Food and Beverage Service Operations for the Alliant Energy Center of Dane County

County of Dane - Alliant Energy Center has issued request for proposal, solicitation 2026-RFP-056-PR.

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a solicitation response for food and beverage service operations for the Alliant Energy Center of Dane County. The County intends to use the results of this process to award a contract for the services(s) stated above.

AEC seeks an experienced food service provider to operate its food service program. The provider will have outstanding credentials in convention center and entertainment complex operations, a proven track record in maximizing the guest experience and financial returns, and is adept at tailoring food service offerings to a wide variety of clients. Although this will be a vendor-client relationship, AEC seeks an Operator who will act as a partner who is energized and entrepreneurial in their approach to the AEC’s operations. The AEC is a County-owned and -operated campus that is one of the most important cultural, social, and economic assets in the County. The campus routinely hosts more than 250 events and welcomes more than 1,000,000 guests. As a result, AEC has an annual economic impact of over $80 million, supports 1,700 jobs, and generates approximately 177,000 hotel room nights across its facilities. AEC is a department of Dane County and the goal for its operation is to generate user fees to meet and exceed operational expenses. A description of the campus and its facilities follows below: Exhibition Hall is the premier facility for conventions, meetings, banquets, and much more, consisting of 255,000 square feet of space. The Exhibition Hall is slated for a nearly $200M expansion planned to start in FY28. Included are a 30,000 gsf ballroom, ~5,000 gsf Bistro, and a 10,000 gsf third-level multipurpose room that will have stunning views. A new kitchen is also included in the plans. The New Holland Pavilions, totaling 290,000 square feet, are the campus’ two large livestock housing facilities and make AEC an industry leader in agricultural shows. These multi-use buildings also can be used for exhibition space, trade shows, and more. The Arena, with 22,000-square feet of exhibition space, suits a multitude of smaller events including trade shows, staged performances, and consumer events. The Arena may potentially be relocated as part of AEC’s expansion project. A new Equestrian Center is proposed to replace the Arena building. Veterans Memorial Coliseum is used for sporting events, large concerts, and entertainment productions. The County is currently negotiating a lease agreement with FPC, Live! and Live Nation to renovate, operate, and maintain the Coliseum. Willow Island is a 29-acre outdoor venue surrounded by two ponds and is used for outdoor festivals, concerts, and other outdoor events. AEC Parking has over 5,700 surface parking stalls that also double as outdoor exhibition and event space. In addition to the facilities above, the AEC occasionally makes use of the adjoining Quann Park for event support space. However, this is a City park facility and not formally part of the 164-acre campus.

Responses are due October 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM CDT.

Questions must be submitted by October 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM CDT.

A mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for September 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM CDT at Address: Alliant Energy Center 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, WI 53713 RSVP: Please RSVP to Hazel Schuster (schuster.hazel@danecounty.gov) by September 9, 2026, 4:00pm (CST) with the number of individuals who will be attending. Directions: Enter the Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Madison, through the main gate off of Rimrock Road. Stop at the parking ticket booths and let them know you are here for the Food and Beverage Service RFP Vendor Conference. You will be directed to the South Parking Lot. There will be a greeter in front of the Administration Building (a one-story, brown building adjacent to the South Parking Lot) to direct you to the meeting room. The meeting will be held in the New Holland Pavilion 1 Prefunction area. See attached Agenda for map with parking location and where to meet for the vendor conference..

Commodity categories: Concessions, Catering, Vending: Mobile and Stationary (See Class 905 for Airport Concessions); Food Preparation Services (Including Food Canning Services).

Contact: Hazel Schuster, Purchasing Officer (schuster.hazel@countyofdane.com, (608) 896-3861).

9 documents are attached to the notice: Exhibit A - 2024 Event Attendance; Exhibit B - 2025 Event Attendance; Exhibit C - 2026 Event Attendance; Exhibit D - Event Equipment Inventory; Exhibit E - Coca-Cola Agreement; Attachment F - Cost Proposal; Attachment G- Project Overview; Exhibit H- Tables- Answer #21 and #28.

The full solicitation document, addenda and the question-and-answer thread are on the agency's OpenGov portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/countyofdane/projects/277961. Responses are submitted electronically there, and a free vendor account is required before you can upload one.