TDC Agenda 12/12/2025COLLIER COUNTY
Tourist Development Council
AGENDA
Board of County Commission Chambers
Collier County Government Center
3299 Tamiami Trail East, 3rd Floor
Naples, FL 34112
December 12, 2025
9:00 AM
Commissioner Chris Hall, Chair
Clark Hill, Vice-Chair
Susan Becker
Laura Radler
Nancy Kerns
Michael McComas
Edward (Ski) Olesky
Council Member Bill Kramer
Councilor Darrin Palumbo
All interested parties are invited to attend and to register to speak and to submit their
objections, if any, in writing to the Council prior to the meeting if applicable. For more
information, please contact Jay Tusa at (239) 252-4040. If you are a person with a
disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you
are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the
Collier County Facilities Management Department located at 3335 Tamiami Trail East,
Suite 101, Naples, FL 34112-5356, (239) 252-8380. Public comments will be limited to 3
minutes unless the Chairman grants permission for additional time. Collier County
Ordinance No. 99-22 requires that all lobbyists shall, before engaging in any lobbying
activities (including, but not limited to, addressing the Board of County Commissioners
before the Board of County Commissioners and its advisory boards, register with the Clerk
to the Board at the Board Minutes and Records Department.
About the public meeting:
Two or more members of the Board of County Commissioners, Coastal Advisory
Committee, City of Naples City Council, and City of Marco Island City Council may be
present and participate at the meeting. The subject matter of this meeting may be an item
for discussion and action at future meetings of these Boards.
Page 1 of 178
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Agenda and Minutes
Approval of today's Regular, Consent, and Summary agenda as amended (ex-parte
disclosure provided by Commission members for Consent agenda.)
4.A. September 16, 2025 Meeting Minutes (2025-4782)
5. Public Comments
6. Presentations
7. Tourism Director Report
7.A. Tourism Director Update & TDT Tax Reports (2025-4780)
8. Consent Agenda
All Matters listed under this agenda item are considered to be routine and action will be
taken by one motion without separate discussion of each item. If discussion is desired by a
member of the Council, that item will be moved from the Consent Agenda and considered
separately under New Business or Old Business.
8.A. Recommendation to execute a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers to
provide professional engineering services for the State required Annual Monitoring of
Collier County Beaches and Inlets for 2026 under Contract No. 18-7432-CZ for time
and material not to exceed $161,547, and make a finding that this item promotes
tourism (Fund 1105, Project No. 90536). (2025-4783)
8.B. Recommendation to approve a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers, PA,
under Contract No. 18-7432-CZ, to provide professional engineering services for
Maintenance Dredging of Doctors Pass for a lump sum fee of $56,247, and make a
finding that this item promotes tourism (Fund 1105, Project No. 90549). (2025-4881)
9. New Business
9.A. Recommendation to accept the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Governance
Restructure Study Report and make a finding that the recommendations therein
promote tourism. (2025-4893)
10. Old Business
11. Ten Minute Break
Page 2 of 178
12. Agency Partner Reports
12.A. Agency Partner Reports (2025-4823)
13. Tourism Staff Reports
13.A. Tourism Staff Report (2025-4883)
14. Council Member Discussion
15. Next Meeting Date
15.A. Next TDC Meeting Date - January 20, 2026 (2025-4781)
16. Adjourn
Page 3 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 1
MINUTES OF THE COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING
September 16, 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 Kearns
Michael McComas
Bill Kramer
Councilor Darrin Palumbo
Edward “Ski” Olesky (absent)
ALSO PRESENT:
Jay Tusa, Tourism Director
Buzzy Ford, Digital & Social Media Coordinator
Andy Miller, Coastal Zone Manager
Michael Lieberman, Assistant General Manager, Paradise Coast Sports
Complex
Page 4 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 2
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
3. ROLL CALL
A. Roll call was taken. A quorum was present with 8 members in person
4. AGENDA and MINUTES
A. Approval of Agenda
Moved by Clark Hill; Seconded by McComas
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
B. Approval of August 19, 2025 Minutes
Moved by Susan Becker; Seconded by Nancy Kerns
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
5. PUBLIC COMMENTS
A. Jen Robinson – Blessings in a Backpack
Ms. Robinson, Managing Director, expressed gratitude for the Council’s
continued support of Sizzle Dining, which directly supports the nonprofit’s
mission to provide weekend food for children facing hunger.
6. PRESENTATIONS
A. Paradise Coast Sports Complex Quarterly Report
Michael Lieberman, Assistant General Manager, presented the Q3 report.
Extended details included:
A. Events:
1) South Florida Cup (soccer) – Over 300 teams; contract renewed for seven future
events.
2) FHSAA Lacrosse State Championships – Hosted for the fourth consecutive year.
Page 5 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 3
3) Great Inflatable 5K – Unique obstacle 5K with several hundred participants.
4) FBU Top Gun & 7v7 Flag Football – Sixth year; 1,500 participants; growing
significantly.
5) FC Naples – Seven games in the quarter, including U.S. Open Cup play; eliminated
after dramatic penalty kicks vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies.
B. Community Events:
1) Easter Extravaganza drew 4,000+ participants.
2) Wags to Riches Puppy Prom showcased creative venue use.
3) Hospitality & Tourism Industry Week hosted 100 professionals with elevated
catering, highlighting venue versatility (e.g., weddings).
C. Financials:
1) Q3 revenue: $850,000 (up 35% YoY).
2) Gross profit: $2 million (up 40%).
3) Net operating income: $600,000 (up 65%).
D. Upcoming: 7 FC Naples games scheduled in Q4; Pop Warner football; visit from
University of Quebec at Montreal.
E. Recognition: Sports Events Magazine named Paradise Coast Sports Complex the #1
youth soccer & lacrosse venue in the U.S.
Council members commended the report and success of the complex.
7. TOURISM DIRECTOR REPORT
Tourism Director Jay Tusa presented updates:
• July TDT Collections: $2,729,036; YTD total $42,856,479.
• Lodging: Occupancy 51.9% (+2%); ADR $267.08 (-1.9%); RevPAR flat at
$138.61.
• Awards: CVB received the Henry Flagler Award for the “Only Paradise Will
Do” print campaign, Visit Florida’s highest honor.
• Partner Engagement: August 21 breakfast at Great Wolf Lodge drew 100+
partners, highlighting FY26 priorities and marketing initiatives.
• Meetings & Sales: 31 RFPs issued; 11 definite bookings; 17,034 room nights
secured.
• PR Coverage: 10 earned placements (Condé Nast Traveler, CNBC Make It, Vero
Beach Magazine) valued at $150M+.
• International Marketing: Hosted German and U.K. journalists; launched
German family travel blog; secured JTA Travel UK partnership.
• Content Series: Five of eight launched (beaches, luxury, athleisure, family, dark
skies). Remaining three (Cars on Fifth, Dining, Stone Crab) to debut in FY26.
Page 6 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 4
Mr. Tusa thanked agencies and staff, noting the collective effort.
8. CONSENT AGENDA
A. Recommendation to award Request for Proposal (RFP) #24-8318 for Tourism
Public Relation Services to Lou Hammond Group Florida, Inc., and make a
finding that this expenditure promotes tourism (2025-2706)
Tourism Director Jay Tusa introduced the item, noting that the staff
recommendation was to award the public relations services contract to Lou
Hammond Group Florida, Inc. He explained that Lou Hammond Group has
been a longstanding partner for the CVB, consistently delivering earned media
coverage in national and international outlets, as well as managing press relations
and media visits on behalf of Collier County.
Mr. Tusa highlighted that the firm’s scope of work under this RFP will continue
to include:
1) Proactive pitching of destination stories to top-tier travel, lifestyle, and trade
publications.
2) Coordination of media familiarization (FAM) trips to Collier County.
3) Crisis communication support when needed.
4) Measurement and reporting of media coverage values.
Council members briefly discussed the item, with recognition of Lou Hammond
Group’s proven track record and recent placements (e.g., Condé Nast Traveler,
CNBC, Vero Beach Magazine, and Daily Telegraph coverage). Members agreed
this work directly supports tourism by raising Collier County’s visibility in
competitive markets.
Motion:
Moved by Clark Hill; Seconded by Mike McComas
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
9. NEW BUSINESS
A. Recommendation to approve a request for reimbursement from the City of Naples
for FY 24/25 in the amount not to exceed ($675,000) using Tourist
Development Tax funds for beach maintenance and Lowdermilk Park parking lot
maintenance, waive any irregularities in the process, authorize the necessary
Budget Amendment, and make a finding that this expenditure promotes tourism
Page 7 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 5
(2025-2816)
Presenter: Chad Merritt, Community Services Director, City of Naples (via
Zoom).
• Request: $175,000 for Lowdermilk Park benches, tables, and maintenance;
$500,000 for daily beach maintenance (40 accesses, 9 miles).
Motion: Moved by Susan Becker; Seconded by Bill Kramer
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
B. Recommendation to approve the FY 2025-2026, 10-Year Capital Planning
document for Tourist Development Tax funds in TDC Beach Renourishment
Fund (1105) and TDC engineering Fund (1102) and make a finding that these
expenditures promote tourism (2025-2874)
Presenter: Andy Miller, Coastal Zone Manager.
• Annual FDEP-required planning document to maintain grant eligibility.
Motion: Moved by Clark Hill; Seconded by Darren Palumbo
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
C. Recommendation to approve the fall truck haul beach renourishment project
and authorize Tourist Development Tax expenditures for the Vanderbilt Beach
Renourishment scheduled for November 2025, with an estimated project cost
$5,500,000, and make a finding that this item promotes tourism (project 90066)
(2025-2877)
Presenter: Andy Miller, Coastal Zone Manager
• Scope: Truck haul project with contingency funding, completion before
Christmas.
Motion: Moved by Darren Palumbo; Seconded by Bill Kramer
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
C. Recommendation to approve the Tourist Development Council Grant application
requests from Collier County and the City of Naples for FY 2025–2026 in the
amount of $18,569,300, budget these expenditures, and make a finding that these
expenditures promote tourism. (2025-2930)
Presenter: Andy Miller, Coastal Zone Manager
Page 8 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 6
• Discussion: Chairman Hall praised tourism’s direct benefits to locals. Bill Kramer
questioned Naples Pier timeline; Miller noted permitting delays but hopeful for
progress.
Motion: Moved by Darren Palumbo; Seconded by Susan Becker
Motion passed unanimously (8-0).
10. OLD BUSINESS
A. None
11. TEN MINUTE BREAK – None
12. AGENCY PARTNER REPORTS
A. Downs & St. Germain Research – July Tourism Metrics
Presenter: James Brendle (via Zoom).
• July Performance: Visitation up 5.5%; visitor days up 8.8%; occupancy +2%;
ADR -1.9%; RevPAR flat.
• FYTD: Visitation up ~1%; room nights up 3.1%; ADR down 4.5%; RevPAR
down 3.4%.
• Visitor Origins: Midwest leading, followed by Northeast and Florida; Europe and
Canada still soft.
• Advertising Recall: 35% (up from 25% prior year); social media strongest driver.
• Concerns: Declining group demand; 3-month booking forecasts weaker than prior
year.
Discussion emphasized the need for sustained marketing to offset group travel declines.
B. Paradise Advertising Update
Presenter: Ashley Cannon (via Zoom).
• Reviewed FY25 campaign wrap-up and FY26 plans.
• Highlighted Flagler Award for “Only Paradise Will Do.”
• Showcased content series (beaches, luxury, athleisure, family, dark skies).
• Reported strong ROI: $20 revenue for every $1 ad spend.
• Previewed upcoming campaigns (Cars on Fifth, Dining, Stone Crab) and
continued luxury media placements.
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September 16, 2025
Page 7
13. TOURISM STAFF REPORTS
A. Tourism staff reports were included in the packet. No further discussion.
14. COUNCIL MEMBER DISCUSSION
1) Susan Becker: Praised the Paradise Coast Sports Complex’s hospitality industry
event.
2) Nancy Kearns: Asked about supplemental budget and marketing “dark period.”
Mr. Tusa said updates would come at the next meeting.
3) Michael McComas: Spoke on Everglades City tourism challenges; noted
community impact of large visitor influx.
4) Bill Kramer: Reflected on $43M TDT collections and the importance of tourism
revenues reaching nonprofits like Blessings in a Backpack.
5) Chris Hall (Chair): Shared personal anecdotes on student nutrition programs;
emphasized importance of supporting food security. Also clarified Naples Pier
delays stem from permitting, not city or county failures
15. NEXT MEETING
A. The next TDC meeting will be held on December 12, 2025.
(October 21, 2025/canceled; November 18, 2025/canceled; December 16, 2025
moved to December 12, 2025).
16. ADJOURNED
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:54 am
Page 10 of 178
September 16, 2025
Page 8
COLLIER COUNTY
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
____________________________________
Chairman Chris Hall
The Minutes were approved on ___________________________, (date of approval)
as presented ________________ or as amended ______________.
Page 11 of 178
1
Tourism Director Report
TDC, December 12, 2025
Page 12 of 178
Tourism
Director
Report
TDT Collection Report
•Tourist Development Tax Revenue for October 2025 was $1,750,690 resulting in a year-to-
date total of $49,827,537.
Tourism Highlights
•Occupancy increased 1.0% YOY to 48.3%; ADR increased 5.3% to $237.35, with RevPAR
increasing 6.4% to $114.64.
•Zartico reports that out-of-state visitors accounted for 51% of trips yet generated 85% of
total spending; Chicago was the top DMA for visitor spend.
•The CVB earned 25.3M media impressions valued at $113,693, with placements in HGTV,
Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
•The German market delivered 16 new media placements in October with a combined reach
of 806,000 and media value of $58,000.
•UK & Ireland coverage from the June group media trip produced 4.7M total circulation in
October, valued at $207,000.
•Group sales activity remained strong with 24 RFPs distributed, 285 client interactions, and
28 partner engagements; IMEX 2025 hosted 17,000+ attendees, the largest in event history.
Page 13 of 178
Tourism
Director
Report
Tourism Highlights
•Specialty markets generated 20 new RFPs totaling 2,187 room nights and $1.74M in
estimated economic impact, with two definites secured (90 room nights, $64,877 EIC).
•Global travel trade outreach included 40 meetings at Brand USA Travel Week Europe,
reinforcing strong international recovery and launching Brand USA’s new “America the
Beautiful” campaign.
•Ikonik Destinations sent 32 RFP leads in October and hosted a successful IMEX buyer
breakfast with 30 clients.
•Organic social media engagements increased, with Facebook up 39.9% (9,513
engagements) and Instagram up 91.6% (5,695 engagements), driven by Stone Crab
Festival and JW Marriott reels.
•October email marketing achieved a 20% open rate across 55,997 leisure subscribers, with
strong click-through on the Stone Crab Tasting Tour feature.
•The CVB executed extensive PR and partner engagement, including presentations to Marco
Island Area Association of Realtors, Leadership Collier, the Chamber Leadership Collier
Alumni Luncheon, and the Arlington Men’s Coffee Club.
Page 14 of 178
FISCAL YEAR (OCTOBER THRU SEPTEMBER) TOTALS
NOVEMBER 2025
FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2025 VENDOR TAX COLLECTIONS
BREAKDOWN
FISCAL
2024-2025
FISCAL
2025-2026
DIFFERENCE %
OVERALL COLLECTIONS
(includes minor
categories not shown
below)
Current Month $1,980,361 $1,750,690 - $229,671 - 11.59 %
Year to Date $1,980,361 $1,750,690 - $229,671 - 11.59 %
HOTEL / MOTEL
Current Month $1,090,687 $1,029,928 - $60,759 - 5.57 %
Year to Date $1,090,687 $1,029,928 - $60,759 - 5.57 %
REALTORS
Current Month $35,604 $22,719 - $12,885 - 36.19 %
Year to Date $35,604 $22,719 - $12,885 - 36.19 %
INDIVIDUALS
(APTS/CONDOS
S F HOMES)
Current Month $833,102 $674,535 - $158,567 - 19.03 %
Year to Date $833,102 $674,535 - $158,567 - 19.03 %
Page 15 of 178
Collier County Tourist Development Tax Revenue
Fund Reporting Fund Adopted Budget
Updated Annual
Forecast Budgeted YTD YTD Actual
Variance to
Budgeted YTD
Beach Park Facilities 1100 1,357,700 1,783,853 1,357,700 1,784,210 426,510
TDC Promotion 1101 13,643,700 18,553,925 13,643,700 18,554,436 4,910,736
Non-County Museums 1103 724,300 951,642 724,300 949,591 225,291
TDC Admin 1104 - - 0 - -
Beach Renourishment 1105 14,782,800 19,422,806 14,782,800 19,421,139 4,638,339
Disaster Recovery 1106 - - 0 - -
County Museums 1107 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 0
TDC Capital 1108 5,415,500 7,115,310 5,415,500 7,118,161 1,702,661
Gross Budget 37,924,000 49,827,537 37,924,000 49,827,537 11,903,537
Less 5% Rev Res (1,896,200)31.39% % Over/(Under) Bud 31.4%
Net Budget 36,027,800
Collections
Month Reported Actual Cum YTD
% Budget
Collected to
Date
% Variance FY24
Collections
% Variance FY23
Collections
% Variance FY22
Collections
Nov 2,137,562 2,137,562 5.64% -16.72% -9.20% -5.03%
Dec 3,465,253 5,602,815 14.77% 5.83% 30.93% 19.12%
Jan 4,632,754 10,235,570 26.99% 5.02% 24.82% 3.04%
Feb 6,466,174 16,701,744 44.04% -1.10% 19.50% 8.28%
Mar 7,042,625 23,744,369 62.61% 2.54% 10.66% 8.83%
Apr 8,422,508 32,166,877 84.82% 3.48% 15.42% 0.80%
May 4,675,081 36,841,958 97.15% 9.54% 15.55% -3.29%
June 3,285,486 40,127,443 105.81% 4.51% 20.07% 6.22%
July 2,729,036 42,856,479 113.01% 6.66% 11.97% 3.12%
Aug 2,849,506 45,705,985 120.52% 7.46% 3.06% 10.51%
Sept 2,370,861 48,076,847 126.77% 5.99% 6.17% 18.24%
Oct 1,750,690 49,827,537 131.39% -11.60% -16.85% -5.84%
Total 49,827,537 49,827,537 YTD 6.80% 18.63% 9.24%
97.0% 97.0% 97.0%49,827,537 Forecast
Budget Comparison
5 Yr History-
Cum
5 Yr History-
Monthly
Budgeted
Collections
Actual
Collections
Budget to Actual
Variance
Updated
Forecast
Nov 4.8% 4.8%1,827,211 2,137,562 310,352 2,137,562
Dec 11.0% 6.2%2,338,559 3,465,253 1,126,694 3,465,253
Jan 20.2% 9.2%3,502,227 4,632,754 1,130,527 4,632,754
Feb 33.1% 12.8%4,869,752 6,466,174 1,596,422 6,466,174
Mar 47.3% 14.2%5,397,019 7,042,625 1,645,606 7,042,625
Apr 64.3% 17.0%6,460,316 8,422,508 1,962,192 8,422,508
May 73.0% 8.7%3,303,306 4,675,081 1,371,774 4,675,081
June 79.1% 6.1%2,299,023 3,285,486 986,462 3,285,486
July 84.7% 5.6%2,134,934 2,729,036 594,102 2,729,036
Aug 90.7% 6.0%2,277,930 2,849,506 571,576 2,849,506
Sept 95.5% 4.8%1,816,973 2,370,861 553,888 2,370,861
Oct 100.0% 4.5%1,696,749 1,750,690 53,941 1,750,690
Total 100.0% 100.0%37,924,000 49,827,537 11,903,537 49,827,537
% over/(under) budget 31.4%31.39%
FY 25 TDT Collections Report
31-Oct-2025
$-
$1,000,000
$2,000,000
$3,000,000
$4,000,000
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
$7,000,000
$8,000,000
$9,000,000
NovDecJanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctMonth Reported
Tourist Development Tax Collection Curve
Budgeted Collections
Actual Collections
M:\Revenue Report\TDC Revenue\TDC Update Report\2025\TDT Tax Collector Reports\12 -TDC Updates October.xlsx
Page 16 of 178
Collier County Tourist Development Tax RevenueFund Reporting Fund Adopted BudgetUpdated Annual Forecast Budgeted YTD YTD Actual Variance to Budgeted YTD Beach Park Facilities1100 1,357,700 1,783,853 1,357,700 1,784,210 426,510 TDC Promotion1101 13,643,700 18,553,925 13,643,700 18,554,436 4,910,736 Non-County Museums1103 724,300 951,642 724,300 949,591 225,291 TDC Admin 1104 - - 0 - - Beach Renourishment1105 14,782,800 19,422,806 14,782,800 19,421,139 4,638,339 Disaster Recovery1106 - - 0 - - County Museums1107 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 0 TDC Capital1108 5,415,500 7,115,310 5,415,500 7,118,161 1,702,661 Gross Budget 37,924,000 49,827,537 37,924,000 49,827,537 11,903,537 Less 5% Rev Res(1,896,200)31.39% % Over/(Under) Bud 31.4%Net Budget 36,027,800CollectionsMonth ReportedActual Cum YTD% Budget Collected to Date% Variance FY24 Collections% Variance FY23 Collections% Variance FY22 CollectionsNov 2,137,562 2,137,562 5.64% -16.72% -9.20% -5.03%Dec 3,465,253 5,602,815 14.77% 5.83% 30.93% 19.12%Jan 4,632,754 10,235,570 26.99% 5.02% 24.82% 3.04%Feb 6,466,174 16,701,744 44.04% -1.10% 19.50% 8.28%Mar 7,042,625 23,744,369 62.61% 2.54% 10.66% 8.83%Apr 8,422,508 32,166,877 84.82% 3.48% 15.42% 0.80%May 4,675,081 36,841,958 97.15% 9.54% 15.55% -3.29%June 3,285,486 40,127,443 105.81% 4.51% 20.07% 6.22%July 2,729,036 42,856,479 113.01% 6.66% 11.97% 3.12%Aug 2,849,506 45,705,985 120.52% 7.46% 3.06% 10.51%Sept 2,370,861 48,076,847 126.77% 5.99% 6.17% 18.24%Oct 1,750,690 49,827,537 131.39% -11.60% -16.85% -5.84%Total49,827,537 49,827,537 YTD 6.80% 18.63% 9.24%97.0% 97.0% 97.0%49,827,537ForecastFY 25 TDT Collections Report31-Oct-2025M:\Revenue Report\TDC Revenue\TDC Update Report\2025\TDT Tax Collector Reports\12 -TDC Updates October.xlsxPage 17 of 178
Collier County Tourist Development Tax RevenueBudget Comparison5 Yr History-Cum5 Yr History-MonthlyBudgeted CollectionsActual CollectionsBudget to Actual VarianceUpdated ForecastNov4.8% 4.8%1,827,211 2,137,562 310,352 2,137,562 Dec11.0% 6.2%2,338,559 3,465,253 1,126,694 3,465,253 Jan20.2% 9.2%3,502,227 4,632,754 1,130,527 4,632,754 Feb33.1% 12.8%4,869,752 6,466,174 1,596,422 6,466,174 Mar47.3% 14.2%5,397,019 7,042,625 1,645,606 7,042,625 Apr64.3% 17.0%6,460,316 8,422,508 1,962,192 8,422,508 May73.0% 8.7%3,303,306 4,675,081 1,371,774 4,675,081 June79.1% 6.1%2,299,023 3,285,486 986,462 3,285,486 July84.7% 5.6%2,134,934 2,729,036 594,102 2,729,036 Aug90.7% 6.0%2,277,930 2,849,506 571,576 2,849,506 Sept95.5% 4.8%1,816,973 2,370,861 553,888 2,370,861 Oct100.0% 4.5%1,696,749 1,750,690 53,941 1,750,690 Total100.0% 100.0%37,924,000 49,827,537 11,903,537 49,827,537 % over/(under) budget 31.4%31.39% $- $1,000,000 $2,000,000 $3,000,000 $4,000,000 $5,000,000 $6,000,000 $7,000,000 $8,000,000 $9,000,000NovDecJanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSeptOctMonth ReportedTourist Development Tax Collection Curve Budgeted CollectionsActual CollectionsM:\Revenue Report\TDC Revenue\TDC Update Report\2025\TDT Tax Collector Reports\12 -TDC Updates October.xlsxPage 18 of 178
Collier County Tax Collector - Tourist BOCC - Zone - TAX-53800 Report (Detailed Distribution Data) - Run 11/05/2025 09:14AM
1
Tourist Zone Allocation Date (Year)Allocation Date (Month)Allocated Distributed Amt Distribution Category Allocation Date
-- Any ---- October ---- Tourist Tax ---- 10/01/2025-10/31/202 5 --
CC - Collier County - Unincorporated 2025 October 1,122,477.92 1,122,477.92 Tourist Tax
EC - Everglades City 2025 October 4,597.14 4,597.14 Tourist Tax
IM - Immokalee 2025 October 2,492.73 2,492.73 Tourist Tax
MI - Marco Island 2025 October 413,761.85 413,761.85 Tourist Tax
NA - Naples 2025 October 207,360.30 207,360.30 Tourist Tax
CC - Collier County - Unincorporated, EC -
Everglades City, IM - Immokalee, MI - Marco Island,
NA - Naples
2025 October 1,750,689.94 1,750,689.94 Tourist Tax Grand Total
Page 19 of 178
Collier County Tax Collector - Tourist BOCC - Zone - TAX-53800 Report (Detailed Distribution Data) - Run 11/05/2025 09:31AM
1
Tourist Zone Allocation Date (Year)Allocation Date (Month)Allocated Distributed Amt Distribution Category Allocation Date
-- Any ---- Any ---- Tourist Tax ---- 10/01/2025-10/31/202 5 --
CC - Collier County - Unincorporated 2025 October 1,122,477.92 1,122,477.92 Tourist Tax
EC - Everglades City 2025 October 4,597.14 4,597.14 Tourist Tax
IM - Immokalee 2025 October 2,492.73 2,492.73 Tourist Tax
MI - Marco Island 2025 October 413,761.85 413,761.85 Tourist Tax
NA - Naples 2025 October 207,360.30 207,360.30 Tourist Tax
CC - Collier County - Unincorporated, EC -
Everglades City, IM - Immokalee, MI - Marco Island,
NA - Naples
2025 October 1,750,689.94 1,750,689.94 Tourist Tax Grand Total
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Collier County Tax Collector - Tourist BOCC - Rental Type Report (Detailed Distribution Data) - Run 11/05/2025 09:11AM
1
Tourist Rental Type Allocation Date (Month)Allocated Distributed Amt Distribution Category Allocation Date
-- Any ---- Any of: October ---- Tourist Tax ---- 10/01/2025-10/31/202 5 --
02 - CONDOMINIUM October 50,122.34 50,122.34 Tourist Tax
05 - HOTEL October 1,029,927.94 1,029,927.94 Tourist Tax
06 - INTERVAL OWNER October 19,518.77 19,518.77 Tourist Tax
07 - MOBILE HM PARK October 591.64 591.64 Tourist Tax
09 - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY October 22,719.26 22,719.26 Tourist Tax
12 - RV PARK /CAMPGD October 3,397.58 3,397.58 Tourist Tax
13 - SINGLE FAMILY October 624,412.41 624,412.41 Tourist Tax
02 - CONDOMINIUM, 05 - HOTEL, 06 - INTERVAL OWNER, 07 - MOBILE
HM PARK, 09 - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, 12 - RV PARK
/CAMPGD, 13 - SINGLE FAMILY
October 1,750,689.94 1,750,689.94 Tourist Tax Grand Total
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Collier County Tax Collector - Tourist BOCC - Rental Type Report (Detailed Distribution Data) - Run 11/05/2025 09:28AM
1
Tourist Rental Type Allocation Date (Month)Allocated Distributed Amt Distribution Category Allocation Date
-- Any ---- Any of: ---- Tourist Tax ---- 10/01/2025-10/31/202 5 --
02 - CONDOMINIUM October 50,122.34 50,122.34 Tourist Tax
05 - HOTEL October 1,029,927.94 1,029,927.94 Tourist Tax
06 - INTERVAL OWNER October 19,518.77 19,518.77 Tourist Tax
07 - MOBILE HM PARK October 591.64 591.64 Tourist Tax
09 - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY October 22,719.26 22,719.26 Tourist Tax
12 - RV PARK /CAMPGD October 3,397.58 3,397.58 Tourist Tax
13 - SINGLE FAMILY October 624,412.41 624,412.41 Tourist Tax
02 - CONDOMINIUM, 05 - HOTEL, 06 - INTERVAL OWNER, 07 - MOBILE
HM PARK, 09 - PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, 12 - RV PARK
/CAMPGD, 13 - SINGLE FAMILY
October 1,750,689.94 1,750,689.94 Tourist Tax Grand Total
Page 22 of 178
12/12/2025
Item # 8.A
ID# 2025-4783
Executive Summary
Recommendation to execute a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers to provide professional engineering
services for the State required Annual Monitoring of Collier County Beaches and Inlets for 2026 under Contract No. 18-
7432-CZ for time and material not to exceed $161,547, and make a finding that this item promotes tourism (Fund 1105,
Project No. 90536).
OBJECTIVE: To move forward with the annual required beach and inlet monitoring surveys and reports for Collier
County Beaches and Inlets for 2026.
CONSIDERATIONS: The Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Section is tasked with the maintenance and monitoring
of over thirty (30) miles of coastline, beaches, estuaries, channels, and bays. CZM has specific goals, objectives, and
criteria to meet, as identified in the Collier County Growth Management Plan Land Development Code and the Codes of
Laws and Ordinances regarding the county’s coastal aquatic resources. To meet these goals and objectives, CZM has
been charged with a variety of programs, including the implementation of beach renourishment and dredging projects, as
well as related operations required to maintain the health, aesthetics, and safety of the county’s coastal waterways and
communities.
Yearly physical monitoring of the beaches and inlets is required by FDEP permit. Monitoring consists of field survey
measurements of the above and below water topography of the beach, generally along its entire length, and to a width
from the dune line to over 1,000 feet offshore. The results of this report are used to evaluate, recommend, and prioritize
annual beach segment renourishment. Humiston & Moore provided a proposal dated August 15, 2025, in the amount of
$161,547 to perform the monitoring services through a Work Order under library contract 18-7432-CZ.
This item is consistent with the Quality of Place Objectives of the County’s Strategic Plan.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: This item was approved by the Coastal Advisory Committee
(CAC) on November 13, 2025, and will be presented to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) on December 12,
2025.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding in the amount of $161,547 is available within Tourist Development Tax Beach
Renourishment Fund (1105), Project 90536 (County/Naples Beach Monitoring).
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires major vote for approval. -
CMG
RECOMMENDATIONS: To execute a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers to provide professional
engineering services for the State required Annual Monitoring of Collier County Beaches and Inlets for 2026 under
Contract No. 18-7432-CZ for time and material not to exceed $161,547, and make a finding that this item promotes
tourism (Fund 1105, Project No. 90536).
PREPARED BY: Andrew Miller, P.E., Coastal Zone Management, Capital Project Planning, Impact Fees, and Program
Management Division
ATTACHMENTS:
1. STAMPED- W.O 2026 Annual Monitoring
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12/12/2025
Item # 8.B
ID# 2025-4881
Executive Summary
Recommendation to approve a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers, PA, under Contract No. 18-7432-CZ, to
provide professional engineering services for Maintenance Dredging of Doctors Pass for a lump sum fee of $56,247, and
make a finding that this item promotes tourism (Fund 1105, Project No. 90549).
OBJECTIVE: To move forward with the maintenance dredging of Doctors Pass for 2026.
CONSIDERATIONS: Maintenance dredging of Doctors Pass is typically performed on a 4-year cycle, with interim
dredges if required. The pass was last dredged in March/April 2022. Boaters using the pass have recently reported
shallow water depths in the marked channel and adjacent areas at low tides. Staff has requested design, permitting,
bidding assistance, and construction services for a maintenance dredge during the spring of 2026 from Humiston &
Moore Engineers, PA, under contract 18-7432-CZ, for a lump sum fee of $56,247.
This item is consistent with the Quality of Place Objectives of the County’s Strategic Plan.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: This item was approved by the Coastal Advisory Committee
(CAC) on November 13, 2025, and will be reviewed by the Tourist Development Council (TDC) on December 12,
2025.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding in the amount of $56,247 is available within Tourist Development Tax Beach
Renourishment Fund (1105), Project 90549 (Doctors Pass Dredging).
FDEP cost-share funding will be requested if eligible at a future date to reimburse Collier County for a portion of the
completed work.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item is approved as to form and legality and requires majority vote for approval. –
CMG
RECOMMENDATIONS: To approve a Work Order with Humiston & Moore Engineers, PA, under Contract No. 18-
7432-CZ, to provide professional engineering services for Maintenance Dredging of Doctors Pass for a lump sum fee of
$56,247, and make a finding that this item promotes tourism (Fund 1105, Project No. 90549).
PREPARED BY: Andrew Miller, P.E., Coastal Zone Management, Capital Project Planning, Impact Fees, and Program
Management Division
ATTACHMENTS:
1. W.O- 11.20.2025-Doctors Pass Dregde
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12/12/2025
Item # 9.A
ID# 2025-4893
Executive Summary
Recommendation to accept the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Governance Restructure Study Report and make
a finding that the recommendations therein promote tourism.
OBJECTIVE: To accept the CVB Governance Restructure Study report and its recommendation to privatize the
marketing, promotion, group sales, and event functions currently performed by the Tourism Division.
CONSIDERATIONS: The Tourism Division is a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), which functions to
enhance local businesses and the economy by marketing the destination to potential visitors via advertising and
promotions. Conversely, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit is the most widely used structure for DMOs due to its flexibility,
industry engagement model, and ability to raise supplemental private dollars. From the study report, nationwide, 84.3%
of DMOs operate as nonprofits, and 15.7% operate as governmental units. In Florida, nearly half are nonprofits, with the
creation and conversion trends favoring that governance model.
Given an inferred competitive disadvantage, and in an effort to optimize Collier County’s effectiveness on a national
and international scale, on February 27, 2025, the County Manager’s Office engaged Wert Marketing Group LLC to
study alternative governance models for the County’s Tourism Division that may improve efficiency, flexibility, and
enhance market responsiveness.
The project included three main steps: research of various DMO models and DMOs that transitioned from a government
to non-government status; outreach to local hospitality partners for input and feedback; and a review of the legal and
operational framework for various models.
The study concluded that moving the Tourism Division to a nonprofit model could offer several benefits:
- Efficiency could be greatly improved by transferring marketing and promotional responsibilities to a specialized,
industry-focused organization, reducing legal, financial, and County administrative staff time demands.
- The County’s administrative burden may decrease as staffing, legal, accounting, human resources, information
technology, and procurement costs and processes transfer to the new entity.
- Continued transparency and accountability would be assured through clear public oversight of tourist development
tax expenditures through current County reporting practices, marketing-related decision-making, and additional
nonprofit public financial reporting.
- Industry engagement may improve with direct representation from hospitality partners through membership and
other partnership models, allowing the organization to address industry needs quickly as priorities arise or change.
- Additional funding streams could be developed through supplemental funding mechanisms and programs to enhance
resources.
- A new governance model may better address human resource issues that have an impact on competitiveness, such as
compensation comparable to private sector competitors, better recruitment via job descriptions that aren’t under the
County’s Evergreen template, and additional staff to match the productivity of neighboring DMOs.
For these and other reasons outlined in the study, it is recommended that the Tourism Division transition to a 501(c)(6)
nonprofit entity. This will improve agility, flexibility, stakeholder engagement, and visitor spending optimization.
This new entity would serve as the County’s official tourism promotion organization, governed by its own board of
directors. It would receive Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funding remitted from the County to support tourism
marketing, sales, and promotion of the destination. This includes administering funding assistance programs for group
meetings, sports events, and arts and cultural activities, including non-County museum grants.
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) would continue in its advisory role, providing recommendations to the Board
of County Commissioners (BCC) on all TDT expenditures. The County would continue to manage and administer the
TDT funds for tourism-related activities such as beach renourishment and maintenance, beach park facilities, the
Paradise Coast Sports Complex, and County museums. The new Tourism entity would provide regular updates to the
TDC and BCC, including a detailed marketing plan and budget before the beginning of the fiscal year of the new
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12/12/2025
Item # 9.A
ID# 2025-4893
Tourism entity, and an annual report that includes an audited financial statement.
Several entities have reviewed the study’s findings. On September 18, 2025, the Productivity Committee reviewed the
study results, provided recommendations for data collection, and supported the recommendation to move the Tourism
Division to a nonprofit model. On October 16, 2025, the Priority Based Budgeting consultant contracted by the Board
of County Commissioners, Resource X, met with County staff and Mr. Wert to review the study recommendations. A
subsequent memorandum received from Mr. Chris Fabian of Resource X contained the following summary:
After reviewing the Collier County CVB Governance Restructure Study and its recommendation to transition the
Tourism Division into a nonprofit 501(c)(6) Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), I find the proposal to be
fully aligned with the principles, intent, and best practices of Priority Based Budgeting (PBB).
From a “textbook PBB perspective,” this is precisely the type of structural reform PBB calls on governments to
consider: placing services in the governance model where they can be delivered most effectively, efficiently,
responsively, and sustainably, while maintaining the appropriate level of public oversight.
The recommended transition advances the County’s goals around performance, resource optimization,
transparency, and long-term fiscal stewardship. Based on this analysis, the principles of PBB would strongly
support the recommendation.
Completing the study is the first step in moving toward a nonprofit governance model. Acceptance of the study’s
recommendations and insights gained from the presentation of the study to the Tourism Development Council and the
Board of County Commissioners would then lead to subsequent steps that include review for compliance with the
Procurement Ordinance and Florida Statutes, drafting of a service agreement between the new DMO and the County,
updating of applicable ordinances relating to tourism, transitional funding and staffing, logistical and equipment
considerations, and contracted services transfer.
The Board of County Commissioners will determine the timeline for implementation, contingent on their acceptance of
the Governance Restructure Study Report, its recommendation for privatization of tourism marketing and promotion
services, and any additional directives given.
This initiative aligns with the 2025 Collier County Strategic Plan in the Quality of Place and Responsible Governance
Strategic Focus Areas.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact associated with accepting the Governance Restructure Study. A
proposed plan of finance may be developed based on Board direction on the next steps.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: The review of the Study is approved as to form and legality. Section 125.0104, Fla.
Stat., provides the opportunity for a County to consider a different governance structure. The proposed governance
structure will require additional County Attorney review at each step of the process including review for compliance
with the County Procurement Ordinance and Florida Statutes. – CMG
RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendation to accept the CVB Governance Restructure Study Report and make a
finding that the recommendations therein promote tourism.
PREPARED BY: Jay Tusa, Director, and John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager, Tourism Division
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Collier CVB Governance Restructure Study Presentation Final -TDC 12-12-25
2. CVB Governance Study Results Abbreviated Version - TDC 12-12-2025
3. ResourceX MEMORANDUM CVB
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Item # 9.A
ID# 2025-4893
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Collier County Tourism
dba Naples, Marco Island, and
Everglades Convention & Visitors
Bureau (CVB)
Governance Restructure
Study Results
Collier County TDC
December 12, 2025
Jack Wert, Wert Marketing Group
John Lambeth, Civitas Page 55 of 178
2
Governance Study Request
As part of ongoing efforts to identify cost-saving strategies, improve operational
efficiency, and evaluate potential public-private partnerships, the County Manager
initiated a research study in March 2025. The study was tasked with:
•Exploring alternative governance structures for the Tourism Division (CVB) such as
hybrid and nonprofit models to administer tourism marketing and promotion
•Evaluating the benefits and challenges of transitioning from a government -based
Tourism Division to a hybrid model or private -sector Destination Marketing
Organization (DMO)
•Assessing how a transition could improve efficiency, flexibility, and market
responsiveness and optimize the economic impact of tourism by attracting more
visitor spending to our area businesses
•Providing guidance on forming an alternative governance structure, including
staffing, outsourcing, and funding considerations
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Benefits of a Restructured DMO
Overall Goals
•Improves efficiency, reduces administrative burden, maintains current transparency, and
enhances tourism industry engagement
Greater Efficiency
•Optimizes visitor spending, streamlines and improves operations
•Transfers marketing and promotional responsibilities to a specialized, industry-focused
organization, reducing legal, financial, and County administrative staff time demands
•Provides greater flexibility in contract and program execution, allowing a more expeditious
response to tourism market changes and post-crisis marketing needs
•Enhances agility and market responsiveness by improving flexibility in marketing and
promotion execution and enabling quicker responses to marketplace changes
•Expands future funding options
3
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Benefits of a Restructured DMO Cont.
Reduces County’s Administrative Burden
•Transfers County staff time and cost for supporting legal, accounting, HR, and procurement
costs of the current Tourism Division from County Government to the new tourism entity
Assures Transparency & Accountability
•Maintains clear public oversight of tourist development tax expenditures through existing
County reporting practices related to marketing expenditures
Improves Industry Engagement
•Facilitates direct representation from hotels, attractions, restaurants, and tourism partners
through membership and partnership models, ensuring industry and tourism marketplace
needs are addressed
Access to Potential Funding Streams
•Establishes public-private partnerships and creates supplemental funding mechanisms and
services to enhance financial resources
4
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Current Challenges
Staffing
•Tourism Division staffing reduced from 13 to 9 FTEs, despite the challenge of serving more
than two million leisure and conference attendees annually
•Recruiting new talent is difficult due to a non-competitive wage scale
•Current County Job Descriptions do not align with private sector professional sales and
marketing positions
•National, state, and local trends focused on reducing the size of government
Crisis Management
•Slow response in mitigating misinformation during and after hurricanes, wildfires, oil spills,
economic recessions, pandemics, and other crises requiring immediate marketing strategy
changes
Rapid Growth Requiring Additional Sales Efforts
•Marketplace competitiveness is threatened by reduced staffing levels
•International visitor market share has increased over the past 10 years from 10% to 20%
•Group meeting market share increased from 10% to 30% during that same 10-year period
5
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Possible Solutions
6
•Obtain approval for additional professional
Tourism Division staff positions to
manage the increased workload
•Contract with outside suppliers to replace
services lost from vacated staff positions
and support the growing visitor base
•Study alternative governance structures
to address challenges under the current
governance model
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Determining the Best Alternative
•The potential of obtaining County approval for hiring additional staff is low in the
current atmosphere of determining ways to reduce staff in government agencies
•Contracting professional expertise to better service our ever -growing visitor base
is often not cost effective and does not provide the total full-time commitment
provided by a dedicated staff person in a marketing or sales position
•The results of this research project suggests the best alternative that will show
the best Return on Investment (ROI) is a study to identify a different governance
model to overcome the challenges faced by the current government -based
Tourism Division
7
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Early Study Recommendation
Based on our early research findings, we identified the logical alternative to overcome
the current challenges facing the Tourism Division was a restructured governance
model for the Tourism Division operating as a Destination Marketing Organization
(DMO).
Our early recommendation was:
•That Collier County Government initiate the formation of and transition to a non -
government organization to serve as the contracted entity responsible for promoting
tourism in the Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades area
•The transition goal would be to optimize marketing agility, operational flexibility, and
stakeholder engagement, while maintaining transparency and accountability through a
formal contract with the County
8
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9
The Project Scope
Based on the early research findings, our study focused on three core areas:
Research
•Assessed government-run, nonprofit, quasi-government, and hybrid DMO governance models
and evaluated case studies of DMOs that successfully transitioned to non -government status
Community Engagement
•Conducted stakeholder outreach with hotels and resorts, attractions, restaurants, sports and
arts and cultural organizations
•Formed a Steering Committee of tourism industry leaders to provide guidance and foster
industry and community support through focused input meetings
Legal & Operational Framework
•Collected and reviewed IRS requirements, nonprofit bylaws, Articles of Incorporation,
County/DMO contracts, operational policies, and funding levels to support a potential transition
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10
Research Results & Analysis
Governance Model Comparisons
The study compared several DMOs in Florida and across the U.S.
Competitive Set of Destinations
•Compared DMOs with similar budgets and their organizational structures (i.e.
government, nonprofit, hybrid, etc.), funding and staffing levels
Quasi-Governmental
•This model combines public purpose with private entity traits but can be slow -moving
Hybrid
•Shares governance between public and private sectors; efficient but complex
Nonprofit
•Reviewed 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) structures
•Noted that 501(c)(6) is the most used nonprofit model by DMOs, offering the
greatest flexibility, funding options, and responsiveness Page 64 of 178
11
Research Results & Analysis
Competitive U.S. DMOs – $11M-$15M & Structure
Government DMOs report revenue based on their marketing budgets, while nonprofit DMOs typically report total revenue
Source: Civitas PRO
Organization Name State Revenue*Type of Organization
Visit Carlsbad CA $14,887,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Austin TX $14,816,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Pittsburgh PA $14,230,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Park City UT $14,133,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Bradenton FL $14,107,000 Government
Meet Minneapolis MN $13,674,000 501(c)(6)
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau FL $13,644,000 Government
Visit Tucson AZ $13,573,000 501(c)(6)
Desoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau MS $13,439,000 Government
Visit Pensacola FL $13,319,000 501(c)(6)
Experience Grand Rapids MI $13,241,000 501(c)(6)
Hilton Head Island Bluffton Chamber of Commerce SC $12,930,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Chattanooga TN $12,383,000 501(c)(4)
See Monterey CA $12,151,000 501(c)(6)
Discover Flagstaff AZ $12,100,000 Government
Visit Greenville SC $12,056,000 501(c)(6)
Experience Rochester MN $11,903,000 501(c)(6)
Cincinnati USA CVB OH $11,644,000 501(c)(6)
Explore Branson MO $11,626,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Long Beach CA $11,531,000 501(c)(6)
Tourism Santa Fe NM $11,480,000 Government
Visit Knoxville TN $11,092,000 501(c)(3)
Visit Milwaukee WI $11,056,000 501(c)(6)
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Florida DMO Governance Comparisons
12
DMO Name (Visitor Tax %)County
Total TDT
Collected
FY 2024
"Advertising and Promotion"
FY 24-25
Base for FY 2026
Percent TDT
Spent on Advertising
Staff
Counts
Website
2025 Governance Model
Bradenton Area CVB (6% as of 8/1/24)Manatee $21,880,570 $16,467,791 75.3%13 Government
Brevard County/Space Coast (5%)Brevard $25,260,000 $13,400,000 53.0%14 Government
Florida Keys TDC (5%)Monroe $61,000,000 $30,000,000 49.2%5 * Government
Amelia Island CVB (5%)Nassau $11,531,453 $4,624,180 40.1%11 501c6
Fort Myers/Sanibel (5%)Lee $44,262,302 $12,500,000 28.2%31 Government
Discover The Palm Beaches (6%)Palm Beach $86,700,000 $19,799,608 22.8%52 501c6
Naples, Marco Is., Everglades CVB (5%)Collier $48,600,000 $11,000,000 22.6%9 Government
Visit Tampa Bay (6%) + TID for Convention Center Hillsborough $65,035,754 $11,300,000 17.4%43 501c6
Visit Sarasota (6%)Sarasota $48,381,296 $7,900,671 16.3%15 501c6
Visit Jacksonville (6%) (city only)Duval $10,534,102 5,277,956 50.1%22 501c6 **
Visit Daytona Beach (6%) Halifax area only)Volusia $12,196,425 $12,154,750 99.7%17 Quasi-Government
Visit Pensacola Escambia $22,023,172 $13,319,000 60.5%22 501c6
Visit Panama City Beach Bay $37,620,422 $9,111,112 24.2%24 501c6
* Organization is restructuring - had high of 11 staff in in 2024
** City contract. FY starts May 1. Data is ahead of other DMOs
Collier Notes: Will have added approximately 1,600 new hotel rooms to its inventory 2024-26
Collier County Tourism's marketing budget reached $6M in FY 19 and has consistently remained in the $5.5M - $6M range since then.
Temporary restrictions occurred in FY20 through FY 22 due to COVID-19, with the budget returning to $6M in FY 23 and continuing at that base level.
FY 25 saw an increase to the marketing budget to a total of $11M due to a supplemental investment of $5M.
In Sept. 2025, a supplemental investment of $5M was approved again to retain the marketing budget at $11M.Page 66 of 178
13
Research Results & Analysis
Government vs. 501(c) DMO Structures in the U.S.
Source: Civitas PRO
84% of US DMOs operate under a nonprofit structure
15.7%
84.3%
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14
Research Results & Analysis
Government vs. 501(c) DMO Structures in Florida
Source: Civitas PRO
84% of US DMOs operate under a nonprofit structure41% of Florida DMOs operate under a nonprofit structure
Florida DMO Breakdown
41.2%
58.8%
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Case Studies
Visit San Antonio
San Antonio (TX)
•Transitioned from a city department to a
501(c)(6) nine years ago, citing speed to
market, better talent management and
stakeholder leadership as key benefits
achieved
•“The conversion has been highly
successful for the City, the CVB and for
the community. The key was building
consensus with City leaders and
hospitality leaders.”
Casandra Matej
Past President/CEO15
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Case Studies
Experience Kissimmee
Kissimmee (FL)
•Successfully transitioned to a nonprofit
10 years ago with a 10-year agreement
with Osceola County
•“We utilized a transition team to help in
planning and implementation of the new
entity that resulted in improved staff
acquisition, outside contracting, and the
ability to raise private funds from
marketing and trade show co-ops.”
D.T. Minich
President/CEO
16
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Benefits Cited by DMOs Transitioning to Private Sector
•The overall Purpose was to optimize tourism for their communities
•Improved responsiveness to tourism market changes and trends
•More timely and successful hiring practices
•Improved engagement with their tourism industry stakeholders,
elected officials and residents
17
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Stakeholder Hybrid Sessions
•Held six hybrid stakeholder sessions with participants from hotels, resorts,
attractions, restaurants, sports, arts and culture, and merchant groups
•Held 12 project Steering Committee meetings
•Conducted one-on-one meetings with Collier TDC members
•Provided monthly updates to the County Manager and Finance
18
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19
Stakeholder Hybrid Sessions
Verbatim Comments
•“We are solidly behind this process and will support it”
•“We see a real benefit in transitioning to a private sector CVB”
•“Our organization will support this idea however we can”
•“We will educate our Association members on the important of supporting this plan”
•“Structure the County contract to maintain current transparency and accountability”
•“How will the start-up costs be funded?”
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Organizational Responsibilities, Funding and Staffing
•The County would retain TDT funding, staff and management for tourism-related
responsibilities such as beach renourishment and maintenance, beach park facilities,
the Paradise Coast Sports Complex, County museums, TDC administration, and
advocacy issues supported by the BCC
•The Tourist Development Council (TDC) would continue its advisory role on all
TDT expenditures, providing recommendations to the BCC
•The new DMO would continue to serve as the County’s official tourism promotion
organization, governed by a separate board. The new DMO would manage tourism
marketing, sales and promotion of the destination, administer funding assistance for
group meetings, sports events, arts and culture events, non -County museum events
and regularly report results under a contract between the County and the new entity
20
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DMO Governance Framework
The new entity would require the following
to ensure compliance and transparency:
•Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation
•Key Policies: Conflict of Interest,
Whistleblower and Records Retention
•IRS Form 990 report filings and audits
•Contracts with County and outside
suppliers of marketing and operational
services
21
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Funding Sources
Current Funding Source
•TDT allocations
Supplemental Funding Options Available for a Non -government Tourism Entity
•Co-op marketing and partner trade show participation fees
•Regional promotional opportunities with tourism industry partners
•Membership/partnership contributions
•Grants and special events revenue
•Tourism Improvement District (TID), which allows lodging businesses to collectively
approve a dedicated assessment that, once established, is mandatory and used to
fund DMO marketing initiatives
•Destination marketing fee collected by the accommodation and paid voluntarily by
guests and used to support DMO-sponsored promotional initiatives
•Potential TDT increase to 6%
22
Page 76 of 178
Organizational Framework for Tourism Promotion
•To support the expanded scope and responsibilities of a restructured tourism
promotion organization, additional staff may be required in marketing, sales,
stakeholder engagement, and operations
•Specialized marketing and sales support roles could enhance organizational capacity,
while core administrative and leadership functions such as finance, operations, and
executive oversight may also be expanded to ensure effective management
•Certain services such as human resources, legal, auditing, and IT could be contracted
out to improve efficiency and control costs
23
Page 77 of 178
Transparency, Accountability
& Oversight
•County oversight would continue for all
tourism financial transactions
•Contract with the County would include
indemnification and required insurance
coverage
•Regular reporting to the TDC and BCC
•Regular reporting to tourism industry
stakeholders
•Adoption by the restructured DMO of the
recently approved CVB Strategic Marketing
Plan and current Performance Metrics
24
Page 78 of 178
Performance Metrics & ROI
Performance Indicators/Metrics
•Tourist Tax Collections
•Visitor Spending
•Visitation
•Website Traffic
•Social Media Engagement
•Earned Media Value
•Qualified Group Meeting Leads
25
ROI (Year-over-Year)
•Direct Visitor Spending
•Economic Impact
•Average Length of Stay
•Marketing Spend vs. Visitor
Spending
Page 79 of 178
Recommendation
Based on the completed research study findings, the following is recommended that:
•Collier County Government initiate the formation of a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization to
serve as the contracted entity responsible for promoting tourism in the Naples, Marco
Island, and Everglades area, transitioning from the current County Government structure
•The transition is intended to optimize tourism, improve marketing agility, operational
flexibility, and stakeholder engagement, while maintaining current transparency and
accountability through a formal contract with the County
26
Page 80 of 178
Approval Process
•Collier County Administration - Approved
•Productivity Committee - Recommended
•ResourceX - Endorsed
•TDC Recommendation - December 12, 2026
•Board of County Commissioners
Consideration - 1st Quarter 2026
27
Page 81 of 178
Collier County Tourism Division
dba Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades
Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB)
Governance Restructure Study Results
Prepared by
Jack Wert, Chief Marketing Strategist
Wert Marketing Group LLC
jwwert1@gmail.com
239-778-6629
John Lambeth, Founder & CEO
CIVITAS
jlambeth@civitasadvisors.com
916-505-1940
Page 82 of 178
Collier County CVB Governance
Research Study Results
Prepared by
Jack Wert, CEO, Wert Marketing Group LLC
John Lambeth, CEO,Civitas
December 2025
Page 83 of 178
2
Governance Study Request
•As part of ongoing efforts to optimize visitor spending, identify cost-
saving strategies, improve operational efficiency and evaluate
potential public-private partnerships, the County Manager initiated a
research study in March 2025
•The study scope included exploring alternative governance models
for the Tourism Division operating as a Convention & Visitors Bureau
(CVB), including hybrid and nonprofit structures
Page 84 of 178
Purpose of the Study
•Explore alternative governance structures for the CVB
•Assess benefits of transitioning to a non-government Destination
Marketing Organization (DMO)
•Provide recommendations to improve efficiency, flexibility,
responsiveness and engagement
3
Benefits of Restructuring Tourism Division
•Optimizes visitor spending, streamlines and improves operations
•Transfers government funding support for County staff time for legal,
accounting, HR and Procurement to the new tourism entity
•Continues current Transparency & accountability for oversight of TDT
expenditures
•Enhances tourism industry engagement
•Greater flexibility and response time to a crisis and tourism market
changes
•Diversifies future funding options
Page 85 of 178
Current Challenges
•Staffing reduced from 13 to 9 FTEs despite rising leisure and meetings demand
•Recruiting difficult due to non-competitive wage scale & job titles not aligned
with similar positions in private sector
•Trends to reduce the size of government
•Slow crisis response (hurricanes, wildfires, pandemics)
•Growth pressures in the past 10 years
o International Visitors (10%→20%), Meetings Market (10%→30%)
Possible Solutions
•Request County approval for additional staff positions
•Contract with outside suppliers for needed services
•Study alternative governance structures to address
challenges under current government model
4
Page 86 of 178
Determining the Best Alternative
•Low likelihood of County approval for new staff
•Contracting is costly, less effective and less commitment to responsibilities
•Best ROI: Explore new governance model
Early Study Recommendation
•Transition to a non-government structured DMO organization
•Benefits: optimized visitor spending, improved agility, flexibility, stakeholder
engagement
•Maintains accountability and transparency utilizing a County contract
5
Page 87 of 178
Research Findings
6
Page 88 of 178
Governance Findings
•Compared DMOs with similar budgets on their structure, funding and staff
•Governance models reviewed:
o Government-run, quasi-government, hybrid, nonprofit
•84% of U.S. DMOs and nearly half of Florida DMOs are non-government, with
the trend continuing toward nonprofit structures
•Most common: Nonprofit 501(c)(6) model
•Case studies: Visit San Antonio, Experience Kissimmee
o Both cited improved speed to market and talent recruiting
o Recommended need for strong support for transition with stakeholders
and government entities
o Build solid transparency and accountability into contract
Stakeholder Input
•6 hybrid sessions + 12 Project Steering Committee meetings - Weekly now
One-on-one discussions with TDC members
•Strong support for restructuring from all groups
•Concerns: startup funding, continued transparency/accountability
7
Page 89 of 178
8
Research Results & Analysis
Competitive U.S. DMOs – $11M-$15M & Structure
Government DMOs report revenue based on their marketing budgets, while nonprofit DMOs typically report total revenue
Source: Civitas PRO
Organization Name State Revenue*Type of Organization
Visit Carlsbad CA $14,887,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Austin TX $14,816,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Pittsburgh PA $14,230,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Park City UT $14,133,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Bradenton FL $14,107,000 Government
Meet Minneapolis MN $13,674,000 501(c)(6)
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau FL $13,644,000 Government
Visit Tucson AZ $13,573,000 501(c)(6)
Desoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau MS $13,439,000 Government
Visit Pensacola FL $13,319,000 501(c)(6)
Experience Grand Rapids MI $13,241,000 501(c)(6)
Hilton Head Island Bluffton Chamber of Commerce SC $12,930,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Chattanooga TN $12,383,000 501(c)(4)
See Monterey CA $12,151,000 501(c)(6)
Discover Flagstaff AZ $12,100,000 Government
Visit Greenville SC $12,056,000 501(c)(6)
Experience Rochester MN $11,903,000 501(c)(6)
Cincinnati USA CVB OH $11,644,000 501(c)(6)
Explore Branson MO $11,626,000 501(c)(6)
Visit Long Beach CA $11,531,000 501(c)(6)
Tourism Santa Fe NM $11,480,000 Government
Visit Knoxville TN $11,092,000 501(c)(3)
Visit Milwaukee WI $11,056,000 501(c)(6)
Page 90 of 178
Florida DMO Governance Comparisons
9
DMO Name (Visitor Tax %)County
Total TDT
Collected
FY 2024
"Advertising and
Promotion"
FY 24-25
Base for FY 2026
Percent TDT
Spent on
Advertising
Staff
Counts
Website
2025 Governance Model
Bradenton Area CVB (6% as of 8/1/24)Manatee $21,880,570 $16,467,791 75.3%13 Government
Brevard County/Space Coast (5%)Brevard $25,260,000 $13,400,000 53.0%14 Government
Florida Keys TDC (5%)Monroe $61,000,000 $30,000,000 49.2%5 * Government
Amelia Island CVB (5%)Nassau $11,531,453 $4,624,180 40.1%11 501c6
Fort Myers/Sanibel (5%)Lee $44,262,302 $12,500,000 28.2%31 Government
Discover The Palm Beaches (6%)Palm Beach $86,700,000 $19,799,608 22.8%52 501c6
Naples, Marco Is., Everglades CVB (5%)Collier $48,600,000 $11,000,000 22.6%9 Government
Visit Tampa Bay (6%) + TID for Convention Center Hillsborough $65,035,754 $11,300,000 17.4%43 501c6
Visit Sarasota (6%)Sarasota $48,381,296 $7,900,671 16.3%15 501c6
Visit Jacksonville (6%) (city only)Duval $10,534,102 5,277,956 50.1%22 501c6 **
Visit Daytona Beach (6%) Halifax area only)Volusia $12,196,425 $12,154,750 99.7%17 Quasi-Government
Visit Pensacola Escambia $22,023,172 $13,319,000 60.5%22 501c6
Visit Panama City Beach Bay $37,620,422 $9,111,112 24.2%24 501c6
* Organization is restructuring - had high of 11 staff in in 2024
** City contract. FY starts May 1. Data is ahead of other DMOs
Collier Notes: Will have added approximately 1,600 new hotel rooms to its inventory 2024-26
Collier County Tourism's marketing budget reached $6M in FY 19 and has consistently remained in the $5.5M - $6M range since then.
Temporary restrictions occurred in FY20 through FY 22 due to COVID-19, with the budget returning to $6M in FY 23 and continuing at that base level.
FY 25 saw an increase to the marketing budget to a total of $11M due to a supplemental investment of $5M.
In Sept. 2025, a supplemental investment of $5M was approved again to retain the marketing budget at $11M.
Page 91 of 178
Proposed New DMO Structure
•County retains funding and responsibility for beaches, beach parks, Sports
Complex, County Museums and TDC administration
•TDC continues advisory role on all TDT expenditures
•New DMO continues as County’s official DMO and handles marketing,
promotion, group sales and events through contract with County. This would
require Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, Policies and Procedures, IRS
reporting, audits
Funding Opportunities
Current Funding Source:
•TDT allocations
New Funding Opportunities:
•Expanded Co-op marketing
•Membership or Partnership fees
•Grants, special event revenue
•Voluntary TID or destination marketing fee for CVB
marketing initiatives
•Potential TDT increase to 6%
10
Page 92 of 178
Staffing of New Entity
•Current staff offered transition opportunity to new entity or stay with County
•Expanded roles in marketing, sales, engagement, operations
•Outsourced HR, legal, IT for efficiency and cost control
Transparency & Accountability
•Regular reporting to TDC, BCC, tourism industry stakeholders
•Adopt recently approved CVB Strategic Marketing Plan
•Maintain current Performance Metrics: tax collections, visitor spending,
website traffic, social media, group leads
•Maintain current ROI measurements: Direct visitor spending, economic
impact, average stay, Marketing Investment vs Visitor Spending
11
Page 93 of 178
Recommendations
and Next Steps
12
Page 94 of 178
Final Recommendation
•Form a nonprofit 501(c)(6) DMO contracted with Collier County
•Benefits: optimized visitor spending, agility, flexibility, engagement
•Maintain current oversight with contracts, reporting, transparency measures
Next Steps
•Collier County Administration - Approved
•Productivity Committee - Recommended
•Resource X - Endorsed
•TDC Recommendation - December 12
•Board of County Commissioners Consideration - 1st Quarter 2026
•Formation of a new nonprofit DMO
13
Page 95 of 178
Collier County CVB Governance
Restructure Study Report
Prepared by
Wert Marketing Group & Civitas
December 2025
Page 96 of 178
1
MEMORANDUM
To: Collier County Leadership
From: Chris Fabian, ResourceX
Subject: Priority Based Budgeting (PBB) Assessment of the CVB Governance Restructure
Recommendation
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Executive Summary
After reviewing the Collier County CVB Governance Restructure Study and its
recommendation to transition the Tourism Division to a nonproflt 501(c)(6) Destination
Marketing Organization (DMO), I flnd the proposal to be fully aligned with the principles,
intent, and best practices of Priority Based Budgeting (PBB).
From a “textbook PBB perspective,” this is precisely the type of structural reform PBB calls
on governments to consider: placing services in the governance model where they can be
delivered most effectively, efficiently, responsively, and sustainably, while maintaining the
appropriate level of public oversight.
The recommended transition advances the county’s goals around performance, resource
optimization, transparency, and long-term flscal stewardship. Based on this analysis, the
principles of PBB would strongly support the recommendation.
Page 97 of 178
2
PBB Assessment of the Recommendation
1. Alignment With PBB’s Core Philosophy:
“Match Services With Their Most Effective Service Delivery Model.”
PBB asks governments to continually assess whether programs are best delivered:
• internally by government,
• shared through public–private partnerships, or
• provided through alternative governance models such as nonproflts or hybrid
organizations.
The CVB restructuring recommendation is a clear example of PBB’s guiding philosophy:
Govern where you must, enable where you should, outsource where it increases value, and
partner where it expands impact.
The study demonstrates that a nonproflt DMO model would:
• increase marketing agility,
• improve talent acquisition and retention,
• expand available resources through private-sector funding models,
• elevate stakeholder engagement, and
• reduce administrative burden for the County.
These outcomes strongly reinforce the PBB principle of ensuring that services are provided
in the most effective and efficient way, regardless of historical tradition or legacy
organizational structure.
PBB supports this shift because it directly enables better service outcomes at a lower cost
and with greater strategic fiexibility.
2. Reinforces PBB’s Goal of “Optimizing Resources Toward the Highest
Community Impact.”
Tourism promotion is a high-impact economic driver for Collier County. The evidence in the
study shows:
Page 98 of 178
3
• signiflcant staffing constraints within the current government model,
• risks to competitiveness and responsiveness, and
• limitations on marketing execution speed, particularly during crises.
A restructured DMO would expand capacity through:
• increased fiexibility in hiring and compensation,
• ability to rapidly deploy marketing strategies,
• industry-led engagement structures, and
• supplemental funding streams unavailable to government agencies.
From a PBB standpoint, this means greater impact for each public dollar, with the ability to
grow revenue-generating activity (visitor spending, tourist development tax performance,
economic impact). PBB views such leverage as ideal resource optimization.
3. Advances PBB’s Principle of Transparency & Accountability
Some may assume that moving a function outside government reduces accountability.
The recommendation actually enhances it.
The study outlines:
• strong contractual oversight,
• continued TDC and BCC reporting,
• alignment with the existing strategic marketing plan, and
• adoption of public reporting and IRS 990 transparency requirements.
From a PBB lens, accountability is not dependent on whether staff are public employees,
but whether performance metrics, reporting structures, and oversight mechanisms are
robust and enforceable.
The proposed model clearly meets; and in some ways exceeds current accountability
structures.
Page 99 of 178
4
4. Supports PBB’s Intent to “Reduce Reliance on General Fund
Resources Through Alternative Funding Models.”
While the Tourism Division is not general-fund flnanced, this recommendation
demonstrates a foundational PBB concept: shifting select functions to models with
diversifled funding allows government to protect general fund fiexibility for core
governmental services.
The nonproflt DMO structure opens the door to:
• co-op marketing revenue,
• partner fees,
• grants,
• event revenue,
• tourism improvement district assessments,
• and broader industry investment.
This reduces pressure on public revenue sources and expands the overall resource base, a
key PBB strategy for long-term flscal resilience.
5. Reflects PBB’s Best Practice of Responding to Operational and
Environmental Realities
The study highlights clear operational pressures on the existing model:
• reduced staffing,
• increasingly competitive talent environment,
• rising visitor volumes,
• signiflcant crisis-response needs.
PBB explicitly encourages governments to make structural changes when service demand
and operational complexity outgrow the constraints of internal delivery.
The DMO recommendation is a responsible and forward-looking application of this
practice.
Page 100 of 178
5
Our Position
Based on both the empirical flndings in the study and Priority Based Budgeting’s core
principles, ResourceX fully supports this recommendation. It refiects:
• sound flscal stewardship,
• strategic alignment with community priorities,
• operational efficiency,
• enhanced transparency, and
• an increased ability to achieve the outcomes that matter most to Collier County
residents, businesses, and visitors.
The proposed governance restructure represents a textbook example of PBB in action:
placing services in the structure where they can achieve the greatest impact, with the
greatest efficiency, and the greatest fiexibility, while ensuring accountability remains flrmly
in place.
Page 101 of 178
October 2025 Monthly Visitor Dashboard
Page 102 of 178
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1)Monthly Highlights: pg. 3 -7
2)Monthly Executive Summary: pgs. 8 -14
3)Monthly Destination Comparisons : pgs. 15 -2 1
4)Industry Data: pgs. 2 2 -2 8
PARADISECOAST.COM2Page 103 of 178
1
MONTHLY
HIGHLIGHTS
Page 104 of 178
October 2025 | TOURISM METRICS
4 PARADISECOAST.COM
Metric October 2024 October 2025 Percent Change
Visitors 190,800 215,300 + 12.8%
Visitor Days 1,013,100 1,149,700 + 13.5%
Direct Spending $127,527,900 $135,829,300 + 6.5%
Room Nights 195,200 197,800 + 1.3%
Occupancy 47.8%48.3%+ 1.0%
Average Daily Rate $225.37 $237.35 + 5.3%
RevPAR $107.73 $114.64 + 6.4%
Page 105 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
5
OCTOBER 2025 | VISITOR ORIGIN REGIONS
23.5%
12.0%
22.4%
30.0%
4.2%
7.9%
Florida
50,600
Southeast
25,900
Northeast
48,200
Midwest
64,600
West
9,000
International
17,000October 2024 October 2025 Percent Change (±Δ%)
Region # Visitors % Share # Visitors % Share # Visitors % Share
Domestic 170,100 89.2%198,300 92.1%+ 16.6%+ 3.3%
Florida 43,900 23.0%50,600 23.5%+ 15.3%+ 2.1%
Southeast 22,600 11.8%25,900 12.0%+ 14.6%+ 1.3%
Northeast 40,900 21.4%48,200 22.4%+ 17.8%+ 4.5%
Midwest 55,200 28.9%64,600 30.0%+ 17.0%+ 3.7%
West 7,500 3.9%9,000 4.2%+ 20.0%+ 6.8%
International 20,700 10.8%17,000 7.9%- 17.9%- 27.2%
Canada 11,100 5.8%8,600 4.0%- 22.5%- 31.2%
Europe 6,800 3.6%5,800 2.7%- 14.7%- 24.2%
C/S America 1,600 0.8%1,500 0.7%- 6.3%- 16.5%
Other 1,200 0.6%1,100 0.5%- 8.3%- 20.5%
Total 190,800 100.0%215,300 100.0%+ 12.8%
Page 106 of 178
October 2025 | HIGHLIGHTS & AREAS OF CONCERN
6
Highlights
•Visitation increased 12.8% from October 2024.
•Direct Spending was 6.5% higher than October 2024.
•Hotel Industry Trends in October 2025 in Collier County:
•Leisure Demand and Group Demand both increased year -over -year, with Leisure Demand increasing
7.5% while Group Demand increased 7.1%.
•Hotel Average Daily Rate (ADR) again ranked second in the competitive set.
•Hotel Occupancy was 56.3%, a 4.9% increase year -over -year.
•Hotel Room Supply was up 2.0% from October 2024.
•Southwest Florida fortunately did not experience any hurricanes in October 2025, after enduring
Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year in late September/early October. The lack of extreme weather in
October 2025 likely contributed to some of the year -over -year increases in Visitation and Direct Spending.
Potential Areas of Concern
•International visitation was still significantly lower than during the same month last year; however, the year -
over -year decrease was less than in September.
PARADISECOAST.COM
Page 107 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
7
3 -MONTH FORECAST 1 | NOVEMBER - JANUARY
21%
29%
50%
35%
17%
48%
Up Down The same
October-24 October-25
Looking ahead to the next three months, are your property’s reservations generally up,
down, or the same compared to this time last year?
1 Source: Data provided by Collier County hotel and vacation rental partners who respond to
DSG’s Monthly Occupancy Survey.
Disclaimer: This forecast is based on three -month forward -looking expectations provided by
a sample of accommodation partners. Actual lodging performance has historically differed
from these projections.Page 108 of 178
2
EXECUTIVE
MONTHLY
SUMMARY
Page 109 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
1.01M
1.15M
9
OCTOBER 2025 | VISITATION & ROOM NIGHTS
191k 195k
215k
198k
October-24 October-25
VISITORS
215,300
ROOM NIGHTS
197,800
+ 12.8% from 2024 + 1.3% from 2024
VISITOR DAYS
1,149,700
+ 13.5% from 2024
Page 110 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
10
OCTOBER 2025 | DIRECT SPENDING
$128M $136M
October-24 October-25
DIRECT SPENDING
$135,829,300
+ 6.5% from 2024
Page 111 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
$225.37 $237.35
October-24 October-25
11
OCTOBER 2025 | OVERALL LODGING METRICS 1,2
AVERAGE DAILY RATE
$237.35
OCCUPANCY RATE
48.3%
REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM
$114.64
47.8%48.3%
+ 1.0% from 2024 + 5.3% from 2024 + 6.4% from 2024
$107.73 $114.64
1 Sources: STR data & DSG Occupancy Study data.
2 Overall Lodging Metrics are reflective of paid accommodations as a
whole, including both hotels and vacation rentals within Collier County.
Page 112 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
$213.70 $231.75
October-24 October-25
12
OCTOBER 2025 | HOTEL LODGING METRICS 1,2
AVERAGE DAILY RATE
$231.75
OCCUPANCY RATE
56.3%
REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM
$130.53
53.7%56.3%
+ 4.9% from 2024 + 8.4% from 2024 + 13.8% from 2024
$114.74
$130.53
1 Source: STR data
2 Lodging metrics on this slide are only reflective of the hotels within
Collier County.
Page 113 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
13
OCTOBER 2025 | VISITOR ORIGINS
FLORIDA VISITORS
50,600
OUT -OF -STATE VISITORS
164,700
44k
23k
41k
55k
8k
21k
51k
26k
48k
65k
9k
17k
10k
20k
30k
40k
50k
60k
70k
Florida Southeast Northeast Midwest West International
October-24 October-25
Page 114 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
14
OCTOBER 2025 | PAID OVERNIGHT VISITOR ORIGINS
18%
12%
24%
25%
4%
17%
18%
13%
25%
26%
5%
13%
Florida Southeast Northeast Midwest West International
October-24 October-25
Page 115 of 178
15
4a
MONTHLY
DESTINATION
COMPARISONS
Page 116 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
16
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | SUPPLY 1
1 Metrics provided by STR.
Hotel Supply (Rooms)Δ % in Supply from October 2024
Total Total
Miami 1,991,409 - 1.8%
Ft. Lauderdale 1,189,873 - 1.6%
Palm Beach 592,193 + 0.1%
Ft. Myers 405,294 + 13.5%
Sarasota 390,662 + 1.4%
Florida Keys 333,405 + 0.2%
St. Petersburg 330,181 + 4.9%
Clearwater 285,293 + 6.2%
Naples 264,027 + 2.0%
Page 117 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
17
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | DEMAND 1
Hotel Demand (Rooms)Δ % in Demand from October 2024
Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total
Miami 1,056,392 195,086 81,511 1,332,990 - 1.5%- 20.3%+ 5.7%- 4.4%
Ft. Lauderdale 622,929 132,496 18,763 774,188 - 6.1%- 5.7%+ 13.8%- 5.7%
Palm Beach 285,259 96,749 7,321 389,329 - 0.5%- 1.8%+ 15.2%- 0.6%
Sarasota 180,062 35,712 11,645 227,418 - 15.5%- 48.2%+ 136.1%- 20.7%
Ft. Myers 170,378 35,016 13,985 219,379 + 6.2%- 28.2%+ 15.4%- 0.9%
Florida Keys 180,100 24,076 695 204,871 + 18.4%+ 3.3%- 33.4%+ 16.1%
St. Petersburg 149,050 43,644 1,054 193,748 + 8.0%- 45.4%- 70.0%- 12.5%
Clearwater 136,142 34,553 0 170,695 + 29.3%- 56.3%-- 7.4%
Naples 104,828 43,883 0 148,711 + 7.5%+ 7.1%- 100.0%+ 7.1%
1 Metrics provided by STR.
2 Transient bookings include rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night.
3 Group bookings include bookings of 10 rooms or more per night, sold pursuant to a signed agreement.
4 Contract bookings include a consistent block of rooms committed at stipulated contract rates for an extended period longer th an 30
days, with payment guaranteed regardless of use, such as for airline crews and long -term guests.
Page 118 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
18
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | OCCUPANCY 1
Hotel Occupancy (%)Δ % in Occupancy from October 2024
Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total
Miami 53.0%9.8%4.1%66.9%+ 0.3%- 18.9%+ 7.6%- 2.7%
Palm Beach 48.2%16.3%1.2%65.7%- 0.6%- 1.9%+ 15.1%- 0.6%
Ft. Lauderdale 52.4%11.1%1.6%65.1%- 4.6%- 4.2%+ 15.7%- 4.1%
Florida Keys 54.0%7.2%0.2%61.4%+ 18.2%+ 3.1%- 33.6%+ 15.9%
Clearwater 47.7%12.1%0.0%59.8%+ 21.7%- 58.8%0.0%- 12.8%
St. Petersburg 45.1%13.2%0.3%58.7%+ 3.0%- 48.0%- 71.4%- 16.6%
Sarasota 46.1%9.1%3.0%58.2%- 16.6%- 49.0%+ 132.8%- 21.8%
Naples 39.7%16.6%0.0%56.3%+ 5.4%+ 4.9%- 100.0%+ 4.9%
Ft. Myers 42.0%8.6%3.5%54.1%- 6.4%- 36.7%+ 1.7%- 12.6%
1 Metrics provided by STR.
2 Transient bookings include rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night.
3 Group bookings include bookings of 10 rooms or more per night, sold pursuant to a signed agreement.
4 Contract bookings include a consistent block of rooms committed at stipulated contract rates for an extended period longer th an 30
days, with payment guaranteed regardless of use, such as for airline crews and long -term guests.
Page 119 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
19
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | REVENUE 1
Hotel Revenue (Millions of Dollars)Δ % in Revenue from October 2024
Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total
Miami $187.15 $43.19 $10.06 $240.40 - 13.2%- 23.3%+ 7.1%- 14.5%
Ft. Lauderdale $94.21 $27.98 $2.39 $124.58 - 13.9%+ 0.4%+ 11.9%- 10.7%
Palm Beach $57.14 $24.91 $0.84 $82.90 + 6.2%+ 12.6%+ 22.7%+ 8.2%
Florida Keys $49.21 $7.13 $0.15 $56.49 + 13.0%+ 6.8%- 35.3%+ 12.0%
Sarasota $30.12 $7.55 $1.32 $38.98 - 10.1%- 41.5%+ 127.3%- 17.0%
Naples $22.16 $12.31 $0.00 $34.46 + 11.9%+ 25.2%- 100.0%+ 16.1%
St. Petersburg $23.08 $7.10 $0.11 $30.29 + 8.8%- 45.7%- 69.4%- 12.6%
Ft. Myers $22.95 $5.40 $1.66 $30.01 + 9.5%- 22.5%+ 17.6%+ 2.3%
Clearwater $23.42 $6.35 $0.00 $29.77 + 53.8%- 57.1%-- 0.9%
1 Metrics provided by STR.
2 Transient bookings include rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night.
3 Group bookings include bookings of 10 rooms or more per night, sold pursuant to a signed agreement.
4 Contract bookings include a consistent block of rooms committed at stipulated contract rates for an extended period longer th an 30
days, with payment guaranteed regardless of use, such as for airline crews and long -term guests.
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PARADISECOAST.COM
20
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | DAILY RATE 1
Hotel Average Daily Rate ($)Δ % in ADR from October 2024
Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total
Florida Keys $273.26 $296.25 $211.44 $275.75 - 4.5%+ 3.3%- 2.8%- 3.5%
Naples $211.37 $280.43 $0.00 $231.75 + 4.0%+ 17.0%- 100.0%+ 8.4%
Palm Beach $200.31 $257.51 $115.11 $212.92 + 6.7%+ 14.7%+ 6.6%+ 8.8%
Miami $177.16 $221.40 $123.43 $180.35 - 11.9%- 3.8%+ 1.3%- 10.6%
Clearwater $172.01 $183.70 $0.00 $174.38 + 19.0%- 2.0%0.0%+ 7.0%
Sarasota $167.25 $211.31 $113.42 $171.41 + 6.3%+ 13.0%- 3.7%+ 4.7%
Ft. Lauderdale $151.23 $211.20 $127.34 $160.92 - 8.3%+ 6.5%- 1.7%- 5.3%
St. Petersburg $154.86 $162.62 $104.39 $156.33 + 0.8%- 0.4%+ 2.0%0.0%
Ft. Myers $134.72 $154.25 $118.51 $136.80 + 3.1%+ 7.9%+ 1.9%+ 3.2%
1 Metrics provided by STR.
2 Transient bookings include rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night.
3 Group bookings include bookings of 10 rooms or more per night, sold pursuant to a signed agreement.
4 Contract bookings include a consistent block of rooms committed at stipulated contract rates for an extended period longer th an 30
days, with payment guaranteed regardless of use, such as for airline crews and long -term guests.
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PARADISECOAST.COM
21
OCTOBER 2025 COMPARISONS | REVPAR
Hotel Revenue Per Available Room ($)Δ % in RevPAR from October 2024
Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total Transient 2 Group 3 Contract 4 Total
Florida Keys $147.61 $21.39 $0.44 $169.44 + 12.8%+ 6.6%- 35.4%+ 11.8%
Palm Beach $96.49 $42.07 $1.42 $139.98 + 6.1%+ 12.6%+ 22.6%+ 8.1%
Naples $83.92 $46.61 $0.00 $130.53 + 9.6%+ 22.7%- 100.0%+ 13.8%
Miami $93.98 $21.69 $5.05 $120.72 - 11.6%- 21.9%+ 9.0%- 13.0%
Ft. Lauderdale $79.17 $23.52 $2.01 $104.70 - 12.5%+ 2.1%+ 13.8%- 9.2%
Clearwater $82.08 $22.25 $0.00 $104.33 + 44.8%- 59.7%0.0%- 6.7%
Sarasota $77.09 $19.32 $3.38 $99.79 - 11.4%- 42.3%+ 124.1%- 18.2%
St. Petersburg $69.91 $21.50 $0.33 $91.74 + 3.8%- 48.2%- 70.8%- 16.6%
Ft. Myers $56.63 $13.33 $4.09 $74.05 - 3.5%- 31.7%+ 3.7%- 9.9%
1 Metrics provided by STR.
2 Transient bookings include rooms sold to individuals or groups occupying less than 10 rooms per night.
3 Group bookings include bookings of 10 rooms or more per night, sold pursuant to a signed agreement.
4 Contract bookings include a consistent block of rooms committed at stipulated contract rates for an extended period longer th an 30
days, with payment guaranteed regardless of use, such as for airline crews and long -term guests.
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2
2
5
INDUSTRY
DATA
Page 123 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
23
INDUSTRY DATA | CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
October November December January February March April May June July August September
FY23 27,400 29,600 30,500 31,100 31,600 32,100 31,500 30,300 28,400 27,800 27,700 27,600
FY24 29,600 32,100 33,200 34,000 34,500 34,800 34,700 33,400 30,800 29,900 29,700 29,300
FY25 29,600 31,500 32,200 32,300 32,500 32,600 32,400 31,400 29,600 29,200 29,000 (P)
27,000
28,000
29,000
30,000
31,000
32,000
33,000
34,000
35,000
36,000
Monthly Direct Leisure & Hospitality EmploymentCollier County Direct Leisure and Hospitality Employment 1
1 SOURCE: Current Employment Statistic Program (CES), Collier County Leisure and Hospitality Sector, not seasonally adjusted.
(P) Preliminary.
Not Available Yet
Page 124 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
24
INDUSTRY DATA | RSW TOTAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC
October November December January February March April May June July August September
FY23 432,667 812,305 862,368 932,896 967,416 1,166,442 981,216 760,330 643,486 670,818 601,542 560,358
FY24 737,527 953,025 1,094,783 1,108,190 1,223,761 1,509,777 1,133,256 843,270 696,867 677,137 614,531 523,004
FY25 657,488 919,108 1,121,793 1,067,794 1,173,638 1,463,628 1,178,980 834,862 698,573 720,973 647,917 550,259
350,000
550,000
750,000
950,000
1,150,000
1,350,000
1,550,000
1,750,000
RSW Total Passenger TrafficSouthwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Total Passenger Traffic 1
1 SOURCE: Lee County Port Authority Monthly Statistics.
Page 125 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
25
INDUSTRY DATA | RSW INFLOW (DEPLANEMENTS)
October November December January February March April May June July August September
FY23 232,239 407,927 447,666 462,851 495,943 582,580 452,356 356,361 316,887 333,862 296,092 285,679
FY24 388,153 479,404 567,439 542,929 628,786 759,836 514,166 401,868 343,614 336,069 303,982 264,625
FY25 356,316 463,688 596,290 526,231 601,672 722,642 549,572 389,793 345,133 359,761 319,590 277,820
150,000
250,000
350,000
450,000
550,000
650,000
750,000
850,000
RSW DeplanementsSouthwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Deplanements 1
1 SOURCE: Lee County Port Authority Monthly Statistics.
Page 126 of 178
PARADISECOAST.COM
26
INDUSTRY DATA | RSW OUTFLOW (ENPLANEMENTS)
October November December January February March April May June July August September
FY23 200,428 404,378 414,702 470,045 471,473 583,862 528,860 403,969 326,599 336,956 305,450 274,679
FY24 349,374 301,172 455,420 565,261 594,975 749,941 619,090 441,402 353,253 341,068 310,549 258,379
FY25 301,172 455,420 525,503 541,563 571,966 740,986 629,408 445,069 353,440 361,212 328,327 272,439
150,000
250,000
350,000
450,000
550,000
650,000
750,000
850,000
RSW EnplanementsSouthwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Enplanements 1
1 SOURCE: Lee County Port Authority Monthly Statistics.
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PARADISECOAST.COM
27
INDUSTRY DATA | FY25 RSW INFLOW VS. OUTFLOW
October November December January February March April May June July August September
INFLOW 356,316 463,688 596,290 526,231 601,672 722,642 549,572 389,793 345,133 359,761 319,590 277,820
OUTFLOW 301,172 455,420 525,503 541,563 571,966 740,986 629,408 445,069 353,440 361,212 328,327 272,439
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
550,000
600,000
650,000
700,000
750,000
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) Inflow (Deplanements) vs. Outflow (Enplanements)1
1 SOURCE: Lee County Port Authority Monthly Statistics.
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PARADISECOAST.COM
28
INDUSTRY DATA | LICENSED RENTAL UNITS
Licensed Transient Rental Units as of November 1 st , 2025 1
Hotel Motel Vacation Rental Total
Naples 5,473 1,256 3,351 10,080
Marco Island 1,275 121 2,093 3,489
Immokalee 0 70 106 176
Everglades City 38 36 8 82
Goodland 0 0 31 31
Chokoloskee 0 13 1 14
Ave Maria 0 0 3 3
Total 6,786 1,496 5,593 13,875
1 SOURCE: Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
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October 2025 Monthly Visitor Dashboard
Page 130 of 178
Monthly Report | October 2025
Page 131 of 178
Table of Contents
ParadiseAdv.com
Zartico Visitor Insights
Organic Social Media
3
6
11 Email
2 Page 132 of 178
1
Zartico
Visitor Insights
Page 133 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Zartico: Visitor Insights | Visitor Flow and Spending
ParadiseAdv.com
Out-of-state visitors
made up 51% of visits
and 85 % of overall
spend in October 2025
In-state visitors made up
49% of visits and 15% of
overall spend
Out of State visitation
outperformed in-state
stats for visitor spending
Day visitors
(63%)
Overnight visitors
(37%)
Chicago, IL ranked as the
top DMA in spending
market
Followed by:
Minneapolis, Miami, and
New York, NY
Chicago. IL visitors spent
more on Food and
Beverage and Retail
Miami-Ft Lauderdale
overnight visitors
continue to rank #1 in top
visitation for the month
of October
Followed by:
Tampa-St Petersburg, FL,
West Palm Beach and
Orlando, FL
Top 2 Out-Of-State:
New York, NY and
Chicago DMAs
In-state top visited place
in October: Fakapachee
Strand Preserve State
Park
Out-of-State top visited
place in October: Naples
Grande Beach Resort
followed by Vanderbilt
Beach
Out-Of-State
In-State
Visitors
Overnight Vs. Day
Visitation
Top DMA Spending
Market
Top Overnight
Markets
Destination
Visitation
Zartico: Visitor Insights | October 2025
4 Page 134 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com*Approximate total, all final Nov invoices not received yet
56%
October Hotel
Occupancy
$232
Hotel ADR
$130.63
Hotel RevPAR
Zartico: Visitor Insights | October 2025
5 Page 135 of 178
2
Organic
Social Media
Page 136 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Social Media (Organic) - Summary
●Implemented annual content strategy across all social media
platforms.
●Conducted day-to-day operations, including but not limited to
content creation, LIVE streams, content curation, and
reporting/analysis, etc.
●Completed the November 2025 content calendars to be shared
across social media platforms.
●Established Facebook LIVE and Instagram Story topics for Client to
implement in November 2025.
●Supported Client in community management, social listening,
optimization, and reporting/analysis, etc.
●Increased timely event coverage resulting in more live story shares,
recap videos and an asset library which will be used for future event
promotions.
●Completed content captures for Stone Crab content series.
ParadiseAdv.com
7 Page 137 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
65,320
Followers
+864
Net Growth
9,513
Engagements
39.9%
Increase
461,126
Impressions
60.4%
Decrease
Summary:
In October we continued to see steady follower growth, adding
864 new followers for a total of 65,320. Engagements increased
in October by 39%. While the overall impressions dipped in
October, the Organic Impressions increased 22% over
September, signaling that our organic content is continuing to
reach new audiences and perform well when viewed. This dip in
overall impressions is consistent with previous years for the
season.
Our top-performing posts for October include a Stone Crab
Festival reel, a Beaches of Naples reel, and a timely-captured
reel highlighting the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.
Looking ahead, we’ll keep prioritizing timely content captures,
with a renewed emphasis on live Stories to drive interaction and
event coverage to maintain momentum as we move into the
remainder of the year.
Organic Social | Facebook
8 Page 138 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Organic Social | Instagram
24,897
Followers
+214 Net
Growth
5,695
Engagements
91.6%
Increase
226,087
Impressions
60.3%
Increase
Summary:
On Instagram, we added 214 new followers in October,
continuing steady growth. Engagements increased by 91% and
impressions for Instagram also increased 60% in October
signaling that our content is performing well with those who view
it as well as reaching new followers.
Top-performing content included a feature reel for JW Marriott
Marco Island Beach Resort, a carousel post highlighting FC
Naples and a reel featuring the new Books on Third store
opening.
Looking ahead, we’ll focus on increasing engagement
momentum by producing more timely-captured reels and timely,
interactive content throughout November with the use of event
coverage, ManyChat and daily interactive stories on Instagram. 100,000
Video Views
139.1%
Increase
9 Page 139 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Media | Organic Social
226,087
Total Impressions
5,695
Post Engagements
24,897
Total Followers
9,513
Post Engagements
461,126
Total Impressions
65,320
Total Followers
Instagram
Facebook
Year-To-Date
10 Page 140 of 178
3
Email
Page 141 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Email | Lesiure E-Scapes
55,997
Owned
20.0%
Owned
19.61%
Owned
Subject Line: Plan a Fall Escape to
Florida’s Paradise Coast
Most-Clicked Link: A 3- Day Stone Crab
Tasting Tour Across Florida’s Paradise
Coast
Recipients Open Rate CTO Rate
12 Page 142 of 178
ParadiseAdv.com
Email | Meetings E-Scapes
4,080
Owned
19.24%
Owned
18.76%
Owned
Subject Line: Fall for Meetings on
Florida’s Paradise Coast
Most-Clicked Link:
www.paradisecoast.com/meetings/Reque
st-for-Proposals-Meetings
Recipients Open Rate CTO Rate
13 Page 143 of 178
2024
THANK YOU
33 Page 144 of 178
Website Analytics
October 2025 I December 12, 2025 Page 145 of 178
●Sessions saw slight declines from September, following the pausing on all paid media campaigns with Sizzle Dining ending.
●Paid Search re-activated October 29th.
●Engagement Rate and Average Session Duration stayed flat, showing the overall base of strong engaged users stayed flowing to the site.
●Traffic stayed relatively steady throughout the month with slight dips and increases, indicating a resilient and loyal core audience.
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●
●Meetings took over as the top page, indicating the potential to drive more users for Meetings.
●Overall sessions down MoM on the page but, engagement rate stayed flat, showing high quality users remained.
●Not surprising, the Home page was our second top page, and also had a very high time on site, which experienced the lowest drop in
Average Time on Site.
●Users visiting the home page, spent the most time on the site, leading to them being among the most engaged.
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●Florida continues to lead all markets in total sessions, with Miami & Naples ranking in the top-performing cities.
●Virginia jumped into the second spot, along with New York, as the north eastern states continue to show potential markets.
Page 148 of 178
Definitions
Sessions: Group of user interactions with your site or app that take place in a given time frame. Is initiated
when a user views a page or screen and no other sessions is active, a session is end after 30 minutes of
inactivity
Engaged Session: The number of sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds, had a conversion event, or
had 2 or more screens/page views
Engagement Rate: Percent of engaged sessions; the inverse of bounce rate; (Engaged Session / Sessions)
Total Users: The total number of unique users who logged an event on the site
Average Session Duration: The amount of time a user stays on the site across multiple pages, starting from
the initial landing page to leaving the site
PoP % Change: Period over Period, the change in metric as a comparison to the previous period, in this
case the previous month.
Page 149 of 178
Thank You for
Your Partnership.
apartnerforgood.com
Page 150 of 178
DATE: November 4, 2025
TO: Jay Tusa, Sandra Rios
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB
FROM: Erin Murphy, Mackenzie Comerer, Brittany Chapman
Lou Hammond Group
CC: Lou Hammond
RE: October 2025 TDC Report
Following is a summary of services conducted by Lou Hammond Group on behalf of the Naples, Marco
Island, Everglades CVB during October 2025.
1) MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
TOTALS
Media Impressions: 5,678,408
Media Value: $82,742.77
Condé Nast Traveler - Online
October 1, 2025
UVM: 3,789,325
Ad Value: $64,424.61
Travelbinger - Online
October 20, 2025
UVM: 7,337
Ad Value: $67.87
The Atlanta Journal Constitution - Online
October 28, 2025
UVM: 1,881,746
Ad Value: $18,250.29
SAVEUR – Print
Fall/Winter Issue
CIRC: 40,000
Ad Value: 126,000
2) MEDIA RELATIONS
Media Visits
• Allison Danielle Nguyen, Vicarious Magazine (Oct. 7-10)
Upcoming
• Margulies, Freelance: Travel + Leisure, Parade, Nat Geo (Nov. 8-9)
• Suzanne Wright, Freelance: USA Today, Garden & Gun (Nov. 14-17)
Page 151 of 178
• Paul Rubio, Freelance: Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure (Nov. 20-22)
• Perri O. Blumberg, Freelance: New York Post (Dec. 5-8)
3) PROJECTS/MEDIA OUTREACH
Media Events
• Lou Hammond Group attended the inaugural IMM LUX in Las Vegas, Oct. 1–2, 2025,
connecting one-on-one with leading luxury editors, writers and creators to spotlight
Florida’s Paradise Coast as a premier destination for high-end travel coverage. Through
22 prescheduled meetings and exclusive networking events, LHG strengthened key
media relationships and secured interest in 2026 editorial collaborations.
Monthly Pitches
• Where to Go in 2026
• Travel Trends of 2026
• Hallmark-Like Holiday Towns + Holiday Lights & Happenings
• Health & Wellness Resorts; Destinations for Rest & Relaxation
• State Parks That Rival National Parks
• Most Exciting Openings of Fall and Winters
• Sustainability: Stone Crab Season + Eco-Tourism Experiences in the Everglades
• Multi-Generational Travel
4) PARTNER COMMUNICATIONS
• Finalized “What’s New in 2026” press release for PR and sales purposes
###
Page 152 of 178
VISITATION October 2025Reported to the Tourist Development Council for their December 12, 2025 meeting
Page 153 of 178
2,996 TOTAL VISITORS IN OCTOBER
October 2024 October 2025Collier Museum at Government Center 480 577Immokalee Pioneer Museumat Roberts Ranch 464 741Marco Island Historical Museum 915 1,084Museum of the Everglades 575 594Naples Depot Museum 0 0TOTAL2,434 2,996Outreach: Educational 0 137Outreach: Marketing 3,972 10,748
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Free -Form Responses
How would you describe your
experience at the museum today?
Do you have any recommendations for
improving the museum experience?
"It would be nice to possibly have a tour guide since the facility is so large although the building with the artifacts had a very nice lady in it."
"Make the bank across the street a museum."
"This museum has the most extensive one
we’ve ever seen. The property is large
and the separate buildings that all show
off different aspects of Collier“
"Great visit, we learned a lot."
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Customer Satisfaction
Overall Experience
Service Satisfaction
Page 158 of 178
Current
Exhibits
Page 159 of 178
Page 160 of 178
Page 161 of 178
Aztek Dancers: A Living Tradition by Lisette Morales
Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch
October 28, 2025 to January 31, 2026
Page 162 of 178
Marco on the Move
Marco Island Historical Museum
November 8, 2025 to March 21, 2026
Modern Marco
60th Anniversary Celebration
November 13, 4 pm
Page 163 of 178
UPCOMING
PROGRAMS
Christmas Karaoke
and Holiday MarketplaceCollier Museum at Government CenterDecember 19
Visit colliermuseums.com for more
Page 164 of 178
UK & IRELAND MONTHLY REPORT
OMMAC Activities
Reporting Period: October 1-31, 2025
STRATEGIC HIGHLIGHTS
● Attended Brand USA Travel Week UK and Europe, 20-23 October 2025 - now in its seventh year,
connecting U.S. destinations with leading international buyers and media from 20 countries. We
help over 40 individual appointments and participated with the enrichment and learning
programmes on current market updates, future opportunities, trends and technology.
● Florida’s Paradise Coast was featured in print and online in The Sunday Post as a result of the
group press trip in June 2025. Plus other coverage from the group trip, the Overall Total
Circulation: 4,700,492 | EAV: $207,006
UK AND IRELAND MARKET UPDATE
● UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ delayed Autumn Budget is now scheduled for 26 November.
● The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned that government faces an estimated £20
billion fiscal shortfall, prompting speculation over possible income tax rises and spending
restraint in the upcoming Budget.
● The U.S. federal government shutdown on 1 October has affected hundreds of U.S. air traffic
controllers - this has led to delays and cancellations, causing knock-on effects for international
flights, particularly transatlantic routes connecting the UK and U.S.
● A UN review in late October found global climate plans would cut emissions by only 10% by
2035 which is far below the 1.5°C goal, increasing pressure on governments and industries to
accelerate decarbonisation and adopt credible sustainability measures.
MARKETING, SALES, AND PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY
TRADE OVERVIEW
● Brand USA launched its new global tourism campaign, ‘America the Beautiful’, highlighting U.S.
culture and stories across nine global markets. The United States remains the top international
destination for long-haul leisure travel in the world.
● The ABTA Holiday Habits 2025-26 report reveals UK travellers remain highly confident and
committed to taking holidays despite economic pressures with nearly nine in ten taking a
holiday in the past year.
● Younger travellers are increasingly using AI for holiday inspiration.
● Sustainability awareness – particularly among 25-34 year olds – remains high, even as most are
unwilling to sacrifice travel.
● London Heathrow experienced a record-breaking September with 7.4 million passengers.
● Kuoni reports a 26% year-to-date increase in third-party agent sales compared with last year,
with home-based agents now making up 40% of its trade business.
● British Airways launched new direct route from London St Louis starting 19 April 2026.
TRADE ACTIVITY
● Brand USA Travel Week UK and Europe, 20-23 October 2025, London – ensuring final details and
appointments selection – coordinating with CVB and German office – working with Brand USA
on billing. This very successful tradeshow now in its seventh year, connects U.S. destinations
with leading international buyers and media from 20 countries. Attended with Claudia Wood,
CVB, holding over 40 individual appointments and participated with the enrichment and
learning programmes on current market updates, future opportunities, trends and technology.
Page 165 of 178
● Visit USA travel trade training roadshow, 8 October 2025, Glasgow. Participated with shared
opportunity with Experience Kissimmee. We presented to over 83 Travel agents and travel
advisors and have access to 77 travel agents in London Gatwick area for follow up.
● On going planning for new fiscal with future co-op marketing campaigns.
● Co-op activity – discussions on future trade co-hosted event with Experience Kissimmee –
targeting HNW market.
● Lusso Luxury UK tour operator, trade event November – final planning to ensure all assets.
● Updates – industry updates included within our CVB weekly zoom meeting for planning.
● Mailing House – forwarded year end stock report to CVB and maintained distribution of CVB
literature for consumer and trade requests.
Images below: L-R: Brand USA Travel Week attending meeting with C. Wood, CVB; Brand USA Travel
Week, enrichment; Visit USA roadshow training, presenting prize to winning agent and at booth.
-
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITY
● Media Trends - Long haul destinations, seasonal celebrations and ski season holidays.
● Newsletter (1) - The team distributed newsletter on 28 October titled “A holiday for everyone in
Florida’s Paradise Coast”.
● Media Pitches (4) - Themes: Autumn travel, road trips, astrotourism and new hotel openings.
● Media Meetings (3) - Kav Dadfar, Founding Editor, JRNY Magazine, Max Williams, Features
Editor at Square Mile; Yvette Cook, Freelance Journalist
● Group Media Fam - Bridget McGrouther’s piece was published in The Sunday Post, both in print
and online.
DATE PUBLICATION MEDIA TYPE JOURNALIST HEADLINE REACH EAV ($)
05.10.25 The Sunday Post Print Bridget McGrouther Travel: Florida 30,525 $11,241
16.10.25 NI Travel News Online Kirsty Johnston
12 after dark experiences that make the
most of the night sky 220,940 $1,967
17.10.25 The Sunday Post Online Bridget McGrouther
Travel: Glorious skies, lush cocktails and
copious wildlife on Florida’s Paradise Coast 124,000 $3,298
19.10.25 The Sunday Post Print Thomas Hawkins Travel News 30,525 $493
TOTAL (4) 405,990 $16,999
Page 166 of 178
1
10. DACH & BeNeLux MARKETS
DiaMonde GmbH & Co. KG., Annette Eckhardt, Account Director
October Review
• Trade fam visit of Swiss tour operator Turisme pur tous from Oct 5-7 – 10 travel agents
• Sales call day Frankfurt, October 23
• Preparation for our participation at Visit USA Austria Event, Nov 11 and Visit USA Halloween
Event from Nov 5-7
• Virtual attendance at Visit USA Netherlands General Assembly on Oct 28th
• Final plannings for our luxury tour operator fam from Dec 6-12
• Follow up Brand USA Travel Week
November Forecast
• Attendance at Visit USA Germany General Assembly on Nov 7
• Participation at Visit USA Halloween Event in Frankfurt from Nov 7-9
• Participation at Visit USA Austria Event in Vienna on Nov 11
• Media visit of Germany family travel blogger “one million places” from Nov 22-25
• Tour operator visit of CANUSA, Sarina Keil, Nov 11-14
• Final plannings for our luxury tour operator fam from Dec 6-12
• Follow up Brand USA Travel Week
Summary of achievements
• In October 2025 we have generated 16 media placements with a combined reach of 806,000
und and a media value of 50,512 EUR, which equals US$ 58,0772
• Secured individual media visit of German journalist Silvia Stammer for early January 2026
Sales Activities – B2B & B2C
• DERTOUR Deutschland GmbH, Arlett Walleck, Product Manager Meiers Weltreisen & Katja
Wagner, Product Manager DERTOUR, Germany
Key Account – Personal sales call: Met with Arlett and Katja to discuss program participation
and hotel updates. Efforts to include AC Hotel and The Perry in their programs have been
challenged by a lack of Marriott connectivity, and The Perry was unable to include the resort fee
in the rate. An update was provided on new hotel developments, including the Olde Naples
Hotel, which has generated significant interest. Florida market performance is currently down
25–30%. Katja will be attending the Florida Huddle. The Florida Event in April was also discussed,
with only one spot remaining available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Katja expressed interest
in the Fairways Inn of Naples and requested images.
• go2travel GmbH, Michael Boetschi, Managing Director, Switzerland
Demand for the USA remains subdued, while bookings from Canada are increasing. The USA still
represents a significant share of their business, but recent tensions—particularly concerning U.S.
tariffs—have affected Swiss travelers personally, resulting in a noticeable shift away from the
U.S. market. They are currently investing heavily in marketing efforts and are planning a B2B
Florida Day in April 2024, for which they would like to invite us to participate. Additionally, a
blog article featuring Naples combined with a promotional travel package was suggested as a
promising idea, with a proposal to be shared with us shortly.
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Marketing Activities
• CANUSA TOURISTIK GmbH & Co. KG, Alex Wirsum, Marketing Manager, Germany
After receiving the PO and approval from Claudia Wood we confirmed the luxury campaign to
CANUSA. It is a joint B2B/B2C campaign featuring Naples, Marco Island, Everglades & Palm
Beaches in Q4 2025 / Q1 2026. This exclusive campaign, focused on Palm Beaches and Naples,
Marco Island & the Everglades, will include extensive marketing promotions through CANUSA’s
most effective channels. The cost share for participation is USD 7,000 per partner.
• fvw Medien Gruppe, Verlag Dieter Niedecken GmbH, Florian Hölzen, Deputy Director Sales, Germany
Reporting FVW Destination Day "South Florida", September 13
Advertisement via banner in newsletter and on fvw.de: Ad requests: 225,202 - Clicks: 363
Editorial announcement plus editorial coverage with reference to media library:
Page views to date: 1,388; Viewers on Destination Day: Live: 336 – Total viewers – 1,259
• Hey! USA, Sebastiaan Klijen, Netherlands
Hey! USA, in cooperation with Dutch tour operator TIOGA, offers a targeted online marketing campaign
for the resilient Dutch market, including website articles, newsletter exposure, social media promotion,
and print placement in the new Florida Magazine. The campaign, with a participation cost of USD 3,000,
will also feature a dedicated travel package and support our presence at the Florida B2C event on
January 26. This initiative is expected to raise awareness of Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades and
drive qualified bookings.
• CRD Select, Carina Marxen, Germany
Carina from CRD Select, the luxury brand of CRD, has proposed a high-value FY26 marketing opportunity
following the successful 2025 campaign. Together with Palm Beach and the Florida Keys, we aim to
further strengthen our positioning in Germany’s luxury travel segment. The B2C campaign targets
premium travelers through online exposure on DIE ZEIT—Germany’s leading newspaper—and a one-
page advertorial in Business Traveller magazine (print and online), reaching around 200,000 business and
leisure travelers. Both elements will feature our Luxury Florida travel package to ensure measurable ROI.
Scheduled for January, during Germany’s peak booking season, the campaign will support 2026 sales and
boost brand awareness for Naples, Marco Island & the Everglades. The cost share is USD 5,500, to be
paid via PO by the CVB. (PO submitted)
Media / PR / Communications Activities
• Redaktionsbuero Stammertext, Silvia Stammer
We have received a media request from Silvia Stammer, a freelance journalist for various German
newspapers. She will be vacationing with her husband in Fort Myers in early January, and Welt
am Sonntag (reach: 990,000 readers) is interested in producing a story on the Everglades. We will
support her with tickets for a swamp walk, an airboat tour, and a visit to the Clyde Butcher Gallery.
Silvia is also considering a two-night stay in the Glades and the CVB as requested, the Clyde Buther
Cottages. Given the strong reach and the affluent, travel-savvy audience of Welt am Sonntag,
supporting this opportunity is highly recommended.
• usa-reise.de @ InfoPool Information Services GmbH, Thomas Ullmann, Owner, Germany
Thomas from usa-reise.de, the largest German-language travel portal for the USA visited Naples
in October and thanked us for our support. They will create various articles over the next weeks
and will let us know once they are published. We have supported him with additional images.
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• Social Media Posts
Paradise Coast has been allocated a series of social media posts on the German Paradise Coast
B2C Page (16k followers) and the B2B page. The total reach for October 2025 was 4,291. Please
refer to the clipping report for screenshots of the posts.
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IKŌNIK Destinations Collective
Reporting Period: October 1 - 31, 2025
1
Highlights:
● Successful IKŌNIK IMEX hosted buyer breakfast with 30 clients
● 24 client appointments + presentations at Smart Meetings following up for RFPs
Subject October 2024 October 2025
Number of Meeting Planner Contacts 1400 800
Number of RFP leads sent 11 32
Number of Shows Attended 3 3
RFPS
Event Name Organization Contact State Dates Room
Nights
EZN Regional Launch Training Maritz Rebecca Baily PA
November 3-6,
2025 69
Cetera 2026 Large Enterprises
Channel Meeting Maritz
Katey
Wilkinson MI
January 18-24,
2026 930
Cetera 2026 Institutions and Tax
Channel Meetings Maritz Tish Lewis TN
October 17-23,
2026 1120
ELT Offsite M&I Worldwide Becky Morrow TX
January 24-28,
2026 50
NCM04885 8A00 Naples June
2026 Maritz Kristen Fried MO June 16-20, 2026 43
2027 Municipal Bond Buyers
Conference HelmsBriscoe Cheryl Faust WI
February 19-26,
2027 325
ADT 2027 Dealer Convention BI Worldwide Karina Kern MN
February 20-24,
2027 584
Lexus Southern 2026 Dealer
Council Meeting M&I Worldwide Gail Smith WI March 3-5, 2026 30
Vertiv 2027 2027 NSM Domestic HelmsBriscoe Mary Herrera MN
January 30-
February 5, 2027 2115
EmpowerHER 2026 Selection Factor Erik Benson MN May 28-30, 2026 60
Elanco Board of Directors,
February Session Elanco Michelle Quick IN
February 16-18,
2026 55
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IKŌNIK Destinations Collective
Reporting Period: October 1 - 31, 2025
2
Dealer Tire Summer 2026
Incentive Maritz Brian Roe CO June 4-7, 2026 344
WEX OTR Summit 2026 ConferenceDirect Bob Kobosky IL October 4-9, 2026 480
2026 Williams,
Parker,Harrison,and Getzen Law
Firm Fall Retreat Maritz
Missy
Erickson FL
October 16-18,
2026 74
Harmonie Group 2027 Winter
Conference Harmonie Emily Zniewski MN
February 2-7,
2027 302
Preceon Smart Corn Breakers
Dealer and Seed Pro Council
Winter Meeting Maritz Tracy Sisson
MO/P
A
December 8-10,
2025 60
NCM0487020A3281 Naples Jan
2028 Maritz Kristen Fried MO
January 16-18,
2028 30
2028 UNUM Sales Conference Maritz Select Shonna Nitzel MO April 21-28, 2028 958
CMFG Life Insurance Company
BOD Meeting February 2027
NHS Global
Events Liz Parisi IL
February 6-12,
2027 105
U.S. Bank January 2029 BOD
Meeting HelmsBriscoe Betti Budde MN
January 19-25,
2029 189
TD Synnex PartnerLINK Spring
Summit March 2026
NHS Global
Events Carly Raines IL March 2-5, 2026 386
Huron- Business Advisory Forum
NHS Global
Events
Melissa
Autullo IL May 2-5, 2026 245
CSBB 2027 Purpose to
Performance Awards Maritz Katy Balyeat MO
March 28-April 1,
2027 877
Adult and Teen Challenge
Minnesota Growth Conference
Arrowhead
Conferences and
Events Rachel Aden MO
February 1-8,
2027 310
CAPTRUST Values Summit AMEX GBT
Colleen
Mahan OH
April 29, May 1,
2026 300
2027 Wealth Brokerage Business
Development Forum Truist/Maritz
Marilyn
Newton MI
January 27-29,
2027 186
Edelman PXT Offsite AMEX GBT Kelly Hansen MI
January 13-15,
2026 42
Bluegrass Lending Group 2026
Gala HelmsBriscoe Lauren Kaelin KY
February 5-8,
2026 90
NADA April 18-21, 2027 Maritz Michelle Rezik MO April 17-26, 2027 49
Nov22957 RLT Leadership
Meeting Novartis/Maritz Tori Thomsen NJ
December 2-5,
2025 30
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IKŌNIK Destinations Collective
Reporting Period: October 1 - 31, 2025
3
AIR National Meeting AMEX GBT Dora Mullett MI April 6-9, 2026 1300
Synchronicity: Belk Credit Summit
2025
CWT Meetings
and Events Drusilla Pollick IL
February 24-27,
2026 90
PROSPECTING and OTHER ACTIVITIES
● Contacted all incoming leads for updates and recommendations. Followed up with open leads
● October 7, 2025 - IKŌNIK IMEX Client Breakfast - Lisa, Barb and Maura hosted 30 clients for our signature
annual event and presentation at IMEX.
● October 7 - 9,. 2025 - IMEX Tradeshow - Barb and Lisa had appointments at the Visit Florida Booth.
● October 26 - 28, 2025 - Smart Meetings Experience - Napa - BQ attended - 24 appointments
LOOKING FORWARD (Trade Shows & In-Market Events)
● Nov 12 - PCMA Midwest Bowl-a-thon event + Fashion Show- Chicago
● Nov18 - Destination Reps Client Event - Chicago
● Nov 18 - CVB Partner Luncheon - Naples
● Dec 2 - SITE Chicago Holly Trolley - Chicago
● Dec - PCMA Midwest Holiday Party
● Dec 3 - Maritz Unwrap Event - Chicago
● Dec 6 - SITE Florida Holiday Luncheon - Miami
● Feb 4 - SITE Florida Theater Hosted Buyer Event - Fort Lauderdale
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Collier County TDC - Meeting Date: Dec 12, 2025
STAFF REPORT
This report summarizes staff activity from Oct 1–31, 2025, with a focus on strategic
initiatives, lead generation, key outcomes, and departmental highlights organized
by focus area.
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Collier County TDC Staff Report
Marketing, Public Relations & Communications
Sandra Rios, PR & Communications Manager / Jennifer Chase, PR Specialist
• Earned Media: 25,323,192 media impressions valued at $113,692.91 including features in HGTV,
Scuttlebutt Gulf Coast, Family Vacationist, USA Today, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and
Atlanta Journal Constitution.
• Speaking engagement, presentation and panel discussion for MIAAOR (Marco Island Area
Association of Realtors) October 7th. The focus was an update on the tourism landscape in SWFL
and Florida’s Paradise Coast with emphasis on current geopolitical challenges.
• Participated as voting member of the Selection Committee for Tourism Marketing & Promotions
RFP, October 27th at Procurement Division office.
• Presentation at The Arlington Men’s Coffee Club, October 30th. Focus was state of Tourism in
Collier County and benefits to community, residents and visitors.
• Presentation and panel discussion at Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce Leadership Collier
Alumni Luncheon, October 30th. Panel included Meg Stepanian from 5th Avenue BID, Jenny
Gezella, CEO, Hoffman Marine Enterprises and myself representing Naples, Marco Island,
Everglades CVB. Focus was status of tourism in Collier and impacts of current geopolitical issues
affecting tourism in our County.
• Continued online employee training through Palm/Collier U.
Marketing Performance
• Coordination of ¡Arte Viva! Press Conference – held at Gulfshore Playhouse, October 1st.
• Creation of marketing assets for YMCA (national) pickleball tournament’s November event.
• Continued procurement and CAO process to finalize Meltwater media monitoring service
contract.
• Reviewed and approved distribution of October Consumer E-blast.
• Approvals of new “Senses” brand campaign assets that will be featured in our 2026
advertising campaigns.
• Review of Downs & St. Germain Ad Effectiveness Study,
• Planning for Annual Report – draft layout and data inclusions.
• Initiated research on RFP for 2026 Visitor Guide.
Communications and Partner Engagement
• Created, edited and approved October edition of CoastLines for distribution, 41.3% Open Rate
and 2.9% Click-through rate.
• Garden & Gun Media Dinner event at Tesoro, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.
• Updated Crisis Communications plan with current team members and updated process in
alignment with new website.
• Drafted and distributed Destinations Florida October Quick Trips article.
• Represented CVB at ribbon cutting event at Third Street Book Store.
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• Continued planning for November 18th Partner Appreciation Luncheon, including County schools
outreach for entertainment, video scripting and film shoot locations to be filmed by Paradise
Advertising.
• Hosted Danielle Nguyen, Canada-based Vicarious Magazine, October 9 – 10.
• Finalized itinerary for media visit – Megan Margulies (Nov 8 – 9), representing Parade magazine.
Partners include The Ritz-Carlton, Tiburón and Inn on Fifth.
• Responded to Gulfshore Business media requests for information on 10/28 BCC meeting.
• Hosted journalist Thomas Ullmann, from usa-reise.de, the largest German-language travel portal
for the USA, who is staying in the Naples area from September 13 to October 4.
• Coordinated itinerary for media visit-Dan Donovan, Visit Florida-Ottawa Life, November 18-20.
• Finalized itinerary for German media visit-Michael Schmidt, One Million Places, November 22-
25.
• Site visit with Opera Naples to review partnership opportunities.
• Ongoing assistance for partner login and uploading of events and press releases to
ParadiseCoast.com.
Strategic Planning
• Review of supplemental marketing plan.
• Fiscal year-end accounting and budget preparations.
• Integration of new advertising campaign, “The Senses”
New, Articles, Press Releases
All partner press releases, and news articles can be found here.
Highlights:
• Travel + Leisure named Naples one of the “18 Best Places to Travel in October,” highlighting the
Naples Stone Crab Festival and The Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
• Condé Nast Traveler showcased Naples among its “Hotels With Tennis Camps.”
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution spotlighted the region in “Fall Travel: Outdoor Adventure Awaits in
These Out-of-the-Way Destinations.”
• FamilyVacationist featured Naples in “10 Fall Beach Vacations Where Summer Never
Ends,” which was also syndicated by USA Today as “Where to Take a Fall Beach Vacation With
Kids.”
• USA Today 10Best included Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in “10 Stunning Fall Bird-
Watching Destinations in the U.S.” — linking directly to our CVB website.
• HGTV featured Ochopee’s famous smallest post office in the U.S. in “Must-See Roadside
Attractions in All 50 States.”
• Naples earned the front cover and a four-page spread in Gulf Coast Scuttlebutt’s Fall 2025
issue — “A Boater’s Guide to Naples, Florida” (page 26). Distributed at 400+ marine locations
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across Southwest Florida, this feature celebrates our local marinas, waterfront dining and
boating culture.
Social Media Highlights
• Our top-performing reel from the JW Marriott Luxury Content Series transported viewers to a
world of coastal sophistication and five-star indulgence, while our FC Naples promotion reel
captured the excitement of game day and the local pride that unites the community. Dining
remained a standout theme, with the Ario reel at the JW Marriott engaging audiences through
artful plating, Gulf-sourced ingredients, and a refined culinary story:
o JW Marriott: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPeqm5ODGFz/
o FC Naples: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPoO3ongp7E/
o Ario: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPr1eIbDHCf/
Sales & Trade (Domestic & International)
Group Meetings
Lisa Chamberlain, CMP, Group Sales Manager
• 24 RFPs/leads distributed, 285 client interactions and 28 partner engagements
• Definite bookings secured: 8 groups / 3,396 room nights
• Represented the destination at IMEX America 2025, which included welcoming 30 hosted
buyers at IKŌNIK Breakfast Ritual and meeting with over 285 hosted buyers, planners and
industry partners at the Visit Florida Booth. IMEX America 2025 drew more than 17,000
participants – the largest in the event’s history. IMEX America 2025 was held in Las Vegas
October 6-10, 2025
Specialty Markets
Michelle Pirre, Sales Assistant
• Distributed 20 RFPs representing 2,187 total room nights and an estimated economic
impact (EIC) of $1,739,275.21.
• Secured two definite small meetings this month, generating 90 room nights with an
EIC of $64,876.74.
• Attended NorthStar’s Small & Boutique Meetings in Knoxville, successfully completing 28
appointments with meeting planners.
• Hosted a pop-up event at David’s Bridal in Tampa, engaging with 33 brides and bridal
parties and collecting 20 new contacts who signed up for our newsletter.
• Coordinating a site visit resulting from the Connect Specialty Tradeshow for the fraternity
group Sigma Pi Phi, with the potential to secure 295 room nights and generate an estimated
EIC of $284,965.33. The site visit is scheduled for November 2–4, 2025.
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Global Travel Trade
Claudia Wood, Global Sales Manager
• Attended the 7th Annual Brand USA Travel Week Europe in London (October 21–24,
2025), which welcomed nearly 900 industry professionals, its strongest turnout to date.
Over three days, we completed 40 business appointments with operators from Europe
and the U.K./Ireland, attended educational sessions, and engaged in networking that
underscored strong international recovery and renewed enthusiasm for U.S. destinations.
• At the conference, Brand USA launched its new global campaign, “America the Beautiful,”
unifying all destination storytelling under one platform. The campaign leverages AI
technology via Mindtrip to create a more personalized trip-planning experience,
generating a 2,743% increase in page views within 24 hours of launch.
• Received wrap up report from Movement Marketing which was part of our enhanced
budget for FY25. Overall performance exceeded goals and reinforced our destination as a
premier luxury destination.
o Our multi-channel campaign reached 14,000 + luxury travel advisors across the
U.S. and Canada.
o Achieved 36% open rate and 7.18% click-through rate, the highest Movement
has seen.
o The two webinars I presented attracted 314 registrants and 126 live attendees.
o The luxury FAM (Sept 2-5) was rated 9/10 by the advisors and has already
produced two confirmed bookings with more expected.
Arts & Culture
John Melleky, Arts and Culture Manager
• TDT Grants FY 25-26: Worked with finance to obtain purchase orders for the grant recipients for FY
26. Obtained the signed contract file from the clerk's office and separated them into individual files
for each grant recipient.
• ¡ARTE VIVA!: Held press conference for the new season on October 1, 2025. Sent out the press
release to local and state contacts. Sent thank-you notes to local agencies that attended the event.
Created a notecard of the poster for internal use.
• Marketing and Promotions RFP: Attended kickoff meeting for the proposal review. Reviewed
proposals and attended the review committee meeting.
• Attended the Destinations Business Operations Summit in Jackson, MS.
• Attended 12 partner events and outreach meetings. (P-Card – Naples International Film Festival
$300, TDT Grant recipient program)*
Finance and Operations
Jennifer Leslie, Operations Support Specialist I
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• Completed and submitted FY26 end-of-year and carry-forward information.
• Verified FY26 purchase order vendors.
• Compiled and uploaded TDC reports and agenda items.
*Due to Collier County policies and a review by the County Attorney’s office, free tickets to events and productions cannot be accepted, even
for grant-funded programs. No fundraisers are included in activities paid through TDT funds. Activities paid for by TDT money is pre-approved
before the purchase occurs. Tickets are obtained for ¡ARTE VIVA! events, TDT Arts Grants funded projects, and to have at least one visit to each
arts organization a season. If organizations have multiple series, only one activity in each series is chosen.
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