BENTONVILLE -- Visit Bentonville's 2017 budget includes $28,000 for a multi-day culinary summit.
"I don't know what that looks like exactly at this point," Kalene Griffith, Visit Bentonville president and CEO, told the Advertising and Promotion Commission on Thursday.
She said she envisioned a two-day summit, likely a Thursday and Friday, where those who came from out of town have the option to stay for the weekend after the event.
The summit would have a theme and include a "big name" in the culinary scene. It would be geared toward restaurant owners and chefs, she said.
"I think it's something we can do and grow," Griffith said, explaining it'd be reasonable to draw 100 people the first year and 300-400 people within three to five years.
The commission approved 6-0 the $2.5 million budget Thursday. Commissioner Rob Apple was absent.
Griffith highlighted two other new line items to the budget: $12,000 for video production and $12,000 for research.
The goal with the video production is to make 12 to 20 short videos that showcase different niche markets in the city, Griffith said. They would be shared on social media.
The research would be to help identify market opportunities to increase tourism in the city as well as identify where to spend advertising money throughout the country, Griffith said.
Commissioners also agreed to increase next year's allotment for public art from $50,000 to $75,000 on the recommendation of Commissioner James Smith.
Visit Bentonville has allocated $50,000 for public art the last couple of years.
The $25,000 would have to come from another item of the parks account, Griffith said.
Other dollar amounts in the parks account included $20,000 for the holiday lights on the downtown square, $244,450 for Phillips Park renovation and $214,100 for "Enhancements - other," which Griffith explained were a lot of smaller items such as new bleachers and fencing.
There also was the option of using a budget adjustment if a public art opportunity came up through out the year that exceeded the amount budgeted, said Chairman Chris Sooter.
Commissioners agreed to take the money from the other enhancements.
The city also budgeted $20,000 for public art in its 2017 budget.
Griffith agreed with the adjustment as Bentonville is getting national recognition for its cycling, art and culinary scenes, she said.
"We want to continue to enhance that so that people continue to come back," she said. "They're going to come back and see what additional pieces of art we have or what additional culinary experiences we have or additional trails."
Commissioners also selected Craig Gilbert, operations manager at The Walmart Museum, to fill the restaurant position Rob Apple will leave this year. Gilbert has more than 20 years in the hospitality and food industry.
NW News on 12/02/2016