City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

Agency:	City of Thornton
State:	Colorado
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	334516 - Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
Posted Date:	Nov 6, 2025
Due Date:	Dec 2, 2025
Solicitation No:	109-26
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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RFQ No. 109-26

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

RFQ No. 109-26

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

RFQ Issued

11/6/25

Deadline to Submit Questions

11/19/25 4:30pm Mountain Time

City’s Response to Written Questions 11/20/25

Quote Due Date & Time

12/2/25

4:30pm Mountain Time

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The City of Thornton (“Thornton”) is requesting quotations for a professional aerial laser light

show as part of Thornton’s 70th anniversary celebration during Thorntonfest on Saturday, June

6, 2026.

BUYER CONTACT INFORMATION:

The Purchasing Analyst’s (“PA’s”) contact information from the City’s Purchasing Division for

this solicitation is as follows:

PA’s Name:

PA’s Title:

PA’s Email:

Joshua Houston

Senior Purchasing Analyst

Joshua.Houston@thorntonco.gov

Note: Communications with anyone other than the Purchasing Division during the course of the

solicitation may result in rejection of your quotation. All questions, comments, and submissions

regarding this RFQ shall be addressed to the Purchasing Analyst, not to the end user.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Thornton is a home-rule city in Adams County, Colorado, located ten (10) miles northeast of

Denver. Thorntonfest is an annual family-friendly summer festival that is Thornton’s signature

community event. In the past, this event featured live music, a car show, beer garden, games,

vendor marketplace, craft fair, and booths for City services. In 2026, Thorntonfest will celebrate

70 years since the City’s incorporation in 1956.

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RFQ No. 109-26

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

Thorntonfest 2026 will conclude in the evening with a laser light show starting at approximately

9:00 p.m. local time. The awarded vendor shall design and produce a 15-to-20-minute outdoor

aerial laser light show synchronized to music.

As in the past, Thorntonfest 2026 will take place on Carpenter Park Fields, located at the

intersection of 108th Avenue & Colorado Boulevard in Thornton. A preliminary site sketch is

attached “under separate cover” as an Adobe PDF file and is titled “Thornton Laser Light Show

Site Sketch”. Thorntonfest will feature two performance stages – east and west – with the laser

light show taking place from the west stage. Thornton anticipates roughly 10,000 attendees

during the laser light show.

Thornton will supply the music and sound system to accompany the laser light show. The music

will be upbeat and fast-paced; a recording of the music will be furnished by Thornton to the

awarded vendor after award to facilitate design of the laser light show. The music may be

performed by a live band or may be played from a recording; Thornton will make this decision

closer to the event date. Thornton will also supply the electrical power to the laser light show

systems. The awarded vendor is responsible for supplying all other equipment, materials, and

qualified personnel to operate and produce the laser light show. Thornton will provide parking

for the awarded vendor near the show site.

Thornton desires a laser light show featuring aerial laser beams that will project out over the

audience (see attached “under separate cover” preliminary site sketch). There is no requirement

for lasers to form logos, words, graphics, or other shapes. Vendors may propose a custom laser

light show or the use of a pre-packaged laser light show (so long as it can be synchronized with

the music).

Aside from synchronizing with the music, there is no other requirement for the laser light show

to synchronize with other performances or visual effects (e.g., fireworks, drones, video on

screens, pyrotechnics). Optionally, vendors may propose to use fog or smoke machines to

supplement the laser light show, but any such ancillary machines must be supplied and operated

by the vendor. Potential ancillary effects are limited to fog or smoke; vendors shall not propose

pyrotechnics, confetti, balloons, streamers, or any other effects that may produce a fire or

environmental hazard/refuse. The awarded vendor is responsible for any atmospheric

generating equipment necessary to facilitate audience viewing of the laser beams.

There is no rehearsal requirement. The awarded vendor will set up on the afternoon of June 6,

2026, and tear down following completion of the laser light show that evening. The exact timeline

will be further refined between Thornton and the awarded vendor. The show is rain or shine, and

therefore the awarded vendor must be able to produce a laser light show in the rain.

Thornton’s budget for the laser light show is fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000). This figure is not

a ceiling nor a floor, and Thornton reserves the right to make an award at a higher or lower dollar

value if deemed in the best interest of Thornton.

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RFQ No. 109-26

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

INSURANCE:

The awarded vendor shall maintain, or procure for this event, insurance coverage meeting the

limits and requirements specified herein. Such coverage may be provided through an ongoing

commercial policy or through a special event policy, provided that all required terms, limits, and

endorsements are satisfied.

1. Workers' compensation insurance: Statutory limits.

2. Commercial general liability insurance at the following minimum limits:

a. Each occurrence:

b. Products/completed operations aggregate:

c. Personal and advertising injury:

d. General aggregate:

$2,000,000

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

3. Automobile Liability Insurance: Minimum combined single limits for bodily injury and

property damage of not less than $1,000,000 for any single occurrence.

The awarded vendor shall name Thornton, its officers, agents, and employees as additional

insureds with respect to the commercial general liability and auto liability coverages.

A Certificate of Insurance shall be completed and forwarded, along with the Additional Insured

Endorsements, to Thornton by the awarded vendor’s insurance agent(s) as evidence that

policies providing the required coverages, conditions, and minimum limits are in full force and

effect and shall be subject to review and approval by Thornton prior to the day of the event (June

6, 2026).

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS:

The awarded vendor is responsible for obtaining any and all required permits and licenses from,

and filing all required notices to, local, state, and federal authorities to produce and operate the

laser light show, including but not necessarily limited to requirements of the Center for Devices

and Radiological Health (CDRH), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA). The awarded vendor shall supply proof of all required permits,

licenses, and notices to Thornton upon request.

USE OF RECORDINGS:

Thornton may make audio and visual recordings of the laser light show. The awarded vendor shall

grant Thornton a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to use, disclose,

reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and

display publicly, in any manner and for any purpose, and to have or permit others to do so, such

recordings.

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RFQ No. 109-26

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

STANDARD PROPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Thornton maintains a standard set of RFQ considerations and terms and conditions for RFQs that

are non-federally funded and are not through a cooperative awarded process. These

considerations are static between each RFQ process. It is the sole responsibility of the proposing

Vendor to have read all RFQ considerations. A copy of these standard RFQ considerations is

attached “under separate cover” to this RFQ.

VENDOR QUESTIONS:

Vendor questions shall be submitted to the Purchasing Analyst by the date and time shown in

the Schedule of Events.

Vendor questions will be answered via an addendum to the RFQ that shall be sent to all

participating vendors by the date in the Schedule of Events.

QUOTE SUBMISSION:

Thornton intends to award a single, firm-fixed-price purchase order resulting from this RFQ.

All prices quoted shall be firm until an award has been made by Thornton. Thornton plans to

award the purchase order on the date listed in the Schedule of Events, although this date is

subject to change without prior notice.

Quotations must be submitted in five (5) parts. These parts may be combined into a single file

or submitted in multiple files.

1. Experience. Vendors shall submit no more than two (2) pages describing their

experience designing and producing laser light shows similar to Thornton’s requirement,

including adherence to licensing, permitting, and insurance requirements, and ensuring

safe laser operations. Vendors are encouraged to discuss any relevant experience

supporting municipal clients, and to include web links to videos or galleries of past shows

they have designed or produced, with identifying information for the show (e.g., location,

date, client).

2. Preliminary show design. Vendors shall submit no more than two (2) pages outlining a

preliminary show design. This design is expected to be general in nature and would be

refined further after award. However, vendors shall include sufficient information so that

Thornton is able to ascertain the salient characteristics of the vendor’s proposed show

and how the performance would differ from other vendors. Vendors shall include, as

applicable:

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RFQ No. 109-26

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

a. Number and type of laser projectors proposed, including salient characteristics of

the lasers that impact performance and show quality, such as power output of the

projectors, beam diameter, and beam divergence.

b. Potential laser effects that could be used during the show. Vendors may include

web links to videos for examples.

c. Information on the vendor’s show operator(s) and their qualifications.

d. Electrical power requirements that Thornton would need to provide to the vendor

to support the equipment for the show.

3. Pricing Form. Vendors must submit the enclosed Pricing Form as part of their quote.

4. Acceptance of Conditions and Addenda Acknowledgement Form. Vendors must

sign and submit the enclosed Acceptance of Conditions and Addenda Acknowledgement

Form as part of their quote.

5. W-9. Vendors must submit a current completed copy of their W-9.

Quotations are to be submitted no later than the time and date listed within the Schedule of

Events. Quotations shall be submitted either via BidNet® or direct email to the Purchasing

Analyst. It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure their quote is received before the deadline.

Vendors may submit multiple options for pricing or service (e.g., multiple options for show

design) within the same quote. If multiple options are submitted, the vendor shall clearly

delineate the different options presented in the quote and, for each option, submit (1) a

preliminary show design document and (2) pricing form. Vendors do not need to include multiple

copies of the other parts of the quote (e.g., experience).

VENDOR INTERVIEWS

Following the submission and evaluation of quotes, Thornton may elect to create a shortlist of the

most qualified vendors and conduct interviews with those vendors to clarify and answer

additional questions. All interviews will be held virtually.

Thornton shall not compensate a vendor for any costs incurred by the vendor that are related to

an interview conducted by Thornton as part of this RFQ.

BASIS OF AWARD:

Award shall be made to the responsive, responsible vendor whose quote is determined to be the

best value, considering three factors:

1. Vendor experience, evaluated using the vendor’s submitted experience information and,

at Thornton’s discretion, reference checks for prior laser light shows the vendor has

produced.

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This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

City of Thornton Laser Light Show for 70th Anniversary

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