By Sally Kestin, Asheville Watchdog
The tab is in: On high of the $1.3 million Asheville paid to sponsor the U.S. Open tennis event, the general public tourism board spent greater than $70,000 in bills that included catering and journey for his or her employees, board members and friends, practically $25,000 on Asheville-branded beer coozies, and greater than $1,000 on floral preparations.
As Asheville Watchdog reported final week, the Tourism Improvement Authority’s $1.3 million sponsorship settlement included tickets to a luxurious suite for 2 nights and passes to the President’s Suite. The Grand Slam tennis occasion in New York ended final weekend.
In a information launch Monday, the Discover Asheville Conference & Guests Bureau listed the names of the suite friends and a abstract of bills paid for with tax cash.
On Sept. 7, Asheville Night time in Arthur Ashe Stadium, 17 friends watched the lads’s and ladies’s quarterfinals in Asheville’s luxurious suite, most of them journey writers or editors from publications similar to Journey and Leisure. Additionally in attendance had been Asheville-based Coco Villa, a dressmaker and efficiency artist, and musician/actor Moses Sumney of Asheville and his supervisor.
Available from Discover Asheville had been President and CEO Victoria “Vic” Isley, Senior Vice President of Advertising and marketing Marla Tambellini, Director of Public Relations Luisa Yen, Group Advertising and marketing Supervisor Carli Adams and TDA board member Matthew Lehman.
The tourism company used the suite to “interact with media and influencers, construct relationships and share the most recent information about Asheville to encourage future protection concerning the character of the group,” the discharge stated. “It’s regular apply for vacation spot advertising and marketing organizations to host occasions for members of the media, continuously within the media capital of NYC.”
Discover Asheville has been working with Sumney on a content material partnership, Yen informed Asheville Watchdog, noting that he posted from the suite on his Instagram account, which has 284,000 followers. The tourism company lined airfare, lodging at The Bowery Resort, and transportation for Sumney and his supervisor at a price of $8,790.43.
Villa was invited after a visitor cancelled; she was already in New York for one more occasion, Yen informed Asheville Watchdog.
The sponsorship settlement required minimal expenditures of $1,800 in meals and beverage plus gratuities and taxes within the suite every evening; the tab for Sept. 7 got here to $8,913.75.
Lehman, the TDA board member within the suite, stated within the information launch that the evening was “a terrific alternative to have interaction with media and shoppers. Primarily based on conversations, I really feel assured that we are going to be welcoming guests and convention attendees to Asheville within the close to future.”
Followers coming into the stadium on Asheville Night time obtained drink coozies with Asheville and US Open logos. Discover Asheville spent $24,466.67 on 15,000 coozies.
The company additionally spent $1,099.34 on “suite décor.” Yen informed Asheville Watchdog that lined “florals and a plant for the 2 nights.”
On Sept. 8, Discover Asheville hosted 18 assembly and occasion planners from the New York space within the luxurious suite. Employees members Isley, Adams and Director of Gross sales Connie Nuckolls Holliday had been in attendance, together with TDA board member Brenda Durden.
Meals and beverage prices for that evening got here to $9,747.68.
“One visitor is contemplating Asheville as the placement for a convention that will generate greater than $415,000 in direct spending in our group,” the discharge stated.
Discover Asheville used its entry to the President’s Suite to debate bringing extra tennis occasions to Asheville with U.S. Tennis Affiliation’s CEO and govt director, Lew Sherr, the discharge stated. Asheville hosted the Billie Jean King Cup in April that generated $8 million for native companies, in accordance with the tourism company.
In attendance within the President’s Suite had been Isley, Tambellini and Yen, in addition to TDA board members Lehman and HP Patel.
Discover Asheville paid $8,289.63 for airfare, lodge, transportation and meals for its 5 employees, and $1,859.12 for lodge and airfare for Lehman. The opposite board members paid their very own journey bills.
Lehman and the employees stayed on the Even Resort Midtown East, which supplied most well-liked charges for occasion companions, Yen stated.
The tourism company picked up transportation to and from the stadium for its suite friends at a price of $1,498.97.
The $1.3 million sponsorship and bills got here from occupancy taxes paid by friends staying in Buncombe resorts, trip leases and mattress and breakfasts. By regulation, the cash is to be spent on attracting guests and occasions to the Asheville space to assist the native economic system.
In asserting the sponsorship, the TDA touted advantages together with on-court indicators selling Asheville, tv spots on ESPN and advertising and marketing messages on USOpen.org and U.S. Open Radio.
As Asheville Watchdog beforehand reported, the one friends talked about in that announcement had been two teenagers from the Junior Asheville Tennis Affiliation, who escorted the coin-tosser on courtroom on Asheville Night time. They had been accompanied by a board member from the affiliation and attended one session — however not in both of the suites.
Discover Asheville paid $5,374.55 for his or her journey bills.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit information group producing tales that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Contact her at skestin@avlwatchdog.org.
