An advisory panel unanimously really helpful approval of Brevard County tourism “major events grants” for the Cocoa Beach Air Show in April and the Thunder on Cocoa Beach powerboat races in May.
But panel members say they weren’t proud of the purposes submitted by the occasion organizers — and suggested that the organizers must do higher if they need one other grant within the following yr.
“I was extremely disappointed in the quality of the applications,” stated Cultural Committee member David Schillhammer. “I kept thinking: ‘Where’s the beef?’ It was just disappointing all around.”
Criticisms from committee members included the brevity and lack of thoroughness and information in the written purposes.
The Cocoa Beach Air Show — which is able to function the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds because the headline act — was really helpful for a Space Coast Office of Tourism main occasions grant totaling $87,852.20. Thunder on Cocoa Beach was really helpful for a grant totaling $53,795.80.
Under grant pointers, the grant quantities characterize 20% of the entire working bills of every of these occasions.
The suggestions have been unanimously accepted Thursday by the Tourist Development Council’s Cultural Committee. They nonetheless should be accepted by the Tourist Development Council itself at its Nov. 16 assembly and by the Brevard County Commission in December.Â
Air present plan:Thunderbirds to headline Cocoa Beach Air Show, prompting ask for large tourism grant
Funding for the grants comes from Brevard County’s 5% vacationer growth tax on resort rooms and different short-term leases.
Although the Cultural Committee members have been enthused concerning the occasions and their optimistic impacts on native tourism, they have been lower than thrilled concerning the high quality of the purposes and incompleteness of some solutions.
Cultural Committee Chair Andrea Young stated a one-sentence or two-sentence reply to a query does not reduce it.
Other committee members stated they thought lots of the candidates for smaller tourism cultural grants — which have been stuffed out by representatives of native arts and cultural organizations — did a greater job in submitting their grant requests than the promoters of the air present and powerboat races did. The smaller cultural grants that beforehand have been accepted ranged from $10,000 to $20,000 apiece.
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“I felt the smaller organizations had to provide a lot more information and data,” Cultural Committee member Aaron Collins stated. “I feel we should expect a little more information and thoroughness in these (major events) grant applications in the future.”
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds — one of many world’s most well-known air demonstration groups — would be the showcase performers for the Cocoa Beach Air Show.
The Thunderbirds will carry out of their F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets over the ocean for the present, scheduled for April 14 and 15.
They have been final in Brevard for 2021 Cocoa Beach Air Show, held April 17 and 18.
Bryan Lilley, chairman of the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation, promoter of the Cocoa Beach Air Show, stated he expects further performers for the present to be introduced in December, at the side of the International Council of Air Shows Convention.
Representatives of the National Air, Sea & Space Foundation made an in-person presentation in September to the Cultural Committee, searching for a serious occasions grant, together with submitting its written grant software.
So did the Space Coast Super Boats LLC, which is the promoter for the Thunder on Cocoa Beach powerboat races and associated occasions, scheduled for May 18-21.
The powerboat races will probably be held Sunday, May 21. The course will run from the Cocoa Beach Pier to Minutemen Causeway.
This would be the thirteenth such occasion to be held in Cocoa Beach over the previous 14 years. There was no race in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Additionally, there will probably be a kickoff celebration at Juice ‘N Java in downtown Cocoa Beach on May 18; a block celebration in downtown Cocoa Beach and a VIP celebration at Coconuts on the Beach on May 19; and a racer village “meet, greet and mingle” reception with the racers at Port Canaveral on May 20. Plans for a live performance in the course of the race weekend are also being developed.Â
Lilley instructed the Cultural Committee members after their vote and after their criticism of his group’s software that “we hear you loud and clear” about beefing up his written submission sooner or later.
But Lilley added that he felt the committee members already have been properly conscious of “more established” massive occasions like his, compared with among the smaller organizations making use of for cultural grants.
That contains the air present’s fame, and its optimistic impression on producing resort room leases.
“You know us,” Lilley stated.
But Cultural Committee member Juliet Misconi responded that no grant applicant “should assume that we know enough about their show or their program, that we’re just going to score them, based on their reputation and history alone.”
Despite their criticism, eight of the 9 committee members gave each the air present and the powerboat races scores of 80 or greater on their purposes.
Young was the exception, giving the air present a 59 and the powerboat races a 17.
“I am being the wicked witch, and I don’t mean to be that,” Young stated in the course of the committee assembly.
“We can’t judge on the experience” the occasions present, Young stated.
Although each promoters “put on fantastic shows,” Young stated. “We have to judge on what we have here” within the purposes.
Young was absent from the Sept. 15 Cultural Committee assembly at which the candidates gave their in-person displays.
Some different committee members stated these displays — in addition to written solutions by the air present and powerboat race promoters to follow-up questions committee members submitted — helped increase the candidates’ scores.
“The presentations were great,” Cultural Committee member Bonnie King stated, including that it is vital to maintain these occasions on the Space Coast.
“The hotels love it. The hotels endorse it,” King stated. “I am just thrilled that we have both of these.”
Cultural Committee Vice Chair Jim Platman agreed, saying: “It would be a disservice to the county” if these occasions weren’t right here.
Collins famous that “both of these events are incredible events, but you’ve got to do better with the applications.”
The committee should “maintain the integrity of this program,” Cultural Committee member Kim Agee stated.
Cultural Committee members plan to assessment the grant software course of early subsequent yr, in preparation for the following main occasions grant cycle.
Thunder on Cocoa Beach acquired a $73,000 main occasions grant for its 2022 occasion, held in May.
There was no Cocoa Beach Air Show final yr.
But the Space Coast International Air Show at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville acquired a $73,000 main occasions grant for its 2022 present, held May 21 and 22. The U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team headlined that present, which the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation partnered with the Titusville-based Valiant Air Command to supply.
Dave Berman is enterprise editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at [email protected]. Twitter: @bydaveberman.
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