Convention Services

The Montana Department of Administration's State Procurement Bureau is pursuing a sole source contract with K&J Convention Services for the Made in Montana Trade Show, to be held at the Lewis & Clark Fairgrounds in Helena from March 5-9, 2024. The procurement involves comprehensive convention services, including setup of up to 150 10'x10' vendor booths with specific technical requirements such as pipe and drape, electrical services, carpeting, registration counters, and materials handling. The solicitation was opened on September 15, 2023, with a vendor response deadline of September 29, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. MST. The contract covers event planning, management, and facilitation services, categorized under commodity codes 3302, 3912, and 3913. Key event dates include vendor setup from March 5-7, exhibitor load-in from March 7-9, and on-site convention services on March 8-9. The primary objective is to support small business growth in the state and region by providing comprehensive convention services that many local vendors cannot fully execute.

The procurement appears to be open to all vendors, with the State Procurement Bureau soliciting written comments from potential providers who believe they can offer equivalent products and services. Vendors interested in competing must submit detailed capabilities descriptions through the eMACS procurement system, with the state retaining discretion to determine whether to compete the purchase based on received responses. The proposed contract has a value of $35,000, with standard net 30-day payment terms. No specific disadvantaged enterprise set-asides are mentioned in the documentation. The contract does not appear to require integration with existing infrastructure or technology, and no incumbent vendors beyond K&J Convention Services are identified. The procurement contact is Amanda Battin, who can be reached at Amanda.Battin2@mt.gov or +1 406-444-9665 for any questions or clarifications regarding the opportunity.