COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          7a 
BRIEFING ITEM                             Date of Meeting      October 23, 2018 
DATE:     October 4, 2018 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Dave McFadden, Managing Director, Economic Development Division 
Ron Peck, Director, Tourism Development Department 
SUBJECT:  2018 Tourism Marketing Support Program Summary 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The 2018 Tourism Marketing Support Program is in its third year.  It has been a well received,
collaborative, and mutually beneficial program for the Port of Seattle and destination marketing
organizations alike.  Part of the briefing will identify 2019 recommendations and strategies to
improve the program based on lessons learned and experiences from this year and past years
includingcontinued  strong  outreach  to  cultural,  historical,  tribal,  eco/sustainable  and 
adventure/nature travel related organizations. 
Tourism Marketing Support Recipients 
The Port of Seattle is advancing tourism in Washington State by implementing an annual
partnership program with local destination marketing organizations. In the first three years of
the  program  119  applications  have  been  received  and  57  projects  awarded,  netting
approximately $700,000  in additional marketing promotion efforts for Washington.  The
matching funds program promotes use of Port facilities, and tourism growth throughout the
state. 
In 2018, $200,000 was authorized for the program.   45 applications were obtained. Staff
reviewed the applications and recommended 26 to receive funding. The overall intent of the
program is to provide matching funds support of up to $10,000 each to local communities,
destination marketing organizations, ports, chambers of commerce, and attractions to promote
their destinations or activities. The funds must be used for advertising, publicizing, promoting
or distributing information to attract visitors to the destination. The program requires a two to
one match (for every POS dollar invested, the organization must contribute fifty cents). 
The projects (and the results / benefits) are summarized in the following tourism categories: 
Trade Shows / Sales Efforts :  Travel trade shows and exhibitions in which travel
businesses and destination marketing organizations work to obtain additional product
sales  by  promoting  to  retailers,  tour  operators,  travel  writers  and  social  media
Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 2 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 
influencers.   Result / Benefit:  Additional tour programs and visitor attraction sales in
Seattle and the Pacific Northwest by non-residents. 
Familiarization Tours: Familiarization tours (FAMs) are specific events and activities
where travel retailers, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines or travel media are invited to
the destination to learn and experience first-hand what a destination or product has to
uniquely offer potential travelers. Result / Benefit: Increase in published tour products
and programs generating additional air travel and economic spend in Washington. 
Event Attractions Promotion: Marketing and advertising efforts to increase attendance
or participation to an  attraction, event or activity.  Result /  Benefit:  Increases in
visitation, arrivals and visitor expenditures as a result of additional marketing efforts to
non-residents. 
Digital Marketing: Encompasses a number of online marketing efforts that include
establishing a visitor focused travel website, targeted banner website or social media
advertising, international language website translations, and online travel marketing
research efforts.   Result / Benefit :  Generating additional awareness, interest and
ultimately positively impacting travel to Washington. 
Travel Articles / Public Relations  Specifically geared to generate additional awareness
and interest in the destination by impacting travel, food and beverage writers and
media influencers (bloggers and online travel website founders) to author stories about
a destination. The efforts to influence the writers and influencers include one on one
meetings, deskside visits, arranged appointments at travel trade shows, and travel
FAMs.  Result / Benefit: Increases in earned media value coverage, exposure and
interest in traveling to Seattle and Washington State.







Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 3 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 

Statewide Participation in 2018 







Projects and program are located throughout the state: 
King County  11 
Eastern Washington  6 
Olympic Peninsula - 4 
Western Washington  5 
List of 2018 Awarded Recipients 
POS
Organization     Awarded
Name       Amount    Tourism Initiatives            Summary of Proposed Project 
Trade show/sales trip       As host to the International Food, Wine, and
Whidbey &                      Familiarization tour 
Camano Islands     $10,000        Event promotion          Travel Writers Association conference, the
Digital media             project will include media familiarization
Tourism                            International marketing 
Eco/culture/nature tourism   tours, including nature/adventure activities 
Travel Articles/PR 
Cascade Loop                     Digital media            The Great American Adventure Road Trip is a
$10,000        International marketing      promotion for outdoor adventure thru UK
Association                          Eco/culture/nature tourism   travel trade and media professionals 
Travel Articles/PR 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 4 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 
New website, digital advertising and social
Olympic Peninsula
$9,000         Digital media             media campaign focusing on out-of-state fly-
Visitor Bureau                        Eco/culture/nature tourism 
Travel Articles/PR          in markets (CA, TX, AZ) 

Trade show/sales trip       Host media tours to highlight
San Juan Islands
$9,250         Familiarization tour 
Visitors Bureau                       International marketing      adventure/nature tourism and
Eco/culture/nature tourism   environmental stewardship 
Travel Articles/PR 
George
Marketing and production of a promotional
Weyerhaeuser
Pacific Rim Bonsai   $5,332          Digital media              video and special tour for Chinese tour
International marketing      groups of Museum, which is open year-
Collection (Pacific                     Eco/culture/nature tourism    round 
Bonsai Museum) 
Experience
Learning
Digital media             Marketing campaign to target out-of-state
Community dba    $6,000         International marketing     pre/post cruise visitors 
Museum of Pop                  Eco/culture/nature tourism 
Culture (MoPOP) 
Shoreline-Lake                      Event promotion           New and expanded webpage marketing
Forest Park Arts     $6,000          Digital media              visual art event to artists and attendees at a
Council                               Eco/culture/nature tourism   regional and national level (including CA, AZ) 
Focused international outreach efforts
Greater Seattle
(website, printed materials, and attending
Business                           Trade show/sales trip 
$9,000         Digital media             three international and national
Association /                         International marketing      conferences) to LGBTQ travelers via GSBA's
Travel Out Seattle                    Eco/culture/nature tourism 
Travel Out Seattle program 
Campaign to produce video and online
Discover Lewis
advertisements targeting out-of-state (San
County/Lewis       $10,000        Digital media 
County                            Eco/culture/nature tourism   Francisco Bay area) outdoor/adventure
visitors to Lewis County 
Puget Sound
Market Seattle tourism travel to national
Attractions                          Trade show/sales trip        and international tour operators at IPW
Council (DBA        $8,500         Digital media 
Seattle Premier                     International marketing      international trade show, as
vendor/presenter 
Attractions) 
Long Beach                                            Create, translate and localize websites (as
Peninsula Visitors    $7,000          Digital media 
International marketing      marketing tools) in 17 international markets
Bureau                            Eco/culture/nature tourism   to increase visitor travel and expenditures 
Wing Luke
Memorial
New website (device-responsive and able to
Foundation dba
handle translation/language needs) and
Wing Luke
$9,000         Digital media 
International marketing      digital campaign to out-of-state and
Museum of the
Asian Pacific                          Eco/culture/nature tourism   international Asian market visitors and
media 
American
Experience 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 5 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 
Target two specific flight markets in the
Ballard Chamber                   Event promotion          implementation of a culturally-focused
of Commerce dba   $9,000         Digital media 
Ballard Alliance                        Eco/culture/nature tourism   marketing campaign to attract out-of-state
visitors 
Digital and print advertising geotargeted
Historical Society
(including Alaska, Arizona, California,
of Seattle & King
$7,000         Digital media             Colorado, Alaska Beyond Magazine and
County (dba                       Eco/culture/nature tourism   Delta Sky Magazine) to attract potential
MOHAI) 
visitors 
Produce two national audience focused
Greater Grays
$3,350         Digital media             podcasts highlighting sports fishing, local
Harbor                             Eco/culture/nature tourism   seafood and recreational coastal outdoor
Travel Articles/PR          activities 
Leavenworth                     Trade show/sales trip       Extend national reach by networking with
Chamber of        $6,606         International marketing 
Eco/culture/nature tourism   media and travel influencers at a North
Commerce                      Travel Articles/PR        America travel trade conference 
Visit Walla Walla
Targeted digital advertising campaign in key
and Port of Walla    $9,000          Digital media 
markets of Sacramento, Phoenix and Denver 
Walla 
Host travel industry influencers (media &
Trade show/sales trip 
Fam tour                tour operators) on a fam tour after
Yakima Valley
$7,500         International marketing      attending major tourism travel trade
Tourism                            Eco/culture/nature tourism   conference to promote pre and post cruise
Travel Articles/PR 
itineraries for out-of-state visitors 
Fam tour 
Event Promotion           Refresh website to include multilingual and
Forks Chamber of
$6,856         Digital media 
International marketing      mobile-friendly elements. Host Fam Tour for
Commerce 
Eco/culture/nature tourism   media and travel influencers
Travel Articles/PR 
Trade show/sales trip       Participate in travel media show and sponsor
Visit Tri-Cities         $8,000          Fam tour 
Travel Articles/PR          post conference media tour 
Expand national PR efforts and media ad
Cascade Bicycle
$7,606         Digital media 
Travel Articles/PR          buys to reach a broader audience for ride
Club 
events 
Fort Worden                                          Conduct marketing research to define profile
Public                               Digital media (marketing     of key national geographic markets from
$5,000          research study) 
Development                    Eco/culture/nature tourism   which to develop a strategic out-of-state
Authority (PDA)                                             tourism marketing plan 
Develop a website dedicated solely to
Digital media             tourism (including national and international
Visit Tri-Cities         $9,000          International marketing 
Eco/culture/nature tourism   reach) and the promotion of the Manhattan
Travel Articles/PR          Project National Historical Park at Hanford 
Chinatown-
Video-based, social media campaign,
International
$10,000        Digital media 
District Business                      Eco/culture/nature tourism   targeting millennials on the west coast
(including Los Angeles and San Francisco) 
Improvement
Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 6 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 
Area 

Event advertising campaign targeting
Trade show/sales trip       California, Hawaii and Alaska youth soccer
Starfire Sports        $6,000          Event promotion            teams and Exhibitor at national soccer
Digital media             coaches convention targeting out-of-state
teams 
Event promotion           Targeted website and social media
Port of Friday
$6,000         Digital media             marketing of destination attractions and
Harbor                             Eco/culture/nature tourism   events to out-of-state visitors 
TOTALS            $200,000 

For 2019 tourism development is requesting $200,000 for the program. Tourism development
recognizes the value to tourism in our state of our history culture, lands, waters and the
environment. Tourism has developed a data base of 40 tribal, 24 cultural and 17 outdoor
recreation oriented organizations. We will work diligently to effectively communicate the
program and its benefits to these entities with the express goal of increasing involvement. 
The following strategies or actions are planned and requested with the objectives of continuing 
improving the process, ensure the program is available to a diverse group of tourism related
organizations and allow for a more timely implementation of projects, thereby maximizing
effectiveness of the programs. Specifically: 
Organizations that have been awarded funds for three years running will be placed on a
two year respite. The rationale is to allow other tourism organizations an opportunity to
participate and to reinforce that the funds should be perceived as seed or new project
dollars and not considered as permanent funds to be obtained every year. 
Participating organizations have expressed their sincere appreciation and gratitude for
the program. We have repeatedly heard that without this program they could not have
initiated the marketing effort to increase out of state visitors and travel throughout
Washington.   The one constructive comment made repeatedly by a number of
participants has been to consider allowing for the initiation of agreements sooner.
Doing so will allow the projects to be implemented in a more timely fashion. 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1)   PowerPoint presentation 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
April 10, 2018  Marketing support program awardees were announced. 
January 30, 2018  The Commission was briefed on the results of the 2017 program. 
Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 7a                                  Page 7 of 7 
Meeting Date: October 23, 2018 

April 11, 2017  2017 Marketing support program awardees were announced. 
January 17, 2017  The Commission was briefed on the results of the 2016 program. 
November 22, 2016  The Commission approved the final 2017 budget, including $150,000
for the Tourism Marketing Support program. 















Template revised September 22, 2016.