Sep. 19--PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The Bay County Tourist Development Council approved two marketing contracts Friday with firms from New York City and Ohio that will total about $40,000 per month.

TDC executive director Dan Rowe said the contracts would take effect Monday and company officials soon will travel to Panama City Beach to begin an appraisal of the area's marketing needs. It still was too early to detail the types of advertising and public relations campaigns the two companies would provide, but that was the reason a local evaluation was critical, Rowe said.

"The agencies will come into the market and begin to come up with the campaigns that will work the best," he said. "We will get them in and a lot more will follow."

Rowe said TDC board members listened to presentations from several firms before making a final choice and were familiar and comfortable with the companies' capabilities and reputations.

The contracts for Lou Hammond & Associates, a public relations firm based in New York City, and Ohio-based advertising company Fahlgren will cost more than the firm, Ypartnership, they are replacing, Rowe said.

Y p a r t n e r s h i p w a s paid roughly $310,000 per year, but the TDC expects the new companies to craft a message that will broaden the scope of the destination's past marketing efforts, particularly with a new airport opening in May.

Fahlgren will be paid a monthly retainer of $22,500, while Lou Hammond will be paid $17,500 per month, Rowe said. Additional services, such as the expense of producing a television commercial, will cost extra.

T h e B a y C o u n t y Commission earlier this year approved a fifth cent on the area's bed tax on short-term rentals, money that has been targeted strictly for the marketing of low-cost air carriers. The TDC now has about $1.5 million of that money available.

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