El Paso County publishes Requests for Proposals for Coliseum operations, sports tourism
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County has released new details outlining what it wants from organizations seeking to oversee both the County Coliseum and the county’s sports tourism promotion efforts.
As ABC-7 previously reported, county commissioners voted unanimously earlier this month to move forward with a Request for Proposals process, opening the management contracts to competitive bids for the first time in more than two decades.
The county released two separate RFPs on Monday: one focused on the management and operation of the County Coliseum itself, and another centered on sports tourism promotion services.
According to the Coliseum management RFP, the county is seeking an organization capable of overseeing all day-to-day operations at the County Coliseum campus, including event booking, marketing, maintenance, concessions oversight, security, parking, custodial services and financial management.
The county said it wants a contractor capable of maximizing revenue while minimizing operational costs and increasing the number of events hosted at the venue.
The RFP also emphasizes aggressively pursuing major entertainment and sporting events, including concerts, family shows, conventions, youth tournaments and community events such as graduations and civic gatherings.
The documents state the county expects the selected organization to maintain the Coliseum as a “world-class venue” while protecting the county’s long-term investment in the facility through maintenance, repairs and capital improvement recommendations.
The Coliseum management proposal also places a heavy focus on customer experience, marketing and community partnerships. The county said it wants the future operator to increase ticket sales, sponsorships and event attendance while maintaining strong relationships with promoters, vendors and community stakeholders.
The county is additionally requiring bidders to provide wages and benefits that are “commensurate to the living wage within El Paso County” for employees working at the facility.
Organizations submitting proposals for the Coliseum contract must demonstrate experience operating government-owned or publicly funded venues such as arenas, convention centers or civic facilities.
The proposed Coliseum management agreement would include an initial term of up to 10 years with two optional five-year renewals pending county approval.
Separately, the county also released an RFP for Sports Tourism Promotion Program Services, which focuses on attracting tourism and increasing hotel occupancy through sporting events and regional marketing efforts.
That proposal calls for organizations to recruit sporting tournaments and tourism generating events, coordinate with hotels and venues and track economic impact data tied to tourism activity.
The tourism proposal also emphasizes marketing El Paso County as part of the broader Paso del Norte region, including partnerships with Fort Bliss, Southern New Mexico communities and binational tourism stakeholders.
Under both RFPs, the county said proposals will be evaluated based on experience, marketing strategy, financial oversight and demonstrated results.
The El Paso Sports Commission, which currently manages Coliseum operations and sports tourism efforts for the county, submitted its proposal to the county on Thursday, May 7.
Tony Rodriguez, Director of Events for the El Paso County Sports Commission, told ABC-7 it was delivered to Betsy Keller, Melissa Carrillo, the Purchasing Department, the commissioners, and the judge. Rodriguez says the commission has not heard back from the county.
County officials have previously said the RFP process is intended to create an open and competitive process, and is not necessarily a reflection on the current management group.
