Spokane Valley TPA commissioners back $250,000 Opportunity Fund, set criteria for event grants

Spokane Valley’s Tourism Promotion Area Commission on Thursday recommended creating a $250,000 Opportunity Fund to help attract and secure out-of-region conventions, conferences, trade shows and sports events.

The commission reached consensus at its Sept. 25 meeting to ask staff to present a formal Opportunity Fund proposal on Oct. 16, including program criteria and any municipal code changes needed to allow the commission to administer the fund directly.

The fund is intended to support event venue operators and event organizers that will draw attendees from outside the Spokane Valley region and help generate overnight stays in Spokane Valley hotels. Commissioners agreed on a set of application principles at the meeting: applications may come from venues or event organizations; both for-profit and nonprofit entities are eligible; private gatherings such as weddings, memorials and family reunions will be excluded; and event proposals should be sufficiently developed (not concept/research-phase) and scheduled to occur within five years of award.

Commissioners chose not to impose a fixed minimum number of projected hotel room stays as a threshold in the first year, saying projections and supporting hotel-block commitments submitted with applications will be used to assess impact. The commission also decided not to set a preset cap on individual awards, noting needs for event guarantees and large delivery costs vary widely by event type.

Leslie (TPA staff) told commissioners the fund would require a municipal code amendment to allow the TPA commission to administer and approve awards directly rather than routing every decision through city council. Staff said that approach would speed decisions for time-sensitive bids that require rapid funding commitments. Staff will prepare the draft application, criteria and proposed code text for the commission to review on Oct. 16 before forwarding recommendations to city council.

Spokane Sports chief executive Ashley Blake, who advised the commission on event-delivery needs, recommended a contingency fund in the low six figures to respond to short-term opportunities. “I think you can really deploy funding to be able to secure events on a short term basis,” Blake said, explaining that delivery costs for regional and national championship events can be substantial and recurring.

Commission discussion also covered program administration and accountability. Several commissioners urged a requirement that applicants include documentation of hotel engagement — for example, a letter of support or evidence of blocked room nights at Spokane Valley hotels — so the commission can reasonably verify local lodging impact before awarding funds.

Staff additionally asked for guidance about how to allocate consultant funding for 2026. Commissioners noted the 2025 baseline allocations: Spokane Sports received $400,000 and destination-marketing contractor 116 and West received $875,000. Commissioners did not approve a fixed percentage split for 2026; instead they asked staff to return with specific proposals from each consultant showing what additional services they would provide if allocated extra funding from the 2026 budget carryover.

The commission also agreed to budget up to $30,000 in 2026 for a place-based/retail-revenue technology subscription to help measure event conversions and hotel impacts; staff said vendors being considered include Placer.ai and Advan Research. Staff and contractors will refine the subscription model so consultants and staff can use the resulting data to screen applications and measure outcomes.

Next steps: staff will draft the Opportunity Fund program, an application, and the municipal code change required to allow commission administration, and return to the commission Oct. 16 with a formal proposal for recommendation to city council.

Ending: Commissioners said the discussion was among the most productive TPA meetings in recent memory and asked staff to prepare materials for the Oct. 16 packet so the commission can take final action and forward a recommendation to council.