TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Leon County leaders are looking to build on what they say was a record-breaking spring for tourism with a new initiative aimed at bringing more large destination events to the area.
Leon County Commission Chairman Christian Caban proposed a new tourism funding initiative that would allow the county’s collegiate partners, Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee State College, to apply for funding to help attract major events to Leon County.
Caban said events like the World Athletics Cross Country Championship, the Savannah Bananas and PBR brought thousands of visitors to the county this spring.
“It’s no secret when you have these big-ticket events such as Savannah Bananas and PBR, you have folks coming in from outside our community spending money at restaurants, spending money at retail stores, staying in hotels, spending their money from outside of our community here at home in Leon County, and that supports our economy, and that supports our jobs,” Caban said.
Caban said the proposed initiative would not impact existing tourism funding.
“Having more stuff for families to do or for students to do is what really makes a strong community,” Caban said. “We need things for folks to do, we need things for families to do, and so anytime you can partner with our local and collegiate partners, it provides a sense of community for our neighbors and families that live here.”
Florida State University, which hosted several of the major events this spring, says those successful events have already sparked conversations about bringing more to Tallahassee.
“There’s a lot of opportunities to bring in any number of different types of sporting events, concerts because of the success we have had in the spring we’ve had a lot of conversations with folks that understand we’re able to handle a national scale event like this and so there’s a lot of excitement about more to come,” said Ben Zierden, FSU’s Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facilities and Capital Projects and Events.
Tallahassee State College also says it has seen the impact of large events, including a Luke Bryan concert in 2022 and its annual Cleaver & Cork event, which supports students while bringing thousands of people to Leon County.
“Any opportunities that Visit Tallahassee or Leon County wants to partner with us on doing bigger things here, we are wide open to it. I mean, if we can have a concert on our campus, we’d do pretty much anything,” said Heather Mitchell, Executive Director of the TSC Foundation. “I think really investing in helping other organizations bring our spaces to life through big events and having the support of the county and Visit Tallahassee behind that, there’s so much value in that.”
Florida A&M University also voiced its support for the proposal in a statement.
“Florida A&M University commends the Leon County Commission’s commitment to expanding tourism infrastructure. This investment will strengthen our local economy and elevate Tallahassee as a premier destination for major events. As one of the region’s most powerful economic engines, FAMU understands firsthand what championship-caliber sporting events mean for our hotels, our restaurants, and our small businesses.
Each year, thousands of alumni, families, and fans return home to Tallahassee to support Rattler Athletics—filling hotel rooms, filling restaurants, and filling this city with pride and economic promise. The County’s commitment to growing these types of experiences by attracting larger destination events will allow us to showcase FAMU and Tallahassee’s excellence on a broader stage while building long-term economic growth our entire community deserves.”
The Leon County Commission unanimously approved the motion, directing staff to bring a formal tourism funding program back to the board for consideration at its September meeting.
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