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Tourism board approves amended Special Events Marketing Grant guidelines, adds accountability measures
Summary
Grand County’s tourism advisory board voted Dec. 9 to approve amended Special Events Marketing Grant procedures that (1) prioritize shoulder/off‑peak events, (2) require a dollar‑for‑dollar cash match with 100% upfront spending and reimbursement, and (3) tighten reporting and eligibility language; board members debated retroactive eligibility and access for smaller/new events before the unanimous vote.
At its Dec. 9 meeting the Grand County Tourism Advisory Board voted to approve amended procedures for the Special Events Marketing Grant program, implementing stricter accountability and clarifying eligibility and administration.
Key changes approved by the board included:
• Scoring criteria: applications will be evaluated on six factors rated 1–5 (quality of proposed marketing, potential to increase overnight stays and evidence of a lodging partnership, expected revenue/economic impact, emphasis on shoulder/off‑season timing, how crucial the grant is to campaign success, and community support).
• Match and eligible costs: the board approved a change requiring a dollar‑for‑dollar cash match for marketing expenses; in‑kind contributions and volunteer time will not qualify toward the required match. Payments will be reimbursed after documentation is submitted (applicants must pay upfront and request reimbursement).
• Reporting and documentation: applicants must submit invoices, proof of payment (copy of checks), ad proofs or similar evidence, and a narrative describing any deviations from the submitted budget; staff will require active hyperlinks and standard PDF formats for submission.
Board members debated whether the 100% upfront requirement could limit participation by newer events without cashflow and whether to allow retroactive reimbursement for events earlier in the year. Some members urged a July 1 cycle start to reduce retroactivity; others recommended retaining limited retroactive reimbursement for this first rollout to help relaunch the program. The board struck language excluding businesses from eligibility and removed the economic development advisory board from the finance role, shifting administration to the Office of Tourism.
A motion to approve the finalized procedures with the discussed corrections was moved and carried by voice vote; the chair recorded 'aye' votes from Jason Taylor and Alex Borchevsky and declared the motion unanimous.
Action taken: The board approved the amended Special Events Marketing Grant guidelines (vote recorded as unanimous). Staff will update the application materials, insert contact links and coordinate a grant calendar for January and July cycles.
