[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6125636,"mediaKeyId","2676528-25f464392728a523ecb24b3f879c50f6","parentId",2676528,"title","Casa Grande Chamber and newly designated DMO outline tourism grants, events and sponsorship program","audioSeconds",2511,"startMs",1319000,"endMs",3830000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676528-25f464392728a523ecb24b3f879c50f6&start=1319&end=3830","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676528-25f464392728a523ecb24b3f879c50f6/thumbnail_1319000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6125636/Casa-Grande/Pinal-County/Arizona/Casa-Grande-Chamber-and-newly-designated-DMO-outline-tourism-grants-events-and-sponsorship-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6125636-e2552b348703876c462c695e4ddf7908/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038483&Signature=n3F5~0sogwHE8LyNxdzUtKvhWGRFfjh~u~MnyaSz4iUemWl28o0CiBDvroFZ3a-QgQURiPB2gHGvVsLQEM9nwSPibUPwF2A-Xp46OofQbxej8T4pNGzehXp0oM1~LdaSJyHApG99Ln-0DogjQcjgsw5fvKG9TewlTLVsVWocnVhOttSeHbvaKj4O2M9OKTvwKOSEO9sDx5BOtbw0CaOp4ZT9gO1sAU73MempaK91UpOcZZ5IBOeIl302XrH1oPZr3lP4Wjig6sdXYG1-SJuPKEEBdrmDy0L6nDj6oRKZ6gU~kuogQezkZkZcFOnwQHkPLFvfrEdgGIHhbZ0ZJv0fbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Casa Grande, AZ","date","2025-03-19T00:21:31.31Z","article","Renee Luzann Ben, executive director of the Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce, and Eric Snyder, the chamber’s marketing and tourism manager, briefed the City Council in a study-session presentation on the Chamber’s membership activity and the tourism office’s work since the city designated the Chamber as the community’s destination marketing organization (DMO).

Ben said the Chamber was founded in 1920 (incorporated in 1935) and reported 484 members as of December, with most members small businesses: she said 79% of members have fewer than 900 employees and 55% have 20 or fewer employees. “Our mission statement is building a greater Casa Grande,” she said, and she described the Chamber’s regular networking events, business showcases, an annual dinner and sector committees such as Government Affairs.

Snyder described tourism office activities since the DMO agreement with the city. He said the office applied to the Arizona Office of Tourism’s cooperative program and secured outside consulting and marketing support as it launched. The presentation listed multiple cooperative marketing awards and campaigns: a roughly $66,000 consulting/grant application in 2022 that helped plan a tourism strategy; a $28,000 award used to purchase $56,000 in advertising and platform services in 2023; and a matching award of $47,590 in July 2024 to purchase about $95,000 in advertising, digital promotion and platform services.

Snyder highlighted visitor-facing initiatives: a passport-style Casa Grande Southwest Taco Trail (more than 200 sign-ups), rack-card distribution to airport and visitor centers, a new digital monument sign at the Chamber office, and a tourism sponsorship program that provides modest awards to events that demonstrate out-of-town draw. He said the sponsorship program distributed $11,750 to support local festivals and events in the first three months of the current tracking year.

Ben and Snyder reviewed the Southwest Taco Fest (inaugural event): they said the first Taco Fest drew about 2,600 attendees (despite high winds), had 19 sponsors and generated $43,500 in cash and $4,000 in in-kind support. For the second annual Taco Fest, they reported 26 sponsors and $64,000 in cash commitments and $6,500 in in-kind support to date.

When Councilmember Matt Herman and others praised the efforts, city staff member Larry provided a financial context: he explained that increased bed‑tax revenue is governed by state statutes and that revenue from that tax must be used for tourism promotion and related activities. Larry said the city’s agreement with the Chamber sets out the DMO role and that some program funding comes from the city’s bed‑tax budget while other Chamber activities continue to be supported through general‑fund allocations and member services.

Ben said the Chamber’s tourism sponsorship budget for the Chamber’s fiscal year was set at $15,000, with remaining funds carried forward to support applications; she described an open application process and said nonprofits generally receive larger awards than for‑profit applicants. Snyder outlined future plans including billboard campaigns, an expanded Taco Trail passport, a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program to train local frontline hospitality staff, and coordination with local events such as the Electric Parade and Terminus Days.

No formal council votes or budget approvals were recorded during the presentation; council members asked questions about open application windows and the Chamber’s approach to communicating event listings to the public.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session | March 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Renee Luzann Ben, executive director of the Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce, and Eric Snyder, the Chamber’s marketing and tourism manager, told the City Council that the Chamber now serves as the city’s destination marketing organization and reviewed grant-funded advertising, events and a tourism sponsorship program.","taxTitle","Casa Grande, Pinal County, Arizona","taxId",4122,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6125641,"Museum of Casa Grande details exhibits, educational outreach and volunteer-run operations",908,405000,1313000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2676528-25f464392728a523ecb24b3f879c50f6&start=405&end=1313","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2676528-25f464392728a523ecb24b3f879c50f6/thumbnail_405000.jpg","/articles/6125641/Casa-Grande/Pinal-County/Arizona/Museum-of-Casa-Grande-details-exhibits-educational-outreach-and-volunteer-run-operations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6125641-698a5c246471e9e6a6125c83da620aac/orig.mp4?Expires=1771038483&Signature=XMfuPk0frDup6bVLQJWA22PVlSk28tQcMuVDCBp4vqvbze4o7IPVI~aBNnfSxLM~6u9OaLOmGy8X6JJawsGUV2WZw92C3XUgiAXraS~sArviHvmixAV9U2GKKah1b2B6GxQ9PCHgZ8yL84jXm3vefnmgCkP-d9JGzmazq3OkZwaLIOuFlZd1vZrpsgawNPNocTIXFkWXkYXvOHD8AG5p5LI2WUsJ0Cf37sOYp6B6i~I1Xu5U2c-n3mlpa1hvlDPohvTUm4YrAVryxryLTGZNrO9-A5Brcl~S4auHENtY-7Pb6zcVd4re4WW6Mb5G1CVQmlzJI2XlOog2Et7TZA-LzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Michael Sirota, director of the Museum of Casa Grande, told the City Council in a study-session presentation that the museum’s main property covers about 42,000 square feet and that the institution has preserved local history since 1964.

“Our mission is to preserve, interpret and disseminate the history of the Casa Grande region,” Sirota said, adding that adult admission is $7, seniors $6 and children are admitted free. He said school tours and educational outreach are provided at no charge.

The museum’s collections include nearly 18,000 artifacts and about 24,000 photographs and documents related to the Casa Grande Valley, Sirota said. Exhibits described in the presentation include a Native exhibit with artifacts dated as old as 2,000 years (assembled in partnership with the Gila River Indian Community), railroad models and functioning Morse code machines, a mining display with a functioning mine car, a mid‑century exhibit, banking artifacts including an original safe and teller cage, and military displays spanning the Civil War through modern conflicts.

Sirota also reviewed buildings on the museum property. Heritage Hall, whose stonemason was Michael Sullivan, was completed in 1926 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The Rebecca Dallas Schoolhouse (sometimes referred to in the presentation as the White Schoolhouse), preserves local African American schooling history; the presentation said Rebecca Dallas taught roughly 50 to 70 students in grades K–8 at the Southside Colored Grammar School in 1939. The museum is also the steward of the Weaver Pioneer Cemetery, a 35,500-square-foot site deeded to the museum in February 2006; the presentation said its earliest recorded burial dates to 1889.

Sirota described the museum’s public programming, including a free monthly speaker series called History Speaks (held at Dorothy Powell Senior Center in partnership with Arizona Humanities) and visits to senior living communities and schools across the Valley. He said the museum has produced off-site changing galleries (at the city finance and administration building and the Casa Grande Airport) and participates in local events; the museum is partner to the Neon Sign Park and to ArtMobile work with the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

On staffing, Sirota said the museum has one full-time staff member (himself), one part-time staff member (Erin Henderson, museum coordinator) and relies on volunteers for nearly every other function. Volunteers logged more than 2,400 hours in the most recent year, he said, supporting tours, marketing, collections management, the gift shop, grant writing and facility maintenance.

Council members and others in the meeting thanked Sirota and several speakers shared brief personal recollections of visiting the museum on school field trips. No formal council action was taken during the presentation.","Michael Sirota, director of the Museum of Casa Grande, gave a study-session presentation outlining the museum’s exhibits, free educational services to schools and seniors, its artifact collections, historic properties it maintains, and the volunteer-dependent staffing model.","actionData","errors"]

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Casa Grande Chamber and newly designated DMO outline tourism grants, events and sponsorship program

Museum of Casa Grande details exhibits, educational outreach and volunteer-run operations