RFI 0017-N.pdf

RFI 0017-N Page 1 of 11 Boilerplate dated – October, 2024

STATE OF WYOMING

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND INFORMATION

GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION, PROCUREMENT SECTION

2323 CAREY AVENUE

CHEYENNE, WY, 82002

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NUMBER 0017-N

WYOMING OFFICE of TOURISM (WOT)

AGENCY COORD: In Coordination with the Interagency OREC Team, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), and the Department of Enterprise Technology

Services (ETS)

SMART WYOMING VISITOR FLOW SYSTEM

DUE DATE AND TIME

AUGUST 14, 2026 2:00 P.M. (MOUNTAIN TIME)

TOURISM REPRESENTATIVE:

KRISTY SIMOLA

PROCUREMENT REPRESENTATIVE:

JAMIE RAFF

Jamie.raff1@wyo.gov 307-777-6721

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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR

THE SMART WYOMING VISITOR FLOW SYSTEM

1. GENERAL INFORMATION:

1.1. The State of Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify potential partners, technological frameworks, and specialized system integrators capable of architecting and deploying the Smart Wyoming Visitor Flow System.

1.2. The Smart Wyoming Visitor Flow System is a next-generation, statewide visitor management, marketing orchestration, and public safety routing platform. The system’s primary objective is to transition from reactive tourism tracking to proactive visitor orchestration, bridging the gap between pre-trip inspiration ("Dream") and real-time, in-market behavioral redirection ("Move").

1.3. By building a comprehensive data infrastructure that cross-references multi-agency feeds, the platform dynamically mitigates overcrowding at high-traffic bottlenecks (e.g., Jackson, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton inputs) while actively driving economic yield to Wyoming’s rural counties.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE BY CORE MODULE:

1.4. MODULE 1: Marketing Automation, CRM Hub, & Inbound Sync Framework

1.4.1. Mindtrip AI Conversational Inversion: Programmatically syncs with the existing travelWyoming.com Mindtrip deployment to pull pre-trip user itinerary preferences, curated desires, and trip indicators directly into a centralized, vendor-agnostic in-market CRM profile.

1.4.2. Interagency Governance & Communications Coordination Matrix: A secure, multi-tenant dashboard allowing the State Office of Tourism (WOT), State Parks, Game & Fish, and WYDOT to collaboratively schedule communication paths, manage a master coordination calendar, and enforce strict rules-based logic prioritizing critical safety messaging over general marketing copy.

1.5. MODULE 2: Data Ingestion and Predictive Architecture (The Source of Truth)

1.5.1. Multi-Stream Telemetry Data Lake: Establishes secure, low-latency ingestion nodes aggregating cellular geofencing movement vectors, permanent physical highway loops, live federal asset/reservation logs, National Weather Service feeds, and USGS river streamflow gauges.

1.5.2. Machine Learning Displacement Modeling: Dynamically calculates downstream traffic saturation thresholds two (2) hours in advance to output predictive alternative-route models.

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1.5.3. WYDOT & Traveler App Integration: Direct programmatic connections into the State’s official traveler info APIs and push notification gateways (modeled after the Yellowstone operational alerts and WYDOT 511 Notify structures) for hands-free, eyes-free audio recommendations and automatic in-app alerts.

1.6. MODULE 3: Low-Friction Engagement & Edge Resilience (The Interruption)

1.6.1. Native Mobile Wallet Passes: Utilizes Apple Wallet and Google Wallet push networks for location-triggered, lock-screen messaging, routing updates, and participating rural merchant rewards—completely eliminating native app-store download barriers.

1.6.2. Captive Offline Edge Portals & Wi-Fi Oases: Deploys ruggedized, solar-powered, weather-proof Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) micro-beacons (minimum IP67 rating) and satellite backhaul internet configurations in communication dead zones.

1.6.3. Graceful Network Degradation: When bandwidth drops inside deep canyons, the client-side system automatically strips media assets to deliver ultra-lightweight, high-contrast text layouts containing pre-cached vector maps, wildlife safety rules, and regional travel directives utilizing the smartphone's internal GPS hardware.

1.7. MODULE 4: Generative Storytelling & The Stewardship Nudge (The Engine)

1.7.1. Guard railed Agentic AI Framework: Ingests and vectorizes unstructured state data (historical records, angling logs, DMO cultural narratives) into a secure, state-approved cloud AI environment.

1.7.2. Hallucination Elimination: Hard technical guardrails ensure the conversational interface restricts alternative routing recommendations exclusively to verified assets inside the active Content Inventory.

1.7.3. Stewardship Injection: Automatically frames detours around wildlife preservation parameters, wildfire containment zones, or stream safety thresholds, transforming a friction-filled redirection into an act of responsible exploration.

1.8. MODULE 5: Analytics, Success Attribution, & Reporting Panel

1.8.1. Executive Performance Metrics & Attribution Dashboard: A unified business reporting intelligence environment delivering transparent, aggregated metrics on:

1.8.2. Visitor Share Metrics: Real-time vehicle shifting across rural counties compared to major hub benchmarks.

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1.8.3. Economic Yield Tracking: Localized sales tax growth and rural room occupation trends.

1.8.4. Stewardship Sign-Ins: Opt-in tracking, QR onboarding counts, and merchant voucher conversion rates.

1.8.5. Community Sentiment Evaluators: Portal-hosted resident sentiment indexes to track local quality of life metrics alongside tourism growth.

1.9. Vendors must supply written information with the possibility of demonstrating their products. Vendors shall be prepared to answer questions from the State of Wyoming Office of Tourism who may, in turn, write the RFP that will be released following this RFI.

1.10. A Request for Proposal (RFP) may be issued after receiving and evaluating vendors’ responses. Responses may be used in developing the RFP. Answering this RFI shall allow vendors to provide information about their products and services for consideration to be included in the subsequent RFP. Following the RFP, the State of Wyoming Office of Tourism intends to enter into a contract with the vendor who satisfies the requirements of the RFP for the Smart Wyoming Visitor Flow System.

2. OVERVIEW:

2.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

2.1.1 Wyoming welcomes millions of visitors annually, yet traffic remains heavily concentrated around a small handful of iconic gateways like Jackson, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. This geographic clustering creates severe structural strains, including localized infrastructure saturation, safety risks across unpredictable high-altitude mountain passes, and degraded trails.

Conversely, neighboring rural counties and state parks feature vast, under-utilized recreation capacities and commercial facilities eager for economic traffic. Traditional, reactive communication channels, such as physical highway VMS signs or static social media warnings occur too late to effectively alter traveler behavior once a route is already gridlocked.

2.1.2 To bridge this gap, the State of Wyoming Office of Tourism (WOT) requires the Smart Wyoming Visitor Flow System: an integrated, proactive technological ecosystem designed to transition from reactive tracking to dynamic visitor orchestration. By unifying multi-agency telemetry from WOT, State Parks, Game & Fish, and WYDOT into a centralized "Source of Truth" data lake, the platform will continuously analyze environmental and traffic capacities. Powered by a guard railed AI engine synced to existing state assets, the system will programmatically translate complex routing diversions into enticing, high-value local itineraries delivered seamlessly via app-free mobile wallet passes, transactional SMS loops, and offline edge portals to safeguard travelers, reward rural small businesses, and protect the pristine frontier ecology.

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2.2. PURPOSE AND INTENT:

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit information from vendors who can offer all services in support of the Smart Wyoming Visitor Flow System, as described within this RFI, to potentially develop an RFP.

2.3. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES:

Extensions to this date shall not be granted.

2.3.1. All responses shall be submitted complete and in writing. All requests for information in all sections of this document must be answered as concisely as possible while providing all information necessary to understand the outsourcing process proposed. Any deviations from requirements, or requirements that cannot be satisfied by the vendor, must be clearly identified.

2.3.2. Responses should include a statement that indicates that the vendor understands the requirements of the RFI and accepts the terms and conditions under which the RFI was issued to the vendor.

2.3.3. Any information of a confidential or proprietary nature contained in a vendor response should be clearly marked ‘PROPRIETARY’ or CONFIDENTIAL’ by item or at the bottom of each page. Reasonable precautions will be taken to safeguard any part of the response identified by a vendor as being confidential or proprietary.

2.3.4. Written questions should be submitted through the Public Purchase online bidding system until 2:00:00 P.M. Mountain Time on JULY 27, 2026. Any questions received after that deadline may not be accepted or considered. Each question should be submitted individually. It is the vendor’s responsibility to check the Public Purchase online bidding system for answers to questions, or addenda. Telephone calls, emails or faxes may not be accepted.

2.3.5. All responses must be uploaded completely through the Public Purchase online bidding system no later than the 2:00:00 p.m. Mountain Time on AUGUST 14, 2026. If your submission has not completely uploaded by the 2:00:00 p.m. MT deadline, the Public Purchase system will lock and your response will be incomplete and deemed non-responsive and eliminated from the evaluation process.

2.4.RESTRICTION ON COMMUNICATIONS WITH AGENCY STAFF:

2.4.1. From the date the Request for Information (RFI) is issued and the RFI due date/time, vendors shall not communicate with Tourism staff except through written questions through the Public Purchase online bidding system.

2.4.2. If a vendor violates this restriction, the State reserves the right to reject their response.

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3. KEY DATES:

Event Description Date Time (Mountain Time)

RFI Release Date July 15, 2026

Closing Date for Questions July 27, 2026 2:00 P.M.

Response to Questions Returned August 4, 2026 2:00 P.M.

RFI Submission Due Date August 14, 2026 2:00:00 P.M.

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS – SEQUENTIAL ORDER:

In order to facilitate a timely and comprehensive evaluation, all responses should be submitted using the format requested in this RFI. Any deviation from this format may lead to the rejection of the response. Page Limit: Responses must be limited to 35 pages.

Supplemental Materials: A limited amount of supplemental documentation may be appended, but for the purposes of this RFI, less is more. Focus on clarity, conciseness, and direct technical alignment.

Vendor response should provide the following information in the requested order:

4.1. SECTION A: Interagency CRM, Mindtrip Sync, & Marketing Dashboard

4.1.1. Unified Visitor CRM & Intake Framework: Detail your platform's capability to serve as a centralized visitor database repository. Describe the user registration and opt-in mechanics (e.g., web forms, SMS short-codes, and QR captures at Welcome Centers) and your real-time automated identity resolution and profile consolidation strategies.

4.1.2. Mindtrip Integration Architecture: Detail how your engine programmatically interfaces with the active Mindtrip AI planning infrastructure deployed on travelWyoming.com. Explain how pre-trip saved itinerary buckets, user behavior profiles, and travel schedules are synchronized instantly into the live, in-market CRM profile layer.

4.1.3. Multi-Agency Campaign Scheduler: Describe the governance, granular permission trees, and calendar scheduling mechanics of the multi-tenant interagency portal dashboard. Explain how verified communications personnel from different agencies (WOT, WYDOT, Game & Fish, and State Parks) can programmatically map, coordinate, and schedule automated push notification rules or text distributions to eliminate message fatigue.

4.1.4. High-Volume Mass SMS Short-Code Gateways: Detail your

RFI 0017-N Page 7 of 11 framework's capability to deploy high-velocity transactional and marketing short-code text pipelines (modeled after Yellowstone National Park's operational alerts and WYDOT’s 511 Notify systems). Address text subscription node structures (e.g., texting "TETON" to a designated state short-code), automated unsubscribe command routing, and delivery speeds during high-concurrency event parameters.

4.2 SECTION B: Technical Data Architecture & The "Source of Truth"

4.2.1. Unified Multi-Agency Ingestion: Describe your platform's capabilities to continuously aggregate, clean, and map disparate real-time data streaming architectures, specifically combining anonymized cellular geofencing movement vectors with live telemetry loops from WYDOT's permanent physical traffic recorders (PTRs).

4.2.2. Predictive "Ghost Traffic" Logic: Describe your platform's capability to train and deploy predictive machine learning models that forecast downstream surges on alternative routes. Detail how your logic handles environmental and situational variables—such as weather depth, pass closures, and reoccurring regional events—to calculate displacement thresholds before bottle-necks materialize.

$$\text{Example Rule: } X \text{ snowfall depth on Teton Pass} = Y\% \text{ vehicle displacement to alternative corridors}$$

4.2.3. Engineering and Capacity Monitoring: Explain your methodology for integrating live public/private API extractions (e.g., Recreation.gov site reservations and gate counters) and geographical vector datasets (such as OpenStreetMap) to monitor trailhead and campsite fill-states, generating automated data alerts up to 15 miles away from physical sites.

4.2.4. Non-Traditional Transit Feeds: Detail your platform's ability to ingest commercial fleet telematics data (e.g., Geotab, Motive) to capture hyper-localized road friction, wind vulnerabilities, and safety delays across un-monitored secondary state passes.

4.3 SECTION C: UX, Dead-Zone Resilience, & Delivery Mechanics

4.3.1. App-Free Wallet-Native Infrastructure: Detail your experience deploying mass-scale mobile engagement frameworks using native Digital Wallet pass configurations (Apple Wallet and Google Wallet) or similar platforms (such as the Vibes AI model). Address pass distribution via SMS/QR, dynamic background field modifications, and the execution of micro-geofenced or time-bound lock-screen push alerts.

4.3.2. Aviation-Grade Captive Edge Portals: Detail your approach to building highly optimized Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) integrated with satellite networks (e.g., Starlink enterprise backhauls) similar to high-density commercial aircraft entertainment portals (e.g., the Anuvu model). Explain how your system manages localized pre-loading, browser redirection, and offline caching when a user joins a state-managed local Wi-Fi Oasis.

4.3.3. Graceful Network Degradation: Describe how the user experience

RFI 0017-N Page 8 of 11 downscales when mobile connections degrade to 0.5G/Edge or complete cellular failure in deep canyons. Detail how the platform programmatically strips rich media, images, and heavy styling scripts while preserving high-contrast, text-only routing instructions driven exclusively by the smartphone’s internal GPS array.

4.3.4. V2I and Dashboard Telematics: Outline your platform's ability to integrate with vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication networks, connected-vehicle safety clouds, or third-party safety aggregators (e.g., HAAS Alert Safety Cloud) to push real-time tourism redistribution and pass hazard alerts directly onto integrated commercial vehicle dashboards and OEM sync layers (e.g., Ford, VW).

4.3.5. Micro-Location IoT Beacon Integration: Describe your system's integration with outdoor, solar-powered, ruggedized Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons (minimum IP67 waterproofing rating) to transmit localized safety trail directives and location verifications to offline devices without cellular dependencies.

4.4. SECTION D: Agentic AI Brain, Content Guardrails, & Safety Logic

4.4.1. Guard railed AI Ingestion: Explain your experience processing and vectorizing vast repositories of unstructured information (local historical records, community angling logs, DMO cultural narratives) into a state-compliant AI architecture. Detail your methods for anchoring the AI's output to an official, verified Content Inventory to eliminate hallucinations, prevent improper routing, and enforce strict data security.

4.4.2. Automated Environmental Business Rules: Detail how your platform handles automated content switches based on incoming live hazard streams.

For example, detail how a real-time National Weather Service flash-freeze warning instantly rewrites active regional wallet itineraries, shifting routes from mountain tracks to valley safety paths without manual developer intervention.

4.4.3. Mapping Platform Deep-Linking: Detail your architecture for handling seamless handoffs from global navigation applications (e.g., Apple Maps or Google Maps congestion pins) directly into your platform's custom, locally verified PWA itineraries.

4.5. SECTION E: Stewardship, Attribution Reporting, & Local Incentives

4.5.1. The "WY Responsibly" Integration: Detail how the platform translates environmental safety indices—specifically real-time USGS streamflow gauges, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wildfire zones, and Game & Fish seasonal migration constraints—into proactive, education-based traveler nudges focused on conservation and personal safety.

4.5.2. Decentralized Content Verification Audits: Explain the access management controls that allow local Chambers of Commerce and regional Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to serve as authoritative

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"Content Verifiers" via mobile interfaces, ensuring the platform does not direct tourists to closed businesses, seasonal infrastructure failures, or rural food deserts.

4.5.3. Dynamic Reward Engine Integrations: Detail how your platform interfaces with rural point-of-sale systems or generates unique, non-duplicable QR reward codes on native wallet passes to reward travelers with local merchant discounts (e.g., 10¢ off a gallon of gas or free local dining items) when they accept an alternate safety route.

4.5.4. Executive Reporting and Attribution Dashboards: Detail the framework for a real-time performance measurement visualization panel. Address exactly how your system surfaces, tracks, and reports success criteria including: county-level visitor share distribution variances, financial yield metrics (e.g., tax revenue and occupancy tracking), local resident sentiment evaluation logs, and cross-channel message conversion counts.

4.6. SECTION F: Technology Gap Analysis & Vendor Innovation Requests

4.6.1. The Draft Statement of Work (SOW) outlined in Appendix A represents the

State of Wyoming’s baseline technical vision. To ensure the eventual Request for Proposal (RFP) is bulletproof, cost-efficient, and technologically future-proof, the State requests that responding vendors explicitly identify gaps, hidden friction points, or emerging technologies omitted from our current architecture.

4.6.2. SOW Blind Spots & Missing Infrastructure

Carrier Compliance & Regulatory Risks: In Module 1.4, we outline a high-velocity SMS shortcode framework. Given strict carrier vetting and A2P 10DLC (Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code) regulatory frameworks, what hidden bottlenecks or compliance risks do you foresee in scaling an interagency text platform? Are there alternative delivery technologies (e.g., RCS Rich Business Messaging) we should consider to enhance engagement?

4.6.3. Hardware Lifecycle & Remote Maintenance: In Module 3.3, the State tasks the contractor with sourcing and installing solar-powered IP67 BLE beacons. Based on your deployment experience in extreme climates (e.g., high-altitude, sub-zero Wyoming winters), are we over-relying on physical beacons? What are the hidden operational costs of field battery maintenance versus using virtual, polygonal server-side geofencing?

4.6.4. LLM Cold-Start & Content Drifts: In Module 4.1, the State will utilize a model framework built on the Google Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.

What strategies or middleware do you recommend to prevent LLM "hallucinations" or outdated recommendation routing when local DMO business hours or road conditions change multiple times a day?

4.6.5. Alternative & Complementary Technologies

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Emerging Data Feeds: What are we completely missing? Are there emerging data streams, spatial computing tools, vehicle telematics platforms, or automated crowd-monitoring technologies currently deployed in other markets that would supercharge Wyoming's Visitor Distribution Index (VDI)?

4.6.6. Data Lake Cost Optimization: In Module 2.1, we propose a massive, continuous real-time ingestion pipeline. Would it be more architecturally sound and cost-effective to utilize a decentralized "Data Mesh" approach rather than a singular data lake for all state agency feeds? How can we prevent runaway API ingestion costs from weather and mapping providers?

4.6.7. Technical Feasibility & Timeline Optimization

Industry-Realistic Implementation Roadmap: Reviewing the system scope detailed across Modules 1 through 5 in Appendix A, what is a technically realistic timeline to advance this project from contract award to a stable, fully stress-tested statewide launch? Please outline an optimized deployment schedule based on your field experience with multi-agency integrations. What phasing structure best mitigates deployment risk?

5. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Vendor Name: Phone:

Email Address:

Mailing Address:

City: State: Zip:

Employer Identification Number (EIN):

6. OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL:

Vendor’s Legal Structure

Sole Proprietorship General Partnership Corporation

Limited Partnership Other

The vendor shall provide to Tourism a certificate of good standing from the Wyoming Secretary of State or other proof that vendor be authorized to conduct business in the State of Wyoming before performing work under this Contract. The vendor shall ensure all annual filing and corporate taxes due and owing to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office are up-to-date before signing the contract. Vendors may contact the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, Corporate Division at (307) 777-7311 for assistance.

7. VENDOR VERIFICATION:

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I certify under penalty of perjury, that I am a responsible official (as identified above) for the business entity described above as the vendor, that I have personally examined and am familiar with the information submitted in this disclosure and all attachments, and that the information is true, accurate and complete. I may be charged significant penalties for submitting false information, including criminal sanctions, which can lead to fines and/or imprisonment.

Signature Date