Template revised September 22, 2016.
REVISED COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
8b
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
April 10, 2018
DATE: March 23, 2018 (Memo Revised April 9, 2018)
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Dave McFadden, Managing Director, Economic Development Division
Ron Peck, Director, Tourism Development Department
SUBJECT: 2018 Tourism Marketing Support Program Summary
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization of the 2018 tourism grant program and authority for the
Executive Director to execute all related contract agreements.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Applications for the 2018 Tourism Marketing partnership program have been reviewed and
staff is recommending the Port fund 26 projects from across Washington State. Staff will
highlight these new initiatives and briefly review program results over the last two years.
Tourism Marketing Support Recipients
The Port of Seattle advances tourism in Washington State by implementing an annual
partnership program with local destination marketing organizations. The matching funds
program facilitates tourism development and growth across the state by promoting use of Port
facilities.
In 2018 the Port of Seattle received 45 applications for funding to support local tourism
projects. Staff reviewed the applications and recommended 26 receive funding. 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; that is, for every
POS dollar invested, the organization must contribute fifty cents.
For 2018 the Commission increased the Tourism Marketing Support Program by $50,000 to a
total of $200,000. The additional investment is to be awarded to organizations engaged in
cultural, eco-sustainable, or adventure-nature tourism related activities; 22 planned awardees
self-identified projects that included those components.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8b Page 2 of 6
Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Generally, partner projects fall into the following categories:
• Trade Shows / Sales Efforts – Travel trade shows are exhibitions in which travel
businesses and destination marketing organizations work to obtain additional product
sales by promoting to retailers, tour operators, travel writers and social media
influencers.
• Familiarization Tours – Familiarization tours (FAMs) are specific events and activities
where travel retailers, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines or travel media are invited to
the destination to learn and experience first-hand what a destination or product has to
uniquely offer potential travelers.
• Event Promotion – Marketing and advertising efforts to increase attendance or
participation to an attraction, event or activity.
• Digital Marketing – Encompasses a number of online marketing efforts that include
establishing a visitor focused travel website, targeted banner website or social media
advertising, international language website translations, and online travel marketing
research efforts.
• International Marketing – Includes identifying specific international destinations that
have travel potential and then taking specific marketing actions to positively impact that
market.
• Travel Articles / Public Relations – Specifically geared to generate additional awareness
and interest in the destination by impacting travel, food and beverage writers and
media influencers (bloggers and online travel website founders) to author stories about
a destination. The efforts to influence the writers and influencers include one on one
meetings, deskside visits, arranged appointments at travel trade shows, and travel
FAMs.
Of the 26 recipients identified for receiving funding in 2018, 11 are from King County, 6 are
located in Eastern Washington, 4 originate in the Olympic Peninsula and 5 are based
throughout Western Washington.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8b Page 3 of 6
Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Organization
Name
POS
Awarded
Amount
Tourism Initiatives
Whidbey &
Camano Islands
Tourism
$10,000
Trade show/sales trip
Familiarization tour
Event promotion
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
As host to the International Food, Wine, and
Travel Writers Association conference, the
project will include media familiarization
tours, including nature/adventure activities
Cascade Loop
Association
$10,000
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
The Great American Adventure Road Trip is a
promotion for outdoor adventure thru UK
travel trade and media professionals
Olympic Peninsula
Visitor Bureau
$9,000
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
New website, digital advertising and social
media campaign focusing on out-of-state fly-
in markets (CA, TX, AZ)
San Juan Islands
Visitors Bureau
$9,250
Trade show/sales trip
Familiarization tour
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
Host media tours to highlight
adventure/nature tourism and
environmental stewardship
George
Weyerhaeuser
Pacific Rim Bonsai
Collection (Pacific
Bonsai Museum)
$5,332
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Marketing and production of a promotional
video and special tour for Chinese tour
groups of Museum, which is open year-
round
Experience
Learning
Community dba
Museum of Pop
Culture (MoPOP)
$6,000
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Marketing campaign to target out-of-state
pre/post cruise visitors
Shoreline-Lake
Forest Park Arts
Council
$6,000
Event promotion
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
New and expanded webpage marketing
visual art event to artists and attendees at a
regional and national level (including CA, AZ)
Greater Seattle
Business
Association /
Travel Out Seattle
$9,000
Trade show/sales trip
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
(website, printed materials, and attending
three international and national
conferences) to LGBTQ travelers via GSBA's
Discover Lewis
County/Lewis
County
$10,000
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
advertisements targeting out-of-state (San
Francisco Bay area) outdoor/adventure
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8b Page 4 of 6
Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Puget Sound
Attractions
Council (DBA
Seattle Premier
Attractions)
$8,500
Trade show/sales trip
Digital media
International marketing
Market Seattle tourism travel to national
and international tour operators at IPW
international trade show, as
vendor/presenter
Long Beach
Peninsula Visitors
Bureau
$7,000
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Create, translate and localize websites (as
marketing tools) in 17 international markets
to increase visitor travel and expenditures
Wing Luke
Memorial
Foundation dba
Wing Luke
Museum of the
Asian Pacific
American
Experience
$9,000
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
New website (device-responsive and able to
handle translation/language needs) and
digital campaign to out-of-state and
international Asian market visitors and
media
Ballard Chamber
of Commerce dba
Ballard Alliance
$9,000
Event promotion
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Target two specific flight markets in the
implementation of a culturally-focused
marketing campaign to attract out-of-state
visitors
Historical Society
of Seattle & King
County (dba
MOHAI)
$7,000
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
(including Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Alaska Beyond Magazine and
Delta Sky Magazine) to attract potential
Greater Grays
Harbor
$3,350
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
podcasts highlighting sports fishing, local
seafood and recreational coastal outdoor
Leavenworth
Chamber of
Commerce
$6,606
Trade show/sales trip
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
Extend national reach by networking with
media and travel influencers at a North
America travel trade conference
Visit Walla Walla
and Port of Walla
Walla
$9,000
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Targeted digital advertising campaign in key
markets of Sacramento, Phoenix and Denver
Yakima Valley
Tourism
$7,500
Trade show/sales trip
Fam tour
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
tour operators) on a fam tour after
attending major tourism travel trade
conference to promote pre and post cruise
Forks Chamber of
Commerce
$6,856
Fam tour
Event Promotion
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
Refresh website to include multilingual and
mobile-friendly elements. Host Fam Tour for
media and travel influencers
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8b Page 5 of 6
Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
Visit Tri-Cities $8,000
Trade show/sales trip
Fam tour
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
Participate in travel media show and sponsor
post conference media tour
Cascade Bicycle
Club
$7,606
Digital media
Travel Articles/PR
buys to reach a broader audience for ride
Fort Worden
Public
Development
Authority (PDA)
$5,000
Digital media (marketing
research study)
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Conduct marketing research to define profile
of key national geographic markets from
which to develop a strategic out-of-state
tourism marketing plan
Visit Tri-Cities $9,000
Digital media
International marketing
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Travel Articles/PR
Develop a website dedicated solely to
tourism (including national and international
reach) and the promotion of the Manhattan
Project National Historical Park at Hanford
Chinatown-
International
District Business
Improvement
Area
$10,000
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Video-based, social media campaign,
targeting millennials on the west coast
(including Los Angeles and San Francisco)
Starfire Sports $6,000
Trade show/sales trip
Event promotion
Digital media
California, Hawaii and Alaska youth soccer
teams and Exhibitor at national soccer
coaches convention targeting out-of-state
Port of Friday
Harbor
$6,000
Event promotion
Digital media
Eco/culture/nature tourism
Targeted website and social media
marketing of destination attractions and
events to out-of-state visitors
TOTALS $200,000
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8b Page 6 of 6
Meeting Date: April 10, 2018
Template revised September 22, 2016.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) PowerPoint presentation
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
January 30, 2018 – The Commission was briefed on the results of the 2017 program.
April 11, 2017 – 2017 marketing support program awardees were announced.
January 17, 2017 – The Commission was briefed on the results of the 2016 program.
November 22, 2016 – The Commission approved the final 2017 budget, including $150,000
for the Tourism Marketing Support program.