HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Lodging Tax Advisory Committee - 12/04/2017 (2)Lodging Tax Advisory
Committee Agenda
Mission: Promote the City as a destination
to increase tourism and business development
Unless otherwise noted, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee meets every other Month on the 4rd Monday at 4:00 p.m. in
Centennial North & South Conference Room, 400 West Gowe Street, Kent WA 98032.
For information on the above item(s), or upcoming meetings contact Julie Pulliam (253) 856-5702.
Committee Members: Bill Boyce, Chair, Tim Higgins, John Casey, Barbara Smith,
David Kwok, Andrew Hutchison, Andrea Keikkala
City Staff: Ben Wolters, Julie Pulliam
SPECIAL MEETING
December 4, 2017
CHANGE OF MEETING LOCATION
Ducleaux Cellars
West Valley Business Park
19219 68th Ave. S. Suite M-110
Kent, WA
AGENDA
4:00 p.m.
Item Description Action Speaker(s) Page Time
1. Welcome & Introductions NO Bill Boyce 2 min.
Ducleaux Cellars Owner Toby Turlay
2. Approval of September 25, 2017 Minutes YES Bill Boyce 2 min.
3. Budget Update NO Ben Wolters 5 min.
4. JayRay Presentation - VisitKent.com YES Bridget Baeth 35 min.
5. Vacant LTAC Position NO Ben Wolters 5 min.
6. Ask – Washington Open Invitational YES Jeff Ellison 10 min.
Golf Tournament - $12,800 Chief Executive Officer
7. Ask – First Washington $5,000 YES Erin MCallun 10 min.
8. Next Meeting
9. Adjournment
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee September 25, 2017
Minutes Kent, Washington
Approval Pending
Page 1 of 2
Date: September 25, 2017
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Centennial North & South
Attending: Committee & Chair; Bill Boyce, Andrew Hutchison, Andrea Keikkala, Barbara
Smith, Tim Higgins
City Staff & Guests; Ben Wolters, Julie Pulliam, Michelle Wilmot, Erin Buck,
Colin Campbell, Jason Thomsen, Bridget Baeth, Florin Mehedint, Ryan Millard,
Mike Raven
Agenda: Called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm
1. Welcome & Introductions & Corrections
Welcome and introductions
Move item #5 to item #7
2. Approval of the June 26, 2017 Minutes
Andrea Keikkala moved to approve th e June 26, 2017 minutes and Tim Higgins
seconded, motion passed 6-0.
3. Budget
Ben presented the budget as printed in the packet, sho wing the operating budg et as
well as the Lodgi ng Tax Revenue shown from month to month. Wolters explains that
the YTD Revenue is 8% above 2016. It is expected for $300,000 in revenue by the end
of 2017, which would mean $20,000 in addition al revenue if the curr ent pace is kept.
There is also the potential of three new hote l locations in the next three years, Holiday
Inn Express, Extended Stay an d the Ci ty Sale of the Naden Si te, which has
tremendous interest to the hotel market.
4. JayRay Presentation- VisitKent.com
Site re-designs:
JayRay redesigned the existing site to inspire Kent as a choice, and to tell the story
that goes beyond the businesses, and into the community. The ne w site encourages
overnight stays, offering a three day itinerar y to nearby places in Kent. The re-design
targets lowering the site bounce rate of 87%, which measures viewers who leave the
site after looking at the first page. By us ing simple and clean pres entation, JayRay
hopes to reduce that number, and keep visitors on the Visit Kent site.
Word Press is the software used to design the new website; it includes its own se arch
engine optimization which will help Kent be found as an option for food, dining and
hotel stays. A search bar at the top of the pa ge will also be added, a feature that the
previous site did not have. This will help visitors better pin point the information that
they need. Viewers can now enjoy a mobile responsive site as well, which means the
page will adjust in size and dimensions specific to the type of device being used
(laptop, I-Phone, Tablet).
The addition of an events calendar will be used on the new website; this calendar can
import from your own personal calendar, as well as be used for re-occurring events.
The re-design will also be integrated with TripAdvisor to pull in hotel and restaurant
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee September 25, 2017
Minutes Kent, Washington
Approval Pending
Page 2 of 2
listings. Using TripAdvisor allows information to be cu rrent and up to date as they
manage things like closures, address changes and hours. TripAdvisor is also a fair way
to display rankings for businesses based on customer reviews and quality. They use an
algorithm that accounts for the number of reviews against the quality of reviews, and
generates a rating for the establishment.
Website Demo/Templates:
The new site offers interactive templates that allow you to hover, search and include
moving photos, as well as the integration of photos from so cial media. Another
interactive addition is through an active map that shows viewers close attractions in
the area of Kent, such as the Space Needle and popular cit ies such as Po rtland,
Oregon.
The integration of Trip Advisor will be displayed through cards that will be listed based
on the ranking established by TripAdvisor. The cards will populate in order and the
viewer will be able to see things like ratings, addresses, hours and photos.
Feedback: The committee feedback focused o n the algorithm used by TripAdvisor for
hotel rankings. The worry is that there would too much faith placed on reviews that
could easily be skewed with inaccurate and false statements. JayRay representatives
assured the committee that these reviews would be the average of all reviews and
represent current market best practices.
Bill Boyce would like JayRay to research more in formation on how TripAdvisor
calculates their ratings, and how they acco unt for outliers and po ssible false reviews.
This information will be emailed to members in the coming weeks, in preparation for
the Visit Kent website going live on October 16th.
5. Vacant LTAC Position
Wolters explains the vacant position at the Marriott Town Suites and plans to reach out
to new ma nagement. Wolters also will reach out to the new General Manger with
Ramada Inn, as there may be two vacant positions to fill. Wolt ers will repor t the
finding of the vacancies at the next meeting.
6. Next Meeting Date December 4, 2017
Bill Boyce announces the next meeting date of 12-4-17, to allow for personal holiday
schedules as well as tourism schedules.
Next Meeting
December 4, 2017 @ 4 p.m.
Meeting adjourned
5:15 p.m.
Submitted
Julie Pulliam, LTAC Secretary
2015 2016 2017 2017 2017 2018
Actual Actual
Adjusted
Budget YTD Est. Actual
Adopted
Budget
Beginning Fund Balance 371,803 394,516 472,260 469,386 469,386 415,200
Revenues
Lodging Tax 279,466 293,347 280,500 256,757 284,000 286,110
Miscellaneous Income 411 1,512 500 3,687 4,000 500
Total Revenues 279,878 294,859 281,000 260,444 288,000 286,610
Expenditures
Services & Charges 10,000 10,311 16,560 5,588 16,560 17,190
Marketing 144,977 166,191 168,000 157,279 168,000 168,000
Projects & Events 23,665 25,000 75,000 25,000 25,000 15,000
Chamber 18,500 18,500 18,500 13,875 18,500 18,500
ShoWare Branding & Marketing 60,022 (13) 60,000 60,000 60,000 60,000
Total Expenditures 257,164 219,989 338,060 261,741 288,060 278,690
Change in Fund Balance 22,713 74,870 (57,060) (1,297) (60) 7,920
Ending Fund Balance 394,516 469,386 415,200 468,089 469,326 423,120
Lodging Tax Operating Fund
as of October 31, 2017
Lodging Tax Revenue by Month
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Variance
% of
Change
January 12,759 13,395 13,336 16,651 17,552 18,474 922 5.3%
February 10,621 10,886 12,550 13,424 14,410 15,163 753 5.2%
March 14,020 11,641 13,004 13,870 16,517 17,130 614 3.7%
April 12,828 13,023 14,787 14,512 17,505 19,187 1,682 9.6%
May 14,285 14,764 16,742 17,421 18,210 21,895 3,685 20.2%
June 13,681 14,664 15,636 17,213 21,337 21,174 (163) -0.8%
July 15,267 17,290 20,058 22,598 23,960 25,904 1,944 8.1%
August 5,202 23,152 26,947 34,809 33,870 36,793 2,923 8.6%
September 25,468 28,734 33,976 38,364 38,142 39,246 1,104 2.9%
October 25,742 31,628 35,047 37,780 39,611 41,791 2,180 5.5%
Year to Date 149,873$ 179,177$ 202,084$ 226,642$ 241,113$ 256,757$ 15,644$ 6.5%
November 19,629 19,525 24,710 29,028 31,007
December 18,469 18,916 22,583 23,796 20,474
Full Year 187,971$ 217,618$ 249,377$ 279,466$ 292,594$ 256,757$ 15,644$ 5.3%
% Change:2.8%15.8%14.6%12.1%6.4%
as of 11/16/2017
Page 1
Kent Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
2017-2018 Funding Request Application
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s Mission:
Promote the City as a destination to increase tourism and business development.
Guidelines for applying for grants from the City of Kent’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
Who may apply? Youth and amateur sports associations, schools, teams
Community/regional events organizations,
business/trade associations, event associations and
individuals. Approved Tourism Facilities.
How to submit? Complete and submit applications on line, or at a
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Meeting, or mail a
completed original grant proposal form plus two copies
to the address below.
Where to submit? City of Kent
220 4th Ave. S.
Kent, WA 98022
Attn: Julie Pulliam
When are the deadlines? July 1, 2018 and September 1, 2018 with funds to be
distributed as requested in approved application.
What is the grant size? Between $250.00 and $5,000.00, however, the
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee reserves the right to establish
any grant amount it sees fit, regardless of the amount
applied for.
Where can I direct questions? Call Julie Pulliam at 253-856-5702
Each grant will be judged against specific criteria. The committee will review the extent
to which the proposed project is consistent with the strategic goals of the Lodging Tax
Advisory Committee and shows potential for tourism and hotel stays.
OBJECTIVES:
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s 3 Strategic Goals
Creating Partnerships
Branding Kent as a Destination
Sports Commission
Page 2
1. Who else is funding this project? Funding comes from player entry fees and numerous
sponsorships.
2. What is the total budget for this project? Total budget between the pro-am and
championship is $205,000.
3. How does your project fit with the goals of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee?
Creating Partnerships
Branding Kent as a Destination
Sports Commission
This event brings a professional golf event to Meridian Valley Country Club in both a two
day pro-am and a three day 54 hole championship. Golf is promoted heavily including a
military clinic on Saturday morning. The event is promoted to and brings players from
five states to Meridian Valley Country Club – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and
Alaska.
4. How many night stays do you anticipate generating from your project?
Seventy-seven of our 165 players in the championship are from more than 50 miles from
Kent and all will need to stay a minimum of 2 nights with 75% staying 3 nights. This will
total 211 room nights when added to our 22 staff nights we anticipate 233 room nights.
Project Name: Washington Open Invitational
Project Background: The Washington Open Invitational is a 54 hole championship
conducted since 1923 by the Pacific Northwest Section PGA of America. Players compete
in a two-day pro-am involving 145 players followed by the three day championship with
165 players. The event supports the Folds of Honor Foundation (www.foldsofhonor.org)
and has raised over $60,000 each of the last two years for this important charity. In
addition to the lodging revenue players are only engaged at the course for about 6 hours
of their day and will spend their time in the many restaurants in Kent as well.
Project Leader: Name and Title Jeff Ellison, Chief Executive Officer
Contact email jellison@pgahq.com
Contract phone 360-456-6496
Signature
Other individuals involved in writing and/or implementing this grant:
Name: Title: Contact:
Name: Title: Contact:
Name: Title: Contact:
Amount requested: $ 12,800
DEADLINE FOR APPLYING (please circle one): July 1, 2018 or September 30, 2018
Page 3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
On a separate page(s), briefly describe the project you are proposing in two parts. In the
first part, please briefly (in 250 words, or less) provide and overview of your project, (1)
including how the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee’s goals will be met, (2) how the funds
will be used and how you will be able to track hotel stays and what your methodology for
tracking will be. Catalogs, pictures or brochures are appropriate to demonstrate
equipment, supplies or other items(s) requested.
In the second part, please specifically address the following in your proposal:
How many room nights do you expect to collect? Have you asked for money in the past?
What were the results? How many overnight stays did the event create?
Where and when will the project take place? Please include start and completion dates?
What will benchmark the projects progress?
Please limit your entire application response to two pages.
FINAL REPORT
If your request is granted for funding from the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC)
you will be expected to provide at the next LTAC meeting after your event a full report on
your final project with the number of stays created. And a completed 2015-2016 Event or
Tourism Facility Lodging Tax Expenditure Report Form.
Attached: Form
Approved for funding
Declined funding
P.O. Box 14819 | Tumwater, WA 98511
Tel: 360-456-6496 | Fax: 360-456-6745 | pacnw@pgahq.com | www.pnwpga.com
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC)
The Washington Open Invitational is a 54 hole championship conducted since 1923 by the Pacific
Northwest Section PGA of America. PGA professionals and top amateurs from throughout the
Northwest compete in a two-day pro-am involving 145 players followed by the three day championship
with 165 players. The event supports the Folds of Honor Foundation (www.foldsofhonor.org) and has
raised over $60,000 each of the last two years for this important charity. The 2017 championship was
the fifth straight year Meridian Valley Country Club has hosted the event and two year remain on the
contract. We hope to continue our relationship with the membership at Meridian Valley and the support
of these funds will naturally assist in that endeavor. In addition to our strong relationship with
Meridian Valley many of our sponsors, such as Perfect Drive, Pollard Chiropractic, Skis Painting and
Reber Ranch are Kent based businesses. Their support is instrumental in the success of the event.
The room nights will be tracked though a direct survey of our players at registration immediately prior to
the event. We have great success collecting very specific data on not only room nights but specific
hotels utilized.
Funds provided through this program will assist us with operational costs and will be spent directly with
Meridian Valley Country Club for the use of their facility. Our 2018 costs at Meridian Valley will be
Course Access $9,000; Driving Range $2,000; and also for staff lodging $1,800.
We have direct access to 1,200 PGA professionals in five states and as appreciation for receiving this
funding we will be happy to partner with the city to distribute visitor information to our membership.
Not only are these 1,200 PGA professionals likely visitors to the Kent area, each represents on average
400 families that visit their golf course and rely on their PGA professional when planning golf and other
travel.
Seventy-seven of our 165 players in the championship are from more than 50 miles from Kent and all
will need to stay a minimum of 2 nights with 75% staying 3 nights. This will total 211 room nights
when added to our 22 staff nights we anticipate 233 room nights. Additional room nights will be
associated with the pro-am competition.
This is our first request for funding.
The event will be conducted at Meridian Valley Country Club, 24830 136th Ave SE, Kent, with activities
scheduled over May 18-23, 2018. Our success is measured by our participation – we’ve been full the
last few years; by our donation to charity - $60,000 each of the last two years and the engagement of our
PGA Professionals with the members of Meridian Valley Country Club.
"The spott of science, technology and teamwork.',
September 25,2017
City of Kent
Lodging Tax Advisory Committee members
Kent, WA
Attn: Ben Wolters BWolters@kentwa.gov and Julie pulliman, ipulliam@kentwa.gov
Dear City of Kent's Lodging Tax Advisory Committee,
F/RSI Washington (formerly F/Rsf Washington) strives to inspire students in grades K-12th to pursue careers in science
and technology by engaging them in exciting, after-school robotics programs. Over 1L,000 Washington State students
comprising of 1,034 teams compete across all four programs. Of these teams, 629 compete in F/RSI LEGO League (FLL,
4th-8th grade) and 146 compete in F/RSI Tech Challenge (FTC,7th-Izrh grade).
Founder Dean Kamen, a noted inventor, was worried that our youth were too obsessed with sports heroes and movie
stars. Believing that scientists and engineers should also be role models, Kamen set out to create a way to inspire kids to
be big thinkers. ln F/Rsf Washington's four age-appropriate programs, industry mentors, teachers and parents team up
with students not just to build robots, but to build self-confidence and respect, and to teach youth the skills to be our
next generation of innovators and community leaders. Evaluations show students who take port are 50% more likety to
go to college qnd twice as likely to pursue science or engineering.
Back for the fourth year, we are thrilled to bring the F/RSI LEGO League and F/RSI Tech Challenge State Championships
to ShoWare Center in Kent on Sunday, February 11,2Ot8. This event will bring over 1,000 students in grades 4.h-12.h to
Kent and help promote the city's tourism. Students and their families will be travelling to Kent from all of the state.
While we do not know specifics as of yet due to the competition schedule, we are confident that we will have many
teams from Central and Eastern Washington along with teams from Northwest and Southwest Washington who will
advance to these state championships.
F/RSf Washington is requesting $S,OO0 from the City of Kent's Lodging Tax Advisory Committee to financially underwrite
the F/RSI LEGO League and F/RSf Tech Challenge State Championships at ShoWare Center. F/RS7 LEGO League and F/RSf
Tech Challenge teams are all meeting and preparing for their exciting seasons of Hvdro Dvnamics and Relic
respectfully
By the first week of December, we will have information on our website sharing hotel options for teams and families
who advance to the FLL and FTC state championships at ShoWare. We will also share information about activities that
teams and families can take advantage of during their stay in Kent.
21238 68TH AVE S
KENT, WA 98032
(2s3)235-e327
FIRSTWA.ORG
"t
With your consideration, F/RSf Washington is one-step closer to engaging more children of South King County in the
sport of science, technology and teamwork. Thank you for your consideration. We have enjoyed working with Tim
Higgins and his team at ShoWare over these past three years and look forward to working with them again this year.
Should you have further questions about F/Rsf Washington or this proposal, feel free to contact me at erin@firstwa.org.
Sincerely,
€ri,t' ficc,,Attu..<-,
Erin McCallum
President
205-619-1525 (mobile)