State Fair goes out to bid on alcohol sales after two years of controversy

After two years of controversy over its alcohol sales at the Wyoming State Fair, the contract for the vendor services is open – and officials are trying to make the process as public as possible to thwart a third year of criticism.
The bid process began last week with the release of the bid documents and hard-and-fast deadlines, including that proposals are due by 2 p.m. Feb. 11 and any received after that cutoff will not be considered.
Most of the controversy swirling around alcohol sales at the state fair during the two years has been focused on the selection of the vendor, who somehow was linked to Wyoming State Fair Director Courtny Conkle. Social media posts had incorrectly lambasted the fair for unfairly giving the contract to the director’s family, presumably her father, without going out to bid so that local liquor stores could have a chance to provide sales on the fairgrounds.
Despite Conkle repeatedly explaining that she and the vendor are not related and he provided the last proposal that was selected by the Department of Agriculture, the social media firestorm continued as the misinformation spread the second year.
The vendor since 2020 was Unruh Management and Consulting LLC, dba Oregon Beverage Service. (Conkle’s father has a non-alcoholic concession business operating on the West Coast, she said, but neither he nor she has anything to do with Unruh.) 
Conkle said this year the decision was made to make sure the request for proposals (RFP) for adult beverage sales at the fair was as public as possible and open to anyone with the ability to provide alcohol, which means they must have  a liquor license with the ability to serve in Douglas.
The proposals must include how much the selected vendor is willing to pay the fair board for the exclusive right to serve alcohol during the state fair. The RFP requires a minimum base payment of $7,500 plus a percentage of gross sales above $30,000. That percentage is up to the would-be vendors to decide and is part of the evaluation criteria which includes experience at similar events, a written compliance plan for safe alcohol consumption and sales, and a vision for the future of alcohol sales at the fair.
In addition to the hard deadline of Feb. 11, the RFP requires hard-copy written proposals; proof of ability to furnish alcohol; liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million for operations; providing all their own equipment and furnishings such as tables and chairs; providing trained and uniformed staff; and other specific provisions.
One of those provisions states, “Lists of brands sold and prices are to be negotiated. Prices and brands (of alcohol) should reflect market trends and should be comparable to similar events.”