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EXHIBITA ckec (c%d D INIAN RIVERCOUNTYTOURIST TAX FUNDING REQUEST gR6 p1 A.. Z6Z� GO Sebastian River Area Chamber of o.„. Agency: Commerce &Pelican Porch Visitor's Telephone: 7725895969 Center Contact Person: Cheryl Thibault Fax: Title: President/CEO E-Mail: cthibault(o�sebastianchamber.com Address: 700 Main Street Website Address: www.sebastianchamber.com Program Title: Pelican Porch Visitor's Center and Tourism Promotion I Agree- By checking the"I Agree" box and entering your name below, you certify that information contained in this application accurately reflects the activities of this agency and that the expenditures or portions thereof for which County funds are being requested are not reimbursed by any other source. Name: Cheryl Thibault Title: President/CEO Brief description of the Program for which funding is requested: The Sebastian River Area(SRA) Chamber of Commerce& Pelican Porch Visitor's Center is designated as one of the County's Tourist Bureau Partners. Our Chamber is a Visitor's Center for the northern part of Indian River County and Southern Brevard County. We are a designated Visitor's Center on the Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway, and a VISIT FLORIDA Certified Visitor Information Center. We welcome annually 10,000 to 12,000 visitors a year into our Visitor's Center. We assist them with all thing's tourism: maps, hotels, camping, events, restaurants, entertainment, cultural and natural resources. Additionally, the visitor center provides multiple services upon arrival. We market our Visit SRA destination brand to attract new visitors to the SRA by promoting our natural and recreational resources that make our area so unique. Utilizing Visit Florida's partnership whenever possible, we produce promotional video, digital and print ads, social media posts, and email campaigns to target audiences while working collaboratively with and on behalf of our tourism partners to put heads on beds. Our 2024-2025 plan is to continue to operate the Pelican Porch Visitor's Center full time, promote eco-tourism, fishing, birding, and festivals year-round to all travelers in and out of state as well as international. Our plan includes partnering with the City of Sebastian to continue the SRA Public Mural Program which will enhance the visitor's experience and give other opportunities to promote the area to multiple target audiences. We are on the Visit Florida Public Mural Trail map as a partner destination. Summary Report Amount requested from Indian River County for 2024/2025: $252,142.80 Total Proposed Program budget for 2024/2025: $252,142.80 Percent of total Program budget: 100% Current Funding (2023/2024) $212,530.00 Dollar increase/(decrease) in request: $39,612.80 Percent increase/decrease in request: 18.64% If request increased 5%or more, briefly explain why: In 2023, Florida continued braking records for highest visitation in state history. We plan to increase and expand our marketing efforts within the State of Florida and throughout the country and beyond. Thus, attracting travelers to the unparalleled beauty of the Sebastian River Area. This will be done by increasing our VISIT SRA brand awareness, promoting tourism-related events, while providing resources to enhance our visitors' experience. To accomplish these tourism plan enhancements, we have increased our budget to adjust for inflation and stay current with new technologies and trends. The Organization's Board of Directors has approved this application on (date): 4/24/2024 Name of President/Chair of the Board: Robin Raiff Name of Exec. Director/CEO: Cheryl Thibault EXHIBIT A