Special Events Software

The City of Sarasota Purchasing Division is pursuing a sole source procurement for Special Events Software from Placer Labs Inc., specifically a foot traffic analytics platform designed to generate insights into physical spaces. This software will enable city users to analyze audience behaviors, competitive landscapes, and customer movement patterns through a comprehensive data analytics solution. The procurement is being conducted under Florida Statutes 287.057(3)(c), which allows for a non-competitive solicitation process when unique technological capabilities are required. The software offers advanced features including proprietary data collection from over 20 million monthly users, AI-powered machine learning for data normalization, and comprehensive visitor metrics tracking. Key deliverables include unlimited points of interest tracking, visitor journey analysis, demographic segmentation, property information, sales data insights, area analysis, and migration trend reporting. The procurement timeline indicates a notice date of 4/16/2025, with potential vendors having until midnight on 4/25/2025 to submit alternative proposals or technical data challenging the sole source determination. The projected contract award date is 4/28/2025, with a total contract value of $30,000.

The procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types, though the sole source nature suggests Placer Labs is the preferred and potentially sole qualified vendor. The software platform emphasizes a privacy-first approach, ensuring no individual user identifiers are collected and all data remains fully anonymized. Placer.ai currently serves a diverse client base of 3,950 commercial clients and 1,130 civic clients, including state and local governments, economic development organizations, and universities. The software will likely need to integrate with existing city technological infrastructure and potentially replace or supplement current analytics tools. While the immediate contract value is $30,000, the potential for future expansion or multi-year licensing seems probable given the platform's comprehensive capabilities and specialized analytics offerings. No incumbent vendor is explicitly mentioned, suggesting this may be a new technological implementation for the City of Sarasota's Special Events Department.