Agenda Item Name:
Title
Request to Approve a Cooperative Billboard Advertising Campaign and Allocate Required Tourist Development Tax Funding
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Presenter:
Jessica Hurov (352) 374-5260
Description:
The Alachua County Visitors and Convention Bureau Cooperative Billboard Advertising Campaign seeks to amplify the diverse marketing and advertising efforts of hospitality industry partners through the financial support of a billboard campaign with the following objectives:
• Increase visitation to Alachua County in the transient (highway), consumer and leisure sectors;
• Increase the marketing reach and visibility of local tourism and hospitality entities;
• Increase revenue and economic activity for the hospitality sector and support Covid-19 tourism recovery plans.
With multiple exits off I-75, Alachua County is ideally positioned to capitalize on the transient (off-the-highway, last minute) stays. Maximizing this opportunity and increasing visitation and visitor spending through the investment in a coordinated billboard campaign provides an opportunity to support hospitality stakeholders to market Alachua County as the destination of choice for last minute off-the-highway overnight stays, as well as create brand awareness for the County’s nature-based and cultural assets through out of home (OOH) billboard marketing campaigns. The cooperative billboard campaign will enable Alachua County tourism businesses and organizations to leverage Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funds via the cost sharing of expenses associated with independently developed marketing campaigns.
It is requested that a legislative factual determination be made that a co-op billboard campaign purchased with revenue from Tourist Development Taxes serves a public purpose and is related to promoting and advertising tourism in Alachua County, and that these efforts spotlight Alachua County as a desirable place to visit by promoting the positive qualities and numerous cultural, artistic, historic, natural and other tourist related attributes and activities available in Alachua County for tourists to enjoy.
Recommended Actions:
Recommended Acti
Approve the attached Billboard Advertising Co-Op Program and make the legislative factual determination that the Program, which is funded with Tourist Development Taxes revenue, serves a public purpose and is primarily related to promoting and advertising tourism in Alachua County. Approve the attached Budget Amendment to allocate $250,000 in third penny TDT reserves to fund the Program for FY21. Authorize the Visitors and Convention Bureau to administer the Program, including but not limited to the advertisement of the Program, the solicitation and evaluation of applications, and presentation of completed application to the Tourist Development Council (TDC). Authorize the TDC make funding recommendations to the BOCC for qualified applications at a rate of up to $7,500 per billboard project or $15,000 per entity, on a reimbursement basis.
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Prior Board Motions:
N/A
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Total of $250,000 from third penny grant reserves re-allocated to the billboard advertising co-op program. There is sufficient budget available for this program.
Fund 005.45.4530.552.82.63.
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Background:
Authorized uses of revenue from Tourist Development Taxes requires that a legislative factual determination be made that expenditures of TDT serve a public purpose and are primarily related to promoting and advertising tourism
Recommended Action
End:
Fiscal Consideration
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