More events, less bed tax funding

Florida Keys News

Thursday, September 2, 2010

More events, less bed tax funding

BY ANNE-MARGARET SWARY Citizen Staff

Most groups seeking funding from the county tourism council for special events next year left frustrated and disappointed following Wednesday's allocation meeting in Key West.

No group received the full amount requested, and about a quarter of all applicants received no funding at all.

Twenty-six groups -- about double the typical number of applicants --...

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The DAC does the best it can with what it has to work with.

Submitted on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 2:55pm by *.*

And I thought it surprising that Certonio doesn't GET IT. First time entrants get preference. He is no longer a first-time entrant. Hello????

I had to giggle at these first-time entrants that got no funding: Capt. Tony Days, Key West Half Marathon, Key West Paddleboard Classic, Key West Triathlon, EcoWeek, and Bone Island Bare it All Weekends and Key West Bear Fest. First, how many are truly new events? How many have been around and are now just changing the name for the money?

So, the Bear Fest is separate than Pridefest???? And isn't the Half Marathon the same event Half Shell Raw Bar has done for years? Is that new? Bare It All? Ummm..the KWPD would have a real 'festival' arresting the participants. EcoWeek - is that similar to what GLEE does? And Captain Tony Days? OMG, give me a BREAK!!!!

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What are you talking about?

Submitted on Sat, 09/04/2010 - 1:39pm by Ed

What are you talking about? Certonio gets it just fine. To give the food and wine fest 40k last year was an investment that paid off. The event raised occupancy and brought in visitors. Now, to give them 8k is stupid. It would be better to have given them nothing in the first place! You do not provide seed money to start something and then pull the rug out the next year. This meeting was a joke. The chairman was not there. The person who did chair it is an idiot and knows nothing about tourism (he is am attorney!). People should be outraged over this continued pumping money into Fantasy Fest when we are ALREADY SOLD OUT! This is money that will go to admin costs (paying the person who runs "market share" and the event) instead of going to advertising to bring new visitors to The Keys.

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Seed Money

Submitted on Sun, 09/05/2010 - 8:41pm by Observer

The operative phrase should be "seed money". The objective ought to be to start up a new event. Instead, the plan seems to be to get that first funding so the event can climb aboard the gravy train and keep the TDC dollars flowing. I especially agree that the major events like Fantasy Fest, the boat races, and Poker Run.

The amount of money available for 2011 dropped by $250,000 between 2010 and 2011. Fantasy Fest and the World Championship races drew down over half of the money available. Both events sell out, so why should they get any money at all?

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It takes more then one year

Submitted on Mon, 09/06/2010 - 10:20am by Ed

It takes more then one year to build a following. I agree that it should be "seed money", but you need to allocate it for 2-3 years so the event can grow. You never know what would become our next fantasy fest. I would think business owners and hotels would want NEW events attracting NEW tourists. I agree with you about Fantasy Fest. They should no longer be getting this money. You might also be surprised to know that since Fantasy Fest is considered a "turnkey" event, there are no restrictions on how this money is used. It does not have to be used for advertising. The person who runs Fantasy Fest pays herself a 6 figure salary, so it seems the event is self sustaining. The DAC member who was most vocal supporting the funding for Fantasy Fest is also on the board of Fantasy Fest and her hotel hosts major events and makes big money off the event. Something stinks here and it is not the seaweed on the beaches.

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Key West Seafood Festival

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 5:14am by Don Steele

I was speechless when I heard that the Key West Seafood Festival only received $10,000 after getting $40,000 last year. This is the type of event that Monroe County should continue to nurture and increase their participation in. The Key West Seafood Festival is an event that really delivers and brings families out for a good time. Those Bare it All and environmental events do not draw any significant number of tourists to Monroe County or a significant number of residents out of their homes to attend them. The Key West Seafood Festival last year cost the TDC approximately $5.00 per attendee, while the Bare it All and GLEE events cost the TDC approximately $107 per attendee. I've lived in the Lower Keys for over 10 years and the Bare it All (seen one silicone filled breast seen them all) environmental (reduce, reuse, recycle, rot, Yes we get it!) events are just as lame now as they were then. A citizens review committee needs to be formed to take a deep look into where our now vital tourists dollars are going and why.

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Correction

Submitted on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 4:37pm by amswary

Dear reader, The events you listed are the first-time applicants that DID receive funding. -AM Swary

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Thanks. Guess I wasn't paying 'tention. I really thought

Submitted on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 5:07pm by *.*

that these were ridiculous events! ;-) Oh well!

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What a stupid decision!

Submitted on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 8:38am by Ed

What a stupid decision! Fantasy Fest does not need this money. Regardless of how you feel about Fantasy Fest, thousands of people already come here and the event is self sustaining. Town is full. The new events should have gotten the funding so they can grow to become the next Fantasy Fest. This group needs to be disbanded and replaced with some new people who will help new events grow and attract new visitors, and not just keep pumping money into ones that really are self sustaining. One of the board members from The Pier House has been on the board for almost 30 years! While she recused herself from the vote, she still was influential behind the scenes since her hotel makes tons of money hosting Fantasy Fest events. This is really too bad and part of the reason this town seems unable to grow our tourism base beyond drunks and nudes. To give The Food and Wine Festival 40k last year to get started, and then cut it to 8k this year is just dumb. Also, did you know that while most events must spend this funding on out of county advertising, due to how Fantasy Fest is catagorized, they have NO RESTRICTIONS at all on how the money is spent. This will help pay the head of "Market Share" a great salary. This is another area of waste and stupidity you would only see in Monroe County.

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hotels, bars and restaurants

Submitted on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 3:37pm by Mr B

should be coughing up the dough for fantasy fest and the expenses of the police. They make the big bucks from this event and should pay their share above the taxes

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Sheesh-- more events!

Submitted on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 6:44am by Mac

Just what we need, a "bare it all" festival. What the hell are the members of the TDC thinking? Our reputation isn't already bad enough? Well, let me help out. Next year I'm going to seek funding for my new event, the "Duval Street Bed Bug Races"! It won't be hard to find participants-- our largest hotels are full of them. Perhaps the TDC should be spending its money to warn visitors about Dengue Fever and bed bugs rather than inviting even more fat bikers and drunk flashers to our little island.