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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/7/2010 - STAFF REPORTS PALM Sa � Ry � c U yi cq`rk°RN,P. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT DATE: APRIL 7, 2010 NEW BUSINESS SUBJECT: SPONSORSHIP OF THE 2011 EASTER BOWL TENNIS TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS. FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager SUMMARY The City Council will consider a request from the Riviera Hotel to allocate $25,000 from the Special Events category in the Economic Recovery Programs Fund to provide a city sponsorship for the 2011 Easter Bowl Junior Tournament scheduled for April 6th — 11 th RECOMMENDATION: 1. Commit $25,000 Sponsorship of the 2011 Easter Bowl Tennis Tournament to be held in the City of Palm Springs. 2. Direct staff to appropriate $25,000 from the Special Events allocation in the 2010 Economic Recovery Program Funds for sponsorship of the event. 3. Authorize the City Manager to prepare and execute a Sponsorship Agreement subject to final approval of the City Attorney. STAFF ANALYSIS: The City Council had previously set up an Economic Recovery Programs Fund to provide incentives for various categories of businesses to promote the local Palm Springs economy. One of the specific areas identified was "special events" and Council allocated $50,000 toward that purpose. The Riviera Hotel, working with the promoter of the Easter Bowl Junior Tennis Tournament has committed to renovating the hotel's tennis courts ($75,000 to $100,000) in an effort to return the event to the Palm Springs venue. The Tournament will require a $25,000 cash sponsorship from the City - in previous years, the City had contributed $15,000, before the Tournament moved to Florida, and more recently in Palm Desert. ITEM NO. City Council Staff Report April 7, 2010 -- Page 2 Easter Bowl Sponsorship According to the Riviera, the event attracts, "upwards of 1500 people made up of 650 participants plus family members, coaches, and various tennis related businesses...in years past this tournament has brought 1,500 plus room nights to the city..." (See attached fact sheet from the Riviera Hotel). In discussing this request with the large hotel General Managers — at their weekly meeting — they indicated support the event for three specific reasons. First, the event results in "compression" business for other city hotels, second, the peak room nights occur mid-week Sunday through Wednesday and third, the Easter Holiday is later in the month on April 24�h FISCAL IMPACT: This specific request will not impact the General Fund; the $25,000 sponsorship would be available from the Economic Recovery Program Fund where Council appropriated $50,000. David H. Ready, City M nager Attachments: Riviera Hotel Fact Sheet Prepared for support of a request for the City of Palm Springs sponsorship of twenty-five thousand dollars in April 2011 with sustainability ongoing. The Event • The Easter Bowl Tennis Tournament produced by Bryan Fineberg, Chairman, Creative Tennis Marketing Inc. is the largest Junior Tennis Tournament in the country. Not only is it designated as a National Championship but given all the divisions, it is actually 6 National Championships at the same time. • The only Junior Tournament to have a nationally syndicated television show broadcast by MSG and FOX sports to all the major markets. • The impact to Palm Springs as the host city is upwards of 1500 people made up of 650 participants plus family members,coaches,and various tennis related businesses. • In years past this tournament has brought 1500+ room nights to the city and based on demographics of the visitors this business spread throughout more than one or two hotel facilities. It is anticipated that numerous properties will see compression from this event. • Financial impact of the Easter Bowl on Palm Springs has been duly noted numerous times by the Desert Sun, quoting between 1 and 2 million dollars of generated business. • Tourism Multiplier Effect takes over as this business encourages jobs indirectly elsewhere in the economy through restaurants, retail merchants,transportation and services. • Publicity and promotion are a given for this well known National Event with a full time media specialist employed by the tournament and numerous articles by most well known tennis magazines and websites deployed. Palm Springs brand is always at the top of the article. The Venue • The Legendary Riviera Resort and Spa has shown its commitment to Palm Springs with its reincarnation over the last few years and will continue this tradition by reinvigorating the tennis facilities on property to host this great event. • Timing for the tennis facility redevelopment is to have the courts in operation by the fall 2010. Initial approval has been provided by investors to develop final costs.Scope includes: repair, resurface and color coat all nine courts; install new wind screens, nets and canopy's; landscape the surrounding area and build out/redevelop the Pro Shop. Key Future Return • The Easter Bowl is the impetus for the Riviera tennis facility redevelopment. It provides the initial RO1 for the project. This event will allow our venue and Palm Springs to search out and convene other potential USTA events in the future.