Engage Franklin reports $404,000 revenue, outlines event and partnership goals

Brandon Stills, executive director of Engage Franklin, told the Franklin Tourism Commission that Engage Franklin closed the year with total revenues of about $404,000 and presented a statement of activity and an operating plan for 2025.

The report matters because the commission allocates and oversees lodging-tax–derived tourism funds that support Engage Franklin’s marketing and events; commissioners discussed how those dollars could be used to grow overnight stays and local economic impact.

Stills summarized the year’s finances and program work, saying advertising and marketing spending totaled $10,400 and listing contracts and professional fees at $146,139. He identified a large portion of that professional-fee line as reimbursements to a partner (identified in the report as “Rock”) that helped launch Engage Franklin, plus website creation costs and executive…