LT2025-013 PUNCH PROJECTS CLTAC - Laserfiche WebLink

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Response 6.1: Provide any additional information which will assist the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee in evaluating your project and its benefit to tourism. After our third year, the PUNCH “Fire House Project” is home to a visual arts gallery, outdoor stage/performance area, and a year-round indoor performance space and “snack bar” with packaged snacks and beer. Exhibitions in the gallery change monthly and we have musicians and other performers on one of our two stages on nearly every Saturday. In a town with a population of approximately 200, open one day per week, we have tripled annual attendance from 937 in our first year to 2,961 the past 12 months. Gross retail sales for 2024 have continued to increase over previous years, and as we continue expanding our family-friendly programming with new offerings such as “movie nights,” we expect numbers to continue growing. We are a unique venue not only because of our programming, but also because of our proximity to communities that currently have limited arts and culture offerings for tourists. Knowing that at least 525 of the 2961 folks that visited us Sept. 2023 – Aug. 2024 were from out-of-county, translating to 243 overnight stays is testament not only to the success of our efforts and the support of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, but also to the demand for cultural, creative and artistic experiences for tourists choosing travel destinations. An investment in our marketing/promotions and talent fees is not only a benefit to our organization, but to the community of Thorp, as we are the only public gathering place with regular hours in Thorp, which has always been a popular scenic byway for road trippers, motorcyclists and bicyclists. Part of our mission has always been to bridge the urban rural divide and connect communities across Washington state and the Greater Northwest. We hope to be a popular destination for visitors and out-of-towners to mingle with locals while experiencing art, music and other events. We want central Washington to be known as an arts destination and we want to contribute to the plethora of reasons to visit Kittitas County from galleries and museums, to food, adventure and more. Lodging Tax Funds will enable us to bring talented artists to the county, expand our programming and most importantly, spread the word across the Northwest to get butts in seats, heads in beds and provide opportunities to experience the wealth of activities and attractions in our county. 2500 character limit Response 6.2: You may upload any supporting documents such as graphs, images, diagrams, marketing materials, etc. You are allowed to submit up to 3 single page (US Letter) documents in JPG, PDF or TIFF format Punch_Support_Materials_2024_01.pdf 662.32KB Punch_Support_Materials_2024_02.pdf 355.94KB 7| Previous Lodging Tax Grant Information Response 7.1: Has your event received Lodging Tax funds in previous years?* No, this event/project has not previously received Lodging Tax Funding Yes, 1 year previous Yes, 2 years previous Yes, 3 years previous Yes, 4 or more years previous Response 7.2: Overall Attendance * Past Actual *Projected * 2,961 3,500 Response 7.3: Number of people travelling more than 50 miles for your event?* Past Actual *Projected * 525 1,000 Response 7.4: Number of people traveling from outside WA State for your event?* Past Actual *Projected * 60 100 Response 7.5: The number of overnight guests who stay in paid accommodations in Kittitas County for your event?* Past Actual *Projected *