Event Planning and Management

The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) is requesting proposals for comprehensive event planning and management services for state-hosted conferences and forums in Austin, Texas under RFP DIR-CPO-TMP-601A, with proposals due August 24, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. CT. A 26 percent Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) subcontracting participation goal applies to all respondents. Addendum 1, issued August 17, 2022, revised the original RFP released August 3, 2022, and established the current timeline.

DIR anticipates three to five major annual events: the Information Security Forum (approximately 450 attendees and 90 exhibitors), DIR Discover (approximately 250 attendees and 30 exhibitors), the E-Records Conference (approximately 120 attendees and 25 exhibitors), and DIR Connect held biennially (more than 400 attendees and 150 exhibitors). The scope encompasses exhibitor coordination, venue and site coordination, event registration, speaker coordination, event materials development, marketing and communications, financial management, and accessibility compliance for both in-person and hybrid events. Respondents must propose their own virtual platform solutions; DIR has no current licensing agreements or product preferences. Minimum on-site staffing scales from one staff member for events with 0–50 vendors to five staff members for events with 301–400 vendors.

Compensation is fixed-fee based, structured in three tables: one-day conference fees, two-day conference fees, and hourly rates for design services, all scaled by vendor capacity tier. The successful respondent bears all event expenses including administrative costs, travel (subject to DIR travel reimbursement policies), and registration, with exhibitor fees offsetting costs. The contractor must maintain separate accounting for each event and submit weekly progress reports and detailed financial reports within thirty days of event conclusion.

The contract term runs from award through August 31, 2024, with DIR retaining the option to extend by up to three one-year renewal periods and an additional extension of up to four calendar months. The incumbent contract DIR-CPO-TMP-488 expires August 31, 2022.

Evaluation weighting is Experience 30 percent, Planning Approach 20 percent, Quality of Service based on references 30 percent, and Pricing 20 percent. Pass/fail criteria include financial viability verification through Dun and Bradstreet reports, HUB Subcontracting Plan completion, compliance with Texas Government Code provisions regarding vendor performance history, and adherence to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility standards. Respondents must register with the Texas Secretary of State and possess a Texas taxpayer ID; companies outside the USA may apply provided all work is performed within the United States. The pre-proposal conference was held August 10, 2022. Questions were due August 12, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. CT. Award is anticipated by August 31, 2022, with contract execution by September 5, 2022. DIR reserves the right to make single or multiple awards.