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Commission directs staff to negotiate with top-ranked sports-marketing firm after tie in ranking
Summary
County commissioners heard presentations from three tourism-marketing firms and authorized staff to negotiate with the top-ranked firm (Racon Tours) and then the second-ranked firm if talks fail.
The Clay County Board of County Commissioners heard in-person presentations from three finalists for RFP 24251 — Airstream Ventures, Racon Tours, and 7 Lights — and instructed staff to negotiate a contract beginning with the top-ranked firm after commissioners completed a blind ranking.
The presentations described each firm’s sports-marketing and event-acquisition experience. Airstream Ventures emphasized four years of work in Clay County and said its staff handles client solicitation, site work and operations. Michael Costanza, CEO of 7 Lights, outlined a multichannel marketing plan called “Play and Clay.” Racon Tours’ presenter described expanding client relationships and owning a related sports-media outlet.
Following the three presentations, commissioners privately ranked the firms 1–3; the results produced a tie between Airstream Ventures and Racon Tours for top score. After discussion, the board broke the tie by re-ranking; the final board direction was to authorize county staff to negotiate with the board’s first-ranked firm, with instructions to proceed to the second-ranked firm if negotiations with the top firm cannot produce a contract. County staff said any negotiated contract will be brought back to the board for approval.
The board also clarified that trade-show attendance and trade-show representation were part of the scope of work cited in the RFP and that firms had included trade-show costs in their proposals to the county. Commissioners asked whether firms planned to attend conferences as part of the work; representatives said trade-show participation was included in their annual work and was typically funded through the firms’ proposals.
No formal procurement award was finalized at the meeting. Instead the board voted to allow staff to start negotiations with the top-ranked proposer and to attempt negotiations with the second-ranked proposer if a final agreement cannot be reached with the first choice. Commissioners who participated in the roll-call rankings included Scrummelo, Compier, Reniger, Vice Chair (name not specified) and the chair; staff recorded the final negotiating directive after the vote.
Quotes "We have developed organic events. In addition to going and getting USA Cycling or other events, we've created the Clay County Invitational Cross Country event," said Alan Verlina, Airstream Ventures, describing work the firm said it had created from scratch. "We are looking to bring more and more events."
