by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
For years, the Tourist Development Council awarded grants worth varying amounts to practically any organization that came asking. There may have been some debate and consternation — and occasionally someone was granted less than they asked for — but on the surface, it looked like a good practice since the events put “heads in beds.”
That was also when there were millions of dollars in the TDC’s account.
Today, there is less than $500,000 and a bunch of that was almost awarded last week during the first TDC meeting of the year. The Players Championship asked for $150,000 to create a Web site that would help promote the May 3-9 tournament at the Stadium Course in Sawgrass. The site will also integrate and cross-promote Visit Jacksonville and Florida’s First Coast of Golf. Through the site, out-of-towners headed to Ponte Vedra for the tournament will be able to find Players Championship information as well as hotels will availability and information on area golf courses.
“This is a multi-year initiative and the Web site will serve as a platform to tell the story of the tournament and the amenities around the tournament,” said Players Executive Director Jay Monahan, adding many of those “amenities” do revolve around the week of the tournament, but the ultimate objective is to make The Players a 52-week attraction in some fashion.
TDC member Fred Pozin said the TDC already funds FFCG and Visit Jacksonville and sees the Web site — and the funds Monahan was asking for — as redundant.
“This body already funds two agencies. It sounds like we are creating a third agency,” said Pozin.
Monahan said The Players Web site would complement the other two organizations and help synergize the partnership between the three.
Teresa O’Donnell, manager of the City’s Office of Special Events, asked the TDC for $50,000 to develop, print and mail a promotional piece on the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, which is set for May 27-30, and promote the event through an e-mail campaign.
“Last year, we made the conscious decision to bring the Jazz Festival to Memorial Day weekend and we booked the entertainment advertised that it was Memorial Day weekend,” said Price. “In essence, it’s kind of a new event with the decision to bring it Downtown. The response was overwhelming and we were thrilled that was the reaction.”
This year, Main Street will be utilized more than Laura Street due to the renovations on Laura Street from the Landing to Hemming Plaza. O’Donnell also said the Cummer Museum would like to be involved and the organizers of the Riverside Arts Market would like to see their site serve as a venue.
“We are spreading out,” she said. “It was a good decision to keep it Downtown. The Symphony for the first time ever wants to be a part of it.”
Funding for both events, however, is at a premium and after hearing from Janice Billy of the Council Auditor’s Office, the TDC voted to approve just $25,000 for The Players and $25,000 for Jazz Festival. The decision and subsequent vote came after Billy told the TDC members if they approved all of the funding being asked for in the meeting, there would only be $108,000 left for the year. Based on her projections, the TDC will have to be even more frugal this year.
“It will be extremely tight next year,” she said.
According to TDC member Sonny Bhikha, it takes $7.5 million in local hotel revenues to produce enough bed taxes to put $150,000 into the TDC account.
Also during the meeting, Eric Dellenback, director of marketing for the Gator Bowl Association, provided a recap of the Jan. 1 game that featured Florida State and West Virginia in FSU coach Bobby Bowden’s last game. According to Dellenback, the sellout game had a local economic impact of $35 million.
“We took out Florida State-Alabama, Florida-Georgia and the Super Bowl in one swing,” he said, adding the TV coverage was practically immeasurable. “No matter where he (Bowden) went all week, there were no less than 10-15 cameras. We set a record for the most credentialed media at the Stadium. The fairy tale ending to the week was Florida State winning.”
Dellenback said Gator Bowl officials expect even the game to reach higher levels in the future. It will be on ESPN the next four years and feature a match-up of Big 10 and SEC teams.
“The Big 10 leads the TV ratings every year and the SEC teams lead attendance,” he said.
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