HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-21-2006-5iREVISED 3/21/06
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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: March 21, 2006
Action Agenda
Item No. 5 - ~
SUBJECT: RFP Award: Visitors Profile Su
DEPARTMENT: Purchasing, Chapel Hill/ PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N)
Orange County Visitors
Bureau, EDC
No
ATTACHMENT(S):
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pam Jones, 245-2652
Dianne Reid, 245-2327
Laurie Paolicelli, 968-2060
PURPOSE: To consider awarding .a contract for a Visitors Profile Survey from Equation
Research of Charleston, South Carolina.
BACKGROUND: Funds were allocated in the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau's
budget to conduct a survey of visitors to Orange County. The goal of a Chapel Hill/Orange
County Visitor Study is to reveal who the visitor to Orange County is and is not, and what type
of marketing strategy the Bureau must embark on to better build and maintain the visitor and
conference market to Orange County. The assessment will determine what is required to make
visitors journey to Orange County more frequently, stay longer, and spend more while visiting.
This information will help the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau evaluate current
marketing strategies and identify opportunities to optimize marketing messages. Research by
staff indicates that this is the first time a study of this nature would be conducted for the
Bureau.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was developed by Purchasing, the Visitors Bureau and
Economic Development. The RFP was sent to ten vendors as well as advertised on the
County's website. The following companies responded to the RFP:
• Equation Research, Charleston, SC
• Breehl, Traynor & Zehe and The Prism Partnership, Cleveland, Ohio
After a review of the proposals, an Interview was conducted with Equation Research by the
Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau's Board. Equation is the unanimous choice to
conduct the study. The general goal will be to determine the following
• How non-visitors perceive Orange County.
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• Likelihood to visit within next two years and reasons why if not interested.
• Which specific areas would they visit?
• Price and value perceptions..
• Usage of, and reactions to, Orange County website, other communication channels.
• Identify perceived unique selling points.
Identify perceived vulnerabilities.
• Identify barriers to first time visitation, limiting factors for repeat visitation.
® Determine which elements create destination "loyalty."
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost of the study is $10,000. Sufficient funds are available in the
Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau's budget to cover the cost of $10,000.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board award the bid to Equation
Research from Charleston, South Carolina at a cost of $10,000, and authorize the Purchasing
Director to execute the necessary paperwork.