[9:00 AM  Hilton Head Island Airport]
          [00:09:42]
          LINES IN DELTA INTO THE AIRPORT . WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THAT TIME 
          [00:09:46]
IS AN INCREASED AWARENESS FOR POTENTIAL VISITORS TO COME IN FROM OTHER STATES INTO THE ISLAND. ONE OF THE ONE OF THE DOWNFALLS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT IS IT SHARES A NAME WITH ACROSS STATE LINE AIRPORT AND NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS 
          [00:10:07]
AIRPORT RIGHT HERE IN HILTON HEAD RIGHT THERE IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT THESE VISITORS CAN CAN FLY AND BE ON THE ISLAND INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BATTLE TRAFFIC SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL ROOM IN ANOTHER STATE, RENT A CAR IN ANOTHER STATE BECAUSE THEY LANDED AT AN IN ANOTHER STATE. WE WANT THOSE ECONOMIC FUNDS TO COME INTO OUR STATE AND OUR COUNTY AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT WE ARE DIRECTED BY REGULATIONS OF THE FAA. 
          SO THE FAA LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO FUND ADVERTISING AND MARKETING THEIR FOCUS SOLELY ON SAFETY PROJECTS IF I COULD SAY IT THAT WAY AT THE AIRPORT SO MAINTENANCE OF THE TAXIWAYS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE RUNWAYS MAINTENANCE OF THE THE LIGHTING FACILITIES FOR AIR TRAFFIC TO GET INTO THAT IS THEIR MAIN FOCUS. THEREFORE THEIR FOCUS POTENTIALLY IS MARKETING. HOWEVER THE AIRLINES THAT WE COMING INTO THE AIRPORT MARKETING ADVERTISING IS A HUGE FOCUS THAT'S HOW THEY DETERMINE THE NEED TO SEND AIR TRAFFIC INTO HILTON HEAD. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT ATTACKS OR TAX FUNDS THAT ARE AABLE OUT THERE TO INCREASE OUR PROGRAM THIS $30,000 IT TIES IN WITH A $300,000 PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE AND IT'S COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND ATTACKS FUNDING REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE. SO FOR A $300,000 PROGRAM. WHAT'S THAT GOING TO GIVE US? WE COLLABORATE EXTREMELY CLOSE WITH THE VB IN HOPES TO CONTINUE TO WORK THE MEDIA RELATIONS PROMOTE DIRECTLY TARGET TO POTENTIAL VISITORS OUT OF THE STATE WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE TO ADVERTISE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS WITHIN THE VC BE THERE OUR DRIVER TO HELP US FOCUS WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE GOING TO GO TO OF NOTE THE MOST POPULAR STATES THAT ARE OUTBOUND ARE TRYING TO COME IN BASED OFF A CLICKS ADVERTISEMENT DALLAS. 
          ATLANTA D.C. BOSTON. NEW YORK OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA AND INDIANAPOLIS. 
          SO THOSE ARE OUR VISITORS THAT ARE COMING IN TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. 
          THE MOST VISITORS WERE COMING ALL OVER THE PLACE BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMING IN TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. I WILL NOTE THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT SINCE 2016 THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN FROM AROUND $160 MILLION TO WELL OVER $460 MILLION IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. SO I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT USING, THESE FUNDS TO BRING IN TOURISM, TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE OUR ECONOMIC IN THE TOWN, IN THE COUNTY AND AT THE AIRPORT. 
          AND SO WITH THAT I'M HERE AND AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS THANK YOU THE PROCESS WE FOLLOW AS EACH PERSON IS ASSIGNED TO SERIES OF APPLICATIONS THAT YOU HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF THEM HAVING READ A COUPLE QUESTIONS YOU MENTIONED IT'S PART OF THE $300,000 PROGRAM I SEE IN YOUR APPLICATION APPLIED 250 TO THE HILTON HEAD 450,000 B TAX DOLLARS BUT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING THERE ASSUMING YOU RECEIVE THAT ALL WHERE'S THE OTHER 150,000 COMING FROM? WELL, WE SINCE THIS APPLICATION CAME OUT WITH 50,000 IN 2024 FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT THAT ALL OF THOSE FUNDS IN 2025 WERE RECEIVED IN THE SECOND $150,000 FOR THAT $300,000 PROGRAM TO DATE WE'VE SPENT ROUGHLY 100 AND I THINK $130,000 OUT OF THAT. SO WE HAVE SOME FUNDS LEFT BUT IN ORDER TO MEET OUR CRITERIA OR REQUEST AN EXTRA $30,000 TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE PROGRAMS AND IF I'M RIGHT, THE HILTON INN AIRPORT IS A COUNTY OWNED BUT ENTERPRISE FUND ORGANIZATION. 
          YES, SIR. AND SO I THINK I'M ASKING YOU I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK YOU EARNED FUNDS SALE OF FUEL AND FROM RENTAL OF HANGRY WE DO WE ARE FUNDING REVENUES GENERATE FROM FUEL SALES TO COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS JET AIRCRAFT I WOULD SAY IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE DRIVERS OF REVENUE. THOSE DON'T KNOW WHICH AIRCRAFT IS GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT. SO WE HAVE THAT FLIES IN ON THE THREE MAIN CARRIERS. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A ROBUST GENERAL AVIATION COMMUNITY WE CALL IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE THAT FLY IN BUSINESS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY LEADERS PEOPLE IN TO HILTON HEAD BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEIR SECOND HOME IS SO WE HAVE A ROBUST FLEET OF GENERAL AVIATION AND SO ALL THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IT'S ON AIRPORT PROPERTY BUT WE RESERVE 
          [00:15:04]
ONE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT FOR COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC IN THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. 
          THAT'S THE GENERAL AVIATION TRAFFIC SIDE. THAT'S HOW OUR FLOW OF THE AIRPORT WORKS. OKAY. AND HOW ABOUT CONCESSIONS INSIDE THE AIRPORT? WE HAVE A CONCESSIONS INSIDE OF THE AIRPORT. 
          WE HAVE A VERY SMALL TERMINAL. I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY'S AWARE BUT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF EXPANDING THE SIZE OF OUR TERMINAL TO UPDATE BRING IT UP TO STANDARDS JET BRIDGES THINGS I ANSWER PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK OUTSIDE AND WE HAVE MORE ROOM CURRENTLY WE HAVE A SMALL CONCESSIONAIRE THAT IS POSTED INSIDE THE SMALL TERMINAL AND AS WE WHEN WE OPEN UP THE NEW SIDE THAT WILL CONTINUE ON THAT SIDE TAXI SERVICE RENTAL CAR SERVICE CONCESSION BINS WITHIN THE TERMINAL THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THE WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THAT OCCURRED? IT SOUNDS IT'S OCCURRED SINCE COVID HAPPENED THAT MAYBE THAT'S GOOD THAT'S YOU'RE CORRECT, SIR. COVID IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN HILTON HEAD HILTON HEAD WAS ONE OF THE FEW DESTINATIONS LOCATIONS THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET TO AND COVID AS WELL AS AIRLINES TRIMMED DOWN HOW MANY FLIGHTS THEY WERE FLYING. AND SO THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE AMOUNT OF PILOTS THAT WERE LIKE WHAT CAN WE GET IN? WHERE CAN WE FLY TO HILTON HEAD WAS OPEN ALONG MARTHA'S VINEYARD, KEY WEST, AREAS LIKE THAT AND PEOPLE FLYING IN AND THESE PILOTS WERE FLYING AIRPLANES IN SO. WE HAD AN INCREASE IN IN PASSENGERS THAT CAME IN DURING COVID AND THEN WHEN COVID KIND OF TRAILED OFF, THOSE PILOTS WENT BACK TO THESE LARGER INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND OUR NUMBERS KIND OF WENT THEY'RE STILL ABOVE BUT THEY DROPPED BACK DOWN TO MORE OF A NORMAL LEVEL. SO WE HAD A HUGE INCREASE DURING COVID AND THEN AFTER THAT WE SLIMMED BACK DOWN TO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE POST COVID BUT IT'S CONTINUING TO INCREASE EACH YEAR AND YOU ATTRIBUTE IT TO THIS MARKETING CAMPAIGN OR WHATEVER FACTORS I DO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER IN 2018 THE AIRPORT EXTENDED THE RUNWAY AND I'M GETTING INTO MORE AIRCRAFT SPECIFIC THINGS AIRLINES IN THEIR SMALLEST COMMERCIAL JETS THAT THEY CAN FLY. OUR RUNWAY WAS TOO SHORT TO SUPPORT THAT IN 2018 A PROJECT THAT EXTENDED THE RUNWAY TO THE APPROPRIATE LENGTH THAT THEY CAN LAND THERE, OPEN THEIR EYES AND SAY WE HAVE A MARKET IN HILTON HEAD. WE CAN NOW LAND THE SMALLEST OF OUR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT HILTON HEAD SO ALL THREE AIRLINES CAME IN. 
          WE ALREADY HAD AMERICAN, THE OTHER TWO CAME IN AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET A PIECE OF THE PIE AND THEN CUSTOMERS STARTED REALIZING THEN WE CAN GET INTO HILTON HEAD INSTEAD OF GOING TO OTHER AIRPORTS AND DRIVING INTO HILTON HEAD. SO THAT BOOSTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO MARKETING AND THE AIRLINES REALLY APPRECIATE IT START MARKETING THESE VENUES SO PEOPLE CAN FLY IN TO HILTON HEAD AND THAT HAS JUST SEEN AN EXPANSE OF GROWTH FROM THAT POINT IN TIME UNTIL NOW AND WE SEE IT STOPPING ESPECIALLY WITH OUR RENOVATION OF THE TERMINAL BETTER ACCOMMODATIONS AIRPORTS IS GOING TO CONTINUE GROW AND ABOUT HOW LONG AS YOU SAID THE APPROPRIATE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THAT THOSE OF US WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT APPROPRIATE IS MEANS AND 3000 FEET OR 5000 THE WELL IT'S ALL BASED ON THE SIZE OF AIRCRAFT THAT SOMEBODY LONG TO GET A RUNWAY 5000 FEET RIGHT NOW THANK YOU. AND YOU MAY HAVE TOLD US THIS A MINUTE AGO AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT YOU GUYS IN THE HANGAR RENTAL BUSINESS WE ARE HAS THAT EXPANDED YOU ADDED THE RUNWAY. WELL, ON THE GENERAL AVIATION SIDE THAT'S WHERE WE RENT THE HANGARS AND AS MORE RECREATIONAL FLIERS I WILL SAY DURING COVID THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE SITTING AROUND GOING WHAT DO I DO MY TIME AND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE IN THE STATES DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO BE PILOTS AND SO THEY STARTED LEARNING TO FLY AND THEN THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUY AN AIRPLANE. THEN OUR WAITING LIST THEN WE RUN TWO AIRPORTS BOTH AIRPORTS WE HAVE ONE HILTON HEAD SPECIFICALLY THE WAIT LIST PRE-COVID 1015 PEOPLE THAT HAS GROWN TO MID-SIXTIES TO 70 PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HANGERS TO SUPPORT WHO OWNS AN AIRPLANE THAT WANTS TO PARK. THEREFORE THEY PARK ON THE RAMP WE GENERATE FEES FROM THEM PARKING ON THE RAMP BUT WE ALSO GENERATE FROM THEM RENTING ANGER SPACE FROM US AND YOU HAVE SPACE TO BUILD MORE WE DO BUT THERE'S FUNDING TO BUILD THOSE THOSE ARE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE. THAT'S THE DOWNFALL. 
          COVID STEEL WENT UP SO EVERYTHING DOUBLED AND TRIPLED IN PRICE. 
          IF YOU'RE PAYING THAT'S ALL I HAVE SOMEONE ELSE A QUESTION? YEAH. 
          THIS INTERESTING DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION WHEN VISITORS COME IN AND HOW OF THEM STAY IN HILTON HEAD OR BLUFFTON VERSUS TRAVEL TO OTHER OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY OR. 
          [00:20:03]
YES, SIR. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          WE DON'T GET INFORMATION FROM THE HOTELS ON HOW MANY EXTRA NIGHTS PER SE SOMEBODY WOULD STAY BUT WE GO BACK IN THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVE SHOWS THAT THE PERCENTAGES OF PEOPLE THAT FOR ARE CLICKING PAGE VIEWS YOU'RE A YEAR OVER YEAR IS RIGHT AROUND 308% FROM JUST TWO YEARS AGO SO IN TWO YEARS TIME THIS MONEY HAS OFFERED SOMEBODY TO CLICK A PAGE 308% INCREASE OVER THAT YEAR REFERRALS HAS SURGED TO 584% YEAR OVER YEAR. GOOGLE ACCOUNTED FOR 80% OF THE TOTAL OF EIGHT PAGE VIEWS. I'M NOT SURE ANY OTHER THAT IS USED TO DETERMINE THOSE NUMBERS AND THEN SOCIAL CHANNELS THAT WE WE PAY INTO WE'VE SEEN A 61% INCREASE IN PAGE VIEWS AND 694% INCREASE IN ENGAGED SESSIONS YEAR OVER YEAR YEAR OVER YEAR. THAT'S CORRECT YEAH I'VE JUST IF MAYBE FEEDBACK FOR YOUR TEAM FOR YOU KNOW JUST SAID DID YOU HAVE ANY BETTER PRESENTATION NEXT TIME JUST TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS YOU KNOW HOW THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN YOU KNOW PUTS HEADS IN BEDS BUT SPECIFICALLY OFF ISLAND RIGHT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY WHICH IS A LOT MORE ALIGNS HERE IN THIS PARTICULAR FUND IS GENERATED FROM SO WE'RE ALWAYS REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT ABSOLUTELY AND WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE BCB WHO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THESE FUNDS WITH TO GATHER THE INFORMATION FOR YOU BUT I'LL TAKE THAT THEY HAVE IT YOU HAVE THEM. YEAH THEY'LL HAVE THAT. NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME. 
          YEAH AND PIGGYBACK AND WHAT CAN JUST ASK YOU WHEN THEY FLY IN TO THE AIRPORT THEY BEING PICKED UP BY A RELATIVE ARE THEY STAYING ON HILTON HERE? THEY'RE COMING TO BEAUFORT TO STAY HERE IN THE FACILITIES? YES. WELL THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND WHAT SEEING A LARGE THERE'S A PORTION OF OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE UTILIZING THE AIRPORT TO FLY OUT, TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND TO FLY BACK IN OR THEY'RE FLYING FROM THEIR LOCAL AIRPORT TO VISIT SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TOURISM THAT COMES IN, THEY'RE COMING IN TO VACATION IN ILLINOIS AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE THEY'VE RENTED A CAR FROM THE AIRPORT WHICH SEE PROCEEDS FROM THAT AND THEY'RE PICKING UP THEIR CAR AT THE AIRPORT OR THEY CHOSE NOT TO RENT A CAR AND THEY'RE USING THE TAXI SERVICES ARE THERE AT THE AIRPORT TO GET TO THEIR HOTEL OR THEY'RE THERE WHATEVER ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THEY HAVE ON THE ISLAND. 
          SO THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE WE SEE MOSTLY TOURISM THAT COMES IN TO OUR AIRPORT THEY HAVE TO RENT A CAR AND TRAVEL. THEY DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT THE TRAFFIC TO GET INTO HILTON HEAD. THEY'RE RIGHT THERE AND WITHIN MINUTES THEY'RE AT THEIR HOTEL AND THEY'RE READY TO GO ENJOY THEIR STAY AND THOSE ARE THE COMMENTS THAT WE SEE FROM CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY THAT PIECE AND DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC DATA TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU JUST SAID WE DO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ECB. 
          WE HAVE THOSE DATA AS I WE DO KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL IN TO HILTON HEAD VERSUS ANOTHER AIRPORT, THEY TYPICALLY WOULD SPEND AN EXTRA NIGHT AND OTHER AIRPORT AND THEN GET UP THE NEXT DAY AND COME TO HILTON HEAD OR THEY'RE RENTING CARS THAT OTHER AIRPORT IN ANOTHER STATE AND COMING TO HILTON HEAD . SO FOR WHEN YOU WHEN YOU TOTAL UP THE AMOUNT OF CUSTOMERS ARE COMING HILTON HEAD THAT ONE NIGHT ADDS UP WHEN YOU'RE ADDING ALL THOSE UP TO GET THAT WE'RE LOSING FROM HILTON HEAD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT ANOTHER STATE IS GAINING SO TO TRY TO TRIGGER PEOPLE TO COME STRAIGHT INTO HILTON HEAD THAT INCREASES A ONE NIGHT RENTAL CAR SERVICES THINGS LIKE THAT THANK YOU THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE ON THE SAME POINT THAT YOU WERE JUST MAKING. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU STARTED ADVERTISING THAT HEAD IS THE ONLY AIRPORT WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE OTHER AIRPORT I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS IN THIS ROLE AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ADVERTISING THOSE FIVE YEARS MAYBE NOT WITH THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE FIRST YEAR TO GET US TO WHERE WE'RE AT AN INCREASE IN THAT ADVERTISING THOSE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS. 
          BUT SINCE 2018 THAT WAS BEFORE I GOT HERE WHEN THAT RUNWAY GOT EXTENDED AND THOSE AIRLINES CAME IN THAT REALLY STARTED THE DRIVE TO ADVERTISE AND GIVE PEOPLE FOCUSED ON COMING TO HILTON HEAD INSTEAD OF LANDING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN DRIVING THE HILTON IN AND YOU KNOW THAT PERCENTAGE SINCE 2018 I DON'T HAVE THE HAND BUT I ABSOLUTELY CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU THAT'S GOOD AND DON'T KNOW IS WHEN YOU GET THAT OBVIOUSLY WELL THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION WE'LL 
          [00:25:01]
LOOK WE'LL HAVE OUR DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK ABSOLUTELY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. NEXT THINK WE HAVE TWO FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOUSETRAP AND YOU'LL KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO SET A TIMER SO WE KIND OF STAY ON OH OKAY. YOU BET. WHICH IS A REMINDER THAT YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO WE JUST DIRECT THEM IN A QUESTION. OKAY. YES. 
          THANK YOU. I KNOW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HAVE PRESENTED ALREADY IN THE PAST YEAH. IT'S TYPICAL NOT TO REHASH THE PRESENTATION BUT TO GO THROUGH A QUICK QUICK SUMMARY AND THEN WE CAN DOVE RIGHT IN THE QUESTION. 
          [9:10 AM Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail & 9:20 AM Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail]
          [9:20 AM Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail]
GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I'M DEAN MILES FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL. 
          WE'RE HERE ASK YOU FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST WE AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE FRIENDLY THE KIDS IN PARKS SOUTH CAROLINA FIRST IT'S A PROPOSAL THAT CAME IN TO US FROM FOLKS IN COLOMBIA THAT ARE DOING IT ON THE MAJOR TRAIL UP THERE AND IT IS DRIVEN AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY OUT NORTH CAROLINA AND IS NOW STARTING TO POP UP LOTS OF PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHAT IT DOES IS IT'S A PROGRAM WHERE WE PROVIDE AN INTRODUCTORY PANEL WITH A BUNCH OF INFORMATION AND LITTLE THINGS ON IT THAT KIDS CAN USE AND A WALK OF ABOUT A MILE AND IN THIS CASE OUR PROPOSAL IS TO START IT HERE IN BEAUFORT AT THE END OF DEPOT ROAD AND OUR TRAILHEAD AT THE END OF DEPOT ROAD AND WALK NORTH UP TOWARD THE THE NEW PUBLIX SHOPPING OR THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE PUBLIC AT PUBLIX IS UP TOWARD 170. THE IT'S A THERE'S KIND OF THREE PARTS TO IT BASICALLY THEY WILL PUT ON AND WE WILL ASSIST WITH THEY WILL INSTALL THE SIGNAGE THEY WILL PROVIDE INITIAL DOCUMENTS WE WILL USE ALONG THE TRAIL. 
          THEY WILL PROVIDE WITH THE ADVERTISING AND WE WILL THEN USE TO KEEP STOCKING UP THOSE DOCUMENTS BECAUSE WILL TAKE THEM AND DO THINGS. SO WE NEED TO REPLACE THOSE. 
          IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND SO WE HAVE SOME MONEY IN FOR OUR MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL WHICH IS CISSY PEARMAN WHO IS HERE WITH ME AND THEN WE HAVE BASICALLY FOR OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM WHICH WHICH WE WILL USE AS ADVERTISING AND AND BASICALLY PUSHING THIS PROGRAM OUT AS WE GO FORWARD. THE EXPERIENCE IN COLUMBIA THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IS THAT IT HAS BEEN POSITIVE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE IN AND IT IT IS REALLY FOCUSED IN THIS CASE ON BOTH THE TOURISM DEMAND BUT ALSO ON FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL USE IT. SO IT'S A WE WERE ASKING YOU FOR BASICALLY $20,000 WHICH IS DOCUMENTED THERE OUR IN OUR APPLICATION SO MAYBE I'LL JUST STOP THERE AND AND ASK FOR QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD SO DOES THAT IN THE $20,000 IT'S IS IT PRICE PRIMARILY FOR ADVERTISING YEAH TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MARKETING OF BASICALLY ABOUT $4,000 OF IT BASICALLY IS INSTALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO INSTALL BY THE WE NEED TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING $10,000 OF IT WILL BASICALLY COVER THE ALL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF THIS WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CITY A LITTLE BIT ON THIS AS WELL AND THEN THE DIGITAL PROGRAM VISITOR PUBLIC AWARENESS IS ABOUT 5500 BUCKS THAT'LL BE AIMED PRINCIPALLY AT ADVERTISING ON OUR ON OUR PROGRAMS AND ON OUR OUR OUR DIGITAL MEDIA THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE AND THAT WE USE AND DOES THE CBD DO YOU LEAN ON THE TV FOR SUPPORT FOR THAT TO SEE WE MANAGE THE THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN OR THEREFORE ON THIS PARTICULAR THING WE WOULD MARKET THIS WE WOULD USE THIS WE'VE USED THE CVB AND WE'VE FUNDS FROM YOU FOR THAT FOR A NUMBER YEARS TO WORK WITH THEM AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM. THEY STILL HAVE MONEY THAT YOU GAVE US LAST YEAR I BELIEVE FOR THAT THAT THEY'RE STILL SPENDING WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY OF THAT THIS YEAR. 
          SO CAN YOU JUST CONNECT THE DOTS ON WHERE ON HOW THAT YOU KNOW, THIS ENHANCED AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE CERTAIN LEVEL OF MARKETING THAT WILL WILL GENERATE MORE VISITORS. 
          WELL ULTIMATELY PEOPLE IN HOTELS YOU KNOW START WITH THE FACT THAT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY NORTHERN BEAUFORT THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL IS THE SECOND MOST VISITED PLACE IN THE COUNTY COMPARED TO HUNTING ISLAND. SO WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN CONSTANTLY COMING IN TO COME 
          [00:30:04]
AND VISIT ON THIS TRAIL. THIS ADDS A ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THEIR VISIT ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS IT'S A IT'S A AN ATTRACTION THAT THEY WILL BE FAMILIES THAT COME WITH CHILDREN. THIS WILL BE A PLACE FOR TO GO. IS IT IS IT GOING TO BE THE DRIVER THAT BRINGS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE INTO NORTHERN COUNTY PROBABLY NOT BUT IT IS AN ATTRACTION FOR THEM AND IT ADDS TO THE PACKAGE THAT WE ARE MARKETING OR THAT THE CVB IS MARKETING. SO THAT'S THE BEST WAY I CAN EXPRESS THAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I UNDERSTAND THE KIDS AND PART OF THE PROGRAM IT WAS FUNDED OR IS FUNDED BY A GRANT BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD AND THEY'VE MET AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR IN A NUMBER OF PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTY. THE MEETING BURT WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING SOME THINGS. THEY'RE MERGED. 
          THE ENDING OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS TO GET THE KIDS OF THE SCREENS AND GET THEM PHYSICALLY ACTIVE AND SO FORTH. ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT FITS IN WITH TOURISM BUT ANY MECHANISM TO MEASURE RESULT FOR PEOPLE STAYING AND EATING IN A RESTAURANT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US IN EVALUATING THIS AND FINDING OTHER PEOPLE WANT THE FUNDING DECISIONS ARE MADE LIKE THEY ARE WILL THE CVB BE HELPING YOU MEASURE WHO'S DOING WHAT, HOW THIS IS CREATING TRAFFIC OR HOW DO YOU PROPOSE MEASURE SUCCESS IN THAT WAY? I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE WE CERTAINLY WILL WITH THE CVB TO DO THAT HOW YOU HOW YOU ACTUALLY MAKE THOSE MEASUREMENTS IN TERMS OF A FAMILIES HERE FOR YOU KNOW THREE OR FOUR DAYS AND THEY WANDER AROUND TOWN AND THEY GO TO THE TRAIL AND USE THAT FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS DURING THE DAY AND THEN THEY HAVE DINNER. I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE MAKE WE ATTRIBUTE THEIR PRESENCE TO SO BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THIS IN ONE WAY AND WE'LL WORK WITH THE CVB TO SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT. I KNOW THAT WHAT WE WILL KNOW IS THAT THERE WILL BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF BROCHURES THERE OR ITEMS FOR THESE KIDS TO TAKE AND TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE BEING CHEWED THROUGH AND TAKEN THAT WILL TELL US THE USAGE OF OF OF THE FORCE OF THE OF THE FEATURE. SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUDGE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING IT AND HOW POPULAR IT IS THROUGH THAT BOOK ALLOW DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING? ADDITIONAL FUNDING? YEAH WE WILL BE WE SPEND OUR OWN MONEY WE RAISE WE RAISE OUR OWN MONEY AND WHEN I GET TO THE NEXT ONE THEY'LL GIVE YOU A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW WE HOW OUR PROPORTION OF THOSE FUNDING WHERE THAT COMES FROM. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. 
          OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS THE PROMOTION OF THE TRAIL AS AN ASSET AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT OURSELVES . WE HAVE WE HAVE WEBSITES WE HAVE FEATURES THAT GO OUT A LOT. WE ARE FEATURED IN MAGAZINES ALL OVER THE STATE. WE ARE WE HAVE PEOPLE YOUR PACKET THERE'S A A AND ONE OF THE PAGES IS IS BASICALLY A THIS RIGHT HERE IS ESSENTIALLY THE RAIL TRAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AND WE ARE WE WERE FEATURED ON ON THE COVER OF THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TRAILS IN THE SOUTHEAST AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE TWO MOST POPULAR TRAILS IN SOUTH CAROLINA ALONG WITH THE GREENVILLE THE GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL. 
          SO AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL ISSUE, THE FINANCES, IF YOU GO TO THE LAST PAGE OF THAT DOCUMENT, YOU WILL SEE BASICALLY THAT WE WE DEDICATE ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR TO ADVERTISING AND PROMOTING THE TRAIL OF WHICH ABOUT 40,000 PLUS COMES OUT OF OUR FUNDRAISING PROCESS FROM OUR DONORS AND OTHER USERS. AND WE'RE ASKING YOU IN THIS CASE FOR $20,000 TO ASSIST WITH THAT BASICALLY EXCUSE ME WE BASICALLY HAVE ON OUR SHEET SOME INFORMATION ON THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE GET. WE'VE GOT SOMETHING LIKE 23 TO 24000 PAGE VIEWS ON OUR APPLICATION. WE HAVE ROUGHLY 13,000 PEOPLE HAVE OUR APP DOWNLOADED ON THEIR COMPUTER AND WE GET ABOUT A THOUSAND NEW NEW USERS EVERY YEAR OF THIS LAST YEAR ABOUT 10,000 NEW USERS AND ABOUT 30% OF THOSE LIVE BEYOND A 50 MILE RADIUS FROM BEAUFORT BASED UPON WHAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND 364 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND 22 COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. SO IT'S A WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY GO AFTER TRAVEL AND MEDIA OUTLETS. WE'VE BEEN THAT BUT WE WANT TO DO MORE OF IT. WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE WRITTEN AND VISUAL CONTENT FOR THEM TO 
          [00:35:01]
PLACE ARTICLES AND WE WANT THEM TO CONTINUE TO AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE MOBILE APP AS YOU MAY KNOW WE WILL PROBABLY START CONSTRUCTION SOON ON THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL INTO PORT ROYAL ACROSS REBEL ROAD INTO PORT ROYAL SOMETIME I'M SUGGESTING IN JUNE THE THE REQUEST FOR BIDS HAVE GONE OUT AS OF AS OF YESTERDAY TO CONTRACTORS THAT PROJECT WILL BE DONE THIS SUMMER THE DEMAND IN PORT ROYAL FOR THIS TRAIL LEADING TO PORT ROYAL IS ENORMOUSLY HIGH PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO DO THAT WE'RE NOW WORKING ON AN EXPANSION OF THE TRAIL TO THE NORTH UP TOWARD TOWARD THE WADEBRIDGE RIVER. SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF A LOT OF ENERGY THAT THAT IS BEING INTO THIS. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT NOW I GUESS FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS AND EVERY YEAR THE TRAIL JUST GETS MORE POPULAR AND MORE POPULAR. 
          MORE POPULAR. THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON ON IT IF YOU GO DOWN AND WALK ON THE TRAIL PARTICULARLY NEAR HERMITAGE ROAD YOU'LL SEE THE TREES THAT ARE PLANTED THERE. 
          WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT WANT TREES OUT IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR FAMILIES OR RECOGNITION OF THEIR OF THEIR FRIENDS OR LOVED ONES. SO IT'S A IT'S A VERY POPULAR WE'RE GETTING REQUESTS TO USE IT FOR EVENTS ALL THE TIME. SO PROMOTING IT IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE OUTSIDE OF BEAUFORT. AND I THINK THAT AS A GENERAL STATEMENT A IT'S VERY POSITIVE AND ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ASSIST US WITH THAT EFFORT TO BE APPRECIATED. THE STATS ON THE GROWTH OF THAT THE USAGE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN MANY INFORMATION ON THAT WE HAVEN'T PLOTTED THAT RECENTLY BUT IT IS IT INCREASES I WOULD SAY SLOWLY OVER EVEN 1000 TO SAY A THOUSAND INCREASES IN OUR IN OUR AND PEOPLE TYING ON TO OUR TO OUR WEBSITE EVERY YEAR WHICH WILL BE JUST AGAIN KIND OF , YOU KNOW, BEEFING UP RELEVANT STATS WOULD BE A GREAT ONE BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE NOW. RIGHT. SO IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SAY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU KNOW, IT'S GROWN THIS MUCH AND YOU'VE GOT THE STAT AND HOW MANY FROM OUTSIDE 50 MILES. SO THEN THAT WOULD THAT WOULD INDICATE MORE EVEN YOU KNOW THE VISITORS GROWING THAT AT LEAST VISIT TRAIL ARE GROWING EVEN MORE. WE'VE BEEN ASKING THE COUNTY WE HAD WE HAD WE HAD DONE A COUNTERS OUT THERE FOR A WHILE COUNTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE TRAIL. 
          ONE OF THOSE WAS WAS DAMAGED AND THE COUNTY TOOK THEM DOWN WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH THE COUNTY TO GET THOSE BACK UP SO WE CAN SEE THE INCREASE IN USAGE ACTUALLY MEASURED WITH THE NUMBER OF COUNTERS GOT THE TECHNOLOGY THERE TO DO THAT AND THE COUNTY HAS THE EQUIPMENT DO SOME OKAY I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU KNOW CHRISTMAS. 
          ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANKS FOR THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          [9:30 AM Arts Center of Coastal Carolina]
WE APPRECIATE IT MUCH AGAIN DO WE HAVE THE ART CENTER GOES TO CAROLINA HERE YET? A LITTLE EARLY 3 MINUTES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE HERE. YES, GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING TO SEE FAMILIAR FACES. 
          MY NAME IS SMITH AND I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE ART CENTER AND HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY WE'RE REQUESTING $40,000 TO HELP FILL OUR MARKETING EXPENSES GAP THE TOURISM BUDGET FOR MARKETING THIS IS $283,000. SO WE'RE FEELING THAT THE $40,000 IS IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE EVERY PENNY COUNTS ALL DOLLARS MATTER. 
          A COUPLE THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW FROM OR MAY NOT KNOW FROM READING THAT APPLICATION YOU RECEIVED IS THAT WE'RE STARTING OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS NEXT SEPTEMBER. 
          IT'S QUITE A FEAT. WE HAVE A 29 YEAR OLD BUILDING BECAUSE WE STARTED OUR ART CENTER NOT IN THE CURRENT BUILDING SO THERE'S A LOT TO DO WITH A 29 YEAR BUILDING SO A LOT OF UNEXPECTED HAPPENINGS AS YOU KNOW FOR MAINTENANCE WE OWN THE BUILDING WERE CULTURAL HUB IN OUR REGION WE'RE THE LARGEST PRODUCER DOING ARTS THEATER PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS AND PRODUCING A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A TOUR COMPANY. WE DON'T HAVE TOUR COME IN FROM BROADWAY OR WITH A WELL BUILT SET AND CAST AND PUT IT OUT ON THEIR STAGE. 
          WE BUILD EVERYTHING. WE BUILD COSTUMES BUILD IT ALL. SO THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WHEN GIVE TOURS PEOPLE SAY SO HOW LONG IS YOUR COMPANY, YOUR TOUR COMPANY? WELL, WE START FROM SCRATCH 18 MONTHS OUT PLANNING A SEASON WE'RE IN 29TH SEASON. 
          [00:40:06]
WE'RE WORLDWIDE OUR MARKETING EFFORTS. YOU DID RECEIVE A HEAT MAP AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. SO HOPEFULLY YOU SAW THE IMPACT WE HAVE ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS WORLDWIDE AND WE MARKET WORLDWIDE AND THIS YEAR WE'RE FORECASTING 5000 PEOPLE THROUGH ALL OF OUR 166 PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SEEN 50 PLUS MILES. 
          WE DO TRACK BY ZIP CODE 50 PLUS MILES WE'LL HAVE 29% OF OUR OUR CONSTITUENT WILL BE FROM 50 PLUS MILES THIS YEAR WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT GENERATOR FOR THE COUNTY $13 MILLION IS ESTIMATED THAT GOES BACK INTO OUR COUNTY EACH YEAR FROM JUST THOSE AT 50 MILES PLUS AND HOW WE KNOW THAT IS BECAUSE WE DO THAT CALCULATOR ONE THING WE'VE BEEN SEEING THIS YEAR THAT'S VERY INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT IT'S RELEVANT THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE ASKING AND REQUESTING INVESTMENT BY THE STATE AIR TAX IS BECAUSE WE A REPORT A HOTEL REPORT FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND IT'S TELLING US SOMETHING INTERESTING IT'S ACTUALLY TELLING US WE'RE DOWN 14% ON ISLAND HOTEL USE BUT WE'RE STILL AT THE SAME PATRONAGE AS WE'VE HAD SO WE'RE STILL MEETING OUR BUDGET. SO WHAT'S THAT TELL? THAT'S WHY THE BRIDGE IS CRAZY TO GET ON AND OFF EVERY DAY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING AND STAYING HERE. 
          THEY'RE STAYING IN BLUFFTON AT THOSE NICE NEW HOTELS. SO AND I WOULDN'T BLAME BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW AND THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY'RE PROBABLY LESS SO IT REALLY IS RELEVANT THIS YEAR THAT WE CAN SAY WE DON'T HAVE THE CONCLUSIVE TO TRACK THE ACTUAL HOTELS BUT WE CAN SAY LOGICALLY THAT WE ARE IMPACTING MORE OF THE STATE HOSPITALITY TAX WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OVER $700,000 A YEAR IN PROGRAMING AND MARKETING A TAX WE ONLY ASK FOR HILTON HEAD BECAUSE OF THE HUGE IMPACT THERE AND THEN THE STATE DON'T ASK FOR BLUFFTON WE DON'T ASK FOR BEAUFORT THIS YEAR ASKING FOR A SMALL AMOUNT AT THE STATE TAX TO HELP US MEET THAT GAP OF OUR TOURISM MARKETING BECAUSE OUR ATX FOR HILTON HEAD IS ALLOWING US $212,000 THIS YEAR TO COVER THAT 50 MILES PLUS MARKETING AND DO SO MUCH WITH THAT WE AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR $40,000 WOULD COVER WE HAVE OUR BROCHURES, WE PRINT 130,000 AND THEY GO TO ALL THAT WORLDWIDE ALL THOSE ZIP CODES WE HAVE WE HAVE WRAP CARDS WE HAVE RADIO BROADCASTS. 
          CHARLESTON IS A BIG VENUE FOR US SO WE KNOW THEY COME FOR A WEEKEND, THEY COME FOR A NIGHT AND, SEE A SHOW BECAUSE WE'RE BROADWAY CALIBER WE WE BRING IN CAST FROM NEW YORK CITY AND LOCALLY SO OTHER THINGS YOUR MONEY WOULD INVEST IN IS DIGITAL MARKETING RADIO AIRPORT LED SCREENS THAT ARE CONTINUALLY LOOPING US WELCOME CENTERS ALL THE WAY UP I-95 ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH FLORIDA AND UP THROUGH CAROLINA HAVE OUR CARDS IN OUR BROCHURES SO. 
          IT IS A WORTHY INVESTMENT 40,000 SEEMS NOMINAL FOR OUR BUDGET BUT IT ALL AGAIN EVERY PENNY MATTERS AND WE PIECEMEAL AND THAT'S MY JOB TO FIND THE CONTRIBUTION INCOME TO FILL IN THE EARNED INCOME THIS YEAR 65% IN OUR CONTRIBUTION INCOME AND GRANTS 35% SO IT MATTERS THIS IS A TOUGH YEAR FOR ARTS AND CULTURE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BUT WE'RE PLOWING AHEAD SO WE WE CAN DEPEND ON YOU THIS YEAR THAT'S ALL I HAD AND I'M WILLING TO TAKE QUESTIONS. 
          WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. I'M I ENJOYED READING YOUR APPLICATION. YOU YOU OPERATE 360 DAYS A YEAR AND WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST TEN YEAR INFLUX OF VISITOR WAS COMING TO THE EVENT. INDEPENDENCE DAY WE DO WATCH FOR SNOWBIRDS. WE WATCH THE SPRING BREAKERS AND WE PLAN OUR SHOWS TO 
          [00:45:03]
ATTRACT THOSE TYPES. AND SO I WOULD SAY FROM JAN YOU WILL PROBABLY BEFORE WE CHRISTMAS TIME AND THEN THROUGH SPRING BREAK WOULD BE OUR IDEAL TIME OF THE MOST OF TOURISM BUT WE ALSO HAVE SUMMER SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE WE PLAN OUR LONGEST RUNNING SHOW IN THE SUMMER THIS YEAR GOING TO BE SUMMER DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL AND IT'S GOING TO RUN FOR 12 WEEKS SO IT'S WE LOOK AT THAT AS ALSO A FAMILY FRIENDLY SO THAT WE CAN ATTRACT OUR TOURISM SO REALLY I'M SORRY I'M NOT THE MARKETING PERSON AND PERSON WOULD HAVE IT ON THE TIP OF THEIR TONGUE BUT JUST KNOWING HOW WE RUN THE SHOWS I THINK THAT THE BULK WOULD BE IN THE WINTER BUT THEN THE SUMMER DOES HAVE A GOOD NUMBER AS WELL. 
          I LIKE THAT YOU HAD YOUR HOTEL STATISTICS BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCOMMODATION BUT YOU SAID YOU HAVE YOUR TICKET YOUR TICKET SALES IS BASED ON YOUR EVENTS THAT YOUR TV YOU'RE PAYING WE WE YEAH WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER PURCHASED WELL HAVE AUDIENCE VIEW IS OUR TICKET SALES ALL OUR TICKETS ARE SOLD THROUGH THAT WHETHER THEY'RE ONLINE SALES OR CALL IN AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CONSTITUENT RECORDS SO WE'RE EASILY ABLE TO TRACK AND THEN IN OUTPUT THE DATA THAT WE GET TO PUT INTO OUR TEXT SO IT'S SOLID AND RELIABLE AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR MANY MANY, MANY YEARS AND SO WE HAVE A GOOD TREND WE CAN FOLLOW . 
          LAST YEAR IT WAS 28% OF OUR 50 PLUS MILE RADIUS AND THIS YEAR 29 AND WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT IT ISN'T CLIMBING. WE ARE REACHING FARTHER, FARTHER AND FARTHER AND PEOPLE LOVE COMING TO HILTON HEAD SO EVERYBODY ELSE IN HILTON AND IN COUNTY IS DOING THEIR THING, KEEPING EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL AND KEEPING ALL THE ACTIVITIES GOING. 
          THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING SO PEOPLE CAN COME TO THE ART CENTER AND THEN GO TO A FESTIVAL. YOU SO MUCH TO DO AND I LIKE THE FACT YOU OPEN IT THE SCHOOLS THE STUDENTS TO I LOVE THAT SITE. YES I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND WE HAVE A PERSON HERE GOES INTO THIS FIELD SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'LL BE QUICK IN THE CVB MEASUREMENT OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY THAT THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE AIRBNB AND SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET AND THAT THERE'S BEEN A HUGE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE UNITS I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE IN THIS I HAVEN'T DISSECTED IT HOW THEY GOT BUT SINCE 2022 TO 2025 IT'S BEEN A STARK TREND DOWN WERE HOTELS HILTON HEAD HOTELS YES AND THIS IS CALLED A HOTEL REPORT I JUST DON'T KNOW I CAN'T ANSWER IF IT'S AIRBNBS AT THIS POINT SO THAT THAT'S A VERY QUESTION. 
          THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. AND THE QUESTIONS TO JUST I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT AGAIN THANK YOU FOR. BEING HERE AND SOMETHING TO BE PASSED ALONG TO THE MARKETING TEAM, A COUPLE OF STATS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE FUTURE IS FOR FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE YOURS USUALLY THE MARKETING BUDGET IS GOING TO BE SPLIT MARKETING TO CREATE AWARENESS DOWNSTREAM SO PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE RIGHT ALL THE MARKETING YOU DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO AND THEN UPSTREAM TO TRY TO HELP ATTRACT PEOPLE HERE WHICH YOU REFERENCED BOTH BUT IT'D BE GREAT TO KIND OF JUST A HIGH LEVEL START ON A GENERAL PERCENTAGE OF THAT MIX. I THINK THAT THAT'S INTERESTING TO US BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE VISITORS IN RIGHT OR THE SAME VISITORS MORE OFTEN SO THAT TYPE OF MARKETING IS IS REALLY INTERESTING TO KNOW WHERE IT'S WHAT THE WHERE THE ALLOCATIONS OH THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT AND THEN AND THEN THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME HOW MANY ARE ARE STAYING ON THE ISLAND WHICH YOU REFERENCED A BIT BUT THE YOU KNOW WE'RE AGAIN THE MORE HEADS EMBEDS IN YOU KNOW IN OTHER PLACES BEYOND JUST ON THE SUPER INTERESTING TO THIS PARTICULAR GROUP SO I GUESS FOR FOR FUTURE REFERENCE VERY GOOD POINT AND YOU KNOW IF I HAD DONE MY DUE DILIGENCE I PROBABLY COULD HAVE FOUND A REPORT IN IN BLUFFTON AS WELL I JUST DON'T I IT WASN'T AS READILY AVAILABLE BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND JUST VERY VERY GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. 
          [9:40 AM Beaufort Area Hospitality Association]
YOU'RE WELCOME YOU. ALL RIGHT. THE DIFFERENT AREA HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATIONS UP NEXT. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE MORNING. DO YOU FEEL THE ENERGY? ABSOLUTELY THE AIR SHOW ENERGY. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M NOT HERE PRESENT ON THE AIR SHOW BUT I FEEL IT. I LOVE WHEN THOSE PLANES COME TO TOWN EVERY TWO YEARS. 
          [00:50:02]
MY NAME IS ASHLEY HOGG. I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO THE BEAUFORT AREA HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION. OUR ASSOCIATION IS UP OF LODGING RESTAURANTS, ATTRACTIONS AND ALL THE BUSINESSES IN BETWEEN THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM. SO THE VERY REASON WE ARE HERE THE PARTNERS THAT PAY INTO THIS FUND AND COLLECT THAT TAX IS WHY WE'RE HERE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A GREAT RETURN INVESTMENT WHENEVER THOSE DOLLARS COME BACK. 
          GREAT OF OURS AS WELL IS THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU. WE ALIGN WITH THEM AND WE ADVOCATE FOR THEM. WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ECONOMY HERE IS A TOURISM ECONOMY SO WE NEED THAT $1 SPENT TO BRING BACK 11. I'D LOVE TO GET THAT NUMBER UP HIGHER. AND ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT WE FOCUS IN ALIGNING WITH THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU IS TO LOOK AT THOSE TIMES WHERE THERE'S A LULL. 
          SO WHENEVER JANUARY IS SLOWER OR OUR BUSINESSES AREN'T AS THRIVING, OUR HOTELS AREN'T AS BUSY. SO I WENT TO ROB WELLS. I SAID GIVE ME SOME OF THOSE TIMES. LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR MARKET. 
          AND THAT WAS THE NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS SHOW. SO WE SEE A DIP MID-DECEMBER IT GOES CLEAR DOWN AND THEN ABOUT MARCH IT STARTS COME UP DEPENDING ESPECIALLY ON WHETHER WE DO THE OYSTER FESTIVAL. THAT WAS OUR FIRST KNOCK OUT IT AND WE BRING ABOUT 11 DAYS OF ACTIVITY MID-JANUARY. SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THAT MID CHRISTMAS TO THE JANUARY FIRST. SO WE BROUGHT NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS. 
          WE DID THAT TWO YEARS AGO. SO 23 WAS OUR 2324 TO 22 SORRY. IT'S WEIRD. 
          BUT ANYWAYS WE WE KICKED OFF WITH THAT AND WE JUST DID THE FIREWORKS LAST YEAR WE PUT AN AERIAL SHOW IT AND WHEN WE MARKETED IT WE TOOK OUR PARTNERS EVENTS THAT THEY WERE DOING SO THE POLAR PLUNGE EVENT THAT HAPPENS IN PORT ROYAL THE PELICAN PLUNGE THAT'S A HUGE EVENT. I KNOW A LOT OF FLIPPERS GO TO THAT AND SO WE BASICALLY PUT ALL THIS INTO A MARKETING STRATEGY. WE HAND IT OVER TO THE CVB SO THAT THEY CAN GO AFTER THE WINTER BREAK STUDENTS AND A LOT OF THAT WINTER LEISURE TRAVEL AND. THEN WE TOOK OTHER VARIOUS ELEMENTS SUCH AS FOOD TOURISM. 
          WE PUT IN SOME OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND REALLY PACKAGED IT COME TO BEAUFORT, GET OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS COME SEE US EVEN THOUGH IT'S MAYBE 67 WE'LL TAKE THAT AROUND THAT TIME. 
          COME AND HAVE A NEW YEAR'S EVE AND OUR PARTNERS LOVE THAT A LOT OF OUR HOTELIERS AND LODGING FACILITIES. THEY WANT THAT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL OF THAT IN AND THEN PUT THAT OUT TO ANY OF THEIR THEIR CONSUMERS. SO WE'RE BUILDING UPON THIS WE WANT TO KEEP BUILDING THOSE LAYERS. LIKE I SAID OF ACTIVITIES AND HAVING MICRO EVENTS THAT PRODUCE WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KNOW, HEADS AND BEDS IS WHERE IT'S AT AND WE WOULDN'T STANDING HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT. 
          SO THAT'S IT IN NUTSHELL I DO HAVE SOME STATISTICS HERE. I WILL SAY THAT TO THIS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS 245% INCREASE. I THINK THAT ROB HAS RAN THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN AND IT'S ROUGHLY YEAH 245% INCREASE. SO WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE IT THERE WASN'T A LOT OF VISITATION. HE'S BROKEN DOWN THE MARKETS WE'VE HAD GREENVILLE, ASHEVILLE, ANDERSON, COLUMBIA, CHARLOTTE, AUGUSTA, ATLANTA. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A DRIVE MARKET. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T JUST COMING YOU KNOW, FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THOSE LONGER DESTINATIONS. THEY'RE COMING FROM A DRIVE MARKET. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'LL FOCUS THAT ON HE HAS THIS DATA. 
          IT'S CRITICAL TO US CONTINUE TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS TO OUR MARKET SO ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU. I LIKE YOUR ENERGY AND WHAT STANDS OUT A LITTLE BIT IS THAT TWO 4274 TO 74 YEAH THAT WAS THAT CALCULATED. 
          SO ROB WELLS, THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, HE DOES GEO ANALYSIS SO HE DOES PING DATA SO HE HAS LOOKED AT YEAR OVER YEAR PRIOR FROM I BELIEVE HE PULLED UP 21 AND 22. 
          SO THERE WAS NOTHING HERE AT THAT TIME. THEN PULLED WHEN WE HAD THE FIREWORKS IN 23 AND 24 AND IT WAS AN INCREASE BY 274%. ACTUALLY THE FIRST YEAR WAS AND THEN THIS YEAR WAS 144.6%. AND I CAN GIVE YOU ALL VIEWS IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THOSE. 
          YEAH. SO PING DATA TIMES IT'D BE GOOD TO GET MORE LIKE THE WHAT THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS ARE ON THAT BECAUSE THAT CAN BE YOU KNOW IF IT'S A SMALL STARTING NUMBER RIGHT. YEAH YEAH. THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF 274 IS NOT NECESSARILY BIG BUT YEAH. BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S GREAT TO TO BE TRYING TO DRIVE WE HAD 4.6 THOUSAND VISITORS THAT'S THE CONCRETE 4.6 THOUSAND DURING THAT TIME. 
          OH GOSH. SO IF THAT'S IF THAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT AS WELL AS THAT HALF 
          [00:55:05]
OF THAT. YES. YES, GOOD QUESTION. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I LIKE YOUR ENERGY AS WELL. EMERY I THINK I KNOW WHAT PING DATA IS. YES. MAKE THE SAME ANSWER YOU'D LIKE ME TO HAVE. YES. SO OUR CELL PHONES HAVE THESE FUN LITTLE THINGS THEY'RE CALLED APPLICATIONS APPS AND A LOT OF THAT DATA SENT OUT AND PURCHASED BY MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS. SO WHENEVER YOU MAYBE GO TO BLUFFTON OR HEAD AND YOU OPEN UP ONE OF THOSE APPS THAT SENDS A PING THAT THAT DATA SOURCE AND IT SAYS WE HAVE A VISITOR. SO MAYBE I VISIT BACK TO THE MY HOMETOWN IN WEST VIRGINIA AND THEY'RE TRYING TO TRACK DATA THERE. I OPEN UP FACEBOOK THAT'S GOING TO SEND SPECIFIC STRATEGIC DATA TO THESE MARKETING SOURCES AND THAT'S COLLECTED AND ROB WELLS TRACKS THAT DATA THROUGH VARIOUS APPLICATIONS THAT HE UTILIZES. 
          SO WE MAKE MARK SMART MARKETING DECISIONS WHENEVER IT COMES TO OUR AREA AND WE CAN TELL WHERE THE PHONE'S BEEN BY THE AREA OF ABSOLUTE. MM HMM. 
          LUCAS. MY QUESTION? YES, MA'AM IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT OTHER GROUPS CAN TO HELP INCREASE MOVEMENT? ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE BROUGHT IN AN AERIAL GROUP LAST YEAR AND THERE ARE LOCAL AERIAL GROUP THAT'S TRYING TO GET THEIR FEET OFF THE GROUND HERE. THEY'RE THEY'RE WORKING WITH SPORTS TOURISM. THEY ARE BRINGING A LOT OF ACTIVITY TO THE AREA. 
          SO WE BROUGHT THEM IN. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MAYBE MORE SHOWS. 
          THE GALA, YOU KNOW, DOING SHOW MAYBE MIDDAY. ANY ANY TYPE OF ACTIVITY BOAT TOURS I KNOW WEATHER PERMITTING AND AND THOSE OF THINGS BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FULL MAYBE THREE FOUR DAYS IF NOT GET INTO A WEEK OF THAT'S YOU KNOW, NEW YEAR'S EVE IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY. LET'S TALK. OKAY. 
          I LOVE IT. YES. WELL, GREAT. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THIS BOARD. I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY BUSY. THANK YOU. 
          [9:50 AM Port Royal Sound Foundation]
OKAY. THE PORT WORLD SOUND FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN MY WIFE IS ON BOARD THIS ORGANIZATION SO I HOPE. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. ARE YOU GUYS. 
          GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD. 
          MY NAME IS KATE ARMSTRONG. I AM THE SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR AND A NATURALIST AT FOUNDATION. WE ALSO HAVE JODY HAYWARD, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. 
          I'VE MET MOST OF YOU GUYS AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AGAIN TODAY. 
          I WANT TO RESTATE OUR WHOLE APPLICATION FOR YOU. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE READ IT, BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT A FEW KEY THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THIS APPLICATION . SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS HAVE VISITED US BEFORE A LOT OF YOU HAVE AND YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT THE BOREAL SOUND FOUNDATION IS OUR LOCATION AND WE ARE RIGHT ON WATER WHICH IS THE CORE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND IN THIS ASK WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT SOME DOCK RENOVATIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO THIS FACILITY RIGHT ON THE WATER. AND THE REASON DOING THAT IS BECAUSE WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES ON CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE LOCAL BUT NOT JUST THROUGH EDUCATION. 
          WE WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING REALLY TANGIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY VISIT THIS AREA THAT THEY'RE NOT LEARNING ABOUT THESE WATERWAYS AND THIS ENVIRONMENT THEY REALLY EXPERIENCE IT AND FEEL IT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT'S REALLY WHEN PEOPLE MAKE A CONNECTION TO WHY THIS AREA IS SO UNIQUE AND EXCITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME VISIT. 
          WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF TOURISTS THAT COME TO THIS AREA COME FOR THE ENVIRONMENT WHETHER THEY WANT THE SEAFOOD THAT WE RECREATION FISHING JUST ENJOYING TIME ON THE BEACH. 
          THE ENVIRONMENT IS REALLY THE CORE OF WHAT WE DO AND HAVING A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY CONNECT WITH THAT RIGHT AT OUR LOCATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO WITH WHAT WE DO WE REACH 28,000 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR VISITING OUR CENTER AND THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. THESE ARE PEOPLE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WATER ON OUR DOCKS. 
          WE DO SOME ANALYSIS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE VISITING THE MARITIME CENTER COME FROM OUTSIDE 50 MILES AND CONSISTENTLY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO THAT'S BEEN AT 49% OR ABOVE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SIGN IN. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT PEOPLE ARE VISITING US SORT OF AS A WELCOME CENTER TO THIS AREA TO REALLY ABOUT THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE OF SOUND. WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY OPENED UP A NEW OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL PAVILION WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR PROGRAMS FOR AND WE'RE USING IT WE ALSO RENT IT OUT. WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF AMAZING EVENT RENTALS THROUGH THERE WHO ALSO UTILIZE OUR DOCK SPACE. SO WE WANT PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE VISITING CENTER OR ARE USING IT FOR RENTALS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE DOCKS MAKE SURE THEY'RE 
          [01:00:04]
REALLY SAFE AND COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW WE CELEBRATED OUR TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR LAST NOVEMBER. THE DOCKS ARE MUCH OLDER THAN THAT. OUR MARITIME CENTER FLOATING DOCK WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1985 AND OUR SECONDARY PAVILION DOCK WAS IN 2010. SO IT'S JUST TIME FOR SOME OF THOSE NECESSARY REPAIRS. MAKE SURE THOSE DOCKS ARE REALLY GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON AND I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THIS ISN'T A MARKETING ASK BUT IT REALLY COMPLEMENTS OUR MARKETING BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN MARKETING IS TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT EXHIBITS WE HAVE. WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT OUR EXHIBITS TO THE WATERWAYS THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EXPAND OUR MARKETING BEYOND JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO WHAT THIS AREA OFFERS. SO A LOT OF THE MARKETING THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND NEW CAMPAIGNS WE'RE WORKING ON IS REALLY EXPANSIVE ABOUT WHAT THIS AREA HAS TO OFFER RATHER THAN JUST WHAT WE HAVE AND THIS WILL REALLY SUPPORT HELP PEOPLE CONNECT AGAIN TO THE WATER AND CONNECT IT TO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO SEE BEYOND JUST THE MARITIME CENTER WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT. ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, WE REALLY APPRECIATE BEING HERE AND SEEING THAT YOU INPUT SAFETY FIRST IS KIND ONE OF THE THINGS YES SIR. BUT YOU REALLY HAVE A GOOD PROGRAM FOR FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. 
          LOVE THAT. THANK YOU. IS THERE A WAY TO CALCULATE HOW THE MARITIME CENTER DRAWS PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY TO YOU OR NOT? JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE WE'RE HERE. YEAH. 
          SO WE ALSO WORK WITH THE CVB WHICH THE LAST PRESENTATION MENTIONED WE WORK WITH THEM TO HELP REALLY TARGET MARKETING AND KNOW WHERE WE'RE REACHING WITH OUR MARKETING. 
          WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO SEE FROM A LOT OF WHAT WE DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKEN FROM OUR MARKETING TO OUR WEBSITE. SO THAT SHOWS US THAT THE REACH WE'RE HAVING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH GOOGLE ADVERTISING BRINGS PEOPLE TO THIS AREA TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE NOW ON OUR WEBSITE. WE REALLY TRY TO PROMOTE THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT WE, HAVE A LINK TO THE BEAUFORT CVB AND THE BLUFFTON HEAD CHAMBER SO THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND REALLY GET A CHANCE TO CLICK AND LOOK AT THOSE OTHER THINGS IN THIS AREA . SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING DRAWN FROM OUR MARKETING TO OUR WEBSITE HOPEFULLY TURNING THAT INTO OUR TRIP HERE. 
          QUESTION AND LISTENING TO YOU I MISSED SOMETHING ARE YOU ASKING FOR RENOVATION MONEY INSTEAD OF ACCOMMODATION MONEY? BECAUSE WE DO ACCOMMODATION AND NOT RENOVATIONS OF IN THAT HERE . YES. SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS FUNDS TO HELP PREPARE OUR DOCS WHICH WOULD HELP SUPPORT BRINGING VISITORS HERE TO EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING THE MARITIME CENTER HAS TO OFFER. YES, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. IN THIS ECONOMY ESPECIALLY FROM THE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED SAP ISLAND THE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND SAFETY'S IN PLACE. YES, MA'AM. 
          OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU GUYS. 
          [10:00 AM Beaufort History Museum]
THE BEAUFORT HISTORY MUSEUM. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. 
          MY NAME IS JOHN WORLEY AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE BEAUFORT HISTORY MUSEUM. 
          I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS. IT'S ONE THING THAT OCCURS TO ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT WE CAN ELIMINATE 20 $500 OF THE REQUEST FOR BANNERS THAT CELEBRATED LAFAYETTE'S 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAFAYETTE'S VISIT TO. 
          SINCE THAT SHIP HAS SAILED A FEW COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND ALTHOUGH WE'D STILL LIKE HAVE THE BANNERS TO DISPLAY IN THE IN THE MUSEUM I, I DON'T BELIEVE IT HAS A PRIORITY NOW JUSTIFIES REQUESTING FUNDS FROM YOU THE BULK OF OUR PROPOSAL OBVIOUSLY DEALS WITH AN AD AGENCY IN GREENVILLE. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON AD AGENCIES. 
          I CAN'T SAY I HAVE LONG EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ORGANIZATION BUT BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS THEM THEY SAY THEY GET THE CONCEPT. THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED AND I'M TOLD THAT THIS IS THE LEVEL OF FUNDING THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHICH IS DRAW AT LEAST A 10% INCREASE IN VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM. 
          [01:05:06]
WE WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE ABOUT 5000 VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM. OBVIOUSLY MANY OF THOSE ARE FROM OUT OF TOWN. BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TO DRAW PEOPLE TO BEAUFORT AND WE THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT TO SELL HERE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS. 
          WITH THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WE SOUGHT A GRANT FROM THE STATE ORGANIZATION THAT'S COORDINATING EFFORTS IN THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY. WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A MAXIMUM GRANT OF $125,000. 
          WITH THAT WE HAD A SPECIALLY DESIGNED EXHIBIT AN IMMERSIVE THEATER WHICH IS GOING INTO THE SOME SPACE AT THE MUSEUM WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING RENOVATED AND WE THINK THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF SEX APPEAL AND BE A DIFFERENT THAN WHAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO OFFER. THE IDEA OF REVISITING THE OF THE FILM EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HERE IN BEAUFORT WE HAD AN EXHIBIT ON THIS YEARS AGO BUT IT'S TIMELY TO HAVE IT AGAIN. THE INTEREST IN MOVIES AND MOVIE STARS AND FILMS NEVER SEEMS TO FADE AND WE THINK THAT'S GOT A LITTLE SEX APPEAL TO IT ALSO. 
          SO I INCLUDED SOME PHOTOS I THINK OF THE STAIRWELL WE'RE INTERESTED THAT NEEDS TO BE SPIFFED UP IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PARADE OF VISITORS THROUGH THERE WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVING. I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? OKAY. AGAIN, YOU THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR PRESERVING THE COMPANY'S HISTORY. YOU KNOW, WE PEOPLE ASK AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE FUNDING TO GIVE EVERYBODY EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT. WHAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY I'M NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING I WANT. SO LOOKING THE LIST YOU ARE OF THE 2500 ALL I ASSUME YOUR MARKETING THE 60,000 WOULD POSSIBLY BE YOUR NEXT YOUR BIGGEST PRIORITY AT THIS POINT IN TIME. YEAH AND I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE AD PEOPLE, I DON'T THINK WOULD MAKE MUCH SENSE TO FUND THAT AD LESS THAT YOU KNOW HALF A LOAF IN THIS IN TERMS OF A MARKETING BUDGET ISN'T GOING TO BE OF MUCH HELP. THE ONLY OTHER ITEM I CAN SEE THAT WOULD BE WOULD BE THE MONEY FOR STAIRWELL WHICH WE WOULD USE ANYWAY WE WOULD NEED ANY WAY WHETHER WE HAD THE MARKETING EFFORT NOT BUT I THINK NOT HAVING THE MARKETING EFFORT IS A MISSED FOR BEAUFORT. I REALLY DO FEEL THAT WAY. SO IF DON'T GET ALL OF THE 60,000 FROM A TAX FUNDING, WHAT OTHER SOURCES DO YOU HAVE? WELL WE'VE A COUPLE OF FUNDRAISERS ON THE HORIZON. I IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL WHAT THE YIELD FROM THAT WILL BE, BUT IT WILL BE SOMETHING ONE OF THEM WILL BE THE REPEAT OF THE AUCTION THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR. WE'VE RESCHEDULED THAT FOR THE FALL BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON THIS SPRING. SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES BUT THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE. YOU WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO THOSE FUNDS NOW AND LOCK IN THE AGENCY NOW THAT THEY WANT TO START NOW. AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME FUNDRAISING OF VARYING SUCCESS LATER DOWN THE ROAD ISN'T GOING TO BE TOO MUCH HELP WITH THIS KIND OF WITH WITH DECIDING HEADS AND BEDS. 
          HOW HOW DO YOU COME WITH YOUR NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY COME TO VISIT WHAT MUSEUM AND STATE WE WELL WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME SOME GOOD FAITH PROJECTION REALLY I MEAN I THINK PROJECTING A 10% INCREASE OVER OUR NORMAL TRAFFIC DRAWN FROM THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'RE HEAVILY AND MEASURING THOSE FOLKS THAT COME IN I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE COULD GET. PEOPLE LOVE COMING TO THE LOWCOUNTRY ANYWAY AND IF YOU GIVE THEM AN INCENTIVE LIKE THAT WITH THE FILM AND THE NEW IMMERSIVE THEATER I'M UNAWARE OF ANY ANY PLACE IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EXHIBIT WE'RE HAVING WITH 
          [01:10:05]
THIS IMMERSIVE THEATER. THERE'S THERE ARE GOING TO BE CELEBRATIONS ALL OVER THE STATE FOR THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION. BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE A UNIQUE PRESENTATION AND I THINK PEOPLE UP TO SEE IT AND WE NEED TO LET THE PEOPLE UPSTATE KNOW WHAT'S HERE BEFORE THEY'LL COME DOWN AND, SPEND THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES. 
          BUT I THINK THEY WILL. OKAY, JOHN, THANK YOU FOR SERVING THIS GROUP. 
          I GOT A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU. IF I'M RIGHT, YOUR MUSEUM UPSTAIRS FROM THE CVB WELCOME CENTER. CORRECT. IS THAT THE STAIRCASE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S THE IT IS THE STAIRCASE ON THE OTHER END OF THE MUSEUM. 
          SO IT'S NOT THAT IT'S NOT THAT ONE DON'T GET IN. THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE COME REGULARLY TO GO TO THE MUSEUM. THEY DO NOT THEY CURRENTLY DO NOT WE DO NOT USE STAIRWELL BECAUSE THAT THAT SPACE HAS BEEN UNDER LEASE TO THE GULLAH GEECHEE FOLKS AND THAT LEASE JUST WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH ROBB WILLS NOW TO POSSIBLY LEASE THE SPACE BUT HE HAS ASSURED THAT WHETHER WE GET THE SPACE OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT WE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT STAIRWELL SO YOU'LL MOVE IT ENTRIES AND EXITSAD OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE VISITOR CENTER THEY GO TO THIS OTHER STAIRCASE. YES OKAY. 
          SECOND ISSUE IS THAT OUR DESIGNATED MARKET ORGANIZATION HERE IS THE CVB. 
          AS YOU KNOW MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING EVENTS REACH OUT TO THE CVB AND ASK THEM FOR A LIFE BETTER WORD AND A MEMORANDUM OR A PROPOSAL OR SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT FOR THEM TO OVERSEE YOUR MARKETING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. WHY YOU CHOSEN A DIFFERENT ROUTE IN GOING WITH A FIRM OUT OF GREENVILLE OPPOSED TO DOING WHAT THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING? WELL, I AWARE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE DOING. I HAVE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION WITH ROB WELLS ON THE ON THE PROPOSAL AND ROB DIDN'T SUGGEST THEY WERE BEING CIRCUMVENTED, DIDN'T SEEM TO BE IN ANY SORT OF A BAD MOOD. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THEY WERE CIRCUMVENTED OR OF SUGGESTING FOLLOWING UP ON THE POINT THAT NEED TO BE THEY. IF THIS COMMITTEE IN THE NUMBER OF LESSONS $60,000 WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO GET IT ALL HE DIDN'T WANT EITHER AND SO I'M OPERATING UNDER THE PREMISE THAT THERE MAY BE AN ASSET FOR YOU AS TO HELP YOU AS OPPOSED TO JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING. SO I THINK I'VE GIVEN ANY FOR AN ANSWER SOME OF THIS WILL PROCEED. NO QUESTION, OF COURSE. 
          BUT THANKS VERY MUCH. OKAY. THE THE GOLD TRAVELING THEATER OH THERE'S 14 OF IT ON WE ARE LOOKING TO WORK BUT WE ARE WE'RE A COUPLE OF MONTHS EARLY DO WE CAN WE THINK OF WILLIAM AND KATE BEING LADIES HERE? YOU CAN EITHER TAKE A RECESS EARLY OR YOU HE GO IT'LL BE OKAY. BRING THE RECESS. 
          [10:35 AM Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park]
HE'S HERE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO BE WITH HERE? YEAH, SURE. THEY PAID TO BE EARLY. I TRY TO BE EARLY. 
          YEAH. GOOD TO HAVE IT. GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS AMAD WARD. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HISTORIC MITCHELL OF FREEDOM PARK AND WE ARE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY TO ASK FOR A FUNDING AMOUNT OF $35,000 TO SUPPORT OUR 11TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND OUR SIXTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND LIGHTS PROGRAM. THESE TWO PROGRAMS ARE OUR HIGHEST PROGRAMS AS FAR AS VISITATION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS LAST YEAR'S JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THAT WE DID AN ENTIRE WEEK BECAUSE IT WAS OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          AND SO THE DAY ITSELF WE HAD ABOUT 1530 PEOPLE THERE WHICH IS ABOUT AN EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. WE FULL OF EVENTS WE IT FROM USUALLY IT'S THE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY LAST YEAR WE DID MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PROBABLY WON'T DO THAT AGAIN BUT THERE WAS A 50% INCREASE IN VISITATION AND OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK BUT ABOUT 2500 PEOPLE THAT WE SAW HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS IS OUR BIG FUNCTION. 
          WE LIKE TO PARK UP THE HOLIDAY KICK OFF AND THREE DAYS, 2 HOURS A EVENING 6 TO 8 WE HAVE AVERAGED 3000 PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE THE LAST YEAR. WE HAVE 3000 FOLKS THROUGH OUR SURVEYS IN THINGS WHICH WHEN YOU TRY TO GET INFORMATION WE CAN TELL A PROBABLY ABOUT 1800 
          [01:15:06]
THOSE PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN SUNDAY NIGHT WE HAD ABOUT 395 CARS COME THROUGH THE PARK AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO OUR PARK YOU KNOW THAT'S INSANE. NUMBER OF CARS THAT COME THROUGH ANY ANY PLACE, ESPECIALLY OUR PLACE WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT HERE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE FEW MARKETING SOURCES, SOME YOU ARE AWARE WE'RE IN A MAJOR CAMPAIGN HERE TO BUILD THE PARK AND SO SOME OF OUR OTHER MARKETING SOURCES GO TOWARDS GENERAL MARKETING OF THE CONSTRUCTION WITH MASTER PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH WE JUST UNVEILED SOME GHOST STRUCTURES THE PARK LAST JUNE WHICH IS 80 A 30% INCREASE OF VISITATION TO THE PARK. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A RESEARCH FACILITY ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH FACILITY SHOULD OPEN NEXT YEAR THAT WE WILL HAVE TO PUT SOME MARKETING TOWARDS. SO YOUR FUNDS ARE GOING RADIO, TV AND STREAMING SOCIAL MEDIA DIGITAL ADVERTISING PRINT AND SOME AIRPORT ADVERTISING TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE AREA WE ARE TARGETING SPACES LIKE CHARLOTTE FLORIDA TRYING TO EDGE MORE INTO SOME OF THOSE OUTLYING MARKETS AS THE SCOPE OF OUR PROJECT INCREASES, THE SCOPE OF OUR MARKETING IS INCREASING AND SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MOVE OUT THERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          TO THAT END WE MADE AN INVESTMENT A RATHER HEFTY WHAT I MIGHT SAY IN SOME I SOFTWARE CALLED PLACER AIR MALLS AND IN IMMEDIATE PARKS USE THIS SOFTWARE HELPS US TRACE IT DOES A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN YOU PROBABLY WANTED IT TO IS A LITTLE SCARY BUT THEY USE PANELS FOR THESE THINGS RIGHT HERE AND SO EACH PANEL MAY HAVE LIKE 3 MILLION IN IT SO I CAN GO INTO THE SYSTEM AND NOT ONLY SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM BUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE US AND SO I CAN LOOK AT THE RESTAURANTS, THE ATTRACTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BEFORE THEY COME THIS AFTER THEY COME TO US. I KNOW THAT LAST JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL WHEN PEOPLE LEFT THE PARK THEY WENT TO HOME SWEET HOME TO SWEETS PALM IT'LL BE A MARINA IN A RAMADA HILTON HEAD AND HAMPTON INN SUITES BLUFFTON THERE. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY WILL BE ABLE TO TRACE THE HOTELS THAT THEY'RE GOING. 
          I CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU DEEP INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBERS. WE HAVE A PERCENTAGE BUT IT ALLOWS US TO TRACK WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, WHERE GOING. I CAN TELL YOU THROUGH THAT SOFTWARE WE KNOW THAT LAST YEAR'S JUNETEENTH WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALABAMA, FLORIDA, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO ,PENNSYLVANIA, TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA OF COURSE ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STATES AND SOME PEOPLE FROM CANADA ALSO, MAINE AND WE CAN SEE ROUGHLY RUN THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THE PARK DURING THAT TIME FRAME. IT WON'T LET SCALE DOWN TO A SPECIFIC DAY BUT WE CAN GET ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEK TWO WEEK PERIOD IN THERE SO WE KNOW APPROXIMATELY WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING. WE DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. YOU CAN SEE ON THIS DAY THINGS SHOT UP TO ABOUT 600 FOLKS AND SO OF COURSE THAT'S THE BIG SATURDAY EVENT WE'RE ABLE TO TRACE THAT. SO I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. 
          WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE INVESTMENT THAT MADE IN OUR PROJECT OVER THE YEARS. 
          WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND WE THIS COLLABORATION WE BELIEVE WE CAN THANK ON THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE THAT'S SERVED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE BUT YOU'RE DOING ABSOLUTELY I A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU ONE IS I SEE WHERE YOU APPLY FOR 150,000 A DAY TAX FUNDING FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD. HAVE YOU RECEIVED NOTIFICATION ON THAT? WE HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION DID YOU RECEIVE THE MONEY? YES, WE HAVE NOT. WE GOT ALL THAT MONEY. WE NOW WE'RE SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE OVER HERE. BUT THEY'VE AWARDED. 
          YES, SIR. YES, SIR. OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO THAT SECOND ISSUE YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT A FAIR AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT HAD BEEN BEING MADE. WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THAT INVESTMENT AND HOW THAT CHANGING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE TO THE PARK. 
          WELL, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO BE ENGAGED IN A QUIET CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. SO WE RECEIVED ABOUT $5 MILLION FROM THE STATE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR FROM FROM MOSTLY FROM PRETTY SOON FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY FOR THE RESEARCH FACILITY WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE MELLON FOUNDATION AND GET $2.5 MILLION FOR THAT PROJECT. 
          THAT'S ADDITION TO THE FIVE. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE PAST. SO MELLON FOUNDATION, INTERNATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE OUR OWN CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'RE DOING BOTH LOCALLY AND OUTSIDE OF THE AREA. THERE ARE NATIONAL TARGETS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE. 
          YOU KNOW THIS THIS PROJECT IS A $22.8 MILLION PROJECT. WE GOT $2 MILLION FROM THE STATE LAST MONTH TO GO TOWARDS ARCHEOLOGY, THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER THAT'S GOING TO PUT US ROUGHLY AROUND NINE AND A HALF MILLION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          SO WE'RE HALFWAY THERE AND SO A LOT OF ENERGY GOES INTO TRYING TO MAKE THOSE HAPPEN. 
          [01:20:01]
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PROGRAMING THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET MARKETING DOLLARS TO DEDICATE TO THAT PROGRAMING BECAUSE NOT ONLY ABOUT TRYING TO ADVERTISE PROGRAMS, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO ADVERTISE WHAT'S ON THE PHYSICAL PLANT AS WELL. OKAY. 
          SO YOU MENTIONED THE ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER AND YOU JUST MENTIONED INTERPRETIVE THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER OR SOMETHING THAT YEAH, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO FOR THINGS SO THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER IS THE THE GOAL THAT'S THE MAIN BUILDING THAT'S THE MUSEUM COMPONENT THAT WE HOPE TO COMPLETE SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 
          THE THING THAT'S THE AREA IS JUST MONEY THAT IS A $12 MILLION PROJECT. 
          I'M WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW TRYING TO RAISE THOSE FUNDS SO THAT WE'RE KIND OF ALMOST COMPLETE THE PLANT FOR THE 36 ACRES THAT WE HAVE. THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON BUT THAT'S THE THAT'S THE MAIN GOAL. 
          WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THIS IS A PARK SITE. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PIECEMEAL THINGS, GROW THINGS AND BUILD THINGS OUTSIDE OF LIKE ONE CHRONOLOGY YOU CONGRATULATIONS ON PUTTING TOGETHER MULTIPLE SOURCES AND. THANK YOU. 
          IT'S A LITTLE LIKE COOKING A STEW. OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          ARE YOU TRACKING IN ANY WAY WHAT YOUR REPEAT BUSINESS MIGHT BE ONE YEAR COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR? WE ARE THE SOFTWARE DOES ALLOW US TO SEE CASUAL VERSUS NEW AND SO WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WITH THESE TWO PROGRAMS THAT THE CASUALS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE I BELIEVE LAST YEAR DUE TO CASUAL PERCENTAGE WAS 54% FOR AS NEW VISITORS TO THE EVENT WHICH IS GOOD PART OF THAT WAS ARE WE INCREASE MARKETING LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT WAS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE PUT A LOT MORE ELEMENTS INTO DRAW PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA TO COME SO WE WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH THAT PERCENTAGE CORRECT? THE TOWN PURCHASED THE PROPERTY THE PARK IS OWNED YES THE TOWN OWNS THE PROPERTY AND THAT PURCHASE PROBABLY BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES OR SO I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD A LEASE SINCE 2017 HOW MANY ACRES THE ORIGINAL LEASE WAS FOR 33 ACRES. WE WERE ABLE TO PICK UP AN ADDITIONAL THREE ACRES IN 2022 WITH THE JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN THERE WERE ABOUT THREE ACRES OF PROPERTY THAT WAS JOINTLY OWNED AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT INCLUDED INTO THE LEASE IN 2022 IF WE GOT 36 ACRES TOTAL YEAH 36 TOTAL OF THE IF YOU WERE DESCRIBE BUILD OUT WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR 20% 80% I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY BUILD OUT AS FAR AS THINGS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS. 
          WELL ACTUAL THE GROUND BEING DONE WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 15% THINGS THAT ARE IN PROCESS. 
          WE'RE AROUND 5050 5%. SO THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW. 
          THE REASON I'M POSING THIS QUESTION THAT MITCHELL BILL'S AN INTERESTING STORY IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE AND YOU'RE TALKING THESE TWO PRIMARY PROJECT HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND JUNETEENTH ARE THOSE YOUR PRIMARY TOURISM ATTRACTION EVENTS AND THE REST OF THE AREA IS SORT OF ENCOURAGING SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY HERE TO STAY AN EXTRA OR TWO. 
          YEAH, THOSE ARE YOUR TWO PRIMARY TOURS RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW WE DO ABOUT FIVE MAJOR PROJECTS A YEAR FREEDOM DAYS IN FEBRUARY WE HAVE WE JUST HAD OUR BLUES AND BARBECUE FUNDRAISER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGAIN IT'S MORE OF A LOCAL CASTING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE AREA AND. THEN WE HAVE A ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM WE KNOW IT IN MITCHELL WAS CREATED EITHER LATE OCTOBER EARLY NOVEMBER 1862 SO WE ALWAYS DO A PROGRAM AROUND THAT TIME FRAME. THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE DONE A FILM FESTIVAL AND THAT IS USUALLY GEARED TOWARD PEOPLE IN THE AREA. JUNETEENTH AND HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND WAKES ALLOWS US TO GO OUT A LITTLE FURTHER AND ALLOW WITH JUST OUR GENERAL MARKETING TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE PARK YOU KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TOUR COMPANIES THAT COME DOWN AND SEE US AS WE'RE GROWING SO THAT'S PUTTING EFFORTS OUT THERE A LOT FURTHER AWAY FROM SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE TRY TO GET PEOPLE IN THE PARK IN GENERAL WHY WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE THINGS IN THE PARK, GET PEOPLE USED TO THE PARK AND HAVE PUT IT ON THEIR SCHEDULE. MIKE I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO JUNETEENTH. 
          WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF FRIENDS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. THEY COME DOWN FOR VIRGINIA, FOR JUNETEENTH AND AMERICAN I'M SORRY WHO MANAGER MARKETING WE WORK WITH A FIRM CALLED FORESIGHT COMMUNICATIONS OUT OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. I HATED IT WHEN I GOT HERE SEVEN AND HALF YEARS AGO. THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB FOR US. THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND USING YOUR PROGRAM TO TRACK YOUR DATA AND STATISTICS IF I WERE I'M I GUESS THEY DO HAVE TO LOG IN DO YOU KNOW THAT THAT IS SOMEWHAT SCARY PART ABOUT IT. 
          OKAY IF YOU IF YOUR PHONE IS ON OH I DON'T GET YOUR NAME AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT I KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM. I KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO IS FINE. 
          THAT'S MARKETING WHILE I KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY. OKAY YOU'RE FACING IN THE NAME THAT SOFTWARE VENDOR IT IS PLACER LASER A.I. AND YOU GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. IT'S IT WE GOT FORTUNATE BECAUSE WE GOT AN INVESTMENT TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT. IT IS A PRETTY EXPENSIVE PLATFORM BUT IT IS REALLY TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE DO GRANTS AND PROGRAMS. IT HELPS DO A LOT OF STUFF BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY CAN JUMP INTO KNOW NO 
          [01:25:07]
IT'S USUALLY PRETTY EXPENSIVE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I THINK OUR INVESTMENT THIS YEAR WAS MAYBE $18,000 FOR THE YEAR. TOO BAD. 
          KNOW WHAT NONPROFIT IS KIND OF HEFTY? YEAH, WE HAD WE HAD A LITTLE BIT HELP OURSELVES I WOULD SAY FROM IN THE VISITORS BUREAU. YEAH YEAH EXACTLY WON BUT WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF PLATFORMS. THERE'S A LOT OF PLATFORMS YOU CAN USE. WE WERE ABLE TO JUMP THAT ONE WITH A DEAL LAST YEAR AND SO CAME BACK THIS YEAR WITH HEY IT'S GOING TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT SO WE'LL SEE HOW LONG USE IT AND THIS IS THE ONLY MEANS OF TRACKING. YES THAT'S USED NO NO, NO. 
          WE DO EVALUATION EFFORTS ON SITE LIKE WE ALWAYS DO THAT. IN FACT WHEN YOU COME TO HOLIDAY NIGHTS IN LIGHTS BEFORE TO PARK WE GIVE YOU AN ENVELOPE WE ACTUALLY YOU ZIP CODE YOU CAN EITHER SCAN YOUR INFORMATION IN YOU CAN FILL OUT YOUR ADDRESS AND THEN WE PICK THOSE UP. IT'S A DONATION THING SO WHEN PEOPLE COME BACK AROUND THEY CAN DROP A DONATION AND WE TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THOSE AND WE PUT INTO THE SYSTEM ALSO A JUNETEENTH. WE HAD PEOPLE GOING AROUND DOING SURVEYS TO GET INFORMATION AS WELL. THAT'S THAT'S THE CLEANEST WE'VE BEEN IT AND BEFORE WE HAD PLACER THAT'S HOW WE WERE GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION. YEAH YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE AND GETTING DETAILS. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU. GOOD TO GO. APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY AND 
          [10:10 AM Gullah Traveling Theater, Inc.]
THANK OKAY. GOLD TRAVELING THEATER. I'M GOING TO RECUSE MYSELF. 
          GOOD MORNING, NOON. HOW'S EVERYBODY TODAY? VERY LATE. 
          I JUST HIT A BUTTON AND IT'S TO THAT. UM HERE, WE GO I'M DENISE SPERLING. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE GALA TRAVELING THEATER AND OUR REQUEST FOR FUNDING SUPPORT FOR THE GALA AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE. 
          WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA 250TH COMMISSION AND THEY HAVE AWARDED US FUNDING TO PRODUCE A NEW PLAY THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE GULF PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AS A PART OF THAT THEY WANT TO SHARE THE STORY TELLING THE EXCITEMENT, THE INFORMATION, THE CELEBRATION AND WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS WHO MIGHT TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE STORIES THAT WE TEND ASSOCIATE WITH THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE . AND SO THE GALA TRAVELING THEATER HAS INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH THE STATE ANNIVERSARY COMMISSION AS WELL AS WITH LOCAL VIEW FOR JASPER COUNTY LOCAL COMMITTEE AS. WELL I KNOW THEY'RE ON YOUR DOCKET FOR LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON. RICH THOMAS HAS WORKED WITH US TO, PUT THIS COLLABORATION TOGETHER. WHAT WE HAVE AGREED TO AND PROPOSED IN TERMS OF A STRUCTURE OF HOW IT IS GOING TO WORK THE, THE COMMISSION HAS ASKED ACTUALLY THE LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE ASKED THAT WE DO SOME FREE PREVIEWS OF THE SHOW AROUND THE BAYOU FOR JASPER COMMUNITY SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING VIGNETTES FROM THE SHOW IN THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS WE'RE DOING FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND THAT'S REALLY PRIMARILY WHAT WE ARE REQUESTING FOR AT THE TIME WHEN WE WROTE THE GRANT SOME THE DETAILS WERE STILL A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN NAILED DOWN. THEY'RE NAILED DOWN NOW AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY UPDATING YOU IN REGARDS TO BUT ANYWAY IT BEGINS AT THE GULLAH FESTIVAL THEIR REQUEST NOT OURS. 
          THEY ASKED THAT THE FIRST PREMIERE BE AT THE ORIGINAL GULLAH FESTIVAL IT WILL HAPPEN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON I THINK THAT'S THE 25TH AND PULL UP MY NOTES AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE FIRST FREE EVENT AND OF COURSE THE BACKDROP OF THAT WILL NOT JUST BE THE THE PERFORMANCES WE DO WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN TANDEM WITH THE GULLAH FESTIVAL TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN AMERICAN REVOLUTION VILLAGE SET UP INSIDE OF THE GULLAH FESTIVAL. 
          [01:30:02]
SO TO THE THE THEATRICAL AS WELL AS THE ARTISAN OF REVOLUTION VILLAGE THEY WILL BE A CENTER POINT THIS YEAR'S GULLAH FESTIVAL AND WE ARE KIND OF COORDINATING THAT ENTIRE EFFORT SO IT'LL BE KIND OF AN EVENT WITHIN AN EVENT AND SO THAT'LL HAPPEN ON THAT SUNDAY AND THEN ON JULY 2ND AND AGAIN THESE DATES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE NOT BY THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER. THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO DO A PERFORMANCE FOR THE CITY. 
          BEAUFORT AND THAT WILL BE AT UCB ON JULY THE SECOND AT 4 P.M. WE WILL HAVE ARTISANS PERHAPS OUTSIDE OR INSIDE WE HAVEN'T DECIDED WHICH AND THEN THEY'LL COME IN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE PREVIEW AND SO THAT'LL HAPPEN ON JULY SECOND. ON JULY THE NINTH WE WILL REPLACE KATE THAT EVENT ON HILTON HEAD AT CHRIST LUTHERAN AGAIN WE ARE THINKING SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE KIND OF THE ARTISAN VILLAGE. IT MAY NOT BE THE FULL BUT EVEN TWO OR THREE WE'RE ALSO DOING FOR THESE OTHER NOT THE GULLAH FESTIVAL BUT FOR THE OTHER THREE. THERE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE RICE TASTINGS AS A PART OF IT. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF YOU COME YOU GET TO INTERACT LITTLE BIT WITH THE ARTISANS. 
          WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME REENACT ACTORS KIND OF ACTING AS HOST AND HOSTESSES OF THE EVENT AND THEN THEY'LL GET TO KIND OF INTERACT WITH THE ARTISANS GO IN FOR THE PRODUCTION PREVIEW AND THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK FOR RICE TASTING AND CONTINUED INTERACTION WITH THE ARTISANS AND SO THAT'LL AT CHRIST LUTHERAN IT'LL HAPPEN IN BEAUFORT HILTON HEAD IN BLUFFTON BLUFFTON ON THE 19TH WILL ALSO BE OUR PREMIERE WEEKEND SO THE SHOW WILL ACTUALLY IN FULL THAT WEEKEND AND THAT WILL BE THE LARGEST ARTISAN MARKET SINCE THE GULLAH FESTIVAL AS A PART OF THAT EVENT LET ME SEE I'VE TOLD YOU HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES ARTISAN VILLAGE AND RICE TASTING THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY PIECES OF EACH ONE IN TERMS OF MARKETING OUR STRATEGY IS USING PRINT, RADIO AND SO WE ARE CURRENTLY TESTING THE MARKETPLACE AND WE ARE NOW RUNNING ADS FOR OUR PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS ON DISNEY AND HULU AS WELL AS FACEBOOK. WE'RE WORKING TOWARD SPOTIFY TO SEE THESE LEVEL UP AGAINST THE NETWORK BUYS. IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING MORE BACK FOR MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK WITH THE STREAMING THAN WE CAN PAY WITH THE NETWORK TV. 
          IT ALSO GIVES US A WIDER REACH FOR THE DOLLARS AND MORE FLEXIBLE BUYS LOTS OF DATA THAT COMES BACK TO US REAL TIME SO THAT IF WE SEE ONE AD IS DOING PARTICULAR REALLY WELL WE CAN UP THAT ONE WHEREAS ONE THAT'S NOT SO FAR WE'VE DONE VERY VERY WELL WE'VE ONLY ROLLED OUT OUR THIS THIS MARKETING STRATEGY FOR WHAT'S COMING UP FOR DECORATION DAY AND SO FAR THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN GREAT. THE ACTIVITY HAS BEEN GREAT. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT IT AND SO ONCE WE GET TO DECORATION DAY WE'LL HAVE A BETTER BASELINE BUT FROM THERE WE INTEND TO GO RIGHT INTO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION PUSH SO FLEXIBLE CONTENT WE CAN CHANGE THINGS AND THEY DON'T CARE HOW MANY ADS WE PLACE WE DON'T THERE'S NOT A BIG MACHINERY BECAUSE DO MOST OF THE WORK YOURSELF AND THEN UPLOAD AND SO IT SEEMS TO BE VERY VERY WELL AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING IN OUR GOAL IS RUN THIS AD CAMPAIGN FROM WHATEVER POINT WE CAN GET STARTED IN MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER THE SCHOOL SHOWS WILL BE THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY WON'T BE IN THE MAINSTREAM ADVERTISING BUT WE ARE GOING DO A SPECIFIC DIGITAL CAMPAIGN THAT WILL GO TO MAILBOXES EMAIL MAILBOXES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT IN ADDITION TO BRINGING US TO YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OR FINDING OUT A WAY FOR YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR STUDENTS TO TAKE IN SOME 
          [01:35:02]
OF THESE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE ALSO TO OPEN UP THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES BUS TOURS BACK DOWN HERE AND COMPLEMENTARY TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE INSIST THAT'S A VERY MINOR PART OF THE BUDGET WE'LL BE DOING THAT MOSTLY IN-HOUSE AND JUST KIND OF USING A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. I MEAN AS A QUESTION SURE. 
          SO THE ON THE APPLICATION THERE'S A HIGH MIX OF THE INVESTMENT THAT SAYS 15,000 TELEVISION RADIO AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION. RIGHT. 
          SO IS THAT IS THAT DIFFERENT IS WHAT YOU DESCRIBED THAT IS THAT A THAT'S NOT ALL IN THAT'S ACTUALLY PART MATCHING THE FUNDS THAT THE STATE GIVING US SO WE HAVE OTHER ADVERTISING DOLLARS AS WELL THESE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE THE ONLY DOLLARS BUT FROM THIS FROM THIS REQUESTED FROM THESE REQUESTED RIGHT THAT'S THAT'S STILL THAT 15,000 IS STILL IS YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE THAT TOWARD THAT TOWARD MORE SPECIFICALLY PROMOTING THESE EVENTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE. SO IT HELPS US TARGET OUR MARKETING FOR THESE SPECIFIC REVOLUTION CELEBRATIONS AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU SAID THIS BUT IT'S KIND OF THE GEOGRAPHIC TARGET OF THAT MARKETING OUTSIDE THE LOCAL AREA CORRECT . 
          SO IN EVERYTHING WE DO WE'RE ABLE TO WE'RE USUALLY ABLE TO GET SOME VALUE ADD AND THAT'S HOW WE COVER THE LOCAL BUT WE'RE PAYING FOR FURTHER OUT ROB WELLS TAUGHT US THIS RIGHT AND SO WE DO COVER THE LOCAL AS WELL AND OF COURSE WE DO FLIERS AND RACK CARDS THINGS TO MAKE SURE AND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AN ARTICLE IN THE AND ADS IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS SINCE WE DON'T WANT OUR COMMUNITY BE LEFT OUT BUT THESE FUNDS ARE PRIMARILY FOR OUR REACH THE THE QUESTIONS YEAH DO YOU I'M LISTENING TO YOU DO YOU HAVE STATISTICS THAT TRENDS HERE IN THE BED IN THE COUNTY WE RELY THE DMO TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION WE LET ROB KNOW OUR CALENDAR AND THEN AFTER THE EVENT GO TO HIM AND PULL INFORMATION. 
          WE PULL THE INFORMATION DOWN AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A NEW THING SO. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A BASELINE FOR EVEN THE STRUCTURE OF EVENT WITH THESE FREE PREVIEWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WE REALLY DON'T BUT YOU KNOW WE KNOW THAT TYPICALLY ON A SHOW WEEKEND THAT WE CAN PULL IN WE CAN WE CAN STIMULATE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 5000 PEOPLE OF ACTIVITY IN IN THE AREA. AND SO WE WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT. 
          I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN AND THIS WILL DO THROUGH OF PROBABLY OUR LOCAL MORE PAMPHLET THING AND CARDS AND FLIERS BUT THEY REALLY WANT US TO HIT KIND THE SUN BIRDS ON HILTON HEAD AND REALLY MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND SO SOME OF IT IN THAT REGARD THEY WANT TO ARRANGE THEIR RANGING SHUTTLE BUSSES LIKE FROM SOME OF THE I GUESS HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OR AREAS WHERE PEOPLE STAY SO THAT THEY CAN YOU KNOW THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO PUT SO MANY BUSSES AND HAVE PEOPLE COME IN. SO WE KNOW THAT WILL ATTRACT AT LEAST THE TOURISTS WHO ARE HERE FOR THE WEEKEND. AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKED A LOT WITH THAT. 
          THAT'S REALLY BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY. THE HILTON HEAD FOUNDATION AND IT CAN HELP THEIR FOUNDATION THAT THEIR GOAL AND WHO'S ALSO ON THE THE MUSEUM I HAVE TO LOOK UP THEIR NAME THAT'S BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY FOR THEM IF I SAY THEIR NAME YOU'LL YOU ALL KNOW THEM YOU KNOW I'M STILL FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NAME IS MY WHICH MEETING IS DOWN I DON'T GET TO I HAVE TO GO I NEED MY PHONE AT ANY RATE THEY ARE VERY IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR TOURISTS AND VISITORS FROM THE AREA FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND ARE KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT AND ACCESS TO THE EVENT AND SO THEY ARE WORKING WITH US ON THE GROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT 
          [01:40:03]
PEOPLE WHO ARE LOCAL WHO ARE LOCAL EVEN TEMPORARILY WHETHER IT'S FOR SUMMER OR WHETHER THEY'RE SNOWBIRDS OR WHATEVER HAVE KNOW ABOUT EVENT AND HAVE ACCESS TO GETTING THERE TO ENJOY THE EVENT WELL HOW THESE NONPAYMENT TO PAYABLE EVENT SPONSORED HOW ARE THEY SPONSOR YEAH THE 250TH COMMISSION OKAY . YEAH OH YES THEY'VE INVESTED QUITE A BIT OF IN THIS ENDEAVOR THE WHOLE PROJECT IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF MILLION DOLLARS E.TV WILL BE FILMING THERE MAKING IT INTO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE A DOCUMENTARY OR SHOW FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES OR FOR AIRING THOSE DETAILS ARE STILL YET TO BE DETERMINED BUT E.TV GETS A LARGE SLICE OF OF THAT AND YEAH THE WHOLE THING IS BEING FUNDED BY THEM THESE WOULD BE PART OF OUR MATCH THESE DOLLARS WOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF OUR MATCH FOR THIS THIS GRAND AWARD FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE GRANT THE PROJECT WE HAVE OVER $100,000 FROM THE COMMISSION THAT THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN IT AND THEN THIS WOULD BE PART OF THE $50,000 THAT $56,000 IN MATCHING FUNDS THAT WE ARE HELPING TO SUPPORT. GET A FEW QUESTIONS WE WILL THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WE'RE DUE FOR A BREAK, RIGHT? YEAH. SO TAKE A 15 MINUTE BREAK AND I CAN SEE MY 45 YEARS OF WORK. 
          OKAY PERFE ALL RIGHT, BACK TO BACK LIVING HERE OUR NEXT EXAMPLE HELP THAT SELF-ESTEEM IS TO MAKE SURE THAT BROADCAST OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU. 
          YOU BET. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          [10:45 AM Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra]
THAT'S A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. 
          YOU GRADUATED CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMPTNESS THIS IS FANTASTIC. 
          THE HHS HAS BEEN THE GRATEFUL BENEFICIARY OF $25,000 GRANTS FROM THIS BODY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE USED THIS MONEY TO INCREASE OUR PERCENTAGE OF TOURISTS 72% AND OUR VISITORS BY 86%. THIS TRANSLATES TO MORE THAN 4000 ADDITIONAL TOURISTS AND VISITORS THAN DURING OUR 2021 2022 SEASON DURING 2023 2024 SEASON WE DREW 22,918 ATTENDEES 5001 OF WHOM WERE TOURISTS. OUR JUST COMPLETED 2025 INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION FEATURED THE ADULT DIVISION AGES 18 TO 30 TOTAL PRIZES ADDED UP TO $43,000 AND WE WILL PRESENT THE FIRST PRIZE WINNER IN RECITAL CARNEGIE HALL'S WHILE RECITAL HALL ON OCTOBER 25TH 2025. THIS IS OUR AMBASSADOR OUR TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY THAT RESULTS IN RECITAL ATTENDEES MORE ABOUT OUR ECONOMY, OUR COMPETITION AND THE LOWCOUNTRY PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF OUR LIVE STREAMING OF THIS LAST MONTH REVEAL 27,229 IMPRESSIONS DETAILS. 
          HOWEVER I'M SORRY WE WILL BE DRILLING DOWN MORE FOR DETAILS HOWEVER HISTORICALLY OUR LIVE STREAMS HAVE BEEN VIEWED IN AS MANY AS 71 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND 83% OF OUR DOMESTIC VIEWERSHIP IS FROM OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS YEAR WE ESTABLISHED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AMADEUS, A STREAMING SERVICE THAT MADE OUR COMPETITION TO AN ADDITIONAL 200,000 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS CHINA. MOST CHINESE CITIZENS ACCESS OUR LIVE STREAM DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. WE ESTIMATE THE HHS WILL DIRECTLY FOR 225 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS FOR OUR VISITING. BEYOND THAT, FAMILIES OF PARTICIPANTS IN OUR YOUTH COMPETITION AND CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE AND THE HHS SO MUSICIANS COMING FROM AFAR UTILIZE HOTELS AND RENTALS FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS WHILE HERE ADDING THE MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS WHO REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS WE CANNOT TRACK THE HHS SO CAN CONFIDENTLY STATE WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT HEADS IN BED DRIVER. 
          [01:45:01]
THE HHS FULFILLS TWO CRITERIA OF TAX GRANTS DIRECTLY DRAWING TOURISTS AND ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE OF TOURISTS ALREADY HERE THROUGH OUR 18 ORCHESTRA SERIES PERFORMANCES THREE OUTDOOR POPS CONCERTS, THE INTERNATIONAL PIANO YOUTH CONCERTO COMPETITION CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE, SOUNDWAVES PRESENTATIONS AND DRIVES IN THE PARK. 
          THE HHS ANTICIPATES THAT 66 PRESENTATIONS DURING THIS SEASON WILL DRAW A LIVE TOTAL LIVE AUDIENCE IN EXCESS OF 24,050 250 OF WHICH WILL BE TOURISTS AND ANOTHER THOUSAND 400 WILL BE PRESENTERS. WE HOPE THAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOURIST AND VISITOR INDUSTRY MIRRORS THE SUPPORT TO THE HHS. SO THROUGH THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX GRANT THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED HELP AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS PROPOSAL . THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING THE LEAD ON THIS. ALL RIGHT. 
          A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU. YEAH. I'M READING YOUR APPLICATION FOR YOUR IMPACT ON TOURISM STATED THAT YOU ARE IN THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT YOU PROMOTE THESE EFFORTS HOW DO YOU DO THAT? OKAY SO WE HAVE SEVERAL HOTELS THAT WE WORK WITH DIRECTLY WHERE WE PUT MATERIALS IN THERE THERE THERE THERE ARE LOBBIES AND IRAQ AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE HOTEL THAT'S A CO-SPONSOR OF OUR FREE DRIVE FROM PARK SERIOUS SO THAT THEY WORK THINGS THROUGH AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH THE FOR PROPERTIES ON THE ISLAND TO START A NEW SERIES WE HAVEN'T EVEN ANNOUNCED YET BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A WEEKLY CABARET PRESENTATION AT OUR FACILITY SOUND WAVES AND GETTING ALL THE CONCIERGE SHIPS FROM THE ENTIRE TO COME TO A PREVIEW EVENT. IT'S GOING TO BE A STEVIE WONDER REVUE SO IT SHOULD HAVE A LOT OF POPULARITY AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT'S GOING TO REALLY DRAW A LOT OF THE WEEKLIES AND THE TOURISTS IN READING THIS I DON'T SEE ANY SEE THE DATA STATISTIC ON HOTEL STAY YOU KNOW SO DATA ON HOTELS EVEN NUMBERS RIGHT. WELL I JUST MENTIONED THAT WE ACTUALLY DIRECTLY ARRANGE FOR 225 HOTEL ROOMS FOR OUR GUESTS ARTISTS FOR, OUR COMPETITION JUDGES AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT. SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE IN I, I MISSED IT BUT OKAY ANYWAY BUT THAT'S SO THERE'S 225 THAT WE'RE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR AND ON TOP OF THAT WE HAVE MUSICIANS THAT BOOK THAT LIVE FROM AFAR THAT STAY IN HOTELS AND THEN WE HAVE AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND WE PARENTS OF OF PEOPLE THAT COME FOR THE CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE SO OKAY OKAY OKAY AND YOUR RED CARD IS PLACE WHERE DO YOU PLACE THESE RIGHT. 
          SO THEY'RE ALL AROUND THE STATE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STATE WELCOME CENTERS SO THEY GET DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF THE REST AREAS AND WELCOME CENTERS AT ALL THE INTERSTATES IN THE STATE. WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE SAVANNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WE HAVE GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. 
          IF YOU WERE THERE LAST MONTH AND IT CAME DOWN THE ESCALATORS TO THE BAGGAGE AREA YOU SAW ARE HUGE INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION BANNER HANGING THERE. 
          THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER THAT WE HAVE SCREENS THAT ARE GOING BEHIND THE BAGGAGE AREA SO WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE THEY KNOW ABOUT THE COMPETITION WHAT THE MENU AND YOUR DETAIL APPLICATION VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD QUESTION. CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TRIP TO NEW YORK AND THE OTHER THE JAZZ IN THE PARK. I'M JUST CURIOUS YOU PERFORMED AT A VENUE. 
          HOW MANY OTHER PERFORMANCES DO YOU DO OUTSIDE THAT BEEN? SO WE'RE AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOR OUR ORCHESTRA SERIES. WE DO OUR SIX FREE DRIVES IN THE PARKS CONCERT AT LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK AND COLLECT IT. 
          I'M SORRY I'VE GOT TO GO WHERE THEY ARE. NO, NO, IT'S A LEAD ME RIGHT NEAR THE BEACH RIGHT THERE OFF OF POPE AVENUE. WE ALSO DO TWO OUTDOOR POPS CONCERTS THERE. WE JUST DID ONE A WEEK AGO. WHAT'S TODAY? TUESDAY A WEEK AGO TODAY TO ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE IN THE FOG. AND WE ALSO PERFORM IN BLUFFTON AT MARTIN FAMILY PARK. WE DO AN OUTSIDE CONCERT THERE THAT'S TO THE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL. 
          SO WE DO WHAT THE THURSDAY NIGHT RIGHT BEFORE THE FINAL WEEKEND TO TRY AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL TO TRY AND DRAW THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO COME A DAY EARLY TO COME AND SEE OUR CONCERT AND KIND OF KICK OFF A LONG WEEKEND. 
          WE ALSO PERFORM AT SAINT GREGORY THE GREAT. THE PARISH LIFE CENTER HOLDS 
          [01:50:03]
ABOUT 450 PEOPLE WHEN WE SQUEEZE THAT IN WITH AN ORCHESTRA WE'D WELCOME A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TO PERFORM SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO IF I WENT TO THAT WAS WHERE I WAS GOING AS A CONSIDERATION OF PLAYING FOR THAT AND LET ME TELL YOU WHEN YOU I TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY DURING THE LAST I'LL CALL IT A TRAINING SESSION 78% OF THE AID TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE COLLECTED WITHIN FOUR COUNTIES FUND AS OPPOSED TO THE TOWN HILTON AND TOWN WORKERS OR COLLECTIVE IN THE AREA NORTH OF THE BROAD RIVER. 
          RIGHT. IF THERE WERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HILTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO LOOK AT VENUES IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY PERFORMING, IS THAT SOMETHING YOUR GROUP LOOKING AT? WE'RE TODAY WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON THEY ACTUALLY CONVENED A FOCUS GROUP A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO EXPLAIN THEY'VE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBLE CITY OF A PERFORMING SPACE IN BLUFFTON AND WE'VE ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOLKS OUT AT UCB ABOUT UCB IN THE PLACE AND OKATIE MAIN CAMPUS WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT. THE CONVOCATION CENTER I THINK IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, WHICH WILL BE AN ARENA BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK FOR THE HILTON AT SOMETHING I MEAN THE CHALLENGES THAT I MEAN WE REQUIRE NOT ONLY A STAGE LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD A FULL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BUT ALSO ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TO MAKE IT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. AND HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THAT? WELL IDEALLY 1200 OF 1400 PEOPLE. IS THAT WHAT YOU GET IN THE PARK. IN THE PARK WE GET 2000. SO I MEAN THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS LAST YEAR WE GOT $3,000 AND SO I MEAN THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS ARE THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS THE IS WE WE DO MOVE INSIDE IF THE WEATHER WEATHERFORD AND SO YOU KNOW WE CAN'T GET 2000 PEOPLE ANYWHERE I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE QUESTION ABOUT IS THE 12 HUNGER RELATED TO TICKET SALES WHEN YOU SAID WE NEED 1200 IS THAT IT YEAH IT'S A GOOD MODEL FOR THE THE FINANCES TO MAKE IT FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW FIRST PRESENTLY HOWARD HOLDS 940 WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO REPEAT PERFORMANCES SO THAT'S ADDED COST IF WE COULD GET ALL 1200 OR 1500 PEOPLE IN ON ONE PERFORMANCE, IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. YOU SAW THE JAZZ IN THE PARK. 
          EVENTS ARE TICKETED NO. NO, THEY'RE FREE. THOSE ARE FREE JAZZ IN THE PARK ARE FREE AND THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON THE ORCHESTRA POPS CONCERT SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS THEY'RE FREE WE DO SELL TABLE TICKETS BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM FOR OUR SPONSORS NEED A LOT OF SPONSORSHIP TO DO A FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT BUT WE WILL SELL SOME OF THOSE TOO. BUT BUT PEOPLE CAN COME FOR FREE SO COME OCTOBER 16TH AND 17TH. YES THANK YOU SO MUCH THANK YOU . 
          [10:55 AM USCB Center for the Arts/ USCB Educational Foundation]
NEXT UP YOU UCSB CENTER FOR THE ARTS. YEAH. 
          AND THEN I DID AM I ALLOWED TO HAND ONE OF OUR PLAYBILLS? IS THAT OKAY? SURE. YEAH, SURE. THIS JUST KIND OF GETS TO YOU. 
          DON'T YOU WORK WITH MONEY? WHY I DO NO INTEREST. INTERESTING YOU. 
          ASK PERMISSION TO DO ANYTHING. I THINK YOU JUST DO ANYTHING SO I THINK AND I'M GOING TO STICK TO A SCRIPT. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT? OKAY. 
          WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON YOU MY NAME IS TAMMY CATES. I AM WITH THE USC CENTER FOR THE ARTS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN BEAVERTON. AS YOU MENTIONED, BONNIE HARGROVE IS OUR DIRECTOR. SHE IS SITTING RIGHT THERE IN THAT LAST ROW. 
          SO ARE HERE TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST SUPPORT FROM AZTECS COMMITTEE THIS IS NEW AND WE HAVE NOT I DON'T BELIEVE PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE IN MANY, MANY YEARS. 
          I'VE BEEN BACK WITH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND MY FOCUS IS GROWTH FOR OUR BUDGET SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS PRESENTATION AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WHICH I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE THE USC CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS THE PRIMARY PERFORMING VENUE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS AT AS UCB AND WE PRESENT A DIVERSE RANGE OF PERFORMANCES NATIONAL TOURING ARTIST, COMMUNITY THEATER, MUSICAL CONCERTS, INDEPENDENT FILMS, GALLERY EXHIBITS, PROGRAMING AND YOUTH PRODUCTIONS AND WE REALLY DO MAKE IT OUR MISSION TO ENRICH, ENTERTAIN AND EDUCATE PUBLIC WHILE SUPPORTING AND ENHANCING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF DOWNTOWN FOR ANOTHER BIG PORTION OF WHAT WE DO AND WHICH IS NOT THE FOCUS OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY BUT WE'RE ALSO PARTNERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW'S MANY EVENTS WHETHER IT'S THE BEEFHEART ORCHESTRA GALA TRAVELING 
          [01:55:04]
THEATER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THEY CALL OUR THEATER HOME BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR OWN RANGE OF PROGRAMING WHICH YOU WILL FIND A SEGMENT OF IN OUR PLAYBILL. 
          SO WHY DOES A TECH MATTER TOURISM AND THE ARTS REALLY GO HAND IN HAND OUR PERFORMANCES DO BRING VISITORS TO BEAUFORT WHO SPEND MONEY IN LOCAL HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, SHOPS AND ALSO BRINGING IN NATIONAL TOURING ARTIST. WE HOUSE THEM AND WE FEED THEM ALL WITHIN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY SO I LOOKED UP A STUDY BY AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS SHOWING THAT CULTURAL TOURIST SPEND TWO TIMES MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE TOURIST TO AN AREA MANY OF OUR TICKET BUYERS TRAVEL FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA WHICH WOULD BE CHARLESTON, SAVANNAH TO ATTEND OUR PERFORMANCES. I HAVE SEVERAL VIDEOS OF OUR PERFORMANCES JUST THIS YEAR OF PEOPLE COMING UP AND SAYING WE TRAVELED FROM GREENVILLE JUST FOR THIS PERFORMANCE. 
          RIGHT? SO TO US THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMING THAT WE CAN OFFER IS KEY TO ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA. SO HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE USED WE'RE GOING TO AGAIN FOCUS ON THE OFFERINGS BRINGING ARTISTS TO ATTRACT A WIDE AUDIENCE AND THEN ANY ENHANCE OUR STRATEGIC MARKETING EFFORTS AND ADVERTISING EFFORTS TO INCREASE ATTENDANCE AT OUR SEASON PERFORMANCES. MY FOCUS I REALLY REALLY WANT TO ENHANCE OUR DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS AGAIN I'VE BEEN BACK AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. BONNIE HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE I'M COMING TO PROVIDE, LIFT AND PROMOTE GROWTH FOR THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS. SO AGAIN A FOCUS ON DIGITAL MARKETING. I WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND INTO YOUTUBE SOME REGIONAL PRINT MEDIA DEFINITELY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TARGETING VISITORS PLANNING TO VISIT THE LOWCOUNTRY AND ALSO THE FANS WILL SUPPORT A LOT OF OUR MARQUEE EVENTS THAT HAVE A PROVEN TOURIST DRAW ELECTRIC AVENUE THE EIGHTIES MTV EXPERIENCE THAT WE JUST HAD THEY HAVE QUITE THE FOLLOWING WE HAVE A GROUP THAT'S COMING IN MAY CALLED BOYNTON BANJO THEY ARE HALE FROM NASHVILLE TENNESSEE THEY'RE SWANNIE GRADS LIKE OUR FOCUS WITH THAT IS TO THEIR ALUMNI DRAW THEM TO THE BEAUFORT FOR COMMUNITY SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROGRAMS AND THEN WE PARTNERED WITH SOMEONE I WON'T NAME IN THE ROOM FOR OFF THE WALL AND ON TO THE WHICH WAS AN AMAZING EVENT AND ALSO GOING TO BRING THE SOUTH CAROLINA BALLET BACK NEXT Y FOR DRACULA. SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY JUST LOOKING TO ENHANCE OUR PROGRAMING EXPAND OUR REACH THROUGH DIGITAL MARKETING BUT WE NEED HELP TO DO THAT. 
          SO LAST SEASON WE DREW IT WAS ABOUT 15,000 PATRONS AND AGAIN OUR NUMBERS YOU KNOW WE HAVE OUR PROGRAMING AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THOSE THAT BENEFIT FROM THE USE OF THE FACILITY AT ABOUT 450 OF THOSE FOR US CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA I PULLED THOSE NUMBERS FOR THIS SEASON ALONE AND WE'VE ALREADY INCREASED THAT UP TO 900 BASED ON THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AND . MY GOAL WOULD BE TO INCREASE THAT TO 25% OF PRINTED ATTENDEES AND TO DRAW BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT SOLD OUT EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE. 
          SO THERE IS ROOM FOR GROWTH. PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS. YEAH OKAY SMART. 
          MAKE SURE WE STAY ON. OH EMMA. I WAS ABOUT TO SAY I REALLY CAN'T TALK A LOT SO PLEASE I DON'T SEE A TIMER SO YEAH YOU YOU KNOW I'M JUST LISTENING YOU GOT TO WE EVERY ONE THAT YOU BRING IN THAT'S FOR MORE THAN MILES. 
          YES YES. WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST TICKETING SYSTEM AND THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE ANALYTICS OF THEY'RE COMING FROM IN THE AREA AUDIENCE VIEW WE'RE HOPING TO GET AN EVEN MORE ROBUST TICKETING SYSTEM SOON BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE FOR NOW TOO. AND YOU JUST MENTIONED SOME FROM 450 THAT WAS FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR 23 OR 24. YEAH, THE LAST ONE THAT WE REPORTED TO 900 YEAH. 
          FOR THIS YEAR IT WILL AND THAT THAT TO THAT THE TYPE OF PROGRAMING THAT WE OFFER IS WHAT WE'RE SO WHAT'S YOUR GOAL SO I WOULD LOVE TO BE TO GROW IT TO ABOUT 25% OF OUR ATTENDEES SO CAN THE MORE WE CAN PRODUCE AND THAT NUMBER CAN GROW EXPONENTIALLY RIGHT NOW WE COULD CONCEIVABLY IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR GO UP TO PROBABLY 3000 IF WE WERE TO REALLY FOCUS 
          [02:00:05]
ON THOSE DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS THAT ARE YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE GREENVILLE AND AGAIN THE ARTISTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN LIKE BOY NAMED THAT ALREADY HAVE A NATIONAL FOLLOWING IS A NATURAL SEGWAY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ANY ONCE THE PREVIOUS HILL SYMPHONY WAS TALKING ABOUT PERHAPS THEY NEEDED 1200 PEOPLE SO THAT'S LIKE MINDED ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE KIND OF OCCASION ARENA THE UCB AS TO PUT IN THE BLUFFTON BLUFFTON KIDS ONE OF THE FEATURED ITEMS ABOUT THAT WOULD BE THERE WOULD BE A SIGN ON TO 78 ALERTING PEOPLE TO PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES GOING ON INSIDE THE CENTERS RIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY WOULD BE A MARKETING OR I DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. LET'S SEE SOME BANNERS AND THINGS AS ANY THOUGHT BEING GIVING GIVEN TO REACHING OUT TO THE CITY AND GIVING SOME MECHANISM WHEREBY YOU CAN TELL THE MANY PEOPLE THAT DROPPED BY THAT CAMPUS DAY WHAT'S COMING THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR CONVERSATION YOU KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF CONTRACT WITH THE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS THAT ARE AROUND 95 IF WE CAN COME INTO THE CAMPUS O SPECIFICALLY IS THERE SOME REASON YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO ASSUME NO. IS THAT SOMETHING WOULD LIKE WE WOULD LIKE TO YES. 
          ALL RIGHT. WE'RE NEVER TO SAY NO THANKS YES TO PROMOTING IT AND DECIDED IT WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE ARCHITECTURE IT WOULD DIMINISH THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE OR SOMETHING. YEAH I DON'T THINK SO. YOU KNOW WE DO YOU KNOW REACH OUT TO THE STUDENTS AND THEN AGAIN YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR PRESIDENT OUR PRESENCE IS WITHIN THE DIGITAL WITH USCCB BEING ON THEIR CALENDAR AND IN THEIR EMAIL MARKETING. 
          BUT I MEAN I LOVE THE IDEA OF OF A PHYSICAL BANNER IF IT WOULD BE ALLOWED THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE MY AREA TO APPROVE THAT OR MINE BUT THERE YOU GO BUT WE CAN ASK WE CAN SAY NO IT MIGHT TO SAY YES THAT'S I LISTEN TO YOU I I HEARD THAT THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME APPLYING AND THAT FIRST TIME YOU FOCUS ON MARKETING AT THIS POINT. 
          YES AND. IN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES AND MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE HOTELS HERE AND TO BE AS WE LOOK HERE CORRECT. YES. 
          HOW DO YOU NEXT TIME COME FOR YOUR FUNDING? OKAY. 
          SO WE CAN SEE HOW YOUR MARKETING IS BRINGING YES. TO LOOK TO THE HOTELS AND THAT'S THAT'S ANOTHER AREA AND AGAIN YOU KNOW WE DO HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER BUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL HOTELS TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THOSE GETAWAY PACKAGES. I'VE CONTACTED DATA ISLAND. THEY'RE THEIR PERSON BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED TO YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THAT? THERE'S TOURING BUSSES THAT COME THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SO REALLY REACHING OUT HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THOSE PACKAGES THAT ARE BRINGING BECAUSE WE REALLY DO BRING A LOT OF VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR PROGRAMING SO YOU I DO HAVE ONE MORE WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY REFERRING TO YOUR BUDGET FOR MARKETING YOU SAYING YOU'D NEVER SEAT WHAT JUST NOT ENOUGH OF YOU PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. SO WE ARE A SMALLER VENUE WHERE 440 SEATS SO YOU KNOW TO BRING IN THOSE LARGER TOURING ARTIST GETS A LITTLE BIT SCARY ON THE BUDGET I'M JUST SAYING YES AND THEN WE HAVE TWO FULL TIME STAFF MEMBERS DO EVERYTHING FROM MARKETING TO PRESENTATION TO THE EVENT. YES. OKAY THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH CAROLINA BRIGHT TRUE. I'LL BE RECUSE MYSELF. 
          [11:05 AM Carolina Bight Santcuary, Inc.]
OKAY. GOOD MORNING. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE BEFORE I BEGIN, YOU KNOW I SAT IN MY HOUSE MORNING GETTING READY TO COME SEE Y'ALL AND I HEARD PAINTED BUNTING SINGING OF MY HOUSE AND I THOUGHT THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT RIGHT HERE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST DESIRED BIRD ON BIRDERS LIST BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE RAINBOWS LIVING RAINBOWS SO GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JENNIFER CLEMONS HONEY I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE CAROLINA BIGHT SANCTUARY. WE ARE HERE TO TALK THE WINGS OVER BEAUFORT FESTIVAL WHICH IS BEING SEPTEMBER 23RD THROUGH THE 26TH IN AREAS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY THERE ARE SOME DATA STATISTICS THAT JUST CAME OUT RECENTLY AND AS OF LAST WEEK THAT I ACTUALLY FORWARDED ON TO ROB WELLS THAT I THOUGHT SOME FOLKS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBERS THAT BIRDERS AND THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE ON ECONOMICS $38 BILLION TOTAL TAX REVENUE GENERATED BIRDING ACTIVITY INCLUDING 7 BILLION IN COUNTY TAXES, 9 BILLION IN STATE TAXES AND 22 BILLION IN FEDERAL TAXES. 
          [02:05:02]
SO THAT'S ONE STATISTIC THAT WOULD MAKE ANYBODY'S EYEBROWS GET RAISED 1.4 MILLION JOBS ATTRIBUTED TO RELATED ACTIVITIES SUCH AS TRIPS, EQUIPMENT EXPENDITURES AND MORE THAN 90 BILLION IN LABOR INCOME 108 BILLION ON ANNUAL FOOD, LODGING AND EQUIPMENT SUCH AS BIRD SEED AND BINOCULARS AND $279 BILLION IS THE TOTAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT BY BIRDER EXPENDITURES THAT IS IN THE U.S. ALONE. SO THAT IS REAL TIME DATA THAT JUST CAME OUT LAST WEEK THAT WAS PUBLISHED. NOW WITH REGARDS TO OUR GRANT FUNDING, PART OF IT WAS FOR DRAWING KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS BUZZ ALREADY WE HAVE DRAWN THE MOST FAMOUS ORNITHOLOGIST IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE MOST RECOGNIZED BIRDER IN THE COMMUNITY AND DAVID ALAN SIBLEY WHO HAS SOLD OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE AND IN MOST BIRDERS FIRST BOOKS ARE SIBLEY'S AND WHEN I GIFT BOOKS PEOPLE I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THERE A SIBLEY SO JUST THAT NAME ALONE THE BUZZ HAS STARTED TO GET OUT AND I HAVE HAD REACHING OUT TO ME FROM FLORIDA GEORGIA UPSTATE NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. 
          THIS ALSO GIVES US A HUGE STAMP OF APPROVAL NOT ONLY ON THE CAROLINA BUT BIRDING CENTER BUT ON THE FESTIVAL IN GENERAL HE RARE DOES RARE APPEARANCES MAYBE ONE A YEAR. 
          SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE ARE ALSO ASKING FOR FUNDING TO NOT ONLY THE OPENING EVENT BUT THE CLOSING EVENT. STEPHEN SHAVO FROM THE CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY UP AN ISLAND OFF IS ACTUALLY WHY IS ANYBODY CALLING ME RIGHT NOW? I'M SORRY IS ACTUALLY COMING DOWN WITH SOME OF THEIR BIRDS THAT THEY HAVE AN EDUCATION CENTER TO DO THE CLOSING EVENT AND THAT ALWAYS IS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR PEOPLE TO SEE AND THEN PART IT IS FOR THE RENTALS WE'RE GOING TO NEED STAGING TENT TABLES AND CHAIRS FACILITIES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ON SITE AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH OUR BUILD OUT AND ZONING WE DO HAVE A PLEDGE OF $15,000 TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS NOW I JUST RECEIVED CONFIRMATION THIS MORNING FROM FELICIA WHO IS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE HEAD OF THE COASTAL SHOREBIRDS PROGRAM BASICALLY SHE WAS ACTUALLY ON CBS MORNING NEWS THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE DEVOE BANK WHICH IS WHERE SOME OF OUR ENDANGERED WIMBERLEY RED KNOT STAGE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS NOW AN OFFICIAL PROTECTED SANCTUARY AND RECOGNIZED SO THAT IS EXCITING IS GOING TO JOIN ME IN LEADING A SHOREBIRDS WALK AND ALSO DO A PRESENTATION ONE EVENING WE HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY PARTNERS IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF OUR GOOD NAME AND OUR HARD WORK AND OUR DEDICATION. 
          IT'S PART OF OUR EXPERIENCE. THE AGENDA IS HAVING ACCESS TO LANDS THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NO WILDLIFE FOUNDATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOUR TOURS THERE AND THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING TO HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN YOU NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THAT SPRING ISLAND AS WELL. 
          THE LOWCOUNTRY INSTITUTE OVER THERE I'M A GRADUATE AS WELL AS MY HUSBAND OF THE LOWCOUNTRY MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM VERY CLOSE WITH DR. ANDY JONES AND TONY MILLS RUN THAT THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO DO A TOUR AND A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT SO. WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON DOING SOME ACTIVITIES LIKE I SAID AT HUNTING ISLAND ALSO DOWN IN THE HILTON HEAD REGION SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE AREA FEELS WELCOME AND ABLE TO EXPLORE ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT WE HAVE HERE. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INVESTING IN A LOT OF THE DATA PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETE THEY'VE BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU MY PHONE 99% OF US ARE NERDS AS WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES. WE USE A APP CALLED EBIRD WHICH MEANS ANY TIME WE SEE A BIRD WE REPORT IT THE LOCATION IT PENS YOU. 
          OUR PHONES ARE ALWAYS ACTIVE. IN FACT I DID IT THIS MORNING BECAUSE I SAW SOME CANADIAN GEESE OUT IN THE IN THE RETENTION POND BUT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TRACK WHO IS HERE FROM WHAT AREAS AND OBVIOUSLY WILL BE PARTNERING WITH ROB AS WELL. SO DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY SAYING HE'S OKAY. NO, IT'S NOT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD OR BAD THING. NO, IT'S AND OKAY SO THEN KILLING MIKE WAS REAFFIRMED WITH THAT I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. WE GOT RID OF SO OKAY SO WALK US THROUGH AGAIN WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE INVESTMENT WOULD BE USEFUL SO PORTION 
          [02:10:07]
OF THE GRANT THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR WOULD BE USED TO HELP OFFSET THE COST WOULD BE PAYING THE SPEAKER FEE FOR THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER. I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR CLOSING SPEAKER IS DOING THIS AS A FAVOR AND IT IS NOT REQUESTING AN HONORARIUM. 
          WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT BECAUSE HE HAS TO GET BACK UP TO ATLANTA WITH HIS SO HE WILL NOT BE STAYING OVER BUT PART OF THAT WOULD BE FOR LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION AND AIRFARE FOR OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER AS HE WAS IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ALSO IT WOULD BE REALLY FOR STAGING AND FOR SETUP SO TABLES, CHAIRS, MICROPHONES WE ARE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A DINNER AT THAT KEYNOTE SPEAKING EVENT SO WE WILL NEED EXTRA TABLES FOR WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO RENT SOME BATHROOM BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE A LARGE INFLUX OF PEOPLE COMING IN FOR THAT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT ALONE AND TARGET NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT DO VISIT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EVENT. WELL OUR FIRST EVENT WAS VERY LITTLE PRESS GARNERED 97 ATTENDEES FROM SEVEN DIFFERENT STATES. WE'RE AIMING TO QUADRUPLE THAT. 
          YEAH AND WHY IS BIRDING SO POPULAR? YOU KNOW IT'S THERE IS MANY REASONS FIRST OF ALL TO ME IT'S AN EASY ACTIVITY AND THERE IS NO AS FAR AS YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE MOST ATHLETIC, YOU DON'T HAVE TO THE YOUNGEST YOU KNOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS TO DO SO ACTUALLY I JUST SHARED A STORY OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT A YOUNG AUTISTIC BOY WHO 11 YEARS OLD IN OKLAHOMA THAT WAS ABLE TO MIMIC 50 BIRDS SOUNDS NOW LISTEN, I'M A GREAT BIRDER. I'VE SEEN 219 SPECIES IN COUNTY THIS YEAR ALONE. 
          I CAN'T MIMIC BIRDS SO PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO DO THAT. THIS BOY, IT WAS AMAZING YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE SO COVID HELPED. THIS IS AN ACTIVITY WHERE THE COVID YOU KNOW, ISSUES HELPED THIS AREA. PEOPLE WERE LOOKING TO GET OUTSIDE. PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO TRAVEL NOW MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF THAT. WE LEFT BEHIND OUR CORPORATE CAREERS AND NOW THIS IS WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING AND. I KEEP GOING ON THAT THREAD. YEAH, SURE. 
          SO JUST YOU MENTIONED ECONOMIC IMPACT BUT IT'S IT'S IT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO TRAVEL ACTUALLY STAY IN AND STAY IN A HOTEL AND THEN VISIT MULTIPLE SITES FOR BIRDING YOU KNOW YES. IN A GENERAL AREA THAT'S SOUNDS THAT'S A PRETTY OH YES YEAH IT DOES AND WE HAVE CLIENTS SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'VE DONE 51 TOURS ALREADY THIS YEAR. 
          I'VE BEEN A BUSY BUT MOST 91% OF MY CLIENTS HAVE COME FROM OUT OF STATE OUT OF STATE AND THREE OF THEM THAT ONE OF THEM I'VE DONE THIS YEAR SHE CAME DOWN SPECIFICALLY TO BIRD WITH ME FROM ONTARIO. I HAVE A CLIENT COMING IN FROM PORTLAND, OREGON AND I HAVE A CLIENT FLYING IN FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ALL STAYING 3 TO 4 DAYS JUST A BIRD WITH ME AROUND THE AREA. SO IMPACTS ARE GREAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION. 
          WE'VE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS KEPT UP TO DATE I'M ALSO A PHOTOGRAPHER THAT HELPS I GET TO SHOW PEOPLE TIME LIKE A LOT OF OTHER TOUR COMPANIES DON'T GET TO SHOW REAL TIME OR THEY HAVE STOCK PICTURES. NO, I'M SHOWING YOU WHAT I'M ACTUALLY THERE SEEING IN REAL TIME SO PEOPLE GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT LIKE I SAID PLUS WE'VE BUILT A GOOD REPUTATION AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOT OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE AREA BUT YOU KNOW WE HAVE EVERYTHING HERE. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THIS MOTHER NATURE HAS PROVIDED US WITH THE PERFECT LANDSCAPE WHERE THERE'S LITTLE CAPITAL THAT NEEDS TO ACTUALLY BE INVESTED. WE HAVE ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL SPACES THAT PEOPLE WILL GO TO TO GO. WE JUST HAVE TO PROMOTE IT THE RIGHT WAY IS ATLANTIC FLYING SOMETHING SO THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY AND THE CAROLINA BIGHT REGION SO YOU'VE HEARD OF THE AIRSPACE AND BEFORE, RIGHT? WELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CAROLINA BIGHT WHICH STRETCHES FROM HARBOR ISLAND BASICALLY JUST SOUTH OF HILTON HEAD AND INCLUDES ALL THE WATERWAYS AS WELL IN THAT AREA ALL OF OUR RIVERS, ALL OF THE MARSHES WE TALKING ABOUT SALTWATER, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FRESHWATER. THE ECB SAID SOME OF THOSE ARE FRESHWATER AND I WANT TO SAY I HOPE I DON'T GET THIS WRONG AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M IF I AM BUT I THINK THAT IT'S 50% OF THE SALT MARSHES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          WOW. OKAY. SO OUR AND OUR LANDSCAPE ARE COMPLETELY UNIQUE SO WE DRAW DIFFERENT BIRDS SO THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING TO SEE ME FROM OREGON AND WASHINGTON AND CANADA, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE THE SAME KIND OF SHOREBIRDS THAT ARE MIGRATING HERE. THE RED KNOTS AND THE WHIMPLE COME FROM CHILE AND ARGENTINA FLY THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY IN THE CAROLINA BIGHT AND THEN HEAD UP TO THE ARCTIC TO BREED. AND YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT. THE REASON THIS FESTIVAL IS 
          [02:15:01]
TARGETED WHEN IT IS IS FOR FALL MIGRATION WHICH HAPPENS TO NOT BE THE BUSIEST TIME FOR HERE EITHER. SO IT IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO START FILLING THE HOTELS AND FILLING THE RESTAURANTS AND HAVING SHOPPING HAPPENING BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS BUSY OF A TIME PEOPLE ARE BACK IN SCHOOL NOT TRAVELING ANYMORE. BIRDERS WE TRAVEL I JUST DID IT MYSELF A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TO GO DO SOME RESEARCH AND DO SOME BIRDING DOWN IN FLORIDA. 
          YEAH IT SOUNDS LIKE GOOD ACTIVITY AND ATTRACTION THAT CAN ATTRACT A LOT MORE PEOPLE. 
          ABSOLUTELY WHAT THAT QUESTIONS FROM I THINK WELL THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. 
          [11:15 AM The Henry Clay Foundation]
YOU ALL RIGHT HAVE A GREAT DAY . I'LL BE THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME ON NERVOUS BEAR WITH ME SO THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION ON BEHALF OF MISSOURI'S SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE IS REQUESTING A GRANT TO THE INAUGURAL SMALL INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL COUNTY. WE ARE REQUESTING A SUM OF $152,000. THIS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WILL SIGNIFICANT FOOT TRAFFIC AND REVENUE FROM BEYOND A 100 MILE RADIUS ATTRACTING TOURISTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL US TO EXPERIENCE THIS ISLAND'S RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY. THE TOURNAMENT WILL NOT ONLY BOOST LOCAL TOURISM BUT ALSO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE MISSOURI SMOKE PROGRAM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FUND THEIR UNIFORM FOR VARIOUS SPORTS OFFERED THE ORGANIZATION AND BE THE SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR OTHER TOURNAMENTS TRAVEL, LODGING, MEALS DURING THE SEASON ETC. THE TOURNAMENT PROVIDE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND TEMPORARY JOBS FOR TOURNAMENT STAFF OFFERING ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY WHILE LAYING OUT THE FOUNDATION FOR A LASTING TOURISM TRADITION THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY CAN BUILD UPON AND TAKE PRIDE IN FOR YEARS TO COME. 
          I PLAN TO APPLY FOR WAIVER FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD WE CHOOSE UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION OF THE SPORTS TOURISM DEPARTMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY TO HOST IT AT THOSE LOCATIONS OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO THESE IN COUNTY ASSETS SUCH BURTON WELLS AND THE OTHER RECREATIONS CENTERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY LIKE THE YMCA OR PERHAPS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION AND LIKE I SAID SUCH AS BURTON WORLD AS IT IS WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE ASSETS LISTED ON OUR INSERT INSURANCE POLICIES AS ADDITIONAL INSUREDS JUST IN CASE WE NEED TO UTILIZE THOSE FACILITIES IN THE FUTURE FOR PRACTICES EVENTS AND TOURNAMENTS, SCRIMMAGES OR GAMES WE PROVIDE AMPLE INSURANCE WHICH EXCEEDS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED TO UTILIZE BUTTE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR OUR RECREATION PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES. ATHLETICS HAS A HUGE FAN BASE AND BASKETBALL HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS WITHIN THE PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WE DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SPECIFICALLY BASKETBALL BECAUSE WE ARE A MULTI-SPORT ORGANIZATION SO THIS MODEL THAT WE'RE USING CAN BE USED AS A BETA TEST AND THIS BLUEPRINT CAN BE USED AS A BENCHMARK TO A SIMILAR TOURNAMENT FOR ANY OF THE 45 SPORTS THAT YOU ARE WHICH INCLUDES SPORTS, IT INCLUDES MARTIAL ARTS AND A PLETHORA OF OTHER SPORTS INCLUDING WRESTLING, JUMP ROPE, WHATEVER. SO WE WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP ON JUST BASKETBALL. THIS BLUEPRINT CAN BE USED ANY OF THE SPORTS THAT AEW OFFERS LIKE I SAID AS A TIER TO A NEW ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN OPERATION FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS, SMOAK ATHLETIC LEAGUE HAS THE PRESENCE OF MIND, THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE RESOURCES TO PULL OFF AN AMAZING BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THAT WILL NOT ONLY BRING REPEAT PATRONS THE PATRONS TO THIS ISLAND OF BEFORE AND BEFORE COUNTY BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND VENDORS WILL MUTUALLY BENEFIT BY MAKING SURE THAT FOOD AND CONCESSIONS ARE PROVIDED MAKING SURE THAT OUR TOURISM GUY WHICH WE ARE WHICH IS A PUBLICATION THAT WE ARE PUBLISHING TO SERVE AS A GUIDE OR AN ASSET MAP FOR THE TOURISTS WHEN THEY COME INTO THE TOURNAMENT WHEN THEY PURCHASE THEIR WHEN THEY PURCHASE THEIR TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEES THEY WILL THIS ASSET MAP IT'S ACTUALLY A WORD BUYING PUZZLE THAT WILL GUIDE THEM TO THE PLACES TO VISIT THE, SITES TO SEE AND THE RESTAURANTS AND PLACES THAT THEY NEED TO I 
          [02:20:09]
GUESS TO ENDORSE IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF WHAT THE COUNTY HAS TO OFFER, WHICH IS FOR QUESTIONS. THAT'S OKAY. YES, YOU'RE DOING GREAT. 
          OKAY. ANY WHO WANTS TO JUMP IN FIRST NOW I JUST TO ASK HOW WOULD THE STUDENTS FOR THIS BE GATHERED OR WHAT IS YOUR USE TO GET THE STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM SO WHAT WE DO IS AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT OUR PROGRAM IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM IT'S THEY'RE NOT PAYING MONETARY DOLLARS BUT THEY HAVE TO INVEST TIME CURRENCY WITH US SO THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS TO PARTICIPATE. SO THEY'RE PAYING ME IN TIME CURRENCY. 
          SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE AS OUR AS HOST ORGANIZATION WE WOULD HAVE OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE TICKETING OF THIS IN THE WELCOMING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SEMINAR WHERE THEY BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE HOW THE PROGRAM HAS BENEFITED THEM AND ALSO THE THEY ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED IF THE IF WE DO USE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL EXECUTION OF THE TOURNAMENT. SO THAT MEANS OPERATING THE SCOREBOARD IT YOU KNOW YES SIR. YES. I'M NOT TRYING TO CUT YOU OFF. 
          WE'RE NOT GREAT TIMES. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. OKAY WHAT'S THE DO YOU PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES IN HERE ABOUT STUDIES FOR ACTIVITIES IN LOUISVILLE? YES, YES, THAT'S GREAT AND THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION. WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION IN THE SPOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE? THEY'RE BOTH MY ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT'S A SMALL LEAGUE OPERATING IN A NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES NOW. 
          YES. SO I HAVE TWO TEAMS IN TEXAS. I HAVE THIS I ANTICIPATE FOUR TEAMS A BOYS TEAM GRADES THREE THROUGH SIX AND A GIRLS TEAM GRADES NINE THROUGH 12 AND TWO BOYS TEAMS ONE SEVEN THROUGH NINE AND THEN 110 THROUGH 12 BECAUSE A AND B TEAMS IN AN EVENT LIKE THIS THIS BOOK ATHLETIC LEAGUE WOULDN'T BE PRODUCING THE EVENT THAT WOULD YOU SAY I COULD YOU SPOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE IS MADE UP OF TEAMS IN THE EVENT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT SPOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE TEAMS MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE THE PRESENTING PARTY PRESENTING PARTY WOULD BE THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ACTIVITIES WHERE THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION HAS DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE PAST ANYWHERE NOT IN THE CAPACITY HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION. SO WE HAVE THAT ORGANIZATION. 
          YES, HAVE WE HAVE IT'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE D.C. QUEENS AND IT IS IT OPERATES OUT OF TEXAS AND THEY DO A TOURNAMENT EVERY YEAR AS WELL AS LAKE PLACID. 
          THE CLUBS WELL SO WHICH IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT. I'M WORRIED ABOUT TIMING. 
          OKAY. YEAH YOU 52,000 REQUESTS MAY BE THE LARGEST WE'VE RECEIVED CERTAINLY ONE OF THE LARGEST BUT IT'S NOT EVERY ONE WHEN I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS YOU HAVE A LOT OF LOOSE ENDS ON YOUR VENUES. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COUNTY CAN'T ACCOMMODATE THE TOURNAMENT YOU WANT TO HAVE? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? WELL, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS WE CAN GO OUTSIDE OF THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND LOOK LIKE WHERE WE CAN GO. THERE IS A FACILITY BLUFFTON THE FACILITY IN BLUFFTON DOES HAVE THE PROPENSITY BE ABLE TO HOLD THAT CAPACITY. 
          BUT THE FACILITY OR IT IS IS STILL A COUNTY FACILITY. IT WOULD BE PARKS AND RECREATION WITH THE COUNTY OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE YOUR TERMS WHAT I'M ASKING AND WHAT YOU AGREE WITH I'M NOT SAYING YOU WANT BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE ASKING US TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS WE'LL US IF YOU'VE GOT IF YOU CAN'T WE'LL DO IT. 
          SO DO YOU HAVE ARE YOU IN NEGOTIATIONS DO YOU EXPECT INCLUDING SOME NEAR TERM? YES SIR. SO I AM IN NEGOTIATE WITH A LARGER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE IT THERE BUT MY GOAL WOULD BE IT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMEPLACE LIKE IN ORANGEBURG AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OR MAYBE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN BUT MY GOAL WOULD BE TO DRAW THE CROWD HERE SO THAT COMMUNITY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE TOURISM DOLLARS YOU UNDERSTAND? SO I WOULD NOT WANT TO MY GOAL IS TO BRING THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THE MONEY HERE SO THAT YOU KNOW THIS IS TO HIM. WHAT OUR CONCERN OBVIOUSLY IS WE WANT IT TO BE A SUCCESS BUT HAVING A VENUE IN WHICH IF THE PERFORMING ARTS FOLKS ON THE HILLS ITSELF TO OBSERVE A FEW MINUTES GOES AND WE GET THIS GREAT PROGRAM GREAT MUSICIANS WE'LL HAVE A HALL PLAYING 
          [02:25:04]
THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION AND SO THAT'S ALL I'M TO DO IS GET THAT INFORMATION. 
          YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTERVIEW, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, NEAL. THIS IS YOUR FIRST ONE. THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST ONE. 
          YES, THIS WOULD BE THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY BIG UNDERTAKING IF YOU COULD START SAYING GET THIS EVENT THAT YOU CAN START SMALLER AND THEN GROW UP. ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. YOUR FUNDING NEEDS IT WOULD NOT AFFECT MY FUNDING NEEDS. 
          I WOULD JUST REALLOCATE IT SO I WOULD JUST GO SMALLER. THIS IS BASED ON A MODEL WHERE MY BRACKET MY TOURNAMENT BRACKET, THE NUMBER OF TEAMS IN MY TOURNAMENT BRACKET CAN BE REDUCED. WE CAN ALSO FIND TO HONE IN ON A SMALLER OR A MORE A SMALLER, MORE DEFINED GROUP OF KIDS INSTEAD OF HAVING IT OPEN TO ALL AGE WE COULD MAYBE FOCUS ON JUST THE SMALLER KIDS AND HAVE A SMALLER TOURNAMENT WHICH AGAIN WOULD REQUIRE LESS FUNDS . WE WOULD JUST ALLOCATE THE FUNDS. 
          THE PERCENTAGES OF THE FUNDS WOULD STILL BE ALLOCATED IN THE SAME WAY BUT WE'RE NOT DOING SUCH A LARGE TARGET. WE WOULD START SMALL AND THEN GROW IF THAT MAKES MORE QUICK ONES. HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SPORTS MARKETING TEAM AT THE CVB ABOUT THIS OF THIS CVB HERE WITH ROB? WELL NO NOT I'VE MET WITH HIM AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO HIM AND TO THE SPORTS TOURISM DEPARTMENT. 
          I WAS BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THEM. 
          THEY LOVED THE IDEA OF THE PRESENTATION AGAIN GEMS WAS THE WAS THE CHALLENGE AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT WITHIN A SMALL RADIUS THAT THIS CAN BE DONE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PULLED UP. I'VE SEEN IT DONE WITH EVEN LESS GEMS THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS. 
          YES, MA'AM FOR YOU TO SORT OF FINALIZING OR CONFIRM THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TO USE THE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM OR THE COUNTY GYMNASIUM. SO I'M CURRENTLY USING THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. SO WILL JUST BE A MATTER OF ADJUSTING OUR TO SCHEDULE TO TO TWEAK MY CONTRACT SO I AM CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE DISTRICT NOW AND WE USE THE DISTRICT FACILITIES ON MONDAYS TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 6 TO 8:30 P.M. SO YEAH, WE'RE CURRENTLY WHICH FACILITY WE ARE AT SAINT HELENA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          YES SIR. SO WE'VE GOT LIKE A TOURNAMENT BRACKET. 
          I'VE EDITED THE PRESENTATION YOU GUYS HAVE BEFORE YOU BUT IT TO INCLUDE A TOURNAMENT BRACKET THAT HAS 1 TO 3 THAT HAS SIX FACILITIES AND IT IS COMBINATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES AND THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR THE PRELIMINARY TOURNAMENTS WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BEING HELD AT BURTON WELLS THAT'S JUST IN MY PERFECT WORLD, RIGHT? WE WOULD HAVE THE GAMES TO MAKE THE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS SMALLER AND THEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES THE MAJOR DRAW WOULD BE THE FINAL EVENT BE LIKE A BURTON WELLS YOU KNOW KIND OF LIKE OUR PEARL OF THE COMMUNITY. I THINK WE'RE I THINK OUR TIME IS UP HERE SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THE MUSEUM GOLDEN ISLAND OH, I THINK MAYBE THEY WEREN'T TODAY IS ALL RIGHT BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE ONES BEFORE ME THEY WEREN'T GOING TO BE COMING ROUND. EVERYONE WAS HERE. EVERYONE KNOWING HERE RIGHT 
          [11:35 AM Favour Corp.]
FROM THAT GROUP. OKAY A FAVORITE COURT. GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS ANDREA. NAME IS MARIA. 
          I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF PAPER CORP OF 501C3 BASE ORGANIZATION HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          THE PURPOSE ME BEING HERE THIS MORNING IS TO PRESENT THE 803 LIE LOW COUNTRY SOUTHERN BLUES LINE DANCE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD SATURDAY OCTOBER AT THE LOWCOUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND. I AM EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE SIGNED AN CONTRACT THAT IS SECURED THE NUMBER ONE SOUTHERN BLUES ARTIST OH. 00I GOT MY BOOTS ON THE GROUND SO 803 FRESH WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND. HIS SONG HAS GONE VIRAL ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS YOUR NIECE, YOUR GRANDMOTHER, YOUR MOTHER'S EVERYBODY'S TRYING LEARN HOW TO DO THAT DANCE BUT HE WILL BE PERFORMING SO WE DON'T NEED PLANS FOR HIM THIS SONG HAS GOTTEN NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE ON CNN AS WELL AS GOOD DAY AMERICA AND. 
          [02:30:06]
IN ADDITION, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE RESERVED OUR ROOM BLOCKS AT THE HILTON HEAD ON HILTON HEAD OUR GROUP CODE IS SS F MEANING FOR SOUTHERN SO FIRST OF ALL AT A RATE OF 169 PLUS TEXT WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER HOTEL SO ADDITIONAL ROOMS WHAT DOES THIS FESTIVAL LOOK LIKE? WELL WE HAVE A VIP AREA WITH TABLES AND SEATS WITH WHITE PADDED FOLDING CHAIRS, A NATIONAL SOUTHERN BLUES DEEJAY THAT HAS A HUNDRED FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOOD AND FOOD VENDORS FOR THE FOODIES CRAFT VENDORS FOR THE CYBER IN A VIDEO WALLS TOO SO THE LINE DANCING OF THE NATIONAL SOUTHERN BLUES ARTISTS THAT WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE IF THE TAX DOLLARS ARE AWARDED WE WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR MARKETING TO ADVERTISE ZING AND SOME PRODUCTS IN NEEDS AND AS WELL AS THE ADDITIONAL BATHROOM FACILITY THE VENUE IS LOCKED AND SECURED WITH HILTON HEAD ISLAND REC CENTER AND THE PERMIT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT. 
          OUR METHODOLOGY USED TO TRACK OUR ATTENDEES FROM YEAR WE DID THE NINE ONE TO SOUTHERN BLUES FESTIVAL IN LIBERTY COUNTY CAME ON AS A HUGE SPONSOR FOR THE EVENT. 
          WE TRACKED OUR EVENTS VIA SURVEY AS WELL AS EVENTBRITE WHOSE TICKETMASTER OUTLETS COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING STRATEGY WILL USE SOCIAL MEDIA RADIO EMAIL DIRECT MARKETING WELL AS OUR REGIONAL MILITARY ALLOWANCE THAT WE HAVE ON ALL BASIS OUR ATTENDEES HAVE COME FROM UPPER STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA MEET IN GREENVILLE IN FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH REAL I'M SORRY NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE RALEIGH AND GREENSBORO, FLORIDA AS FAR AS JACKSONVILLE IN ORLANDO, VIRGINIA, GEORGIA IT INCLUDES MACON AUGUSTA ATLANTA IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OUR PROJECTION RETURN ON INVESTMENT WE ARE PROJECTED TO SELL MEAN WE WERE PROJECTED TO HAVE 100 ROOM BLOCKS. OUR TOTAL ATTENDANCE THAT WE ARE EXPECTING IS 14. OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT WOULD BE THREE THAT 30,000 EXCUSE ME $900. HOW DID I ARRIVE TO THOSE NUMBERS 101 TIMES 169 PLUS THE TOTAL ATTENDANCE TIMES ABOUT $35 IN GAS AND SNACKS MAKES IT 14,000 TO ARRIVE AT AGAIN $30,900 TOURISTS IN ATTENDANCE, TOURISM ATTENDANCE WE'RE EXPECTING ABOUT 250. 
          THAT'S PROBABLY UNDERMINING THAT A LITTLE BIT BEING THAT WE HAD CLOSE TO 500 PEOPLE IN BRYANT COUNTY LAST YEAR AND THAT NUMBER WOULD TRIPLE THIS YEAR FOR THAT EVENT WILL BE JULY 5TH OUR TOURISM PERCENTAGE RETURN MARGIN IS ABOUT 62%. YEAH ENTERTAINING ANY QUESTIONS TRYING TO STAY ON TASK SORRY ABOUT SPEED THROUGH THAT DOING GREAT. 
          OKAY IN CONCLUSION I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT WILL PUT HEADS AND BEDS ATTRACT TOURS CONCERT GOERS GOERS OUTDOOR LOVERS AND FESTIVAL ATTENDEES TO SHOP IT OUT AT THE LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND FILL UP TOP THE GAS TANK AND GRAB A SNACK AT THE LOCAL GAS STATION ON THEIR WAY BACK HOME ONCE AGAIN MY NAME IS ANDREA MURRAY OCTOBER 18TH WE HAVE THE NUMBER ONE SOUTHERN BLUES ARTISTS ARTIST AT ALL 3/1 BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA SO THE EVENT IS ON HILTON HEAD? YES, MA'AM. AND THESE FUNDS ARE COMING THESE PEOPLE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BROAD RIVER HOW DO WE GET SOME OF THOSE HANDS AND BEDS HERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE? OKAY. WELL, I IT HAD TO BE IT WOULD BE FOR A COUNTY I WAS IN THE I MEAN I'M JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WAY GETTING MAYBE SHARE WITH YOUR FOLKS THAT ARE COMING SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PULL THEM OVER HERE FOR MAYBE A SHORT VISIT ON THIS SIDE MAYBE VISIT SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS, SOME OF THE TOURIST SPOTS THAT WE HAVE HERE LIKE THE HARRIET TUBMAN EXHIBIT. 
          I MEAN STATUE AND HAVE A SMALL STATUE PAINTED. SO IS THERE ARE YOU GOING TO SHARE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WHICH ARE VISITORS? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING. 
          OH, ABSOLUTELY I WILL DEFINITELY LET THEM KNOW WHAT IS TO DO IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IT IS UP ON THE WEBSITE POSTING THAT HE'S COMING IN THE WELL IS A DISTANCE TO THE OTHER EVENT THAT WE HAVE AND LIBERTY COUNTY IS YOU KNOW HOW EARLY CAN WE CHECK INTO THE HOTEL BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION IS UP THE WEBSITE FOR THEM TO START BOOKING SO I CAN CALL MY GOD IS BRINGING IN THE BUS AND TELL HIM THAT YOU KNOW WHAT EARLIER THAT DAY ON SATURDAY WE CAN MAKE IT A DAY TRIP TO COME OVER TO BEAUFORT AND DEFINITELY MAKE SOME STOPS HERE. 
          I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT AT ALL BECAUSE I DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING BUSSES WE 
          [02:35:05]
NEED TO DO THAT EVENT AGAIN. IT'S SATURDAY 18TH DOORS OPEN AT THREE THE CONCERTS FROM 4 TO 8 YOU HAVE MY NAME PLEASE BRING A FANS WHEN I'M FANS YES SIR AND BACKGROUND ISSUES WE'RE THE COMMITTEE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY THE UNINCORPORATED AREA BIG TAX FUNDS THAT ARE COLLECTED IN THE TOWN OF HILTON GET GO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD THEY HAVE A SIMILAR COMMITTEE EIGHT TAX FUNDS COLLECTED BLUFFTON HAVE SIMILAR COMMITTEE LIKE THIS IT'S THE SAME FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES IN THE AREAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IN GEORGIA AS I RECALL IN THE PAST WE'RE SORT OF CHARGED WITH IS TO HELP REINVEST THESE FUNDS WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE GENERATED THEY'RE GENERATED AN UNINCORPORATED AREA WE RAISE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT EVENTS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR LIKE HILTON HEAD HAS ON THEIR APPLICATION FOR A BURDEN SO THAT THIS EVENT'S NOT ON HILTON HEAD PRETTY NO BUT SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SENSING AND I CONCERNS THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF NEW INFORMATION OR YOU HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH HILTON HEAD OR BLUFFTON OR ANY OF THOSE I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY I JUST GET THAT MY LAST CONVERSATION YOUR COUNTIES SEEM TO BE NOT HAVING A LOT OF CULTURAL EVENTS SO I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM YESTERDAY SO YEAH YORK COUNTY SO I'M LIKE IN OTHER COUNTIES BUT NOT WHERE I LIVE AND PAY TAXES AS FAR AS IN HILTON THAT'S WHERE MY HOME IS. 
          SO NO I HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH BLUFFTON OR ACTUALLY HILTON HEAD WELL HILTON HEADS A TAX BUDGET DRAMATICALLY LARGER THAN THE EIGHT ACT BUDGET IN THE COUNTY AND SO OKAY TO CONSIDER WORKING WITH THEM. OH ABSOLUTELY AND SINCE YOU'VE CHOSEN A PATH IS PRETTY FAR ON TO THE ISLAND IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S CLOSE TO THE BRIDGE OR SOMETHING RIGHT IT'S LIKELY HAVE MORE IMPACT ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND. 
          WE'LL BE THINKING ABOUT THAT. MY QUESTION IS SORT OF A PERSONAL ONE IN THAT I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS A BLUES FESTIVAL, THERE WAS A LAND DANCING FESTIVAL AND THE LAND THE FESTIVAL SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF TEXTURE TO THAT THAT THE YOU ME THERE'S ONE ONE PLACE FOR THOSE THINGS. ABSOLUTELY. WE JUST DID THE IN MOBILE, ALABAMA AND THAT WAS 35,000 PEOPLE SO IT WAS SOUTHERN BLUES ART IS THE OLDEST ELY AND THEN YOU HAD LINE DANCERS STEPPERS JUST DOING THEIR THING SO IT ALL GOES HAND IN HAND NOW IT'S THE NEW GENERATION WELL THAT MAY ANSWER THE QUESTION BECAUSE MY WIFE WHO'S ONLY A COUPLE YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME MAY NOT BE I'VE MET SOMEONE WHO'S FULLY PLUGGED IN ABSOLUTELY BUT I WILL TAKE THAT NARRATIVE HOME WITH ME ON HILTON HEAD AND LOVE THEM AND SEE THEM WHEN THEIR DATES ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN TAKE FROM THEM? THANK YOU ALSO THANK YOU. 
          HAVE A GREAT HUH DICKEY HAS TO HAVE A FAN BUT I APPRECIATE THE OFFER. 
          [11:45 AM The Freedman Arts District ]
THE FRIEDMAN ARTS DISTRICT I HAVE TO THIS YEAR. GOOD MORNING. 
          GOOD MORNING. I CAN'T SEEM OF ALL THE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW. 
          THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. I KNOW THIS CAN BE A LONG DAY FOR YOU. I'M IN A UNIQUE POSITION. SHARE ME WITH FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND I'VE COME TO YOU TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AN EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE MARCH 28 THROUGH THE 30TH. 
          SPECIFIC THE JONATHAN GREENE BALLET AND THAT WAS ON MARCH 29TH. 
          I CAN TELL YOU SO MUCH I COULD TALK ABOUT IT FOREVER BUT I WAS WONDERING YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HERE'S WHY WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE DID THE MARKETING. 
          WE MET WITH THE ATTENDEES. WE WORKED WITH THE BALLET PERFORMERS AND NOW WE HAVE SOME OF THE RESULTS. WE DO HAVE PRELIMINARY BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF OUR EFFORTS FOR THAT TIME. SO I'M HAPPY TO FOCUS ON THAT IF YOU LIKE. 
          IT'S OUTSTANDING. YEAH. ANY KEY STATS YOU CAN SHARE WOULD BE OF COURSE. OF COURSE. SO WE DID WORK WITH ROB WELLS THE CVB AND HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE ME SOME SOME REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION. 
          SO THE VISITOR ORIGIN FROM MARCH 28 TO 30TH IN THE VALLEY TOOK PLACE ON THE 29TH AND THAT WAS AS PART OF OUR WELL IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHALK IT UP. IT WAS THE ONLY NIGHT THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GET PERFORMANCE TO COME TO BEAUFORT AND IT WAS JUST TOO GOOD TO NOT ACCEPT THAT DAY. THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR OUR SPIN AND THAT IS HE SAID IT WAS EXTREMELY. I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR THE EXACT NUMBERS ON BUT HE SAID THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS AN INCREASE IN RESTAURANTS SPEND WAS UP OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS FOUR WEEKS IT WAS UP 33% AND OCCUPANCY ROSE 73%. WE WERE VERY, VERY PROUD 
          [02:40:02]
OF THAT. WE HAD TICKET HOLDERS. WE DO HAVE A BREAKDOWN THANKS TO UCB. THEY DID SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US. 
          WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM CHICAGO, WASHINGTON, RALEIGH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA. 
          JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. CHATTANOOGA, CHARLOTTE, COLUMBIA. 
          WE HAD PEOPLE FROM WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THAT OFF OF THE TICKET INFORMATION. NOW WHAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SEE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE AND WE USE THE GEOFENCING WITH THE CVB THE MAJORITY THE PEOPLE HAD COME IN ON FRIDAY. SOME STAYED THROUGH. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT AND WE WERE ABLE TO GO WE STAYED FROM DOWNTOWN DIFFERENT EVEN ON DIFFERENT ISLAND. 
          SO PART OF THE ATTRACTION FOR THIS BALLET IT'S JONATHAN GREEN, AN INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED HE'S A LOCAL PERSON AND BEING ABLE TO BRING THAT TO BEAUFORT I THINK MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT THEY HAVE SUCH A TREMENDOUS FOLLOWING. 
          BALLET HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 YEARS AND THEY HAVE SUCH A TREMENDOUS FOLLOWING THAT IT PULLED PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SO . I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED. 
          THIS EXACT APPLICATION IS TO FIND WHAT'S THE I'M SORRY THE FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT WHEN WE PUT ON WE WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH UCB TO PUT ON OFF THE WALL ONTO THE STAGE WAS A BALLET A PRODUCTION ON SATURDAY NIGHT. OKAY DURING DURING THE CHALK IT UP. 
          YES, SIR. BUT YOU'RE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT RUNS CHALK IT UP. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. 
          I APOLOGIZE. WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER? SO YEAH. 
          SO THIS WOULD FIND THAT THE BALLET IN SPECIFIC? YES, SIR. 
          THE PRODUCTION COST EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT IN THE MARKETING BUDGET, THE PRINT BUDGET ALL THAT WOULD GO INTO THE 37 100 FOR IT FOR THIS COMING SEPTEMBER. 
          NO, NO IT WAS IT WAS IT HAPPENED THIS PAST MARCH. I APOLOGIZE. 
          YES. OKAY. MARCH 29TH WAS THE DATE OF THE BALLET. OKAY. WE HAD TO BORROW FROM OUR CAPITAL FUND AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE REQUESTING WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS COMING UP PROJECTS THAT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT REIMBURSED SO THAT WE CAN REPLACE THOSE FUNDS MORE. MORE BROADLY, THE CHALK IT UP EVENT IN PARTICULAR DOES GET PRETTY BIG IN OTHER CITIES, DON'T THEY? YES, SIR. 
          OURS WAS PRETTY BIG THIS YEAR TOO. PRELIMINARY NUMBERS ON THAT WERE THOUSAND. HE'S GOING TO GIVE ME THE REST HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS BUT HE SAID IT WAS VERY SAFE TO SAY AT LEAST 3000. SO SO SOMETHING LIKE WHAT YOU JUST DID IS THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL DRAW TO BRING. YES, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. AND I DO HAVE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED WE GOT I MET WITH A BUSINESS WE DID TWO THINGS. WE SENT OUT A SURVEY DIRECTLY AFTER THE WE DID THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY WE SENT ON THE SURVEY TO LOCAL BUSINESS RESTAURANTS, HOTELS AND I HAVE EMAILS. I HAVE MESSAGES I WOULD LOVE TO JUST SHARE A COUPLE OF THOSE WITH YOU IF I'M ABLE. SO FROM THE SPICE AND TEA EXCHANGE THEY WROTE WE SAW LOTS OF FOLKS WITH THE CHOCOLATE UP STICKER AND THOSE IN FOR THE BALLET WE HAD HIGHER THAN AVERAGE SALES I THINK THAT WAS GREAT. WE LOVED SEEING THE ARTWORK AND SEEING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND THEN WE HAVE FROM LIKE HIS UNCLE WE HAD A WE IT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT EVENT AND THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE WEEKEND SEEMED LIKE A GREAT EVENT. WE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE STORE, LOTS OF ARTISTS, EVEN SOME OF THE BALLET PEOPLE AND THEN NAN BROWN WITH LULU BURGESS WE AS WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SEE WHO CAME IN FROM THE EVENT WE DID GIVE EVERYBODY A STICKER WHO CAME IN FROM THE EVENT ON SATURDAY WAS GREAT HIGHER THAN OUR SUN SUN WAS STILL WONDERFUL AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES AND I HAVE MULTIPLE BECAUSE THE BUSINESS WERE VERY KIND TO RESPOND AND EVERYONE DID ADMIT THAT THEY EITHER A HIGHER SATURDAY A HIGHER SUN WE NOTICED A LOT OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE BALLET WENT SHOPPING ON SUNDAY AND THE OWNER OF SWEETS DOWNTOWN THEY SENT US AND ACTUALLY A VERY NICE EMAIL SAYING THAT WE CHANGED THEIR BOTTOM LINE FOR THE YEAR AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO DO AND THAT WAS THE BALLET IN ADDITION TO THE FESTIVAL QUESTIONS AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR. 
          YES, MA'AM. AND WITH IF ABLE TO GET THESE FUNDS THAT'S GOING TO HELP US BECAUSE THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME AND WE LEARNED SO MUCH AND WE LEARNED THAT BALLET WAS PERFECT FOR THE MISSION OF THE FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT AND THAT IS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH ART AND CREATIVITY AND OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT LESSONS IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO GET THESE FUNDS TO REPLACE OUR CAPITAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH. THE THE COUNTY 250 COMMITTEE. GOOD MORNING. 
          [11:55 AM Beaufort County 250 Committee (BC 250) of the South Carolina American Revoilution Sestercentennial (250) Commission]
          [02:45:14]
MORNING, MISS CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE COUNTY STAFF MY NAME IS RICH THOMAS. 
          I REPRESENT THE COUNTY TO 50 COMMITTEE. WE ARE AN ARM OF THE STATE 50 COMMISSION CHARGED WITH CELEBRATING AND OBSERVING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. YOU MAY RECALL FROM OUR INITIAL APPLICATION AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITY SUBMIT A SECOND APPLICATION IN THE SECOND CYCLE OF FUNDING. OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE ENGAGE AND INSPIRE SOUTH CAROLINIANS AND VISITORS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN OUR CASE COUNTY PLAYED IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 
          WITHIN THAT MISSION OUR ROLE IS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OR TO DEVELOP TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF WORK TO PRODUCE AND TO COORDINATE SINGLE AND MULTI COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. IN KEEPING THE SCOPE OF OUR MISSION, OUR PROJECT IS NOT A SINGLE INITIATIVE OR A SINGLE PROJECT BUT A SERIES OF INITIATIVES PROGRAMS, PROJECTS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS. WE ARE APPROACHING IT IN THREE PHASES. 2025 TO 2026 2027 TO 2029 AND 2030 TO 2033. 
          OUR INITIAL REQUEST AND THIS REQUEST IS FOCUSED ON THE FIRST OF THOSE THREE PHASES BUT ARE ALSO ENTAIL SOME ONETIME EXPENSES THAT WILL BE AMORTIZED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPAN OF OUR MISSION. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME SAY THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS AND IT IS CONSTANTLY AND EVOLVING MONTH BY MONTH AS SUCH OUR INITIAL REQUESTS NEW INITIATIVES HAVE SURFACED AND REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING. 
          ALSO SINCE OUR FIRST REQUEST WE HAVE RECEIVED A $181,000 GRANT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA TO 50 COMMISSION FOR WHICH WE MUST COME UP WITH A $53,500 MATCH. THE INITIAL 50% OF OUR EARLIER GRANT FROM THE COUNTY IN THE AMOUNT OF $32,500 THE 50% TO BE IN 16000 TO 50 IS BEING ADMINISTERED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOWCOUNTRY AS OUR AGENT AND WORK FUNDED BY THAT GRANT IS IN PROGRESS ON SEVERAL FRONTS. APPROXIMATELY $11,000 OF THAT AMOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPENDED OR EARMARKED NEAR-TERM PROJECTS. 
          IN ADDITION TO HELPING MEET THE MATCH REQUIREMENT, THIS CURRENT REQUEST IS TO HELP SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING NEW INITIATIVES A VETERAN'S DAY CELEBRATION IN WATERFRONT IN ADDITION TO THOSE IN BEAUFORT, BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD AND THE SUN LOCAL CEREMONIES. 
          WE ARE PLANNING IN 2026 ON THE BATTLE OF YARMUK BLUFF THE BATTLE OF BLOODY POINT BOTH REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLES WHICH OCCURRED EARLY IN THE WAR HERE IN BEAUFORT DISTRICT. 
          ARE ALSO WORKING ON A PROGRAM WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM AND THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION RELATIVE TO PATRIOT EXHIBITS IN THE LIBRARIES AND HOPEFULLY IN THE MUSEUMS AND THE COUNTY WHICH WILL FEATURE EXHIBITS OF PATRIOTS FROM THE 13 COLONIES AS WELL AS BUT IN SILENCE BY PHONE EXCUSE ME AS WELL AS 15 PATRIOTS FROM BEAUFORT DISTRICT DURING THE REVOLUTION. IN KEEPING WITH THAT PROJECT WE WILL BE PRODUCING BOOKMARKS ON THE 15 PATRIOTS FROM BEAUFORT DISTRICT THE REVOLUTION AND THOSE WILL ACCOMPANY BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS. WE ARE WORKING ON THE CAROLINA DAY CELEBRATIONS COUNTYWIDE NEXT AND 2026 IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOUTH CAROLINA TO 50 STATEWIDE INITIATIVE AND MOST WE HAVE BEGUN TO INVESTIGATE THE PROSPECT OF PUTTING A FALLEN HEROES AND SHIP MARTYRS WALL SOMEWHERE IN A APPROPRIATE LOCATION IN BEAUFORT SOMETIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF AND SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, AS I SAID, TO APPLY AGAIN AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I KNOW I'M IN THE UNENVIABLE PLACE KEEPING YOU FROM LUNCH AND WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MILITARY AS A LEADER YOU LEARN NEVER KEEP TROOPS FROM THEIR FOOD. 
          BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE THEM YOU. 
          YEAH. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT COMING TO YOUR DECISION. 
          THIS IS MORNING. I NOTICE YOU HAVE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION CAPTURED ZIP CODE . HAS THAT DONE WELL? THE ELECTRONIC RESERVATIONS OR REGISTRATIONS FOR. WE COLLECT THAT INFORMATION, GIVE A PROGRAM WHO DOES THEIR SOFTWARE. WE DO WILL BE WORKING ACTUALLY WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY HAVE THAT CAPABILITY. OKAY SO USB FOR INSTANCE WITH WITH ALI WITH THOSE FOR LIFELONG LEARNING THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TAKE REGISTRATION FOR THE VARIOUS EVENTS THAT THEY'LL BE CO PROMOTING WITH US WITH THE HERITAGE LIBRARY IN HILTON HEAD THEY HAVE THAT SAME 
          [02:50:06]
CAPABILITY IN REGISTRATIONS ALL THESE ACTIVITIES YOU HAVE HOW THE CAPTURED DATA FOR HOTEL STAYS IN THE COUNTY WELL WE WILL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE DATA FOR HOTEL STAYS THE RESERVATIONS THAT ARE TAKEN FOR THE VARIOUS EVENTS. OKAY RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD OUR FIRST INITIATIVE OR EVENT HASN'T TAKEN PLACE YET BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE KIND OF HEADLINING IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE THAT MONTH. OKAY. I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECUSE MYSELF BECAUSE WE ARE A CIVIL OF THIS POINT. 
          YES. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. A COUPLE QUESTIONS IF KIND OF CONGRATULATIONS. 181,000 LOWER UNEXPECTED FUNDING. 
          THAT'S ALWAYS NICE. THANK YOU. WHAT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING HAPPENING WITH FUNDING OVER THE NEXT MONTHS AND THEN IN THE FOLLOWING TIME BECAUSE I THINK YOUR EVENTS CONTINUE BEYOND 12 MONTHS FROM THEN OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS THIS THE FUNDING THAT WE'LL BE RECEIVING THIS YEAR HOPEFULLY AN ADDITIONAL ROUND HERE WITH WITH BEAUFORT WE ARE GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON ATAXIA ON THIS YEAR. 
          WE WILL THEN THE FUNDING NECESSARY TO COVER THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED AND LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE COMING ON THE RADAR SCREEN UP THROUGH THE END OF 2026 IN THE FUTURE YEARS ONE OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IS RELATED THE GRACE HILL BATTLEFIELD AND THE GRACE HILL BATTLEFIELD SITE OF THE BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL ISLAND. 
          THE FIRST VICTORY OF THE PATRIOTS VERSUS THE BRITISH IN THE LAND BATTLE SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE REVOLUTION. THAT WILL BE A MAJOR INITIATIVE FOR 2029 THAT WILL BEGIN TO START RAISING FUNDING FOR IN 2026 PROVIDE THAT WE CAN GET THE APPROVAL AND THE PERMISSION FROM MARINE CORPS AIR STATION AND FROM THE COUNTY TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THAT PROJECT WHICH IS ON PASSIVE PARKS PROPERTY LAND WHERE IT'S ON GRACE IT'S ON ROUTE 21 NORTH OF TOWN AT GRACE HILL BASICALLY . SO IT'S THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MARINE CORPS AIR STATION ON SIDE THE OLD HARRIS PILLOW FACTORY WHICH IS ON THAT PROPERTY RIGHT NOW. SO THE REASON YOU'RE PICKING 79 FOR THAT IS 1779 IS WHEN THAT HAPPENED THAT 775 THAT 2029 IS WHEN THE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THE BATTLE HAPPENED. 
          YES, SIR THAT'S ALL QUESTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH ALL THE APPLICATIONS. YEAH. AND SINCE WE ANNOUNCED NOT WHERE WE SCHEDULED TO DO DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK THEN I THINK THAT CONCLUDES THE THE LAUNCH WHICH IS ON MONDAY MIGHT BE MOVED TO JUNE OR JUST THE JUNIOR YEAR. 
          OKAY. WELL WHAT DID YOU DO DURING YOU TWO? THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. RICH JUST RICH
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.