Template revised September 22, 2016.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
7a
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
January 30, 2018
DATE: January 12, 2018
TO: Dave Soike, Interim Executive Director
FROM: Dave McFadden, Managing Director, Economic Development Division
Ron Peck, Director, Tourism Development Department
SUBJECT: 2017 Tourism Marketing Support Program Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On April 11, 2017 the Commission received an update on the program and a list of
recommended recipients for the 2017 program. The briefing for January 30, 2018 will recap the
2017 program and identify planned changes for the 2018 Tourism marketing support program.
Tourism Marketing Support Recipients
The Port of Seattle developed a partnership to facilitate tourism development and growth
across the state by promoting use of Port facilities.
For 2018 the Commission increased the Tourism Marketing Support program by $50,000, taking
the Port’s commitment from $150,000 in 2017 to $200,000 in 2018. The additional $50,000 is
to be awarded to organizations engaged in cultural, eco, sustainable, or nature tourism travel
related activities. The overall intent of the program is to provide matching support of up to
$10,000 each to local communities, destination marketing organizations, ports, chambers of
commerce, tribal organizations and non-profits to promote their destinations to visitors
traveling to our state. The funds must be used for advertising, publicizing, promoting or
distributing information to attract visitors to the destination. The program requires a two to
one match. In other words, in order to receive two dollars from the POS, the destination
marketing organization must demonstrate a one dollar contribution to the effort.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 7a
Page 2 of 3
Meeting Date: January 30, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Organization
POS Fund
Awards
Awardee
Match
Funds
Counties
affected
Anacortes
Chamber of
Commerce
$5,000
$2,500
Skagit
Travel media /
influencers campaign
Chinatown-
International
District Business
Improvement Area
(CIDBIA)
$4,447.50
$4,504.26
King
Chinatown
advertising and
promotion on Link Light
Rail
Puget Sound
Attractions Council
(DBA Seattle
Premier
Attractions)
$5,500
$4,748.85
King, Kitsap
Promoting Puget Sound
Attractions to
international tour
operators
Starfire Sports
$6,000
$3,000
King
Marketing to out of state
sports teams
Long Beach
Peninsula Visitors
Bureau
$8,000
$4,126.58
Pacific
“360” degree destination
video promoting Long
Beach online
Yakima Valley
Tourism
$7,100
$3,550
Yakima
Online digital marketing
campaign
Acoustic Sound
dba Wintergrass
Music Festival
$10,000
$5,000
King
Marketing to
nonresident attendees
Cascade Loop
Association
$10,000
$6,555.42
King,
Snohomish,
Whatcom,
Skagit, Island,
Chelan,
Okanogan
International media
promotional efforts
Greater Seattle
Business
Association
$10,000
$5,000
King
LGBT digital marketing
campaign
Port of Bellingham
$10,000
$7,288.40
Whatcom
Promotion to travel to
Bellingham at craft beer
trade and travel show
Port of Edmonds
$10,000
$5,000
Snohomish
Whale watching
marketing promotion
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 7a
Page 3 of 3
Meeting Date: January 30, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Organization
POS Fund
Awards
Awardee
Match
Funds
Counties
affected
Seattle
International Film
Festival (SIFF)
$10,000
$5,000
King
Marketing to
nonresident attendees in
North America
Visit Walla Walla
(and the Port of
Walla Walla)
$10,000
$9,751.90
Walla Walla
Online digital destination
marketing campaign
White Pass Scenic
Byway
$10,000
$5,000
Lewis,
Skamania,
Klickitat,
Yakima,
Pierce, King
Marketing new Cascade
Loop itinerary in
Southwest and Eastern
WA
Greater Grays
Harbor, Inc.
$8,000
$7,450
Grays Harbor
Creation of online travel
website for visitors
Ballard Chamber
of Commerce dba
Ballard Alliance
$10,000
$7,507.50
King
Online destination
marketing campaign
Whidbey and
Camano Islands
Tourism
$10,000
$8,000
Island
Multichannel marketing
to international visitors
Skamania County
Chamber of
Commerce
$5,952.50
$13,128
Skamania
Website design and
upgrade
TOTAL:
$150,000
$107,110.91
COMBINED
FUNDS:
$257,110.91
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) PowerPoint presentation
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFING
At the November 22, 2016 Commission meeting, the final 2017 budget was approved which
included a funding level of $150,000 for the Tourism Marketing Support program.
January 17, 2017 – The Commission was briefed on the results of the 2016 program.
April 11, 2017 – Announced the 2017 marketing support program awardees.