The Moab Tourism Advisory Board met on Tuesday, Nov. 25 for a workshop to finalize details of a proposed special-event marketing matching grant intended to attract larger and shoulder‑season events to Grand County.

Board members and staff discussed the program’s purpose — to ‘‘promote and market special events taking place in Grand County’’ rather than fund operational expenses — and confirmed a proposed funding pool of about $250,000 for marketing matching grants. Participants said the program should prioritize events that bring overnight stays and local economic activity to the county, and that applications must include a standardized marketing budget spreadsheet to allow consistent scoring.

On scoring, the board endorsed six evaluation components: quality of the marketing strategy; potential to increase overnight stays and evidence of local lodging partnerships; expected revenue and positive economic impact; likelihood of attracting visitors in the shoulder season; how crucial the grant is to the event’s success; and community support and involvement. Members generally supported a 1–5 scoring scale and asked staff to add application questions that draw clear evidence for each criterion.

The board debated award structure and applicant targeting. Members discussed tiered awards (for example, small $10,000 tiers and larger $50,000–$100,000 awards) and dynamic matching (e.g., 50/50 for established events, 60/40 to favor new events). Several speakers cautioned the program should be clear that funds are for marketing the event — not to promote a private business — and that applicants must demonstrate how the grant will generate room nights or comparable economic return.

Timing and application windows were next. Members recommended having the application live by the board’s Dec. 9 meeting and proposed a first-round deadline of March 1 for events within a Jan.–Dec. funding period. A second, summer window was proposed to open May 1 and close May 31 (for events running July 1 to June 30), with staff review in June and awards to follow after commission ratification. The board also agreed to allow retroactive reimbursement for early‑2026 events for this initial cycle so organizers of near-term events (for example, Jeep Safari in March) could be considered.

On payment terms and accountability, the workshop featured a prolonged debate over reimbursement versus upfront payments. Given past gaps in documentation and follow‑through on some economic development awards, several members argued for a reimbursement model that pays grantees after events upon submission of invoices, receipts and proof of payment. That view drew significant support in the discussion, though some members urged consideration of limited upfront support in exceptional, documented cases for smaller community-driven events with demonstrated need.

Members also recommended tightening match requirements. The group debated allowing in‑kind match (volunteer hours or donated services) but a number of participants favored a stronger cash‑match requirement to avoid arbitrary valuations; the board leaned toward requiring a clear cash match and removing or severely limiting in‑kind as counting toward the required match.

Administrative and compliance questions were emphasized: the board asked staff to identify which office will administer the program, handle intake, verify invoices and manage follow‑up. The consensus was to return a revised application packet and an implementation plan to the board on Dec. 9, and to invite marketing partners (named in the workshop as Madden and campaign-story contractors) to that meeting to discuss outreach and advertising strategy.

Several operational details were agreed in principle: applicants must submit a complete budget spreadsheet and final report including invoices and proof of payment; applicants may be required to collect basic participant information (Grand County resident vs. in-state vs. out-of-state) though the board agreed a detailed participant survey may be deferred to later cycles; all advertising using grant funds must include the Grand County logo; and grantees must obtain any required special-event permits from county, city or land managers before reimbursement.

The workshop produced recommendations rather than final policy. Board members closed the session by asking staff to produce a revised application, scoring rubric and compliance checklist for the Dec. 9 meeting so the board can forward a finalized program to the county commission for ratification. No votes were taken at the workshop.