Nonprofit organizations wanting to host events to draw visitors to Hot Springs can apply for Advertising Assistance Grants through Visit Hot Springs.
Applications are available by emailing [email protected] and will be accepted through Jan. 27.
"Hot Springs is so fortunate to have so many arts nonprofits in the city, who are excited about producing events for the city," Bill Solleder, marketing manager for Visit Hot Springs, said.
"We have so many events -- whether they're the Big Steam Blues Festival or the Valley of the Vapors or Arkansas Shorts or (Hot Springs) Bike Fest -- that are put on by independent organizations for people in town to enjoy and for our visitors to plan to come for and to enjoy while they're here.
"Visit Hot Springs spends a lot of time producing events, but it's those other events that really round out a great event schedule for the city year-round. We're so lucky to have them and happy to support them financially where we can."
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Solleder said the grants are for 501(c)(3) organizations to promote their events.
"They're not for staffing or general operations," he said. "They're really to advertise their events, and more specifically to advertise them to potential visitors outside of the area to come to Hot Springs, stay the night, eat in our restaurants."
While the number of organizations the grants fund varies, Solleder said there were approximately six organizations that received funding last year.
"There is a little over $50,000 in the budget for grants," he said. "There isn't a specific number of awards that can be given out to each organization, but usually that grant award is going to be between $3,000 and $5,000."
According to a news release from Visit Hot Springs, qualifying projects must "advertise and promote the city and its environs," "stimulate economic growth" with overnight stays in the city as well as restaurant usage or future tourism development, and be able "to track the impact and effectiveness of their event."
Solleder said the hope is for these grants to be an investment in events coming back year after year.
"We look at past history, attendance, whether or not they've received any awards in the past, and then how we feel about the future of their events," he said. "A lot of times we are supporting events, and we see that as an investment. We want them to continue and move ahead for years to come."
Previous grantees have been the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the Spa Running Festival, Hot Springs Music Festival and more.
"The Spa Running Festival -- actually an excellent example of an organization that puts on a solid event that brings in -- last year I think they sold out at 1500 registrants," Solleder said.
"They're able to even tell us where their visitors are coming from because people have to register, and we know where they're coming from. So they actually give us great data that's helpful to us.
"Low Key Arts has been supported. The Hot Springs Bike Festival, the new motorcycle rally, was supported last year. They actually saw an uptick in numbers, and that might be that correlation between financial support we give to them for advertising that helps them get the word out and bring more motorcycles to town."
Solleder said recipients of the grants will be notified on March 3.
For more information, call Solleder at 501-321-2027.