Massachusetts Brewers Guild Request for Proposal
Mobile Application / Beer Trail Map
Statement of Purpose
The Massachusetts Brewers Guild, a nonprofit organization that exists to protect and promote craft brewers across the Commonwealth, seeks a mobile application developer or agency, to help create, execute and launch a new beer trail map application that can be used as an incentive program to drive travel and tourism to its member breweries. Member breweries of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild have stated that the passport program / beer trail map is the number one reason for joining the association.
Responses should be sent to Katie Stinchon at Katie@massbrewersguild.org by May 8, 2017.
Maximum budget for first year costs (Design, Launch & Maintenance): $15,000
Background Information
Founded in 2007, by a group of committed and passionate brewers, the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, is organized for the purposes of promoting craft brewing and protecting the interests of craft brewers across the Commonwealth. The association is membership based and open to all Massachusetts breweries licensed by the federal Tax and Trade Bureau and the Commonwealth’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. In 2016, there were 122 active breweries including 91 Farmer Brewers, 7 Manufacturing Breweries and 24 Pub Breweries with more than 90 visit-able destinations. In 2017, coinciding with the hire of its first full-time executive director, the organization will focus on a rebranding effort with a new website, revitalized passport program / beer trail map, and the creation of innovative beer festivals with the goal of hosting 2,000 attendees and 80 breweries from across the state and region. The board will also continue its work at the legislative level, fighting for license and franchise law reform, and serving as the voice of craft brewers on Beacon Hill. The Massachusetts Brewers Guild is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit corporation.
In 2013, a passport program / beer trail map was launched in print form by the Massachusetts Brewers Guild. The map included every visitable brewery in Massachusetts with respective logos, addresses and tap room hours. Patrons would use the map to plan their own tours and would receive stamps at each visited location. After touring eight or more breweries, patrons would then mail their map into the Mass Brewers Guild to receive a prize pack; hat, glass and T-shirt.
This program ran into some issues early on -- the Massachusetts craft beer scene rapidly grew and the map was quickly out of date. Additionally, with no fulltime staff dedicated to the project, passports were never re-distributed to the appropriate visitor centers or breweries after depletion.
With more than 30 new Massachusetts breweries emerging on the scene this year, maintaining a printed beer trail map would prove not only to be costly and time consuming, but difficult to keep current. We need to modernize this program in 2017.
Tasks to be Accomplished
The finished project should result in a downloadable mobile application that is compatible will all smart phones and tablets with the following features/capabilities:
- An artful, integrated design
- Easy to use interface for the user, outlining breweries and regions across the state with information such as tap room hours, food on premise, outdoor patio, full pours or samples, dog-friendly, etc.
- Ability for users to create their own trail for the day/weekend, or select from a list of suggested tours
- Application sends tour directions to their Google Maps application
- A check-in system that’s geo programmed by location to replace the “stamps”
- Incentive system for user, as they check-in they received reminders and notifications of how many more breweries they need to visit until they get the prize – additional badges, opportunities, discounts for “next level” MA Craft Beer Lovers
- System automatically notifies the MBG when someone visits the required brewery number, with name, address, T-shirt sizes, etc. for prize pack
- Built-in sponsorship opportunities: based on location -- mobile application recommends restaurants along the route or sends coupons via text from restaurants that sponsor the app
- Share system that prompts user to upload photos and activity on social media
- A space to promote upcoming events hosted by the MBG or legislative initiatives that need public signatures
- Data collection of name, email, address, sex, location, age, and their brewery habits
- A profile that catalogs where user has been, what they’ve favorited, place for beer notes
- Easy to use backend portal for MBG/brewers to make data entries and add new breweries
- Ability for breweries to login as admins to update and control their information - promote special events and list what’s on tap and available to go
- Ability to sign-up/authorize through Facebook and Google accounts
Proposals Should Include:
- A technical approach, which describes how you will carry out the tasks outlined above
- A summary of your recent and relevant projects
- A firm estimate of the fees to be charged and an estimate of expenses that would be incurred
- A detailed project timeline with launch date
- Bios of all consultants who would be involved in the project, identifying the lead POC
- Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three clients during the last eighteen months and whom we can contact as references
We will hold interviews with finalists during the week of May 22, 2017. If you have questions, please email them to Katie@massbrewersguild.org