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CVB asks commission to consider longer contract and larger share of room tax; commission will discuss at next meeting
Summary
Tim White of the Convention and Visitors Bureau told the Room Tax Commission the bureau wants a three‑year contract and a 45% allocation (up from 40%) and summarized recent marketing and partnership work; the commission did not vote and said it will take a deeper look at the contract at a future meeting.
Tim White, of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Room Tax Commission at a City Hall meeting that the bureau would like its contract extended to three years and for the commission to consider increasing its allocation from 40% to 45%. The commission did not take action on the request and said it will discuss the CVB contract in greater depth at its next meeting.
The request came during the commission’s review of tourism grant applications. White summarized the bureau’s recent work and data, saying visitation has held steady even as retail spending has softened. He told commissioners the bureau redirected projected revenue from a partner municipality to a short, regional summer campaign this year and that the bureau has been nominated for several Wisconsin outdoor industry awards. White also described a partnership with the Marathon County Parks Foundation that he said helped secure two national trails, which he called the Great Piney Heritage Waterway and another national designation, and said the national parks brand could draw additional visitors.
Commissioners and staff asked for additional information and agreed not to decide the contract tonight. The commission’s chair said the issue will be placed on a future agenda for a deeper presentation and discussion, and Tim White requested a presentation at the October meeting.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on the CVB contract request during this meeting; commissioners proceeded to consider specific grant applications.
Less urgent details: White described the regional ad buy and the bureau’s use of phone and credit‑card data to estimate out‑of‑county visitation; he also said retail spending per visitor had fallen while specialty retail visitation remained. The commission had no immediate funding action tied to White’s contract request and instead asked staff to prepare additional material for the next meeting.
