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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 Quimper Events Collective 093026 Jefferson County is committed to the non-discriminatory treatment of all Persons in the employment and delivery of services and resources. 2027 Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities Organization Name: Quimper Events Collective Event Name, if different: Proposed Contract Amount: $ $ 105,000.00 501(c)(3) ☐ (6) ☑ WA UBI Number: 605 305 564 EIN Number: 93-2479284 Proposals should completely address the questions, and all requested supplemental information should be provided. Incomplete or late proposals may not be considered by the Jefferson County LTAC. To be eligible for consideration, your application must be signed, dated, and include the following items in the listed order. Check each item submitted: ☐ Signed and Dated Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities. ☐ Declaration of capital expenditures and operations, if applicable (Attachment A). ☐ Proof of liability insurance (Attachment B) ☐ Section 1 - Itemized list of proposed services and estimated costs. ☐ Section 2 - Proposal Questions. ☐ Section 3 - Proposed 2027 promotion, facility, event or activity budget. ☐ Section 3 - 2026 organizational budget and year-to-date income and expense statement(s). ☐ Section 3 - List of names and addresses of the organization’s current Board of Directors. Name and contact information for event chairperson, if applicable. ☐ Section 3 - Optional work samples such as season brochures, promotional materials, reviews, news/magazine articles, etc. (maximum of 5 separate pieces) To be considered, a fully completed and signed original application with supporting documents and letters of support must be electronically received and date stamped at the Jefferson County Administrator’s Office, to Adiel McKnight @ afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us by WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 by 4:30 p.m. (Secure and approved file transfer links are acceptable to accommodate large file sizes if needed.) Documents submitted to the County are public records, potentially eligible for release. 2027 Proposal Checklist for Tourism Promotion Activities Proposal Deadline: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 AT 4:30 P.M. Electronically to Email Address: afmcknight@co.jefferson.wa.us Please type (10 point or larger) or legibly print in ink. To be considered: all questions must be answered; all requested documents provided; this form must be signed and dated. Organization Name: Quimper Events Collective Organization Address: 2023 E Sims Way #156 Port Townsend WA 98368 Contact Name: Jessie Short Contact Address: 2023 E Sims Way #156 Port Townsend WA 98368 Day Phone: 425.200.4143 Evening or Cell Phone: Same as above E-Mail Address: info@quimpereventscollective.com Facility/Event: (if applicable) Total Lodging Tax Request: $__105,000_____________ Estimated 2027 org. operating budget: (Incl. Lodging Tax funds) $___$116,448___________ If asking for funds for a specific event, list other cash funding sources and dollar amounts budgeted for this project. Note: This section is only due for specific event and festival funding requests. Dollar Amount $ $ $ $ $ $ Total Project Revenue Budget: $ Did your organization receive Lodging Tax Funds from the County in 2026? ☑ Yes ☐ No I understand that if my organization’s proposal for tourism promotion activities is approved by the County that my organization will enter into a contract with the County to provide the contracted services up to the maximum contract amount. I understand that the proposal herein is a public record potentially eligible for public release. Sign Name: Date: Sept 30, 2026 Print Name and Title: Jessie Short, Marketing Operations Manager ATTACHMENT A Declaration of Capital Expenditures and Operations 1. The total amount of my request for LTAC funding is: $ $105,000 2. Of the total listed in Paragraph 1, above: a. The amount requested for capital expenditures is: $ 0 b. The requested capital expenditures are for: N/A 3. Of the total amount listed in Paragraph 1, above: a. The total amount requested for operations is: $ $105,000 b. The requested operations expenditures are for: Contracted marketing management, advertising, exhibiting at trade shows, subscription services and operating supplies. I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Washington that the foregoing representation about the capital expenditures and operations is true and correct. Signed on this 30th day of September 2026 (date) (month) (year) at Port Ludlow WA (city or other location, and state or country) Jessie Short (Printed Name) (Signature) ATTACHMENT B Insurance Certificate Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding 1. Itemized List of Proposed Tourism Promotion Services 1. Event Trade Shows $15,250 2. Contractor Marketing/Ops $42,000 3. Marketing Digital, Print Ads) $45,250 4. Subscription Services $2,500 TOTAL REQUEST $105,000 2.1 How much, if any, of your application is considered "destination marketing" for Jefferson County? Of our total budget, $41,970 is directly attributable to destination marketing — activity aimed at drawing visitors from outside Jefferson County 50 miles) or promoting overnight stays. ● Trade Shows $13,250 ● Advertising $27,500 ● Online Promotion $1,220 2.2 Tell us about your promotion, program, facility, event or activity and why you think it will increase tourists traveling to and staying in Jefferson County. Quimper Events Collective QEC is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing approximately 90 event and wedding industry businesses across Jefferson County — venues, caterers, photographers, florists, bakers, entertainment, and accommodations. QEC's proposed 2027 program is a coordinated destination-marketing campaign for the wedding and events industry: attendance at regional wedding and event trade shows, a locally-hosted Jefferson County Wedding Show, a styled photo/video shoot series, digital and print advertising, and email marketing to prospective couples and event planners. The purpose is to position Jefferson County as a premier wedding and event destination, driving overnight www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective 2023 E Sims Way #156 Port Townsend WA 98368 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Heidi Haney President Mia Garcia VP/Secretary Natalie Maitland Treasurer Bethany Mahaffey Director Marvin Copeland-Griggs Director Rebekah Fessenden Director MARKETING & OPERATIONS MANAGER Jessie Short Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding stays during shoulder-season months when lodging demand is otherwise soft. This program is directly responsive to the priorities established in the Olympic Peninsula Tourism Master Plan, to address the region's potential to be a top winter tourist destination, with the shoulder seasons of spring and fall also positioned to attract visitors beyond the summer peak. The plan's first strategic goal, Destination Marketing, calls directly for the industry to enhance targeted marketing efforts to increase awareness of spring, fall, and winter travel — precisely the function QEC's wedding and event marketing program serves, since wedding planners are actively looking for venues and other vendors during these shoulder-season months, giving QEC's marketing a direct opportunity to reach prospective couples, wedding parties, and guests. The plan identifies weddings by name, specifically, as a priority opportunity for this shoulder-season goal, stating there is "clear demand for weddings, reunions and other social groups," and includes a specific actionable initiative to "identify new sales and marketing opportunities for social groups (weddings, reunions, memorial services, etc.)." Under Goal #2, Destination & Community Development, the plan likewise calls to "develop group experiences and venues for corporate, association, sports, social and other group travel segments," a recommendation drawn directly from resident and stakeholder engagement during the plan's development, which specifically named developing "group experiences that cater to weddings, corporate retreats, social groups and other niche segments." The plan further identifies "events and festivals" among the consumer lifestyle segments best positioned to drive visitation outside peak season, noting these segments "align with high household incomes" and "don't rely on the weather." QEC's proposal is built to address this priority. Wedding-driven tourism has been shown to be a significant, and often underrecognized, economic driver in comparable rural and coastal tourism economies. A 2023 study by the Maine Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Southern Maine — a state whose tourism economy, like the Olympic Peninsula's, is drive-market, seasonal, and built on coastal and small-town character rather than major air-hub or convention travel — found that wedding tourism generated nearly $1 billion in total economic activity statewide, with researchers estimating roughly 1 million visitors travel to Maine for weddings each year. Researchers noted that the size of the wedding industry's economic contribution had "gone largely unnoticed" prior to the study, and that their estimate was conservative, excluding related spending such as rehearsal dinners, honeymoons, and bachelor/bachelorette travel. Critically, the study attributes this impact specifically to the fact that wedding guests tend to stay overnight — driving hotel and restaurant spending in a way that day-trip tourism does not. This is the same underlying mechanism this program is designed to activate in Jefferson County: converting wedding bookings into multi-night, multi-party visitation rather than single-day trips. www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding While weddings are QEC's most visible category, the program is built around the full range of occasions that bring people to East Jefferson County: weddings, anniversaries, reunions, retreats, and celebrations of life. The Master Plan's own initiative names "memorial services" alongside weddings and reunions as social-group travel worth marketing. These occasions are often not seasonal and not planned far in advance, which makes them a steady source of visitation in every month of the year. Earlier this year, an out-of-area contact who was unfamiliar with the region's venues and vendors emailed QEC asking for recommendations for vendors for a celebration of life. Requests like this show a real gap for visitors planning an occasion here from a distance, and QEC is the organization best positioned to fill it. QEC's destination marketing is designed to drive tourism benefits across the entire Countyʼs economy, not just its wedding and event vendors. A single wedding booked through this program brings a wedding party and guest list who spend on lodging, dining, retail, and local experiences throughout their stay — meaning the economic reach of this marketing extends to restaurants, shops, and service businesses countywide. 2.3 If this is a continuing or reoccurring promotion, program, facilit y or event, describe your organizationʼs prior activities. If applicable, how is it different than in the past? This is a continuation of QEC's ongoing promotion of the wedding and events industry, with an intentional focus on the wedding and events niche specifically and its direct relationship to tourism in Jefferson County. Weddings and events bring multi-day, multi-guest visitation to the county independent of the typical summer recreation season, and this program sharpens QEC's promotional focus around that opportunity. Prior activities: QEC's programming has historically included member networking events that build greater knowledge among vendors of the region's tour operators, lodging properties, venues, and other tourism-related offerings — strengthening the connective tissue between the wedding/event industry and the broader tourism economy, and equipping member businesses to better refer and cross-promote Jefferson County as a destination to their own out-of-area clients. What's different: This program continues the previous yearʼs shift of execution of that promotional and marketing work from volunteer board effort to a contracted, professionally accountable Marketing Operations Manager responsible for consistent, coordinated marketing execution on behalf of the collective — rather than ad hoc work carried out informally by member volunteers. This shift matters beyond simple execution: a volunteer board, however capable, has limited bandwidth to consistently follow up on leads, track performance data, or sustain marketing across a full calendar year. A dedicated Operations Manager gives QEC the staff capacity to close that gap — turning www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding trade show contacts into booked FAM visits, tracking analytics month over month, and maintaining the kind of continuous presence that shoulder-season destination marketing requires. 2.4 How does your promotion, program, facility or event support one of the Highest Priorities or Additional Considerations? QEC's proposed 2027 wedding and events destination-marketing program supports several of the Committee's stated priorities: ● Promoting Jefferson County to tourists from outside the County. QEC's trade show presence, print advertising in regional wedding publications, digital ad campaigns, and email marketing are all directed at engaged couples, wedding parties, and event planners located outside Jefferson County — primarily in the greater Puget Sound region — with the explicit purpose of introducing them to Jefferson County venues, vendors, and lodging as a wedding and event destination they would not otherwise have considered. ● Demonstrated potential to result in overnight stays. Weddings and events are inherently overnight-stay generators: a single wedding typically brings not one visitor but a full wedding party and guest list who travel to the county together, often over a multi-day window that includes rehearsal, ceremony, and post-event stays. This program's marketing directly targets the moment couples are choosing a wedding location — the point at which Jefferson County lodging can be positioned as part of the package, rather than an afterthought. ● Demonstrated potential to result in documented economic benefit. Wedding guests typically spend beyond lodging alone — dining, shopping, and using local services during their stay — meaning the economic benefit of each event extends across the countyʼs restaurants, retailers, and service providers, not just the venue or vendor directly booked. By promoting the full range of local vendors available through QEC's membership, this program also emphasizes to couples and event planners that Jefferson County vendors can meet their needs directly — reducing the likelihood that out-of-area vendors are brought in for weddings and events held locally. This keeps a greater share of event-related spending within the county, directly supporting the prosperity of local service providers and generating local retail sales tax revenue that would otherwise be collected elsewhere. ● Minimizing duplication and encouraging cooperative marketing. QEC is the only trade association on the Olympic Peninsula organized specifically around the event and wedding industry as a collective. Rather than individual member businesses marketing themselves separately and competitively, this program pools resources across nearly 90 members into a single, cooperative destination-marketing effort — reducing duplicated marketing spend across individual businesses and presenting Jefferson County's wedding and event offerings as a unified, coordinated destination package to prospective tourists. www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding ● Demonstrated history of success, or high potential of success, with similar activities. QEC has organized the Jefferson County Wedding Show and regional marketing campaigns since incorporation in 2023, and has grown its membership base and capacity year over year — most significantly in mid-2026, when QEC shifted from volunteer-run execution to a contracted, professionally accountable Marketing Operations Manager. This staffing capacity is directly why QEC can now commit to consistent, sustained marketing execution rather than the ad hoc, volunteer-dependent effort of prior years. Dedicated staff capacity is what converts a good strategy into a track record. 2.5 Describe how you intend to market/promote your promotion, program, facility, event or activity to potential tourists who reside outside Jefferson Count y or traveling more than 50 miles. a. If an event, the date of the event: The Jefferson County Wedding Show is planned for Saturday, February 20, 2027, pending final confirmation. This date is chosen deliberately: it falls after the Tacoma Jan 910, Seattle Wedding Show Jan 31Feb 1, and the Kitsap Wedding Expo Feb 6 rather than overlapping with them, so couples who have already begun their search at those larger regional shows can carry that momentum into a dedicated, low-competition visit to Jefferson County — attracting that same niche audience without competing head-to-head for their attention. This broader proposal is a year-long initiative with emphasis on shoulder-season months. Execution of the Jefferson County Wedding Show and the full scope of this program are contingent on the level of Lodging Tax funding awarded; QEC will scale program elements accordingly if funding is only partially granted. b. The timeline for the tourism promotion activity you are proposing: This proposal is a year-long effort to promote Jefferson Countyʼs weddings and events industry. c. Target Audience: Engaged couples, wedding parties, and event planners residing outside Jefferson County who are more than 50 miles from Jefferson County and actively researching or comparing wedding and event venues and destinations for 2027 and 2028 events. i. Our secondary audiences are: ● Local residents, couples/families planning weddings, celebrations, or events who are seeking local vendors and venues, supporting member businesses even when the booking itself doesn't originate from outside the county ● Corporate and organizational event planners (retreats, conferences, reunions) considering Jefferson County venues for gatherings that similarly bring outside attendees and overnight stays www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding ● Out-of-area wedding and event guests of locally booked weddings — friends and family traveling in for an event who represent additional overnight stays and local spending beyond the couple themselves ● Regional event and wedding industry professionals (planners, photographers, and vendors based outside the county) who may refer clients to Jefferson County or partner with QEC members on out-of-area bookings d. Promotion methods you intend to use to reach the target audience. QEC will reach prospective couples, wedding parties, and event planners through a combination of in-person presence and targeted digital and print outreach. QEC will maintain a presence at regional wedding and event trade shows, putting Jefferson County vendors and venues directly in front of engaged couples during the planning process. QEC will also host the Jefferson County Wedding Show locally, bringing prospective couples directly into the county to experience venues and vendors firsthand rather than relying solely on outside promotion. Alongside these in-person touchpoints, QEC will run paid digital advertising targeting wedding- and event-related searches and audiences, and place print advertising in regional bridal publications and trade outlets to reach couples earlier in their planning process. A professionally produced styled shoot series will generate marketing photography and video used across these ads, social media, and trade show materials, giving QEC consistent, high-quality visual content to represent the region. Finally, email marketing to a growing list of prospective couples and event planners will nurture leads generated through these other channels, keeping Jefferson County top of mind as couples move from initial research to booking. e. Describe how you will promote overnight stays at Jefferson County lodging establishments. QEC's marketing materials — including styled shoot imagery/video, trade show collateral, digital ads, and email content — will feature Jefferson County lodging as part of the wedding and event planning narrative, encouraging couples and their guests to book accommodations locally rather than commuting from outside the county. In addition, QEC has procured discounted lodging rates at multiple accommodations for each wedding tour/show, giving prospective couples and guests a direct incentive to book overnight stays with local lodging partners rather than staying elsewhere. QEC will continue this practice of working with member and partner lodging establishments to secure discounts and will promote these rates directly to prospective couples and guests as part of the booking and planning process. www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding f. If you intend to collaborate with another agency or non-profit to provide these services, please state the name of the organization and describe the nature of the collaboration: QEC has a demonstrated history of successful cross-organization partnership in its broader programming. ● Workforce development: In 2025, QEC developed a hospitality workforce training series (funded by the State of Washington Tourism) and conducted outreach to other workforce organizations, including Bayside Skill Center and OWL 360 who provided transportation support for participants and promoted the opportunity directly to their Earn to Learn cohort — a partnership that connected local workforce participants with hands-on experience in the event and wedding industry. One participant is now interning with a QEC member florist/baker as a result of this collaboration. QEC also contracted with local organizations Usawa Consulting and the Jefferson County Historical Society for DEI customer service and tourism ambassador sessions. ● Cooperative marketing: QEC has co-op advertised with the City of Port Townsend and the Resort at Port Ludlow, sharing marketing costs and reach to promote the region jointly ● Data sharing and tourism strategy: QEC has shared its short-term rental STR market data with the City of Port Townsend, Jefferson County, and the Northwest Maritime Center, including analysis of the Wooden Boat Festival's impact on city and county STR lodging. QEC intends to continue this data-sharing relationship with other interested local partners to help develop more efficient, coordinated regional marketing strategies. QEC will continue to pursue similar partnerships with other regional entities — such as EDC Team Jefferson, Port Townsend Main Street, the Port of Port Townsend — where opportunities align with program goals. 2.6 How will you measure the effectiveness of your promotion, program, facility, event or activity? QEC will measure effectiveness across each component of the program using a combination of direct lead-tracking, digital analytics, and member-reported outcomes: ● Trade show performance: Lead counts, booth traffic, and inquiry volume will be tracked at each regional wedding/event trade show and the locally-hosted Jefferson County Wedding Show, giving a direct count of prospective couples and event planners engaged at each activation. ● Website and digital advertising analytics: Google Analytics 4 will track website traffic, referral sources, and geographic origin of visitors to quimpereventscollective.com, allowing QEC to identify and report on engagement specifically from out-of-area 50 mile) audiences. Paid digital advertising www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding performance will be tracked through platform-level analytics (impressions, click-through rate, cost per engagement) to measure reach and audience response. ● Social media analytics: Meta Business Suite will track reach, engagement, and referral traffic generated from Facebook and Instagram content, including styled shoot imagery and event promotion, with particular attention to engagement from outside Jefferson County. ● Email marketing performance: Email open rates, click-through rates, and list growth will be tracked to measure the reach and effectiveness of email campaigns directed at prospective couples and event planners. ● Lodging partner engagement: QEC will track uptake of the discounted lodging rates secured, providing a direct measure of overnight stays generated. ● Member-reported outcomes: QEC's planned annual member industry survey will ask members to report on business volume, out-of-area client bookings, and perceived impact of QEC's marketing activity, providing qualitative and quantitative feedback from the businesses directly benefiting from the program. Taken together, these metrics allow QEC to report both reach (impressions, traffic, leads) and outcomes (inquiries, bookings, lodging uptake, member-reported business impact) to the Committee. a. Also, describe how you will document and report to the County the economic impact from your promotion, program, facility, event or activity. QEC will document and report to the County using actual attendance/lead numbers from trade shows, website traffic reports, and any available lodging/occupancy data, consistent with the County's annual reporting obligations to the State Department of Commerce on lodging stays and economic benefit. 2.7 What economic impact can we expect in Jefferson County from your proposed promotion, program, facility, event or activity? a. Actual or estimated number of tourists at your event/facility last year 2026: The 2026 Jefferson County Wedding Show drew approximately 50 attendees with a larger demographic of locals than tourists. This turnout was lower than anticipated, and reflects both the early stage of this locally-hosted event and mixed conditions across the wedding industry more broadly. QEC member vendors report varied experiences heading into 2027 — some are already booked out for the year, while others report booking rates similar to or lower than prior years. This is consistent with broader industry reporting: while national wedding spending data shows overall resilience, couples appear to be more selective about where they allocate their budgets, prioritizing spending in some categories while cutting back in others. Despite the lower in-person turnout at the 2026 www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding show, QEC has already seen a direct, trackable outcome from its out-of-area outreach: a Seattle-based wedding planner connected with QEC at a regional trade show booth, and QEC subsequently hosted the planner on a FAM visit to the Jefferson County Wedding Show. That planner has since worked in Port Townsend with local vendors met through the show — a concrete example of QEC's marketing converting out-of-area industry connections into actual bookings and local vendor engagement. b. Estimated number of tourists who will attend your event/facility this year 2027 QEC anticipates continued growth into 2027, building on the trajectory already established in 2026. Non-local website sessions are trending 77.64% higher year-to-date in 2026 versus 2025, and this program's refined marketing investment is designed to sustain and build on that growth rate into 2027. c. Projected economic impact in Jefferson County from your event/facility (e.g. number of tourists who will stay overnight in Jefferson County-based lodging establishments; economic impact for Jefferson County restaurants, community facilities, amenities, events, and businesses). QEC projects that this program will generate overnight stays and local spending through two primary channels: ■ Overnight stays: Each wedding booked as a result of this program's marketing typically brings a full wedding party and guest list — not a single visitor — traveling to the county together, often across a multi-night window spanning rehearsal, ceremony, and related events. ■ Economic impact beyond lodging: Wedding and event guests typically spend on dining, shopping, and local services during their stay, extending the economic benefit of each booked event across QEC's broader membership — restaurants, retailers, florists, bakers, photographers, and other service providers — not just the venue or vendor initially booked. 2.8 Have you applied for any other LTAC funding, including other municipalities? If yes, how much did you apply for and for what purpose or project? QEC has not applied for any other LTAC funding at this time and may consider requesting funds from the City of Port Townsend LTAC to support underfunded initiatives, but has not submitted or planned a specific application to the City at this time. 2.9 Describe your organizationʼs area of expertise. Do you provide a unique service? The Quimper Events Collective QEC is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing approximately 90 small businesses across the Olympic Peninsula — spanning venues, caterers, photographers, florists, bakers, entertainment, and accommodations. We bring together professionals in tourism, hospitality, events, marketing, and the creative industries to collaboratively promote Jefferson County as a premier year-round wedding and event destination. www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding Unique Service & Positioning ● Community Integration: Our board members are not only industry professionals but also active leaders in local commissions, boards, and nonprofit organizations, ensuring QEC maintains strong connections with both the private sector and public entities shaping Jefferson County's tourism landscape. ● Local Knowledge: As long-term residents and small business owners, our board brings lived experience of the region, deep relationships with local stakeholders, and authentic storytelling that resonates with visitors. ● Capacity for Professional Delivery: Through prior LTAC-funded projects, QEC has organized countywide events (the Jefferson County Wedding Show), and regional marketing campaigns. Beginning July 2026, QEC further professionalized this capacity by transitioning marketing and operations execution from volunteer board effort to a contracted management position, strengthening our ability to manage funds responsibly, deliver measurable outcomes, and maintain continuity year over year. Board Expertise: Our board collectively contributes decades of experience across tourism, business development, hospitality, and marketing: ● Heidi Haney, President — Owner of Tipsy Gypsy, a mobile bartending social purpose corporation, and Taps at the Guardhouse. With decades of hospitality experience, Heidi brings expertise in guest services and beverage tourism. ● Mia Garcia, Vice President — Artist, community connector, and project manager with strong administrative and organizational expertise, dedicated to elevating opportunities for local residents and gig economy workers. ● Natalie Maitland, Treasurer — Executive Director of Port Townsend Main Street with 15 years in marketing, communications, and hospitality. She is deeply involved in regional tourism and business development initiatives and currently serves on the Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Committee LTAC. ● Bethany Mahaffey — Founder of Snowberry Weddings, offering wedding planning, styling, and floral design inspired by the Pacific Northwest. She previously managed a Port Townsend restaurant, giving her dual expertise in events and hospitality operations. ● Marvin Copeland-Griggs — Venue Manager at a local Port Townsend venue and former chamber/tourism board member in Georgia, contributing experience in visitor services, event management, and organizational governance. ● Rebekah Fessenden — Owner of Seed Design, bringing over 15 years of experience in design, and retail merchandising. QEC expects to onboard an additional board member within the next month who has over 25 years of culinary and hospitality experience within the Marriott portfolio of properties. www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding DRAFT 2027 Budget Income & Expenses INCOME Earned Income: JCWS Ticket Sales $1,000 GRANT REVENUE - JC LTAC $105,000 - PT LTAC - JCWS Registration Fees $2,500 Membership Dues $7,570 TOTAL INCOME $116,670 EXPENDITURES Bank Charges & CC Processing Fees $425 Contractors $42,000 Insurance $1,300 Jeff Co Wedding Show $6,000 Legal & Professional Services $500 MARKETING - Ads Digital $12,000 - Ads Social $2,400 - Ads Print $8,000 - Asset Development $20,000 - Trade Shows $9,250 - Website $500 Membership $600 Office Supplies $228 Software $3,435 Taxes & Licenses $1,110 TOTAL EXPENSE $116,448 www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding Board Approved Budget for FY 2026 INCOME Earned Income: JCWS Ticket Sales $800 GRANT REVENUE - JC LTAC $92,720 Membership Dues $6,200 TOTAL INCOME $99,720 EXPENDITURES Bank Charges & CC Processing Fees $350 Contractors $46,000 Insurance $1,300 Jeff Co Wedding Show $6,000 Legal & Professional Services $1,500 MARKETING - Ads SoundEdge $8,388 - Ads Digital $1,000 - Ads Social $2,400 - Ads Print $9,000 - Trade Shows $3,250 - Website $100 Membership $1,600 Office Supplies $228 Software $3,242 Strategic Programming Asset Development, AirDNA Data, Tourism Ambassador Orientation) $9,200 Taxes & Licenses $110 Travel $1,050 TOTAL EXPENSE $94,718 www.quimpereventscollective.com Quimper Events Collective Statement of Activity January-September, 2026 Accrual Basis Tuesday, September 29, 2026 07:54 PM GMT-07:00 1/1 Total Revenue Discounts given -3.74 Earned Income $550.00 Ticket Sales 88.49 Total for Earned Income $638.49 Grant Revenue JC LTAC 92,720.00 SWT -532.53 Total for Grant Revenue $92,187.47 Membership Dues 5,791.00 Total for Revenue $98,613.22 Cost of Goods Sold Channel selling fees Stripe fees 61.05 Total for Channel selling fees $61.05 Total for Cost of Goods Sold $61.05 Gross Profit $98,552.17 Expenditures Bank Charges & Fees $43.07 Stripe Processing Fees 251.62 Total for Bank Charges & Fees $294.69 Contractors 6,666.00 Event Supplies $134.20 SWT Supplies 10.00 Total for Event Supplies $144.20 Jeff Co Wedding Show 2,449.56 Marketing $256.94 Ads-Digital 6,822.93 Ads-Print 10,983.10 Trade Shows 4,078.35 Website 311.72 Total for Marketing $22,453.04 Office Supplies 509.01 Software $9,936.30 Taxes & Licenses 1,843.32 Travel 179.00 Total for Expenditures $44,475.12 Net Operating Revenue $54,077.05 Net Revenue $54,077.05 Quimper Events Collective Request for 2027 LTAC Funding 2026 Board of Directors Heidi Haney, President 300 Eisenhower Ave | Port Townsend WA 98368 | info@tipsygypsy.party Tipsy Gypsy Mobile Bar & TAPS at the Guardhouse ─── ✦ ─── Mia Garcia, Vice President/Secretary 2120 West Sims Way | Port Townsend, WA 98368 | miagarciaknits@gmail.com Jeff Co Created ─── ✦ ─── Natalie Maitland, Treasurer 211 Taylor St., Ste 3 | Port Townsend WA 98368 | keenbeeconsulting@gmail.com Keen Bee Consulting & PT Main Street ─── ✦ ─── Bethany Mahaffey 105 Magnolia Ave | Port Townsend WA 98368 | bethany@snowberryweddings.com Snowberry Weddings ─── ✦ ─── Marvin Copeland-Griggs 431 Water Street | Port Townsend WA 98368 | marvin@nwmaritime.org Northwest Maritime ─── ✦ ─── Rebekah Fessenden 141 Sentinel Firs Rd | Port Hadlock WA 98339 | hello@seeddesignpnw.com Seed Design ─── ✦ ─── Jessie Short, Contracted Marketing Manager PO Box 557 | Chimacum WA 98325 | hi@jessieshort.com JS Endeavors LLC www.quimpereventscollective.com These weddings bring visitors who stay in local lodging, dine at local restaurants, shop with local businesses, and often extend their trips to explore the Olympic Peninsula. I’m also seeing more couples interested in adding local experiences before and after their wedding—such as picking flowers at a local farm, taking a boat ride, exploring the area, or touring one of Port Townsend’s historic Victorian buildings. There is a real opportunity to further develop and promote these experiences as part of the destination wedding offering, encouraging couples and their guests to stay longer and experience more of what East Jefferson County and the Olympic Peninsula have to offer. Member Support Since joining QEC just last year, I’ve received 6 wedding inquiries through the organization, a tangible example of how its efforts connect small businesses like mine with new and amazing couples. QEC’s work reaches well beyond individual vendors, helping bring weddings to Jefferson County that fill local accommodations, support restaurants, and introduce visitors to everything this community has to offer. I partner with small businesses all the time and Quimper is a big part of that connection! Weddings bring far more than just the couple to the Olympic Peninsula, they also bring entire groups of family and friends who book accommodations, dine at local restaurants, shop, and often extend their stays to explore the area. The economic impact reaches well beyond the wedding venue, supporting a network of small businesses and introducing visitors to a place they may return to long after the celebration.-Sarah Fingarson Photography The connections through QEC feel warm and safe with other vendors. It feels like we are one big team all working toward the goal of each individual business being successful. Most of the couples I worked with this season on wedding flowers travelled here from elsewhere to celebrate and marry in this beautiful place. This must inherently support the local economy on all levels.-Lexi Mara Design QEC has helped me book first time business AND repeat business through referrals, connections, events and wedding shows! I have noticed MOST of my events are clients from OUTSIDE Jefferson County coming TO Jefferson County to host their event. And, with that, comes all of their guests (most of my events are on average 125 guests) that come to this area, stay in hotels, shop, eat and see the sights! I rarely have events from local clients and at 75-100 events per year, that is a lot of people coming to this area to stay, shop and eat! -Bar Car Mobile -Tipsy Gypsy “(QEC) has been so impactful for me as a small business owner. It’s helped me grow professionally, feel more confident and truly connect with other local businesses in a meaningful way. I’ve also grown a lot personally — I used to be very shy with intense stage fright, and being part of this group has helped me feel more comfortable speaking up, (and) sharing my ideas.” -Peninsula Weddings & Celebrations Guide, January 2026 -Wake & Wave Charcuterie “I think that that's been really helpful to the folks that are in the collective. We all work together, so that's been great to draw that group together so we can network amongst ourselves too.” -PT Leader, Lifestyle Magazine Wedding Edition QEC meetups are a fantastic way to stay connected, learn about what’s happening in our community, and build meaningful face-to-face relationships. The website directory is an invaluable resource which I regularly refer clients to because it showcases local vendors in one convenient, professional, and well-managed place. The wedding show also provides an incredible opportunity for local businesses to showcase their services, connect directly with couples, and with commitment this show could become pivotal to strengthen the local event industry and make it easier for clients to discover the talented businesses available here. -Marrowstone Glasshouse Studio QEC has created excellent connections within the community, giving us a picture of who we are individually and as a group. At least 75% of the events I work on involve couples inviting guests from outside the area. Port Townsend is first and foremost a destination wedding location, and I see a growing interest in couples creating a customized wedding getaway rather than simply hosting a single-day event. TOOMBS CREATIVE MARKETING & BUSINESS CONSULTANCY | PORT TOWNSEND, WA September 21, 2026 Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee c/o Quimper Events Collective 2023 E Sims Way PMB 156 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Re: Letter of Support for the Quimper Events Collective 2027 LTAC Funding Request Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing in support of the Quimper Events Collective's 2027 Lodging Tax funding request. My name is Alexandra Toombs. I run Toombs Creative LLC, a marketing and business consultancy based in Port Townsend, and I am the founder and CEO of Marketing Mapped Out, a software platform that walks small business owners through building their own marketing system. I have been a QEC member since spring of 2026. QEC has been good for my business in plain, measurable ways. I attend the monthly mixers, where I have met local business owners face to face and built working relationships that turned into paying clients. Several of those owners have since purchased my services and my software. The member email list has been a steady source of resources, referrals, and opportunities I would not have found on my own. The value runs in both directions. The owners I work with come away with clearer marketing and a stronger local presence, which means more visibility for what they offer here on the Peninsula. Multiply that across a membership of event professionals and you get a local economy that is better organized, better promoted, and more engaged with itself. That is what happens when an organization gives small operators a place to find one another and something to build toward. Events and weddings also bring people here who would not otherwise come. A single wedding fills hotel rooms, short-term rentals, restaurants, and shops for an entire weekend, and guests frequently return later as visitors on their own. The work QEC does to put East Jefferson County event professionals in front of couples planning celebrations, through the wedding shows, the styled shoots, the social media promotion, and the vendor directory on its website, is what turns those events into overnight stays and local spending. One note on this year's request: the operational capacity piece matters significantly. An organization run entirely on volunteer labor can only carry so much before it stalls. Funding the staffing behind the programs is what keeps the collectives like this running and helping to boost this rural economy. QEC has earned continued LTAC support, and I hope the committee will fund the request in full. I am glad to answer any questions. All the best, Alex Toombs Alexandra Toombs Founder & CEO Toombs Creative LLC | Marketing Mapped Out alex@toombscreative.com | toombscreative.com Northwest Maritime 22 September 2026 Jefferson County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Jefferson County, Washington Dear Members of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee: Northwest Maritime is pleased to support the Quimper Events Collective’s request for Jefferson County lodging tax funding. As a member of the Collective, we have seen firsthand the value of bringing Jefferson County’s event producers and destination organizations together to share information, coordinate efforts, and strengthen our community’s overall events ecosystem. Rather than competing for a finite pool of visitors and attention, the Collective encourages its members to lift all boats - recognizing that a strong, coordinated events community benefits everyone. This collaborative approach is particularly important for a community like ours, where events are a significant part of the visitor economy. The Collective helps its members think beyond individual events and work together to create a fuller, more compelling experience for visitors, while also supporting local businesses and the community. Northwest Maritime appreciates the Quimper Events Collective as a thoughtful, generous, and highly collaborative partner. We believe its work contributes meaningfully to Jefferson County’s visitor economy and are pleased to support its application for lodging tax funding. Sincerely, Katie Oman Chief Operating Officer Northwest Maritime 431 Water Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 nwmaritime.org | 360.385.3628 Peninsula Weddings &Celebrations Guide Distributed to Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and ForksForum work samples QUIMPER EVENTS COLLECTIVE January 2026 Included press coverage of event and vendors Exhibiting atWedding TradeShows QUIMPER EVENTS COLLECTIVE January/February 2025 January 25, 2026, at Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles Olympic Peninsula Wedding Expo Feb 7, 2026, this event hosted over 80vendors and expected ~1,000attendees. Kitsap Wedding Expo Booth Jan 31–Feb 1, 2026, the largest and longest-running wedding event in the PNW,bringing thousands of attendees and morethan 400 professionals together at theSeattle Convention Center Seattle Wedding Show Booth Co-OpAdvertising QUIMPER EVENTS COLLECTIVE January/February 2026 Full Page ad co-op with The Resort at Port Ludlow in 1889 Magazine 19,100 subscribers, 3,000 newstand buyers, 6650 hotels in Seattle and Spokane, 2,000 readers on Bainbridge Ferry Issue featured Trip Planner featuring Port Townsend Jefferson CoWedding Show QUIMPER EVENTS COLLECTIVE February 21 2026 Held at the Old Alcohol Plant Featuring over 25 Vendors - Live Music - Exhibitions Jefferson CountyAcommodations Guide QUIMPER EVENTS COLLECTIVE April 2026 List of Lodgingthroughout the County &City of Port Townsend Website analytics showvisitors to this page from: Port TownsendPort LudlowSeattleAstoriaBoiseFresnoSanta Rosa Printed in Peninsula Daily News Olympic Peninsula Spring Visitor Guide and PT Leader’s Getaway Guide and hosted at quimpereventscollective.com/lodging with clickable links to each property’s website. JEFFERSON COUNTY · LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE Short-Term Rentals at a Glance A decade of overnight-visitor lodging demand across the county · 2015–2025 A DECADE OF GROWTH Roughly 17× since 2015 From $711K in 2015 to $12.4M in 2025, driven mostly by new listings coming online. WHERE THE REVENUE IS · 2025 74% East Jefferson 15% Port Townsend 11% West End Nearly three-quarters of activity is in the unincorporated east county. A SUMMER ECONOMY ~31% of revenue lands in July & August  — and just over half between June and September. WHAT IT MEANS FOR PLANNING Source: AirDNA monthly data, Jan 2015–Jul 2026 · Segments derived to sum to the county total · Estimates describe market scale, not tax receipts · Prepared by Quimper Events Collective $12.4M STR revenue countywide, 2025 — a record 17× Growth in annual revenue since 2015 ~337 Active listings countywide $211 Average nightly rate (ADR) 56% Average occupancy East Jefferson · unincorporated 74% of county STR revenue occupancy 55%ADR $224 ~242 units Port Townsend 15% of county STR revenue occupancy 69%ADR $169 ~51 units West End 11% of county STR revenue occupancy 48%ADR $203 ~44 units Supply is now largely capped. County and City short-term-rental rules limit new listings, so future revenue growth will come from rate and occupancy, not more units. Collections are concentrated. With ~31% of revenue in two months, the visitor economy — and the lodging tax on it — is front-loaded into a short summer peak. The market is maturing. After a decade of growth, 2026 is tracking essentially flat (-0.6% through July), with fall bookings pacing at or above last year.