Seminole County Meetings & Group Grant Program

Policies & Application

(FISCAL YEAR 2014 -2015)

Tourism Development Council

Request for Grant Application

PART I – INSTRUCTIONS AND DEFINITIONS

AUTHORIZATION HISTORY

The Florida State Legislature enacted the Location Option Tourist Development Act (Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes) in response to the growing need of Florida counties to provide additional revenue sources for Tourist Development in an effort to stimulate the local economy.

PURPOSE

It is the purpose of the Meetings & Events Incentive Program to position Seminole County as a competitive meetings & event destination to increase group bookings and attendance to the area. The development of a successful Meetings & Events Incentive Program will generate room nights and new visitors.

INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION

The Seminole County convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) provides a booking incentive program specifically for meeting planners, Seminole County Meetings & Groups Grant Program, which offers up to a maximum of $3,000.00 to businesses and/or organizations that book a new meeting at a Seminole County meeting hotel property, facility or venue through the CVB.

This program is funded and supported by SCCVB as one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists as evidenced by the promotion of this incentive. The incentive is strictly awarded based upon room night generation for Seminole County hotels.

Meeting and Event planners and/or businesses or organizations who book a repeat meeting through the CVB can qualify for angrant maximum up to $1,500.00.

The TDC allocates funds from its annual operating budget for special grant programs that generate an economic impact by bringing visitors in to the area. The Meeting & GroupsGrant Program is administered by the SCCVB staff with recommendedapproval from the Tourism Development Council. There is a separate grant program for sporting events that is also administered by the SCCVB.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Please see funding eligibility.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Seminole County Meetings & Groups Grant Program can be discontinued at any time without prior notice.
Meeting/Event Planner must register and qualify with the SCCVB for each specific meeting prior to said meeting/event being contracted by the meeting/event property;
The Organizer must include the SCCVB in the RFP processes and the SCCVB must receive the RFP prior to the meeting being booked at the Seminole County Property
The resulting contract will be between the meeting/event planner and the meeting facility;
If approved for funding SCCVB will issue a separate agreement with the organization that outlines the terms and conditions of the awarded grant for their specific event
For the purpose of this promotion, new meeting/event means that the specific meeting/event has not been held in Seminole County during the previous three years;
For the purpose of this promotion, repeat meeting means that the specific meeting/event has been held in Seminole County during the previous three years;
The SCCVB will serve as a facilitator that will oversee grant and must receive all proper documentation after the event before the grant is awarded;
Upon confirmation that all documentation listed on page 5 of the application has been received, the incentive earned will be payable by the SCCVB to the business, association or organization which hosted the meeting/event;
Seminole County will have final determination as to any questions regarding qualifications, the meeting of qualifications and the grant amount to be awarded;
Employees of the SCCVB, Seminole County, Florida, or marketing or advertising agencies or organization associated directly with either entity, are not eligible for this promotional incentive
The rules and regulations, terms and conditions, and grant payout breakdowns for this promotion have been modified as of October 1, 2014.;
The SCCVB has an allocated amount of funds for the grant program; organizations to receive these funds will be on a first come first serve basis;
No substitutions for grants will be allowed. The Seminole County Meetings & Groups Grant Program cannot be combined with another SCCVB grant program. This grant is strictly for the Group Meetings and Events Market only.

TIMETABLE

Completed application packages must be received by the Seminole County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1515 International Parkway, by the date shown on visitseminole.com. Late applications will not be accepted.

LIABILITY

The Seminole County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Seminole County and its employees will not be held liable for any action of the meeting/event facilities or venues or the Meeting/Event Planner. Further, the SCCVB, Seminole County and its employees will need to be listed as additionally insured for the meeting or event.

FUNDING ELIGIBILITY

To qualify for the Seminole County Meetings & Groups Grant Program, all of the following criteria must be met by the organization hosting the meeting/event.

Organization must apply for the Seminole County Meetings & Groups Grant Programfound at meetinseminole.com
The Meeting/Event must be held at a Seminole County meeting property, facility or venue;
The Meeting/Event must consist of a minimum of twenty (20) rooms on peak night;
The Meeting/Event must utilize a minimum total of fifty (50) room nights;
The Meeting/Event must be contracted prior to January 1, 2015 and must be held prior to December 15, 2015.

Incentives will be earned according to the following:

TOTAL ROOM NIGHTS / NEW / REPEAT
50 – 100 / $1,000.00 / $500.00
101 – 150 / $1,500.00 / $750.00
151 - 200 / $2,000.00 / $1,000.00
201 - 250 / $2,250.00 / $1,250.00
251+ / $3,000.00 / $1,500.00

ALLOWABLE EXPENSES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

Promotional Expenses in conjunction with an event to increase tourism and hotel room nights within Seminole County: These include postage used for visitor solicitation, posters and brochures distributed inside and outside of Seminole County, poster board material, layout and design of promotional materials. Every effort should be used to obtain these services from Seminole County Vendors and Suppliers;
All promotions and advertisements that are done inside Seminole County must include information about Seminole County Hotels, Attractions, and Entertainment or Dining options with the Seminole County Logo.
Marketing and programming expenses: Postage to mail brochures and news releases describing the approved special event. Bulk mail permits are required for volume mailing (500 pieces or more). The TDC will only reimburse at the prevailing bulk rate in Seminole County, Florida;
Web advertising and out-of-county print advertising and publicity of an event to increase the number of overnight visitors, participation, attendance and awareness;
Advertisements about the meeting/event; television, radio, newspaper, brochures and magazines for promotion outside Seminole County;
Any other appropriate expenses needed for the event allowable under Section 125.0104, Florida Statutes

The Application requires all applicants to describe how the grant funds will be used. Any changes to the items submitted in the Application MUST be submitted in writing to Visit Seminole and will not be allowed without written approval Visit Seminole.

UNALLOWABLE EXPENSES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

Sales tax cannot be reimbursed by Tourist Development Tax Funds
Legal, medical, engineering, accounting, auditing, planning, feasibility studies or other consulting services;
Salaries or supplements to salaries for existing or future staff, or employment of personnel not directly related to the project or event;
Annual operating expenses to the corporation that are not directly related to the event
Costs for apply for the grant including typing, paper, postage; or the cost of resale items that will be sold at a profit (t-shirts, maps and other novelty items that will be sold at a profit)
General and administrative expenses
Building, renovating and/or remodeling expenses
Permanent equipment purchases
Tangible personal property including but not limited to office furnishing or equipment, permanent collections or individual pieces or art;
Debts incurred prior to grant requests
Programs which solicit advertising or sponsorships, hospitality or social functions and advertising that only reach Seminole County and its residents.
Any other expenses that are not allowable under State Statutes

FINANCIAL GUIDELINES and DOCUMENTATION

Grant funds will be dispersed only after the grant agreement has been fully executed by all parties. Award notifications will be made via email to the addresses provided in the application. The proposed notification date will be the day the Board of County Commissioners approved the awards.

Any exceptions to the contract language must be submitted to the SCCVB with application. The SCCVB is under no obligation to honor request for exceptions and may reject a grant and not provide funding if the exception is not, in the sole opinion of the County, in its best interests.

Grant funds must be expended only on items allowed under Florida Statutes 125.0104 Changes prior to the date of the event, such as date or location will require authorization by the Director of the SCCVB and may require an amendment to the grant agreement as well. Changes to the budget after the grant agreement has been executed will require authorization by the Director of the SCCVB

PAYMENT WILL ONLY BE MADE TO THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVING THE GRANT. NO PAYMENTS WILL BE MADE DIRECTLY TO VENDORS OR INDIVIDUALS.

Each organization receiving a Tourist Development Tax grant will be required to submit a Final Evaluation Report for the event to the SCCVB. The Final Evaluation Report shall contain the following information:

Exhibit A- Summary of the event.

•Exhibit B- Request for funds form

•Exhibit C- Post event economic impact analysis

•Exhibit D- Include a breakdown of what lodging facilities were utilized and the room rate and number of room nights generated by the event (copies of room night pick up forms should be attached), any local attractions that were visited as part of the event, and local restaurants or businesses utilized as part of the event.

• The original and one copy of each of the invoices and cancelled checks (front and back) from the approved expenditures paid by the organization in conjunction with the event.

•Listing all of the revenues received and expenses paid in the course of the event.

•One copy of any handouts, brochures, or other material used during the event.

Actual, verifiable room nights with confirmation from our hotels will be the only measure for determining the final room night count, and reimbursement shall be contingent on the percentage of room nights actually utilized versus the estimated room nights in the application for the event as follows:

All organizations must accomplish what was presented and set forth in the grant agreement. If for any reason the requirements of the grant agreement have not been met, the County has the right to withhold any payment.

All promotional and advertising materials must be reviewed by CVB staff prior to publishing and advertisement.

All grantees must show on materials: the Seminole County logo.

PROCEDURES FOR THE SCCVB:

Accept and verify qualifications of the organizations grant application.
A SCCVB sales representative will immediately contact the organization and begin the RFP process.
The SCCVB sales representative will send the RFP/Lead to the appropriate meeting/event properties, facilities, or venues, in a timely manner based on the needs expressed in the meeting planner’s RFP, or specifics provided to the CVB’s sales representative.
If requested by the organization, the CVB will send the RFP to only those properties specified.
When a booking is confirmed and a contract is signed by the organization and the meeting facility, the SCCVB must be notified by the applicant.
After the meeting/event the SCCVB will confirm total room nights generated upon receipt of verification from hotel.

APPLICATION AND EVALUATION

PROCEDURE FLOW CHART:

2015 – 2016 APPLICATION DUE DATES

EVENT
DATES / APPLICATION DEADLINE TO CVB / TDC
MEETING / BCC
MEETING
January - March 2015 / October 10, 2014 / November 2014 / December 2014
April – June 2015 / January 10, 2015 / February 2015 / March 2015
July – September 2015 / April 10, 2015 / May 2015 / June 2015
October – December 2015 / July 10, 2015 / August 2015 / September 2015
January – March 2016 / October 10, 2015 / November 2015 / December 2015
April – June 2016 / January 10, 2016 / February 2016 / March 2016
July – September 2016 / April 10, 2016 / May 2016 / June 2016
October – December 2016 / July 10, 2016 / August 2016 / September 2016

DIRECTIONS TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION

Review pages 2 - 7 before you complete this application.
Please type the application. Accuracy is important.
Please answer each question. If the question does not apply to your grant request, put N/A in the blank.
Be sure to have the organization’s chief official sign the application. Application not signed will be returned.
Each organization must complete a separate grant application for each event.
Submit the original of the completed grant application to the CVB by the published deadline which can be found on page 8.
Attach to the application should include the following (if available):
Proof of current status
List of current officers and board members
Letters of commitment from co-sponsors
List of current projects
Overall budget for the event
Documentation verifying the inclusion of local attractions/events, local catering, and meals as part of the event
Certification of small or minority organization (if applicable)
Completed W-9 form
Proof of Liability Insurance if approved for funding; Seminole County must be listed as additionally insured

Please submit applications to:

Seminole County CVB

Stephanie Hunicke/Group Sales Manager

| 407-665-2901

Att: Stephanie Hunicke

1515 International Parkway, Suite 1013

Lake Mary, Fl 32746

APPLICATION FOR FUNDS

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED IN FULL:

GENERAL INFORMATION

To assist us in evaluating the impact of your event on Seminole County and to better understand what support you are requesting, the following questions must be answered completely. Please do not skip any information which applies to your event.

Please contact Stephanie Hunicke, Group Sales Manager at 407-665-2901 with any questions.

______

Please note: All final paper work as outlined in your contract must be submitted to the CVB within 90 days of the conclusion of the event. Your request for reimbursement will be considered incomplete until all of the following forms are submitted to the Seminole County CVB.

Exhibit A- Summary of Event

Exhibit B- Request for Funds Form

Exhibit C- Post Event Economic Impact Analysis

Exhibit D- Room Night Pickup Forms (will be completed by the CVB)

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Tourism Development Council

Request for Grant Application

PART II

APPLICATION FOR FUNDS

TOURIST DEVELOPMENT SPONSORSHIP

GENERAL INFORMATION

(1) NAME OF ORGANIZATION

(2) NAME OF EVENT

(3) CONTACT PERSON

(4) CONTACT PERSON E-MAIL

(5) COMPLETE ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION:

STREET

CITY ST ZIP

PHONE: CELL: FAX:

(6) ORGANIZATION'S CHIEF OFFICIAL:

TITLE: Address if different from above:

PHONE: CELL:. FAX:

(7)INTENDED USE OF FUNDS: (Refer to Pages 6-7– Authorized/Unauthorized Uses of Funds

(8) HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION EVER RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE TDC? Yes No

(9) AMOUNT ORGANIZATION IS REQUESTING FOR THIS EVENT: $

DETAILS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

In the text box below please provide details about the organization and an overview of the schedule and format of the event and how funds will be spent.

OVERVIEW OF SCHDULE AND FORMAT OF EVENT:

In the text box below please provide an overview of the schedule and format of the event.

HOW FUND WILL BE SPENT (DETAILS):

In the text box below please provide details on how funds will be spent.

EVENT INFORMATION(Use additional sheets where necessary.)

(1) EVENT NAME:

(2) TYPE OF EVENT:

(3) DATE OF EVENT:

(4) LOCATION OF EVENT:

(5) NUMBER OF DAYS:

HOURS: FROM: TO:

(6) EVENT PROMOTER (IF OTHER THAN YOUR ORGANIZATION)

NAME OF PROMOTER

COMPANY NAME

ADDRESS:

PHONE and FAX

PROJECTED NUMBER OF TOTAL ATTENDEES

OUT OF STATE:

IN-STATE NON LOCAL:

IN STATE NON-COUNTY:

PROJECTED NUMBER OF MEDIA, STAFF

OUT OF STATE:

IN-STATE NON LOCAL:

IN STATE NON-COUNTY:

* Please provide this information to the CVB to allow staff to determine the projected economic impact for this event.

*In-state Non-Local: Participant that resides outside of a 100 mile radius. * Participant with in a 100 mile radius but not within Seminole County.

(7) THE ESTIMATED DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON SEMINOLE COUNTY FROM YOUR

EVENT (Must complete and submit the eco impact form on the CVB website):

(8) WHAT IS THE GUARANTEED MINIMUM NUMBER OF ROOM NIGHTS THE EVENT WILL

BRING TO SEMINOLE COUNTY? (This is the minimum number of rooms that must be captured by the event and documented by submitting the Room Night Pick-Up Form (Exhibit D) within 90 days of the conclusion of the event.The Seminole County CVB reserves the right to reduce the grant disbursement should the event fail to meet this minimum room night guarantee.)

EVENT INFORMATION (Continued)

(9)Provide THREE (3) years of this event’s history, if applicable.

Previous Event:

Hotel:

Date Location

Total Room Nights

Contact Name/Phone:

Economic Impact(If available)

Previous Event:

Hotel:

Date Location

Total Room Nights

Contact Name/Phone:

Economic Impact(If available)

Previous Event:

Hotel:

Date Location

Total Room Nights

Contact Name/Phone:

Economic Impact(If available)

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Tourism Development Council