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Hilton Head chamber gets $100,000 from town for app; some question cost [The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)](Island Packet (Hilton Head, SC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 12--The future of tourism on Hilton Head Island is in your pocket. Beaufort County software developers have recently built mobile applications -- called apps -- that put reams of tourism information, announcements and purchasing power on visitors' smartphones. Last week, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce's Visitor & Convention Bureau entered the game. It received $100,000 from the Town of Hilton Head Island to build an app that will list events, attractions, eateries, hotels and shopping spots, among other features. The app, being designed by a Canadian marketing company, will be available for download in late spring for iPhone and Android users. Chamber officials say the app will be a digital welcome center for tourists increasingly using their smartphones as travel tools. It also will promote area businesses and organizations. "It will turn your mobile phone into a virtual tour guide," said chamber spokeswoman Charlie Clark. "It will tell (visitors) what's happening in a one-stop shop." But some town officials worry about the app's hefty price tag. Others who have created similar apps in Beaufort County say they wish the chamber's app was designed by a local company. One designer, also a chamber member, said the chamber's app might hurt his business. "We support the chamber; we love what they do, and they are really good at it," said Jeff Udell, who owns a Bluffton marketing company and created The Hilton Head App. "But to some extent, they do capture parts of the market that would be opportunities for us." THE MOBILE MARKET The chamber app would allow users to check tides, find the nearest bike rentals or make reservations for dinner. Push notifications would give island updates and tell visitors about events, such as the Hilton Head Seafood Festival. An interactive map would help tourists find their way. "It tells you what's happening in real time and how to get there," said chamber senior vice president Susan Thomas. It also would provide opportunities for local businesses. The chamber will host every town business and organization for free on the app, Thomas said. The chamber said about 40 percent of its 1.7 million website visitors last year were using a mobile device. Traffic from such devices has increased 296 percent in two years, the statistics show. More eyeballs on more Hilton Head businesses helped convince most council members to approve the accommodations-tax money last week. "I like it because it's selling Hilton Head," Councilwoman Kim Likins said at Tuesday's meeting. "There's a huge potential for advertising." Not all council members were convinced. A COSTLY INVESTMENT? Councilman Marc Grant voted against approving the money because he felt it was a large sum that could be better spent on multiple groups. "Maybe the app is a great idea," he said. "But we could spend the money on other groups." Costs have varied for similar apps across the country. The Queens Chamber of Commerce paid $100,000 in 2013 to fund a tourism app for the New York City borough, according to its website. In Cape Cod, Mass., the chamber of commerce there has spent about $55,000 over three years to build and maintain apps for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, said economic development coordinator Clare O'Connor. The apps provide interactive maps and advertise the area's more than 120 arts venues. They've had about 3,000 annual downloads, she said. "We'd consider it a success," she said. "It's been really great for travelers who are planning to do something at the last minute." O'Connor said Tapwalk, a Boston-based company, built the apps. Chamber officials said the company that is designing its app, Verb Interactive, has a strong reputation for tourism-related marketing. The Halifax, Nova Scotia-based business has designed apps and websites for Royal Caribbean Resorts, Pebble Beach Resorts and Kiawah Island, according to its website. It recently finished a website for the chamber. Udell, the Bluffton-based advertiser, said he wished the chamber considered him when searching for a designer. He has designed apps for Dataw Island, Sea Pines and companies in Asheville, N.C. He said he can build apps for about $4,000. While Udell said the chamber might overlap with his business, others with existing Hilton Head apps aren't as worried. John Bonham, who created an app called Hilton Head Happenings, said the chamber's app "wouldn't kill me. ... It wouldn't hurt bottom-line revenue." Chamber officials defended the $100,000 amount and emphasized the app would benefit the entire island. "This is a high-end app, and we need to do it right," Thomas said. "This is a $100,000 communitywide project," said chamber president and CEO Bill Miles. "It's not money that's going to the chamber. It's going to benefit the town, the community, the businesses, the nonprofits and the residents." Follow reporter Dan Burley on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Dan. ___ (c)2014 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) Visit The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) at www.islandpacket.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |