TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration through its Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grant program, in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000, to support the Long Beach Tourism Media and Training Center Project. (District 1)
DISCUSSION
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has $750 million in American Rescue Plan Funds allocated to support the recovery of communities whose economies rely on travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors. The Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation grant program provides funding to help communities hit hardest by challenges facing travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors to invest in infrastructure, workforce development, or other projects that support the recovery and economic resilience of the community.
The City of Long Beach (City) proposes to construct the Long Beach Tourism Media and Training Center (Project) in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. The Project is a digital media broadcast studio and teaching/training space that supports virtual and hybrid convention and special event programming to support the local and regional hospitality and tourism industry. The digital media broadcast studio is an innovative concept that will allow the tourism and hospitality industries to offer online and hybrid conventions and special events while creating opportunities that revive the industry to help boost the economy and create more jobs. The Project provides a space that can be utilized by educators and trainers from local higher educational institutions who will educate the next generation in the industry while simultaneously helping hospitality and tourism businesses adapt to new technologies that are required to successfully operate in today’s digital environment.
This Project is needed to maximize training for a skilled hospitality, tourism, and creative workforce to be channeled into a j...
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