County commissioners increase Elite Event funding

Pinellas County Commissioners unanimously approved the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) recommended revisions to the Elite Event Funding Program guidelines, including increasing the maximum funding level.

Recognizing that major events in Pinellas County drive tourism and increase revenue for the area, the Convention and Visitors Bureau instituted the Elite Event Funding program in 2012. The program uses proceeds from the 6% Tourist Development Tax (Bed Tax) to subsidize events that meet county criteria.

The TDC separates events into four categories according to the number of attendees it brings and the number of nights they stay at area hotels. The amount of funding a promoter receives directly correlates to those numbers. Before Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the maximum amount of funding offered was $125,000 for events that generate at least 50,000 paid or credentialed attendees that also stay at least 25,000 room nights in Pinellas accommodations.

Commissioner Karen Seel asked who requested the increase from $125,000 to $200,000 in county funding for events, and why the TDC proposed reducing its room nights and attendance thresholds in the resolution.

Steve Hayes, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, replied that he was unsure of who asked for the increase, but it was a member of the TDC. Regarding the reduction in room nights and attendance requirements, Hayes said several stakeholders within the county’s tourism industry were concerned the criteria were unrealistic. He explained the thresholds were the same for events of varying sizes and attendance rates.

“What we did is boil it down scientifically,” said Hayes. “Looking at our research data that would go back and say … how many people were staying overnight, what was the average length of stay overnight – and it’s all based on the attendance levels.”

That data, he said, gave tourism officials a number to align criteria with for each of the categories to make the standards more realistic. After each event, Hayes said, the TDC would compare projections with the actual numbers.

Seel noted the county designed the program to lure new events rather than funding recurring promotions and said she had a problem with the increase.

“I think people will just automatically ask for it,” she added.

Hayes explained the TDC recommended a new category for events that may have occurred elsewhere but are making their debut in Pinellas County.

Commissioner Pat Gerard said she also had a problem with the $75,000 increase in funding for eligible events.

“That’s quite the jump,” she said. “Couldn’t we make it $150,000?”

Seel clarified she could live with the increase but believes some applicants continue asking for the money without a need. Previously applicants to receive funding included the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the Outback Bowl and the Valspar PGA Golf Tournament.

Seel said she appreciated one beneficiary’s fiscal honesty.

“I always give the Grand Prix credit,” she said. “Because they decided that they didn’t need to come ask us for any more, and that gained a lot of respect from me.”

Despite stating she was amenable to the increase from $125,000 to $200,000, Seel motioned to approve the resolution with a cap at Gerard’s target of $150,000. The board of county commissioners unanimously passed the resolution, which also eliminates the TDC Elite Committee and replaces it with county staff.