East Wenatchee Events Board (EWEB)

Meetings

• 3:00 pm
• 1st Wednesday of every month
• Eastmont Parks and Recreation Community Center

  230 N Georgia Avenue
  East Wenatchee, WA 98802

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings and minutes are available following approval.
View Agendas & Minutes

Members

Overview

The East Wenatchee Events Board (EWEB) is a committee that is comprised of five to twelve volunteers, who have a vested interest in East Wenatchee events and tourism. They are active in bringing in events and helping to run the events that the City currently offers. They also review the Hotel/Motel Tax Applications and make recommendations to City Council. These committee members are appointed by the City Council and must include the following, at a minimum:

• 1 Elected Official (City Council Member) who serves as the chair.
• 2 East Wenatchee business (hotel) representatives.
• 2 East Wenatchee activities that are authorized to be funded by the Hotel/Motel Tax.
• The remaining positions are At-Large positions, but must either meet one of the aforementioned criteria or be a vested East Wenatchee resident.

Hotel/Motel Tax

The Lodging tax is a consumer tax on lodging charges for periods of less than 30 consecutive days for: 

• Hotels
• Motels
• Private Campgrounds
• Rooming Houses
• RV parks
• And Similar Facilities

The idea behind the Lodging Tax is that the funds must be used to increase tourism, more specifically (RCW 67.28.1816):

• Tourism Marketing
• Marketing and operations of special events/festivals designed to attract tourists
• Operations and capital expenditures of tourism-related facilities, owner/operated by a municipality or a public facilities district
• Operations of a tourism-related facility, owned/operated by a non-profit organization

Applying For Funding

• Apply for funding at least 60 days prior to the event.
• Complete the Tourism Promotion Grant Application.
• Requestor will be invited to attend an EWEB Meeting and give a 3-5 minute presentation on the event and answer any questions.
• If approved, the application and EWEB's recommendation will go before the City Council for approval.
• If City Council approves the recommendation, there will be a contract signed by both parties that outlines the following:
  • Acknowledge the City's contribution in the event's formal promotional materials and efforts.
  • Acknowledge the City's contribution on the Grantee's website.
  • Acknowledge the City's contribution on the Grantee's social media accounts.
  • Submit a Post Event Report to the City within 14 days of the event's completion. A blank report will be included with the contract.
  • Submit an invoice for the contracted amount, within 14 days of the event's completion.
• The City will reimburse the Requestor for the contracted amount within 30 days of receiving the Post Event Report and the Invoice.

East Wenatchee Events Board History

The EWEB was created in November of 2002, when the current Mayor, Steve Lacy, suggested that an organization of volunteers create an official entity to provide events for the Community and get the Community active again. By April of 2003, the East Wenatchee Community Events Management Board was established. The plan was to create a series of festivals and events that invite and include the local community and attract out-of-town visitors. The mission statement adopted by the Board in April of 2005 is: "To promote and attract awareness, interest and tourism to East Wenatchee, through special events which portray the spirit of community and quality of life East Wenatchee has to offer." The East Wenatchee Community Events Management Board was a 501(c)4 non-profit organization that was hosting the Classy Chassis Parade and Car Show and the Wings and Wheels Festival and receiving funding from the City of East Wenatchee's Hotel/Motel Taxes.

In 2007, there was a legislative change relating to how the Hotel/Motel taxes can be used, which affected how the Board operated. Due to their 501(c)4 non-profit status, they were no longer eligible for funding from the City. Effective July 1, the renamed East Wenatchee Events Board became part of the City of East Wenatchee and was named the Events Department. The current EWEB Director became a City employee. By this point, the EWEB was also hosting the City's Easter Egg Hunt and Christmas Tree Lighting.

In 2008, the laws changed again, this time mandating that the City have an advisory committee to make recommendations to the City Council about where to allocate the Hotel/Motel Taxes. The EWEB became that committee.

In 2011, the City's Events were then contracted out, but they continued to serve as the Hotel/Motel Tax Advisory Committee.

In 2019, the City Events were brought back to the City and an Events Director was hired.