Workshop on tourism grants for marketing to be set

$100,000 in grants to be given to stimulate tourism in Kern County

If you have a terrific project to bring tourists to the Mountain Communities, have a look at the 2014 Kern County Board of Trade tourism promotion grant.

The announcement has just come out, leaving a slim month before the October 18 at 5 p.m. deadline for applications. A local workshop is being planned to explain the grant.

Mountain Community winners in the past include the Ridge Route Communities Museum, the Center of the World Festival, the Mountain Shakespeare Festival and projects of the Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce.

The Kern County Board of Supervisors allocated up to $100,000 for 501(c) nonprofits across the county this year.

Applicants may submit more than one project for consideration, but no single organization may receive more than $10,000 in total aid. The funds are for marketing assistance. Get the application at www.visitkern.com/grants.

At a recent Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce Tourism Subcommittee, Mary Pivetti of Focus Central, Shelia Clark of the Center of the World Festival and a representative of the Mountain Theater Alliance asked questions of the board of trade’s David Chavez about the guidelines.

They requested that a grant workshop be held in the Mountain Communities for those interested in competing. Chavez said Wednesday, Sept. 11 that details for the workshop will be announced shortly.
“Projects seeking funds must show the potential to attract tourists—and their dollars—to the region,” the board of trade’s announcement said.

Tourism brings $1.28 billion a year into Kern County, according to the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

The board of trade says that it “supports nearly 13,000 Kern County jobs while generating over $301 million in payroll and $76.6 million in state and local taxes….”

–Reported by Patric Hedlund

This is part of the September 13, 2013 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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