The Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission approved a grant request of $23,000 for artificial intelligence software for the Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau at a meeting Wednesday.
Visitors Bureau Executive Director Cori Humes requested the grant for Placer.ai, an economic impact software. Humes said the tool will allow the Visitors Bureau to see what cities people are coming from, who attend Kosciusko events and where they go before and after the event, such as restaurants and hotels.
This will help calculate the participation and economic impact of community events. It will also allow the Visitors Bureau to improve their marketing to tailor to the demographics of individuals participating, as well as possible untapped markets.
Representatives of the City-County Athletic Complex and the Village at Winona spoke up to say they would be interested in using this data for their events as well. They also brought up potential uses for the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp.
Commission Vice President Lyle Schrock asked how long the price would be locked in for. Humes said the contract would be for two years. Schrock asked if the software would require setup pre-events, which has not been successful in the past.
Humes said no pre-event setup is required, and in fact, the Visitors Bureau would be able to pull location data going back to 2017. Humes also said the software will offer unlimited requests for location data reports. Schrock advised to ensure the company would allow unlimited users as well, which the company mentioned in its informational packet.
After discussion about the benefits of the software, the grant request was approved.
Sally Mahnken spoke on behalf of Chautauqua Wawasee to request a grant in the amount of $500 for publicity for Old Fashioned Christmas and a second grant of $500 for publicity for the Ball State Singers event. Both were approved.
Chris Morehouse requested two grants for Echoes of the Past. One was in the amount of $500 for publicity for the Summer Tractor Show and Pull. The other request was in the amount of $10,000 to make a well to have restrooms and running water for greater accessibility at their events. Both were approved.
Nick Hauck requested two grants for the Kosciusko County Velo cycling club. The KCV requested $32,300 for a tourism sponsorship of the Fat and Skinny Tire Fest. KCV requested $25,000 to sponsor the Hauth Trailhead Bike Park, which is set to be the largest bike park within a 3-hour radius. Both were approved.
Mike Hagy requested two grants for the CCAC. CCAC requested $30,000 to replace the leaky roof and $13,000 for dugout roofing labor and costs. Both were approved.
Tracy Patrick requested one grant for Lake City Skiers. Patrick requested $7,703.28 for motor costs, but the commission made and approved a motion to grant approximately $39,600 instead to pay off the loans for the motors.
Diana Diaz-Barriga requested two grants for Our Lady of Guadalupe. The commission approved the first grant in the amount of $500 for publicity for Feria Guadalupana. The commission tabled the second request $11,941.19 for an electrical update for the event until Diaz-Barriga could look into cheaper options such as renting a generator.
During the final comment portion, Hauck stood and thanked the CCAC and Lake City Skiers for bringing folks to the community. Hauck says he sees the people those organizations bring into the county dining and shopping in the Village at Winona.
In other business, KCCRVC:
• Swore in two new board members, Mike Loher and Chris Polk.
• Approved the 2025 CVB Agreement.
• Approved the 2025 KCCRVC Inter-Local Agreement.
• Approved the 2025 KCCRVC meeting dates, moving the January meeting to Jan. 15.
• Discussed creating a KCCRVC logo in the future.
The next KCCRVC meeting will be 9 a.m. Jan. 15 at the Old Courtroom, 121 N. Lake St.