Fairfax, Va., October 31, 2005 – Travel
management provider Omega World Travel is questioning the
controversial award of a Wisconsin state contract and is calling
for full public disclosure of the findings of the investigating
committee.
Recent news reports have brought to light unanswered questions
and several facts that were not originally made known to Omega
World Travel. Specifically that Omega World Travel won the
bid on points, but was not awarded the contract. Omega World
Travel wants to set the record straight on recent inaccuracies
in the media.
Media reports have claimed that the awarded travel agency
offers the best value in travel services.
The contract was not bid on price alone; cost only represented
25% of the total score. There were many other factors considered
by the evaluating committee including programs, services,
quality, and the best ‘fit’ for client needs;
the heaviest point scores were awarded to servicing criteria—areas
where Omega World Travel was clearly superior in their bid.
Omega World Travel offers many inclusive services at no cost,
which was not reported, while the awarded travel agency’s
bid was based on menu-pricing, which can lead to additional
hidden costs.
The state’s own figures showed less than an $8,000 annual
difference between Omega World Travel’s bid and the
awarded travel agency’s bid on the $4.3 million contract.
Omega World Travel has been portrayed as an outsider because
their corporate headquarters are out-of-state.
Omega World Travel maintains a strong presence in Wisconsin
with over 80 employees living and working in the state. All
state business under this contract would have remained in
the state, if awarded to Omega World Travel, doing business
in the state since 1987 and a member of the Wisconsin Business
Travel Association, the state chapter of Meeting Professionals
International, the local Chamber of Commerce, and Greater
Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Media reports claim the contract award was based on a fair
bid process.
The evaluating committee was very meticulous and fair in the
handling of the bid process, and the outcome of the process—both
in points and by the recommendation of 6 of the 7 committee
members—was to award the contract to Omega World Travel.
Omega World Travel was the clear and recommended winner of
the contract by the committee, but despite their recommendation,
the award went to another travel agency.
At-this-time, Omega World Travel has not been contacted by
any official representing the State of Wisconsin or any other
government branch to explain the discrepancies.
Based on the information that has been publicly reported,
and the clear inaccuracies in the bid process, Omega World
Travel is calling for a re-evaluation of the bid and that
a new contract be awarded based on the original recommendation
of the committee.
About Omega World Travel
Omega World Travel (www.owt.net)
is ranked by Business Travel News as the third largest travel
management organization in the U.S., and provides online travel
solutions—as well as personalized service at their Greenfield,
Wis., office—to a diverse clientele: from individual
leisure travelers to Fortune 500 companies and the federal
government. From humble beginnings as a small business launched
in 1972, Omega World Travel now boasts annual sales revenues
in excess of $1 billion, over 1400 employees, and is one of
the largest diversity-owned businesses in the country—founded
and headed by President and CEO Gloria Bohan. Omega World
Travel owns TravTech (www.travtech.com), a travel technology
organization, and Cruise.com, the Internet’s largest
cruise specialist. |