Wausau room-tax commission approves multiple tourism grants, including Taste & Glow and Hmong Festival

The Wausau Room Tax Commission on April 28 approved funding requests for five visitor events and heard an update from the Convention & Visitors Bureau on travel trends.

Tim White, Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, told commissioners that national research from MMGY and Oxford Economics shows growing economic uncertainty that is changing travel behavior. "They expect a 4% decline in travel intentions," White said, adding that many travelers will choose trips closer to home, opt to drive instead of fly and shorten stays. White said the bureau will promote value-driven, nearby travel with a campaign called "Escape to Wausau" and work with lodging partners on midweek packages.

The commission’s finance staff reported estimated 2025 room-tax revenue of $1,050,000 and a current estimated carryover of about $169,000. Staff said 25 events were committed in 2024 that carry funding into 2025; after funding the applications before the commission the estimated available balance would be about $42,500, subject to adjustments and a still-open hotel remittance for fourth quarter 2024.

Votes at a glance

- Minutes of Jan. 27, 2025: Approved (motion and voice vote). - Taste & Glow — $15,000 for marketing: Approved (motion by Alder Rasmussen; second by Vandeak; voice vote). - Sports Authority World Horseshoe Tournament — $4,500 to marketing plus a $10,000 one‑time allocation to the sports authority: Approved (motion; second Rasmussen; voice vote). - Hmong Festival — $20,000 (full request): Approved (motion by Alder Rasmussen; second Vandeak; voice vote). Yiling Zhang, a festival representative, said organizers counted 14,000 attendees in 2024 by wristband and reported rising vendor demand and extensive social-media impressions. - Chalk Fest — $3,000 for marketing and TV match: Approved (motion by a commissioner; second Alwitsky; voice vote). Ali, executive director for Wausau Events, said the event will target out‑of‑state artists and expects to use the funds for social media and channel‑7 TV matching. - AirVenture Cup race — full amount requested: Approved (motion to fund the full requested amount; second Rasmussen; voice vote). The applicant said pilots begin arriving July 18, with race activities July 19–20; the item packet did not specify the dollar amount requested.

Discussion and clarifications

Commissioners asked several clarification questions before voting. Staff said one hotel has not yet remitted fourth-quarter 2024 tax receipts and that the year-end reconciliation for 2024 will be supplied at the next meeting. On the Sports Authority request, the applicant said they applied to the Wisconsin Economic Development Opportunity Fund as a matching grant and that tournament costs include facility rental, supplies and potential plan‑B expenses if venue systems are not completed. Commissioners discussed routing part of that award as a one‑time allocation to the sports authority rather than only as marketing funds.

On Chalk Fest, commissioners and staff debated whether the city’s public‑safety fee applies to artist registration (treated as admission/registration by staff); several commissioners said that interpretation should be reviewed and that the commission should take stock at season’s end of how the public‑safety fee functioned for ticketed events.

On the Hmong Festival, Yiling Zhang provided a budget breakdown and marketing details, saying the festival paid about $9,000 to a Milwaukee firm for Hmong‑market media and additional costs for TV and outreach; she said the event charged $10 admission ($11 including a $1 public‑safety charge) and that rising costs (portable toilets, cleaning, tents) have increased operational expenses.

What the commission did not decide

Commissioners approved the amounts listed above but did not set or change the city’s public‑safety fee policy; they directed staff to provide a reconciliation of 2024 carryovers and to follow up on the hotel remittance still outstanding for Q4 2024.

Ending

The commission adjourned after approving the packet of awards and asking staff for the requested reconciliations and clarifications at the next meeting.