PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      3b 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting      May 17, 2016 
DATE:    April 22, 2016 
TO:     Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Dave McFadden 
SUBJECT:  Cooperative Tourism Promotion Grants 
SYNOPSIS 
The Port of Seattle developed a $50,000 cooperative tourism grant program to facilitate
tourism development across the state by jointly promoting use of Port facilities. 
In the inaugural year of the program, 42 applications were submitted, totaling over
$300,000 in requested funding. The Port's grant review committee initially selected
seven recipients  to receive the $50,000.  The team also identified six additional
applications that had merit.  The committee requested the Economic Development
Division's consideration to add $50,000 to the program so that the six additional projects
could be funded.  Economic Development identified available funds and agreed to
provide those funds for the program, in support of promoting tourism throughout the
region. 
BACKGROUND 
The Port of Seattle tourism promotion grant program's objective is to promote visitors to
the Pacific Northwest who use the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Port's cruise
facilities, or Port marinas. Port funds can only be used for advertising, publicizing or
otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting visitors to the destination.
Grant Criteria 
Applications submitted were evaluated on the following basis: 
Description of the program and its other sponsors (if applicable) 
Promotion of use of the Port's airport or maritime facilities 
Intended outcome, time frame, measurement, and reporting plan 
Experience of the requesting entity in promoting tourism 
Annual budget for the program, including the source of matching funds 
Selection Process 
In the inaugural year the Port received 42 applications (for over $300,000 in funding
requests). We limited each applicant request to $10,000 and required a 50 percent match
against our funds. The following selection team met and made grant funding decisions:

Template revised May 30, 2013.


COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
April 22, 2016 
Page 2 of 4 
John Creighton, Port Commissioner 
David McFadden, Port Economic Development Managing Director 
Patti Denny, Port International Tourism Manager 
Rosie Courtney, Port Public Affairs Program Manager 
Kazue Ishiwata, Port Air Service Development Manager 

Following is a recap of the recipients and the planned promotional effort. 







Whidbey and Camano Islands Tourism               $5,000 
Whidbey / Camano  Islands Tourism will be able to participate and attend the premier
international tourism show, IPW, for the very first time and ultimately increase
international tour programs to the islands. Additionally, the organization will create new
website messaging, advertising and collateral targeted toward international visitation. 
Visit Kitsap Peninsula                            $10,000 
Visit Kitsap will develop a dedicated portal on their travel website geared to serve the
growing number of international visitors that will include translations of useful visitor
information, travel tips, and recommendations for visiting during the shoulder seasons. 
Ballard Chamber of Commerce                   $10,000 
The Ballard Chamber plans to build a traveler website www.VisitBallard.com. The site
will be the "go to" online destination for all things Ballard that relate to attractions,
services and experiences such as the Ballard Locks, Fishermen's Terminal and Shilshole
Bay Marina.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
April 22, 2016 
Page 3 of 4 
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)            $10,000 
Travel Gay Seattle is GSBA's LGBT travel initiative. The additional funds will facilitate
the development of print, digital travel tools, an iPhone application, and participation in
travel expositions and presentations. 
REACH Museum/Richland Public Facilities District       $10,000 
The Reach Museum plans include advertising expansion in key domestic markets outside
of the state of Washington targeted to attract boomer and millennial visitors to fly to
Washington including Seattle and then on to the Tri-Cities. The marketing message is to
experience the area's agritourism, outstanding wineries, and the REACH museum that
tells the story of the area's role in ending WWII. 
Three Dollar Bill Cinema                         $2,500 
A campaign that will target potential out-of-town visitors to attend the Seattle Lesbian
and Gay Film Festival will be created. The advertising effort will reach a greater
audience in the target markets of Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles with an
objective of growing attendees beyond the Puget Sound area for the festival now in its
21st year. 
City of Stanwood                              $3,500 
The City will create a new website, www.DiscoverPortSusan.com, to generate interest
and inform visitors on the many ways to enjoy the Port Susan area. The intention is to
draw visitors and encourage longer stays and experience Washington State in depth. 
Visit Rainer                                   $10,000 
Intended to correspond with the extensive 2016 People of Rainer Centennial campaign,
Visit Rainer will implement a digital advertising campaign targeting the San Francisco
market to raise interest and awareness of Mt. Rainer National Park. The effort will
coincide with a media blitz being conducted in the Bay area by Travel Tacoma and Visit
Rainer. 
Carnation Chamber of Commerce                 $10,000 
Port of Seattle funds will be used to design and implement a website, interactive map,
itineraries, logo, and brand for the region.
Chinatown International District 
Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA)               $7,100 
CIDBIA will redevelop and update their website in addition to initiating a cooperative
advertising program for local visitor related businesses that will run in WHERE
magazine, which is distributed in over 15,000 hotel rooms in Seattle and the Eastside.
Port of Seattle funds would be used to design and implement a website, interactive map,
itineraries, logo, and brand for the region.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
April 22, 2016 
Page 4 of 4 
Wintergrass Music Festival                        $9,574 
The music festival will expand advertising of print and electronic publications regionally,
nationally, and internationally through new collateral and playbills. The focus of the
additional advertising materials will be ferries, the marina,  and nearby hotels and
restaurants. 
Port of Walla Walla & Visit Walla Walla              $6,000 
Visit Walla Walla and the Port of Walla Walla will conduct digital advertising campaigns
in Denver, Sacramento, or Phoenix that will generate interest and awareness and increase
travelers to the Pacific Northwest.  All air travelers flying to Walla Walla will use Sea-
Tac airport as the connecting gateway to Walla Walla. 
Skamania County Chamber of Commerce             $6,000 
The Chamber plans to add an itinerary section to their existing website that will provide
insightful, firsthand information from Seattle via Skamania County and beyond.  The
outcome is to increase multi-day visitation to local businesses. 
TOTAL AMOUNT FOR GRANT AWARDEES               $99,674 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
PowerPoint presentation 
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