TDC To Pool Marketing Funds For Grant Recipients

Beginning this fall, non-profit groups looking to the Franklin County Tourist Development Council (TDC) for help in promoting their events and activities will be able to tap into a marketing pool of more than $300,000 to help promote local nonprofit events.

The plan, developed by the TDC and approved by the County Commission earlier this Spring, would combine event promotion funds with funds used to promote the Franklin County brand and would enable local organizations to benefit from the full marketing resources of the TDC instead of the previous grant program that parceled out small allocations to individual groups for marketing.

Non-profit grant-seeking groups will continue to receive small stipends from the TDC and would also be eligible to receive a package of marketing services that could include print design, video and web-based marketing specifically designed for their event, said TDC administrator Curt Blair.

According to Blair, the proposed plan, scheduled to go into effect this fall, is intended to provide an equal playing field for all eligible event promotion requests and will allow the TDC to pool its marketing resources to purchase advertising in bulk from media in proven geo-demographic markets as well as specifically targeted outlets. “We expect this plan will allow us to make bigger ad buys and reach more people than would be possible from individual grant promoters working with small advertising budgets,” he said.

Non-profits groups interested in applying for Franklin County TDC marketing assistance will fill out an application online at www.saltyflorida.com. Eligible applicants would be entered into the pool of events promoted as part of the TDC’s countywide event advertising program. The deadline to participate in the 2013-14 grant program is June 30. Notification of award will be sent to successful applicants by July 19 pending approval by the TDC grant committee at its July 17 meeting.

Since its inception in 2005, Franklin County’s tourist tax has generated more than $9 million in revenue that has been used for promotion of events and activities as well as construction, operation and maintenance of recreational, cultural and historic amenities countywide.