Okaloosa County BOCC — December 6, 2016 — RFP Lodging Bookings Data — reading text

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DESTINATION LODGING BOOKINGS DATA SERVICES FOR OKALOOSA COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT It is the intent of the County to select a vendor with in-house capabilities and a proven track record within the tourism industry, preferably for destination marketing organizations, to accomplish the Scope of Work below. The selection process involves multiple steps: (1) All interested vendors shall submit written responses for each aspect of the Scope of Work and Requirements & Special Conditions in the sequence presented in the RFP, as well as any additional material they may wish to submit. (2) A review committee will evaluate and rank responsive responses and identify the top-ranked vendors. (3) The top-ranked vendors County Commissioners for final approval. T may be invited to make a presentation. Any presentations including travel cost, etc., will be at the expense of the interested vendor. (4) The review committee shall recommend the final vendor(s) to the Board of 1. INTRODUCTION AF The mission of the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department (aka Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau) is to promote the special taxing district represented by Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, Mary Esther and Cinco Bayou, Florida as the premiere tourist destination on the northern Gulf Coast. The primary goal of the Tourist Development Department is to increase the lodging occupancy of the taxing district for the continual economic benefit of the community and all tourism stakeholders. Please visit us at EmeraldCoastFL.com. The destination generates $18M in lodging revenues with 11,000 lodging units, comprised as follows: R D 2. SCOPE OF WORK The County is seeking a vendor with extensive tourism industry experience, preferably for destination marketing organizations, to work with local tourist development tax collectors (e.g. hotels, condos, houses, RV parks, campsites) to develop and maintain destination-wide reporting on lodging bookings data. Such reservations data is commonly the basis of “pace reports” and is intended to provide an overview of future bookings and their projected economic impact. Please explain or describe the comprehensive destination lodging bookings program/service, addressing the following aspects at a minimum: 1. Types of lodging facilities included. 2. Types of metrics tracked. 3. Forecasting methodology & time frame. 4. Reporting types & frequency. b. Republication restrictions, if any. T a. Provide a representation of proposed reporting. 5. How lodging partner participation is obtained. 6. How confidentiality of lodging partner data is maintained. limited to: AF 7. Timeline for implementation, including all parties’ responsibilities. 8. Industry research provided, if any. 3. REQUIREMENTS & SPECIAL CONDITIONS 1. Background and any information that makes the vendor qualified for this project, including, but not a. Location, background, organizational structure, and years in business providing this specific scope of services to the tourism industry, preferably to destination marketing organizations. b. Experience of staff assigned to this project. R c. Composition of all client accounts by industry. 2. Specific examples of similar projects within the tourism industry, preferably for destination marketing organizations. a. Specific examples of how other destinations have used the vendor’s data to improve marketing efforts. 3. Five references (three current clients and two former clients) within the tourism industry, preferably D destination marketing organizations, sufficient to independently establish the vendor’s qualifications and expertise to execute this project. a. Contact information. b. Scope of services provided. c. Length of relationship. d. Percentage of eligible lodging partners who participate in the lodging bookings program/service. e. Reason for end of business relationship (two former clients only) 4. Fully comprehensive and complete pricing information. a. Pricing must be provided on the Pricing Sheet form provided. b. Fixed pricing for the initial contract term. Price adjustments may be proposed for subsequent renewal options at time of renewal.  c. Separately state one-time fees, if any, from recurring fees. d. Explain pricing structure for lodging partners.  What reports, if any, do participating lodging partners receive free?  Must lodging partners participate to be eligible to subscribe to paid reports? 5. Acknowledge understanding of and compliance with a number of state statutes and County policies, including, but not limited to, the County’s Purchasing Manual, pertaining to the activities of the selected vendor. It is important that each potential service provider be familiar with them. a. As an agency of the State of Florida, the County must abide by state regulations that prohibit advance payment of goods and services. Therefore, a vendor must have a full understanding that it will not be compensated until after the service has been performed. State law prohibits advance payment for services rendered. b. Bills are paid promptly upon receipt of an invoice and proof of performance (generally within amount). T thirty (30) days). Invoicing in sufficient detail for proper verification of services performed and billed in accordance with contract terms is required (e.g. service dates, services invoiced, 6. The initial contract term is anticipated to be one year, with the option for two, one-year renewals if agreed to in writing by both parties. County renewal will be in part dependent upon quality of service 15% Pricing AF and acceptability of costs. 7. The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate responses to this RFP: 35% Demonstrated experience and expertise performing the scope of work, preferably for destination marketing organizations 15% Vendor information, background, staff, client accounts 15% Specific examples of similar projects, preferably for destination marketing organizations 15% References, preferably for destination marketing organizations 5% Acknowledgement of County policies, especially with regard to advance payment R Note: failure to provide all the required information, in the required format, may disqualify the vendor from further consideration. D  Pricing Sheet Description Amount How Billed □ Monthly □Annually □ Monthly □Annually □ Monthly □Annually □ Monthly □Annually □ Monthly □Annually List third-party pass-through expenses subject to markup, if any T Amount Markup Amount/Percent AF R D