Highland Tourism Council 2023 Spring Marketing Assistance Grant Applications Available

According to a press release from the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, the Highland Tourism Council has announced the opening of the 2023 Spring Marketing Assistance Grants.  The grants provide funding for local organizations and businesses with an emphasis on attracting visitors to Highland County and improving visitors’ experiences.

The Highland Tourism Council has appropriated up to $4,000 during the Spring 2023 grant for Highland County businesses or organizations.  Applications will be scored in five main areas that include title and marketing activity narrative, projected audience, impact on Highland, partners, and the applicant’s marketing plan, timeline, and budget amounts.  The grant will fund marketing expenses, including but not limited to, printed materials, digital advertisements, production of video or photography, social media marketing initiatives, and signage.

Grant winners will be awarded for expenses in the form of reimbursements or payment directly to a vendor invoice.  If a recipient relocates outside of Highland County within two years of being initially awarded the grant, they will be required to repay 50% of all grant funds provided.  Grant award winners will not be eligible to apply for a new grant for 2 years.  Applicants that do not receive grant funds may apply again during the next grant cycle.

For full details and to apply online, visit www.highlandcounty.org/tourism-council.  Physical copies are available at the Highland County Visitor Center or the Highland County Chamber of Commerce office between 9 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday, both located at The Highland Center at 61 Highland Center Drive in Monterey.  The deadline to apply is by the end of the day on April 30, 2023, and applications will be reviewed in May.

Funding for the Marketing Assistance Grant is secured through a Transient Occupancy Tax collected quarterly by short-term lodging facilities within Highland County.  The next Marketing Assistance Grant cycle will take place in the fall of 2023 for up to $4,000.

For more information, contact Highland Tourism Council Executive Director Chris Swecker at 540-468-2550 or email director@highlandcounty.org.

 

Story By

Bonnie Ralston

Bonnie Ralston is the Assistant Station Coordinator at WVLS and a Highland County news reporter. She began volunteering at Allegheny Mountain Radio in the fall of 2005. In 2006 she became an AMR employee and worked in Bath County for eight years as the WCHG Station Coordinator and then as the news reporter there. She began working in radio while in college and has stayed connected to radio, in one way or another, for more than thirty years. She grew up in Staunton, Virginia, while spending a lot of time on her family’s farm in Deerfield, Virginia. She enjoys spending time outside, watching old TV shows and movies and tending to her chickens.

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