HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-18-2018 Agenda Packet
Auburn Tourism Board Meeting
October 18, 2018 – 10:00 AM
CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER
Roll Call
II. APPROVE SEPTEMBER MEETING MINUTES
III. OLD BUSINESS
1) Tourism Updates
Membership Updates
Auburn Adventure Film Festival Update
Tourism Budget Update – August 2018
Tourism Marketing Campaign Update
City Council Presentation
Auburn Tourism Summit
IV. NEW BUSINESS
1) Review 2019 Lodging Tax Grant Applicants
2) Short and Long Term Tourism Goals
V. NEXT MEETING
Next ATB Meeting: Thursday, November 15th at 10AM in Room #3
(second floor) City Hall
VI. ADJOURNMENT
144,546 $144,546
YTD
Comparison
8/31/2017
YTD as of
8/31/2018
2018
w/BA#5
Revenues:
Hotel/Motel Excise Tax $71,096 $72,602 $113,300
Investment Income $984 $2,411 $400
Total Revenues $72,080 $75,013 $113,700
Expenditures:
Administration
Tourism Manager Salary $29,265 $37,602 $46,125
Marketing Consultant $2,500 $3,000 $10,300
Travel $0 $476 $1,030
Dues $500 $0 $515
Conference Fees $60 $490 $515
Meetings $35 $91 $515
Printing/Promo Supplies $0 $590 $2,800
Subtotal $32,360 $42,248 $61,800
Marketing $41,979
Media Buy,Trade Shows, Digital***$0 $5,936 $134,595
Web Site $2,370 $850 $2,575
Multi Media $465 $264 $1,030
Subtotal $44,814 $7,050 $138,200
Community Grant Program $2,500 $3,500 $10,300
Subtotal $79,674 $52,798 $210,300
Total Expenditures YTD $79,674 $52,798
2018
Year End Budgeted Ending Fund
Balance as of August 2018 $203,720
Restricted Reserves*$42,060
Unrestricted Reserves $161,660
*Restricted reserves should equal 20% of budgeted annual expenditures.
Approved
HOTEL/MOTEL TAX FUND 2018 BUDGET
Explore Auburn, Washington: Lodging Tax Tourism Enrichment Program
1. Describe your tourism-related activity or event:
Tough Mudder is an obstacle course challenge designed to test participants’ overall strength,
stamina and teamwork. Tough Mudder places great value in promoting camaraderie throughout
the course, designing obstacles that encourage group participation. Participants must commit to
helping others complete the course, putting teammates before themselves, and overcoming
their fears while having fun. Tough Mudder Seattle 2019 will feature a long and short format
Tough Mudder and Tougher Mudder event running concurrently on Saturday and Sunday of
event weekend at Palmer Coking Coal Company in Black Diamond, Washington. Each event
will feature approximately 25 obstacles, as well as scenic trail routes and challenging course
terrain unique to Tough Mudder. In addition to the core event offerings, the event will feature an
exciting spectator route, a diverse range of “Mudder Village” activations (including giveaways,
obstacle challenges, and family-friendly activities), music, concessions and merchandise, a beer
garden, and additional outdoor happenings.
At Tough Mudder HQ, our core mission is to create unconventional, life changing experiences
for our participants and community partners. Since 2010, Tough Mudder has consistently
delivered on this mission by hosting over two hundred events across nine countries - drawing
almost three million participants to date and raising over ten million dollars for various charities.
Tough Mudder HQ has consistently demonstrated a world-class ability to organize, market, and
execute successful large-scale events. An essential component of this mission is to create
lasting relationships with participants, and providing significant economic benefits (including
increased tourism and occupancy rates) to our host communities. Tough Mudder is eager to
collaborate with the City of Auburn to continue to provide the region with exciting events.
2. Describe why tourists will travel to Auburn to attend your event/activity/facility:
A strategic expansion of the product offering and strong promotion of City of Auburn as a
premiere destination is the foundation to achieve mutual long-term tourism objectives in this
market. Tough Mudder Seattle’s visiting participants (“tourists”), who are close to 70% of the
entire participant base, have been enjoying the City of Auburn’s accommodations, dining, and
various attractions since 2013, the first year Tough Mudder Seattle was held in Black Diamond,
Washington. The City of Auburn has lodging and dining options closest in proximity to the event
site, and a lively culture that aligns with Tough Mudder’s unique demographic. Detailed
economic impact studies and post-event analytics, in addition to extremely limited lodging and
dining options in Black Diamond, confirm that there is a greater opportunity to encourage an
extended stay in the community by promoting the City of Auburn’s accommodations to Tough
Mudder Seattle participants in 2019. Tourism development is a vital component of Tough
Mudder’s core business and strategic plan, and has been leveraged in the following manners to
ensure visitors will travel to Auburn when attending Tough Mudder Seattle 2019:
1.Building “Tough Mudder Weekend” by hosting multiple event formats on each event day
and promoting an experience unique to greater Auburn in order to inspire organic
tourism post-event.
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2.Growing as a “lifestyle brand” by connecting with Mudders on multiple platforms, thus
growing the ecosystem of the brand across all markets.
3.Capitalizing on events as media platforms to engage viewers with special content, the
core product, and the regional benefits of the host community to generate positive media
growth.
With the innovation of the Tough Mudder product and expanding range of event formats
focused on drawing new demographics (i.e., Tough Mudder 5K), Tough Mudder is confident that
event attendance is due to increase year over year - and with it, overnight visitors, off-peak
room nights, and length of stay in the host community. In 2018 alone, event attendance
increased by more than 1,100 participants, from 6,900 to 8,000.
3. Provide an estimate of the number of participants who will attend the event/activity in
each of the following categories.
As a direct result of your proposed tourism-related service, provide: Estimate Calculation Methodology
Overall attendance at your event/activity/facility 8,000 DC
Number of people who travel more than 50 miles for your
event/activity
5,500 RS
Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the number of people
who travel from another country or state
2,500 RS
Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the number of people
who stay overnight in UNPAID accommodations in Auburn
1,750 RS
Of the people staying overnight, the number of people who stay in
PAID accommodations (hotel/motel/bed & breakfast) in Auburn
900 RS
Number of paid lodging room nights resulting from your event/
activity/ facility
3,000 RS, SE
4. Is there a host hotel for your event? If yes, list the host hotel(s):
Tough Mudder is in the process of contracting and confirming a Host Hotel for this event.
5. Describe the prior success (number of attendees, media exposure, etc.) of your
event/activity/facility in attracting tourists:
Since 2010, Tough Mudder has delivered over two-hundred Tough Mudder events across nine
countries, including the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, and Australia, featuring almost three
million participants. To date, Tough Mudder has delivered five events in the Seattle market, and
each has proven to draw more out-of-market visitors than the last. In 2017, over 63% of
participants were visitors (non-residents) of King County, with at least 18% of participants
traveling from out-of-state. Additionally, over 33% of participants stayed overnight in the
community, with the vast majority staying in local hotel accommodations. Additionally, over 56%
of 2017 participants had never participated in a Tough Mudder event in Seattle (signifying that
2
the event is drawing new participants each year). Based on their experience at Tough Mudder
Seattle 2017, over 83% of participants were likely to recommend the host community as a
destination to others. For additional statistics on attendees, travel behavior, and overnight
visitation, please refer to the attached Post-Event Reports for Tough Mudder Seattle 2017, and
the attached Economic Impact Report for Tough Mudder Seattle 2017.*
*Please note: Because the TM Seattle 2018 event took place on September 22, 2018, we will not have
this years Post-Event or Economic Impact Reports until October 22, 2018. We will provide updated
reports and numbers at that time.
6. Describe your target tourist audience (location, demographics, etc.):
Tough Mudder Full participants are adventurous, innovative individuals that vary in age and
gender. Tough Mudder participants are generally 65% male and 35% female, about 70% of who
are under age 40. The consumer profile of a Tough Mudder Half participant is geared towards a
56% male and 44% female split, with an average age between 25 – 40. For further reference,
on Tough Mudder Seattle’s demographics, please refer to the attached 2017 Post-Event Report.
7. Describe how you will promote your event/activity/facility to attract overnight tourists:
Similar to Tough Mudder Seattle 2018, promotional efforts for Tough Mudder Seattle 2019 will
focus on digital advertising in order to best market the event, and City of Auburn, as a premier
destination. A strategic investment in marketing and promotions is integral to strengthening the
participation at Tough Mudder events; therefore, a core part of Tough Mudder’s promotional
efforts is traditional destination marketing, with an enhanced focus to increase visitation and
participation. Marketing efforts will largely concentrate on driving traffic to the Tough Mudder
Seattle 2019 official Event page and official Lodging page, which can feature local
accommodations, dining, and attractions.
In order to capitalize on the Tough Mudder’s extensive reach in the Seattle market, the brand
will primarily implement three digital advertising platforms:
1.Geo-targeted Tough Mudder Seattle 2019 advertising for Facebook and Facebook
owned platforms including Instagram and Snapchat;
2.Display advertising that utilizes targeted advertisement buys for users of ‘whitelisted’
sites where the Tough Mudder target demographic generally visit;
3.Search advertising via Google AdWords and Bing.
Promoting Tough Mudder Seattle 2019 will involve a heavily focused year-round digital
campaign, featuring creative content, digital media channels, continuous obstacle innovation
and brand awareness for both the event and the event location as a tourism destination.
Content continues to be a dynamic way to build brand awareness for both Tough Mudder and
the event host region, and will serve to drive visitation to the City of Auburn organically
post-event. In addition to a detailed Post-Event Report that focuses on items such as travel
behavior, overnight stays, demographics, spending habits and social media engagement, Tough
Mudder will manage Marketing efforts by tracking successes of digital media channels. Digital
3
advertising, search advertising and digital videos will be tracked by total impressions, while
social media advertising will be measured through online engagement, including likes, shares,
comments and impressions.
8.How do you intend to use the Lodging Tax funds if selected as a grant recipient?
(Please be as descriptive as possible with the strategy, plan and reasons for your
application.)
Tough Mudder plans on using the Lodging Tax Funds to enhance not only the Tough Mudder
Seattle marketing campaign relative to the event, but the geographic reach of current
promotions in order to market the host community as a destination, and encourage a longer stay
in the region. A strong emphasis on marketing and geo-targeted paid media promotions is
crucial to the successes of Tough Mudder’s Seattle suite of events, especially given that it is
considered a “destination event” to participants and draws numerous people from outside the
local community. More specifically, it will be crucial to augment three major digital advertising
platforms to contribute to the development of marketing overnight packages and local
community engagement: geo-targeted social media advertisements, content display advertising
for targeted sites, and search advertising and optimization via Google AdWords and Bing.
Please see a detailed breakdown of requested funds in Exhibit A (attached).
9. Describe how you will promote lodging establishments, restaurants, and businesses
located in the City of Auburn. What will the City of Auburn/Tourism get in return for
funding (e.g. logos, links print material, radio, TV etc.)?:
TM Seattle will attract thousands of visitors to the local area through our reach via web (182,000
unique visitors per week), email (1.4 million subscribers), social (6 million followers), & other
marketing channels. Our events bring substantial economic impact to each host community in
the form of direct impact, indirect & induced impact, taxes and fees, and high occupancy rates
at local hotels.
The City of Auburn will be promoted alongside the Tough Mudder Seattle 2019 event through
efforts listed below.
1.Utilizing national paid media campaigns in the form of geo-targeted social media
advertisements, search advertising (Google AdWords and Bing), and display advertising
to drive traffic to the Tough Mudder Seattle Event and Lodging page, where the City of
Auburn (and relative amenities) will be promoted.
2.Placing the City of Auburn logo and desired promotional copy on the official Tough
Mudder Seattle Event page, indicating and acknowledging the local partnership.
3.Placing the City of Auburn logo on the official Tough Mudder Seattle Lodging page,
indicating and acknowledging the local partnership.
4.Contracting with and promoting predominantly City of Auburn contracted hotel properties
on the official Tough Mudder Seattle Lodging page.
5.Sending a dedicated e-mail to the event participant base highlighting City of Auburn
hotel properties.
4
6.Placing the Supporter logo and promotional copy within the official Tough Mudder
Seattle Information Pack sent to all participants and spectators.
10. Are you applying for Lodging Tax Grants from another community?
No
11. What will you or your organization do differently this year that will improve upon last
year’s Event?
Tough Mudder is always looking for ways to improve events for both customer and community
experiences, and gathers feedback from participants through post-event surveys. In 2018, TM
Seattle worked to improve upon two points that were brought up in these surveys and
conversations with the venue owner and community:
1.Securing a more thorough waste management crew to meet the venue’s cleanliness
standards post-event.
2.Proactively working with local officials (including Fire/Police representatives) and
developing parking procedures to ensure the large influx of people to the area is not
disruptive to the community.
12. What is the overall budget for your event/activity/facility? Please provide an itemized
list identifying each type of expenditure to be reimbursed.
Please see Exhibit A (attached).
13. What percent of your budget are you requesting from Auburn Lodging Tax Fund?
1%
14. Please identify your top 5 sources of revenue anticipated for your 2019 event not
including requested City of Auburn LTAC funds. (Please do not include in-kind
contributions.)
Source of Revenue Amount Confirmed?
Y/N
Date Funds Available
Participant Ticket Sales Confidential, please
contact Applicant.
N September 21, 2019
Spectator Ticket Sales Confidential, please
contact Applicant.
N September 21, 2019
Corporate Team Sales Confidential, please
contact Applicant.
N September 21, 2019
Sponsorship Sales Confidential, please
contact Applicant.
N September 21, 2019
On-Site Parking and Bag
Drop
Confidential, please
contact Applicant.
N September 21, 2019
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15. What will you cut from your proposal or do differently if full funding for your request
is not available or recommended?
If Tough Mudder does not receive support from the City of Auburn, we may have to consider
moving the event to another county in Washington. Our Seattle event is one of our more
expensive, as there are high costs associated with the required police and fire presence,
required permits, and restrictions associated with the sale of alcohol that require more security,
fencing, and expendable costs.
16. Funding History: Was this event previously funded with Auburn lodging tax funds in
the past four years?
Yes
17. If yes, how much funding did you receive in: 2015-2018
2015: N/A
2016: $8,500
2017: $5,000
2018: $7,500
18. Number of total years you have received City of Auburn lodging tax funds:
3
19. If you received a 2018 Lodging Tax Grant, please fill out the attached report showing
how funds awarded were used. If you were not a 2018 grant recipient, there is no need to
complete one.
Attached.
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Explore Auburn, Washington: Lodging Tax Tourism Enrichment Program
Application Addendum
2018 Grant Recipient Metrics
1.Please indicate the amount your organization requested for the 2018 application
period: $7,500
2.Please indicate the amount your organization was granted for the 2018 application
period: $7,500
3.Please describe in great detail how the funds you were granted were used for your
event:
Tough Mudder marketing supports Seattle with promotion on Facebook and Instagram.
We reached over 600,000 users and had 261,000 engagements on our posts including
likes, shares, and comments. Please see table below for more detailed breakdown.
4.Please attach any analytics, reports, to describe the effect of the funds received
and the impact it had on your event:
In order to evaluate event media and marketing circulation, TM uses the following key
performance indicators: PR impressions, organic views (digital), organic reach (digital),
direct traffic, subscribers and followers, email capture, web traffic and sales, daily
content volume, total engagements, and repeater rate. These metrics will help TM gauge
media coverage as it relates to awareness and reach, engagement, conversion, and
retention. After the post event survey is completed, we are able to pull statistics to see
the percentage of participants that are from the particular county in which the event is
located, the percentage of participants that live in the state in which the event is located,
percentage of out of state participants, and the percentage of international participants.
We can then compare that to our official participant numbers to provide an estimate of
our out of market attendees. The out of market attendees are then compared year after
year to gauge the success of our marketing campaigns.
5.Please describe how if your organization had not been awarded a 2018 grant, what
impact would that have had on your event:
The Tough Mudder Seattle event would have been critically impacted if it had not been
awarded funds from the City of Auburn because due to rising costs of digital advertising,
it now costs significantly more money to reach the same number of people. With these
funds we were not only able to hit our target advertising numbers, but exceed them,
consequently capturing more participants and bringing in more visitors to the area.
7
Amount Expense
Category
Expense Description
$2,500 National Facebook
Promotional
Advertising
Geo-targeted in-state and out-of-state advertising campaign with an approx. reach of
250K+.
Tough Mudder has 5.5M global Facebook followers (4.2M are in North America).
The primary demographic for this campaign is currently engaged Tough Mudder
Facebook followers (those who participate and interact with the brand). For more
information on primary demographics, please refer to the initial application.
Facebook advertising is focused on extended reach and increased engagement as
well as optimizing current successful platforms, and comprehensively includes 5 – 6
posts per day featuring the blog (3 – 4 posts per week), daily videos (1 post per day),
and photos (1 album per event, photos featured throughout promotion). Please
contact the applicant for more reference on potential content (obstacles, product
innovation, fitness/training, nutrition, travel, lifestyle, inspirational stories, and relevant
campaigns).
Facebook advertising specific to the event will lead to the official Facebook event
page and/or the official event page where the host community is featured.
Facebook Live content is available over event weekend.
Event will have a dedicated Facebook page and has the opportunity to feature host
community-specific content.
The duration of this campaign will be from event launch through event completion
and will be administered by Labelium.
$2,500 National Search
Promotional
Advertising
Geo-targeted in-state and out-of-state Google AdWords and Bing advertising
campaign with an approx. reach of 400K+.
Search advertisements will appear next to Google results when consumers look for
products and services offered by Tough Mudder (or associated products and
keywords such as “mud run”, “obstacle course challenge”, “half marathon”, etc. in the
geo-targeted locations).
With millions of searches per day on Google (primarily on mobile devices),
promotional search advertising ensures that consumers are exposed to the brand,
and in turn, the host community (and promotes a subtle call to action). For more
information on primary demographics, please refer to the initial application.
The duration of this campaign will be from event launch through event completion
and will be administered by Labelium.
$2,500 National Display
Promotional
Advertising
Geo-targeted in-state and out-of-state Google Display Network digital advertising and
digital video promotional campaign with an approx. reach of 350K+.
Google Display Network has the capacity to reach 90% of Internet users globally.
With specialized options for targeting, keywords, and demographics, Tough Mudder
can reach more targeted consumers (i.e, whitelisted web sites that the Tough Mudder
demographic is proven to visit) through targeting options that strategically place
messages at the right place/right time.
Display advertisements will potentially take the forms of “text” (headline, text, URL),
Gmail (custom ads), and “banner” (customized layout, interactive element,
animation).
Google Display Network facilitates attention capture earlier in the sales cycle (prior to
consumers searching for what you offer), which is key to augmenting and
supplementing Tough Mudder’s overall event marketing strategy.
The duration of this campaign will be from event launch through event completion
and will be administered by Labelium.
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Exhibit A
2019 Tough Mudder Seattle Estimated Budget
Event Description Tough Mudder Seattle
Event Date September 21-22, 2019
Marketing and Advertising* $160,000
Operations $535,000
Overhead $60,000
Total Expenses $755,000
*Does not reflect potential City of Auburn Lodging Tax Funding
2019 Tough Mudder Seattle Estimated Itemized Expenditures for Reimbursement
Marketing & Advertising
Facebook Advertising
Geo-targeted national (US) and international (CAN)
advertising campaign with an approximate reach
of 100,000,000+.
$3,500
Search Advertising
Geo-targeted national (US) and international (CAN)
Google AdWords and Bing Search advertising
campaign with an approximate reach of 750,000+.
$3,000
Display Advertising
Geo-targeted national (US) and international (CAN)
display advertising and digital video promotion
campaign with an approximate reach of 350,000+.
$3,000
Total Expenditures $9,500
Tough Mudder seattle
2017 Post event report
Event overview
Concept
Event overvew
Data Collection
demographics
Travel time
Overnight stays
Economic Impact
Community experience
event page advertising
E-mail advertising
digital advertising
9/26/2018 Calculator - Economic Impact Calculator - Resources - National Association of Sports Commissions
https://www.sportscommissions.org/resources/economic-impact-calculator/calculator/eid/0b379ec1-e421-41ac-9308-1b452dfb80ff/action/view 1/4
N AS C E CO N O M I C I M PAC T
C A LC U L AT O R
DIREC T SPENDING ESTIMATES BY EVENT SPEC TATORS - PAGE 3
The information you submitted yield several useful findings about the Event Spectators affiliated
with your event.
617 Non-Local Unique Event Spectators
162 Non-Local Parties
From the aggregate spending approach you used:
$54,241.23 is the Estimated Direct Spending by Event Spectators
Separately, it is estimated that Event Spectators generated 229 Room Nights locally.
DIREC T SPENDING ESTIMATES BY VISITING EVENT
PARTICIPANTS - PAGE 6
The information you submitted yield several useful findings about the Non-Local Event
Participants affiliated with your event.
8,090 Non-Local Unique Event Spectators
$2,555,936.89 Estimated Direct Spending by Visiting Event Participants
$1,253,010.18 of which comes from Direct Hotel Expenditures.
$8,494.71 of which comes from Direct Rental Car Expenditures
9/26/2018 Calculator - Economic Impact Calculator - Resources - National Association of Sports Commissions
https://www.sportscommissions.org/resources/economic-impact-calculator/calculator/eid/0b379ec1-e421-41ac-9308-1b452dfb80ff/action/view 2/4
$323,608.00 of which comes from Direct Food/Beverage Expenditures
$258,886.40 of which comes from Direct Clothing Expenditures
$258,886.40 of which comes from Direct Private Auto Expenditures
$0.00 of which comes from Direct Daytime Entertainment Expenditures
$0.00 of which comes from Direct Nighttime Entertainment Expenditures
$258,886.40 of which comes from Direct Parking Expenditures
$194,164.80 of which comes from Direct Groceries/Drug Stores Expenditures
$0.00 of which comes from Direct Miscellaneous Expenditures
Separately, it is estimated that Event Participants generated Room Nights locally.
SUMMARY OF DIRECT SPENDING IMPAC TS FROM NON-LOCAL
SOURCES - PAGE 8
After providing information regarding (1) Event Spectators, (2) Event Participants, and (3) Other
Common Sources of Non-Local Spending,
this yields the following summary of Direct Spending Impacts associated with this event:
DIRECT SPENDING BY NON-LOCAL EVENT SPECTATORS $54,241.23
DIRECT SPENDING BY NON-LOCAL EVENT PARTICIPANTS $2,555,936.89
DIRECT SPENDING from OTHER NON-LOCAL SOURCES $181,500.00
TOTAL DIRECT SPENDING from ALL NON-LOCAL SOURCES
T h i s i s i n c l u s i v e o f h o t e l e x p e n d i t u r e s $2,791,678.11
ADDITIONALLY, AS IT PERTAINS TO ESTIMATING ROOM NIGHTS
GENERATED BY NON-LOCALS
11,39
9/26/2018 Calculator - Economic Impact Calculator - Resources - National Association of Sports Commissions
https://www.sportscommissions.org/resources/economic-impact-calculator/calculator/eid/0b379ec1-e421-41ac-9308-1b452dfb80ff/action/view 3/4
ROOM NIGHTS by NON-LOCAL EVENT SPECTATORS 229
ROOM NIGHTS by NON-LOCAL EVENT PARTICIPANTS 11,391
TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS from ALL NON-LOCAL SOURCES 11,620
SUMMARY COMMENTS - PAGE 9
Based on the information you have entered into the NASC Economic Impact Calculator, the Total
Direct Spending Impact upon your community from these various Non-Local Expenditure Sources
is $2,791,678.11
The Total Direct Spending Impact is a conservative estimate of the Economic Impact that an event
has upon your community.
A more rigorous and complex analysis of Economic Impact would require the consideration of such
factors as:
(1) Local Spending and Income Multipliers
- Which assess (1) The degree with which Direct Spending by Non-Locals gets re-spent within the
local community and (2) What portion of all Spending Impacts eventually leaks out of the
community);
(2) Displacement
- Which distinguishes Gross and Net Economic Impact from each other by gauging what portion of
the Economic Impact generated by a particular event is Above and Beyond the historical level of
Economic Activity experienced by a community during the week or weekend of the event in
question.
Because the issues of Multipliers, Leakage, and Displacement are both (1) Event-Specific and (2)
Site-Specific, it is not possible for the Calculator herein to accurately account for these
considerations. The NASC stresses that you consult an Economic Impact Professional (e.g.
Consulting Firm, University) if you desire to account for these more rigorous aspects of Economic
Impact analysis when calculating your local impact estimates.
2019 Grant Process TimelineGrant Applications AvailableJUN 1Application DeadlineOCT 1ATB Review OCT 18LTAC Review NOV 14 Council ReviewDEC 2018Recipients NotifiedJAN 2019
Grant Recipient Evaluation CriteriaEligibilityClarityCommunity BenefitCost EffectivenessMarketingTourism Reach
Scoring Sheet
2019 Lodging Tax Grant Application
Assessment
Evaluation Score Sheet For Grant Applicants
Organization Information
Organization
Name Requested
Amount
Contact Person Date of Event
Ratings
Available
Points
Points
Awarded
1. Eligibility and Clarity 30
a. Is the application package complete and turned in prior to the stated deadline? 5
b. Has the request for funding summarized clearly the purpose of the event and the role funds would benefit if selected?
5
c. Does the project propose an efficient, economical use of the Auburn Lodging Tax funds? 10
d. How well does the event meet the LTAC’s mission and vision to “support the wider promotion and
marketing of Auburn in order to attract local travelers and tourism”? 10
2. Growth and Collaboration Potential
20
a. Is the event financially sustainable?. 5
b. Is this a viable event with the potential to grow in attendance and exposure? 5
c. Is there inter-organizational or community partnerships that demonstrates a community collaboration?
5
d. Does the project have broad based community support? 5
3. Value Assessment – Evaluating Impact with Funding 50
a. Does this event enhance the lives of local residents as well as visitors’ experience? 10
b. How great is the potential to attract sponsorships and media exposure? 10
c. Will the project efficiently and effectively increase overnight stays, benefit local restaurants,
stimulate retail sales, and promote visitor intent to return?
10
d. The applicant states clearly how they will recognize the support if granted a Lodging Tax Grant. 10
e. Does the applicant, in the scope of work, provide for an adequate method of the evaluation of outcomes of the
proposed project upon completion? 10
TOTAL SCORE 100
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
Person Submitting Review
Name Date
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE AND MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 4:00 PM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018.
Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered. Applications may not be amended or changed
after the deadline for submission. The proposal and all documents filed with the City are public records.
Please submit your completed application along with the required documentation to:
City of Auburn
Attention: Lorraine Chachere,
Tourism Coordinator
25 West Main Street
Auburn, WA 98001
OR VIA EMAIL: lchachere@auburnwa.gov
_____ Completed and signed the cover sheet with this packet.
Completed application (attach additional sheets if necessary).
A copy of your agency’s current non-profit corporate registration with Washington Secretary of
State.
Brochures and/or other supplemental information about your event/activity/facility and/or
recent tourism promotion efforts.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 4:00 PM ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018.
LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee will review your application at their November meeting. It is
possible they may wish to interview applicants for more information or clarification.
Should the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee recommend funding for your event/activity/facility, they
will forward their recommendation to the City Council for their review and authorization. It is
anticipated that funding decisions will be made and announced in January 2019.
How did you hear about Auburn’s Lodging Tax Tourism Enrichment Program?
______________________________________________________________________
APPLICATION OVERVIEW
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
APPLICATION TIMELINE
2
2019 Application for City of Auburn Lodging Tax Tourism Grant
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018 by 4:00 PM
Total Amount Requested: $ . Name of Event________________________________
Organization/Agency Name Federal Tax ID Number
Contact Name Title
Mailing Address City State Zip
Phone Email Address
Event Location Event Date(s)
Check all service categories that apply to this application:
____ Tourism Promotion/Marketing
____ Operation of a Special Event/Festival designed to attract tourists
____ Operation of a Tourism Promotion Agency
____ Operation of a Tourism-Related Facility owned or operated by a non-profit organization
____ Operation and/or Capital Costs of a Tourism-Related Facility owned by a municipality
Check which one of the following applies to your agency:
(Note: Priority will be given to non-profit or public (government) agencies for Lodging Tax funding)
____ Non-Profit (Attach copy of current non-profit corporate registration with Washington Secretary of State)
____ Public Agency
____ Other
ORGANIZATION/AGENCY INFORMATION
APPLICANT CERTIFICATION
3
Signature Date
Printed or Typed Name
PROJECT INFORMATION AND USE OF FUNDS QUESTIONNAIRE
I am an authorized agent of the organization/agency applying for funding. I understand that my agency
will be required to submit a report documenting economic impact results in a format determined by the
City. I also understand that:
Tourism Promotion Activities or Tourism-Related Facilities:
This is an application for a contract with the City of Auburn and, if awarded, my organization intends
to enter into a Municipal Services Contract with the City of Auburn.
Events/Festivals:
The applicant has, or can obtain, general liability insurance in the amount commensurate with the
exposure of the event/festival.
The City of Auburn will only reimburse those costs actually incurred by my organization/agency and
only after the service is rendered, paid for if provided by a third party, and a completed and signed
Request for Reimbursement/After Event Report (or other form acceptable to the City) has been
submitted to the City, including copies of invoices and payment documentation.
4
1. Describe your tourism-related activity or event:
2. Describe why tourists will travel to Auburn to attend your event/activity/facility:
3. Provide an estimate of the number of participants who will attend the event/activity in each of
the following categories. Please use the Calculation Methodology as defined below:
As a direct result of your proposed tourism-related
service, provide:
Estimate Calculation
Methodology
(See options below)
a. Overall attendance at your event/activity/facility □DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
b. Number of people who travel more than 50 miles for
your event/activity
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
c. Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the
number of people who travel from another country or
state
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
d. Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the
number of people who stay overnight in UNPAID
accommodations in Auburn
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
e. Of the people staying overnight, the number of
people who stay in PAID accommodations
(hotel/motel/bed & breakfast) in Auburn
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
f. Number of paid lodging room nights resulting from
your event/ activity/ facility
(example: 25 paid rooms on Friday and 50 paid rooms on Saturday
= 75 paid lodging room nights)
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
Glossary for Calculation Methodology Options:
5
Direct Count: (DC) Actual count of visitors using methods such as paid admissions or
registrations, clicker counts at entry points, vehicle counts or number of chairs filled. A direct
count may also include information collected directly from businesses, such as hotels, restaurants
or tour guides, likely to be affected by an event.
Indirect Count: (IC) Estimate based on information related to the number of visitors such as
raffle tickets sold, redeemed discount certificates, brochures handed out, police requirements for
crowd control or visual estimates.
Representative Survey: (RS) Information collected directly from individual visitors/
participants. A representative survey is a highly structured data collection tool, based on a defined
random sample of participants, and the results can be reliably projected to the entire population
attending an event and includes margin of error and confidence level.
Informal Survey: (IS) Information collected directly from individual visitors or participants in
a non-random manner that is not representative of all visitors or participants. Informal survey
results cannot be projected to the entire visitor population and provide a limited indicator of
attendance because not all participants had an equal chance of being included in the survey.
Structured Estimate: (SE) Estimate produced by computing known information related to the
event or location. For example, one jurisdiction estimated attendance by dividing the square
footage of the event area by the international building code allowance for persons (3 square feet).
Other: (please describe)
4. Is there a host hotel for your event? Yes No
If yes, list the host hotel(s):
If a host hotel(s) was/were used last year, please provide an estimate of how many rooms were
booked last year at each hotel.
5. Describe the prior success (number of attendees, media exposure, etc.) of your
event/activity/facility in attracting tourists:
6. Describe your target tourist audience (location, demographics, etc.):
7. Describe how you will promote your event/activity/facility to attract overnight tourists:
6
8. How do you intend to use the Lodging Tax funds if selected as a grant recipient? (Please be as
descriptive as possible with the strategy, plan and reasons for your application.)
9. Describe how you will promote lodging establishments, restaurants, and businesses located in the
City of Auburn. What will the City of Auburn/Tourism get in return for funding (e.g. logos, links
print material, radio, TV etc.)?:
10. Are you applying for Lodging Tax Grants from another community? Yes No
If yes, list the other jurisdiction(s) and amount(s) requested.
11. What will you or your organization do differently this year that will improve upon last year’s
event?
12. What is the overall budget for your event/activity/facility? Please provide an itemized list
identifying each type of expenditure to be reimbursed.
13. What percent of your budget are you requesting from Auburn Lodging Tax Fund? __________%
14. Please identify your top 5 sources of revenue anticipated for your 2019 event not including
requested City of Auburn LTAC funds. (Please do not include in-kind contributions.)
Source of Revenue Amount Confirmed? Y/N Date Funds
Available
15. What will you cut from your proposal or do differently if full funding for your request is not
available or recommended?
7
16. Funding History
Was this event previously funded with Auburn lodging tax funds in the past four years?
_______YES _______NO
17. If yes, how much funding did you receive in:
2015 _______________ 2016 _______________ 2017 _______________ 2018________________
18. Number of total years you have received City of Auburn lodging tax funds: _______________
19. If you received a 2018 Lodging Tax Grant, please fill out the attached report showing how funds
awarded were used. If you were not a 2018 grant recipient, there is no need to complete one.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE AND MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 4:00 PM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018.
Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered. Applications may not be amended or changed
after the deadline for submission. The proposal and all documents filed with the City are public records.
Please submit your completed application along with the required documentation to:
City of Auburn
Attention: Lorraine Chachere,
Tourism Coordinator
25 West Main Street
Auburn, WA 98001
OR VIA EMAIL: lchachere@auburnwa.gov
_____ Completed and signed the cover sheet with this packet.
Completed application (attach additional sheets if necessary).
A copy of your agency’s current non-profit corporate registration with Washington Secretary of
State.
Brochures and/or other supplemental information about your event/activity/facility and/or
recent tourism promotion efforts.
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 4:00 PM ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018.
LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee will review your application at their November meeting. It is
possible they may wish to interview applicants for more information or clarification.
Should the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee recommend funding for your event/activity/facility, they
will forward their recommendation to the City Council for their review and authorization. It is
anticipated that funding decisions will be made and announced in January 2019.
How did you hear about Auburn’s Lodging Tax Tourism Enrichment Program?
______________________________________________________________________
APPLICATION OVERVIEW
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Google search.
2
2019 Application for City of Auburn Lodging Tax Tourism Grant
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018 by 4:00 PM
Total Amount Requested: $ . Name of Event________________________________
Organization/Agency Name Federal Tax ID Number
Contact Name Title
Mailing Address City State Zip
Phone Email Address
Event Location Event Date(s)
Check all service categories that apply to this application:
____ Tourism Promotion/Marketing
____ Operation of a Special Event/Festival designed to attract tourists
____ Operation of a Tourism Promotion Agency
____ Operation of a Tourism-Related Facility owned or operated by a non-profit organization
____ Operation and/or Capital Costs of a Tourism-Related Facility owned by a municipality
Check which one of the following applies to your agency:
(Note: Priority will be given to non-profit or public (government) agencies for Lodging Tax funding)
____ Non-Profit (Attach copy of current non-profit corporate registration with Washington Secretary of State)
____ Public Agency
____ Other
ORGANIZATION/AGENCY INFORMATION
APPLICANT CERTIFICATION
$3,500 Photography Portfolio
Dan DeVries Photography 059-48-6080
Dan DeVries Photographer
29814 SE 392nd St Enumclaw WA 98022
425-891-5163 dan@dandevriesphotography.com
Auburn Full calendar year
x
x
3
Signature Date
Printed or Typed Name
PROJECT INFORMATION AND USE OF FUNDS QUESTIONNAIRE
I am an authorized agent of the organization/agency applying for funding. I understand that my agency
will be required to submit a report documenting economic impact results in a format determined by the
City. I also understand that:
Tourism Promotion Activities or Tourism-Related Facilities:
This is an application for a contract with the City of Auburn and, if awarded, my organization intends
to enter into a Municipal Services Contract with the City of Auburn.
Events/Festivals:
The applicant has, or can obtain, general liability insurance in the amount commensurate with the
exposure of the event/festival.
The City of Auburn will only reimburse those costs actually incurred by my organization/agency and
only after the service is rendered, paid for if provided by a third party, and a completed and signed
Request for Reimbursement/After Event Report (or other form acceptable to the City) has been
submitted to the City, including copies of invoices and payment documentation.
Dan DeVries
9-13-18
Dan DeVries
4
1.Describe your tourism-related activity or event:
2.Describe why tourists will travel to Auburn to attend your event/activity/facility:
3.Provide an estimate of the number of participants who will attend the event/activity in each of
the following categories. Please use the Calculation Methodology as defined below:
As a direct result of your proposed tourism-related
service, provide:
Estimate Calculation
Methodology
(See options below)
a.Overall attendance at your event/activity/facility □DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
b.Number of people who travel more than 50 miles for
your event/activity
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
c.Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the
number of people who travel from another country or
state
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
d.Of the people who travel more than 50 miles, the
number of people who stay overnight in UNPAID
accommodations in Auburn
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
e.Of the people staying overnight, the number of
people who stay in PAID accommodations
(hotel/motel/bed & breakfast) in Auburn
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
f.Number of paid lodging room nights resulting from
your event/ activity/ facility
(example: 25 paid rooms on Friday and 50 paid rooms on Saturday
= 75 paid lodging room nights)
□DC □IC □RS
□IS □SE
Glossary for Calculation Methodology Options:
The funding will be used to create a high-resolution, high quality photography portfolio that tells the story of Auburn. The photography
portfolio will include photos of downtown highlighting restaurants and shops, activities and events, parks, and Auburn businesses and
industries. These photographs will be taken by professional photographers using professional cameras and lighting equipment. Every
photo delivered is edited to ensure top quality. This will show Auburn in its best light, vs. cell phone photos which often are lacking in
quality.
Photographs taken as part of this project would be viewed by thousands of people over the course of a year when they visit
websites, engage with social media, or view ad campaigns.
N/A
100 Rooms
- Best guess
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
5
Direct Count: (DC) Actual count of visitors using methods such as paid admissions or
registrations, clicker counts at entry points, vehicle counts or number of chairs filled. A direct
count may also include information collected directly from businesses, such as hotels, restaurants
or tour guides, likely to be affected by an event.
Indirect Count: (IC) Estimate based on information related to the number of visitors such as
raffle tickets sold, redeemed discount certificates, brochures handed out, police requirements for
crowd control or visual estimates.
Representative Survey: (RS) Information collected directly from individual visitors/
participants. A representative survey is a highly structured data collection tool, based on a defined
random sample of participants, and the results can be reliably projected to the entire population
attending an event and includes margin of error and confidence level.
Informal Survey: (IS) Information collected directly from individual visitors or participants in
a non-random manner that is not representative of all visitors or participants. Informal survey
results cannot be projected to the entire visitor population and provide a limited indicator of
attendance because not all participants had an equal chance of being included in the survey.
Structured Estimate: (SE) Estimate produced by computing known information related to the
event or location. For example, one jurisdiction estimated attendance by dividing the square
footage of the event area by the international building code allowance for persons (3 square feet).
Other: (please describe)
4.Is there a host hotel for your event? Yes No
If yes, list the host hotel(s):
If a host hotel(s) was/were used last year, please provide an estimate of how many rooms were
booked last year at each hotel.
5.Describe the prior success (number of attendees, media exposure, etc.) of your
6.Describe your target tourist audience (location, demographics, etc.):
7.Describe how you will promote your event/activity/facility to attract overnight tourists:
Building awareness and brand is key to bringing additional tourism and hotel stays to Auburn. One target audience will be people
who never considered attending an event or restaurant in Auburn, or even doing business in Auburn. Another audience are those
who have been to Auburn and need a reminder of the good times, and business opportunities in Auburn.
event/activity/facility in attracting tourists:
Businesses and entities leveraging these photographs should be able to drive an increase in hotel stays. These may come from
both the tourist sector and business sector. These photographs can be used for content on websites, social media campaigns,
digital media campaigns, and traditional media campaigns. They would be available for advertising agencies to use in their
marketing work. The photographs can also be used on community Facebook pages to show how much fun an event was, building
community pride and driving people to future events.
6
8.How do you intend to use the Lodging Tax funds if selected as a grant recipient? (Please be as
descriptive as possible with the strategy, plan and reasons for your application.)
9.Describe how you will promote lodging establishments, restaurants, and businesses located in the
City of Auburn. What will the City of Auburn/Tourism get in return for funding (e.g. logos, links
print material, radio, TV etc.)?:
10.Are you applying for Lodging Tax Grants from another community? Yes No
If yes, list the other jurisdiction(s) and amount(s) requested.
11.What will you or your organization do differently this year that will improve upon last year’s
event?
12.What is the overall budget for your event/activity/facility? Please provide an itemized list
identifying each type of expenditure to be reimbursed.
13.What percent of your budget are you requesting from Auburn Lodging Tax Fund? __________%
14.Please identify your top 5 sources of revenue anticipated for your 2019 event not including
requested City of Auburn LTAC funds. (Please do not include in-kind contributions.)
Source of Revenue Amount Confirmed? Y/N Date Funds
Available
15.What will you cut from your proposal or do differently if full funding for your request is not
available or recommended?
The funding will be used to create a high-resolution, high quality photography portfolio that tells the story of Auburn. It will include
photos of downtown highlighting restaurants and shops, activities and events within Auburn. In addition, photographs of Auburn
businesses and industries can help drive increased business growth, and ultimately tax revenues for the city.
These photographs can be used on websites, social media campaigns, and traditional media campaigns. They can also be used
on community Facebook pages to show how much fun an event was, building community pride and driving people to future events.
The City of Kent for a similar project focused on Kent. $5,000 was requested for that project.
A key part of the photography project is collaborating with stakeholders (City of Auburn, Auburn Chamber, Hotels, Businesses, etc.)
to ensure alignment with their vision of Auburn. My background in marketing helps me to ensure we support key messaging and
positioning.
$3,500. This will cover photography and photo editing for approximately 7 major events, and 7 “categories.” A category might be
manufacturing, restaurants, parks, local art, etc. These will be defined at the beginning of the project during the development of a
“shoot list.” 100
N/A
If only partial funding is available, the number of events and categories photographed can be reduced. The scope of the project can
also be redirected to focus on just a few areas. For example, a focus on manufacturing and distribution businesses, or on local shops
and restaurants can be done.
7
16.Funding History
Was this event previously funded with Auburn lodging tax funds in the past four years?
_______YES _______NO
17.If yes, how much funding did you receive in:
2015 _______________ 2016 _______________ 2017 _______________ 2018________________
18.Number of total years you have received City of Auburn lodging tax funds: _______________
19.If you received a 2018 Lodging Tax Grant, please fill out the attached report showing how funds
awarded were used. If you were not a 2018 grant recipient, there is no need to complete one.
0
N/A