EXPLORE BUTTE COUNTY (Butte County Tourism Business Improvement District) Zone Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process The Butte County Tourism Business Improvement District (BCTBID) Management District Plan became effective December 1, 2015, and will be in effect for a period of five (5) years. The BCTBID is managed by Explore Butte County (EBC), the BCTBID s Owners Association; they are charged with managing funds and implementing programs, such as the Zone Marketing Grant Program, in accordance with the Management District Plan. To submit a grant application for funding a project, event, activity or service, please complete the online application found on the website: www.explorebuttecounty.com/zone-marketing-grant/. Applications will be accepted annually January 1 through March 31. Purpose As outlined in the BCTBID Management Plan, ten percent (10%) of the EBC budget is dedicated to individual zones for zone-specific tourism improvement activities as described below. These zone marketing funds will be granted to applicants who demonstrate that the funding will be utilized for local zone activities that promote, support and enhance zone-based tourism marketing efforts, specifically room night sales, including but not limited to the same benefits of the BCTBID s Sales and Marketing services. The zones that will receive zone marketing funds are: Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Biggs* and unincorporated area of Butte County. The EBC Zone Marketing Grant Program s goal is to increase overnight visitation and room night sales at assessed businesses, and may include the following zonespecific tourism improvement activities: Community organization grants to promote events and activities that target potential visitors to drive overnight visitation and room sales; Internet marketing efforts to increase awareness and optimize internet presence to drive overnight visitation and room sales; Print ads in magazines and newspapers targeted at potential visitors to drive overnight visitation and room sales; Television ads targeted at potential visitors to drive overnight visitation and room sales; EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 1
Radio ads targeted at potential visitors to drive overnight visitation and room sales; Attendance of trade shows; Sales blitzes; Familiarization tours; Preparation and production of collateral promotional materials such as brochures, flyers and maps; Attendance of professional industry conferences and affiliation events; Lead generation activities designed to attract tourists and group events to assessed businesses; Director of Sales and General Manager meetings to plan and coordinate tourism promotion efforts for assessed businesses; Education of hospitality staff on service and safety (related to alcohol and food) designed to create a visitor experience that will bring repeat visits; Education of lodging business management and the owners association on marketing strategies best suited to meet assessed businesses needs. GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ZONE MARKETING EBC will fund marketing programs and services to promote the City of Chico, the City of Oroville, the City of Biggs*, the Town of Paradise and the unincorporated County of Butte as tourism destinations and to fund projects, programs, and activities that specifically benefit the assessed hotels within the boundaries of the district by increasing overnight visitation and room night sales at assessed businesses. General Guidelines 1. Marketing programs and services will be broadly defined by EBC to remain current with changing consumer demands, tourism products, and marketing and communication technologies. 2. Marketing programs and services will take many traditional and/or innovative forms based upon the target market, proposed strategy and tactics for implementation. Therefore, marketing programs and services could include, but not be limited to: Advertising Marketing promotion Direct sales Press and/or public relations New product development EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 2
Prospective marketing Visitor services Market research Marketing & web strategies Partnership marketing Special events/promotion 3. Each applicant for zone marketing assistance funding will be required to submit an Application Request for BCTBID Zone Marketing Funding that will require information about the applying organization or entity, as well as a specific proposal for how the requested funds will be spent, the expected result, and the proposed method for measuring results. Funding Approval Requirements Fundamental to approving any proposed funding, each application should clearly articulate the benefit to the assessed hotels/lodging properties in the specific zone. If your project will benefit assessed properties in more than one zone, please identify each zone affected. The committee may use this information for determining if funding of event/activity comes from more than one zone s funding. While benefit may be delivered in numerous ways, by far the most important benefit will be measured in the delivery of room nights within the entire County, followed by raising awareness of Butte County to travelers from outside of the area. Successful applications will clearly describe the strategy and tactics for delivering room nights as well as the number of room nights and estimated gross room revenue projected. Additionally, the method for calculating and verifying the ROI results must be described. When considering these fundamental application requirements, priority will be given to: Special need periods for the year (off season, November through March; midweek, Sunday - Thursday); Incremental new room nights from existing programs or sponsoring programs; The proposal positively impacts more than one hotel/lodging property in the zone. EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 3
APPLICATION PROCESS Applications for funding of a project, event, activity or service that is expected to generate room-night consumption are available on www.explorebuttecounty.com/zonemarketing-grant/. Preparing and Submitting the Application To assist with the preparation and submittal of your application for the EBC Zone Marketing Committee review, please adhere to the guidelines below. Present the application in the order and format requested. Failure to do so may result in the disqualification of your application. All sections of the application must be typewritten in black ink in an easy to read format and font. Applicant Schedule EBC will accept applications on an annual basis. Applications will be accepted January 1 through March 31. Deadline for submission of all materials will be 5:00 p.m. on March 31. A representative from EBC will notify you when your application has been received. All complete applications will be reviewed by the EBC Zone Marketing Committee during the month of April; you may be requested to attend and present your application in person. The Zone Marketing Committee will make a recommendation on all applications to the EBC Board of Directors for review and final approval in either April or May (depending on the date of the scheduled board meeting). You will be notified no later than 2 weeks after the final board vote regarding the status of your application. Funding Process All funds shall be awarded upon approval of the EBC board of directors. Funding Limitations There are limited funds available per zone per year based on the percentage of contribution to the overall BCTBID fund, however, there is no maximum dollar amount that can be requested per application. All applications will be reviewed and funded at the discretion of EBC. EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 4
Performance Reports/Event Recaps Performance reports will be required within 60 days of the conclusion of funded project detailing the target and actual outcomes by type of activities, specific marketing initiatives, etc. The Post Project Recap Form can be found online at ExploreButteCounty.com/About-Us and must detail the way in which the local lodging businesses benefited, along with the details of all grant funds expended. If all funds granted are NOT spent, they must be returned to EBC and will be returned to the category from which they were allocated. FUNDING ELIGIBILITY Legal Status: Applicant must demonstrate proof of legal status within the jurisdiction of the headquarters of their business or corporation. Tourism Mission: While an applicant s primary mission need not be tourism related, the applicant s mission must include an acknowledgement of tourism marketing as a component of that mission. Use of Funds: An applicant s funding from EBC must be solely used for the purpose of fulfilling the tourism-marketing portion of its mission as articulated in its application for funding. Location: Regardless of where an applicant is headquartered or physically located, or where a particular marketing program is implemented, 100% of the funding received from EBC must be applied to, or in support of, programs designed for the measurable benefit of assessed hotels/lodging businesses in the City of Chico, City of Oroville, City of Biggs*, Town of Paradise or the unincorporated County of Butte. FUNDING LIMITATIONS 1. Grant funds cannot be used for alcoholic beverages. Applicants shall not use grant funds for travel, meals, lodging, or entertainment expenses, unless authorized by EBC in advance. 2. Zone Marketing BCTBID applicants or project providers shall not be paid for any expenditure that has been, or should be, properly charged to any funding source other than the BCTBID assessment fund. 3. BCTBID funds shall not be used for political activity. The term, political activity shall mean a communication made to any electorate in support of, or in EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 5
opposition to, a ballot measure or candidate in any federal, state or local government election. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Insurance: All BCTBID applicants shall comply with the following insurance requirements for the term of the agreement: 1. Commercial General Liability Insurance, providing coverage for bodily injury, including death, personal injury, and property damage with limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, subject to an annual aggregate of at least $2,000,000. 2. Workers Compensation Insurance, as required by the laws of the State of California for all Applicants employees who provide services under the BCTBID funding grant with a limit of at least $1,000,000. 3. Any organization/entity/event receiving BCTBID funds must supply a certificate of insurance naming EBC as a certificate holder. Non-compliance with supplying the certificate of insurance may be grounds for denial or withdrawal of funds. Each applicant receiving funds, by signing the Funding Agreement expressly understands that they release EBC from, and agree to indemnify it against, any and all claims for such loss, injury or damage. If EBC shall be held liable for any event that might result from a particular organization s/sponsor s action or failure to act, such organization/sponsor shall reimburse and hold harmless EBC against any liability resulting therefrom. Organizations/event sponsors must adequately insure their materials, goods, and wares against loss or injury of any kind and must do so at their own expense. EBC is not responsible for any loss (however caused) to any property of any sponsor or participant or bystander. Promotional Material Requirements All entities requesting funds from EBC, must include in their application a description of how they will include EBC on all related promotional materials. Among other benefits, EBC sees Zone Marketing as an opportunity for cross promotion. At a minimum, EBC grant recipients shall include a credit line acknowledging EBC allocation of BCTBID funds for financial support on all promotional materials. An example of a credit line might be: Funded in part by Explore Butte County through funds generated by the Butte County Tourism Business Improvement District assessment. Such acknowledgment shall be prominently displayed on all related promotional material. EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 6
Limiting Contact Between Applicants and the EBC Zone Marketing Committee It is essential that the application and allocation process for funding from the BCTBID be open, fair and efficient. To this end, the electronic/written submission of the application and supporting materials as well as any public presentation that may be required from applicants will be the foundation for the EBC Zone Marketing Committee discussion and deliberations. EBC Zone Marketing Committee members are encouraged to limit their contact and communication with applicants regarding their applications or proposed application, and to disclose any such contact or communication prior to participating in the consideration of that applicant s submission. RIGHTS EBC reserves the right to make alterations to this policy as necessary to grant zone marketing funds to each specific zone as long as the funds will promote additional overnight stays in the zone funding the activity and/or build brand awareness of Butte County. QUESTIONS/CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions regarding the Explore Butte County Zone Marketing funding eligibility or policy, please contact Carolyn Denero carolyn@explorebutteca.com. * The Town of Biggs does not currently contribute BCTBID funds and does not have a zone marketing budget at this time. If Biggs were to begin contributing BCTBID funds, they would have zone funds available as outlined in this policy. EBC Zone Micro-Marketing Grant Program Funding Guidelines and Application Process Approved 12-14-17 - FINAL 7