Rigging Services for Ocean Center

The County of Volusia, Florida, issued Invitation for Bid (ITB) 26-B-37JJ on March 6, 2026, seeking a qualified rigging contractor to serve as the exclusive provider of rigging services for the Ocean Center's convention center and arena facilities. The procurement encompasses comprehensive rigging services including motor and chain hoist provision, installation, operation, and removal; truss system design, installation, and dismantling; supply of rigging hardware such as shackles, slings, and cables; specialized lighting and audio rigging; scenic rigging; and safety equipment provision. The convention center comprises 93,028 square feet with 32-foot ceiling height and a maximum load-bearing capacity of 3,500 pounds per load point with up to 12 points per beam, accommodating approximately 50 events annually, while the arena features 7,010 fixed seats, a 172-foot-5-inch by 250-foot playing surface, 45-foot ceiling height, and a permanent rigging grid with W14x90 and W14x99 beams arranged in approximately 24-by-24-foot grids in the eastern section and 55-by-24-foot spacing in the remainder, supporting approximately 60 events per year. All rigging personnel must hold certifications from recognized industry organizations including ETCP, USITT, or NCCCO, and the selected contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including $1,000,000 Commercial General Liability per occurrence with rigger's liability endorsement, $4,000,000 excess liability, $1,000,000 auto liability combined single limit, $1,000,000 professional liability per incident, and workers' compensation with waiver of subrogation. The County will evaluate responses based on the most responsive and responsible respondent offering the best overall value, with award made to a single contractor. Questions were due March 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST, with responses required by April 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST via the County's eProcurement Portal; no pre-solicitation conference will be held. Respondents must submit complete Equipment Rental and Labor Rate pricing tables covering electric chain hoists, manual hoists, truss systems, rigging hardware, supervisor rates, staff rates, and emergency services rates to be considered responsive.

The County offers local preference of up to five percent for qualified local businesses, though no specific set-asides or restrictions limiting response to disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the procurement documents. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the available documentation. The resulting agreement will provide an initial three-year term with two optional one-year renewals, contingent upon mutual written agreement and County Council approval. The contractor will have access to facility equipment provided by the County, including two forklifts (a 5,000-pound capacity propane CAT lift and a 4,000-pound capacity electric Toyota lift), two electric scissor lifts (Genie 30-foot and 20-foot models), and one Genie S-60 DC boom lift with 60-foot working height and 40-foot reach. Annual price redetermination may be requested based on documented increases in wages, fuel, or materials costs using the Employment Cost Index or Producer Price Index as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and payment terms provide for full payment on undisputed invoices within twenty business days. No specific budget amount or award value range is disclosed in the solicitation documents; however, pricing will be evaluated across comprehensive equipment rental and labor service categories for both convention center and arena operations encompassing approximately 110 events annually.