Agenda 01/27/2026 Item #11A (Accept the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Governance Restructure Study Report)1/27/2026
Item # 11.A
ID# 2025-5168
Executive Summary
*** This Item to be heard at 10 AM. ***
Recommendation to accept the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Governance Restructure Study Report; make a
finding that the recommendations therein promote tourism; provide staff with direction as to next steps, which may
include the drafting of any proposed tourism promotion agreement, private sector transitional plan, updates to the Collier
County Code of Ordinances, and other necessary transitional documentation for review of the Tourist Development
Council and Board of County Commissioners.
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 and to authorize
any next steps.
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.
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Item # 11.A
ID# 2025-5168
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
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 proposed 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.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE: The Tourist Development Council accepted the CVB Governance Study report (Item 9.A)
unanimously (7-0) at the December 12, 2025, meeting.
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.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT:
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: The review of the Study is approved as to form and legality. Section 125.0104, Fla.
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1/27/2026
Item # 11.A
ID# 2025-5168
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
RECOMMENDATION(S): Recommendation to accept the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Governance
Restructure Study Report; make a finding that the recommendations therein promote tourism; provide staff with
direction as to next steps, which may include the drafting of any proposed tourism promotion agreement, private sector
transitional plan, updates to the Collier County Code of Ordinances, and other necessary transitional documentation for
review of the Tourist Development Council and Board of County Commissioners.
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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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 644 of 5261
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 653 of 5261
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 655 of 5261
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Collier County CVB Governance
Research Study Results
Prepared by
Jack Wert, CEO, Wert Marketing Group LLC
John Lambeth, CEO,Civitas
December 2025
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Research Findings
6
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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
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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)
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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.
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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
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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
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Recommendations
and Next Steps
12
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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
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Collier County CVB Governance
Restructure Study Report
Prepared by
Wert Marketing Group & Civitas
December 2025
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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