RFP Event Planner/Manager

Wheaton Arts Parade (WAP) is seeking the services of an event planner/manager to work with WAP to produce the 7th Annual Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival on October 15, 2023.

WAP will provide site plans and manage registration, including the identification of vendors, exhibitors, performers, parade participants, and volunteers. Contractor will manage all logistical aspects related to (1) the parade, (2) the festival art vendors, exhibitors and food/beverage vendors, and (3) the festival entertainment.

Wheaton Arts Parade will pay a fee of up to $30,000 for these services. Wheaton Arts Parade will manage additional contracts for sound, power, toilets, tents and stages.

Parade Management Tasks:

• work with Client to develop a parade order of appearance and instructions to participants (based on previous year’s instructions.)
• work with Client to assign assembly locations for parade participants and floats
• notify participants of their parade order, assembly locations and arrival procedures
• work with participants to get a brief “script” for the master of ceremonies to read when they reach the reviewing stand
• coordinate volunteers to move floats from storage area to their staging places
• manage arrival & check-in and direct parade participants to their assembly locations
• secure a place in the VIP assembly area for art to be placed for VIPs to carry and assign a volunteer to watch over the art.
• greet VIP participants at the designated location and ensure they have art to carry.
• identify the artist of each piece carried by a VIP and provide that name to the Grandview Stage Manager so it can be read when the VIP passes the reviewing stand. 
• coordinate volunteers to assist paraders and pull floats as needed, including positioning volunteers at critical locations along the parade route.
• manage the entrance of participants and floats their assembly places into the parade column so that they are in the order written in the program
• work with Client to identify places for floats to be located after the parade and during the festival and coordinate float pullers and volunteers to put them in their assigned spots.
• coordinate volunteers to move floats to storage at the end of the festival.

Festival Vendor Management Tasks:

• maintain a list of art vendors/exhibitors and food vendors who have registered and been accepted. VLM will make Client aware of if any cancellations or if it becomes aware of requests from additional vendors/exhibitors who want to participate.
• work with Client to assign vendors to exhibit spaces
• oversee tent set-up and address problems that may arise.
• hang vendor/exhibitor signs on the designated exhibit space
• design a staggered arrival plan and assign times to each vendor/exhibitor
• manage the arrival and check-in and direct vendors/exhibitors to their spaces
• coordinate volunteers to help vendors/exhibitors unload and move vehicles quickly
• communicate with food and beverage vendors to make sure they have applied for and received the necessary permits
• work with food vendors to identify technical requirements, including power and make the power contractor aware of the vendors’ requirements
• work with Client to edit instructions to all vendors & exhibitors

Entertainment Management Tasks: 

• manage production of all performances for the 3 festival performance areas: Plaza Stage, Grandview Stage, and Coffee House
• oversee the work of the stage managers
• be on site to oversee entertainment and address any problems that may arise.
• receive from Client a list of performers who have registered and been accepted
• work with Client to develop a schedule of performances for each performance area
• work with Client to edit instructions to performers based on previous year’s
• work with performers to identify technical requirements, including sound & power needs and make the sound and power contractors aware of performers’ requirements
• ensure performers are notified of their performance times, when to arrive and where to place equipment
• coordinate volunteers to help stage managers as needed and available
• oversee the hanging of a sponsors’ banner in each performance area
• ensure that the Client has the correct information for each performance for inclusion in the program

Stage Managers’ Tasks:

• hang sponsors’ banners (with help from volunteers)
• work with sound technician to set up stage for each act
• introduce each performance
• manage the transition between performances
• make public announcements from time to time at the request of the Client.

Submit proposals by email to: info@wheatonartsparade.org

• Subject: Event Management Proposal