Allegheny planning committee renews I Love New York designation, OKs small marketing RFPs and reviews tourism survey

The Planning and Economic Development Committee voted to designate itself as Allegheny County's Tourism Promotion Agency for 2026 and 2027 and approved two requests to solicit vendors for tourism marketing work that together are budgeted at up to $20,000. The committee also reviewed recent tourism-survey results and a newly produced guide for local businesses.

The designation stems from a notice that an earlier county resolution (Resolution 392-23) will expire at the end of this year, the committee was told. The new designation covers a two-year period and will expire on Dec. 31, 2027. The resolution also authorizes participation in the I Love New York matching-grant program, county staff said.

"We were notified by New York State that the office of economic developments, resolution 392-23 is expiring at the end of this year," Ashley Smith, Director of Economic Development, told the committee. "The resolution will allow for the Planning and Economic Development Committee to be designated as Allegheny County's TPA. Additionally, it will approve the I Love New York matching grant program."

Committee members also authorized two requests for proposals. One RFP would solicit qualified firms or individual content creators to produce photography, videography, interviews and other marketing materials; the other would solicit firms to develop a geo-targeted digital campaign that deploys pre-developed ad content across defined markets. Each solicitation was described as having a fiscal limit not to exceed $10,000 and the funds were described as already budgeted in the department's current budget.

"The fiscal component is not to exceed $10,000 and that is already budgeted in our current budget," Smith said when introducing the content-creation RFP. Committee members confirmed the geo-targeting RFP likewise was budgeted for up to $10,000.

Smith also summarized results from a tourism survey supplied to committee members in advance and asked for questions. "You were provided the tourism survey results. That was a culmination of feedback that was provided in our last committee meeting...and so they've all been compiled together for your review," she said. A committee member described the survey as "very helpful in just looking towards the future."

Separately, staff presented a new "guide to business" produced as collateral for the county's business retention and expansion (BRE) program. Smith said the guide will be used in face-to-face encounters and will be posted on the county website with links for email campaigns and other outreach.

All three marketing actions and the TPA designation were moved and approved during the meeting. The committee recorded no roll-call tallies in the audio transcript beyond members saying "aye" and the chair declaring the motions carried.

The measures advance the county's tourism promotion and business-outreach work through modest, budgeted marketing spend and administrative authorization to pursue state-matching funds for tourism promotion.

Committee action on the resolution and the RFP solicitations was procedural and does not itself obligate funds beyond the budgeted amounts; any awarded contracts would return for further administrative processing under county purchasing rules.