Location Bidding

Bids should be submitted as a single summary document. We aren’t looking for you to have all the answers right now. We just want to get an idea of who you are, the details of your proposed city, and any possible conflicts that may arise if we choose your bid. Bids should include:

• The names of the people submitting the bid (at least two)
  • If you have previous experience running conventions, please briefly explain
• The names of any local contacts in the proposed city
• The name of the city
• Basic info on how to get to the city
  • The closest airports, train stations, bus terminals, and interstates that attendees might use to travel to the city
• Basic info on how to get around the city
  • Buses, subways, bike/scooter shares, ride share services, etc
• Examples of hotels/areas that may work for Mysterium, including rough room costs (see next section)
• Information about other events/conventions/trade shows in the area that may impact Mysterium or hotel costs
• Any significant risks we should know about
• Anything else you think we should know (aka, “why should we choose your bid?”). For instance:
  • Has there been a Mysterium in this geographic area recently/ever?
  • Is there a good sized local fan-base?
  • Is there a local special guest you would be able to invite?
  • Are there notable attractions nearby that may interest attendees?

As noted above, you should list a handful of potential hotels for the event. This does not need to be an exhaustive list; just show us that there are a reasonable number of choices that would work. To see previously selected hotels, go to the History page, click a year on the right sidebar, then click Location on the right sidebar for the selected year. In looking at potential hotels, pay particular attention to the following:

Location

• Location: Where is the hotel located? Is it in the city’s downtown, in a suburb, in a neighboring town?

Rooms & Rates

• What is the average rate for guest rooms (double queen or single king)?
  • Check multiple dates across different months on the hotel’s website to get an idea of their average rate
  • Verify the actual sizes of beds in the rooms
  • Don’t use discount travel sites to find this info, use the hotel itself
  • If a specific week has abnormally high rates, it may be a vacation week or there may be an event. Check the next week instead
  • We negotiate for room rates, so don’t worry if the rates you see are a little higher than what is normal for Mysterium
• What is the size of their meeting space(s)? (This can be obtained from the “meetings” or “events” section of the hotel’s website)
  • 1200 square feet is an absolute minimum, with 1500+ being ideal
  • Are there individual large rooms, or ballrooms that can be subdivided?
  • Is there potential for breakout spaces?

Transportation information

• Is the hotel accessible via public transportation?
• Does the hotel provide a shuttle service for guests? If so, where does it run and when?
• What does parking cost?

Amenities

• Does the hotel offer free and/or paid breakfast? Does it have a restaurant for other meals?
• Are there food options within walking distance?
• Do the guest rooms have kitchens, a microwave, and/or a fridge?
• Does the hotel have a pool and/or gym?
• Do they charge for internet access?