2026 Statewide Conference Exhibitor Services

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) issued Request for Proposal (RFP) 3202600170 on April 29, 2026, seeking a qualified vendor to provide comprehensive exhibitor services for the 2026 Statewide Conference and four subsequent annual conferences through 2030, held in Dallas, Grapevine, Houston, San Antonio, and other Texas metropolitan locations. The successful respondent will manage exhibit hall operations for five-day events (one day load-in, one day setup, three-day conference) with approximately 1,500 exhibitors in attendance, delivering equipment and services including registration kiosks, exhibit booths, charging tables, furniture (barstools, benches, ottomans, accent tables and chairs), draping, carpet, floor and wall clings, and full installation and dismantle services. The vendor must maintain specified insurance coverage including $2,000,000 Commercial General Liability per occurrence/$4,000,000 aggregate, $1,000,000 Comprehensive Automobile Liability, and $25,000,000 Umbrella Liability with drop-down coverage, and must meet minimum qualifications of five years in business or equivalent executive management experience in exhibitor services. Proposals will be evaluated based on cost/price (40%), past performance and qualifications (15%), and technical approach and project work plan (45%), with respondents required to provide a minimum of three references from state, federal, or local government entities completed within the past five years. The deadline for written questions is May 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central Time, with proposals due June 5, 2026, by 10:00 a.m. Central Time through the TWC Procurement Portal; the contract will commence in September 2026 and expire January 30, 2027, with TWC holding the sole option to renew for four additional one-year terms for a maximum five-year contract period.

No set-aside designations or restrictions limiting response to specific enterprise categories are identified in the solicitation; however, respondents must certify business information through the TWC Substitute W-9 and Direct Deposit Form and may claim applicable Texas procurement preferences for Texas-based bidders, service-disabled veterans, and environmentally sensitive or energy-efficient products. Historical compensation for similar services has ranged from $28,000 to $40,000 per conference, with pricing required to remain firm throughout the initial contract term and subject to a maximum 4% adjustment per renewal term correlated to the Consumer Price Index. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the solicitation documentation. Respondents must coordinate with the TWC-awarded Audio Visual company, and vendors unable to do so may face disqualification. The solicitation requires submission of comprehensive documentation including executed response forms, cost proposals with detailed line-item pricing for equipment and services, narrative proposals with executive summaries, financial questionnaires, and past project performance references; all submissions must be made electronically through the TWC Procurement Portal, with no guaranteed volume or compensation and TWC retaining the right to cancel, make partial awards, or decline award at its sole discretion.