Green Sports Alliance Issues Event Management RFP

The Green Sports Alliance is seeking event management RFP submittals for an annual 2-day conference. In your proposal please include all relevant information about your organization, references, applicable experience, summary of sustainability considerations, and pricing details. Please provide a detailed description regarding how you would staff the Summit—including an outline of roles and experience level of staff—and for each section, please describe how you would approach and complete the outlined tasks to make it a successful event. Preference given to organizations that have extensive experience in event management; experience making events sustainable and working towards zero-waste initiatives; and those that have experience hosting events in sports venues and/or in the sports industry.

Background:

Founded in 2010, the Green Sports Alliance is a national non-profit organization with a mission to help sports teams, venues, and leagues enhance their environmental performance. The Alliance inspires professional sports leagues, college conferences, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. 

Alliance members represent more 400 sports teams, venues, and organizations from 17 different sports leagues in 16 countries. The Green Sports Alliance is based in Portland, OR and is a fast-growing organization that is making a meaningful difference in the sports industry and for the environment. We are a small but mighty full-time staff of five looking to increase capacity around our events.

The Green Sports Alliance Summit is our annual jewel event where industry stakeholders convene for education, networking, and celebrating the sports greening movement. The Summit brings together hundreds of leaders from professional sports teams, collegiate programs, venue management companies, and other pioneers in environmental stewardship to exchange the latest thinking around greening the sports industry and engaging fans and communities.

Scope of Work:

Contract Negotiation & Support

• Provide recommendations, negotiate, and review vendor contracts which may include, but not limited to food/beverage, exhibition services, A/V, and hotels.

• Coordinate with existing Alliance hotel partners.

• Coordinate with existing Alliance food & beverage partners and strategic advisors.

Registration & Hotels

• Manage advance event registration using Eventbrite registration system.

• Manage phone calls and emails regarding registration and event inquiries.

• Run weekly and as requested registration reports for Alliance.

• Manage acquisition, printing, and stuffing of registrant name badges.

• Manage and staff on-site registration check-in and day of registration purchases.

• Support hotel reservation process with Alliance hotel partners.

Event Management

• Manage all event logistics and production including, but not limited to timeline, schedule, speaker logistics (bios, headshots, registration, and on-site coordination), and overall budget.

• Co-manage all external staff and 3rd party vendors working on event, as applicable.

• Manage full event production schedule, including all event setup and event breakdown.

• Manage food and beverage oversight for event, with support of on-site concessionaires/vendors.

• Manage exhibition and A/V vendors for full conference.

• Coordinate volunteer application process and manage all on-site volunteers including training and scheduling assignments.

• Manage, provide, and place all on-site signage (print and digital).

• Work with Alliance staff to create slides for stage, sponsor slides, and session title/speaker slides.

• Manage event music, lighting, and general PA announcements.

• Coordinate collection, shipping, and return of all Alliance materials needed for the event. This may include promotional brochures, pop up banners, décor, equipment, etc.

• Co-manage Summit app, content generation, and deployment—with guidance from Alliance staff.

• Provide on-site event team. 

Speaker Logistics

• Acquire and manage speaker materials including headshots, bios, registration, etc. in coordination with Executive Producer.

• Coordinate and schedule speaker preparation calls, as requested by Executive Producer.

• Manage and coordinate speaker on-site logistics, including check-ins, instructions, coordination/timing for lavalier mics, escort to go on stage, etc.

Event Budget Management

• Create, manage, and update shared budget document with support from Alliance bookkeeper. • Reconcile budget with Profit & Loss for event reporting purposes.

• Final budget reconciliation provided 4-6 weeks post-event.

Event Reporting

• Pre- and post- event reporting including weekly/daily updates to budget and event tracking document.

• Development and deployment, with support of Alliance, of post-event attendee, sponsor, speaker, and vendor survey(s). Create comprehensive report of compiled data and provide raw data.

• Repository of all assets and materials developed for event provided to Alliance.

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

• Support design and production of all on-site print and digital signage, and print programs, as needed. Alliance has a contracted graphic designer.

• Track and support sponsor marketing commitments with Alliance staff.

• Manage Summit app, content generation, and deployment—with guidance from Alliance staff. • Additional graphic design and marketing support, as needed.

SPONSORSHIP/EXHIBITOR MANAGEMENT 

• Support sponsor and exhibitor contract fulfillment.

• Manage 40-60 booth tradeshow including booth assignments (work with Alliance staff), managing exhibition company setup/take down, freight, etc.

• Develop and deploy Exhibitor Manual.

• Work with Alliance to maintain contact lists including opt-in list, provide to exhibitors and sponsors.

SUSTAINABILITY & ZERO WASTE EFFORTS

• Minimize the environmental and social impact of the Summit by selecting appropriate products and vendors.

• All products used at the Summit should be made from post-consumer recycled content, upcycled, non-toxic, chemical free, and/or eco-certified.

• Materials used during the Summit should be provided in ideal quantities to avoid waste. Excess items should be donated, composted, and/or recycled.

• Food and beverage selections should be local, organic, and sustainably sourced whenever possible. All excess food and beverage should be donated and/or composted.

• The Summit strives to be a zero-waste event. Event management team should work with venue and hauler(s) to establish a zero-waste plan for attendees and back-of-the-house waste streams. Ensure proper volunteer and staff education and public-facing signage is provided. Work with venue to calculate waste stream percentages.

• Manage event and attendee offsets, RECs, and WRCs via a 3rd party provider (e.g., Bonneville Environmental Foundation). Provide Alliance with offset calculations for inclusion in the post-event report.

Due Date:

December 20, 2019

Address:

Kelley Martin via email kelley@greensportsalliance.org

Relevant agencies include Hunter PR and DKC PR.