Global Trade Summit Program Development Planning & Operations Support - Port Laredo

The Port Laredo Global Trade Summit is an international business and trade platform designed to convene leaders involved in the movement, regulation, investment, infrastructure, technology, and future of North American commerce.

The objective of this solicitation is to secure a qualified professional services team capable of supplementing Port Laredo's internal resources and assisting with the strategic development, planning, coordination, and execution of a high-level international trade summit.

The 2027 Port Laredo Global Trade Summit is scheduled for May 26–28, 2027, in Laredo, Texas.

5.1 Strategic Planning and Project Management

The contractor shall assist Port Laredo in managing the planning and execution process leading to the Summit. [...]

5.2 Program Strategy and Content Development

The contractor shall assist Port Laredo with development of an executive-level Summit program addressing significant issues affecting international trade and the North American economy. [...]

5.3 Speaker, Moderator and Panelist Development

The contractor shall assist Port Laredo with identifying, recruiting, coordinating, and preparing qualified Summit speakers, panelists, and moderators. [...]

5.4 Stakeholder and Industry Engagement

The contractor shall assist Port Laredo in expanding qualified participation from organizations and individuals strategically important to the Summit. [...]

5.6 Exhibitor Recruitment and Coordination

The contractor shall assist Port Laredo in developing a high-quality exhibitor experience. [...]

5.9 Onsite Event Management

The contractor shall provide qualified professional personnel onsite during designated setup periods and throughout the Summit. [...]

5.13 Post-Event Closeout and After Action Report

Within thirty (30) calendar days following completion of the Summit, the contractor shall provide a comprehensive written *After Action Report*. [...]

7. Required Deliverables

• Project Initiation: Kickoff meeting; Master project plan; Master timeline; Project team/contact matrix; Risk and issue register.
• Program: Program strategy recommendations; Proposed session framework; Speaker prospect pipeline; Speaker status tracker; Moderator recommendations; Session briefs and moderator materials.
• Stakeholder & Exhibitor Development: Target stakeholder matrix; Outreach activity reports; Mexico/international stakeholder recommendations; Exhibitor prospect and status pipeline.
• Operations: 90-day operational readiness plan; Venue walkthrough documentation; Staffing plan; Preliminary master run of show; Final master run of show; Speaker/VIP movement plan; Exhibitor operations plan; Sponsor fulfillment tracker; Contact and escalation matrix; Event command book.
• Closeout: Post-event debrief; After Action Report; Transfer of final project documentation to Port Laredo.

Bidders are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals electronically through use of **Cit-E-Bid**.

The City is seeking a fixed, not-to-exceed professional services fee for completion of the Scope of Services. The primary compensation structure shall not be based upon hourly billing.

The City anticipates establishing milestone-based payments tied to completion and acceptance of substantive deliverables rather than hours worked. Final payment terms shall be established in the resulting agreement.

The anticipated period of performance shall begin following contract execution and continue through completion of post-Summit closeout.

Vendors must complete a *Conflict of Interest Questionnaire* (Form CIQ) when submitting a response.

The City of Laredo has established a local vendor preference ordinance 2018-O-175. All informal and formal Requests for bids for contracts will be evaluated with a 5% preference for local vendors.