Brevard County Board of County Commissioners

Thursday, January 16, 2025 1:00 PM Brevard County Board of County Commissioners 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, FL 32940 Florida Room Minutes Tourism Marketing Support Program Workshop January 16, 2025 A. CALL TO ORDER 1:00 PM Commissioner District 1 Katie Delaney , Commissioner District 2 Tom Goodson, Commissioner District 3 Kim Adkinson, Commissioner District 4 Rob Feltner, and Commissioner District 5 Thad Altman Present: B. MARKETING SUPPORT PROGRAM PRESENTATIONS B.1. Tourism Marketing Support Program Workshop Presentation Chairman Feltner advised the Board has a heavy Agenda today and so that everyone knows who will be speaking, it will be for two minutes. Peter Cranis, Tourism Development Director, expressed his thanks for everyone attending today. He stated he is going to deep dive into the Marketing Support Program and take a look back at some of the other grant programs from the prior year, to look at where they have been, and where they are today; and he wants to start today to get a level set on how the budget is allocated and how Tourist Development Tax (TDT), which is the five percent tax done on short-term rentals is being allocated based on a County Ordinance. He stated for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2025 the budget is $27 million and when taking out the statutory reduction that is required by the State of five percent, along with the other fees and allocations that there is, prior to distributing the funds, and it comes out to be a little over $23 million. He mentioned he provided the Board with a handout of his PowerPoint presentation, should it need to follow along, because of the numbers being a little small; in 1986, the first two pennies were approved by the citizens and the Board, and the way those are allocated and the way the Ordinance reads is at least 25 percent was being allocated for promotions and advertising; 30 percent was being allocated for beach improvement; up to 35 percent was for the capital facilities; up to 10 percent was for the cultural events; and the up to adds some flexibility in the allocations, because in the past couple of years there had been some shifting of some of those funds into other buckets. He stated in 1989, the third penny was allocated and 65 percent was allocated for beach improvement; 25 percent was for the Brevard Zoo; and 10 percent was for tourist information, which allowed for the running of the Tourist Information Center, as well as provided other information services like the website and the App to the visitors. He stated in 1994, the fourth penny was instituted and out of that an allocation was set aside for the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Contract that the County has for $350,000, but all remaining funds are rolled into promotions and advertising; the fifth penny is 100 percent for promotions and advertising, which was in 2005, and promotions and advertising is just under 48.5 percent, beach improvement is 25 percent, capital facilities is 14 percent, Tourist Information Center is two percent, cultural events is four percent, the Brevard Zoo is five percent, and the remaining $350,000 is for the USSSA contractual obligations; and that is kind of how things are being allocated from a TDT perspective. He stated in looking back at the grant history, the Tourism grants have been part of the office since 1986; there has been a number of different ways allocated over the years; beach, capital, and cultural events were all designated for funding with the first two cents; sports was added in 1994, with the additional marketing pennies; and in the past year the Board merged the cultural and sports grants to establish the new Marketing Support Program. He stated in FY 2023-2024 the grant program was established to provide support to cultural events that came from the Cultural Event Fund, the four percent was described previously; the allocation is $600,000, that went to small and large events; the program guidelines and applications were reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office and by the Cultural Committee; the Tourist Development Council (TDC) approves that and sends it to the Board, and the Board approves it; in that program, last year the minimum eligibility was for 1,000 out-of-county attendees; the funds were meant to go to out-of-county Page 1 of 29 January 16, 2025 marketing and 50 percent of that should have gone to out-of-county marketing expenses; and then the rest of the grant would go to the event expenses. He stated the awards were provided as a reimbursement; most of their grant programs are reimbursements, so that happens after the event is held; all of the applicants are to submit all of their receipts in a package for backup; and then a check would be cut. He added, as far as what is in the Cultural Fund for FY 2024-2025 that the Board approved was for the Brevard Cultural Alliance Contract for $202,000, the Marketing Support Program allocation for $600,000, none of that has been spent yet because he is waiting on Board input for the final designation of how to allocate it, and there is $600,000 being held; the Board approved $300,000 out of this fund to be used for the lifeguards, that has been transferred to that program; there is a little over $65,500 remaining in unallocated funds that either could be allocated this year, if not, then it would rollover and become carryforward for the next year’s budget; and the transfer to the Tax Collector is done for every one of these funds, and receives a percentage for $32,400, that makes up the total expense of $1.2 million in the Cultural Fund budget. He stated for FY 2023-2024 sports grants were established to generate room nights from sports events; there was $240,000 that was allocated out of the Marketing Fund, which is the advertising of promotions fund that he mentioned coming out last year, and the events that received grants generated over 16,000 room nights for the destination; the program guidelines and applications are always reviewed by the County Attorney’s Office, by the Sports Committee of the TDC, and then ultimately, approved by the TDC; and then approved by the Board. He advised the minimum eligibility for sport events was 200 room nights, based on $15 per room night up to a $25,000 maximum per event; when bringing in events from outside of the State, the Tourism Office is allowed to apply for grants from the Florida Sports Foundation (FSF), and it was able to get nearly $30,000 from FSF for bringing in these events from outside of the area; and the funds provided to event organizers were designated for out-of-county marketing and for other event expenses, and this is like the reimbursement program. He stated for this FY, upon an initial recommendation from a Commissioner’s Office, the Marketing Support Program was approved by the TDC and the Board; it combined the cultural and sports events together; instead of writing a check on a reimbursement basis from the area of where they are from or how many people are from out-of-county or inside the County, which helps to calculate this information; they were able to get up to $50,000 in marketing support per event; the marketing is done out-of-county by the marketing team within the Tourism Office; and the event organizer does not receive reimbursement directly. He stated in the case of the sports events, they have to have over 200 room nights to qualify; if the event met the qualifications and does not require marketing support; some events are invitational where they invite a number of players or teams to the event and has a built-in number of room nights, they could receive a paid sponsorship according to the criteria; the criteria and the budget were approved by the TDC and the Board in the amount of $840,000; and there was 44 events that were recommended by the TDC in this FY and that came to a total of $805,000, and he will get to the provided list in a minute. He advised he wanted to show the Board how the budget looks for FY 2024-2025 Marketing Support Program; the Cultural Fund had $600,000, Advertising/Promotion had $240,000, and that is what makes up the $840,000; then in the recommended list of events, the TDC recommended $805,000 be awarded; and there is $35,000 remaining in that bucket that could be utilized for anything else that the Board might think of, or could then roll forward into a carryforward for next year. He stated the next slide is the recommended awards from the TDC for the FY 2024-2025 Marketing Support Program; on the left side of the list is the Cultural Events, they start with the highest out-of-county attendance, and then the actual marketing support amount total of $485,000; on the right side is the Sports Events, which are organized by the top room nights and going in descending order, and has the marketing support amount total of $320,000, which makes up the total award of $805,000; at the bottom some events were listed that he was aware of and were able to get cellular date to calculate the out-of-county attendees; but they did not meet the criteria of the $5,000 minimum. He added Page 2 of 29 January 16, 2025 that is just there, as a discussion point, as they go forward today. He stated the next slide is the same list of the cultural events by date of when they occurred; he highlighted the events that have already occurred and the Board could have that discussion on how to handle those; there are seven cultural events and five sports events that have already occurred; and there will be a conversation about that in a little bit. He provided the Board with a couple of thoughts about options; there is a lot of discussion that could happen today, but some of the options could be one, approve the new FY 2024-2025 Marketing Support Program as is, and the recommended awards, as they were presented by the TDC; there were 44 events for $805,000 and are allowed for a reimbursement of the events that occurred, using last year’s grant program as the criteria; two, could be to revert back to the previous program from the previous year, where cultural and sports events have a separate grant program; and a thought would be due to the timing and approving the recommended awards as reimbursable grants, or any other option the Board would like to discuss today. He advised that is it for his presentation, there is about 35 speakers present today and representing about 50 different events; some speakers will speak on multiple events in their two minutes; there was a small group of sports events that are located outside of the State, who were unable to attend today; they were recommended by the TDC; due to them having other events going on outside of Brevard County they were unable to make it; and he is happy to take any questions at this point, or they could get into the conversation and go from there. Chairman Feltner advised he thinks it would be good if they did questions early; he has a technical question for the County Attorney; and he asked if there are questions for Mr. Cranis. Commissioner Delaney expressed her thanks for this presentation; she asked if things are kept or going back… Mr. Cranis replied he thinks that is something of benefit. He stated the previous programs having some of the benefits where there were subcommittees of the TDC that reviewed those; there was sort of another layer; with the new program he would not need, necessarily those subcommittees which could be looked at as a benefit too, depending on her perspective of committees of liking them or not; but those are his main thoughts on that and there is probably some other things, but those are the high points. Commissioner Goodson asked if he is doing the count on cellphones does he compensate some number of people who live in the County, that have an out-of-county cell number. Mr. Cranis responded the way the tool works and it is not perfect; it is a very good tool; they have been working with it for a while now; the County did an analysis of a number of different software options that are out there; he thinks they have the best; but the way it works is, if a cellphone “lives”, sits in an area for a period of time, that is the area that it gets tied to; if somebody were to have purchased a phone and has a service out of Washington, D.C., but have been in Brevard County for three or four months, that cellphone will read as a Brevard County phone, basically. He added it is possible that somebody who come comes from New York and is staying in Brevard County for a month, it will still read as a New York phone; but that is somewhat how it works. Chairman Feltner stated Mr. Cranis said, what the Board might agree to today is the Board could give direction to staff; but he thinks that anything the Board agrees to, it has to be brought back to the Board of County Commissioners. Morris Richardson, County Attorney, responded affirmatively. Page 3 of 29 January 16, 2025 Mr. Cranis stated his thought was if he receives some kind of consensus from the Board’s input today, he would be able to create it, and he would like to bring it back to the Board on January 28, if possible. Chairman Feltner stated perfect; that is what he was thinking; he thinks the Board could agree to that; and Mr. Cranis may go ahead with the applicants. Mr. Cranis stated for those who are in the audience to speak and had informed him that he or she was attending to speak on particular events, he has a list, and he will call them up by name and the name of the event; and each will have two minutes. EVENTS CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS B.2. American Police Hall of Fame Barry Shepherd, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated he appreciates the opportunity to come up and present; the usage of the funds would be for the museum and for year-round programming as well; there is an annual upcoming event in May and it is an event where they reserve and utilize the accommodations of five local hotels, mostly in Titusville, and including the Courtyard, Hyatt Place, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn, and the DoubleTree by Hilton, Cocoa Beach; they have a couple of other large events that are actually being worked on at this time and one, is a Freedom Fest Concert; they participated in a Freedom Fest Concert last year in Ohio; and it brought out thousands of attendees over the weekend. He stated the ad dollars would actually allow them to tap into areas that they previously have not financially been able to tap into, which includes billboard, radio, additional bulk mailings, postcards, and email to the target audience; and the target audience is predominately outside of Brevard County and mostly outside of the State of Florida. Commissioner Delaney advised Mr. Shepherd to feel free to contact her office if he would like some more time; and she would be happy to meet with him whenever. B.3. Beach 'n Boards Fest, Cocoa Beach Half Marathon, Florida Marathon, Cocoa Beach Triathlon, USA Beach Running Mitch Varnes, Event Director, stated numerous sporting events are put on by Beach ‘n Boards Fest; he has been doing this for over 20 years in Brevard County and they include the third largest distance running race in Central Florida, the biggest Sprint Triathlon in Florida, the biggest surfing contest in the whole State of Florida, and the biggest active lifestyle sporting event for Spring Break in the United States which is the Beach ‘n Boards Fest; and the Tourism Office has always been a critical and valued supporter of the events, they rely on them and count on its support. He stated the previous grant awarding system that was recently replaced had worked out great for sporting events; providing marketing might be good for one-off events like Surfing Santas, or an air show, but for sporting they are trying to attract niche participants, blanket marketing radio and television just did not work for them; for that purpose, he is recommending the County goes back to the previous system which did work; in his running events, races, and triathlons they quantify where people come from, because they have put that in there when they register for the race; and he goes back to the Tourism Office for justifying the room nights. He stated over the course of the 20 years that he has been doing events in Brevard County, Beach ‘n Boards’ has actually brought in tens of thousands of room nights and many millions of dollars in economic impact to the County; the hard cost of putting on events is something he would like to have reinstituted; costs have gone up significantly for events, whether it be police, barricade and coning, marketing, and permitting has gone up significantly; and he would like to go back where the sporting events are reimbursed for a part of the costs. He concluded by saying he is asking that those who produced events in the fall, that were allocated money and expected the money, but did not receive it, that they would be Page 4 of 29 January 16, 2025 reimbursed respectfully for the cost retroactively of what was spent; it is a big ask; but he thinks it is fair. B.4. Brevard Renaissance Fair Peter Moolhuizen, Renaissance Fair President, stated the Renaissance Fair is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, with much help from the Tourist Development Council (TDC) over the years; they have grown this little event to become the largest Renaissance Fair in the State of Florida; over the years, he found that it has been done different ways and the way it is being done now, he likes the best; he is not a marketing genius at all; and in the old days, a long time ago it was hit and miss. He added he thinks the way it is now really does help because there is expertise out there, that he does not have, nor has the time to learn; he thinks that is a benefit to the TDC grants; they fill many rooms in the community and many hotels had sold out this week, they heard that from the customers while opening this weekend; the marketing is working; some of the ticketing packages were designed to target weekends, forcing people to come in for the whole weekend by giving special pricing for them to come in on Friday, and leave on Monday; it was found to be really beneficial in the Renaissance industry; and things were changed up for concerts on Saturday, things on Sunday, and coming for the entire weekend to spend four days in Brevard County. He stated he thinks it is the best way to go; the County has done it quite a few different ways and they are all interesting; the TDC, with the resources and knowledge it has are able to target the people who they are after; they target many out-of-State people, which is their big focus; and 25 to 30 percent of the people who attend the fair, are from out-of-State or out-of-county, with many being from out-of-State. Chairman Feltner asked Mr. Moolhuizen to tell where the Renaissance Fair will be this year. Mr. Moolhuizen responded at 3190 New York Avenue, Melbourne. He stated it is a brand new site, brand new buildings, and a lot of work they put into that. Chairman Feltner stated the Board is wishing him dry weather. B.5. Brevard Symphony Hadassah Etienne, Executive Director of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra (BSO), stated the BSO is one of the oldest arts organization in Brevard County; for the past 71 years, BSO brought live orchestra music to patrons of all ages through educational concerts, five Signature Concerts each year, and a new three concert Pop Series that targets a much younger generation from Brevard County and other counties in the area; BSO prides itself on being the only fully professional Orchestra in Brevard County; and it also aims to continue being a tourist destination for anyone traveling to the Space Coast. She stated one of BSO’s largest annual events is the Fourth of July concert; there is a fireworks show and a concert at the Cocoa Riverfront Park where it hosts a barbecue fundraiser; of the people who signed up for the fundraiser, BSO has seen an eight percent increase in attendees who are coming from out-of-county just in the past year that has been increasing year-to-year, and is one of their biggest events that is indicative of everything BSO does; and that is very exciting. She stated over the course of the current 2024-2025 season BSO has seen an increase in ticket sales using new digital marketing endeavors through the King Center ticketing platform Paciolan, that is one of BSO’s biggest new thing it has been doing; and the Marketing Support Program gives BSO a huge opportunity to continue doing that in Brevard County and out-of-county to keep drawing in new people to the new shows and new series. She added BSO has a preexisting reputation of planning to harness for potential patrons outside of Brevard County; by working with the Office of Tourism Development it poses an exciting opportunity for it to unify its efforts and ensure cohesive branding, and marketing in messages that go to out-of-county travelers. B.6. Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Page 5 of 29 January 16, 2025 Laura Lee Walko, Marketing Committee Chair for Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation, stated for those who do not know, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse has been in Brevard County since 1868, its beacon illuminating the Florida coastline as both a navigational aid, a symbol of the regions pioneering spirit; it holds an esteemed place in the history of the Space Coast, serving not only as a vital guide for maritime travel, but also as a testament to the early settlement of Florida; over the years, the lighthouse has played a significant role in the development of the United Stated space program; and it is among the County’s first tourist attraction. She stated in the past year, the Committee welcomed approximately 18,000 visitors to the lighthouse, with nearly half of them coming from outside of Brevard County; two years ago the Committee had 6,000 out-of-county visitors, which shows its growth; and the diverse visitors range from tourists to school groups, with each group representing a valuable opportunity to educate both the locals and the tourists about the rich history of Brevard County and its promising future. She mentioned the positive feedback and the reviews received consistently affirms that the lighthouse is not only a cherished local landmark, but also a sought-after destination for travelers from across the nation; the Committee appreciates the Tourist Development Council (TDC) grant received in the past and it allowed for them to conduct out-of-county marketing last year for the first time, and it was a significant impact to its visibility by enhancing everything the Committee did; but now the Committee is looking forward to participating in the new TDC Marketing Support Program grant, because all small non-profits need that kind of support. She added she is a volunteer who could only do so much, she has another life; the Committee actually works with the TDC, the United States Space Force, and the United States Coast Guard to manage the lighthouse; the Committee actually works to maintain it and keep it functional; and for this the Committee is in need to have more marketing funds in order to get it to be broadcasted to a wider audience. She advised her colleague provided the Board with the Committees newest brochure. B.7. City of Palm Bay Daniel Waite, Acting Recreation Director for City of Palm Bay, stated he formerly was a special events coordinator and with this Marketing Support Program, organizations like the City of Palm Bay, and those presenting today, have been able to highlight the Space Coast’s unique appeal and events to attract out-of-county residents to the County, which helps to promote local businesses, hotels, and restaurants; the City has three major run events, Multicultural Festival, Independence Day Celebration, and Holiday Light Parade; based on the software data from the Office of Tourism Development, the City’s Fiscal Year 2022-2023 had 1,000 to 2,500 out-of-county attendees; the following Fiscal Year the City increased to the next tier to 2,500 to 5,000 out-of-county residents; this Fiscal Year the City qualified for over the 5,000 out-of-county residents; and these numbers clearly demonstrate the City is bringing in out-of-county attendees to the events, helping boost the local economy, and enhance Brevard County’s reputation as a cultural destination. He added he likes the idea of the Tourist Development Council doing the Marketing Support Program, especially with the City being limited in its resources, and that would be an extra resource for them. B.8. Cocoa Beach Air Show Kyle Smith, Vice President of Sales at AirDotShow Tour, stated he is present to speak about the eight stops on the 2025 AirDotShow Tour, which is Cocoa Beach Air Show that is going to be held on July 12-13; it is going to feature the United States Air Force F-22 Raptor, if that has not been seen before, it is one of the most technologically advanced aircraft that mankind has ever made; and it is actually going to be the capstone event of the Cocoa Beach City Centennial, in fact, Wayne Carragino, City Manager of Cocoa Beach, is present to show his support for this event. He stated he wants to tell the Board a little bit about the last air show held in Cocoa Beach; it was the fifth largest beachfront air show in the country, larger than Miami Beach and Jones Beach, which is on Long Island; he asked out of the lower 48 States, only three States did not have someone who attend the air show in Cocoa Beach in 2023. Page 6 of 29 January 16, 2025 Commissioner Altman responded Alaska. Mr. Smith stated no, lower 48. Commissioner Adkinson replied North Dakota. Mr. Smith stated no; and it is Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. He went on to say what the air show does is it provides Cocoa Beach and Brevard County with another summertime holiday weekend, with numbers on the beach comparable to Fourth of July and Memorial Day; naturally, that comes from marketing outside the County; the Tourist Development Council has some of those numbers the he is sure were provided to the Board; he just wanted to tell the Board a little bit about the show in July; and he expressed his thanks for the Board’s time and consideration, and its service to the County. B.9. Cocoa Beach Main Street Kenne Wells, Executive Director of Cocoa Beach Main Street, Inc., stated they work hard as a Main Street and what this organization does is it is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, its efforts are the revitalization of a downtown area, and that is through community efforts bringing visitors; there are monthly events and this Friday is the Friday Fest; and she invited the Board to attend. She stated with the Tourist Development Council (TDC) grant, Cocoa Beach Main Street had been creating larger events; there is a Kite and Beach Fest in January trying to target a slower month for the hotels, because the weather is not that great, it was done for two years with a fantastic response to it, but unfortunately, because of the grant situation through the TDC they were not able to do that this year; it was sad for Cocoa Beach Main Street and for the people who were booking hotels last year that were looking forward to coming this year; and that hurt the Cocoa Beach Main Street because it is an expensive event to put on and it relied on the grants for that. She stated the hard costs in the marketing grants had worked best for Cocoa Beach Main Street; she loves the idea of the TDC doing its marketing; but they also need help with the hard cost of things being more expensive with the staging and everything that goes into putting on events. B.10. Cocoa Village Main Street Christopher Stagman, Executive Director of Cocoa Village Main Street, stated the primary mission is to promote and sustain a vibrant and beautiful downtown area, with an abundance of thriving local businesses, fun and safe activities while nurturing the cultural diversity and history; Cocoa Village Main Street works in partnership with the City of Cocoa, to ensure the downtown area is a place that all are proud to call home and a place that guests feel welcome; almost every weekend there are events and activities in Cocoa Village to attract local and out of area guests, from music concerts, car shows, food and beverage festivals, bike parades, five kilometer runs, book fairs, and art and craft fairs just to name a few. He went on to say Cocoa Village Main Street hosts four art and craft fairs throughout the year which attracts over 100,000 visitors annually; and 30 percent of these visitors and over 70 percent of the vendors who participate are from outside of Brevard County and they spend the weekend in Brevard County, enjoying its beaches, hotels, and other amenities, and that is about 7,000 attendees per event. He stated Cocoa Village Main Street has requested funding from the Marketing Support Program to help it promote and advertise the art and craft fairs, with the goal of attracting more out of area guests to visit Cocoa Village and its County; Cocoa Village Main Street is growing and it is proud of that; he expressed appreciation for the Board’s time and all that it does for the community, and the local economy; and its leadership is very appreciated. Commissioner Goodson asked how much money the City of Cocoa provides to put on a show. Page 7 of 29 January 16, 2025 Mr. Stagman replied for the Cocoa Village Main Street it is free because it gets a tax abatement from the City for any kind of street closures, which just went into effect in 2024. He stated it does have to pay for emergency support like Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and police, because it wants to have safe events; but Cocoa Village Main Street get much help from the City and it works in conjunction with it. B.11. Cocoa Village Playhouse Nathaniel Knepper-Quijano, Artistic Director at The Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse (CVP), stated CVP provides affordable and accessible programming to visitors and residents of the Space Coast community; currently, CVP is celebrating 100 years of the Aladdin Theater, which opened as the Premier Cinema in Brevard County; and the CVP is midway through its 35th season of Broadway on Brevard. He added the patron base includes over 43,000 unique attendees, with nearly 18 percent of attendees residing outside of Brevard County; although CVP is halfway through its season, it has noticed an increase in out-of-county attendees by nearly 3.7 percent, compared to the season in the prior year; and this is due in-part to funding initiatives like the Competitive Marketing Intelligence (CMI) Program that is offered through the Tourist Development Council (TDC) which afforded CVP the opportunity to expand its outreach in central and west Orlando, by purchasing digital billboards throughout high-traffic areas. He stated the core program of the theater is the Stars of Tomorrow Youth Program, which has grown from eight students in 1992, to over 223 students this year; the CVP continues its outreach through the County, enriching the well-being of the Space Coast through partnerships with the Brevard County Schools like Edgewood Junior/Senior and Cocoa High, as well as local elementary schools; and featuring over 120 performances each year and the playoffs continue to attract visitors to the area, and contribute to the viability of Brevard County as a premier travel destination, in addition to being an ideal place to live. B.12. Florida Surf Museum George Trosset, Chief Financial Officer of Surfing Santas, provided the Board with a handout and he stated what Surfing Santas does for Brevard County tourism is it started out as a fun family day in Cocoa Beach, which has turned into a global phenomenon; people from all over congregate on Christmas Eve in Cocoa Beach to celebrate the holidays with Santa, friends, and family; over the years, with the help of the Office of Tourism Development Surfing Santas has become a viral media event like no other; and by partnering with Surfing Santas on promotional events, the Office of Tourism Development has garnered more than 10 billion media impressions over the years that is worth $30 million or more in advertising value. He stated to advertise Surfing Santas through the television and Billboards, is not going to help this event; he needs help to pay for the event; the event costs about $30,000; Surfing Santas is fortunate to be able to continue; the grant that was approved for Surfing Santas, he is hopeful that money could be retroactive; and that it may be coming back to go towards paying for the event and to continue its quest to conquer the world with great media coverage. Commissioner Altman inquired who has the record for the most surfing Santas. Mr. Trosset responded there is no world record, as far as Guinness is concerned, although one of things he would like to do in the future, is set a world record for the most people surfing on a giant surfboard, and the current record for that is 66; he stated they could handily beat that by building a giant surfboard, maybe a 60 foot surfboard, and put maybe 100 people on it; but Guinness will not recognize the most surfing santas, it will recognize the most people dressed as Santa, or the most people on a surfboard, but it will not recognize surfing and Santas it is one or the other. Commissioner Altman remarked bah humbug. Page 8 of 29 January 16, 2025 Mr. Trosset mentioned he tried, but there is always a Grinch. Chairman Feltner asked if they recognize the oldest surfing santa as a category. Mr. Trosset replied no. Commissioner Goodson stated 66 people on a surfboard in Cocoa Beach during the winter; and he asked if that is with margaritas or without. Mr. Trosset responded no, but there might be some gummies involved; and he stated it is not easy. B.13. Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Center Bill Gary, President of Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Cultural Complex Board of Directors, expressed his thanks for the opportunity to address the Board today. He stated he is present to ask the Board for its support of the Tourism Development Office grant funding recommendations; the Center has done a tremendous job hosting events and programs to bring awareness of the history of Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, that attracts many visitors to the Moore Cultural Center Museum; this has established the Moore Cultural Center Museum as the epicenter of civil rights in the Central Florida region; last year the Center had over 17,000 visitors attending various events, as well as tours of the site; and about one-half of those visitors were from out of town, including about 10 percent from foreign countries. He added those visitors contributed to the economy of the area, by visiting restaurants, stores, and hotel stays; and with a 2025 lineup of five major events, the marketing support grant would help the Center to continue to market the Moore Cultural Center Museum. B.14. Henegar Center Brevard Regional Arts Group (BRAG) Doug Lebo, President of the Henegar Center, stated the Center is a non-profit performing arts organization that owns and operates the historic 1919 Melbourne School building; the Center offers year round cultural arts, live programs, attracts about 40,000 patrons a year, and almost 20 percent of them are from outside of the County; a great history was provided by Peter Cranis, Tourism Development Director, of the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) money that supported the grants; there was a time when General Funds from the County were used to support these grants; that kind of went away a few years ago and it was all kind of left to the TDT monies to carry the load; there was a time when the Center could use all of those funds or some of those funds for production and event costs; and some of the other speakers had brought that up, with it definitely having a benefit with that. He stated his first recommendation for the Board is to reconsider that, which some of the money, depending on the organization some people enjoy the full marketing support coming from the Tourist Development Council (TDC), and he thinks other events though makes more sense for some of that money to go towards funding the events. He mentioned the last two years being a little frustrating doing the County grant program, it seems they go through the process over the course of months by writing the grants and processing them, and then going through being awarded, graded, and such; then getting to the ultimate end, it is like a surprise for the Board about why certain organizations, non-profits, or events were included; it does not seem like there is a meeting of the minds going into these grant programs of what should or should not qualify; and then when getting to the end of the process the applicants end up here. He stated his second recommendation for the Board is to the meeting of the minds that the purpose and the scope of these grants is agreed to ahead of time. B.15. King Center Ashley Dillow, Director of Sales and Marketing, stated for 37 years the King Center has been a cultural and economic cornerstone for Brevard County; the King Center serves as the only live Page 9 of 29 January 16, 2025 entertainment venue with ability to bring in national touring productions within over 50 miles; she is proud to share with everyone in the room and being the first to hear the Kings Center has been listed in the top 200 venues worldwide by Pollstar; and in 2024, the King Center welcomed nearly 150,000 attendees to over 100 events, and of those attendees over 20 percent came from outside of Brevard County. She stated the impact extends beyond ticket sales, guests dining at local restaurants, staying in hotels, and exploring the Space Coast during their visit; this economic ripple effect is even greater when considering the touring artists and production crews the King Center hosts, they stay in local hotels, utilize catering and dining services, shop at area businesses, and utilize healthcare facilities during their stay in Brevard County; and these direct contributions underscore the King Center’s role as a driver of local economic growth and tourism. She mentioned last year the King Center utilized $10,000 of the total $25,000 to launch targeted digital campaigns aimed at out-of-county audiences; these campaigns directly netted over $200,000 in ticket sales and generating not only significant revenue, but also increased awareness of Brevard County as a destination; and the King Center’s success in reaching new audiences in helping the King Center to compete with the larger markets like Orlando and enabling the King Center to continue to attract nationally recognized artists and productions, that enhance the areas cultural appeal. She concluded by saying she urges the Board to consider the tangible benefits the King Center delivers to Brevard County, its support not only enhances the King Center’s ability to attract visitors, but also ensures that the Space Coast remains a premier destination for arts, culture, and tourism. Chairman Feltner stated the college, if he remembers correctly has sort of farmed out the King Center; and he asked if Ms. Dillow is a promoter for the King Center and runs and maintains it. Ms. Dillow responded the King Center is actually a couple of different entities in one venue. She stated Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) owns the facilities; the King Center Board of Directors is the listed operator/owner of the King Center; and all of the employees within the King Center are ASM Global employees who are contracted out just as the employees are. Chairman Feltner mentioned taking a tour when he became Commissioner and that has been explained; and anytime any Commissioner wants to take tour, he thinks it is good. Commissioner Altman stated he know the King Center does some impressive marketing; and he inquired if the King Center has in-house marketing staff or does it use a marketing firm. Ms. Dillow replied a little bit of both. She stated she is the Director of Marketing and she has a marketing coordinator and a marketing manager, and they are the three who do the majority of that; the shows also do some of its own marketing; and a digital team is utilized through the ticketing system that places the King Center on Meta and Google search ads for it. Commissioner Altman remarked the King Center has a lot of marketing. Ms. Dillow stated it does. Commissioner Altman asked if Ms. Dillow thinks the marketing grant helps the King Center or if it would be better to be able to spend that money on other needs. Ms. Dillow responded she thinks the marketing grant helps the King Center in promoting the King Center as a whole; it does not have a budget for general King Center support; the individual show budget goes towards promoting Jerry Seinfeld, not King Center or the Space Coast; and she thinks whether the department of Tourism Development did the advertising for the King Center, it is a help just for the general area. Page 10 of 29 January 16, 2025 B.16. Melbourne Main Street Kim Agee, Executive Director of Melbourne Main Street, stated Melbourne Main Street is a 20-year-old non-profit organization that is dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Melbourne; and events are a big part of what the Melbourne Main Street does by attracting people to the area who patronize the businesses that creates an economic impact and a lasting impact of his or her experience in downtown Melbourne. She mentioned Melbourne Main Street did submit for the grant and it focused on three major events, which was the November Food and Wine Festival and the Four Nights of Candlelight Shopping with each night having a different activation event and theme; the Food and Wine Festival has live artists painting and live music from three different bands; one of the nights of the Four Nights of Candlelight Shopping had an art walk, because there are over 27 different art installations and activations within downtown Melbourne which is pretty significant from the cultural side; Melbourne Main Street is pushing the cultural quite a bit and it has been a large boost and attraction for it; and it has enjoyed working with Tourist Development Council staff and the department of Tourism Development. She stated she served on the Marketing Committee last year and she learned a lot about the job they have to do, the numbers, and the reach done for everyone in the County; and she commended the Committee for its work. She mentioned there now is the Hotel Melby, which actually adds a completely different flavor to the community, making it more of a destination and attracting more people from out-of-county, and picking up some of those heavy business travelers who are staying the weekends for some of the things that are happening downtown; she thinks it is critical to continue the marketing; the third event is the Botanical Fest in March; but the November Food and Wine Festival and the Four Nights of Candlelight Shopping happened when the grant was rescinded back after it was moving forward. She stated she is hopeful for the Board to consider reimbursing them for some of the hard costs and the marketing cost. Commissioner Goodson stated the Food and Wine Festival had moved to the river and out of the Main Street; and he inquired how well received it was. Ms. Agee responded well. She stated reports were received that it was the best one ever done; the Melbourne Main Street is trying to connect to the waterfront; and one of its strategic initiatives is to actually connect with the waterfront and help people experience that entire area. Commissioner Goodson asked if the tiki bars moved down to the river, because he heard people could not walk in the bars, get a drink, and walk back on the street. Ms. Agee replied Melbourne Main Street did not shut off any business whatsoever. Commissioner Goodson remarked a person has to walk uphill. Ms. Agee felt it is good for the people and they could go to Ichabod’s Bar and Grille or El Ambia. B.17. Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge Rochelle Hood, Executive Director of Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA), mentioned for the Board to think of a time when the sun was rising and the birds were heard singing; and to consider a moment of walking outside with the sun setting and seeing Sandhill Cranes flying on the Space Coast. She stated MIWA is a non-profit friends group for the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge and it enabled the mission of protecting wildlife and conserving habitat; last year MIWA had over two million people come to the refuge; it supports the 144,000 acres around the Kennedy Space Center; and people come for archery, kayak tours, the place in the world where the second most dominant bioluminescence occurs in Brevard County, they look for Page 11 of 29 January 16, 2025 dolphins, wonder about the marvel of a manatee, and a young boy or girl catches a fish for the first time in his or her life; and that is the stage MIWA provides every day for 365 days a year. She mentioned the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge being public lands and as the non-profit supporting the refuge, with no marketing dollars whatsoever; the MIWA marketing is a rare bird, the Snow Bunting that landed there, and the Flamingos that flew off course from a hurricane and have stayed there for a year; and what MIWA would like to do with the Marketing Support Program is make sure that the public lands are available to everyone, not just the people who regularly fish, taken up archery, or bird watching but every single person; the refuge has hundreds of acres, hiking and biking trails, and is mostly known for its wildlife drive; the barriers were removed for the people with limited mobility to be able to enjoy those experiences every day; and the marketing grant would allow for them to get out-of-county and bring more of those people here and not just the people in the local area. Commissioner Goodson asked if the refuge allows for duck hunting still. Ms. Hood responded it does and duck hunting is a very important part of the refuges’ mission. Chairman Feltner asked if he was clear on the difference between rabbit season and duck season. Commissioner Goodson replied he had a rough time with his eyesight, but he thinks one flies and one runs. Ms. Hood mentioned hunters being the second largest category and the number one category is anglers and then hunters in general, and has hog hunting as well. *The Board recessed at 2:00 p.m. and reconvened at 2:10 p.m. B.18. Space Coast State Fair, Cocoa Beach Spring Training Rusty Buchanan stated he is speaking on behalf of Giles Malone and Brevard Productions; they have been working hand in hand with everyone in the sports world to try making Brevard County a sports destination; he expressed his thanks to the Board, because in 1994 the largest single sporting event in America, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics was held at the Space Coast Stadium; the next year, Mr. Malone and Brevard Productions mentioned bringing baseball to the Cocoa Expo; that year the largest single age division baseball tournament in the history of the United States was held; and from that point forward, every year, Mr. Malone and the spring training folks brought hundreds of teams to the area, creating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact since 1994. He mentioned serving in the role of spearheading that sports effort for 26 years; he led the efforts of Tourism Development and sports commission until he left to become a board member for the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, representing Olympic athletes and his or her endeavors; before that he was president and Chief Executive Officer of the largest amateur sports organization in the world, the AAU; but he keeps his hand in the sports world and in the County because that is where it started for him. He added this spring training program is one of the best spring training baseball programs in the history of any of the 20 that now operate in the south; he expressed his thanks to Mitch Varnes, for helping him with the Governor’s request to do the Junior Olympic Games here in 2020 during COVID; they did it and pulled it off; the Space Coast State Fair is going to have Carnival Eats come in and film only one of six places in the country; and he wholeheartedly is supportive of this. B.19. Space Coast Symphony Aaron Collins, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, stated the Symphony is in its 16th season and it has performed over 1,200 productions from both big Page 12 of 29 January 16, 2025 and small since its inception throughout the Space Coast; it has graciously received support from the County and from all of the different iterations of the grant program for 13 of its 16 seasons; and it has helped the Symphony tremendously to market to new concert goers and bringing thousands of visitors to the Space Coast. He stated the Symphony’s current season consists of a large variety of programming, in fact, 37 performances on the Space Coast in 2025, and ranging from patriotic, pop, film music, contemporary works, masterworks, opera, ballet, Broadway, jazz, rock, children’s concerts, and more; as a member of the Tourist Development Council Cultural Committee for three years, he had great pleasure to learn about all of the amazing organizations present today; he is hopeful the Board finds the heart and the money to support all of them; and he yields his time back to others. Chairman Feltner inquired where best for all to go see one of the many Symphony shows. Mr. Collins responded the Symphony performs in a variety of venues, but mostly at The Scott Center located on Pineda Causeway, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, and Satellite High School; they are also a partnership with AMC Theaters to provide concerts inside the theater while performing with the films, and a variety of other venues, churches; it is a challenge to find venues in Brevard County; but the Symphony fits in all nooks and crannies of many different spaces in Brevard County, with a lot of great partners. B.20. Thunder on Cocoa Beach Kerry Bartlett, Founder and Executive Director of Thunder on Cocoa Beach, expressed his thanks to the Board and to Peter Cranis, Tourism Development Director, and his staff at the Tourist Development Council for the many years of support and guidance, and marketing support. He stated Thunder on Cocoa Beach is celebrating its 16th year of power boat racing in the Space Coast; this year, the first race of a six-race national series with the American Power Boat Association (APBA), Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), and Powerboat P1 offshore racing; the series starts in Cocoa Beach on May 15 – 18, 2025, it goes to New Orleans, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Michigan City, St. Petersburg, and Key West for the national and world championship; there currently are 10 classes of teams racing; over 60 race teams have signed up so far for the 2025 race; and each team could consist of anywhere from four to 15 members who are staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, and getting gas. He added the Thunder on Cocoa Beach has 15 years of sold economic impact in Brevard County; it is a unique event, which where it moves it goes to the Port, then it goes to Cocoa Beach at Lori Wilson Park for two days of racing; and Thunder on Cocoa Beach has expanded to two days of racing which aided in it having 75,000 visitors last year, overnight stays. He stated the Hotel Association supports the Thunder on Cocoa Beach; Thunder on Cocoa Beach has also given over $50,000 in 15 years to local charities, including its current charity Freedom Fighters; and Thunder on Cocoa Beach television show is airing on CBS Sports and MAVTV with over a million views. Chairman Feltner asked when the Thunder on Cocoa Beach race is this year. Mr. Bartlett responded May 15 – 18, racing is on the 17th and 18th. B.21. Titusville Playhouse Marcia Gaedcke, Development Director for Titusville Playhouse; stated she would like to recognize Steven Heron, Executive Artistic Director, who is in the audience; the Americans for the Arts organization conducts an arts and economic prosperity survey on a regular basis, its focus is on counties at the County level; the most recent survey shows that non-resident attendees of cultural events spend an average of 372 percent more per person than local attendees as a result of their attendance at cultural events, and primarily, that is because of room nights; 100 percent of those non-residents say that they came specifically for a cultural event; and over 72 percent of those folks say that if the event was not being held, they would Page 13 of 29 January 16, 2025 go elsewhere. She stated the Titusville Playhouse is currently in its 60th season; there are 13 shows on its main stage and its stage two venue, and seven youth shows; the economic impact over the 2023-2024 season was $5.6 million; and this season she is proud to announce the Titusville Playhouse entered an agreement with Music Theatre International (MTI); and the Titusville Playhouse is now collaborating on shows that had never been seen before, that would then become part of MTI’s inventory for licensing across the world, and in the future it would always say Titusville Playhouse Collaboration on it. She added thus far the Titusville Playhouse had 40,513 patrons through the door from 47 states; she is hopeful that Jersey Boys would take it over 50 and that someone from Arkansas, Montana, and Nevada would attend before the season ends; one-third of the patrons are from outside of Brevard County; groups are welcomed, the Titusville Playhouse brought in 19 groups thus far this season to the theater; the cultural grant funding allows the Titusville Playhouse to extend its marketing beyond what it could do on its own; and it is reaching new neighborhoods and communities, and encouraging them to travel to the Space Coast. She stated the Titusville Playhouse primarily does a direct mail program with its dollars; it also does billboards; and she is hopeful for the Board to continue the Marketing Support Program. Chairman Feltner mentioned for anyone who does not know the Titusville Playhouse is very close to the Titusville six-story building where Commissioner Delaney’s office will be located; and he walked by it every day for six and one-half years. B.22. US Space Walk of Fame Foundation Gabriel Rothblatt, Executive Director of US Space Walk of Fame Foundation, stated everyone celebrates the nations Independence of the Fourth of July, but has anyone ever wondered when Brevard’s birthday is; founded by law in 1855, Brevard County really came to life when the Space Program had settled there; yet, unlike the other locations like Palmdale, California, evidenced by this morning’s successful Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch, no one mission defines the relation to the space industry; this is why the Patron Saint of the Space Coast, Robert Osband, a citizen advocate who became an international icon fought for the creation of the 321 area code as a unique identifier and established Brevard County, as the Space Coast; and as Executive Director of the US Space Walk of Fame Foundation, Inc., he not only oversees the American Space Museum in Titusville and its year-round programming, such as bilingual Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) classes and the Shuttle Fest on April 12, and work in partnership with the City of Titusville and Brevard County Parks and Recreation to develop and maintain monuments to the chapters of American space history. He added as a memorial last year to that founder of the Space Coast, 321 was inaugurated to one day be held annually on March 21st as a celebration of space and relations to it with Proclamation for the Mayor of Titusville; this year returning to the birthplace of Brevard County, to celebrate its unique place in space; and is inviting the Board to adopt and support March 21st as Brevard’s birthday, henceforth in perpetuity. He expressed his thanks to the Board for the opportunity to present US Space Walk of Fame Foundation’s case for the 2025 Marketing Support Program, with ongoing support inspiring the future through the preservation of achievements of the past, and continuing to share with the world how Brevard County came to be and will remain the place where the history of tomorrow is made. B.23. Valiant Air Command Ron Davis, Grants Manager for the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, stated he had been a volunteer for about 17 years at the Valiant Air Command and he is an aviation person; Valiant Air Command has been part of the community since 1977, a non-profit 501(c)(3) certified, and supported by about 800 permanent members and 38,000 volunteer hours a year; and that is the rock-solid heart of the Valiant Air Command organization and why they are so proud of it. He stated the Valiant Air Command had about 30,000 paying people at the museum last year and another 5,000 at special events, which is one of things Valiant Air Page 14 of 29 January 16, 2025 Command is really excited about because it is becoming a venue for special events, particularly for industrial and aerospace in North Brevard; and most are aware Valiant Air Command will soon commission its new 15,000 square foot climate controlled event center. He mentioned the Valiant Air Command’s marketing is heavily influenced or dependent on social media and it looks forward to the expertise of Peter Cranis, Tourism Development Director, sharing more with the idea of how to make it effective, how to get feedback, how to point its marketing at likely demographic people who love airplanes, people who love coming to Florida, and people who do not like Orlando very much but want to see something else; and that is part of the Valiant Air Command’s groups, who provide marvelous write-ups for them. He concluded by saying the event center itself, the County, and a lot of other agencies have been very generous and the Valiant Air Command is proud of how it is going to look; and to give it a couple of months and it would knock their eyes out. B.24. Wizard of Oz Museum Fred Trust, Founder of Wizard of Oz Museum, stated the Board has probably heard the news that the Wizard of Oz Museum would eventually be moving to the Orlando area; it is going to take around two years to get there; but since this is the 2025 budget, he figured the Wizard of Oz Museum would apply and try to maybe get some funds. He stated what is happening is the Museum has around 18,000 visitors annually and is growing at approximately 10 percent every year; five percent of the visitors are coming from Brevard County; approximately five percent of the visitors are international travelers; the number one country visiting the Museum is England; the number two country visiting the Museum is Canada, and followed by Brazil and Australia; 30 percent of the visitors are from Florida and from outside of Brevard County; 60 percent of the visitors are from everywhere else in the United States; and the reason why they are visiting the Museum is the Museum has a unique experience, that could not be seen anywhere else, including the immersive experience. He continued to explain what is happening is the Museum is not only covering the Wizard of Oz, because everybody knows the trade name, but also because the Museum incorporates the Art of Van Gogh and the images of the James Webb Telescope; the Museum ranked on Tripadvisor which is the platform that recognizes actual museums against each other; there are 35,000 museums in the United States; Florida is the third largest state with around 2,000 museums; Tripadvisor has the Wizard of Oz Museum being ranked as the number one children’s museum, number five as art museum, and number 12 as the specialty museum; and the Museum has already outranked all of the museums in the Orlando area. B.25. Central Brevard Soccer (CBS) Winter Classic and CBS Hurricane Classic Jenna Scaglione, Presi