[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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",[32,76],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6496225,"mediaKeyId","5737339-9d1a90ecbe43ac12351c8fbf7696468a","parentId",5737339,"title","Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority warns of $250M+ facility needs, asks FRAC to protect and grow bed tax","audioSeconds",1230,"startMs",3218000,"endMs",4448000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737339-9d1a90ecbe43ac12351c8fbf7696468a&start=3218&end=4448","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737339-9d1a90ecbe43ac12351c8fbf7696468a/thumbnail_3218000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6496225/Ohio/Franklin-County-Convention-Facilities-Authority-warns-of-250M-facility-needs-asks-FRAC-to-protect-and-grow-bed-tax","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496225-ddc0f06c72326516358ca62bf84f882a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773690305&Signature=GcL0bhffSgOPJJYCkfRmrIMlho5sMjahz7OOpMmFqocRuznNlGr-KYs0RWohFR7pev~a55uG4rog~IwxXtQWcsjhbCiKAb~I9yGBVjFuR34om9dpy93LgsH9vY--1I42PvttNJA4nK8HRbWc49dNwVs2~FCqQ8NkOTPRG6nWFf5FFa~VHTLj3dcf4Gdh4v0u1-ZSDkjc3VAtf5WyXV5X1NLRFizwFr3FTPABASlCK-5evxFbQKTkusUFc50YDfGz6MM-3z5SlSmIODtqGHOzULorbWmGzICZ3Jl7msHyE3XxTvBKFsehkQSSpSx9Y~xcrI~CRrd220fAInNnYH9q6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Columbus","date","2025-09-09T12:29:13Z","article","Ken Paul, executive director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, told the Funding Review Advisory Committee that Columbus’s convention and arena infrastructure needs immediate, sustained reinvestment and asked the committee to \"protect and grow the bed tax.\"

Paul described the CFA as an independent entity operating under the Ohio Revised Code and said the authority manages significant public debt and facilities that underpin the city’s travel economy. He listed assets that include the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Hilton Columbus Downtown, Nationwide Arena and six parking facilities. Paul said the convention center campus totals about 1.8 million square feet with 447,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 4,700 adjacent parking spaces.

The CFA said the convention center hosted more than 260 events and roughly 780,000 visitors in 2024, and it is advancing a $100,000,000 capital program but that a recent facilities condition assessment identified needs exceeding $250,000,000. For Nationwide Arena, Paul said the CFA has launched a $400,000,000 renovation plan to modernize a 25‑year‑old building.

Paul explained the current revenue flow: bed tax and hotel revenue first cover debt service, management fees, reserves and capital obligations; only after those obligations are satisfied do residual funds flow into a hotel residual fund, which currently helps repay loan obligations associated with Nationwide Arena. He said the Hilton retains the bed tax it generates for debt purposes (a structure that reduced the percentage of bed tax available to Experience Columbus), and that this practice will also apply to new properties that keep the taxes they generate to cover their own debt.

The CFA highlighted a related shortfall: incentives used to secure high‑impact conventions and sporting events are increasingly necessary and are currently funded through a Business Development Fund (BDF) that is \"heavily subsidized by the CFA\" and at risk of insolvency. Paul said other destination cities often discount facility charges as a competitive strategy and create incentive pools; he said the current local model requires a sustainable, long‑term solution for incentives.

Paul described steps the CFA is taking: a master plan to explore future facility development and revenue opportunities, continued investment in short‑term maintenance and a work group led by Franklin County to explore alignment between the CFA and Experience Columbus. He also described the CFA’s industry investments, including contributions to Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and support for the Short North Special Improvement District (SID). Paul said the CFA has committed $250,000 to sustain a summer crime interdiction program when cuts threatened the initiative, and that the CFA is the largest investor in the proposed Short North New Community Authority model.

When asked about potential funding sources, Paul said the authority will seek a public/private capital stack for arena renovation that could include state resources available under the most recent state budget (he cited formulas that could cover up to roughly 25% of a project), additional CFA debt, and a cash ask of the city and county. Paul said he expects a mix of public and private funding but emphasized the need for new dedicated revenue streams if the CFA is to issue additional debt.

Paul closed by listing five specific asks for the committee’s consideration: protect and grow the bed tax; reinvest in CFA facilities (convention center, Hilton, arena); establish a sustainable solution for the Business Development Fund; expand destination marketing investment (Experience Columbus); and support the CFA’s planning and funding efforts for future projects.

Ending: The CFA framed the facilities and marketing as interdependent priorities and asked the committee to consider structural funding solutions to sustain Columbus’s competitiveness. Paul said alignment with Experience Columbus and a community‑level capital strategy will be necessary to keep facilities world class and maintain visitor demand.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Funding Review Advisory Committee Meeting #8","oneSentenceSummary","The CFA presented facility needs at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Hilton Columbus Downtown and Nationwide Arena, outlined a $400 million arena renovation and said current revenue flows and incentives are not sufficient to sustain competitiveness.","taxTitle","Columbus City Council, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio","taxId",75950,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6496230,"Experience Columbus asks FRAC for $15 million a year to expand marketing, cites $14 return per dollar",1856,402000,2258000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5737339-9d1a90ecbe43ac12351c8fbf7696468a&start=402&end=2258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5737339-9d1a90ecbe43ac12351c8fbf7696468a/thumbnail_402000.jpg","/articles/6496230/Ohio/Experience-Columbus-asks-FRAC-for-15-million-a-year-to-expand-marketing-cites-14-return-per-dollar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496230-0d99517670db4aba3ceaf0b17603a08c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773690305&Signature=l8QRxzuEMIlHJ73vZnaBh-fSO1FfWrPgHwJchJX3CtmuJG3bW6MUo7kEoYnww7O7mt4UXcxY46EZqqQ5rwDBlQ-CIVMRg-rZzbvpgeKOYCGFYqCJjo4WSy1GsyuqKF~r8goKZkCbyEPFx-qFvNNVKRIRc6yzoshbU~ijsMBIKhJEfQQBDFAd~l24h6VNULKsh7v9FYXdeblbE~y5~ROPLrk38mgotC5Vx~szjp7jaUu5le~9djKJSbu5UBViNQtxkHgbl-VZht6391TM2k72ED~f~WXF917klKmTsqm022nb6oDe2SM5b5ZrbBoKut-fZmsGFVzb7aB0jSmJ0b5B9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Experience Columbus asked the Funding Review Advisory Committee for a permanent $15,000,000 annual increase in funding to expand sales and marketing beyond its current footprint, arguing the investment would produce larger long‑term returns for Columbus and Franklin County.

The request was presented by Brian Ross, president and CEO of Experience Columbus, who opened the presentation with data showing the travel sector’s recent gains. \"For every $1 invested in Experience Columbus, we see $14 returned to the community,\" Ross said, and he asked the committee to consider an increase that Experience Columbus projects could raise the return to $25 per $1 invested if sustained through 2030.

Experience Columbus framed the ask as a response to a competitive funding gap. The organization said visitors made roughly 2 million more trips in 2024 compared with the prior year, producing an estimated $8.2 billion in direct visitor spending and supporting about 82,000 jobs in Columbus and Franklin County. The group said 90% of that spending comes from more than 50 miles away and that bed tax collections approached $60,000,000 in 2024.

The presentation included a proposed spending plan for the additional $15,000,000: 80% would fund an aggressive sales and marketing campaign, with the presenter giving a department breakdown that included $8,400,000 for marketing, $2,800,000 for direct sales and service, and $800,000 to support the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. Sarah Towns, chief marketing and innovation officer for Experience Columbus, and Linda Logan, president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, joined Ross for the briefing.

Presenters described how Experience Columbus measures impact. Adam Sachs of Tourism Economics and George Zimmerman of Longwoods International — both cited as research partners — told the committee that group sales are tracked by delegate and organizer spending, while leisure impact is measured using ad‑exposure to device tracking and attribution work that isolates incremental visits. \"Those exposed to Experience Columbus's paid media campaigns in 2024 were 39% more likely to make a trip,\" presenters said, citing their attribution partner Arrivalist.

Presenters also described the current funding mix and constraints. Experience Columbus said it receives 21% of the city's bed tax in 2024 (down from 24% after a downtown Hilton tower retained the taxes it generates for debt service) and that the organization relied on county and city discretionary dollars plus private partnerships. The presentation raised permissive legislation and policy options under consideration, including advocacy for permissive language to allow tourism improvement districts (TIDs) in Ohio and participation in locally focused special assessment models such as the Short North New Community Authority.

Committee members asked about timing, workforce impacts, and measurement. In response to questions about how quickly projected returns would materialize, presenters said the analysis looks at cumulative gains to 2030 and that stabilized returns are visible within roughly three years of sustained annual investment. On workforce questions, Adam Sachs said wages in leisure and hospitality have risen faster than the broader economy in recent years and noted the visitor economy includes career‑track managerial roles as well as more seasonal positions in restaurants and retail; Experience Columbus said wage‑level breakdowns were not available in their deck but could be obtained.

Presenters emphasized that the ask is intended to address a perceived lack of exposure outside a roughly 250‑mile radius. \"Outside of Ohio, awareness drops sharply,\" Sarah Towns said, citing a community perception study Experience Columbus commissioned. She told the committee that while residents overwhelmingly support tourism (92% said tourism benefits the area), familiarity outside the state remains low.

Experience Columbus closed by noting follow‑up steps: the organization continues to develop funding options (including TIDs and other local assessment tools), and said it would coordinate with the city, Franklin County, and private partners to seek sustainable revenue. Committee members indicated they may return with additional questions after the presentation.

Ending: Experience Columbus left the committee with a specific budget request, measurement claims, and policy options to explore. The presentation identified gaps in current funding, offered a departmental spending breakdown for the proposed $15,000,000, and asked the FRAC to weigh both the economics and competitive implications of increased destination marketing.","Experience Columbus told the Funding Review Advisory Committee that greater investment in destination marketing would boost visitation and tax revenue, asking for $15 million annually and outlining how the funds would be spent and measured.","actionData","errors"]

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Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority warns of $250M+ facility needs, asks FRAC to protect and grow bed tax

Experience Columbus asks FRAC for $15 million a year to expand marketing, cites $14 return per dollar