With the aid of a white board, Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert takes to Instagram to explain the Visit Duluth RFP process. That’s pretty unusual stuff (for an unusual situation).

One comment was, “I hardly ever see discussions about RFP’s on social media. As a proposal supervisor this makes me happy ?”

The backstory

In 2021, then-Mayor Emily Larson attracted attention when she redirected the city’s tourism marketing budget away from the DMO that had managed it since 1935, awarding the bulk of it to two out-of-town and out-of-state contractors.

With the end of that three-year period expiring and those vendors not pursuing a renewal, 26 bidders recently responded to a new seven-figure, two-year RFP that once again involves Visit Duluth.

The mayor says the proposed two-year contract will provide time to transition back to a once-familiar homegrown model for promoting tourism.

Observers say Tucson-based Madden Media has scored the win in a double-blind review and presentation process. Watch TourismIQ for ongoing coverage this week with City Hall promising an announcement on Dec. 9.