Staff Reports
HOT receipts continue to be on the rise with December 2021 reporting being 20% above the same month in 2020.
Tourism Board President Colleen Taylor said the City received $18,445 in February for visitors in December. HOT is due the 20th day of the month following overnight guests. Avenu Insight, the company which collects HOT for the City, provides the funds the following month after HOT is due.
Peggy Walker gave a presentation to the Board on the Shady Ladies activities and requested the City start helping promote their events in October. The Shady Ladies are a group of women who dress as witches then dance to raise funds for charity. They are in their 5th year of raising funds. They dance at a number of events throughout the year, but also every weekend in October.
Opera House Theatre Players President Marcia Thomas also spoke to the Board about this year’s planned Pioneer Days event.
According to Thomas, the event, now in it’s 2nd year, will again take place on Labor Day weekend and is planned to be an expansion of last year. The group plans to bring back the Sons of the Pioneers, hold a street dance, enlarge and expand the Shoot-out, and the waterfront picnic. The event will take place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of Labor Day Weekend.
Thomas was asking for assistance in promoting the event with a grant of $1,000 from the Board’s Discretionary Fund.
Taylor said she would get Thomas the paperwork and that the Board would help promote at least online.
Board Vice President Pam Thomas provided copies of the City’s new Lodging and Venue’s rack card. The card was created to target event and meeting planners in an effort to draw more into town. The Board printed 2,500 cards initially.
The second quarter edition of Discover Jefferson & Marion County has gone to press, according to Marion County Media co-owner Hugh Lewis. Lewis indicated due to demand he is printing 7,000 copies of the booklet. They will continue to be distributed to the travel centers and local and area businesses. Lewis said they should arrive just before Mardi Gras to allow for promotion to the City’s visitors of upcoming events in April, May and June.
The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for 5:30p.m. on March 14 at the Jefferson Visitor’s Center.