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Gadsden County TDC directs changes to marketing-funds application, tightens collateral and timing rules
Summary
The Gadsden County Tourist Development Council reviewed a revised marketing-funds application, agreed to require submission of marketing collateral in advance, expressly include social media and photography as eligible advertising, and asked staff to return with a draft form incorporating room‑night certification and host‑hotel guidance.
The Gadsden County Tourist Development Council on Nov. 12 reviewed and directed revisions to a marketing-funds application intended to clarify what the county will pay for with bed‑tax marketing dollars.
Board members and staff agreed the form should explicitly list eligible advertising (print, radio/TV and internet/social media) and exclude operational expenses such as travel, prizes, donations and food. The council asked staff to add a clear front‑page note about required collateral and timelines and to include photography and videography as eligible items under the internet/print category.
Members debated whether applicants should be required to deliver marketing collateral 60 days in advance. The board ultimately instructed staff to show a 30‑day minimum on the application as a realistic baseline while retaining a 60‑day expectation for ideal planning in some cases. Board members also proposed two annual application windows (spring and fall) so staff and the contracted marketing firm can plan larger campaigns, while allowing the TDC discretion to treat recurring events differently during the transition.
The council emphasized documenting economic impact. The draft will include a room‑night certification so applicants who seek larger awards demonstrate bed‑tax generation; staff will also add a field to identify a Gadsden County host or sponsor hotel and encourage event planners to secure hotel partner commitments. Members discussed issuing event‑specific tracking codes so the TDC can measure inbound bookings tied to funded marketing.
Staff said they will produce a revised application that incorporates the board’s edits and circulate the draft for review before the next meeting. The board also asked staff to obtain a written legal clarification about whether particular personnel costs may be allowable under state statute and to present a balance sheet and itemized historical expenditures at the next meeting.
