Written Inquiries RFP,BSFA,2027-0029_FINAL.pdf

Written Inquiries RFP,BSFA,2027-0029 Colorado State Fair Marketing Services

Provided below are Questions and Written Inquiries submitted to the Procurement Official.

The Authority/ State’s Responses are provided in blue font directly below each question

1. Question: On-site support: The RFP references on-site support for the duration of the annual Colorado State Fair, which may include management of the media trailer, social media, and event support as needed. Could you clarify what tasks outside of marketing and media would be expected of the agency during the fair?

Answer: Event support may include things like transportation of media on golf carts, celebrity guest/host management, and board meeting attendance and reporting if necessary.

2. Question: On-site support: Is on-site presence expected for the full duration of each day, or is the expectation that the agency team is present in Colorado and available as needed throughout the 11-day period?

Answer: On-site presence is a 12 day obligation, including the day before the Fair opens. On site hours depend on media on grounds, scheduled events, and other varying factors. An estimate would be 12-16 hours per day for the duration of the Fair.

An example is the first day of the Fair, we have media interviews as early as 5am and then a concert that starts at 9pm so coverage would be expected for that duration.

3. Question: On-site support: Could you describe what managing the media trailer typically involves, including whether the agency is expected to staff it and for what hours?

Answer: Media trailer management includes checking in media, distributing admission and parking credentials, facilitating on ground transportation if needed, access to information and workspace, secure equipment storage for media.

4. Question: Pricing and media: What is the Authority's budget range for agency service fees, separate from the media spend? The RFP discloses the media investment level but not the service fee budget, and understanding that range will help offerors structure an accurate and competitive proposal.

Answer: The anticipated budget for agency service fees outside of media spend is $100,000 - $160,000.

5. Question: Pricing and media: Will media costs be prepaid or funded directly by the Authority, with the agency handling allocation, negotiation, and placement on their behalf? Or is the expectation that the agency fronts media costs and invoices the Authority for reimbursement?

Answer: The media agency will front all media costs and be reimbursed by the Authority.

6. Question: Scope and stakeholders: The multicultural outreach section notes that translation services may be required. Would the Authority expect the agency to source and manage translation services, and is there a separate budget for that? Also, what language(s) do you need translation services for?

Answer: Any translation costs should be included in the proposal, and Spanish would be the only language that would need translation.

7. Question: Scope and stakeholders: Could you provide a general sense of what year-round account maintenance and support typically looks like outside of fair season in terms of expected deliverables or hours?

Answer: Fair season will be as soon as concert announcements happen, which can be at varying times throughout the year. Hours and expected deliverables vary. Year round event support (non-fair events at the fairgrounds) may include 4-6 social posts monthly. The Authority will work with the awarded Contractor on a calendar/timeline for deliverables.

8. Question: Colorado Office Preference: Section 2.A states that an office location within Colorado is preferred. Please confirm that this is a preference rather than a mandatory requirement. Additionally, would an Offeror receive consideration for this preference if a proposed subcontractor or teaming partner maintains an established Colorado office while the prime contractor’s principal office is located outside the state?

Answer: The criteria outlined in Section 2.A are preferred, whereas mandatory requirements are set forth in Section 3.

Consideration will be given to Offerors whose primary principal office is located outside Colorado, provided they partner with a subcontractor or teaming partner that maintains an established Colorado office.

9. Question: Dedicated Account Representative and On-Site Team: May the dedicated account representative serving as the Authority’s primary point of contact be located outside Colorado, provided qualified Colorado-based personnel or approved subcontractors provide the required on-site support during the annual Colorado State Fair?

Answer: Yes.

10. Question: Subcontractor Staffing and Approval: May approved subcontractors perform required on-site services, including media trailer management, social media support, public relations, and general event support? Should proposed subcontractors, personnel, roles, and office locations be identified in the proposal, or will formal approval occur after award?

Answer: Approval on any subcontractors would occur after award and additional clarification regarding subcontracting will be written into the contract.

11. Question: Full-Service Agency Preference: May an Offeror demonstrate the preferred full-service capability through the combined qualifications and resources of the prime contractor and its proposed subcontractors, or must the prime contractor’s employees directly perform all primary service areas?

Answer: Proposed subcontractors are acceptable as long as the agency point of contact is consistent. Additional clarification regarding subcontracting will be written into the contract.

12. Question: On-Site Coverage Expectations: Please clarify the anticipated on-site staffing requirements during the 11-day Fair, including the approximate number of personnel, daily hours of coverage, evening and weekend expectations, and whether continuous on-site presence is required throughout each operating day.

Answer: On-site presence is a 12 day obligation, including the day before the Fair opens. On site hours depend on media on grounds, scheduled events, and other varying factors. An estimate would be 12-16 hours per day for the duration of the Fair.

13. Question: Budget and Media Investment: The RFP states that approximately $300,000 was spent on placed media in 2025 and that the proposed media investment should be comparable or less. Does the approximately $300,000 represent only net media-placement costs, or the total annual contract budget inclusive of account management, strategy, creative services, production, media planning and buying, public relations, social media, and administrative services?

14. Question: Production Costs and Labor Rates: Section 4.B.xv states that production costs must be billed as hard costs only, without hourly time or agency markup, while Section 5.D requests hourly rates for services such as graphic design. Does the hard-cost restriction apply only to third-party production expenses, or does it also prohibit billing internal staff labor for creative development, graphic design, video production, editing, and related production management?

Answer: Yes, the hard cost restriction applies to third-party production expenses.

15. Question: Travel and On-Site Expenses: Should travel, lodging, mileage, parking, per diem, and other expenses associated with required on-site support be included in the Offeror’s proposed annual pricing, or will approved travel expenses be reimbursed separately under the resulting contract?

Answer: Yes, travel, lodging, and other expenses should be included within the proposed annual budget.

16. Question: What is the anticipated total annual marketing budget, inclusive of agency fees, media, production and other marketing expenses?

17. Question: What is the anticipated scope and level of year-round account support outside of the annual Colorado State Fair campaign, including expected deliverables and meeting cadence?

Answer: Fair season will be as soon as concert announcements happen, which can be at varying times throughout the year. Hours and expected deliverables vary. Year round event support (non-fair events at the fairgrounds) may include 4-6 social posts

18. Question: Which marketing, communications, creative, digital, social media, media relations, and partnership functions are currently handled by Authority staff, and which does the Authority expect the selected agency to assume?

Answer: The agency manages all functions except partnerships. The Authority helps support press releases through the Department of Agriculture, social media, and media relations as necessary.

19. Question: What are the Authority's primary measures of success for the selected agency beyond overall Fair attendance?

Answer: Measurable targets vary year to year and will be strategized in advance with the contractor, and are also based on Board of Authority goals and KPI’s.

20. Question: What historical campaign/audience/attendance data will be provided to the selected agency to inform strategy and establish performance benchmarks?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed, including multiple years of marketing reports, audience data, attendance, and ticket sales.

21. Question: The contract states the State pays invoices within 45 days. Combined with the requirement that "media net rates be billed directly by the agency," does the Authority expect the agency to front media costs to vendors before reimbursement, given the 45-day payment cycle?

Answer: The media agency will front all media costs and be reimbursed by the Authority.

22. Question: Section 19 triggers CMS reporting obligations if the contract maximum is 100,000 + 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 − 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒(~300K) exceeds this, can the Authority confirm CMS reporting will apply and clarify the reporting cadence/format expected?

Answer: Per Section 16 of the State’s Contract template, “Contractor agrees to be governed by and comply with the provisions of §§24-106-103, 24-102-206, 24-106-106, and 24-106-107, C.R.S. regarding the monitoring of vendor performance and the reporting of contract performance information in the State’s contract management system (“Contract Management System” or “CMS”). Contractor’s performance shall be subject to evaluation and review in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Contract, Colorado statutes governing CMS, and State Fiscal Rules and State Controller Policies.”

In addition, please refer to Section 6. A. Quarterly Reports. “In addition to any reports required pursuant to §16 or pursuant to any other Exhibit, for any contract having a term longer than three months, Contractor shall submit, on a quarterly basis, a written report specifying progress made for each specified performance measure and standard in this Contract. Such progress report shall be in accordance with the procedures developed and prescribed by the State. Progress reports shall be submitted to the State not later than five Business Days following the end of each calendar quarter or at such time as otherwise specified by the State.”

23. Question: The evaluation criteria (Experience/Personnel, Requirements, Technical Proposal, Cost) are listed "in no particular order." Will each be weighted equally, or does the Authority have a scoring rubric/point allocation it can share?

Answer: The Authority is not obligated to disclose this information at this time.

24. Question: Is there a page limit for the overall proposal?

Answer: No. Please be considerate of the time needed for evaluation. Proposals should not be lengthy.

25. Question: Should the Cost Proposal be submitted as a separate document/tab within the zip folder?

Answer: Yes. Please include the cost proposal inside the zip folder as an individual document distinct from the main proposal.

26. Question: Is there a required file format (PDF vs. Word) for the narrative response, and are live links (e.g., to a portfolio site or work samples) acceptable within the document?

Answer: Standard file formats like PDF and Microsoft Word are acceptable. Offerors are encouraged to minimize or exclude non-essential live hyperlinks in their proposal submissions. Supplemental materials, including portfolio site copies or work samples (1-3 samples), may be provided as supporting attachments. For additional details regarding Demonstrations and Discussions, please refer to Section 6.D, as Offerors may be granted further opportunities to present supplementary information during that phase.

27. Question: Section 5.O of Appendix A requires disclosure of any work performed outside Colorado/the U.S. Should this disclosure be included proactively in the proposal itself, or only if awarded?

Answer: To prevent potential complications and delays during the award and contracting phases, it is recommended that this information be disclosed directly within the proposal.

28. Question: Beyond client references, does the Authority want work samples (past campaigns, creative examples) included as attachments, and if so, is there a limit on file size/number given the box.com submission?

Answer: Yes, we would like work samples (1-3 samples). Keep file size under 25 MB.

Should you require additional space, please contact Procurement before submitting your file.

29. Question: What sparked the RFP for 2027? Is the incumbent agency re-competing for the work, or was the RFP required based on the procedural timeline?

Answer: The RFP was based on state standard best practices for procurements.

30. Question: Please confirm that the approximately $300,000 in placed media budget does not include agency fees and production costs. Is there a budget number or range for agency fees and production costs? If so, please share.

31. Question: Does the Authority have a current Marketing Plan?

Answer: Yes, the Authority has a marketing plan for each year. The Authority will work with the contracted vendor after award and contract execution for the 2027 priorities and strategic marketing plan.

32. Question: Has the theme for 2027 been set? If so, can you please share?

Answer: The theme has not been set for 2027.

33. Question: What advertising tactics and promotional opportunities have been done in the past two years? Which of the opportunities has the Authority deemed successful?

Answer: At this time, the Authority has chosen not to address this inquiry.

34. Question: What is the Authority’s expectations regarding the expected year-round marketing support outside of the primary Colorado State Fair campaign?

Answer: Fair season will be as soon as concert announcements happen, which can be at varying times throughout the year. Hours and expected deliverables vary. Year round event support (non-fair events at the fairgrounds) may include 4-6 social posts http://box.com/ http://box.com/

35. Question: What is the Authority’s expectation for on-site staffing from the agency during the Fair, including the number of agency personnel, expected hours, weekend/holiday coverage, media trailer responsibilities, and after-hours expectations?

Answer: On-site presence is a 12 day obligation, including the day before the Fair opens. On site hours depend on media on grounds, scheduled events, and other varying factors. An estimate would be 12-16 hours per day for the duration of the Fair.

36. Question: How much support can the agency expect from the CDA’s communications team during the run of the Fair?

Answer: The CDA Communications team is on site on select days during the Fair. They will help create press releases and templates. Fair staff, including the Director of Programming & Partnerships and General Manager, are on site daily for support and guidance.

37. Question: Can the Authority provide additional detail regarding priorities for multicultural outreach, including specific geographic or demographic communities, languages, community partnerships, and whether paid media, grassroots outreach, PR, and translation services are all expected to be included?

Answer: Yes, those are all to be included. Authority will work with Agency based on Board priorities to identify target audiences

38. Question: Is there an existing breakout of media spend by audience - Spanish language

vs. English language? And if so, how has this split performed in previous years and should it serve as a favorable formula to continue in 2027?

Answer: Yes, there is a breakout. The Authority will work with the agency after award on 2027 priorities and strategic marketing plan.

39. Question: Are there any specific underperforming audience segments (e.g., youth, multicultural, out of region visitors, etc.) the Authority wants to prioritize for 2027?

Answer: Authority will work with agency after award on 2027 priorities and strategic marketing plan.

40. Question: Does the Authority have any research to connect ticket sales (Fair, concerts, and events) to geographic locations?

Answer: Yes.

41. Question: Is any analysis available to indicate the geographic spend on advertising for the 2026 Fair?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed,

42. Question: What was the Fair’s attendance and ticket sales for 2026?

Answer: Attendance was 507,970. Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed, including multiple years of marketing reports, audience data, attendance, and ticket sales.

43. Question: How does the Authority measure exposure and reach across Colorado?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed,

44. Question: Does the Authority have a preferred market research partner?

Answer: No.

45. Question: Will the Contractor or Fair Manager be responsible for negotiating sponsorships?

Answer: Authority has a Sponsorship Manager that works under the Director of Programming & Partnerships that is responsible for all sponsorship negotiations.

46. Question: How are sponsor/partner marketing obligations currently tracked? Will the agency inherit management of existing/recurring sponsorship contracts or only new agreements going forward?

Answer: Agency will only be responsible for fulfillment of some sponsor deliverables with media inclusion. Authority will manage all other sponsors and partner obligations.

47. Question: Does the Authority anticipate a rebranding of the Colorado State Fair, including a new logo, as part of the scope of the proposal?

Answer: Not at this time.

48. Question: Does the Authority have existing creative assets, b-roll, photography, etc.

from previous years that could be used in creative production for 2027 or should the agency plan to produce everything from scratch?

Answer: Yes, the agency will have access to existing assets after award and contract execution.

49. Question: Who will be part of the evaluation committee? Can you please share names

50. Question: How will the evaluation criteria (Experience and Personnel, Requirements, Technical/Business Proposal, and Cost Proposal/Pricing) be weighed?

51. Question: Is there a page limit for the Offerors proposal?

Answer: No. Please be considerate of the time needed for evaluation. Proposals should not be lengthy.

52. Question: Are there other state fairs the Authority admires or aspires to be like? What about them do you admire?

Answer: Each State Fair is unique and we strive to be the best Colorado State Fair possible.

53. Question: The RFP notes that approximately $300,000 was spent on placed media in 2025. Is there an anticipated total annual budget for the full scope of work, inclusive of paid media, agency services, research, production and other costs?

54. Question: The RFP requires on-site support for the duration of the annual Colorado State Fair. Can the Authority provide additional details regarding the anticipated level of staffing and on-site responsibilities, including expected hours or staffing coverage for the 11-day Fair? Should travel, lodging and other expenses associated with this on-site support be included within the proposed annual budget?

Answer: Yes, travel, lodging, and other expenses should be included within the proposed annual budget.

55. Question: Are there elements of the current or previous marketing approach that the Authority considers particularly successful and would like the selected contractor to maintain? Conversely, are there areas the Authority would like to see approached differently under the new contract?

56. Question: Will the selected contractor have access to historical market research, audience data, paid media performance, attendance data and other campaign insights from previous years to inform development of the 2027 marketing strategy?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed,

57. Question: Regarding the market research component of the scope, does the Authority anticipate primary research, such as public opinion polling, surveys or focus groups, or is it open to the selected contractor recommending the appropriate research methodology based on available data and campaign needs?

Answer: Yes, the Authority is open to contractor recommendations.

58. Question: The RFP requests examples of experience with similar projects but does not specify a required number of project examples or professional references. Is there a preferred number of examples the Authority would like offerors to provide, and are professional references required as part of the proposal?

Answer: There is not a preferred number of examples. 1-3 examples are sufficient.

Professional references are not required however, please disclose if the references are personal or professional references.

59. Question: The scope notes that translation services may be required as part of multicultural outreach. Does the Authority have existing translation resources or services available, or should offerors include translation services and associated costs within their proposals?

Answer: Offeror should include translation services and costs within the proposal.

60. Question: The RFP notes that the bulk of marketing efforts will focus on the annual Colorado State Fair, with some account maintenance and support provided year-round.

Can the Authority provide additional details on the level and types of support anticipated outside of the primary Fair marketing period?

Answer: Fair season will be as soon as concert announcements happen, which can be at varying times throughout the year. Hours and expected deliverables vary. Year round event support (non-fair events at the fairgrounds) may include 4-6 social posts

61. Question: The RFP says the campaign should increase attendance, revenue, exposure and reach, but it does not provide measurable targets. What specific attendance, revenue, awareness, and engagement goals will be used to evaluate campaign performance?

62. Question: What is the anticipated review and approval process for creative materials, media plans, press releases and budget changes, including expected turnaround times?

Answer: Expectations on turnaround times vary by project and due date. Authority will work on a calendar and plan with the contractor after contract execution.

63. Question: What existing brand guidelines, photography, video footage, music and other creative assets will be available to the selected contractor?

Answer: Assets and guidelines will be provided to the contractor after contract execution.

64. Question: Section 4.B.viii states that the contractor will assist with crisis management.

Can the Authority clarify the contractor’s anticipated role, including whether it will support an existing crisis communications plan or lead crisis communications strategy and response?

Answer: Contractor will support existing communications plans.

65. Question: Is there a pre-submission conference or video brief session that interested companies can attend?

Answer: There is not a pre-conference event for this solicitation.

The remaining inquiries were received after the deadline (submitted at 12:50 PM on September 22, following the 12:00 PM deadline). Although the state is under no obligation to address late submissions, responses were provided and included here.

66. Question: Strategy, Audience & Growth: Is the Fair interested in advancing its use of technology and digital experiences as part of its overall marketing strategy?

Answer: Yes, technology and digital experiences can be included in the overall marketing strategy.

67. Question: Strategy, Audience & Growth: What audience demographics currently demonstrate the highest engagement with the Colorado State Fair? Which demographics currently have the lowest engagement?

68. Question: Strategy, Audience & Growth: Which prior marketing initiatives have produced the strongest measurable results? Are there initiatives or channels that have historically been less effective?

69. Question: Strategy, Audience & Growth: Are there specific audience segments the Fair would particularly like the selected agency to help grow, such as younger audiences, families, tourists, first-time attendees, or audiences outside the immediate Pueblo/Colorado market?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency after award on 2027 priorities and strategic marketing plan.

70. Question: Strategy, Audience & Growth: Beyond ticket sales and attendance, what KPIs will be most important when evaluating the success of the selected agency?

71. Question: Technology, Data & Existing Infrastructure: Which CRM, email, analytics, ticketing, website, social media management, and marketing platforms are currently used by the Fair?

Answer: The Authority uses Etix, Wordpress, Hive, and the Google suite of software.

72. Question: Technology, Data & Existing Infrastructure: What historical audience, ticketing, campaign, website, engagement data, and media purchases from prior years will be available to the selected agency?

Answer: Authority will work with the agency to provide historical data as needed,

73. Question: Creative, Production & Experiential: Would experiential marketing, XR, AR, interactive installations, real-time graphics, digital activations, or other emerging technologies be considered within the marketing and/or production scope?

74. Question: Creative, Production & Experiential: Is the Fair open to concepts that extend the brand experience beyond traditional advertising—for example, interactive experiences before or during the Fair that could also generate social and digital content?

75. Question: Creative, Production & Experiential: Are there existing brand guidelines and creative systems that must be maintained, or is the Fair open to evolving the visual and creative direction of the brand?

Answer: Some brand guidelines and standards must be maintained, but Authority is open to evolving.

76. Question: Media & Existing Partners: What existing media relationships, sponsorship obligations, trade agreements, or annual commitments must the selected agency account for?

Answer: All sponsor obligations will be managed by the Authority. The Authority will work with the agency after award on strategic relationships and priorities.

77. Question: Media & Existing Partners: Are there existing vendors or partners that the selected agency will be expected to collaborate with for media buying, website management, ticketing, public relations, production, or other services?

Answer: Ticketing and website management are currently through Etix.

78. Question: Media & Existing Partners: Is the Fair open to a model in which strategic planning, creative, content production, technology, and campaign development are led by one agency while specialized services such as media buying and ad placements are provided by another partner?

Answer: Proposed subcontractors are acceptable as long as the agency point of contact

79. Question: Media & Existing Partners: If media buying is performed by a separate partner, would the selected agency still be expected to provide media strategy, campaign creative, audience strategy, and performance analysis?

Answer: Proposed subcontractors are acceptable as long as the agency point of contact

80. Question: RFP Structure & Partnering: Is an agency required to provide every service listed in the Scope of Work, or would you be open to a creative agency handling only certain portions of the scope, particularly the graphic design, media, and video production, etc.?

Answer: The Authority’s preference is a full-service agency but will look at proposals only offering some services.