Chamber warns tourism contract uncertainty could stall VisitPullman momentum

Marie Demkoski, executive director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, and Alexis Faran, the chamber’s tourism promotions manager, told the Pullman City Council on March 25 that the chamber’s three‑year tourism contract with the city ends at the end of 2025 and that a newly required RFP process has created uncertainty for ongoing projects and staff.

The chamber’s presentation described a new VisitPullman website launched in late October 2024, an events calendar that the chamber says centralizes dozens of local listings, an analytics program using Placer AI and CrowdRift to measure visitor origin and activity, and other marketing work the chamber says supports local festivals and lodging tax proposals. Alexis Faran said the site and tools were developed under the current contract and that closing out or interrupting those efforts would leave 2026 “unplanned for.”

The chamber argued the timing of an RFP hurts long‑term planning because contractors and employees need multiyear certainty to complete digital products, run marketing campaigns and cultivate sponsors. Mackenzie Brummett, president of the chamber board, told the council the board was “impressed” with the staff’s work and urged the city to consider a renewable contract clause or otherwise structure procurement so the momentum continues.

Councilmembers responded with consistent expressions of support for the chamber’s work and concern about staff continuity. Councilmember Guido praised the new data tools and the events calendar; Councilmember Weller, Councilmember Wright and others described the chamber’s operation as a clear improvement over prior tourism efforts and pledged to work with the chamber to avoid service disruption. Several councilmembers said they would pursue options to resolve the contract timing before the end of the year and said they would coordinate with the lodging tax advisory committee.

No formal action to extend or reauthorize the contract was taken at the meeting. Council members and the chamber agreed to continue discussions; multiple councilmembers said they would work with the chamber and other stakeholders over the next months to find a path that preserves ongoing projects and staff.

Why it matters: VisitPullman is the city’s visitor‑facing tourism platform. The chamber says the site and its analytics are being used to support sponsorship sales and lodge tax decisions; the chamber presented metrics and told the council it is relying on the current contract period to complete deliverables and secure multi‑year sponsors. If the contract is not resolved in a way that ensures continuity, chamber staff said some projects will be closed out and future work will be delayed.

What was described: Alexis Faran said the chamber selected Simpleview to build the site, launched the site in October 2024, and is now integrating quarterly search engine optimization reporting and a business extranet. The chamber said it has contracted Placer AI for visitor‑origin analytics and CrowdRift to manage user generated content and short‑form video for social channels. The chamber also said it worked with the city on the 2024 parade reroute and supported major events including the National Lentil Festival, 3 Forks River and Arts Festival, and July 4 fireworks.

Council reaction and next steps: Councilmembers broadly praised the chamber’s work and pledged to help find procurement and contracting solutions; several councilmembers indicated they would take on follow‑up discussions with the lodging tax advisory committee and city staff. The council did not vote on any change to the existing contract at the March 25 meeting.

Ending: Chamber leaders thanked the council for time and said they would continue to brief the city as contract and procurement discussions proceed.