City puts tourism, edc contracts up for bid

JOHN MOORHOUSE penticton Herald Wednesday, September 7, 2011
 The City of Penticton is seeking outside input as it looks to a new contract for tourism marketing, visitor information and economic development services.  A request for proposals is due to close Sept. 20. The current five-year contract with the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce is due to expire at the end of December.   The new contract will include an annual budget of up to $519,375, with its length to be negotiated with the successful proponent.  City manager Annette Antoniak said Tuesday with the existing contract due to soon expire, it was felt this would be a good time to put the services out for proposals.  “It‘s a significant amount of money,” she said. “It‘s following proper process according to our purchasing policy and a little more specific in terms of what the city is looking for in milestones and deliverables.”  Mayor Dan Ashton emphasized the proposal call should not viewed as any form of dissatisfaction over the quality of service provided through the chamber. “The chamber has done a good job on it, but what else is available? Is there an opportunity for new ideas?” he said. “We‘re encouraging everybody to think out of the box here.”  Chamber manager Erin Hanson said the chamber will definitely be submitting a proposal. Hanson said the chamber is not insulted by the city‘s decision to call for submissions, describing it as good business practice. “We‘ve had the contract for a number of years,” she said. “We have a good track record, all the credibility and we know what we‘re doing, but it‘s good business to go out and get solicitations.” Hanson noted the chamber itself follows the same procedure for some of its longer-standing contracts. In its 2011 budget deliberations earlier this year, city council rejected a chamber request for an extra $70,000 to continue a sports tourism strategy and convention marketing.  Hanson said that is a separate issue from the chamber‘s contract proposal, but noted the chamber still wants to develop a long-range plan. “We‘ll definitely be looking at making sure we‘re doing the right things and going in the right direction, and dovetailing all the necessary organizations in town to make sure that we‘re meeting the needs of the city.”  Chamber president Jason Cox said he also respects council‘s decision to ask for proposals. “If there‘s a model that they think is going to be effective for the tax dollars they put in, then they‘ve got to make the best decision for the community,” he said.  Cox noted the chamber originally obtained the contract economic development, tourism and visitor information several years ago, after the city had called for a request for proposals.  Council is scheduled to approve the new contract in early October.