[AGA-sc] SFBAAPS bid for the AGA 2006 A/V requirements... (fwd)

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

I thought I would share another impression from an SFBAAPS organizer on 
how the bidding process is going.

My thoughts in next e-mail...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:49:44 +0000
From: Michael Laflamme <spicolte@hotmail.com>
To: erik@thekrib.com
Subject: SFBAAPS bid for the AGA 2006 A/V requirements...

[the e-mail begins asking for any changes in A/V requirements as part of 
firming up his budget -- snip]

Lastly, I have been on the conheads list reading the banter concerning our 
convention.   I will preface my comments below with the statement that I was 
only added to the list a few months ago by Jim, so I may have missed some 
earlier conversations.  If so, and my comments have already been dealt with, 
then I apologize.

Concerning your e-mail detailing your frustration with our bid.  I understand 
your frustrations and let me say that the SFBAAPS would be happy to place a 
bid. However, before we can accomplish this, what we need from the AGA is a 
Request for Bid outline. This would include all of your "must haves" and your 
budget. If the AGA could provide us with a standard and customary Request for 
Bid we could reply to it with our information and show your organization how 
the SF bay area would be a wonderful place for this conference. We are happy to 
do the work and outline how the project would proceed before you accept our 
proposal but we cannot do so without knowing what you have for requirements. So 
far, we seem to have only had bits and pieces of what is required, via the 
e-mail correspondence to our questions.

By stating that we should look at other cities bids, are you implying that 
these cities have provided for all of your requests? It seems to me that you 
should cull from past meeting and conferences those must haves and budgets and 
place them into a short Request for Bid and then allow us to respond. This is 
the most efficient way to get what you want without spending countless time on 
emails asking questions in order to project manage this task.

You mention spending time on the phone back and forth ironing out the details 
of the last bid. If this was to clear up the fine details of the bid, I would 
find that acceptable. But, if this was the process from the initial contact all 
the way up until the bid was accepted, then time was wasted on both sides.

During my time in the Air Force, annual inspections were customary.  However, 
if a section failed an inspection, the blame was essentially their own. The 
reason why was simple; The Air Force had detailed instructions and inspection 
reports that allowed each section of each unit, each base, etc. to prepare and 
pass an inspection because all the info needed was presented beforehand. What 
would be inspected, what was acceptable/unacceptable, all guidelines and what 
was needed to accomplish the goal.  Essentially, the instructions to prepare 
for and pass the inspection were handed to you months, even a year, before the 
inspection.

These type of guidelines apply here as well. If we, or any other bid contender, 
could receive a detailed list of what is needed to meet the needs of your 
annual show, then we only need to fill in the blanks and present you with our 
bid. This would also benefit the AGA, as it would make it much easier for other 
local groups to put a bid package together, and then the AGA would have several 
locations to choose from; all the while feeling confident that all the areas 
where covered. Local groups wouldn't need to continually bother the AGA folks 
over all the details, except the fine details after the bid was submitted and 
accepted.  Perhaps many local clubs are intimidated, and don't wish to make a 
bid because they have no idea what is needed, what it entails, etc.  If you had 
a standard Request for Bid that you issued every year to all local clubs, you 
would only have to sit back and what for the bids to come in.  Less work, and 
e-mail chatter for everyone involved.  Plus...more clubs making a bid.  A 
win/win all around.

Last year during our last bid attempt, I contacted you concerning our 
audio/visual needs, as I am again.. What you sent me (below) was a concise, 
detailed list of everything that was needed. This is making my task much 
simpler, since I know what you need, and what I need to obtain. This is exactly 
what I am asking for the AGA to provide to us now.

Thanks for your time and help Erik.

Best Regards,

Michael Laflamme

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