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EXHIBITA INDIAN RIVER COUNTY TOURIST TAX FUNDING REQUEST A. Program Cover Page Agency: Sebastian River Area Chamber of Telephone. (772) 589-5969 Commerce Contact Person: Cheryl Thibault Fax: 11-� Title: President/CEO E -Mail: tourism(cDsebastianchamber com Address: 700 Mian Street Website Address: www,Sebastianchamber.com Program Title: Visit Sebastian River Area 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 brier aescrl tion or the vr0 ram Tor Wnicn Tunaing is re uestea: The Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce (SRACC) & 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 for the Indian River Lagoon National Scenic Byway, and a VISIT FLORIDA Certified Visitor Information Center. We welcome — 17,000 visitors a year into our Visitor's Center. The visitor center provides multiple services upon arrival. Our team assists with all tourism: event listings, tours, transportation information, maps, hotels, accommodation assistance, itineraries, dining, shopping, local cultural, and natural resources. We provide a place to rest, recharge and enjoy the view. 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 2025-2026 plan is to continue to operate the Pelican Porch Visitor's Center full time, Monday -Friday promoting eco -tourism, fishing, birding, camping and exploring the parks, preserves, natural areas and festivals year-round to all travelers in and out of state as well as internationally. Our plan includes partnering with the City of Sebastian to continue the SRA Public Mural Program which will enhance the visitors' experience and provide further 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 Kepon Amount requested from Indian River County for 2025/2026: $288,730.00 Total Proposed Program budget for 2025/2026: $288,730.00 Percent of total Program budget: 100% Current Funding (2024/2025) $252,142.80 Dollar increase / (decrease) in request: $36,587.20 Percent increase / decrease in request: 14.51 % f request increased 5% or more, briefly explain wh In 2024, Florida continued breaking records for the highest tourism visitation in state history. We plan to increase and expand our marketing efforts within the State of Florida and throughout the country and beyond, attracting travelers to the unparalleled beauty of the Sebastian River Area. This will be helped by sending visitor guides to all five welcome centers and increasing our VISIT SRA brand awareness through promoting tourism -related events and providing resources to enhance our visitors' experience. To accomplish these tourism enhancements, we have increased our budget to adjust for inflation and to stay current with new technologies and trends. The Organization's Board of Directors has approved this application on (date): 04/09/2025 Name of President/Chair of the Board: Name of Exec. Director/CEO: Robin Raiff Cheryl Thibault EXHIBITA