Subject:
Title
Fiscal Year 2026 Elite Event Funding recommendation from the Tourist Development Council - 2026 Xinsurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) recommendation of the 2026 Xinsurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals.
• The Board originally approved the event in the up to amount of $125,000.00 on July 22, 2025. The event was scheduled to be held in September of 2026.
• On May 21, 2026, VisitSPC staff was informed that Race World Offshore LLC was named the new organizer and promoter.
• New organizer has necessitated a new funding application for reconsideration. The new application was submitted on May 27, 2026.
• The VisitSPC staff evaluated and scored the application and recommended funding of up to $125,000.00 to TDC. On July 15, 2026, the TDC unanimously approved the recommendation.
• The event is anticipated to generate approximately 14,375 attendees, 11,136 tourists, tv exposure: commercial units, and in-broadcast assets.
• Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute Elite Event agreements. Once the final terms and marketing deliverables have been agreed upon, the agreements will be processed as delegated items and included on the Receipt and File Report presented to the Board.
• Funding for Elite Events is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget within the Tourist Development Tax Fund.
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Strategic Priorities:
Prosperity and Opportunity
3.2 Provide and promote tourism opportunities
Summary:
Summary
Approval of the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) recommendation of the 2026 Xinsurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals as an FY26 Elite Event is requested.
A new application was submitted on May 27, 2026, requesting $125,000 in funding. Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) staff evaluated and recommended the event for funding to the TDC in an amount up to $125,000 on July 15, 2026.
The event is anticipated to generate approximately 14,375 attendees, 11,136 tourists, tv exposure: commercial units, and in-broadcast assets. Funding for Elite Events is included in the FY26 Adopted Budget within the Tourist Development Tax Fund.
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Background Information:
Tourist Development Tax funds may be legally expended for an activity/event if that event has as one of its main purposes the attraction of tourists as evidenced by the promotion of the event to tourists, per Fla. Stat. 125.0104(5)(a)3. In enacting this authorization, Pinellas County’s Tourist Development Plan, Section 118-32 of the Pinellas County Code, authorizes the use of up to $3,000,000 annually for the marketing of special events and programs, which funding is governed by the Guidelines adopted by the Board on March 24, 2026.
Those Guidelines include the following criteria:
Category 1, up to $250,000 - Meets both (2) sets of eligibility requirements.
• 40,000 Unique Attendees and 16,000 Tourists
• 500,000 Broadcast Views and Broadcast Assets with promotional value to VisitSPC
Category 2, up to $150,000 - Meets one (1) out of two (2) eligibility requirements.
• 40,000 Unique Attendees and 16,000 Tourists
• 250,000 Broadcast Views and Broadcast Assets with promotional value to VisitSPC
Category 3, up to $75,000 - Meets the eligibility requirements.
• 15,000 Unique Attendees and 6,000 Tourists
Category 4, up to $50,000 - Meets the eligibility requirements.
• 7,500 Unique Attendees and 3,000 Tourists
Category V, up to $25,000 - Meets one (1) out of two (2) eligibility requirements.
• 5,000 Unique Attendees and 2,000 Tourists
• 7,500 Unique Attendees
In accordance with the Guidelines, off cycle events that are evaluated and recommended for Categories 1-4 will be brought before the TDC for review with final approval by the Board. Events recommended for Category 5, Destination Enhancement funding, will be administratively awarded by staff.
Fiscal Impact:
$125,000
Funding to support the Elite Event and Destination Enhancement Funding Program is provided through the CVB’s FY26 Adopted Operating Budget. The source of funding is the Tourist Development Tax Fund.
Staff Member Responsible:
Brian Lowack, Director, Convention and Visitors Bureau
Partners:
Tourist Development Council
Attachments:
2026 Xinsurance Clearwater Offshore Nationals PowerPoint
Elite Event and Destination Enhancement Funding Program Guidelines