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Consultants present event‑matrix to steer Walton County toward targeted event funding and year‑round programming
Summary
Consultants showed a 24‑event matrix that ranks events by tourism impact and time of year; five events scored as national draws and the matrix is intended to guide the county’s event funding and outreach to organizers.
Scott, a JLL consultant, walked the steering committee through an event matrix that evaluated 24 destination events against 10 criteria (brand alignment, overnight stays, marketing strategy, uniqueness and a time‑of‑year bonus). He told the committee that five events — about 20% of the list — were scored as national draws and that most events rated as regional or local attractions.
Scott said the tool weights destination impact on the tourism brand, comprehensive marketing and overnight‑stay generation most heavily; event partnerships receive a smaller weight. He noted the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic “was the largest event” but scored lower on the timing bonus because it occurs in peak season.
Committee members suggested adding a “quality of life” metric to capture community benefits from events, not only overnight‑stay or revenue metrics. Tiffany Edwards said many listed events skew toward adult audiences and recommended the committee consider family‑ and teen‑friendly programming in future scoring.
Matt (Walton County Tourism staff) and committee members emphasized the matrix is a desktop, visitor‑facing inventory — not limited to TDC‑funded events — and that staff will use the tool to identify which events merit additional organizational focus or seed funding. Jennifer noted events that currently do not require TDC dollars but deliver strong visitation outcomes should be highlighted to maximize leverage.
Several speakers suggested the matrix could help structure conversations with event organizers and could be incorporated into an evaluation of the county’s event‑grant program. Brian (steering committee member) urged careful review: “I think we could probably sit and talk for 3 hours… about why this one is here or there,” and recommended additional internal vetting before the matrix becomes the grant program’s operational standard.
Ending
The committee agreed consultants and staff will refine evaluation criteria as needed, test the list against TDC‑funded events and use the matrix in upcoming organizer outreach and grant‑program discussions.
