Request for Proposals: 2023 Summit Event Planning Services

In 2019, our community convened at the inaugural St. Louis Racial Equity Summit. Over five hundred individuals came together across one-and-a-half days to grapple with the state of our region, share their knowledge and to start or continue on their journey towards the #STL2039 vision. This vision imagines a future for St. Louis where, in the generation following the murder of Michael Brown, our region achieves Racial Equity. In 2021, the Summit grew to two full days and moved to a virtual platform, hosting more than 900 attendees from across the globe. 
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The 2023 St. Louis Racial Equity Summit serves to build on the momentum of past events, while expanding the reach and approach of the event. One of the first decisions to be made upon selection of an Event Planning Consultant is whether the 2023 Summit will take place in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.

A. Internal Support & Planning: Coordinate meetings of the Steering Committing by preparing agendas, co-facilitating, and keeping track of action items. Map an event development and implementation plan and keep the committee aligned to the overall planning timeline. Lay out key decisions for the Steering Committee and support timely decision-making as appropriate.
 

B. Conference Venue & Format: Assist the Committee to navigate final event venue and format decisions, providing relevant expertise and conducting outreach to necessary vendors. Coordinate communications with vendors ahead of Summit, proactively engaging the Steering Committee to make decisions. Engage with the Steering Committee and the Community Advisory Committee to field applications for speakers and support the selection process. Coordinating and tracking scheduling of speakers during the Summit.
 

C. Registration: Facilitate the Steering Committee to set registration goals, target timelines. Adapt registration pricing and scholarship structure from previous iterations, making any necessary improvements. Assist with marketing and communications documents to reflect 2023 goals and approach.
 

D. Day-of Coordination: Prepare committees and volunteers for necessary day-of roles. Serve as on-site lead coordinator during the Summit, directing and engaging steering committee members for a successful, smooth, and effective event. Create triage structure for any last minute changes or decisions.
 

E. Other Duties: 

• Coordinate communication with keynote speaker representatives.

• Track fundraising operations (to be planned and implemented by the Steering Committee and/or an additional consultant)

• Coordinate with designated Steering Committee member in charge of the budget, fiscal sponsor, and payment schedule.

• Assist Steering Committee in post-Summit activities including evaluation, debrief, vendor closeout, etc. 

We hope to work with event planners who have experience coordinating large events — especially during COVID-19 precautionary times, with a strong understanding of the relative needs and infrastructure for in-person versus hybrid versus virtual-only events. The event planner(s) should have a solid social and racial justice perspective with some experience working with and facilitating decision-making in a committee structure.

Each response to the RFP must include the following information:
 

1. Legal Business Name(s); year(s) of incorporation; # of employees/partners
    

2. Brief, relevant professional history of each team member assigned to this project and their role on the project team
    

3. A response to the Eligibility Requirements set forth above
    

4. Approach to conference and event planning
    

5. A detailed project budget, including anticipated hourly cost of services for potential needs beyond original scope of work.
    

6. Projected timeline for key event planning activities for the Summit (see Appendix A)
    

7. Examples of past events produced, including number of attendees, length of event, location/format of event, target audience, and primary planning responsibilities
    

8. Any relevant visual aids such as photos, event flyers and/or press coverage
    

9. Statement agreeing to sign a one year contract (2022-2023)

All vendors must agree to keep the quoted pricing in their proposals until December 1,
2022. The proposal shall list the vendor’s fee for completion of the planning requirements. The Committee will work with the selected vendor to determine an appropriate pay schedule that meets the needs of all parties. If the vendor doesn’t meet the expectations of the Committee, the vendor will be notified and the contract shall be canceled with no expectation of renewal or additional payments. Pricing adjustments may be considered should circumstances require significant changes to be made to the original scope of work.

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The Steering Committee currently has the resources to extend a $60,000 - $90,000 contract to one firm or project team to meet the needs of the 2023 Racial Equity Summit planning and implementation. It is expected that the budget listed covers all expenses required to complete the scope of work. We are open to multi-firm collaborations as long as there is a defined plan for efficient coordination. If a firm is interested in working with the Planning Committee but cannot complete this scope of work in that budget, they are encouraged to submit a response with a budget range they would be willing to commit to so the Planning Committee can evaluate all possibilities, and consider what balance of time, funds, expertise and other factors will best serve our needs.