Okaloosa County BOCC — December 5, 2012 — reading text

2012 – 2013 BUDGET UPDATE TO THE OKALOOSA COUNTY BCC JANUARY 22, 2013  Sponsorship Funding Application This application MUST BE completed in its entirety for funding consideration. Business/Organization Name Submitting Application: Business/Organization Name: SOUTHERN EVENTS MANAGEMENT, INC. Contact Person: MIKE MINICH Title: PRESIDENT, SEM, INC. Phone: 850-243-2555 Alt Phone: 850-499-6971 Contact Email: mike@seminc.net Fax: Web Address: www.emeraldcoastvolleyball.com Street Address: 106 Waynel Circle SE City/ST/Zip: Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Event Information: Event Name: Emerald Coast Volleyball beach volleyball program for 2013 Event Description: Three beach volleyball events Emerald Coast Volleyball Week Event Dates – April 17 To: April 21 Event Location The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island Has location been secured? NO If not, when will location be confirmed? Permit application made Emerald Coast Volleyball Juniors Open Event Dates – May 18-19, 2013 Event Location The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island Has location been secured? NO Emerald Coast Fall Classic Event Dates – Oct 2-6, 2013 Event Location The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island Has location been secured? NO Explain the resources/support you have in place to ensure that this event will successfully attract visitors to the Emerald Coast. These events have the reputation of being the best run beach volleyball tournaments in the United States. In addition to this reputation, we have a database of about 4,500 beach volleyball players who have played in these events in recent years. This year we will print and send two (2) separate direct-mail pieces to these individuals to facilitate registrations into the events. Complimenting this direct mail effort, we have a very established and successful website, www.emeraldcoastvolleyball.com. This website received over two million page visits 1 in 2012 alone. And, in addition these two things, we have a successful Facebook group with over 1,000 members to whom we advertise our events and our sponsors. The combination of the reputation and these powerful marketing tools will insure the success of these events in 2013 and beyond. Event Management Experience: Size of Event Events created/managed Location: Year Most (i.e. number of by applicant City/State Created Recent participants) Year Held Emerald Coast Volleyball Week Destin/FWB, FL 1989 2012 1,157 Emerald Coast Fall Classic Destin/FWB, FL 1992 2012 750 Perdido Key Open Perdido, FL: 2011 2011 80 Assoc of Volleyball Professionals Panama City, FL 2010 2010 300 Beach Volleyball World Berlin, Germany 2005 2005 thousands Championships Atlanta, GA – Olympic Games, Beach Volleyball 1996 2004 thousands Athens, Greece Sponsorship Funding Requested: Description: Amount: Title Sponsorship of Event Series $30,000.00 Miscellaneous Items Requested/Host Responsibilities: N/A Planned Advertising/Marketing: Describe the planned advertising and marketing for this event. We produce a mail out that is sent to approximately 4,500 volleyball enthusiasts throughout the U.S. twice a year. The mailing list for this mail out is generated from a database maintained by us specifically for this purpose. The database is comprised of past participants and is updated every six months to cull bad addresses. Additionally, we maintain a website to keep our customers apprised of our events – prior to, during and after each one. We also have a group on Facebook which currently has about 1,000 members. Our marketing plan is very focused on our target group and has consistently been successful at bringing tourists to our area in off peak seasons. 2 Describe how the proposed advertising and marketing will increase awareness of the Emerald Coast as a tourist destination. Provide at least one example. All of our advertising represents the snow white beaches and emerald green waters of the Emerald Coast as the unique elements that they are. The most prominent example of how we do that is with our event t-shirts. We generate custom full-color graphics for the screen printing of these shirts. These graphics will (as they have in the past) use the beach and water as the setting for each event’s unique theme. Furthermore, we prominently display the Emerald Coast logo and incorporate the current Emerald Coast promotional messaging into the t-shirts’ designs. The value of this advertising is magnified by the frequency that our t-shirts are seen out-of-market. These shirts are worn religiously by our events’ participants and spectators alike simply because these events are so noteworthy. As a result, these t-shirts are prominent billboards advertising the Emerald Coast in the area’s target markets and beyond. Describe how the proposed advertising and marketing will generate tourist traffic (specifically one or more overnight stays) to the Emerald Coast. Provide at least one example. The proposed advertising and marketing will motivate out-of-town volleyball enthusiasts to visit the Emerald Coast to participate and/or watch these events. Last year our events generated an estimated 4,280 room nights. This year, with the addition of the Juniors Open, we expect to create significantly more room nights. Describe the audience/market that this event will attract. The existing spring and fall events target upwardly mobile, athletically minded men and women between the ages of 25 and 35 with a secondary group between the ages of 35 and 45. The new Juniors Open event will target the swelling youth volleyball market eighteen years of age and under. Over 94% of the participants in these events come from outside of the area and will require some form of lodging during their stays. Our existing events’ have seen a growth in the number of family members (i.e. in-laws) who join our long-standing participants in their trip to the Emerald Coast. These family members come down to watch the volleyball competition and to provide “babysitting” services for the participants who have gotten a little older and begun building their families. Our new Juniors Open event will attract the entire family of the participants – mothers, fathers, and siblings. Youth volleyball has grown in the same fashion as youth soccer in which parents drive significant distances in order to provide their children with the opportunity to compete in regional tournaments. In summary, the participants and spectators in these events belong to the target market of the lodging industry of the Emerald Coast. 3 Describe the distribution plan for promotional items and collateral. If mass media is being considered, please outline media plans for out-of-market advertising. Please see above marketing plan. Projected Room Nights to the Emerald Coast Area: Please list the event’s lodging and non-lodging partners: Lodging Partners Non-Lodging Partners ResortQuest Fudpucker’s Beachside Bar & Grill The Ramada Plaza Resort The Boardwalk Destin West & Bay Resorts The Swamp at The Boardwalk Spalding Volleyballs Park & Sun Nets How does your event fill lodging rooms along the Emerald Coast? How do you obtain follow-up information about lodging booked for your event from your lodging partners? We refer customers to our lodging sponsors in our printed materials and on our website. We receive feedback from our lodging partners after completion of the event. We also use established formulas provided by the Convention & Visitors Bureau to estimate room nights generated from customers who do not stay in accommodations provided by our lodging partners. Approximately, how many out of town visitors will come to this event? For all three events: 4,000 (conservatively) Approximately, how many lodging rooms will be booked for this event? 1,200 On average, how many nights do you project these visitors remain in town? Four 4 Signature: Upon completing this application in its entirety, please read the following statement and affix your signature accordingly. I am submitting this application on behalf of my business/organization’s event and am aware that this application will be reviewed and scored by the TDC and funding recommendation submitted to the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners for final approval. I have completed this application completely and accurately to the best of my ability. I understand that all information submitted will be used to determine funding eligibility, and I have not misrepresented anything for financial gain. ________________________________ _ January 14, 2013 Signature of Applicant Date of Application Michael Minich Printed Name of Applicant 5 Sponsorship Opportunity with Emerald Coast Volleyball Events • EMERALD COAST VOLLEYBALL WEEK April 17‐21, 2013 • Emerald Coast Volleyball Juniors Open May 18‐19, 2013 • EMERALD COAST FALL CLASSIC October 2‐6, 2013  History • Started 1989 on beaches of Destin • Average of 3,500 visitors a year • Over 90K+ players over 24 years • 2012 Economic Impact $2+ Million  Event Evolution Year Spring Fall Destin 4 Man Destin 4 Man 1989 Two day, 4 Player teams Two day, 4 Player teams Sundestin Beach Resort Sundestin Beach Resort 1991 Fudpucker 4 Player Fudpucker 4 Player 1993 Fort Walton Fall Classic Okaloosa Island beaches Emerald Coast Volleyball Week 1996 expands to four days, three tournaments Emerald Coast Fall Classic 1998 expands to four days, three tournaments Sundestin Beach Resort Emerald Coast Volleyball Week & Emerald Coast Fall Classic 2005 move to The Boardwalk 2007 ECVW expands to five days 2009 ECFC expands to five days Timeline  Philosophy Good Time Sportsmanship Respect  Demographics 2012 Spring Fall AL WS AK Ontario TX TX AL AR TN CA