Gadsden County Tourist Development Council Grant

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GADSDEN COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL GRANT

Welcome to the Gadsden County TDC Grant Page, your official resource for understanding and accessing tourism funding opportunities through the Gadsden County Tourist Development Council. This page is designed to guide organizations, event producers, and community partners through the purpose and process of the Tourist Development Council (TDC) Grant — a funding initiative supported by the county’s Tourist Development Tax to strengthen and expand tourism in Gadsden County, Florida. The TDC Grant is intended to support marketing and promotional efforts for events, programs, and initiatives that attract out-of-county visitors, increase overnight stays, and generate measurable economic impact. Here you will find essential information about eligibility, allowable uses of funds, application requirements, and reporting expectations, all structured to help applicants align their projects with the county’s strategic tourism goals.

DOWNLOAD GADSDEN COUNTY TDC GRANT APPLICATION
DOWNLOAD GADSDEN COUNTY TDC GRANT AGREEMENT

Requirements of the TDC Grant

Primary Objective

  • TDC funds exist to:
    • Increase overnight stays in:
      • Hotels
      • Bed & breakfasts
      • Airbnbs / short-term rentals
      • Campgrounds / RV parks
    • This is driven by bed tax, which is how TDC funding is measured and justified.

 

Secondary Objectives

  • Demonstrate economic impact in:
    • Restaurants
    • Gas stations
    • Local retail / hospitality
  • Grow tourism awareness:
    • Impressions, views, engagement on social, web, and video
    • New people discovering Gadsden County and its towns (Quincy, Havana, Chattahoochee, etc.)

 

Tourism Litmus Test
Before asking TDC to support an event, organizers should ask:

“Would I drive 90+ minutes and consider staying the night for this event if it were in another city?”

  • If yes → Stronger fit for TDC tourism funding.
  • If no → More of a local/community event; TDC funds should be secondary, not primary.

Minimum Lead Time

  • Events must be submitted and advertised at least 60 days before the event date.
  • At 60 days out, TDC/Visit Gadsden County should have:
    • Event name, date, time, and location
    • Short event description (tourist-facing)
    • Any graphics/flyers available
    • Links: website, ticketing, Facebook event, etc.

 

Why 60 Days?

  • Allows time to:
    • Create and run Google Ads (Search, YouTube, Display)
    • Build momentum on Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram)
    • Coordinate cross-promotion with other Main Streets and events
    • Tie marketing to host hotels and track occupancy impact

 

Practical Guidance to Recipients

  • As soon as date/location are confirmed:
    • Send a “Save the Date” package to Visit Gadsden County.
    • Don’t wait for every detail to be perfect; it can be updated later.
    • Use the 60-day mark as a hard internal deadline for:
      • Submitting to TDC
      • Creating event pages
      • Starting paid and organic campaigns

Tourist vs Local

  • TDC dollars cannot be primarily used for hyper-local audiences.
  • Ads should emphasize tourists from outside Gadsden County and adjacent counties.

 

Guidance on Markets

  • Try to reach beyond immediate neighbors, into:
    • Broader North Florida
    • South Georgia
    • South Alabama
    • Other drive markets ~90+ minutes away
    • Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, New York, Washington D.C.
  • Local exposure (Gadsden + Leon County / Tallahassee metro) can still happen, but:
    • Tourism targeting must be clearly shown and documented.
    • Local-only buys should not be the primary use of TDC funds.

 

What Recipients Need to Provide
When using media vendors (TV, radio, newspapers, digital), organizers must:

  • Obtain and share:
    • Coverage maps or distribution areas (e.g., “Tallahassee Democrat reaches South Georgia and down toward Panama City”)
    • Audience/market data showing:
      • Counties/DMAs reached
      • % of audience outside Gadsden and Leon
    • Clearly label:
      • Local marketing vs tourism-focused marketing
      • Which portions are TDC-funded vs locally/self-funded

Tagging & Collaboration Rules
If TDC funds are used for your event:

  1. Always tag Visit Gadsden County as a collaborator on:
    • Facebook posts
    • Instagram posts
    • YouTube (where applicable, add as collaborator/partner/tag)
  2. This is not just a mention – use the platform’s “Add collaborator” or co-host feature where available:
    • Facebook/Instagram: “Add collaborator” when creating the post.
    • Facebook events: Add Visit Gadsden County as co-host.
  3. For every major TDC-funded event post:
  • Use @VisitGadsdenCounty (platform handle) AND
  • Add Visit Gadsden County as a collaborator, so:
    • They can see full post insights
    • They can boost or run ads from that post using their budgets

 

Why This Matters

  • Allows TDC/Visit Gadsden County to:
    • Access accurate reach, impression, and engagement data
    • Put additional paid spend behind your posts
    • Aggregate data across events to show:
      • Out-of-area reach
      • Tourism impact to county leadership and auditors

A. Types of Content Needed
Recipients should plan to produce and share:

  1. Event Flyers / Key Info Graphics
    • Date, time, location
    • Short tagline and logo(s)
    • Sponsor/partner logos (including Visit Gadsden County where appropriate)
  2. Photo Content
    • At least 20 strong photos per event that:
      • Show crowds, families, and attendees enjoying themselves
      • Highlight unique experiences (music, food, local culture)
      • Include recognizable settings (historic downtowns, waterfronts, etc.)
  3. Video Content
    • Short clips (ideally vertical for Reels/Shorts/TikTok)
    • At least 1–2 shots of:
      • Opening/arrival
      • Active crowd engagement (music, activities, performances)
      • Highlight elements (e.g., porch music, historic streets, vendors)
      • Closing/“outro” moments

     

  4. B. Quality Guidelines

    • Phones are acceptable:
      • Modern smartphones with:
        • 1080p or 4K video
        • Good lighting and stable shots
      • Orientation & Settings:
        • Vertical (9:16) for Reels/Stories/TikTok
        • Horizontal (16:9) for YouTube and longer edits
        • Encourage:
          • Turning on HD/4K
          • Using simple stabilizers or tripods when possible
          • Basic external mic if available for cleaner sound
        • Professional Videography (Optional)
          • TDC/agency can:
            • Recommend tiered videographers:
              • “Am-pro” (advanced phone-based) options at lower cost
              • Full professional crews (cameras, audio, etc.) at higher hourly rates
            • Not mandatory, but strongly encouraged for major anchor events.

     

  5. C. Best Practices for Social Posts

    • Less is more:
      • A compelling photo of someone enjoying the event (e.g., kid with candy apple) often outperforms a dense flyer.
    • Mix content types:
      • Event flyers (key info)
      • Photo carousels from previous years
      • Short video clips or Reels
      • Band/performer spotlights with time & location
    • Run countdown campaigns:
      • Example: For Porch Fest:
        • Feature one band every day or two with:
          • Band name
          • Time slot
          • Porch/course/stage
        • Add Visit Gadsden County as collaborator to each feature post.

To properly justify TDC funding and reimbursements, recipients should:


A. Host Hotel & Lodging Documentation

  1. Designate a Host Hotel or Host Accommodations
    • Hotels near the interstate
    • Local bed & breakfasts
    • Relevant Airbnbs/campgrounds (if trackable)
  2. Track Occupancy Impact
    • Whenever possible, use:
    • Discount codes or event-specific booking codes
    • Event rate blocks tied to the event name
  3. If codes are not used:
    • Obtain written occupancy statements from:
      • Bed & breakfasts
      • Local hotels
    • Statements should confirm:
      • Dates
      • Typical average occupancy
      • Night-of-event occupancy and increase
  4. Connect to Reimbursement Forms
    • Use TDC forms to:
      • Attach B&B/hotel statements
      • Show the correlation between the event and increased stays

 

B. Economic Impact Data

  • When possible, gather:
    • Feedback from restaurants and gas stations about increased traffic during event weekends
    • Any sales or traffic comparatives they’re willing to share
  • This provides secondary support for tourism impact beyond lodging.

 

C. Digital Metrics
Recipients should allow TDC/Visit Gadsden County to capture:

  • Impressions
  • Reach (unique people reached)
  • Engagement:
    • Likes
    • Comments
    • Shares
    • Saves
  • Clicks/Traffic to:
    • Event website
    • Ticket pages
    • Visit Gadsden County pages

 

Because Visit Gadsden County is added as collaborator, much of this is pulled directly through their platforms, reducing reporting burden on organizers.

Unified Brand: “Small County, Big Heart”

  • Use the hashtag:
    • #SmallCountyBigHeart (no spaces, no periods)
  • Purpose:
    • Create a clickable archive of Gadsden County tourism content
    • Ensure all events funded by TDC are traceable under a single brand umbrella

Visual & Messaging Consistency

  • Align with existing Gadsden County tourism branding:
    • Colors
    • Logos
    • Tone (welcoming, small-town charm, big experiences)
  • This builds trust and familiarity with repeat visitors who recognize:
    • The brand look
    • The Visit Gadsden County logo and style
  • Main Streets and partners are encouraged to:
    • Coordinate cross-promotion
    • Explore multi-day, multi-town weekend itineraries (e.g., Havana–Quincy–Chattahoochee festival weekends)

For Any Recipient of TDC Funds:

They should:

  1. Notify Visit Gadsden County / TDC early:
    • As soon as dates are set, even before all details are final.
  2. Submit required info via:
    • The website form provided by Visit Gadsden County (for attractions like the audio walking tour, trails, etc.)
    • Email with:
      • Event summary
      • Graphics
      • Links and contact info
  3. Maintain an organized shared folder:
    • Set up a Google Drive or Dropbox for:
      • Photos
      • Videos
      • Logos
      • Press releases
    • Share that folder with Visit Gadsden County so they can:
      • Pull assets for campaigns
      • Build web pages and social content
  4. Respond promptly:
    • To recap emails
    • To asset requests
    • To collaboration invites on social

 

TDC / Agency Role (MediumFour / Visit Gadsden County)

  • Serve as a strategic marketing partner, not just a funding source:
    • Provide:
      • Campaign strategy
      • Best practice guides (what to post, when, how)
      • Creative standards and examples
    • Use their own budgets to:
      • Boost collaborator posts
      • Run Google/YouTube ads
      • Produce county-wide content series (e.g., Vintage & Antique Trail, Gadsden County Heartbeats)
You can present this as a one-page checklist to grantees:
  1. 60+ Days Before Event
    • Confirm date, time, location
    • Send event info & graphics to Visit Gadsden County
    • Complete website/attraction submission form if applicable
    • Identify potential host hotel/B&B
  2. Ongoing Pre-Event Marketing
    • Create and post regular content (photos, flyers, band/artist/vendor spotlights)
    • Add @VisitGadsdenCounty as a collaborator on all major event posts
    • Use #SmallCountyBigHeart
    • Ensure ad targeting includes out-of-county markets and document reach
  3. During Event
    • Capture at least 20 quality photos
    • Capture multiple short video clips (vertical + horizontal)
    • Note any visible out-of-town attendance (e.g., visitors interviewed, license plates photos—where appropriate and legal)
  4. Immediately After Event
    • Upload all photos and videos to a shared Google Drive/Dropbox folder
    • Share folder with Visit Gadsden County
    • Request/collect occupancy confirmations from host hotel(s) and B&Bs
    • Gather any feedback from local restaurants/shops on increased traffic
  5. For Reimbursement / Reporting
    • Submit invoices and proof of advertising
    • Provide coverage documentation from media vendors showing out-of-area reach
    • Attach lodging and economic impact documentation
    • Confirm links and insights can be accessed (via collaboration) by Visit Gadsden County