The City of Mesa awarded a $36,000 fixed‑price contract for a Festival Operations Associate to support two major events at the Mesa Arts Center: the Season Kick‑Off Festival (September 9 2022) and the Día de los Muertos Festival (October 22‑23 2022). The contractor is responsible for pre‑event coordination, on‑site logistics, vendor and security management, volunteer oversight, and post‑event reporting. All equipment, transportation, and labor are provided by the vendor, who must maintain required insurance and comply with municipal policies. The award was made to a single individual, Kevin Vaughan‑Brubaker, following an open RFQ process where his proposal was the sole responsive bid. The contract runs from May 1 2022 to October 3 2022, with a provision for month‑to‑month extensions up to six months.
• Scope: event planning, logistics, set‑up/tear‑down, security coordination, volunteer management, weekly reporting.
• Budget: not to exceed $36,000, firm‑price with 2 % TPT tax removed for evaluation.
• Requirements: ≥5 years festival experience, ≥7,000‑attendee events, three references, insurance, W‑9, and lawful‑presence affidavit.