What began as a discussion about how to use an internationally famous event to make Jacksonville a premier tourist destination took a turn Thursday toward a wider look at business recruitment.
The Duval County Tourist Development Council was reviewing a $250,000 grant request from the PGA Tour for advertising and marketing The Players golf tournament outside Northeast Florida.
City Council President Lori Boyer, chair of the tourism council, suggested investing in tournament hospitality for convention and group business development.
Last year, Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Jacksonville and the Beaches, shared space in a hospitality chalet with St. Johns County tourism development representatives.
Monica Smith, Visit Jacksonville vice president of sales and services, said the tournament is used as a “familiarization event” to bring convention and meeting planners to Northeast Florida to show them the area’s facilities and amenities.
The city invested $75,000 last year for hospitality at the tournament, said Dave Herrell, sports and entertainment officer.
He said his office uses The Players for business development and to entertain officials from the University of Florida, University of Georgia and the Southeastern Conference as well as prospects who might bring sports and entertainment events to Jacksonville.
“The Players is a critical asset for us,” said Herrell.
Visit Jacksonville bought $18,000 worth of tournament tickets last year and spent $30,000 for travel expenses to bring tour operators to the event, said Paul Astleford, president and CEO.
He suggested that if city entities combined their efforts and budgets, Duval County could present an even better image to potential new business at the event.
“This is a great conversation,” Astleford said.
When council Vice President John Crescimbeni learned that Team Texas, that state’s economic development initiative, reserved a chalet at The Players last year to recruit business for Texas, he said it makes him “angry that Team Texas is coming here to recruit business for Texas in North Florida.”
Council member Greg Anderson, former chair of the tourist council, suggested a committee be formed for the city, Visit Jacksonville and JAX Chamber to develop a “strategic plan for economic development” through hospitality at The Players.
Crescimbeni volunteered to lead the effort.
“If we’re going to get results, we’ve got to get a plan together,” he said.
The $250,000 grant was approved, with the condition that $25,000 of the grant is earmarked for tourism promotion hospitality at the 2017 tournament, May 9-14 at TPC Sawgrass.
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