Pinellas County commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 25 to put a record $3.37 million behind 47 local events, the largest investment yet in the county's Elite Event Funding Program.
Both the dollar amount and the number of events are new highs for the program, which uses revenue from the county's 6% Tourist Development Tax (bed tax) on hotels and short-term rentals to fund festivals, races and competitions that draw visitors. The most recent editions of the 47 funded events collectively attracted more than 1 million attendees, including more than 500,000 tourists, WUSF reported.
Powerboat Race Among Top Grant Recipients
Among the approved grants: up to $125,000 for the Xinsurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals, a powerboat race scheduled for Sept. 25-27 that organizers expect will draw 14,375 attendees, including 11,136 tourists.
Awards can reach $250,000.
How Eligibility Is Determined
The program defines a tourist as someone who lives more than 20 miles from the event. Eligibility is based on attendance, visitor counts, and for bigger events, national television or streaming audiences.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Lowack said the agency has revised the program's criteria three times to steer money toward events that produce results.
"Every year we re-evaluate the most recent event that occurred," Lowack said. "If your event was not successful as it was projected to be, it will be dropped from the program."
Much of the funding goes toward advertising and marketing rather than event operations alone. The goal is to help smaller organizers afford promotion they otherwise could not and to give larger events extra reach outside Pinellas County.
Tourism Revenue Continues Strong Growth
The investment comes during a strong stretch for Pinellas tourism. The county collected more than $36.2 million in bed tax revenue from February through April, up 7.7% from the same period a year earlier, according to WUSF reporting in July. June collections hit about $8.6 million, nearly 15% above the prior year, according to WUSF's reporting on the county budget.
Visitor surveys conducted by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater show festivals and events have grown from roughly 5% to about 12% of visitors' stated reasons for coming to Pinellas, according to the agency.
Lowack noted in a July 28 report on the county's record spring tourism season that Dunedin has become one of the county's fastest-growing destinations. That growth adds local stakes to the county's broader event-funding strategy for residents along the Palm Harbor-Dunedin corridor.
From a Handful of Events to 47
The program began more than a decade ago backing a handful of established attractions, including the Grand Prix and Valspar Championship. It has since expanded to 47 events.
St. Petersburg Lands 2027 Ocean Race Stop
Looking ahead, the Ocean Race will stop in St. Petersburg in 2027 for the first time, making the city the around-the-world sailing competition's only North American stopover. Lowack said the Elite Event program was a major factor in landing it. The Pinellas County Commission's meeting schedule and agendas are available on the county's website.
