uniformly.

Reingold Link

Your solicitation requests samples, and the examples provided focus primarily on earned media and related activities. Given the focus of this solicitation on social and digital media, can you clarify the types of samples you would like to receive from prospective contractors?

Section H.3 (a) describes the samples required as proof to demonstrate your ability to successfully provide the Work required.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Is EVENTS DC seeking a vendor to fully manage social media accounts for the brand and specific priority events (including editorial calendar, content development, and publishing) or would this be in support or in partnership with existing, continuing efforts from in-house staff/team at Events DC?

In partnership, however, there is tremendous opportunity for the contractor to independently set goals, develop and execute campaigns with direction and approval.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Does EVENTS DC have an existing license for social media publishing and measurement platform such as Sprout Social? If so, which one and would this license still remain active for FY2026? Yes, both Sprout and Meltwater.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Does EVENTS DC have an existing license for social media listening tool such as Keyhole or Meltwater? If so, which one and would this license still remain active for FY2026? Yes, both Sprout and Meltwater.

Reingold Link

A significant portion of the anticipated scope of work involves cultivating and maintaining relationships with influencers. Do you have an anticipated or typical budget for influencer outreach and agreements? Also, can you clarify the mix of local, national, and international influencers you would anticipate connecting with through work issued via this IDIQ?

Generally, when using influencers, project budgets will be established. During budget development, estimates will be requested to achieve desired results and budgets approved. In most cases with influencers, Talent Agreements will be executed directly by Events DC and paid directly.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Does EVENTS DC have in-house strategists or existing lead media planning/buying partners for paid advertising outside of digital and social media such as out-of-home, print, TV, and radio for priority if not all events? And thus, this vendor would be in support/additive from within digital + social media space?

In-house resources for this are limited. If this is strength of the contractor, please include this in the response.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Does EVENTS DC have in-house communications / media relations staff to lead the earned media strategy for all or at least for key events? And thus the expectation for new vendor would be to support the overall strategies from within digital / social space

(such as with digital pr, influencers, and co-created digital content)? Yes.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Section C.4 and the Pricing Cost Firm lists six specific roles. May we propose a different mix of roles to adequately fulfill the intended expertise? If those six roles are required as listed, may we add additional roles that will be referenced as part of our proposal? Please provide the requested roles and you may include additional roles.

TWELVE 22, LLC

Since the Pricing Cost Form asks for total price by year for each role, is there a baseline number of events we should be estimating the level of effort/costs for? The Cost Form is based on Hourly Rates (with the exception of ODC's).

TWELVE 22, LLC

Can you share a sample of total advertising budget or at least digital advertising budget for a recent EVENTS

DC high priority event?

As there is a desire to increase the baseline, a zero-based budgeting approach will be used. Contractor will be expected to set goals for each campaign and develop appropriate budgets to drive those campaigns to goal achievement.

TWELVE 22, LLC

What are the main identified measures of success for EVENTS DC’s digital + social media efforts? For ex.

Reach? Ticket Sales? Audience growth? Volume of social media mentions? Brand building with supporting impressions, engagement, and follower growth.

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