Subject:
Title
Approval, Re: Tourist Development Council (TDC) FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program recommendations
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Fiscal Impact:
FY 2025-2026 cycle: $572,665 - $332,665 from Cultural Fund 1446, $240,000 from Marketing Fund 1441.
Dept/Office:
Tourism Development Office
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners approve the Tourist Development Council recommendations for the FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program, Attachment A.
Further, based on the facts specified, by approving this agenda item, the Board will make the legislative finding that Tourist Development Tax funds are authorized for sporting grants pursuant to Section 125.0104(5)(a)3., Florida Statutes, and Section 102-119(3)a, (5)a, and (6)a. of the Brevard County Code of Ordinances. Each of the tourist-oriented sporting and special events has as one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists, and the entity and the Space Coast Office of Tourism both intend to ensure marketing and promotion of these events to tourists.
Additionally, request authority for the Director, Tourism Development Office, to negotiate and sign all necessary agreements and related documents upon County Attorney’s Office, Risk Management and Central Services approval and authorized the County Manager to execute necessary budget change requests.
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Summary Explanation and Background:
The Marketing Support Program is designed to provide marketing support and/or financial support for event related expenses to events and year-round programming for eligible Cultural and Sports events. For qualified events or year-round programming, the Marketing Support Program will provide out-of-county advertising and marketing by the TDO and/or defray the cost of conducting an event in Brevard County. In the case of an event that does not require or want out-of-county advertising and marketing, a reimbursement (with proper supporting documentation) will be available in the amount of the awarded funding.
The program is reviewed by the Tourist Development Council and administered by the Tourism Development Office. The program promotes events and year-round programming to tourists to attend high quality cultural and/or sports events to generate significant economic impact through participant spending.
The Tourism Development Council at their July 23, 2025, meeting unanimously (6-0) recommended the Board approve funding for FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program applications for each event as outlined in Attachment A.
The FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program requires each application to reach a minimum of 5,001 out-of-county attendees measured by the TDO or 250 verified room nights. Forty-two (42) applications have been recommended for approval by the TDC. Of those, 4 sports events (numbers 21-24 on Attachment A) either did not meet the minimum requirement, or were ineligible for various reasons (i.e. the event missed the application deadline, or was a new event which does not meet the approved criteria). However, the TDC decided to recommend those 4 events anyway as long as they come within 10% of the required 250 room nights (225 room night minimum). All of the other events met the minimum out-of-county attendees or room nights to qualify for eligibility for support in the program.
The funding tiers for the FY 2025-2026 cycle, as per the FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program Criteria, Section 6.0 Available Funds are as follows: Cultural applications that attract 5,001-10,000 out-of- county attendees are eligible for up to $12,500; 10,001-25,000 out-of-county attendees are eligible for up to $17,500; 25,001-50,000 out-of-county attendees are eligible for up to $22,500; and 50,001+ out-of-county attendees are eligible for up to $45,000. Total support requests for all approved applications for the FY 2025-2026 Marketing Support Program amount to $572,665.
For Sports events funding awards will be calculated at $15 per room night. An event must meet the eligibility requirements in Section 5.0 and have a minimum of 250 room nights. Maximum funding per sports event is $25,000. Room night counts will be determined by the Sports Commissioner from prior years’ data and TDO staff analysis. Sports events not achieving the room night number will have their award reduced to equal the actual number of room nights multiplied by $15.
Additionally, each County Commission district office will receive $20,000 in funds to allocate as they choose to organizations that applied to the program but did not meet the minimum attendance. Award amounts must not exceed the minimum awards amounts in Section 6.0 and each district office must grant up to two organizations. This is to be approved by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners at a future County Commission meeting to be determined by the Board.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
Please return a memo of the Board’s action to the Tourism Development Office and CAO.