Request for Proposals New England Library Association s Annual Conference 2017-2018 - 2019 Organization Profile The mission of the New England Library Association is to provide educational and leadership opportunities for library staff in support of improved library services for the people of New England. To that end, the association (1) engages regionally in important discussions in the library profession, (2) encourages the exchange of ideas through a variety of formal and informal events and (3) collaborates regionally and nationally with allied organizations. NELA is a chapter of the American Library Association. Annual Meeting Profile NELA s Annual Conference typically draws a total attendance of approximately 600 people from across the New England region. The Annual Conference is held in mid to late October (but never over Halloween) and runs Sunday through Tuesday. An Exhibit Hall, attracting 80-100 vendors (mix of 8 X 10 booths and 8 X 2 tables), is held on Monday and Tuesday of the Annual Conference, which requires a minimum of 11,500K square feet of contiguous space. It is imperative that the Exhibit Hall is in one location (a convention center or large meeting room space within the hotel), and that all meeting rooms, including a dedicated office space for NELA staff, are in the same location as the Exhibit Hall. Location A convention/hotel conference center with a minimum of 140 sleeping rooms (allocated to NELA conference attendees) within walking distance is required. Ready access to mass transportation (air / rail) is a priority, though shuttle options will be considered. NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Lodging Requirements Guest Room Block Room Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Single 25 125 125 5 Staff 10 10 10 Suite 1 1 1 Rates Room Single Rate Double Rate Triple Rate Quad Rate Run of House Same Same +$10 to single rate +$20 to single rate Staff 10% below single rate above 10% below single rate above + $10 to single staff rate +$20 to single staff rate Suite COMP COMP COMP Complimentary Housing Requirements One (1) room for every 40 occupied. One (1) Executive Suite upgrade One (1) complimentary hotel night to be given to an attendee as a prize for our exhibit hall drawing Hotel Accommodations NELA s peak night room block should be for 125 rooms (minimum), with up to 50 additional rooms available. Actual room pickup is based on final conference schedule. Room pickup also includes exhibitors. NELA staff arrives on Saturday. Conference attendees will be responsible for making their own reservations directly with the hotel via online and by phone. NELA creates a Master Housing List for VIP s, Council members, and NELA staff. This Master Housing List will be sent directly to the hotel. NELA will not guarantee rooms reserved by conference attendees. Hotel Requirements Traditionally, one hotel is used to house all conference attendees, NELA staff, and exhibitors, as well as all Meeting Rooms and the Exhibit Hall. The hotel should be a full-service hotel. There should be complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access throughout the hotel. NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 2
Hotel Front Office Information Check-In Expect the heaviest check-ins on Sunday, followed by Monday. Be aware that many people on Sunday and Monday will want early check-in times. Check-Out On Tuesday, at the conclusion of the conference, expect requests for late check-outs (hotel to determine whether or not they can accommodate each request on an individual basis). NELA Staff rooms will check out either Monday or Tuesday. There must also be a locked, secure area to hold luggage and other items prior to check-in and after checkout times. NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 3
Convention Center/Hotel Requirements First Right of Refusal Due to the size and complexity of the NELA Annual Conference, we require first right of refusal on all space that is being held. Accounting/Billing Information Master Account is to be direct billed (please provide credit application) All Master Account charges are to be signed by NELA Conference Chair. NELA will provide a Master Housing list with Master Account billing instructions to the hotel. Meeting Room Rental should be free (based on food and beverage as well as sleeping room usage). Any NELA approved incidental charge can be billed to the Master Account. All food and beverage events are to be billed to the Master Account. Exhibit Hall Requirements It is imperative that NELA s drayage/decorator have access to the Exhibit Hall/Exhibit Hall floor at least 24 hours prior to the opening of the exhibits in order to set-up the space. The NELA Exhibit Hall requires a minimum of 11,500 sq. feet of unobstructed floor space. The Exhibit Hall must be housed in one facility. The Exhibit Hall must be housed in the same facility as the Meeting Rooms. Electricity should be available for all booth and table locations. Wireless and Hardwire Internet connections should be available for all booth and table locations. Exhibit hall must be able to be completely secured (locked doors / no air-walls). Booths measure 8 x 10. Tables measure 8 X 2. Audio Visual Equipment Requirements Master Account is to be direct billed (please provide credit application). The AV supplier will provide NELA with one free microphone per event/meeting at the conference. Due to the volume of AV equipment and labor used by NELA during the conference, the AV supplier will provide NELA with a 20% discount off current prices on all equipment and labor costs. All AV equipment will be billed to the Master Account. NELA may use either the hotel/convention center AV supplier or an outside company. Food and Beverage Requirements No two years food and beverage usage has been alike. The number and type of functions change from year to year. Basic functions can include: o Sunday night Annual Banquet (125-150 people) NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 4
o Monday President s Breakfast (25 people) o Two (2) Monday Lunches (125-150 people AND 250 275 people) o Exhibitor & Attendee Breakfast Buffet o One (1) Tuesday Lunch (350 375 people) NELA requires water stations in every room or strategically placed water coolers in the hallways at no additional cost. NELA requires water and glasses at each meeting s head table. NELA requests complimentary morning & afternoon refreshment breaks at the registration area. Meeting Room Requirements In the past, no two years room requirements have been the same. The number and type of rooms change from year to year. The size and set-up of the rooms can vary from 10 people conference-style to 400 people theatre-style. Typical breakout room requirements include: o One General Session Room (400 theatre style) o Breakout rooms (3 for 150 theatre, 2 for 100 theatre, 3 for 75 theatre, 3 for 50 theatre) All meeting rooms should have complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. The number of rooms necessary per concurrent session varies, with 7 to 9 being the norm. The room housing the NELA Office must be secure (no airwalls), capable of having the locks changed and is not to be entered by any facility staff after the daily close of the room. Transportation Requirements No two years transportation/shuttle bus usage has been alike. Transportation is often provided: o Between airport / train stations on peak travel days. o To the location of special events held off-property. Sample Schedule of Events In the past, no two years conference schedules have been exactly alike. The number and type of concurrent sessions change from year to year, as does the number and type of food and beverage functions. What follows is a rough schedule of events for the NELA Annual Conference. Saturday NELA Staff Check-In (One (1) Office Room/Meeting Room space needed) Sunday Exhibit Hall/Registration Area Set-Up by NELA selected Exhibitor Services Company Optional Vendor Set-Up Registration Opens 10:00am Concurrent Sessions starting at 11:00am NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 5
Keynote Session Afternoon Refreshment Break Concurrent Sessions Reception & Annual Banquet 6:00pm 9:00pm Monday Vendor Set-Up Registration Opens 8:00am President s Breakfast - 7:30am Concurrent Sessions starting at 9:00am Grand Opening of Exhibits with Refreshments - 10:30am Two (2) Luncheons 12:30pm 1:45pm Concurrent Sessions Afternoon Refreshment Break NELA Games & Reception 5:30pm 6:30pm Offsite dinner/dine around/bar crawl option 7:00pm - TBD Tuesday Exhibitor & Attendee Buffet Breakfast in Exhibit Hall 8:00am Registration Opens 8:00am Concurrent Sessions Morning Refreshment Break One (1) Luncheon - 12:30pm 1:45pm Exhibitor Breakdown - 2:00pm Concurrent Sessions ending at roughly 4:30pm NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 6
To submit a Proposal, please send the following information: From the Convention Center (if applicable): Dates of availability. Complete floor plan of the Convention Center. Sample floor plan of the Exhibit Hall and its capacities. Specification of the exact space being held listed by day. Sample contract with actual costs. Menus with actual prices. Information regarding unions working in the Exhibit Hall. From the Hotel: Dates of availability. Complete floor plan of the hotel. Sample floor plan of the Exhibit Hall and its capacities. Specification of the exact space being held listed by day. Sample contract with actual costs. Menus with actual prices. Committed sleeping rooms, specify breakdown according to room type. Costs of sleeping rooms (be sure to include the $8.00 per room per night rebate). Information regarding unions working in the hotels. Compensation policy (normally 1/40). From the CVB: A list of transportation (bus) companies. Information regarding unions working within the city. A city map (prefer walking map). A list of all hotels within walking distance of the convention center. Information on local attractions. The information described above should be sent to: Megan Bishop New England Library Association Events & Communications Coordinator www.nelib.org Email: rfp@nelib.org Conference call to field questions at 2:30pm on March 24th at 2:30pm. Email rfp@nelib.org for meeting log-on info. Proposal must be submitted by email to rfp@nelib.org no later than March 31, 2016. NELA 2017, 2018, 2019 CONFERENCE VENUE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 7