Tillamook County Economic & Small Business Development Council
Requests a Proposal
For the Development of:
“A Tourism Development and Brand Strategy for Tillamook County”
1. Request:
The Tillamook Economic & Small Business Development Council (EDC) is inviting proposals from qualified consulting firms for the creation of a Tourism Development and Brand Strategy for the County of Tillamook Oregon.
2. Deadline for Proposals:
Proposals are due by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014. Proposals are to be submitted via email as a Word document and also a PDF document to Tillamook Bay Community College attention Sheryl Vanselow. .
3: Tourism Advisory Council (TAC): The Tourism Development Strategy will be developed under the auspices of the EDC to become a guideline for the EDC and also the soon to be formed, Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC) and eventually the Tourism Director (to be hired).
4: The Tillamook Tourism Development and Brand Strategy proposal shall include:
a. A Scope of Work:
The overall objectives of the strategy are to increase economic development and employment opportunities within the County.
The EDC requests that a consultative approach be adopted for the preparation of the Tourism Development and Branding Strategy document.
The Scope of Work is as follows, but we also would review qualified recommendations from respondents to this RFP:
1. To provide a clear understanding of the County’s present visitor/tourism situation and the potential visitor/tourism possibilities
2. Establishing a strong, distinctive brand identity for Tillamook County as an attractive visitor destination
3. Enhancing the tourism infrastructure, services and experiences for visitors
4. Building the capacity of local organizations in regards to tourism
5. Increasing the number of visitors
6. Increasing the length of stay of visitors
7. Increasing the average amount of visitor expenditures
b) Research and Consultation:
The Consultant should examine all available research relevant to tourism in Tillamook County and Oregon. This should be supplemented with, but not limited to:
· A survey of local residents
· Interviews and engagement with key stakeholders
· Workshops or focus groups with local stakeholders
· Customer interviews or surveys
· Competitor research and analysis
c) Tourism Asset Mapping:
To undertake a Tourism Asset Mapping process to identify the County’s present and potential tourism assets. This audit should identify and prioritize the County’s best and most marketable tourism assets, particularly those that will be important to the tourism and branding strategies, as well as future priorities for investment and product development initiatives.
d) Tourism Development Plan:
1. Conduct a thorough Destination Audit that includes input from the Tourism Asset Mapping, but also includes a review of attractions and strengths, the scope and elements of the local tourism sector, competitors, current visitation rates and performance.
2. Provide a clear understanding of the County’s present visitor/tourism situation and the potential for the future.
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis to determine: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
4. Identify target markets, objectives and goals
5. Arising from this work, make recommendations relative to branding, infrastructure development, product development, marketing, tourism management and other issues the Consultant may consider appropriate.
6. Recommend programs for the development of tourism through collaboration and partnerships between Tillamook County and other Oregon destination marketing organizations and relevant government, non-profit and business entities.
e. Brand Strategy:
Develop a brand strategy to be incorporated into the overall tourism strategy and which differentiates and positions Tillamook County as an attractive visitor destination. This brand strategy should include:
· Community, stakeholder, competitor and customer research
· Positioning and brand platform elements
· Logo design
· Tagline or slogan (if required)
· Recommendation of typefaces and color palette
· Key messaging and brand story
· Examples of the use of brand design in various marketing materials
· Recommendations for deployment of the brand in marketing programs
· Create style guidelines for the correct use of the brand
f. Draft of Final Document:
The final document draft should have the consensus support of the EDC and the TAC, if not all, certainly a majority of its members. The draft document would then be presented to the County Commissioners by the Consultants and the EDC and Chair of the TAC as a recommendation for adoption.
g. Length of Time for Completion:
It is estimated that the completed document should take four to six months from start to completion (August 31st, 2014), however, we would like the respondents to the RFP to give their estimates of how much of the total project can be completed in that length of time. If the completed project in the respondents estimate cannot be completed, how much additional time would be required.
5. Submittal Requirements:
The proposal should be organized to include the following information in the following order:
1. A signed cover letter stating the proposer’s desire to make an offer.
2. Consultant name, address and specialty of the firm. Include the same for any sub-consultants included in the proposal. Provide a contact person for each.
3. Names and relative experience of each individual who will be assigned, the total resource allocation to be charged to the project; and resumes showing relevant experience. Please identify the proposed project manager.
4. Provide two references for each firm/person listed in the proposal, including name, email address and telephone number for one direct contact person for each reference.
5. Work plan explaining how the consultant intends to address all of the tasks listed in the Scope of Work along with milestones and deliverables. Proposers are encouraged to suggest modifications or additions to the scope, but the proposal should at least address all of the tasks defined below:
Specific items to consider addressing include:
a) Articulate your understanding of the project and requested tasks and activities based on existing information.
b) Discuss the approach your firm will use to perform the tasks and activities identified in the scope of work.
c) Demonstrate your firm’s experience gathering data through interviews and focus groups.
d) Identify factors to consider in developing a Tourism Development Strategy; provide rationale and/or site source references and, where possible, give examples of similar projects completed.
e) Discuss how you would ensure key stakeholders are engaged in this project.
f) Propose a schedule showing tasks and time frames required to complete the requested scope of service.
g) The estimated deadline for completion of the contract will be August 31, 2014. However, we rely on the respondents to the RFP to give an indication as to how much of the total project can be completed in that time frame and what their estimate of the time of the project would be.
6. Cost estimates for completing the scope of work. Include billable rates, also known as “Consultant’s Rate Schedule” for staff the respondent proposes to work on the project. Suggested additions or modifications to the scope should be budgeted separately as adding or deducts.
7. Review Process
All written proposals must be received by the deadline of 5pm March 12th to be eligible for review. A short list of finalists will be invited to interview, after the written proposals have been reviewed.
The TAC is aiming at a start date of April 2nd 2014. All vendors for this RFP should be able to begin work by that date. Any time conflicts of interest during the work period should be enunciated in the proposal.
8: Scoring:
Criteria for review:
Relevant Experience / Demonstrated Results of Consultant: Proposal team’s experience and success with developing strategic tourism plans for other communities.
Scope of Work: Quality and creativity of the proposal and points addressed in scope of work, and likelihood of achieving program objectives within target time frames.
Qualifications of Personnel: Prior experiences and work-products of consultant team members and how relevance to this project.
Cost Effectiveness: The maximum services are provided in relation to the fee charged and value of the overall project; the budget is reasonable and appropriate.
The EDC/TBCC reserves the right to award a single contract or multiple contracts in the best interest of the EDC. The EDC also reserves the right to seek clarifications of each proposal.
10. Key Dates and Actions:
1. Proposals must be in by 5:00 pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 12th, 2014. No submissions will be accepted after this time. Proposals will be submitted via email as a Word document and also a PDF to TBCC at:
2. The EDC will have reviewed all submissions by March 17th to 19th and notified those on the short list.
3. EDC will invite successful candidates for a personal interview either by VOIP or in person on or around March 21st.
4. EDC will select finalist for the project March 25th to begin work on or around April 2nd 2014.
Point of contact for questions:
John Hope-Johnstone CTC
Tillamook County Tourism Project Manager
2936 NW 13th Place
Corvallis OR 97330
541-829-0037
Email:
Please send responses to Tillamook Bay Community College:
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