FAYETTEVILLE -- Advertising and Promotion commissioners awarded $77,830 to 21 event organizers and nonprofit groups Monday, but their awards didn't include any money for Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
Bike, Blues & BBQ organizers earlier this month requested $30,000 to ramp up digital marketing for the motorcycle rally.
Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission
Commissioners awarded $77,830 to 21 event organizers and nonprofit groups Monday.
EventDateAmount Awarded
Jason Jones MuralN/A$11,250
ArtosphereJune 15-28$10,000
Lights of the OzarksNov. 20-Dec. 31$7,500*
Last Night FayettevilleDec. 31$7,000
OktoberfestOct. 18$6,500
Artists Laboratory TheatreN/A$4,000
Bulldog Classic Basketball TournamentDec. 15$4,000
Northwest Arkansas Hispanic Heritage FestivalOct. 10-11$4,000
Hero Half MarathonOct. 10$3,500
Little Craft ShowDec. 4-5$3,500
Seven Hills Homeless Center BanquetOct. 10$3,500
Celebrate the Buffalo BanquetOct. 23$2,580
Offshoot Film FestivalSept. 10-12$2,000
Banded Suffering Bike RacesOct. 17$1,500
NWA TechFestOct. 9$1,500
Tri-State Volleyball ChallengeSept. 12$1,500
Banff Mountain Film FestivalSept. 17-18$1,000
Hooten Publishing Football ClassicSept. 1$1,000
Last Saturday Variety ShowLast Saturday of the Month$1,000
Outback in the OzarksOct. 9-10$500
Square to Square Bike RideSept. 12$500
Total**$77,830
Source: Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission
* The commission committed to another $7,500 for Lights of the Ozarks this fall.
"We saw that events around the country in that 10- to 15-year life cycle, if they don't continue to evolve, sometimes they start to erode," Brian Crowne, owner of George's Majestic Lounge and a consultant for Bikes, Blues & BBQ, told the commission during a special meeting last week.
Commissioners on Monday agreed the rally is a huge draw.
"They're the biggest event in this area hands down," Ching Mong, commission chairman, said.
Other commissioners noted Bikes, Blues & BBQ missed the commission's April 1 deadline for spring funding requests.
Commissioner Hannah Withers said the commission already pays the Sells Agency for digital marketing.
Commissioner Tim Freeman added, "We've got a lot of really good events that are new that probably need the money more."
Withers, Freeman, Matt Behrend, Adella Gray and Matthew Petty voted to deny Bikes, Blues & BBQ's money request. Mong opposed the action. Commissioner Bobby Ferrell wasn't present at Monday's meeting.
The commission's largest award Monday, at $11,250, was for a mural by local artist Jason Jones.
Jones requested $30,000 to paint three murals -- "Play Local," "Ride Local" and "Explore Local" -- on buildings in central Fayetteville.
"This is a little bit different than the other requests we get," Petty said. "It's for a permanent improvement; it's not for an event that's temporary."
Commissioners agreed to pay for one of Jones' three murals. They'll work with Jones in the coming weeks to identify the best location for the mural.
Petty advocated for dipping into the commission's $1.8 million reserve to pay for other art projects in the future.
"I think murals in general do a lot to help brand the community and increase our tourism power overall -- our baseline, what we have to draw upon when we do other advertising," he said.
The next largest award recipient, after Jones, was Artosphere, the Walton Arts Center's annual art and nature festival held in various location throughout Northwest Arkansas in June.
Besides Bikes, Blues & BBQ, two events didn't receive any money. One event, a gala for LifeSource International, already occurred. Commissioners said they were hesitant to give money to another event, TheatreSquared's Gala for Education, because its tie to tourism was tenuous at best and because TheatreSquared routinely asks for operational support each fall. Organizations are typically limited to one request per year.
The Last Saturday Variety Show at the Fayetteville Underground and a day of bicycle races benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation were among seven events receiving money for the first time.
Fourteen other events, including Lights of the Ozarks, the Hooten Publishing Football Classic and Last Night Fayetteville, have received money before, although all but two of the events received less money Monday than in previous years, according to commission records.
All of Monday's awards are part of a biannual special event funding process. Groups typically request money from the Advertising and Promotion Commission in April and October. Awards are made the following month.
The amount of money the commission has to award depends on how hotel, motel and restaurant tax collections compare to the commission's budget for the year.
By commission policy, commissioners are supposed to consider one or more of the following criteria when making funding awards: attraction of visitors and/or overnight guests; economic impact (local spending); potential for repeat business and return visitors; and improvement of the city's hospitality and overall public image.
The policy also states "A&P funds should be used as seed money," "the commission will sunset funding after three years" and "it is not the intent of the commission to fund requests that could be funded by the requesting organization."
Monday's awards represent about one-quarter of the $273,350 groups requested, including Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
The commission awarded $80,900 to 15 events or nonprofit groups in spring 2014.
NW News on 05/19/2015