Tourism Marketing and Creative Services

The City of Palm Desert is soliciting proposals for a full-service firm to provide integrated tourism marketing and creative services from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2030, with options for two one-year renewals. The primary objective is to increase visitor economic value and strengthen destination awareness through a comprehensive scope of work that includes destination strategy, brand development, media planning, public relations, social media management for the Discover Palm Desert program, and analytics. Key deliverables include an annual tourism-marketing strategy, creative media content, routine performance reporting, and an annual strategy session with the City Council. All digital and public-facing materials must comply with ADA Title II and WCAG 2 Level AA accessibility standards. The contract utilizes a best overall value award basis, evaluated through a three-phase process consisting of a responsiveness review, a scored evaluation of strategic approach and experience, and finalist interviews. Financially, the annual firm services are capped at 335,000 dollars, while a separate annual working-media budget of approximately 550,000 dollars is provided as a pass-through expense. The selected consultant will be required to submit monthly detailed invoices with a 30-day payment term. Proposals must be submitted electronically via OpenGov by 5:00 pm on October 22, 2026, and must include a separate cost proposal and a narrative not exceeding 20 pages.