Request for Proposals

Conference/Meeting Planner

OVERVIEW:

The Joint Council of Extension Professionals, hereafter known as JCEP, is seeking a conference/meeting planner to handle JCEP sponsored events and JCEP Board meetings.

JCEP is a partnership of professional Extension organizations that focuses on strengthening the efforts of the member organizations and does what each cannot do individually. JCEP was organized in December 1989.

The JCEP Board of Directors is composed of the current president, immediate past-president and president-elect of each member organization and a representative of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service--U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES). The JCEP professional member organizations include:

·       Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)

·       Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP)

·       National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA)

·       National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA)

·       National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS)

·       National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP)

JCEP leadership is provided from within through an elected president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer. 

Selection timeline: RFP’s are due November 30, 2006. A JCEP selection committee will review and interview companies prior to the JCEP January Board Meeting. Selection Committee recommendation will be made at the JCEP January Board Meeting. Notification will be given to companies following the board meeting, with services to begin in July.

Contract Period:  July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009 with option to renew on annual basis thereafter.

Contract Cancellation:  By either party with 60 days written notice.

SCOPE OF SERVICES:

• JCEP sponsors four regional leadership workshops and one national public issues conference each year.  The JCEP Board meets twice each year. JCEP members and appointed committee chairpersons approve dates, locations, budgets and expenditures.
• Detailed Planning Guidelines for these events are posted on our website:  www.jcep.org

Description of Events

Regional Leadership Workshops: 

• Two similar meetings, each held in two geographic regions, generally February, 2-2 ½ days duration. 
• Participation ranges from 85-225. 
• Each regional meeting has a primary contact from one of the partner organizations.

Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) National Conference: 

• A 4 ½ day conference held in the greater Washington DC area for 200-250 participants.  Generally held in April-May. 
• Must be near a Metro Stop. 
• Planning committee appointed by JCEP.

Board Meetings: 

• JCEP meets two times a year, currently in January and June for 2-3 days each, in various states. 
• Total participation is 18 people needing lodging, meeting space, ground transportation and food service.

Services Required

Conference/meeting planner will provide the following services for JCEP. 

Facilities

• Conduct site searches, evaluate facilities and negotiate contracts on behalf of JCEP. Search will include any hotel suggested by JCEP contact person. Conference/meeting Planner will present at least three options and make recommendation to the JCEP contact person.

(The conference planner will be allowed a minimum of 30 days in which to conduct a search, with a report and recommendations made to the JCEP representative within 10 additional days. JCEP representative(s) will approve hotel rate(s).)

• Arrange food service and amenities as requested. Suggest menu options for final decisions to be made in conjunction with JCEP contact.
• Provide checklist for Cooperative Extension On-Site Contact Person to use in assessing and recording services provided by the facility and audio-visual support services.
• Conduct a competitive bid process for needed audio-visual support. A list of AV equipment available and prices list is to be communicated to JCEP Contact person. Create a request form for securing/paying these items.
• Seek approval from JCEP contact person for arrangements.
• Equipment expenses will not be paid without this approval.

Pre-Registration

• Develop and distribute registration materials.
• Process individual registrations, whether online or email, with confirmations sent in a timely manner directly to each participant
• Receive and process all credit card payments
• Produce an on-line computer registration for each conference

On-Site Registration and Support

• Create a master list of all conference registrants, per site, including columns to indicate payment method, date of receipt of payment, receipt sent or provided, and other information deemed necessary by JCEP contact.
• Develop all needed materials and ship to conferences in a timely manner with directions for on-site JCEP leadership.
• Generate nametags for each conference participant. Nametags need to be assembled and sorted alphabetically by association for each regional meeting.
• Generate alphabetical lists of participants. Lists are to be sorted by association, region, and state with copies provided for distribution for each region’s participants.
• Develop a process with JCEP to insure that charges to accounts at hotels and other facilities are correct as stated in the contract.
• Verify and review all bills with the JCEP contact person.
• Produce desktop printed programs when necessary.
• NOTE: On-site management of all meetings will be done by JCEP leadership with preparation for meetings handled by the conference planner.

Handling Finances

• Receive and process all registration fees for JCEP events.
• Forward all fees received within 10 days to JCEP treasurer.
• Process credit card payments.
• Send itemized lists of all credit card payments and checks to JCEP treasurer.
• Financial and registration reports will be sent to JCEP President, Treasurer and Conference Contact within 30 days of receiving the Facility Checklist back from the Cooperative Extension On-Site Contact Person.

Budget

• Submit a comprehensive budget for each meeting/conference and submit to the appropriate JCEP leadership.
• Prepare an accounting of all expenditures for each meeting/conference, including copies of receipts, and forward this following each meeting.
• Printing of registration forms, programs, evaluations and other materials may be arranged through conference planner. Bids for printing will be acquired from 3 vendors. Professional printing charges will be paid by JCEP.

Communication

• Phone, fax and e-mail communication will be returned in a timely manner.
• A company representative will be available for conference calls.
• Provide information to post on the website in a timely manner.

Evaluation

• Conduct post-conference participant evaluation, via e-mail, within 10 days of conference conclusion. Evaluation questions will be determined by JCEP. 
• Compile responses and forward to the JCEP Chair within one month of the event.

Scheduling

Conference Planner will work with JCEP leadership to establish an appropriate and acceptable timeline for all conferences during the contracted period. The timeline will be distributed to all involved. Changes to that schedule will be made by joint agreement of both parties.

Cost

The cost of all listed services is (insert cost) per registered participant when conference planner negotiates facilities, (insert cost) per registered participant otherwise, except when participant requests a refund prior to the event. An invoice will be sent within 30 days following each conference. Fees are payable within 30 days of receipt of invoice.

Contracted cost is exclusive of charges for travel, postage, shipping and professional printing.  On-line registration services and post-conference participant evaluation are furnished at no additional cost. All hotel contracts will be negotiated based on a commissionable room rate paid to conference planner.

When a participant requests a refund, the conference planner will be paid (insert cost) when refund is requested before the registration deadline, (insert cost) if received less than seven days before the beginning of the event, (insert cost) if received within 30 days after the event.

The following services may be arranged for an additional negotiated charge.

1.     Providing on-site professionals to assist in cases where it is deemed necessary. 

2.     Contacting and negotiating appropriate speakers.

3.     Special events requiring decoration, catering or entertainment.

4.     Professional design, artwork and advanced formatting.

Bonding

Provide evidence of your companies’ bonding capacity. 

JCEP agrees to:

• Provide dates and sites for events.
• Provide name of contact person for each event.
• Provide mailing labels necessary to communicate with participants.
• Review timelines for all conferences/meetings in contracted period for approval.
• Review menu options and other amenities.
• Provide room set up information and AV equipment needs.
• Provide evaluation questions as needed.
• Each national association will gather this information and be responsible for paying their portion of the AV equipment.
• Provide annual evaluation and performance feedback of the conference planner.

HOW TO SUBMIT THE PROPOSAL:

In order to better evaluate and compare services and costs, we ask that your proposal be complete and address the following items. Bid should not exceed four pages.

1. Describe your company, including date founded, size of company, number of clients and experience in working with nonprofit professional associations.
2. Describe why your company would be an appropriate match for our needs.
3. Describe how you would address the scope of work outlined in this proposal, including but not limited to staffing approach, database capabilities, tracking fees, handling credit cards, report preparation, etc. A brief summary or list of other services you provide may also be included.
4. Provide a bid that reflects costs for the services requested.
5. Include names, addresses, and phone numbers of three companies/vendors with whom you currently conduct business. 

Send proposal to: Mickey Cummings

Bids may be received by fax (706-439-6036), electronically (coosa@uga.edu) or by US Mail

Union County Extension Service

185 Wellborn Street

Blairsville, GA 30512

Authorization:

This request for proposal is authorized for release by:  __________________________

                                                                                                James Hovland,          

                                                                                                JCEP President