TDC Minutes 06/17/2025 (Draft)
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MINUTES OF THE COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – 9:00 a.m.
LET IT BE REMEMBERED the Collier County Tourist Development Council, in and for the
County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date 9:00 a.m. in REGULAR
SESSION at 33299 Tamiami Trail East, 3rd floor, Naples, FL 34112 with the following members
present:
Commissioner Chris Hall, Chair
Clark Hill, Vice-Chair
Susan Becker
Laura Radler
Nancy Kerns
Michael McComas
Edward (Ski) Olesky
Bill Kramer
Darrin Palumbo
ALSO PRESENT:
Jay Tusa, Tourism Director
Kristen Murphy, Paradise Advertising
Audrey Clifford, Paradise Advertising
Erin Murphy, Lou Hammond Group
Amanda Townsend, Collier County Museums
Buzzy, CVB Staff
Additional County staff and members of the public
Any person who decides to appeal a decision of the Tourist Development Council will need a
record of the proceedings pertaining thereto, and therefore may need to ensure that a verbatim
record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon
which the appeal is to be based, Neither Collier County nor the Tourist Development Council
shall be responsible for providing this record.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ROLL CALL
Roll was taken by staff. A quorum was present.
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4. AGENDA
The Council unanimously approved the amended agenda and the minutes from the
May 20, 2025 meeting
Motion passed unanimously
5. PRESENTATIONS
None
6. TOURISM DIRECTOR REPORT
6a. Tourism Director Update and TDT Tax Report (2025-1403)
Jay Tusa, CVB, Tourism Director
• April 2025 collections totaled \$8.42 million, slightly ahead of projections.
• Year-to-date collections now total \$32.16 million.
• Occupancy increased by 4.2% compared to the previous year, reaching 67%.
• International visitation saw a decline of 7.9%, attributed primarily to reduced travel from
Canada.
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• A budget workshop with the Board of County Commissioners was announced for July to
review annual performance and funding strategies.
7. CONSENT AGENDA
All consent items were approved unanimously
8. NEW BUSINESS
• Local Government Funding Request (LGFR) Submission
• The Council voted unanimously to approve the submission of FY 2026–2027 LGFR
applications to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for future beach
renourishment projects. A resolution was also adopted affirming these projects support the
promotion of tourism and sustain eligibility for state cost-share funding.
9. OLD BUSINESS
9a. - Tourism Impact Study: Sun-N-Fun Lagoon
• The Council accepted the Tourism Impact Study prepared for Sun-N-Fun Lagoon, which
evaluated the facility's long-term fiscal and economic contribution to Collier County’s
tourism industry.
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• Highlights of the study include:
• Projected to generate between \$5.6 million and \$6.3 million in economic impact over
the next 30 years.
• The park’s appeal as a family-friendly amenity supports overnight stays during shoulder
season and enhances the destination’s value proposition for younger families.
• Improvements to infrastructure and programming are expected to increase regional
visitation, with spillover benefits to hotels, restaurants, and local attractions.
• Council members expressed strong support for the role the facility plays in diversifying
the destination’s tourism offerings.
9b – Tourism Impact Study: Paradise Coast Sports Complex Expansion
• The Council also reviewed and accepted the Tourism Impact Study conducted by
Hunden Partners for future expansion phases of the Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
• Key takeaways include:
• Anticipated to significantly boost sports tourism, particularly during off-peak months.
• Projected to generate consistent year-round visitation from regional and national youth
sports tournaments, collegiate events, and training camps.
• Expanded facilities would increase overnight hotel stays and weekday visitation,
supporting local business during slower tourism periods.
• The complex has already demonstrated ROI from previous phases, and further
development is projected to multiply that impact.
• A Council member raised concerns about the long-term management of the complex,
noting that having multiple entities oversee different components could complicate
operations and undermine long-term success. It was suggested that a unified
management approach be considered.
Chairman Hall moved to accept the report
Nancy Kerns seconded
Motion passed unanimously
10. TEN MINUTE BREAK
None
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11. AGENCY PARTNER REPORTS
11a Paradise Advertising – Marketing Performance
A quarterly report was presented by the representatives of the Paradise Coast
Sports Complex, highlighting the facility’s recent performance, operational
updates, and future outlook.
Key points included:
• Event Volume & Attendance:
The complex hosted over 50 sports events during the past quarter,
including youth soccer tournaments, lacrosse showcases, and regional
track and field meets. Total attendance exceeded 30,000 participants and
spectators, with peak activity during weekends and spring break weeks.
• Tourism Impact & Hotel Nights:
Events held at the complex generated an estimated 5,200 room nights
across local hotels during the quarter. This contributed directly to local
economic activity, including restaurant, retail, and transportation spending.
CVB staff noted strong alignment with shoulder-season marketing goals.
• Facility Enhancements:
Phase II development updates were shared, including progress on
additional multi-purpose fields and a permanent concessions/retail plaza.
Improvements are aimed at attracting larger multi-day tournaments and
providing a more self-contained visitor experience.
• Operational Updates:
Management continues to focus on expanding partnerships with national
and regional sports organizations. Recent contracts have been signed for
returning annual events through 2027, supporting year-over-year growth and
calendar stability.
Staff also reported improvements to site logistics, including enhanced
signage, expanded parking coordination, and streamlined athlete
registration services.
• Community Engagement:
The complex has grown its partnership with local schools and non-profits,
hosting free youth clinics, coaching workshops, and family recreation nights.
A summer league program was also launched for local athletes, supporting
off-season field use.
• Challenges & Future Planning:
Council members discussed the operational structure and oversight of the
facility. While the complex is generating positive tourism returns, concerns
were raised about having multiple management entities overseeing different
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areas (fields, events, maintenance, etc.).
There was general agreement that the long-term success of the complex
may benefit from a unified management approach and a comprehensive
oversight strategy to ensure consistency, quality, and efficient resource use.
The Council expressed appreciation for the continued success of the Paradise
Coast Sports Complex and requested that future quarterly reports continue to
include metrics on economic impact and visitor origin tracking.
• Kristen Murphy reported a 30:1 return on ad spend from supplemental marketing
investments. Efforts were focused on competitive market analysis and high-intent
audience targeting. The media plan integrated travel search trends and
performance data to refine placements and messaging.
• Digital Advertising & Website Engagement:
• Brandon presented an analytics update:
• Website sessions increased 60% year-over-year.
• Engaged sessions rose 30%, indicating higher-quality traffic.
• Visitors were spending more time on fewer pages, signaling improved targeting
and landing page efficiency.
• The “Deals” page showed a 172% increase in views, indicating a strong
correlation between promotional content and trip planning behavior.
• Geographic Trends:
o Florida remained the top visitor region, followed by New York, Chicago, and
Atlanta. Outreach to northern and midwestern feeder markets is expected to
intensify.
Marketing updates
• The focus groups, six of them total in three different markets found the image of the
woman alone on the beach and the couple near the tiki hut by themselves off the charts
appealing and all creative was immediately updated
• Expectations, exceptional, and any word starting with E tested well in these focus groups
• Eco is another trend doing well
• In total we spent about 1.4 million across March and April
• Miss Radler asked about this at the last meeting
• We are holding strong March at an $18 return on ad spend and $12 for April
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• We are doing a dark skies Big Cypress content series with a presentation next meeting
Nancy Kerns commented that the moon rising is of interest
• We are seeing overall alcohol sales are skewing down across the board.
• People on GLP1 are not ordering as much food in restaurants
• They are looking for more outdoor recreation while on trips
• Grandparents taking their grandchildren on trips is popular but doing it their way
• Destination dupes are also popular
11b Paradise Advertising – Dark Skies Campaign
• Audrey Clifford provided an update on the Dark Skies Campaign:
• Focused on positioning Big Cypress National Preserve as a destination for astro-
tourism.
• Campaign launched during International Dark Sky Week in April.
• A 7-minute short film was produced, with a trailer distributed online.
• The YouTube video alone reached 80,000 views in under one month, largely
through organic engagement.
• A visually immersive landing page supported the effort, featuring travel tips,
educational articles, and trip planning tools.
• Interactive elements (such as a digital giveaway poster) were used to collect
emails and retarget engaged users.
• Phase 2 of the campaign will launch in fall, aligned with Big Cypress’s in-person
Dark Sky workshops.
11c. Lou Hammond Group – Public Relations
• Erin Murphy reported on recent national and regional media placements:
• Condé Nast Traveler, Kayak, USA Today, Yahoo Life, and other outlets featured
Paradise Coast destinations in April and May.
• Stories focused on baby moon travel, sustainable culinary tourism, and hidden
gems for group travel.
• Coverage included Naples, Everglades City, and new culinary talents like Chef
Kayla of Biciclet Cookshop.
• Journalists hosted for future stories include contributors to Savour Magazine,
Four Seasons Magazine, and the Boston Globe.
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• A multi-page food feature is scheduled for release in Savour Magazine’s October
2025 print edition.
• The team emphasized that long-lead editorial planning is key, and PR strategy
continues to prioritize high-quality, evergreen features with first-person
storytelling.
11d. Amanda Townsend reported:
• The Marco Island Historical Museum drove year-over-year attendance
increases.
• Naples Depot Museum renovations have begun, with the facility expected to
reopen by early 2026.
• A temporary exhibit celebrating the history of Naples Beach and local tourism is
on display in the chambers.
13. COUNCIL MEMBER DISCUSSION
A member voiced concerns on the record regarding the operational structure of the
Paradise Coast Sports Complex. The member expressed opposition to the current multi-
entity model and advocated for a single dedicated operator to manage the facility
efficiently and with long-term strategic focus.
14. NEXT MEETING
14a. The next meeting of the Tourist Development Council is scheduled for July
15, 2025
15. ADJOURNED
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
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COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
_________________________________________
Chairman Chris Hall
The Minutes were approved by____________________________________
Chairman Chris Hall
as presented___________________
or amended____________________