[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6053244,"mediaKeyId","3376059-b1fcdf2bb0fe4de9ff4daa70126b30ee","parentId",3376059,"title","ATAX committee moves July meeting, cancels August session and plans two applicant workshops","audioSeconds",641,"startMs",4567000,"endMs",5208000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3376059-b1fcdf2bb0fe4de9ff4daa70126b30ee&start=4567&end=5208","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3376059-b1fcdf2bb0fe4de9ff4daa70126b30ee/thumbnail_4567000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6053244/Hilton-Head-Island/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/ATAX-committee-moves-July-meeting-cancels-August-session-and-plans-two-applicant-workshops","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053244-f6fd15f59e29bdac708e66844c389d70/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191287&Signature=YwlvlQlk~IbtvCLKqb5VQLVPJSMtIt43~DeAYWzeGn25s-K4h9lKLlR1nxWGu9mOgJHuRivGklBcykRlxl1~Dhj4bzLFY1H0MPr4AGPs8J4fjE2v01rnq421HnIUAEvIA81O16rP8z6IWMxkWCeNFhUz8-Wq2lVUQefQpTsPcUWp30tPhayy1eJZk4YGCwO9BPE-60rRVF8BX4NGgNv4UpCuTDVQE42cQvg3mKWtT~Gleckuwygt0wl7Pcgzwrj1w0WeZQatl344v4QvOhBH~Kdd2G9kENMYD7Yo~x-2W5uFB68BGFj0Jcj17gzHiBMv8bbaqbSfuW5HTpDJJkASdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Hilton Head Island","date","2025-04-04T02:28:45Z","article","The Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee on April 3 approved changes to its 2025 meeting calendar and authorized staff to hold two applicant workshops in place of the committee's August meeting.

Town staff told the committee the schedule change responds to an upcoming Town Council review of proposed ATAX policy revisions: Council will consider the changes July 15, and the committee's July meeting must follow that action. Committee members voted to move the July meeting from July 10 to July 24 at 2 p.m. in the same location.

The committee also voted to cancel its Aug. 7 meeting and directed town staff to organize two applicant workshops (one daytime and one evening session) so organizations seeking ATAX funds can receive hands-on assistance preparing applications. Town staff said the workshops will be facilitated by the town; proposed dates will be distributed to applicants and committee members.

Committee members discussed making attendance at a workshop mandatory for all new applicants and proposed a mentorship program that would pair more experienced, previously funded organizations with new applicants to help them complete applications and financial statements. Several members cautioned any mentorship program should be optional for mentors and should avoid overburdening a small number of large organizations.

Town staff said the workshops are intended to improve application completeness and applicant success and that the town will recommend policy language for Council consideration. The committee voted to cancel the Aug. 7 meeting \"in lieu of the workshops\" and to move the July date; both motions passed by voice/hand vote with members signaling approval by raised hands. The committee also heard an update at the start of the meeting that Town Council had fully funded the committee's prior year recommendations on Jan. 14 by a 7-0 vote.

Town staff noted committee members are not required to attend the workshops (the sessions are not official committee meetings), but staff encouraged members to participate if they have not previously attended. Staff said they will provide the new workshop dates to the committee and will present proposed policy revisions to Town Council on July 15.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday, April 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the April 3 meeting, the Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee voted to move its July meeting to July 24 at 2 p.m., cancel the previously scheduled Aug. 7 meeting in favor of two applicant workshops, and discussed a mentorship program and a recommendation to ask Town Council to require workshops for new applicants.","taxTitle","Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina","taxId",5068,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6053249,"Hilton Head Island DMO reports higher economic impact despite fewer visitors; ATAX committee votes to recommend marketing plan to council",3598,1097000,4695000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3376059-b1fcdf2bb0fe4de9ff4daa70126b30ee&start=1097&end=4695","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3376059-b1fcdf2bb0fe4de9ff4daa70126b30ee/thumbnail_1097000.jpg","/articles/6053249/Hilton-Head-Island/Beaufort-County/South-Carolina/Hilton-Head-Island-DMO-reports-higher-economic-impact-despite-fewer-visitors-ATAX-committee-votes-to-recommend-marketing-plan-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053249-7532609028922f7f7a783516ca8de04e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771191288&Signature=ObCkbjm7vEWD1eZB7dQD3R2F7XFW397KpZ2F4CbgP3fXKdhrNK1dkG737yWsSjiUEzSU8BOP4g7QiiR5CS4-7DEtsPPYH2qcwsomqJKlmf8dJvJtygEqGJNR-7DAscoJFAICfmsTwJOFi9UPTmfKvKucRedHxGh-jc9O1gA9aRg3lL-leqCJChlaccS9QsDrXlbCH-12RIGh47ctZKd1YV-LabhJn~8xi8bUr0Qgziw9nJFgsUA9Sb7bouWpAk6giqSixNyJ3mGxRP0UW35NTufoi7erDcv8NLSoNV1x890nRt3qtTdyhW50hv-Uee3av3XZCTtVNkLKsHTxFy~dDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ariana Pernice, vice president of the visitor and convention bureau for the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, told the Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee on April 3 that the destination marketing organization\u0000(DMO) attracted more web traffic and secured higher per-visitor spending in 2024, even as overall visitation fell.

Pernice said the DMO\u0000website HiltonHeadIsland.org received more than 3,300,000 visits in 2024 and produced about 1,500,000 partner referrals. \"Visits to the website were up 3% to the prior year,\" she said, and links out to members and community partners were \"up 25%.\" Pernice summarized lodging metrics as \"occupancy was down by 4%\" and average daily rate \"was up by 1%\"; she said RevPAR was down and that, overall, the DMO was attracting visitors who spent more per trip.

The committee heard the DMO\u0000report that total visitation fell about 4.6% to roughly 2.84 million visitors but that the estimated economic impact of visitors rose about 17% year over year. Pernice attributed the gap to a smaller number of visitors paying higher rates and spending more on restaurants, recreation and retail.

The chamber framed its marketing approach around five pillars\u0000ecotourism; history and culture (including Gullah-related coverage); arts; recreation and wellness; and culinary/passion-driven travel\u0000and described a funnel strategy to drive awareness, intent and conversion. Pernice said the DMO relies on a mix of digital advertising, social media, PR and group/meeting sales to target households with annual incomes in a range the organization described as its priority visitor.

Charlie Clark, who handles public relations for the destination, said earned and broadcast coverage can produce large swings in \"media impressions\" depending on placement and platform. \"Media impressions can range in years. They can fluctuate greatly based on what the media is,\" Clark said, noting broadcast and social amplifications as factors.

Other data presented: a printed \"coffee-table\" destination book was fulfilled 58,000 times in 2024 (about an 18% decline from the prior year); the DMO reported a modest increase in organic social following from 2023 to 2024; and the organization said it is piloting new data tools (including Placer) and plans AI-enabled, conversational features for HiltonHeadIsland.org with an implementation target tied to the next fiscal year starting July 1.

After the presentation and a Q&A with committee members about group travel, PR breakdowns, and how the DMO measures economic impact (the group uses the College of Charleston tourism analysis for annual estimates), the committee moved to recommend the marketing plan and associated budget to Town Council. The motion carried after members voted \"all in favor\" by raised hands; the committee did not announce a roll-call tally on the record.

The DMO said its measurement work draws on multiple data sources, including the College of Charleston visitor profile study, ATAX data and third-party audience tools such as Placer and the PR firm Weber Shandwick. Pernice told the committee she will provide a corrected fiscal-year budget slide (the presentation accidentally showed the prior-year budget) and that a corrected marketing plan will be distributed to committee members.

The committee's recommendation sends the DMO marketing plan to Town Council, which will consider the request under the town's normal budget and ATAX-review process.","At an April 3 Accommodation Tax Advisory Committee meeting, the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton Chamber of Commerce presented 2024 performance metrics showing fewer visitors but higher per-visit spending and economic impact; the committee voted to recommend the DMO's marketing plan to Town Council.","actionData","errors"]

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ATAX committee moves July meeting, cancels August session and plans two applicant workshops

Hilton Head Island DMO reports higher economic impact despite fewer visitors; ATAX committee votes to recommend marketing plan to council