Event Planner

Posted 2 years ago

Child Care Services Association’s 50th Anniversary Event

OVERVIEW:

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by Child Care Services Association (CCSA). The purpose of this RFP is to establish a contract with a qualified event planner to work with the Development and Communications Department to manage the execution of CCSA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2024, including concept development, planning, assisting with sponsorships, overall event management logistics including the day-of event coordination, budget management, programming, implementation and analysis.

For more detailed information, note below the Scope of Work.

ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:

Founded in 1974, the mission of Child Care Services Association (CCSA) is to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for all young children and their families. Using a holistic approach, CCSA supports children and families, helps child care professionals improve the quality of early education children receive and ensures all families can afford and access the high-quality early care and education that is so important for a child’s early development. Through its Meal Services Program, CCSA also provides nutritious meals to children at child care centers, where they may eat 50-100 percent of their meals. Our T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Scholarship Program, Child Care WAGE$® and Infant-Toddler Educator AWARD$® programs give child care professionals the means to obtain an education and supplement their salary based on that education. CCSA also licenses T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ across the U.S. and conducts early childhood systems research and policy development statewide and nationally. For more information, visit www.childcareservices.org.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

CCSA is seeking a professional event planner to successfully create and implement a celebration to recognize the organization’s 50th anniversary. CCSA staff, members of the CCSA Board of Directors and an Anniversary Celebration Committee will determine an attendance goal.

Our aim is to celebrate 50 years of CCSA, highlighting our organization and its work with and on behalf of children, families and early childhood educators, increasing net revenues and having a memorable event enjoyed by our supporters and guests. CCSA staff, members of the CCSA Board of Directors/Anniversary Committee will determine an income goal for the celebration. In order to accomplish this, we are seeking the assistance of a professional event planner, who is a strong leader that can work with the 50th Anniversary Committee, volunteers, CCSA staff, any speakers at the event, and any event vendors.

Vision for the gala: CCSA has local, statewide and national programs and services. CCSA wishes to deliver a sophisticated event that will generate an additional revenue stream for CCSA, celebrate 50 years in all of its forms and recognize the contributions of communities in our work.

The celebration will feature a dinner, silent auction and the announcement of the winner of an art contest for young children attending child care programs.

SCOPE OF WORK

To realize the above, CCSA seeks an innovative event planner to provide the following services:

General Management

  • Participate in monthly 50th Anniversary Planning Committee Meetings and assist with any necessary sub-committees
  • Support Planning Committee activities, including assistance in developing a timeline and work plan
  • Assist in the development of a final event budget
  • Assist with vendor identification, negotiating and contracting

Celebration/Event Management

  • Work with CCSA staff to manage and coordinate general event logistics, including catering, venue coordination, contracts, staging, entertainment, floor plans, seating plans, décor, volunteers and staffing, technical equipment, presentations, emcee, protocol management of VIP guests and dignitaries and any other relevant tasks as required.
  • Coordinating with the speaker and their personnel, if needed, on any promotion/PR activities that they may provide
  • Develop and manage volunteer duties, program, meeting and training.
  • Submit a post-event evaluation report with recommendations to CCSA.
  • Other duties as assigned, agreed by both parties.

Event Marketing

  • Assist with implementation of marketing and communication plan
  • Ensure timely execution of all creative materials associated with the event
    • This includes invitation, letters, tickets, pledge forms, press kits, press materials, table signs, sponsor signage, advertising materials, etc.

Registration Management

  • Registration
    • Work with CCSA staff for ticketing/day-of nametags, including printing and day-of set-up
  • Sponsorship Follow-up
    • Help CCSA Development and Communication staff develop a sponsorship fulfillment plan
    • Help CCSA Development and Communication staff track the fulfillment of sponsors’ benefits – logo inclusion, signage, attendee names, etc.

Day(s)-of Celebration

Supervise all aspects of the celebration and manage the logistics, onsite supervision of the event as mentioned in event management above.

Other

Meet regularly as required with the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee Chair and CCSA’s Director of Development and Communications to provide updates on progress, issues, resources and budget matters.

Request for Proposal Process

This RFP represents the opportunity to be involved in the delivery of CCSA’s 50th Anniversary celebration to be held in 2024.

CCSA will negotiate a contractual agreement with the preferred consultant. By responding to the RFP, the applicant understands that they will be fully responsible for meeting the requirements of the RFP and will ask and execute the necessary tasks to make sure that the event is successfully completed. CCSA has the right to accept or reject any and all submissions/responses to this RFP in whole or in part.

Note that the information in this RFP represents the vision of CCSA 50th Anniversary Celebration at this time and is subject to change as the project evolves.

Questions: Participants may ask questions about the RFP by sending them in writing via email to Kara Shultz, karas@childcareservices.org. Participants are asked NOT to contact any 50th Anniversary Committee or board members involved with CCSA.

Confidentiality: All submissions will be treated as confidential between CCSA and each participant. CCSA will not disclose RFP contents to other participants or the general public. CCSA reserves the right to discuss submissions with consultants and related parties.

Contractual status: CCSA is not bound to accept any RFP. Participants should be aware that no contractual relationship with CCSA will arise upon submission to the RFP. All submissions become the property of CCSA.

All applicants must submit the following information:

  • Name and # of employees.
  • Address
  • Short description of work history in planning fundraising events/galas
  • Description of event planning services offered.
  • Two (2) professional references, including contact information.
  • Two (2) event references (including a description) for events of similar size/type that the event planner has coordinated.
  • Brief list of ideas for CCSA’s 50th Anniversary celebration
  • Explanation and listing of all costs and fees applicant proposes to charge for event planning services.
  • If coordinating other events in North Carolina’s Triangle region, please address any conflict of interest related to the other events.

RFP SCHEDULE

Respondents must submit the proposal electronically to Kara Shultz, karas@childcareservices.org.

Proposals must be received by CCSA (via email only) no later than 5 p.m. on September 16, 2022. Proposals will not be publicly read at the opening. No proposals will be accepted after that time. Responses received after the stated time will not be considered.

This schedule of events represents CCSA’S best estimate of the schedule that will be followed for this RFP. If a component of this schedule such as the deadline for receipt of proposals is delayed, the rest of the schedule will be shifted by the same number of days. The approximate RFP schedule is as follows:

RFP issued: August 17, 2022

Proposals due: September 16, 2022

Review of Proposals: September 19-23, 2022

Interviews will likely take place September 28, 2022 (PLEASE HOLD)

Intent to Award Contract: October 5, 2022