LT-2020-009 KEEN Bird Fest Amended EP

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Collaboration *Yes, KEEN partners with several gror,rps in Kittitas CoLrnty and across the staie to promote and encourage tourism. For Bird Fest trre specifically partner with Seattle, Kittitas and Yakima County Audubon groups and the Kittitas County Field and Streanr Ch-rb. These organizalions provide e&ertise, field trip leaders, event volunteers, arrd planning committee members. We also wcrk with CWU interns arrd professors, expert field trip leaders from around the slate, and WA State Parks for the location of the event. This event \,ould not be successful without these partnerships! We also partner with Canyon River Ranch Lodge for the dinner, auction, and social gathering for the event. 2500 character lin'il 5l Future Plans Please explain what plans exist to allow this project to become self-sustaining. lnclude any plans for ticket sales, event sponsors, and other cost-recovery models. Future Plans*KEEN increased sponsorship levels, vendor's fees, and other cosl-covering fees for participation in 2018. As the event 910r.46 we believe ihat our sponsorship levels will increase and r,r,e will attract nrore vendors over iime causing this to continue lo be a revenue positive event for KEEN and eventually to become self-sustaining. As happens in the bird-watching lvorld, once an event is established, birders start to look for eveni details earlier and earlier (we have in fact, as of this Miting. already heard from several birders looking tor 2A2O details). 2500 character lirit Application Questions: Part 4 6l Additional lnform ation Provide any additional information which will assist the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee in evaluating your project and its benefit to tourism. Additional lnformation Unfortunately KEEN rrras not be able to undertake the Yakima River Canyon Bird Fest in 2019 and rrras forced to decline the lodging taxfunding r,re uere avmrded The Washington Ornithological Society planned lheir annual meeting and field trips (essentially the exact same model as our event) for the same ueekend in Moses Lake. Many of our field trip leaders are members urrth that organization and could not attend both. We could not move our weekend due to other conflicting dates within our organization and other nearby bird festivals. WOS moves their conference location every year, but this year it happened to conflict with ours. We uere intensely disappointed, and expressed our concerns to WOS clearly, but ultimately decided that vrre couldn't compete with something so similar so close by. Please eryress our deep appreciation to the members of the combined Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. We are thankful for their support and look forward to applying again for 2020 and having another successful Bird Fest! 2500 character linit