Tourism commission names fall grant recipients

FAYETTEVILLE — Just more than a dozen groups or organizations this fall will get some money from the Advertising and Promotion Commission.

Commissioners selected 13 recipients for grants Monday. The commission doles out money twice yearly, once in the fall and once in the spring, to help pay for events that help promote the city or bring in outsiders.

The recipients will get $64,500. Additionally, two of them, a poetry event organized by Fayetteville resident Michael Hoerman and a poetry festival from Open Mouth Reading Series, will each get $1,000 to put specifically toward advertisements.

Last fall, commissioners gave out $104,934 to 21 recipients out of 37 that applied. This year, 17 groups applied to receive $172,110.

Executive Director Molly Rawn said the commission honed in on trying to stick to its mission of promoting the city when considering the amounts.

“I can’t speak to why we had fewer applicants,” she said. “I hope that we will continue to get more qualified applicants with solid proposals that speak directly to tourism.”

Rawn presented the commission a list of recommended amounts. The only change the commission made was for the Walton Arts Center, which requested $15,000 for Artosphere. Rawn recommended $5,000, and commissioners decided to grant the entire $15,000 requested.

“I think it helps us as a regional player with Walton Arts Center, which whatever they’re going to do, it’s always going to be a regional endeavor,” Commissioner Robert Rhoads said.

A new event, the Fayetteville Yoga Fest, received $5,000. Event organizers hope to bring in about 300 people in May.

Rawn said the commission had money left over from the spring grants. The commission budgeted $110,000 and awarded $96,000.

Two applicants, Ozark Off-Road Cyclists and the Little Craft Show, have events scheduled at the end of this year. The leftover money will be used for those two events, Rawn said.

Rawn also suggested the commission find a way for applicants to submit proposals electronically and to host an open seminar early next year on how to fill out the applications.

The commission will consider its overall budget and finalize the grant amounts during next month’s meeting. The commission’s 2017 budget was $4.2 million.

The commission receives half the 2 percent sales tax on hotel, motel and restaurants in the city.