Bid Solicitation for Host Sites for the 2018, 2019
and 2020 National Charter Schools Conference
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Background ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Background about the Charter Movement................................................................................................... 3
Potential Host Cities ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Attendance.................................................................................................................................................... 4
Space Requirements ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Hotel Requirements ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Requested Dates ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Food and Beverage ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Facility Rental ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Accessibility ................................................................................................................................................... 7
On-site Transportation.................................................................................................................................. 7
Other Benefits to the Host City ..................................................................................................................... 8
Concessions................................................................................................................................................... 8
Selection Process .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Estimated Schedule....................................................................................................................................... 9
Submission Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 9
Submission Procedure ................................................................................................................................ 11
Appendix A: Schedule at-a-glance .............................................................................................................. 11
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
Bid Solicitation for Host Sites for the 2018, 2019
and 2020 National Charter Schools Conference
Introduction
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) hereby invites bid proposals
for host sites for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC).
Background
The National Alliance, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. hosts the NCSC
annually, usually in the ultimate or penultimate week of June. The NCSC was hosted by the U.S.
Department of Education from 2000 – 2005, and in 2006 the National Alliance became the host.
Past and Upcoming NCSC Sites
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Sacramento,
CA
Albuquerque,
NM
New
Orleans, LA
Washington,
DC
Chicago,
IL
Atlanta, GA
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Minneapolis,
MN
Washington,
DC
Las Vegas,
NV
New
Orleans, LA
Nashville,
TN
Washington,
DC
In recent years the NCSC has featured up to 144 breakout sessions, two general sessions, a
closing session, a welcome reception, VIP reception, and 2-4 tours of local charter schools over
the course of two and a half days. Recently, attendance has been between 3,500 and 4,800.
The NCSC’s events and programs are intended to feature the host site and its unique culture,
charter school community, most critical charter school issues, and highest performing schools.
Our attendees are teachers, school leaders (principals, deans), administrators, specialists (IT,
ELL, reading), school board members, policymakers, and people from the general education
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
reform movement. Many of these attendees have to make a case to attend to their school
boards and are very price-conscious. School board positions are all on a volunteer basis, and
school board members who attend our conference pay out of pocket to come. Our attendees
work extremely hard during the school year—charter school people are known for working a
longer school day and filling more positions than their traditional school counterparts—and like
to have a good time. They are a fun crowd.
More information about the National Alliance and the NCSC can be found on their websites:
http://www.publiccharters.org and http://www.publiccharters.org/conference, respectively.
Background about the Charter School Movement
Charter schools are independent public schools allowed freedom to be more innovative, while
being held accountable for improved student achievement. They foster a partnership between
parents, teachers and students to create an environment in which parents can be more
involved, teachers are given the freedom to innovate and students are provided the structure
they need to learn, with all three held accountable for improved student achievement.
Quick facts:
 Charter schools can operate in 42 states as well as the District of Columbia.
 There are 6,440 charter schools operating this year serving more than 2.5 million
students.
 Unlike traditional public schools where the decision-making power lies with the school
district, charter schools have 100% control of the budget for their school site. As a
result, charter schools operate much like small businesses – principals are free to work
with any vendor they choose.
 The number of charter schools across the country increased by 7.3% this academic year
alone.
Potential Host Cities
The National Alliance has identified the following list of potential NCSC host sites and is
contacting the sites’ Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to obtain site information,
availability and general pricing of the convention and hotel facilities on the desired conference
dates. The sites have been identified in part based on their appeal as a conference/tourism
destination (including site accessibility, convention and hotel facilities, attractions, etc.) and
their appeal as a charter school state (including the number of charter schools in the
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
state/region, the current charter laws and issues, state charter schools’ academic performance,
etc.). The following list is in no particular order.

Atlanta, GA

Austin, TX

Boston, MA

Charlotte, NC

Chicago, IL

Cincinnati, OH

Cleveland, OH

Columbus, OH

Denver, CO

Houston, TX

Los Angeles, CA

Las Vegas, NV

Miami, FL

Orlando, FL

Portland, OR

Seattle, WA

Tampa Bay, FL
Host Site Bids may be submitted for multiple years, but no site will be repeated in any 5 year
cycle, excluding Washington, DC. Submitted proposals will be evaluated in relation to a number
of site selection criteria including the following unordered priorities:






NCSC fiscal sustainability
Site accessibility, attractiveness, convenience, and relevance
Conference, exhibit and hotel availability, affordability (including ability to gain sales tax
exemption), food and beverage costs, and convenience
Site and regional charter school environment
Geographic and national balance regarding previous and proposed future conferences
Support from CVB for city marketing and customer service, including providing
competitive convention center and hotel package
Attendance
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
3,212
3,593
4,419
4,147
3,544
4,191
4,834
Our attendance numbers are closely tied to the budgets of schools and to the rate of charter
school growth. While budgets were significantly hurt over the past few years across the board,
the increase in the number of charter schools helped our numbers remain reasonably stable. As
the sector continues to grow, we expect attendance to likewise increase. Thus we project that
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
attendance will continue to reach between 4,500 and 5,000 over the period between 2018 and
2020, as it did in 2014.
Space Requirements
 150,000+ sq. ft. exhibit hall space
 30-35 meeting rooms
 Theater or ballroom with theater-style seating for 4,000+ for general sessions
 2.5 days for the conference
 2-3 days move in
 1-2 days move out
Hotel Requirements
Historic Hotel Data
2009
Washington,
DC
2010
Chicago ,
IL
2011
Atlanta,
GA
2012
Minneapolis,
MN
2013
Washington,
DC
2014
Las
Vegas,
NV
Peak
Rooms
1,300
1,550
1,422
1,283
1,343
1,533
Total
Rooms
4,458
5,185
4,457
3,782
4,334
4,830
Price
$135-$165
$189-$199
$159-$169
$174-$189
$179-$289
$149
Pickup
90%
81%
99%
76%
95%
100%
In the past we have had a multi-year contract with the Hyatt hotels, and have also worked with
Hilton, Westin, Omni and Marriott brands, to name a few. In the past few years, we have made
a concerted effort to provide our attendees with a more economic option within our block,
adding contracts with brands like Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Doubletree, and Courtyard to
our block. We usually do not work with high-end or boutique hotels. We prefer to book one
hotel as our conference headquarters and then provide two or three other options for our
attendees, but have used a variety of different setups in the past and are willing to explore
other possibilities. We are also looking to include meeting space in our agreement with our
headquarter hotel.
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
Historically our peak hotel number has been about 30% of our expected attendance. We may
consider increasing that to 40% for future conferences, but not higher. Affordability is of great
importance; we would like our main hotel to have prices no greater than $169. We always
include a 10% room rebate in our calculations and we are very interested in booking multi-year
contracts with hotels that meet our requirements. 70% attrition is required by our board of
directors. We are open to large multi-brand contracts with one hotel chain, spanning multiple
years and cities, if large cost savings can be demonstrated.
Room nights should approximately align to the following pattern:
3 days
before
.25%
2 Days
before
1%
Day before
6-7%
Day 1
32%
Day 2
33%
Day 3
26%
Days 4,5
1-2%
All hotel reservations should be transacted directly between the hotel and the attendees. We
usually offer the conference rate to our attendees three days before and after peak nights, and
we expect cancellation clauses to be reasonable.
Requested Dates
2018
2019
2020
First Choice Week
June 10-16
June 23-29
June 21-27
Alternate Week
June 17-23
June 16-22
June 14-20
Our conference is 2.5 days with the final day being the half day. The welcome reception occurs
on the night proceeding the first day of the conference, and that is also our exhibitor move-in
day and the second or third day of general show load-in.1 Our conference dates should abut a
weekend. Generally, we prefer the welcome reception to be on a Sunday night, meaning the
final half-day of the conference would be Wednesday, but would also consider a conference
schedule that runs Wednesday – Friday, with the welcome reception taking place on Tuesday
evening. We would consider mid-week options if a cost savings could be demonstrated. Also
please note that whatever day the conference is set to start, most attendees will arrive the day
before for the welcome reception. Thus our first peak night for a hotel should be the day before
1
Please see Appendix A for a sample schedule.
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
the official first day of the conference.
Food and Beverage
We have generally provided our attendees with lunch on the two full days, occasionally snack
and coffee breaks in the afternoon, and a happy hour with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the
exhibit hall. In 2012 we spent approximately $185,000 on food and beverage; in 2013 we spent
$390,000; in 2014 we spent $310,000. As our conference evolves we expect to shift our focus
and provide fewer meals for our attendees on-site. As a result, we will expect food and
beverage minimums not to exceed $250,000—$300,000 in these proposals. Our attendees
prefer to dine on-site when facilities are available.
Facility Rental
Our facility rental fees have been trending downwards as the conference has grown. After
rental credits we expect costs to continue to drop for the convention center rental.
Affordability is an extremely important factor when selecting a host site, both for us and our
attendees. Additionally, many of our attendees do stay outside of our block, and that combined
with the numerous ICWs which occur in conjunction with each conference should be taken into
account.
Accessibility
Accessibility of the city is of major importance to the conference. This means not only proximity
of the state to other charter-friendly states, but distance to the airport and number of flights in
and out of the airport on a daily basis. Additionally, we plan to take cost of those flights into
account when selecting a city, as ease of access has a significant impact on our attendee
numbers.
On-site Transportation
When hotels have been a half-mile or further from the convention center, or when the summer
weather has been predicted to be too hot for outdoor activity, the NCSC has provided shuttle
services for attendees to get to the conference. The NCSC generally uses a national
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
transportation company to provide logistical assistance and has always gotten its vehicles and
drivers from a local company. When transportation has been required due to a great distance
between hotel and convention center, we have received a transportation rebate from the hotel
to subsidize the extra cost.
Other Benefits to the Host City
The NCSC always brings several other major events with it to the host city. Oftentimes there is a
preconference for a smaller group of people who do tours of local charter schools and meet
with local businesses. The welcome event is an off-site reception for 1,500-2,000 with food and
beverage as well as a venue rental. The NCSC also hosts a VIP reception for a select group of
guests (up to 350) in a rented facility, and various vendors, organizations and large school
networks often host meals and parties in conjunction with the conference. Las Vegas saw 40+
such gatherings in 2014.
Concessions
The National Alliance requests the following concessions to be considered for the proposed
contracts:
Must-haves:
1. 10-12% rebate on actualized guest room revenue
2. Discount on all in-house A/V and catering services
3. Reduced rates for staff rooms
4. Ability to use an outside A/V vendor without surcharge
5. Complimentary Wi-Fi in convention center and for conference attendees at hotels
Would like:
1. Complimentary room ratios of 40:1
2. Guarantee that hotel rates will not increase more than 3% per year over the
contracted rate
3. 5 Complimentary VIP suites at headquarter hotel
4. 70% attrition and slippage rates
5. Complimentary site inspections, including housing and airfare both before and after
site selection
6. Extension of group rate three days before and after contracted dates, based on
availability
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7.
8.
9.
Room block cut-off date no earlier than three weeks prior to contracted dates
Complimentary podium with microphone and light in each meeting room per day
Complimentary meeting room space in the headquarter and possibly one other
hotel
Selection Process
Further site information may be requested by the National Alliance Site Selection Committee
and site visits will be conducted as part of the final selection process.
The Host Site Bids (solicited September 5) are due by 5:00pm EDT September 26, 2014
The National Alliance Site Selection Committee will consider: the bid proposals submitted by
the sites’ Convention and Visitors Bureaus and any input provided by polling past NCSC
attendees.
Estimated Schedule
Request for Proposals Sent Out
September 5, 2014
Proposals Due
September 26, 2014
Review of Proposals
September 29, 2014 – May 31,
2015
Sites Notified of Decision
Estimated: May 31, 2015
Contracting Process (for 2018 site)
July – December, 2015
The National Alliance Site Selection Committee plans to identify the desired host sites for the
2018, 2019 and 2020 NCSC no later than May 31, 2015. The National Alliance reserves the right
to delay finalizing the site selection and contracting the 2018, 2019 and 2020 sites based upon
its own planning and fiscal needs. No final site selection will be made until a site visit has been
conducted by National Alliance staff. We will likely only execute a letter of agreement with the
convention center in the timeline outlined above; hotels may not be contracted until a later
date.
Submission Requirements
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
Please provide this information in the following order:
1.
Name of the organization submitting the bid.
2.
Contact person(s), address, telephone numbers, email addresses.
3.
Proposed host city
4.
Preferred year and rationale- explain why the NCSC should be held in a proposed site in a
particular year
5.
Date availability
6.
General information about proposed city
7.
Accessibility- distance to nearest airport(s), number of flights daily in/out of airports, list
of cities with direct flights in/out of airport, regional rail accessibility, driving distance to
other charter school states
8.
Convention center facilities- including proposed space and maps, rental rate, F&B
minimum, proximity to other amenities, labor, etc.
9.
Convention center catering menu (please include pricing for 1 gallon of coffee and a box
lunch) and expected pricing changes
10.
Description of sales tax-exempt status benefits for non-profit organizations
(food/beverage, labor, hotel rooms etc.), application process and ways in which CVB will
assist the National Alliance obtain sales tax-exempt status in host state
11.
Description of any non-standard fees and taxes including but not limited to: labor
costs/unionized labor, rigging expenses, liquor taxes, and required in-house vendors
12.
Hotels- including which hotels are to be used, size of room blocks at hotels, conference
rate, staff rate, distance from hotels to convention center property and any other relevant
information
13.
Local venues- highlight venues of note to be used for the welcome reception, VIP
reception and other meetings
14.
Tourism- activities which would attract attendees to host city
15.
Potential local funding sources for sponsorship
16.
Three references for non-profit organizations or associations of a similar size which have
conducted events in host convention center in the past three years
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
17.
Other information of relevance
Submission Procedure
The bid proposal body should not exceed twenty pages. Supporting documents can be included
as an appendix. Please send proposals electronically to the National Alliance Conference
Services team at [email protected] and mail four printed copies to:
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
c/o Conference Services
1101 15th Street, NW
Suite 1010
Washington, DC 20005
Submissions are due by September 26, 2014 at 5 PM EDT.
Please submit all questions to our national sales representatives. We will compile all questions
and post answers to them at http://www.publiccharters.org/ncsc-site-selection. We will also
have extra copies of all RFPs posted there. Please check the website before sending in
questions to make sure that it has not already been answered. Additionally, any updates or
news will be posted on that site, so we encourage you to check it regularly. We strongly
discourage contacting the National Alliance Site Selection Committee or staff outside of the
above process.
Appendix A: Schedule at-a-glance
From 2014
Saturday, June 28
6:00 a.m.
Load-in begins
Sunday, June 29
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pre-conference
9:00 a.m.
Exhibitor load-in begins
9:00 a.m.
Exhibitor and Staff Registration Opens
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Registration Open
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception (usually offsite)
Monday, June 30
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration Open
8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Peer-to-Peer Networking Breakfasts
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
General Session I
10:45 a.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Open
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session #1
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lunch in exhibit hall and Exhibits
2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Session #2
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Afternoon Break/Snack in exhibit hall
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Breakout Session #3
5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Happy Hour/Networking Reception in exhibit hall
Dinner on own
Tuesday, July 1
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration Open
8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Peer-to-Peer Networking Breakfasts
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
General Session II
10:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Open
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session #4
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Lunch in exhibit hall and Exhibits
3:00 p.m.
Exhibit hall load out begins
2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Session #5
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Site Solicitation for NCSC
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Breakout Session #6
5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
State Meetings
Dinner on own
Wednesday, July 2
8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Peer-to-Peer Networking Breakfasts
9:00 a.m.
Decorator load out (cont.)
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Breakout Session #7
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Closing Session
9:00 a.m.
Exhibitor load-out
12:00 p.m.
General load-out begins
Attendees depart
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