Convention RFPs
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
THE AMERICAN BELL ASSOCIATION®
ANNUAL CONVENTION
Inquiries & Submissions
Please direct all inquiries to the Convention Hotel Coordinator at conventions@americanbell.org.
Please limit initial email proposals to a four-page attachment, text only with no images.
Correspondence via U.S.P.S. delivery should be addressed to Hotel Coordinator, American Bell Association, 3115 Chapel Hill Road, Columbia MO 65203.
General Requirements
- Cities with major airports; hotel shuttle; hotels with free parking and free WiFi; rooms preferred with coffee maker, microwave, and small refrigerator.
- Typical attendees reside: Central (40%), Eastern (30%), Southern (15%), Western (15%)
- Preferred time second half of June, will consider other weeks in June or July (no July 4).
- Pattern: Meetings on Tue-Fri or Wed-Sat (with 1 day of pre-convention tours)
Requirement Detail
Room Block
(assume 100 – 110 total attendees, 315 room nights)
Mixture of standard 1-King (~50%) and 2-Queen (~50%) rooms, including handicapped rooms, plus a few premium rooms and/or suites if available.
If breakfast is not normally included with rooms, please submit separate quotes for:
– rooms only for 1 or 2 persons occupancy, and
– rooms with breakfast included for 1 or 2 persons occupancy.
Please include current Banquet Menus, A/V and other equipment list of charges.
- Pre-convention (Sat-Sun-Mon) 15, 35, 45 \
- Meetings (Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri) 55, 55, 55, 50 > 315 room nights
- Post-convention (Sat) 5 /
- Pre-convention (Wed-Thu-Fri) and Post-convention (Sun-Mon-Tue) – Additional rooms at convention rate, if available these nights.
– – or – – - Pre-convention (Sun-Mon-Tue) 15, 35, 45 \
- Meetings (Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat) 55, 55, 55, 50 > 315 room nights
- Post-convention (Sun) 5 /
- Pre-convention (Thu-Fri-Sat) and Post-convention (Mon-Tue-Wed) – Additional rooms at convention rate, if available these nights.
Meals
- (Breakfast if included in room rate)
- Two lunches (~$20++ each), one dinner (~$30++), one banquet dinner (~$40++)
- Cash sandwiches & drinks, lunch concession on Day 3
- ROOMS ON 24-HOUR HOLD FOR ENTIRE EVENT, LOCKED WHEN NOT IN USE
Tentative Schedule
2 Days before event (Sunday or Monday, depending which schedule is followed)
- Registration 12 noon – 11 pm
- (2) 6’x30″ skirted tables and (4) chairs OR Event Registration Desk
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- Meet & Greet (tentative) ~7 pm – 8:30 pm, light buffet supper for ~60 persons
1 Day before event (Monday or Tuesday)
- Registration 8 am – 11 pm
- (2) 6’x30″ skirted tables and (4) chairs OR Event Registration Desk
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- Bell Room – (2,500 sq ft) Set up 6 pm – 11 pm
- (20) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (50) chairs
- BEHOLD (600 sq ft) Set up 6 pm – 11 pm
- (6) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (2) 6′ round tables
- (12) chairs
- (Bell Room & BEHOLD could be same large room)
- Executive Board 7 pm – 9 pm
- 12 persons conference style
Day 1 (Tuesday or Wednesday)
- Registration 8 am – 11 pm
- (2) 6’x30″ skirted tables and (4) chairs OR Event Registration Desk
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- Bell Room – (2,500 sq ft) 8 am – 11 pm
- (20) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (50) chairs
- BEHOLD (600 sq ft) 8 am – 11 pm
- (6) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (2) 6′ round tables
- (12) chairs
- Various meetings 8 am – 11 pm in two Boardrooms, each set for
- 12 persons conference style
- General Session – Welcome Reception 6 pm – 9 pm
- Theatre Style 140 persons
- Skirted head table (on risers for 8-10) with lighted podium & microphone, floor microphone, ABA banner on wall behind head table
- Large screen
- Water service
Day 2 (Wednesday or Thursday)
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- General Session – Opening Session & Programs 8 am – 4 pm (same room & set as Welcome Reception on Day 1)
- Theatre style 140 persons
- Skirted head table (on risers for 8-10) with lighted podium & microphone, floor microphone, ABA banner on wall behind head table
- Large screen
- Water service
- Luncheon (~12pm) & Dinner (~6pm) (separate room or space from General Sessions)
- Rounds of 8 or 10 for 120
- Lighted floor podium & microphone
- Bell Room – (2,500 sq ft) 8 am – 11 pm
- (20) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (50) chairs
- BEHOLD (600 sq ft) 8 am – 11 pm
- (6) 6’x30″ skirted tables
- (2) 6′ round tables
- (12) chairs
- Auction Preparation 4 pm – 11 pm (same room & set as Welcome Reception on Day 1, plus *additional requirements*)
- Theatre Style 140 persons
- Skirted head table (on risers for 8-10) with lighted podium & microphone, floor microphone, ABA banner on wall behind head table
- Large screen
- Water service
- *(24) 6’x30″ tables (no skirts)* \ *To be added
- *(8) chairs* – prior to
- *(1) tall barstool/chair on head table behind podium* / auction prep*
- Various meetings 8 am – 11 pm in two Boardrooms, each set for
- 12 persons conference style
Day 3 (Thursday or Friday)
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- Auction 8 am – 3 pm (same room & set as Welcome Reception on Day 1, plus *additional requirements*)
- Theatre Style 140 persons
- Skirted head table (on risers for 8-10) with lighted podium & microphone, floor microphone, ABA banner on wall behind head table
- Large screen
- Water service
- *(24) 6’x30″ tables (no skirts)* \ *To be removed
- *(8) chairs* – after end of
- *(1) tall barstool/chair on head table behind podium* / auction*
- Cash sandwiches/drinks concession 11 am – 1 pm (foyer or space near auction)
- Bell Room – (2,500 sq ft) 3 pm – 6 pm (Tear down 5 pm – 6 pm or Day 4 at 8 am – 9 am)
- BEHOLD (600 sq ft) 3 pm – 6 pm (Tear down 5 pm – 6 pm or Day 4 at 8 am – 9 am)
- No meetings today in the two Boardrooms
Day 4 (Friday or Saturday)
- Storage 8 am – 11 pm (coat room type)
- Bell Room & BEHOLD – Tear down 8 am – 9 am
- General Session – Business Meeting & Programs 8 am – 4 pm (same room & set as Welcome Reception on Day 1; Day 3 auction tables and chairs removed)
- Theatre Style 140 persons
- Skirted head table (on risers for 8-10) with lighted podium & microphone, floor microphone, ABA banner on wall behind head table
- Large screen
- Water service
- Luncheon (~12pm)
- Rounds of 8 or 10 for 120
- Lighted floor podium & microphone
- Executive Board 4 pm – 5 pm in one Boardroom, set for
- 12 persons conference style
- Cocktail reception 5:45 – 7:00 pm Ballroom Foyer
- 1 or 2 cash bar(s)
- cocktail rounds w/ chairs
- Banquet 7 pm – 11 pm (Use entire space from General Sessions & Meals)
- Rounds of 8, if possible, for 120
- Enlarge and re-center head table on risers with lighted podium & microphone, set for 20 – 24 (could be two-tiered – floor & one set of risers)
Day 5 (Saturday or Sunday)
- Storage 8 am – 12 pm (coat room type)
AMERICAN BELL ASSOCIATION CONCESSIONS
(all details to be included in contract)
Assume 315 room nights and 100 – 110 convention attendees, per RFP.
- Room pick-up @ 80%.
- One complimentary room for each 40 sold to be credited to master account.
- Room rates include Single, Double, Triple, Quad. (T/Q lightly used, 1-4 rooms).
- Sleeping room choice expected to be Doubles (50%) and Kings (50%).
- Reservations cut-off 3 weeks prior to convention.
- No penalty for checking out early or canceling reservation.
- Suite and Concierge floor group rates, if available.
- Current sales tax __________% Room tax __________%
- Complimentary large (Presidential?) suite for seven nights for ABA President.
- Complimentary room for seven nights for ABA Convention Chair.
- Two nights each – comp visit by President and Convention Chair prior to event.
- Preferred that basic room rate includes breakfast for 1 or 2 person occupancy, or quoted separately for rooms with and without breakfast.
- F&B: $____________++ two lunches, one dinner, one upgraded banquet dinner (vegetarian & diet-restriction meals available; no MSG.)
- Service charge locked __________% Current sales tax __________%
- Cash bar(s) for dinner and banquet Cost? $__________
- Cash concession Sandwich/Soft Drinks/Beer/Wine pricing for Auction meal.
- Hotel bar and restaurant purchases charged to room count toward Meal pick-up?
- Discount for hotel bars and restaurants?
- Free parking.
- Complimentary WiFi in sleeping rooms and meeting rooms.
- Two comp microphones for General Sessions room (1 floor and 1 podium.)
- One comp microphone for Meal Function room (1 floor or 1 podium.)
- No convention space rental or set-up charges.
- Use ABA projector and camera. Complimentary large screen?
- Any additional charges for A/V, room set-up, space rental, tables, chairs, skirting, risers, etc., must be included in hotel contract.
- Please include current Banquet Menus.
- Please include all miscellaneous costs and any additional Terms & Conditions.
- Shuttle to Airport? Distance? _____ miles Free? ___ or typical cost $______
Note: Contract signed by ABA Hotel Coordinator after review by ABA Legal Counsel andapproval by ABA Exec Board, so 10-day window for final offer before signature.
Include This Paragraph In Contract:
Cancellation Of Event By Hotel – If Hotel is unable to provide sleeping rooms, function space, meal functions, or any related services agreed to in this contract, such action would be harmful and would constitute a breach of Hotel’s obligations to American Bell Association (ABA) and its members. ABA would be entitled to liquidated damages relating to acquiring a comparable hotel. Damages to include travel expenses for hotel coordinator to find replacement hotel, costs difference in hotel and meals, function space, and other reasonable costs incurred.