How to Write a Bid

Creating a proposal to host the Fall Business Meeting or the annual ORHA Conference itself requires a lot of time commitment and communication. Anyone who is interested in creating a bid must talk to their residence hall’s association (IHC’s or IRC’s, etc.), as well as their student housing department (degrees to which these departments are involved may vary depending on your school). The Conference Chairperson is responsible for composing a fully detailed document outlining the specific plans for the ORHA Conference or Fall Business Meeting. The Conference Chairperson is also responsible for building a Conference Team to which they can delegate tasks and relieve their own workload.

The following list outlines some of the key information that should be included in a bid:

• A tentative date, with one or two alternatives
• A rough, but detailed, schedule of the weekend, broken down by time
• Plans for accommodating the attendees (hotel, billeting, etc.)
• Plans for all meals that will be provided, and noting which meals will not be provided (including alternative options for vegans and vegetarians)
• An educated budget including accommodations, food, and an approximate cost per delegate to attend
• A conference or meeting theme
• A list of who will be on your conference team and what their role will be (Spirit/Award Committee, Food, Accommodations, Room Bookings, etc.)
• What each attendee needs to bring
• Transportation information
• Contact information of the conference chairperson or student housing representative
• Why your school should be the host school

When submitting a bid, a letter of intent must be sent to the Director before the submission deadline. Once all of the bids have been submitted, there will be a question and answer period to give all members the chance to clear up any missing details. This discussion period will be followed by a vote and the host school will be announced immediately following the voting process.