The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission voted to provide $19,000 in advertising and promotion grants during a weather-delayed meeting on Monday.
The meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 23, but had to be postponed due to inclement winter weather.
Ten proposals were submitted to the commission by eight different organizations, with seven of the submissions receiving grant funds to be used for the purpose of promoting events that in turn bring in visitors to Hot Springs. A flexible $18,000 was originally budgeted for the grants.
"Obviously we can't fund everybody," said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs. "In the past, funding has been used as start-up money for these organizations or events, but your commission can go any way that it wants. This is just our recommendation of how much the commission should provide and a starting point for you. It's not going to matter if you go $1,000 either way."
The grants included $4,250 to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, $2,500 to the Hot Springs JazzFest, $2,500 to the 2015 Arkansas Senior Olympics, $1,000 to the Hot Springs Blues Festival and $1,000 to the Muses Opera Gala Week.
Commissioner Charles Moore suggested providing an additional $500 for both the Spa 10K -- submitted by the Arkansas Spa Pacers Association -- and the Hot Springs Music Festival. This will grant the Spa Pacers $4,750 and the Music Festival $3,000.
"Some of these organizations have really grown and gotten bigger each year, and I think the Spa Pacers is one of these," Moore said. "Their Spa 10K in November is a huge success and they're going to have a feature article in Runner's World (Magazine) in September which is a huge thing for us, and I would propose we add $500 to their grant."
In 2014, the Music Festival, having not made the application deadline, requested $15,000 nearly two months after the commission made its annual grants. In 2013, the commission granted the festival $2,250, and has in previous years awarded the event at least $3,000. During the April 2014 commission meeting, Chairman David Longinotti asked to add a $2,000 grant request to the agenda for the festival, which the commission voted against.
In November, the Music Festival introduced District 1 Director Suzanne Davidson as its new executive director.
"I would suggest that we look at the Music Festival with their new leadership," Moore said. "I would propose an additional $500 to show our appreciation and show our support of this event that does so much for Hot Springs."
Local on 03/03/2015