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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 strongly prefer that you send us a link to a Google Doc. However, we will also accept Word documents (.doc/.docx), and PDFs. 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: