USM Commencement Proposal

School and University Photography | Stratham, New Hampshire | Serving all six New England states

RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

University of Southern Maine Commencement Photography Services Response to Proposal Requirements

Submitted by

Geskus Studios and Yearbook Publishing

Prepared for

Sherry Phillips Gleason, CCEP, Director of Conference Services and Commencement Co-Chair

RFP issued

July 26, 2026

Proposal due

August 20, 2026

Date submitted

August 17, 2026

Stephen Marino, Head of Sales · stephen@wearegeskus.com · (800) 948-1120, ext. 673

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Contents 1

Company Information

2

Relevant Experience

3

Operations and Staffing

4

Equipment and Technology

5

Scope of Services and Deliverables

6

Pricing Proposal

7

Rights and Usage

8

Event Expectations

9

References

10

Sample Work

11

Insurance

12

Contract Term

About this document. This response is organized to follow the structure of the RFP so that each requirement in Sections 3 through 11 can be located and evaluated quickly. Where the RFP asks a direct question, that question appears as a heading and our answer follows beneath it.

1. Company Information Company overview Geskus Studios is a family owned school and university photography company founded in 2004 and headquartered in Stratham, New Hampshire. We serve K-12 districts, colleges, and universities across all six New England states.

Our higher education practice is built around commencement and large campus ceremonies. The promise we make to every partner is a simple one: we handle the planning, the logistics, the staffing, and the follow through, so the campus team can focus on the ceremony and the graduates.

We are a regional company by design. USM sits less than ninety minutes from our door, which means we can walk a venue in person well before the event and we are reachable by phone during the year rather than only in the weeks around commencement. We already photograph commencement in Maine for Kennebec Valley Community College, our Head of Photography is a Maine native, and a number of our photographers live in the state. USM would not be a new market for us.

It would be a partner in a region we already work in and know.

Years in business Geskus Studios was founded in 2004 and has operated continuously since, giving us more than twenty years in business. This comfortably exceeds the three year minimum in Section 7.

Primary contact information Primary contact

Stephen Marino, Head of Sales Page 2 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Email

stephen@wearegeskus.com (backup: sales@wearegeskus.com)

Phone

(800) 948-1120, ext. 673

Company website

wearegeskus.com

Mailing address

22 Marin Way, Unit 3, Stratham, NH 03885

This contact will remain the single point of accountability for USM from proposal through contract. Day to day event coordination is supported by our Client Experience team, introduced in Section 3.

2. Relevant Experience Minimum three years of professional event photography experience Geskus Studios has photographed schools, campuses, and institutional events continuously since 2004.

Experience photographing commencement ceremonies, academic events, and large public gatherings Commencement is a central part of our higher education work, not an occasional add on. Our teams are experienced in the specific demands of a stage crossing operation: a fixed camera position with consistent lighting on the crossing, a name card handoff that stays synchronized with the frame timeline, a second angle for the handshake or diploma presentation, and roaming coverage for the procession, the platform party, and family reaction.

Our largest single crossing ceremony is the University of Massachusetts Amherst undergraduate commencement at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium, where more than 1,500 graduates cross the stage in one continuous ceremony, held outdoors rain or shine with no weather fallback. That is comparable to the graduate volume described in Appendix A of this RFP, executed in conditions less forgiving than either USM venue.

Our partners' commencement structures range from multi-ceremony programs to single large ceremonies, and we work in both. The format described in this RFP, one principal commencement preceded by a smaller doctoral hooding, is one we execute every season.

We also photograph commencement in Maine. Kennebec Valley Community College holds its ceremony at the Augusta Civic Center, an off-campus civic venue, which is the same operating environment USM works in at Cross Insurance Arena: a loadin we do not control, house lighting we must work with, and a crossing line built in a space that belongs to someone else. We already run that problem successfully in Maine each May, and graduates there receive and purchase their images directly from us, which is the model described in Section 3 of this RFP.

Higher education clients served Our higher education partners include institutions comparable to USM in scale, mission, and structure:

• University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Commonwealth's public flagship and the closest parallel among our accounts to USM in both public mission and ceremony scale

• Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield, Maine, a public institution of the Maine Community College System, whose commencement we currently photograph at the Augusta Civic Center

• Boston University, one of the largest commencement operations in New England • Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), a multi-campus institution with locations in Boston, Worcester, and Manchester, New Hampshire

• Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), the nation's only independent public college of art and design • Emmanuel College, Boston Three of these are public institutions, and our work with them means Geskus is familiar with public procurement, public records obligations, and state contracting requirements. Our partners also range from ceremonies substantially larger than USM's to ceremonies substantially smaller, so we are equipped to staff to the size of the event rather than to the size of a standing crew.

Page 3 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Description of similar projects Project 1: Boston University commencement photography

• Scope of services provided: full commencement period coverage, including individual graduate photography, private graduate portrait sessions, institutional and marketing imagery, and direct-to-graduate gallery delivery and ordering.

• Scale: more than 8,000 graduates across 54 ceremonies at 15 locations in a single commencement period.

• Outcome: images delivered within 10 to 14 days of each ceremony. Turnaround at this scale depends materially on the

accuracy of the graduate data supplied by the institution, which is why we request the graduate list well in advance and reconcile it against collected name cards before galleries are released.

“Our first year partnering with Geskus Studios for Boston University's commencement exceeded every expectation. Their crew brought a level of care and professionalism that our coordinators noticed immediately. On my Saturday tour of convocations, I crossed paths with one of the most meticulous and high-standard coordinators on our team, and the first words out of her mouth were, 'I love Geskus.' I'm not sure I could say it any better myself. We look forward to our continued partnership with Geskus, and recommend them to anyone looking to upgrade their commencement photography partner.”

— Michael Ciarlante, Director, Institutional Events, Boston University

For context, the two ceremonies described in this RFP represent a smaller footprint than a single day of that commencement period. USM would be staffed and managed by the same operation, at a scale we execute routinely.

Project 2: University of Massachusetts Amherst commencement photography

• Scope of services provided: full commencement period coverage, including individual graduate photography, private graduate portrait sessions, institutional and marketing imagery, and direct-to-graduate gallery delivery and ordering.

• Scale: approximately 8,000 graduates across 17 ceremonies at 6 locations, university wide.

• Venues: Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium, an outdoor stadium, and the William D. Mullins Memorial Center, an indoor arena, along with additional campus venues.

• Largest single ceremony: more than 1,500 graduates cross the stage in the undergraduate commencement at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, in one continuous outdoor ceremony.

• Outcome: images delivered within 10 to 14 days of each ceremony, consistent with the standard we hold across all partners.

“From the earliest planning stages through final delivery, Geskus was organized, responsive, and highly communicative.

They took the time to understand the unique needs of each event ... Taking a student-centered approach, their photographers created a welcoming and comfortable environment, helping students feel at ease and authentically represented ... They understood the importance of these milestone moments and approached each session with patience, care, and genuine enthusiasm. The university environment is often fast-paced and constantly evolving, and Geskus Studios navigated those challenges with remarkable flexibility and adaptability.”

— Rebecca White, Community Relations and University Events, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Project 3: Kennebec Valley Community College commencement photography

• Scope of services provided: commencement coverage at the Augusta Civic Center, individual graduate photography at the diploma presentation, and direct-to-graduate image delivery and ordering.

Page 4 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

• Scale and relevance: a Maine public institution within the Maine Community College System, photographed in an offcampus civic arena, the same venue type and service model USM requires.

• Outcome: images delivered within 10 to 14 days of the ceremony, the same standard we hold across every partner.

“They took the time to truly understand our school and programs, setting up multiple calls to learn about our needs and how best to partner with us ... They joined us for the commencement walkthrough to ensure they were fully familiar with our ceremony plans, and on the day of commencement, they brought a school-branded backdrop and kept the picture line moving efficiently, even when some of our readers went very fast ... I especially want to shout out to Renee and Matt for their outstanding partnership. They were professional, organized, and patient ... Coordinating across three campuses could have been challenging, but Geskus ensured everything ran smoothly at every location and on commencement day. Their professionalism, communication, and reliability made them a standout partner.”

— Brittany Durning, Director, Center for Campus Life

3. Operations and Staffing Names and qualifications of key personnel The following team would be assigned to the USM account: Role

Name and responsibility

President and CEO

Richard Carroll. Executive sponsor and contract authority.

Account lead

Stephen Marino, Head of Sales. Single point of contact for USM during Proposal and RFP.

Client relations

Danielle Sullivan, Client Relations Manager. Owns service standards and issue resolution across the account.

Dedicated USM coordinator

Selected from our Client Experience team at the time of award, so the assignment reflects USM's ceremony schedule and requirements. This coordinator handles all aspects of commencement planning with the University and is a named contact for USM staff.

Lead photographer

Jean-Marc Cormier, Head of Photography. More than 15 years with Geskus Studios and a Maine native. Directs camera positions, monitors coverage across the crossing line, and is the single on-site point of contact for USM staff during each ceremony.

Commencement is a defined discipline at Geskus with dedicated leadership rather than a seasonal assignment. USM's crew is drawn from the following commencement team: Name

Role

Jean-Marc Cormier

Head of Photography. Lead photographer assigned to USM.

Matthew Terrio

Lead Commencement Photographer

Ron Alpuerto

Photography Manager and Lead

Heather Madison

Photography Manager and Lead

Heather Madore

Photography Manager and Lead

Jack Hehir

Photography Development Manager

Page 5 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Stage positions are assigned by commencement experience rather than by availability. Every position on the crossing line is held by a photographer who has worked prior commencement ceremonies.

Service and coordination are handled by our Client Experience team. USM's assigned coordinator is drawn from this group: Name

Role

Danielle Sullivan

Client Relations Manager

Renee Bruno

Client Experience

Amy Cotter

Client Experience

Kathy Pelkey

Client Experience

Tori Swasey

Client Experience

Number of photographers available for events For the USM ceremonies we propose the following crew:

• Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, Hannaford Hall: 2 photographers.

• Commencement Ceremony, Cross Insurance Arena: 3 photographers, positioned as a handshake camera at the diploma presentation, a secondary camera on the ramp, and a roaming candid photographer.

• On-site support: 1 backup photographer who also handles name card collection and equipment.

• On-site team lead: 1 team lead present throughout in a non-shooting oversight role, responsible for camera positions, coverage across the crossing line, and acting as the single point of contact for USM event staff during the ceremony.

Crew size here is set by crossing rate and coverage requirements rather than by headcount, and every position has a defined job. The handshake and ramp positions in particular are deliberate: each graduate passes two independent cameras, which is how we can commit to at least one high-quality image of every graduate crossing the stage rather than treating that as a best-effort target. If one position is momentarily blocked by a platform guest, a moving dignitary, or a graduate who breaks stride, the second position still holds the frame, and the backup photographer provides a third camera if either primary position is interrupted.

Date availability and scheduling USM's ceremony dates, the Friday Doctoral Hooding and the Saturday Commencement, fall outside our other commencement commitments, so our most experienced commencement photographers are assigned to these ceremonies without competing obligations on the same dates. We confirm ceremony dates with our partners well in advance each year and protect them on our calendar before taking on additional work in that window.

Maine-based staffing A number of our photographers live in Maine, as does our Head of Photography. This matters operationally rather than sentimentally. Crew assigned to USM would be working close to home rather than travelling in on the morning of a ceremony, which reduces the chance that weather, traffic, or a long drive becomes the University's problem on a day that cannot be rescheduled.

Backup staffing plan Our approach to staffing risk is on-site redundancy rather than a substitution list held in reserve.

• A company lead is present on site throughout every ceremony and reachable by phone. If a position has to be reassigned mid-ceremony, that decision is made on the spot by someone with the authority to make it, rather than escalated to an office.

• The Saturday crew includes a backup photographer who can take over any primary position immediately, covering both equipment failure and a photographer becoming unavailable mid-ceremony.

Page 6 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

• If a crew member cannot work the date, the position is filled from our commencement team rather than from general staff, so every stage position remains held by a photographer who has worked prior commencement ceremonies.

Onboarding and pre-planning Onboarding includes a series of pre-planning meetings between USM and the assigned coordinator, held well ahead of the ceremonies. These meetings are where the graduate list and its format, the run of show, the venue plan, the name card handoff point, and the delivery timeline are all settled and kept current. The purpose is straightforward: nothing about USM's ceremonies should be decided for the first time on a ceremony day, and communication should be clear and transparent in both directions well before anyone arrives at the venue.

Process for collecting and tracking graduate names Our process is designed around the two inputs the RFP describes, the university supplied email list and the name cards collected at the ceremony.

• Before the event: USM provides the graduate list with email addresses. We load it into our gallery system in advance so that graduate records exist before a single frame is taken.

• Venue walkthrough: we walk the venue with USM event staff, confirm the reader position and card handoff point, and agree on the card format so the flow at the stage is not slowed.

• At the event: name cards are collected at the reader podium or the base of the stage and kept in strict crossing order.

Cards are sequenced against the frame timeline so each crossing image is tied to the correct graduate.

• After the event: our team reconciles the card sequence against the frame timeline and the USM supplied list.

Unmatched images are reviewed individually rather than left unnamed.

• Delivery: each graduate receives a direct email link to their own images. Graduates who do not appear in the list, or who cross without a card, are handled by our client experience team on request.

Facial recognition supports this process. Working alongside the name cards rather than in place of them, it allows us to match graduates to their images more quickly, which shortens reconciliation and improves turnaround. The name cards and the University-supplied list remain the record of who crossed and in what order; facial recognition is what makes matching them to thousands of frames fast rather than manual.

4. Equipment and Technology Photography equipment Geskus photographs commencement on Nikon mirrorless camera systems with NIKKOR lenses.

We maintain a standing equipment replacement policy rather than running equipment to failure. Capture equipment is refreshed on a rolling basis, and no camera body in service is more than five years old. Reliability carries particular weight at a commencement: the ceremony cannot be paused, and each graduate crosses the stage once.

Each camera setup carries an external flash. Exposure at the crossing point is therefore controlled by our own lighting rather than by the venue's house lighting, which varies from venue to venue and changes across a ceremony as house lights are raised, dimmed, or adjusted for video. Carrying our own light is what allows the handshake frame to look consistent from the first graduate to the last, and it is why we are able to work an unfamiliar arena without depending on conditions we do not control.

Backup equipment availability Backup camera bodies are carried to every ceremony as standard rather than sourced on request, alongside the backup photographer described in Section 3. Because a commencement cannot be rescheduled, our preparation assumes equipment will occasionally fail and is built so that a failure costs the ceremony nothing.

Page 7 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Editing capabilities All editing is performed in house by our production team. No part of it is outsourced. Our production team handles color and exposure correction, cropping for consistency across the crossing sequence, and preparation of the highlight selection and the social media and media relations images described in Section 4 of this RFP. Editing is followed by a separate quality control review, also in house. Quality control managers check images against the Geskus standard before any image is released, which means the first person to catch a problem with a graduate's image is a member of our team rather than the graduate or the University. Keeping both editing and quality control in house is also what allows us to commit to a delivery window with confidence, because the schedule does not sit in a third party's queue.

Online delivery platform Geskus operates its own online ordering engine rather than licensing a third-party gallery service. We own the graduate's experience end to end, from the first email to the final order, which means service quality, response times, and any changes USM asks for are ours to control rather than an outside vendor's roadmap or support queue.

How it works for graduates and families:

• Before the ceremony, each graduate and their family receives a series of email reminders containing a presale code, allowing them to pre-order at www.geskusprint.com.

• After the ceremony, post commencement emails go out carrying a graduate-specific code.

• Entering that code brings up that graduate's own proofs, which can be viewed and ordered through our secure checkout.

• Families who would rather not order online can call our office and place an order directly with a member of our team.

Not every family is comfortable ordering through a website, and no one should miss their graduate's images because of it.

USM receives a separate administrative gallery with high-resolution downloads for institutional use.

5. Scope of Services and Deliverables Ceremony photography coverage Geskus confirms coverage of every item listed in Section 3 of the RFP: graduate stage crossings, diploma and scroll presentations, graduate portraits during the ceremonies, faculty and staff participation, academic processions and recessions, platform party and dignitary participation, audience and family engagement, and student celebrations before and after the ceremonies.

Event coverage We confirm coverage of the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on the Friday before commencement at Hannaford Hall, and the Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement Ceremony on the Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Additional commencement related events can be added and would be quoted separately.

Individual graduate photography • We confirm capture of at least one high quality image of each graduate crossing the stage.

• We confirm additional candid and posed images where the ceremony flow allows.

• We confirm a system that allows graduates to locate and purchase their own photographs by name, supported by facial recognition matching so that a graduate finds their own images rather than searching a general gallery.

• We confirm that image delivery and ordering information is sent directly to graduates, which means USM staff are not asked to distribute codes, envelopes, or order forms.

Institutional photography and deliverables USM will receive:

• A selection of edited highlight photographs, delivered ahead of the full gallery for immediate communications use.

Page 8 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

• Images sized and formatted for social media and media relations.

• Fully edited high resolution digital images suitable for print, web, social media, publications, and archival use.

• Categorized galleries organized by ceremony and by subject.

• Downloadable files for unrestricted university use.

• Backup copies of all delivered images retained by Geskus.

Delivery standard: images are delivered within 10 to 14 days of each ceremony. We hold that window deliberately rather than racing to beat it. Every image passes through in-house editing and a separate quality control review, and at commencement scale that attention is what separates a gallery a graduate is glad to buy from one that merely exists.

The same standard applies to all deliverables, including the University's highlight selection and institutional images.

Image retention: Geskus archives commencement images indefinitely. We hold backup copies of every image we have produced since the company was founded in 2004. This is not a theoretical benefit. Families contact us years after a ceremony to order images, and we are able to fill those requests. For USM it means that a graduate who loses a download, or a family that decides years later they would like a print, has somewhere to go, and that somewhere is not a University office.

Graduate access, ordering, and support • Online image viewing platform with name search.

• Secure ordering system with standard payment protections.

• Customer support for graduates and families through our customer service department, reachable by phone Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and by email at any time.

• Reasonable pricing structure, detailed in Section 6.

Support at USM runs on two separate tracks, deliberately. The University has its own named coordinator, introduced in Section 3. Graduates and families are supported separately by our customer service department, so that questions about an order or an image never arrive at the desk of the person coordinating the ceremony, and never arrive at a University office either.

Graduate and family communication Working from the graduate list the University supplies, we communicate with graduates and their families directly by email, both in the run-up to the ceremony and afterwards. Families are told in advance how images will be delivered and how to find them, and they hear from us again once galleries are live. This is the mechanism that keeps USM staff out of the fulfilment process entirely: no envelopes to distribute and no order forms to hand out.

Where a partner chooses to include it, we also supply a QR code for the commencement program so families can pre-order from their seats on the day. Many of our partners do this. It costs the institution nothing beyond a code placed in a program already being printed, and we provide the artwork to the University's specifications. If the program design does not allow for it, we simply leave it out, and nothing about our service changes.

6. Pricing Proposal Geskus proposes to provide all services described in this RFP at no cost to the University.

There is no coverage fee, no staffing charge, no travel expense, and no editing or delivery cost. Our revenue comes entirely from graduate and family purchases. In addition, Geskus returns $5 to the University for every paid package purchased.

Page 9 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Pricing element

Geskus response

Event coverage rate

No cost to the University.

Photographer staffing cost

Included at no cost to the University.

Travel expenses

Included at no cost to the University.

Editing and delivery cost

Included at no cost to the University.

Institutional image licensing

Included at no cost to the University. See Section 7.

Graduate purchasing structure

Package and a la carte pricing. Most popular items listed below.

Return to the University

$5 returned to USM for every paid package purchased.

Optional services

Available at the University's discretion. Listed below.

Optional and additional services Beyond the scope described in this RFP, the following are available to USM at the University's discretion:

• Graduate portrait sessions. A custom session before or after the ceremony, in the spirit of a senior portrait but elevated to suit a college graduate audience rather than a high school one. Sessions are offered at several levels, and pricing depends on the level of sitting the graduate selects. There is no cost to the University.

• Headshots at regalia pickup. Professional headshots taken during regalia pickup days, which also gives us a reference image for each graduate ahead of the ceremony, as well as an opportunity for a professional headshot.

• School-branded backdrop. A USM-branded backdrop on ceremony day for portraits and celebration photographs.

• Communication and promotional support. Assistance producing advertising materials and student communications relating to commencement photography.

• Additional events and photographers. Coverage of further commencement-related events, and additional photographers where the University wants deeper coverage.

Graduate pricing, most popular items Many more options are available on our online ordering platform.

Item

Price

Digital download, all images

$99

Digital download, single image

$39

Top of Class package: three 8x10, four 5x7, two 3x5, four wallets

$69

One 8x10

$24

Two 5x7

$24

7. Rights and Usage Geskus agrees to the rights structure described in Section 5 of the RFP. Specifically, we will grant the University of Southern Maine unlimited, perpetual, non-exclusive rights to use photographs from these ceremonies for educational, promotional, marketing, archival, and institutional purposes, across print, digital, social media, advertising, publications, and future university communications, including permission to share photographs with media outlets and university partners.

Geskus retains copyright ownership of the images. This is consistent with the RFP language and does not limit the University in any of the uses described above.

Page 10 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

8. Event Expectations Requirement

Geskus response

Photograph large-scale events with audiences exceeding several thousand

We photograph the UMass Amherst undergraduate commencement at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium, where more than 1,500 graduates cross the stage before a stadium audience, and indoor ceremonies at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. Both exceed the attendance described in Appendix A of this RFP.

Manage multiple photographers simultaneously

Every ceremony runs under a named lead photographer who directs positions, monitors coverage gaps, and is the single point of contact for USM staff during the event.

Work effectively in indoor and outdoor venues

At UMass Amherst we photograph both the outdoor undergraduate commencement at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium, which proceeds rain or shine, and indoor ceremonies at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. Both USM venues are indoor, so these ceremonies sit within conditions we already work in each season, with outdoor capability held in reserve should a future ceremony move.

Coordinate with event management staff

Onboarding includes a series of pre-planning meetings with the University to settle the run of show, venue plan, graduate list format, and card handoff point, and to keep that information current. We request a pre-event walkthrough and attend rehearsal where one is held. Direct mobile numbers for the account lead and the lead photographer are provided to the University ahead of every event, so USM staff can reach us immediately on ceremony days.

Maintain professional appearance and conduct

All Geskus employees work to a company dress standard for commencement: slacks or dress pants with a collared shirt or blouse. Beyond appearance, we train photographers to blend into a ceremony rather than stand out in it, staying clear of family sightlines and out of the video feed. The measure of a well-run commencement crew is that afterwards nobody remembers they were there.

Work flexible schedules including evenings and weekends

A Friday evening ceremony followed by a Saturday morning ceremony is standard for our commencement season, and these dates fall outside our other commencement commitments, so USM is not scheduled against another institution.

Lead photographer plus additional photographers as necessary

See Section 3 for the proposed crew structure.

9. References The RFP requires at least three references. Each includes the institution name, a contact person, an email address and phone number, and a description of services provided.

Reference 1 Institution

Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield, Maine

Contact person and title

Jennifer Casey, Executive Director

Email

jcasey@mainecc.edu

Phone

(207) 453-5129

Page 11 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Services provided

Commencement photography at the Augusta Civic Center, including individual graduate photography at the diploma presentation and direct-to-graduate image delivery and ordering.

Reference 2 Institution

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Contact person and title

Michael Ciarlante, Director, Institutional Events

Email

michaelc@bu.edu

Phone

(617) 353-2769

Services provided

Full commencement period coverage, including individual graduate photography, private graduate portrait sessions, institutional and marketing imagery, and direct-tograduate gallery delivery and ordering.

Reference 3 Institution

University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts

Contact person and title

Rebecca White, Community Relations and University Events

Email

rebecca.white@umass.edu

Phone

(413) 577-1101

Services provided

Full commencement period coverage, including individual graduate photography, private graduate portrait sessions, institutional and marketing imagery, and direct-tograduate gallery delivery and ordering.

10. Sample Work The RFP requests links to commencement galleries, event photography portfolios, and examples of graduate stage crossing photography.

Commencement related samples

https://gallery.wearegeskus.com/client/commencement-samples/gallery

Company website

wearegeskus.com

11. Insurance Geskus Studios carries the coverage required in Section 11 of the RFP and will provide certificates of insurance naming the University of Southern Maine as required prior to contract execution.

12. Contract Term Geskus accepts the anticipated structure of an initial one year term with the option to renew for additional terms based on satisfactory performance and mutual agreement.

We would welcome a conversation about a multi-year term at renewal. Continuity matters at commencement: a returning crew already knows the venue, the run of show, the reader position, and the University staff, and that familiarity translates directly into a smoother ceremony and better images.

Page 12 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

G E S K U S S T U D I O S | University of Southern Maine · Commencement Photography Services

Closing Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Commencement is the single most photographed day in a graduate's time at a university, and the one they are least likely to get a second chance at. Our commitment to USM is that the planning, the staffing, the graduate communication, and the follow through are all ours to carry.

We would be glad to present in person, walk Cross Insurance Arena and Hannaford Hall with your team, or answer any follow-up questions.

Stephen Marino | Head of Sales stephen@wearegeskus.com · (800) 948-1120, ext. 673 · wearegeskus.com

Page 13 of 13 · Submitted August 17, 2026

22 Marin Way, Unit 3 Stratham NH 03885 (800) 948-1120 x5673 stephen@wearegeskus.com wearegeskus.com