WCEDC board reviews successful fishing tournament

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 6/1/22

The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) discussed and heard a report on the success of this year’s BassMaster Elite Tournament at Lake Fork May 19-22 with the festival on Saturday and Sunday.

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WCEDC board reviews successful fishing tournament

Posted

The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) discussed and heard a report on the success of this year’s BassMaster Elite Tournament at Lake Fork May 19-22 with the festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Executive Director Christoph Trahan gave an event summary on the big tournament. He gave credit to the Quitman Pilot Club for their tireless efforts to fund raise, recruit vendors and coordinate the many activities taking place during the festival for the public.

The WCEDC also had a highly successful partnership with Chris Bevill of Bevill Music and the Neon Moon in Yantis. Bevill booked the entertainment (Bobby Irwin and the Bellamy Brothers) and coordinated backline and stage. “We certainly appreciate Chris Bevill and all of his hard work to help us and be a part of the entertainment portion of the festival,” Trahan noted.

He also added the WCEDC worked with B.A.S.S. LLC’s production team to secure time slots during both the televised and streaming broadcasts to deploy promotional videos designed to promote the entirety of Wood County as well as extended features on Lake Fork which highlighted the history of the lake, SRA’s ongoing Caney Point marina project, and a Texas Parks and Wildlife study conducted on bass migration patterns of Lake Fork.

The WCEDC cost for the event was $6,039. The host fee was $60,000 which was refunded by the SRA; entertainment expenses were $25,000 which also was refunded by the SRA to the WCEDC. Marketing expenses were $5,000 with insurance expense $1,039 making that total actual cost for the WCEDC at $6,039.

In his monthly report to the commission, Trahan related he had met with Winnsboro’s new City Administrator Mackenzie Lyons and attended a meeting of the Northeast Texas Arts and Entertainment Cooperative May 24.

He assisted in promotion and production of the Wood County Broadband Open Forum May 9 at Quitman Public Library and met with the Workforce Solutions East Texas Board May 11 in Longview at the Kilgore College campus. 

Board member Lee Smith has been working diligently on the broadband issue. “We held the public forum and we had approximately 30 people show up. There were some great questions and good discussions at the meeting,” Smith said. “We talked about the resulting economic benefits which are totally unimaginable.”

Trahan also discussed the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) grant program. Expenditures from HOT funds must be used directly to enhance and promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry (heads in beds). 

Those seeking HOT funds must complete an application. Included in the application should be a proposed brief marketing plan for the event and a budget and a schedule of activities or events relating to the funded project.

Trahan reported the application process will open June 15 and close by the end of the business day Aug. 1. The HOT Grant committee will meet Aug. 24 to make the final grant decisions. All grant applicants will be notified via mail of the status of their application following the board’s decision at the Aug. 24 regular meeting.

Board Chairman Tom Keenan introduced new commission member Pam Swanner from Winnsboro who is in the real estate business and active with the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.

Trahan said, “I am really happy to have someone from the Winnsboro area. Pam not only is an active businesswoman in Wood County, she also is a supporter of the Winnsboro Center of Arts. I also think it is a good thing to have someone with her real estate background which will be a great addition to the current board.”