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Business Plan                                         Return  to  Table  of  Contents
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            Through the CARES Act, Tarrant County established a Small Businesses Assistance Grant program with two rounds ending in
            December 2020.  Staff partnered with community organizations to advertise the grant and developed a support center to assist
            Arlington businesses.  For the remainder of 2021, the Economic Development team will continue to innovate and implement
            strategies to create jobs, increase capital investment and recruit/retain businesses.

            The Esports Stadium Arlington + Expo Center organized
            into  divisions consisting of Administration, Event Services, and
            Facility Operations and offers catering and audio/visual services to
            accommodate  small and large groups  for expositions,  public
            events, trade shows, meetings, special events, and esports
            competitions.

            The Arlington Expo Center operates a 50,000 square-foot expo hall.
            The facility also is home to Esports Stadium Arlington – a 30,000
            square-foot esports  competition showroom, a state-of-the  art
            broadcast and live-event production suite, as well as 8,500 square-
            feet of  esports training,  office, and team hospitality spaces.
            Additionally, the venue boasts the Gamer Gallery –  an 8,000
            square-foot esports retail gaming LAN center, open to the public daily.
            The department administers the City’s contracts with the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) and Esports Venues,
            LLC. and works together with these partners to help increase tourism and promote attractions and events in the Entertainment
            District and the City.  Esports Venues, LLC operates and markets Esports Stadium Arlington as the premier facility in the United
            States for esports events. The company also organizes and produces esports events in the venue. The Arlington CVB is the
            official Destination Management Organization for Arlington. The ACVB functions include strategic planning and leadership,
            advocate for tourism  product development, hospitality & tourism  workforce  development, arts  and cultural heritage of the
            destination; oversee, create,  and implement marketing campaigns  and promotions to  inspire leisure travelers to visit; the
            recruitment and securing of large and small scale conventions, meetings, and special events, such as: PBR Global Cub and
            PBR World Finals, 2020 National Finals Rodeo, WrestleMania 38, 2021 Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, Esports Awards, and
            many more. Both partners’ sales efforts will focus on increasing the number of bookings that utilize the ESA+EC, continuing to
            grow hotel room demand, increasing hotel occupancy throughout the city, and furthering the development of the amateur sports
            and esports markets.
            The ESA+EC is located in Arlington’s Entertainment District, and is close to Globe Life Park and Globe Life Field (Rangers),
            Texas Live!, AT&T Stadium (Cowboys), Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor, and is easily accessible from Interstate 30.

            The Finance Department provides support and information to assist the City Manager and the Mayor and City Council in
            management decision-making.  The department facilitates the  development and tracking of the City’s business plan and
            performance-based budget and acts as a strategic partner with departments to provide financial expertise and guidance with
            City-wide impact.  The department is  also responsible for preparing the City’s  Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
            processing payments  to  City  vendors, preparing City payroll,  procuring  goods and services, monitoring  consolidated  tax
            collection efforts, and directing the City’s cash and debt portfolio management activities.  Divisions in the department include
            Administration, Accounting and Payroll/Payables, Purchasing, Treasury  Management, and the Office of Management and
            Budget.  The Office of Management and Budget has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the past 35
            years.  The Accounting  Division received the Certificate of
            Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 42  time,
                                                             nd
            and the Purchasing Division received  the Achievement for
            Excellence in  Procurement Award for the 18  consecutive year.
                                                  th
            Under the department, Arlington  was the third Municipality to be
            awarded all five  of the State Controller’s Traditional  Finance
            Transparency Stars.



             FY 2022 Adopted Budget and Business Plan                                        13                                                                City of Arlington, Texas
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