Location Bidding

Do you want to bring Mysterium to your city? Then you’ve come to the right page! The Falling Man Group (FMG) is now accepting bids year-round. You can find details for how to submit a bid below, and an FAQ at the bottom of the page.

Requirements

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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?
Hotel-Specific Guidelines
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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?

Deadline

All bids for a given year must be submitted by April 1 of the year prior to the proposed event (for example, bids for Mysterium 2022 must be received by April 1, 2021).

Format and Submission

We will accept a link to a Google Doc, link or upload of a Word document (.doc/.docx), or a PDF. Other formats will not be accepted.

You should submit your bids to bids@fallingmangroup.org. You should also feel free to email us at that same address with any questions.

The winning bid will be selected at the spring meeting of the Falling Man Group, and the winning bid team will be informed shortly thereafter. The winning bid will be publicly announced at the end of that year’s Mysterium convention.

Examples

Here are some examples of bids for Mysterium 2020. These were completed by existing Mysterium volunteers/staff, so they do not include names of the bidders, but otherwise they are what we are looking for from your bid document:

Bidding FAQ

What do you mean by “accepting bids”?

A bid is a collection of information about a possible host city for Mysterium, and is submitted by a group of people who would like to run Mysterium in that city.

Who is the Falling Man Group?

FMG is the parent organization for Mysterium. We provide support for the teams that run Mysterium every year, and work to make sure that the convention can continue to happen reliably in the future.

Why can’t FMG just choose a city and run Mysterium themselves every year?

As you probably know, Mysterium is entirely volunteer run, and experience has shown that having the same group do everything every year causes rapid burn out. The only way to make sure Mysterium continues to happen is to get more people to volunteer to run it, even if only for one year.

Will we have to do this alone, or will FMG help us?

FMG will absolutely help! We want this to be a collaboration, and you should expect to work with the existing pool of Mysterium volunteers/staff. We need your bid team to bring an overall vision and leadership for your Mysterium contention, but you won’t be alone in making it happen.

I want to submit a bid, but I don’t know anyone with the experience to be the committee chair. Can you suggest someone?

Certainly! If you want to submit a bid but need help in any way, please reach out to us. We’re here to support bid teams and Mysterium committees. We want this to be easy for you and we want you to succeed.

Can I submit a bid near a city Mysterium has recently visited?

Generally we try to wait at least 3-4 years before revisiting a geographic area or specific city. If Mysterium has visited your area in the last few years, we are unlikely to accept your bid.

Where has Mysterium been held in the past?

Mysterium has been held in many different cities over the years. Please take a look at our history pages for more details (check the sidebar for links to specific years) – https://mysterium.net/about/history/

What happens to my bid if it isn’t chosen?

We will hold on to your bid and may consider it for a future year. You are also welcome to update (if needed) and re-submit your bid in a future year.

I don’t want to submit a bid, but I do want to volunteer to help! Can I do that?

We would love your help. Please send a message through our contact page, and we’ll be in touch.

I don’t want to run a Mysterium/bid, but I want Mysterium to come to my home town!

We get that a lot. As explained above, though, Mysterium will only be coming to cities that receive serious bids. We wish we could go to every city that has Myst fans, but there are lots of logistical reasons that make that difficult.

How do I contact you with questions about my bid or the bidding process?

You can contact us at bids@fallingmangroup.org.