Mayor Department of Transportation Commissioner
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
EVENT PRODUCTION, SPONSORSHIP RECRUITMENT and MARKETING SERVICES
. In order to respond to the RFP, vendors must create an account within the PASSPort system if they have not already done so.
Any inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed by email, under the subject line “Event Planning Contract RFP” to the
email address of the Authorized Agency Contact, Kathy Cornwall-Wilson, at kcornwallwilson@dot.nyc.gov or through the PASSPort communication function.
Questions/inquiries must be submitted by 5:00 PM (E.S.T) on the “questions due date” indicated on the View RFx tab.
ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM: 730 Consecutive Calendar Days (2 years)
with an option to renew for 730 Consecutive Calendar Days (2 years)
AUTHORIZED AGENCY CONTACT PERSON
Proposers are advised that the Authorized Agency Contact Person for all matters concerning this RFP is:
Kathy Cornwall-Wilson
Office of the Agency Chief Contracting Officer
New York City Department of Transportation
55 Water Street, 8th Floor
New York, New York 10041
Telephone: (212) 839-9294
Email: kcornwallwilson@dot.nyc.gov
SECTION II – SCOPE OF SERVICES AND MWBE REQUIREMENTS
A. Agency Goals and Objectives for the RFP
The Agency’s goals and objectives for this RFP is to identify qualified and experienced production proposers that can produce high quality events, that reflect the diversity and composition of the City of New York. The events shall also be inclusive, adaptive, and equitable throughout all of its production stages.
Signature NYC DOT Events:
Summer Streets Overview
Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space, its streets. On five consecutive
Saturdays in July and August, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, nearly twenty miles of NYC’s streets are opened for people to play, run, walk and bike. The NYCDOT, in partnership with the City of New York, launched Summer Streets in August 2008 commencing this annual tradition. Summer Streets provides space for healthy recreation and encourages New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation. In 2024, nearly 500,000 people took advantage of the open streets.
The Summer Streets event route extends from the Brooklyn Bridge (Duane Street and Centre Street) to Harlem 125th street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard in Manhattan, along Vernon Boulevard between 44 Drive and 30 Road in Queens,
Broadway between Richmond Terrace and Clove Road in Staten Island, Eastern Parkway between Grand Army Plaza and Buffalo Avenue in Brooklyn, and Grand Concourse between East Tremont Avenue and Mosholu Parkway in the Bronx. All activities at Summer Streets are free of charge, and designed for people of all ages and ability levels to share the streets respectfully. Summer Streets is modeled on other events from around the world including Ciclovía in Bogotá, Colombia and the Paris Plage in France and has since inspired other such events around the world such as CicloRecreo Via and London’s Regent Street Summer Streets. Summer Streets transforms NYC streets into active and attractive public spaces with the addition of public art, performances, workshops and demonstrations. Event programming encourages the use of sustainable forms of transportation including walking, cycling, bus and subway, while reducing traffic congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Opportunities for outdoor recreation promote active and healthy lifestyles, while engaging the public in a dialogue about current transportation issues. Family-friendly, unique and interactive programming showcases the rich and varied resources of NYC.
The DOT Strategic Communications team and DOT Special Events coordinates the production of the Event Route and al programming in collaboration with the selected Contractor at various rest stop along the Event Routes. In Manhattan a total of 6 rest stops are produced and in the outer-boroughs anywhere from 2-3 rest stops are produced and activated.
Recent examples of successful public art, pop-up performances and classes/workshops at Summer Streets include: public art installations – Food Sessions by daily tous les jours at the Astor Place Rest Stop and “Weaving Together” by artist Cynthia Alberto at the 51st rest stop; pop-up performances – Fogo Azul Marching Band at the Foley Square Rest Stop along the Event Route; and classes/workshops – the Brooklyn Children’s Museum at the Uptown Rest Stop Cultural Hub and Pop Up Yoga at the Midtown Rest Stop.
In order to produce an event of this magnitude, DOT must collaborate with the Contractor to source a large quantity of
event hardware and equipment such as tents, tables, chairs, signage stanchions, barricades, audio-visual sound systems, cabling and cable ramps, platform stages, and much more. In addition, DOT must collaborate with the Contractor to source a large paid staffing pool to both set-up and breakdown the activations and associated equipment across a nearly 20 mile
route and at all the rest stops, as well as recruit a large volunteer pool of up to 1,000 individuals across the five event dates to assist along the route with traffic management, crowd control, activation support, and much more. DOT will work closely with the Contractor to facilitate programming costs and expenses for activations like performances, art installation, sports activities, among much more. DOT shall also work with the Contractor to establish a comprehensive community outreach plan, data collection plan, and a programming activation plan leading up to the event dates. Set-up typically begins around 3:00 AM day of event, with some set-ups for larger activations starting around midnight. Breakdown typically takes between two and four hours dependent on the size and scale of the activation.
A detailed signage plan is developed each year to ensure event participants are directed along the event route in a safe manner. An emergency plan is also required of the Contractor to ensure event participants, staffing and volunteers are safe in the event of an emergency during event hours. Lastly, a garbage and recycling plan is required to be instituted by the Contractor to handle the increased amount of litter and recycling accumulated during the event hours, specifically at the five rest stops.
To promote the event, DOT may secure both paid and OHH media assets in coordination with the Contractor. Creative
Services are required to develop advertisements in order to brand the event including but not limited to: event logo, illustrations, advertising copy, etc. In addition, a large amount of programmatic signage for all activations along the event route must be designed and printed by DOT in coordination with the Contractor.
To cover the programmatic and operational costs for this Event, DOT relies on the generous support of corporate sponsors each year in the amount upwards of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). The Contractor is responsible for soliciting and securing funding leading up to the event each year. Sponsorship recruitment entails development of a general sponsorship deck with a rate sheet, outreach to potential appropriate sponsors in the following categories: health and beauty, home and garden, green industry, finance, music and the arts, food and beverage, etc., and coordination of the sponsor activations leading up to and during the three events. Past sponsors have included: Citibank, Vita Coco, Clif, Nuun, Reebok, Nike, Coca Cola, MTA and Grand Central, I LOVE NY, American Kennel Club, NY Presbyterian Hospital, Cigna, Banana Boat, LG, Applegate Farms, Chipotle, Whole Foods, Cabot Cheese and many more.
For more information on Summer Streets, visit: www.nyc.gov/summerstreets.
Car Free Earth Day Overview
Car Free Earth Day (CFED) is an annual car-free event held on the Saturday in advance or immediately following Earth Day, April 22nd. CFED opens thirty blocks or 1.5 miles of Broadway from Times Square (47th Street) to Union Square (17th Street) for people to explore on foot during event hours, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Programming is presented at five rest stops along Broadway: Times Square (42nd Street), Herald Square (34th Street), Garment (39th Street), Flatiron (23rd Street), and Union
Square (17th Street). In addition to the CFED activations occurring in Manhattan, over 50 additional locations are activated during CFED throughout the city. Environmental programming is offered by City agencies and nonprofit organizations along all routes to promote activism and education surrounding climate change, sustainability and other relevant topics.
CFED transforms NYC streets in a similar manner to Summer Streets but focuses on reuse of the existing public plazas along the event route for programming, leaving the route itself free for people to walk or run. Cyclists are encouraged to remain in the existing bike lane during CFED as opposed to Summer Streets, in which individuals are invited to cycle along the route itself. Programming, including public art, pop-up performances and classes/workshops similar to Summer Streets, is coordinated along the event route in partnership with the local business improvement districts.
Past examples of public art, pop-up performances and classes/workshop along the CFED event route include: public art installation – EcoHarmony by Natalie Wood at the Flatiron Rest Stop and Kelp Parade, a collaborative piece between Amanda
Thackray and Wendel Jeffrey, at the Garment Rest Stop.
CFED requires the same level of support from the Contractor leading up to the event date in regards to event planning, sponsorship recruitment and marketing campaign development. The selected Contractor is required to secure sponsorships, evelop a marketing campaign, coordinate logistics for all programmatic elements and produce the event route and various activations day of event.
For more information on CFED, visit: www.nyc.gov/carfreenyc.
Signature NYCDOT Events Overview
Signature NYCDOT Events include but are not limited to annual events hosted and put together by the DOT. These events include Open Streets: Day of The Dead, NYCDOT’s Equity in Motion Summit, among other smaller scale events held and produced throughout the year.
Equity in Motion Summit Overview
The Equity in Motion Summit is an annual day-long event held the day before CFED that convenes hundreds of transportations and urban planning leaders from around the world. The Summit advances multiple goals: elevating the importance of centering equity in transportation and urban planning; providing space for leaders to exchange best practices and establish partnerships; and exhibiting the transportation equity work of governments, non-profits, and industry partners. Participants attend several plenaries, panel discussions, and workshops, as well as experience exhibited activations, to share and learn strategies that meaningfully pursue transportation equity.
The Contractor would support event planning efforts leading to the event, including facilitating payments to and liaising with vendors. The Summit Planning Team may also request support in sponsorship recruitment, material printing, and general event planning efforts as needed. The Summit Planning Team will also coordinate with the Contractor on the subcontractor assigned to lead the production and development for this event alongside DOT.
For more information on the Summit, visit: https://www.equityinmotionnyc.info/
Scope of Service
The following services will be provided by the Contractor – on an agreed upon deliverable basis – including, but not limited to:
Task 1. Event Production
On an annual basis, implement and/or manage the following services for the Programs:
1.1 Based on Activations with Sponsors and programming created by NYCDOT at agreed upon locations, creation of a comprehensive event production plan including, but not limited to: preparation of CAD drawings of the event rest
stops, submittal of permit applications to all city agencies for relevant production elements, signage plan, staffing plan, volunteer plan (including recruitment, coordination and management of a volunteer program), emergency plan (including recruitment of an emergency medical service provider), production schedules, and event participant and business survey and reporting plan;
1.2 On-site event management and production including, coordination and delivery of rental equipment including, but not limited to: sound systems for performers, platform stages, generators, tables, tents, chairs, etc., as well as other materials or equipment necessary to make the events successful, including: first aid kits, safety vests, clear streams and garbage cans, workout equipment, etc., in addition to the management of all event staff and volunteers;
1.3 Submittal of post event reports for the Programs; one brief summary after the first Summer Streets event held annually in July and August and one comprehensive recap after the final Summer Streets event; the contents of the comprehensive recap shall include, but not be limited to, an economic impact study and other data to be determined by
NYCDOT; one report after Car Free Earth Day;
1.4 Four months prior to Car Free Earth Day and six months prior to the first Summer Streets day, consult with NYCDOT and other City staff on, at a minimum, a biweekly basis including reporting on expected overtime hours, if any;
1.5 Submit invoices on a monthly basis including personnel and out-of-pocket costs with back-up, as well as and back-up information for Activations;
Task 2. Sponsorship
2.1 Solicit, secure and manage sponsorships, including title sponsor/s and lower tier sponsors, in support of large scale Activations and other activities that are part of the Programs, ensuring that all rest stops across the event route are actively programmed, preferably each with a signature activation that draws attention to a new audience;
2.2 Secure sponsorship dollars in a timely manner (e.g., within 2 – 4 months) prior to the start of a scheduled event, both Summer Streets and Car Free Earth Day, in order to provide NYCDOT and Contractor with adequate time to plan and produce the Programs;
2.3 Create and implement a sponsorship recruitment package consisting of a list of potential sponsors, general event decks, sponsorship tier structure and a general rate sheet with associated media assets;
2.4 Shall be responsible for the management and solicitation of sponsorships in support of the Programs. The Contractor shall not commence soliciting any sponsorship companies, on behalf of NYCDOT programs, without prior NYCDOT written authorization.
2.5 All sponsorship proceeds raised in support of the Programs shall be memorialized in fully enforceable agreements between the relevant sponsor(s) and the Contractor, which shall be in substantially the same format and contain substantially the same terms as contained in the Sample Sponsorship Agreement annexed hereto as Exhibit 1. No such sponsorship agreement entered into by the Contractor under the Contract shall be effective until NYCDOT has approved such agreement in writing. All agreements shall be submitted to NYCDOT when signed by the Contractor and the Sponsor including information about estimated Activation Costs.
2.6 All monies raised through sponsorships shall be placed in an escrow account with a reputable financial institution that shall also monitor and approve the disbursement of such funds. The Contractor shall be responsible for entering into the escrow/monitoring agreement subject to NYCDOT’s approval. At NYCDOT’s sole discretion, the sponsorship funds may be used for paying off the expenses of NYCDOT programs, the Contractor’s fees and sponsorship commission, if any. NYCDOT must also approve, in writing, any use of the sponsorship funds before they are disbursed from the escrow/monitoring agreement account.
Task 3. Marketing
3.1 Design and enhance production-ready marketing materials including, but not limited to: event signage, banners, postcards, stickers, posters, outreach flyers, and staff/volunteer t-shirts;
3.2 Create collateral that are attractive to people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and levels of physical ability in a minimum of three languages: English, Spanish, and Chinese;
3.3 Collaborate with NYCDOT on the creation and implementation of branding and marketing campaigns that reach target audiences as outlined by DOT on an annual basis, with an emphasis on media partnerships; leverage the City’s existing assets and local partnerships including, but not limited to: bike shelters, ferry posters, LinkNYC kiosks, Taxi TV, street pole banners, websites, and social media;
3.4 Facilitate paid advertising placements such as magazine and newspaper ads, television segments, and grassroots promotions;