[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6146058,"mediaKeyId","5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0","parentId",5528480,"title","Tourism staff outlines budget priorities, grant balances and research plans ahead of next fiscal year","audioSeconds",656,"startMs",4779000,"endMs",5435000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0&start=4779&end=5435","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0/thumbnail_4779000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6146058/Flagler-County/Florida/Tourism-staff-outlines-budget-priorities-grant-balances-and-research-plans-ahead-of-next-fiscal-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146058-afd9c9232f02c9102678c2563091d5d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197326&Signature=LD1-ZuRFR-~~MLyWYfKR2xZlJTgSxunybzbJzahRfO9bO7X04SF7RaodP0GS0Nu02zCjBgFteSAs0nx8DvzeMDR2lNzSFFsHl3S3WCFB-f9cZqTgbNbwL2-TG~7fZtvp5Yrgiq4o4gr6a16TXqmGV1DWz7mBtnPjxwvWkzoM51YtWZF4JpYrwlbtkPHcRozJGKxRfshgvH1mIDWshidcT~Q~LaT6e2rPErgRTp4ItcYPhvxpoLykWCCBwQJ1NYQ0EJeZ78e26MlAngLp6zUstABWHsSHdcg--fSvKXhwob4LAYG1d3DT~x~XsDNp~fQ6FsKojo1HBjyHxW0wI8PQmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Flagler County, FL","date","2025-08-05T05:17:48.627Z","article","Council staff presented a budget and program update, telling the Tourism Development Council the fiscal budget schedule will accelerate internal review and that staff will bring a proposed budget and specific line-item changes for council discussion at the next meeting.

Staff reported a remaining balance of $45,500 in the overnight‑stays grant program for the current fiscal year and said the regional drive‑market grant program remains available on a rolling basis. Staff reviewed past changes to grant rules — including attempts to time-limit recurring event support and to tighten verification of room nights — and said some proposed changes were not adopted by the council or commission but that most revisions were implemented in recent years.

The office said it will draft a research RFP to obtain a more precise, annual visitor‑count study. Staff noted that high‑quality visitor research contracts often run “well over” $50,000–$100,000, and explained the office previously prioritized marketing spend over costly research; staff said the Commission-approved transition to local tax collection (self-collection) has improved available data but that a dedicated research contract would aid longer‑term decisions.

Staff also reviewed ongoing marketing activity: the office’s advertising plan for the fiscal year totals about $500,000 in direct media buys, with roughly $350,000 allocated to online digital buys; production and creative costs are additional. Staff said vendor SEO and campaign performance reports will be provided monthly now that the website is live.

Personnel and governance notes included that longtime contributor Tom Grimes retired and that two council seats — Mr. Baker’s and Michelle Brown’s — will expire; Baker told the board he intends to reapply and one council member said they will not reapply. Staff said the open advisory seats will be advertised by county administration and may move to the County Commission agenda for appointment.

Staff reminded the council that the discretionary fund process remains the route for solicited events and that staff will present additional budget decisions and grant assessments at upcoming meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tourist Development Council 2/20/2019","oneSentenceSummary","Staff briefed the council on the fiscal-year budget timeline, remaining overnight-stays grant balance, plans for a research RFP and advertising spend; staff said $45,500 remained in the overnight-stays grant pool and that the office plans to issue an RFP for visitor research after weighing cost and value.","taxTitle","Flagler County, Florida","taxId",2877,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6146064,"Tourism office unveils redesigned website with new features, partners and data plan",2528,882000,3410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0&start=882&end=3410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0/thumbnail_882000.jpg","/articles/6146064/Flagler-County/Florida/Tourism-office-unveils-redesigned-website-with-new-features-partners-and-data-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146064-bfddaad1405c135a1f7c36bc83b64f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197326&Signature=Fu41d1r~n3hkUUm9yJ-WBlcfbaKXDJaXZkcmha8F1K2uVy0tdx6Ykip9UFaAX69BUAnnAd4kLIJtE4H9-JmGDTe1hNhjrtCLi~5cMv3v0taQ1iG4jzZ1IO8TNavKLsrtrnQ7~slRayPAn-waJ8RvsO8izN5MqFXD2SX7T-s1N1hTrgronhTwTQGFIbG0A9xJIcyEAbIZJCew5DXOn6OYwkcuPNANt5FoUA-StWVhGhUTPTKlwYVwghxiks9Cx-d7t~jQyD~YQODzBEu~aW1SBicElZOJEMYPHZLy9I6IiRtUMuGaMhbpDqbD-5HU6aBdlo3JL4WphPOKQ9-oug8HgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amy Lukasick and marketing assistant Candy Breckenridge presented the tourism office’s newly redesigned website and related marketing tools to the council, saying the site emphasizes video and user-generated imagery, responsive mobile design and partner control of listings.

“Amy Lukasick, tourism office staff,” said the site uses CrowdRiff to license user-generated images and Simpleview as the vendor that handled research, navigation design and development. Staff told the council the project cost approximately $46,000 in total — $30,000 paid in the previous fiscal year and roughly $16,000 remaining this year — and that annual platform fees will be $2,000–$3,000 less than the previous contract.

Major features staff demonstrated included an autoplay video hero on the homepage, cinemagraph hero images, a visitor-guide download and print distribution (partnership with the Chamber of Commerce), a partner extranet so lodging and attractions can update listings, event filtering with calendar and map views, a weddings microsite, and pages tailored to trip ideas and outdoor adventures.

Staff said site content and navigation were chosen based on research and analytics performed by Simpleview. The office plans monthly SEO and performance reporting from the vendor now that the site is live. Staff also said advertising and media buys will direct visitors to targeted landing pages on the new site.

Commissioners and council members asked about distribution of the printed Fantastic Flagler visitor guide, integration with Jackrabbit booking inventory, training for partners to manage listings, and how the office will flag events that are free to the public. Staff said the Chamber prints 30,000 copies of the guide and that the office distributes the guide to visitor-request packages, event welcome bags and hotel racks; the guide is also available as a digital download on the site. Staff said booking inventory for partner listings is pulled from Jackrabbit and that a partner workshop will be held in April to train lodging and businesses on the extranet.

Public comment and councilors raised two operational concerns that staff said are already being addressed: an app transition and web-content accessibility. A member of the public suggested printing app promotion in visitor materials; another public commenter noted the county had previously spent about $17,000 to bring an earlier site into ADA compliance and urged continued attention to accessibility. Staff said they are coordinating with the county IT department and legal on accessibility updates and that a 30‑day punch list with the vendor remains in progress.

The tourism office said the site’s backend will make it easier for staff to publish content and maintain the site; the office also emphasized the site’s role in driving visitors to partner listings and that articles/blog content will be written with SEO keywords to support search ranking.","The tourism office demonstrated a redesigned, research-driven website built with Simpleview and CrowdRiff, highlighting mobile responsiveness, partner extranets, a microsite for weddings, and plans for monthly SEO reporting; staff said initial design cost was approximately $46,000 and ongoing annual fees are lower than the prior vendor.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6146068,"Tourism council approves seed funding for Love Tennis weekend and national kayak fishing events",295,175000,470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0&start=175&end=470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5528480-17ea73f569678b5caa16aa0c17bda2e0/thumbnail_175000.jpg","/articles/6146068/Flagler-County/Florida/Tourism-council-approves-seed-funding-for-Love-Tennis-weekend-and-national-kayak-fishing-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6146068-3b476a282c03802666b30513d930ae7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197326&Signature=mxrec0FbSXFOK4nHvDYlcV7nvVIFSfwnJMbbaRLSC~DbzQeOX4sZSP1nF6xaTmp04Uglr-dhLnLClfIftSSMaoAvbmvQlQbtMwALhA27K7pFXpvLJFiIvyJaayo7YCD36P-axjX8OKVOHfBrujQ6wDUTxi0MYxol2YEAz2vQMzAOee1jTvKjWiq8YHkWqQgkO55dL0UFkXO-9MzI74clknoY9E0gz9eIHQF7Z-mNW1TfEmY1Eh1PZyM4pv9WV83ypuwlEWxi1zgczAcwV1M0FO4dLv5GDt5y~VMmvXChQ-~tFJIU6jWozGzJY96Mre8U84KV7nqIySBB47gxTQxfNA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tourism Development Council on a unanimous voice vote approved two discretionary event grants from Fund 110: $2,501 to help launch the Love Tennis Weekend scheduled May 16–19, 2019, and $25,000 to host national kayak bass and redfish fishing events planned for fall 2019.

The funding request for the Love Tennis Weekend was presented by a staff member identified as Matt. Mayor Holland and board member Mr. Baker were recorded as abstaining from the tennis vote because of reported conflicts; Baker said he had “a block of rooms at Hammock Beach Resort” tied to the event and that he had signed the proper paperwork. The motion to fund the tennis request passed after public comment was closed and a motion and second were recorded.

A staff member described the Love Tennis event as an amateur adult tournament to be held at Hammock Beach Resort Tennis Center with outreach to clubs across the Southeast and an expectation that the event would encourage longer average lengths of stay for visitors.

For the kayak and redfish request, staff said the organizer packaged national championships and television production that would produce 30-minute shows airing on the World Fishing Network and the Sportsman’s Channel a minimum of six times. The presenter said their organization has “7,800,000 followers” on YouTube and that the tournament operator’s film crew would already be in Florida for another project, which helped reduce the negotiated fee to $25,000 from an initial $35,000 figure. The presenter said the economy-impact analysis used a conservative assumption of 300 anglers per tournament (organizers said typical fields are 700–750), and that the staff-generated estimate of direct economic impact for the events was close to $1,200,000.

Council members asked about publicity, local stakeholder outreach and exact dates. Staff said the kayak/redfish events are being targeted for a two‑week window in November but that exact dates were not yet set. Staff also said some local fishermen had been contacted informally but that the sample size of local stakeholders reached so far was small.

Actions recorded in the meeting packet and transcript show both grants were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Board members who declared conflicts or abstained were identified in the public record and the session proceeded after those members recused themselves from voting.

The council’s staff said the event approvals align with the council’s discretionary-fund process; staff also noted there remain other funding requests to consider for the fiscal year.

Details recorded during the meeting indicate staff negotiated the fee reductions and prepared conservative impact analyses; final programming, television schedules and precise event dates were described as “to be determined” or “not yet set.”","The council unanimously approved two Fund 110 discretionary grants: $2,501 for a Love Tennis weekend in May 2019 and $25,000 toward national kayak bass and redfish fishing events expected in fall 2019, with staff noting conservative economic-impact estimates and some board members abstaining for conflicts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tourism staff outlines budget priorities, grant balances and research plans ahead of next fiscal year

Tourism office unveils redesigned website with new features, partners and data plan

Tourism council approves seed funding for Love Tennis weekend and national kayak fishing events