Thursday, September 4, 2008

Monroe County's tourism council had a difficult time deciding how to allocate funds for 2009 events during advisory committee meetings held Tuesday and Wednesday.

As with years past, the funding requests for special events such as Fantasy Fest and powerboat races totaled more than the committees had to dole out. Many groups did not qualify for funding or received significantly less than they asked for.

"We never have enough money for what everyone wants," said Julie Fondriest, who chairs the Key West advisory committee. "We always wish there was more money."

Each year the tourism council allocates a percentage of its budget for events in each district of the Florida Keys that help bring visitors to the county. The money comes strictly from bed-tax revenue, which is generated from the countywide tax on lodging.

The groups face a rigorous application process, and members of the advisory committees must review each proposal and deliberate on where the money should be spent. Most events are ranked by how many visitors they will bring to the Keys, how long those visitors will stay and how much exposure the event brings to the destination.

This year, 14 organizations applied for a total of $841,000 in funding from the Key West advisory committee. However, the committee, whose decision usually is rubber-stamped by the tourism council at its board meeting, had just $380,000 to give out.

Of the 14 groups, six did not rank high enough on the committee's score sheets to qualify for funding.

Fantasy Fest received the most funding at $80,000 -- $30,000 less than organizers requested. But the amount is $5,000 more than it received last year.

Fondriest urged committee members to consider allocating more for Fantasy Fest because it is the most popular event and brings in the most money. Last year, the event generated $9 million in hotel sales, which computes to $430,000 in bed taxes.

"It not only self-funds what we're paying into it, but it pays back three and a half times," she said.

The Acura Key West sailing races and the Key West World Championship powerboat races received $75,000 each -- also a $5,000 increase over last year's funding, but still less than the $100,000 the Acura event was seeking and the $115,000 sought by the Conch Republic Offshore Power Boat Racing Association.

The association's president, Larry Bleil, said the group would have to turn to the community for donations and sponsorships to try to help make up the difference.

"That's about the only place we can go," he said, adding that national sponsorships have been declining.

The Key West Songwriters Festival was the only event to receive the full amount it requested. Most committee members spoke highly of the event and praised its success in filling hotel rooms.

The festival received $45,000 for its April event, now in its 14th year, which has drawn larger and larger crowds with each passing year.

Phil Peterson's Key West Poker Run, which will be expanded to a four-day event next year, received $35,000. It had requested $70,000.

Fight Night in the Keys, a boxing event broadcast live on ESPN from Mallory Square, received $30,000 from the Key West committee and picked up an additional $45,000 funding from three of the other committees, bringing its total to allocation to $75,000.

While the event does not draw a large number of out-of-town crowds, it is considered important because the two-hour broadcast includes several lengthy clips about Key West and reaches 9 million households.

"I would like to see more heads in beds, but I understand the real value in this is the exceptional PR," Fondriest said.

The final two groups to receive funding were Pridefest, organized by the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, and Womenfest, organized by the Key West Business Guild. Both events received $20,000.

Groups that did not score high enough to be considered for funding from the Key West committee included: the Celebration of the Sea Music and Film Festival, the Florida Keys Community College Swim Around Key West, the Green Living & Energy Education Expo, the Education Exploration campus visit week at the college, the Key West Running Series, and the Key West Offshore Challenge, a proposed powerboat race that would have been held in July.

Many groups voiced concerns about the city of Key West's proposal to require special event fees to be paid in advance to help balance its budget. Many said that instead of using the funding for much-needed additional advertising, the money could be sucked up by these costs.

amswary@keysnews.com