THE ASK

The Special Events Collective is asking the commission for two things:

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Increase annual CEP funding for Special Events The current $250,000 allocation has not kept pace with inflation or the real operational costs of running safe, professional, free public events. We are asking for an increase that reflects what it actually costs to produce these events at the level Athens expects and deserves.

Raise the individual event funding cap The current per-event cap limits what any single event can receive, making it impossible for larger events to cover even their mandatory city costs through CEP alone. Raising this cap allows events to pay skilled staff fairly, maintain safety standards, and reduce reliance on volunteer labor for professional roles.

Both of these changes represent a small shift in how an existing fund is allocated — not new spending. The Hotel/Motel Tax Fund generates over $6 million annually. Special events currently receive less than 4% of that. We are asking for a share that reflects their contribution to the tourism economy that fund was designed to support.

Athens’ free events bring people here. Those people fill hotel rooms. Those hotel rooms fund the CEP. The cycle works — but only if the investment is maintained.

See How We Compare

See how our peer cities in Georgia and the Southeast invest in their cultural infrastructure to stay competitive.