Council and "Lodging Tax Advisory Committee" plan for more visitors to "Experience Redmond", 6/2011

 

Since this opinion was published on 6/30/2011 Realize Redmond, and Redmond Economic Development Assoc have been disolved and consolidated into "ONE REDMOND."   The Chamber has "tentatively consolidated" into ONE REDMOND.  ONE REDMOND is barely in the radar, led by Group Health, Microsoft and other stakeholders.  Please read the comments below this post for "the rest of the story."  And please, post your own..  BY

REPUBLISHED OPINION (6/30/2011):  History was made in three different ways (1) in this week's Council meeting. The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) met with city council members and the mayor for the first time in their 13 years of operation.  If  Dan Angellar, General Manager of the Redmond Marriott of Redmond Town Center has his way LTAC will be meeting and partnering with Council every year.

A community role for LTAC might be described as a "tourism alliance". Agnellar said they try to bring Redmond's three economic groups together to stimulate tourism and increase "heads and beds".  Over $337,300 was raised last year from from the 1% lodge tax. So far 50% of LTAC tax revenues go to "Bullseye Creative" - a website branding organization.  (A Blog was created and tags with RNB on search engines.)  $31,365 goes to promoting private and city sponsored events. Councilmember John Stilin suggested allocating more funds towards the events to attract more people and perhaps less emphasis on the website.  Read More >>