Title
Possible Approval of Contract for General Services, Agreement No. AGR26-54 with Sancre Productions in the Amount of $1,370,000.00, plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, a Seven Year Contract for the Purpose of Production of the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve Contract for General Services, Agreement No. AGR26-54 with Sancre Productions in the Amount of $1,370,000.00, plus Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, for the purpose of production of the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series for seven years.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve this Contract for General Services as requested.
Body
The Los Alamos Summer Concert Series is a long-standing tradition in Los Alamos. It has grown over the years to a point where not only is a benefit for Los Alamos County residents, but it is also a tourism component that draws attendance from neighboring communities, by featuring a scale of entertainment that appeals to people who are willing to travel to and stay in Los Alamos. Since 2019, Los Alamos County has hosted 100 local and nationally touring bands, from Colorado, Nevada, California, Louisiana, and Texas. The series also attracts a wide variety of vendors ranging from nonprofit organizations, food vendors, and consumable products . Vendor participation doubled in 2025 from 2024, with vendors from Los Alamos, Espanola, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.
Since 2022, the Community Services Department has documented metrics of the Los Alamos Summer Concert Series, which includes attendance, vendor attraction and satisfaction. Average per concert attendance per year is as follows:
2022 - estimated via visual means 3,030 attendees; 2023 - estimated via Placer.AI 5,900 attendees; 2024 - estimated via Placer.AI 5,613 attendees; and 2025 - estimated via Placer.AI 4,593 attendees. With an average of 71,762 people attending the Summer Concert Series annually. Vendors have grown from 16 vendors in 2022 to 51 regional vendors in 2025.
With these large numbers and the acoustic nature of Ashley Pond, there are requirements ranging from staffing and marketing to technology setup and logistics in order to host quality live performances in an outdoor setting. Furthermore, the Los Alamos Summer Concert series has proven to be an important and solid staple of the Los Alamos community. Because this scale and quality of entertainment necessitates a longer period of work to schedule and contract with entertainers, the Community Services Department recommends a multiple year contract.
On April 2, 2026, a Request for Proposals (RFP) for this service was distributed to 41 entities who were identified as potential respondents for the concert series promotion. Two entities responded to the solicitation with potential interest in the RFP. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on April 29, 2026, with two potential proposers attending. An addendum of all questions and answers from the pre-proposal meeting was sent to the RFP distribution list. Two RFP responses were received and subsequently reviewed and scored by the RFP Selection committee, culminating with the recommendation to award to Sancre Productions. In addition to meeting the requirements of the RFP, Sancre Productions has a proven track record of providing the quality entertainment that community has to come to expect from this Quality of Life service.
This contract term is for seven years, allowing for longer term planning and booking of musical acts. The Agreement requires fifteen (15) concerts per season which includes five (5) large-scale concerts with a target audience of 7,000 or more spectators each and ten (10) small-scale concerts. The budget for the calendar year 2027 series is $80,000, which equates to roughly $5,333 per concert for the band and all the logistics required to put on a quality show, including transportation, lodging, equipment (including sound), food, and beverages, for performers and sponsors. The contractor shall also provide personnel sufficient in number to set up, conduct, provide crowd management and takedown each concert performance. This amount has been budgeted in the Community Services Budget in FY26 & FY27. After year one, the contract increases to $140,000 with a $30,000 increase each year for the life of the contract. While this Agreement still maintains the requirement to seek sponsorships, staff has heard from local business that they are being asked repeatedly to sponsor Concerts, putting a strain on everyone. Due to this, the contract amount is increasing to help alleviate the burden on local small businesses to donate large amounts of money in order to continue to grow and have a successful series.
Alternatives
Council could choose not to approve the contract, determine whether to continue the concert series and at what level of service, and/or embark on a new RFP.
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The concert series has been included in the CSD budget for several years in the past, and is planned accordingly for the 2027 season. However, the budget would need to be increased for the following years of the contract.
Attachments
A - General Services Agreement No. AGR26-54