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Tourism-Related Facility Operational Funding Narrative <br />(Municipality Applications Only) <br />For the Yean2025 <br />1. Operational Spending: Please explain your request for operational funding and how it is <br />directly related to supporting the operations of a tourism-related facility owned or operated <br />by a municipality or public facilities district. <br />The Kittitas Valley Event Center is requesting operational funding for the sum of <br />$277 ,OO for salaries and benefits. This is 31% of the 2025 salaries and benefits budget, <br />which totals $894,535. This measurement is consistent with the percentage of support <br />that was approved tor 2024 Operations. l(\/EC personnel costs rose $14,860 in total in <br />2025 over 2024. <br />Staff support is vital to continue year-round facility operations, maintenance, and <br />the largest community event in the County - the Kittitas County Fair and Ellensburg <br />Rodeo. <br />2. Sustainability Strategy: Please describe your strategy for long-term operational <br />sustainability. lnclude any specific progress toward this goal. <br />Our commitment to long-term operational sustainability is reflected in our continued <br />year-over-year growth in facility visits and event expansion. The following data <br />highlights our upward trajectory in visitor numbers: <br />. 2023:5.6% increase. 2022: 15.3o/o increase. 2021:31.2% increase <br />ln 2024, more than 620/o of our visitors traveled from outside Kittitas County, with <br />over 50% journeying more than 50 miles and nearly 6.50/o coming from out of state. <br />Notabfy, visits from hore than 50 miles away increased by 18o/o compared to 2023, <br />highlighting our facility's growing regional and national appeal. Altogether, more than <br />29,000 visitors came from beyond a 50-mile radius last year. <br />These visitors alone contributed over $6.5 million in economic impact. When <br />factoring in all out-of-county attendees, that impact increases by an additio_nal $2.1 <br />million. ln total, event attendees in 2024 generated an estimated $11.7 million in <br />economic benefits. When combined with our tourism-facility operations, our overall <br />economic impact for the year exceeded $12.5 million. <br />So.far this year, we are already trending at a 32.2Yo increase in visits compared to <br />last year, with 15% of those visits coming from outside Kittitas County. ln addition, we <br />have secured several major new multi-day events, further diversifying our offerings and <br />maximizing our facility's year-round use. Among the confirmed additions are: <br />. National Championships for Wild Horse Racing