FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2004
Contact: Tony O'Leary
304-558-2200, ext. 318
toleary@callwva.com
Tourism Commission approves cooperative grant applications
The West Virginia Tourism Commission June 17 approved more than $4 million in Cooperative Tourism Grant Program requests for tourism businesses around the state. This was the first review and approval of the tourism matching grant program since December 2003 and follows legislative changes that reduced the program's video slot funding from 3 percent to 1.375 percent.
"We are glad to be back in business after this time of changes to our grant
funds and, consequently, our program's guidelines," Tourism Commission
Chairman Dave Arnold said. "The matching grants that were approved today
represent large and small tourism businesses and partners across the state -
an indication that our industry recognizes the importance of strong advertising
and marketing efforts."
Of the 33 grants approved today, 23 were for cooperative advertising projects
under $100,000. These grants included regional and national advertising for
the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, the Contemporary American
Theater Festival and the Mountain State Art and Craft Fair.
"There was a good mix of grant requests that highlight the value of regional
advertising and direct mail programs that target the audiences that are most
important to the continued growth of tourism in West Virginia," Arnold
said. "With the reduction in funds, the Commission is emphasizing projects
that attract out-of-state tourists to come to West Virginia. There are some
great examples of that emphasis in the grants approved today."
In addition to the large grants ($10,000 and above) that were approved today,
20 grants that are in the small grant ($2,500 and below) and fairs and festivals
(Up to $5,000), have also been approved in the past few weeks.
"These grants show the diversity of our special products in the state,"
Anna Plantz, Cooperative Tourism Promotion Fund director, said. "Grants
around the state will help promote events like the Mid-Ohio Multi-Cultural Festival,
the Clay County Golden Delicious Festival and at least three Italian heritage
festivals."
The West Virginia Legislature instituted the Cooperative Tourism Promotion Fund in 1995. The program funds are derived from video lottery slot revenues that the state receives. Until the past legislative session, those funds were 3 percent of the slot revenues; new legislation has dropped that amount to 1.375 percent.
"With the reduction in funding, the Commission will have fewer funds at
its disposal for the program," Arnold said. To manage those funds more
carefully, the Commission will review grants on a quarterly, rather than monthly,
basis.
Grants that were approved this month are listed below.
* Appalachian Wildwaters, Rowlesburg, will promote its whitewater rafting business
with its West Virginia Vacation Destination 2004 campaign. The business will
promote itself and its partners through newspaper ads and a direct mail piece
in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. Partners include Twin Rivers
Outfitters, Comfort Inn-Beckley, Days Inn-Beckley, Comfort Inn-Fayetteville,
and Summersville Lake Retreat. Project cost is $65,810; the grant match is $32,905.
* The Bavarian Inn, Shepherdstown, will promote itself and the Eastern Panhandle
region with its "Experience European Elegance on the Potomac" campaign.
The campaign will be promoted through newspaper, magazine and radio advertisements
in Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Partners include Charles Town
Races and Slots. Project cost is $46,489; the grant match is $23,244.50.
* The Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce will use the advertising grants
program to promote the 2004 Appalachian Festival. The chamber will advertise
the event in newspapers, on billboards and through a direct mail piece in West
Virginia and Virginia. Partners include the Southern West Virginia Convention
and Visitors Bureau. Project cost is $28,711; the grant match is $14,355.50.
* The Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau will promote its region
through newspapers advertisements and a direct mail piece nationally and in
the Ohio area. Project cost is $26,728.06; the grant match is $13,364.03.
* Camden Park, Huntington, is in the fourth year of a five-year marketing plan
designed by Camden Park and its partners to increase attendance at the park
and other local attractions through print, broadcast and billboard advertising
in West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia and through direct
mail campaigns to consumers, educators and groups for Camden Park special events.
Partners are Best Western Huntington Mall, Pepsi and Kindred Communication.
The total grant project is $221,040.00; the matching portion is $110,520.00
* "Total Mountain Fun" is the promotional campaign to be used by the
Canaan Valley Resort and Conference Center and local partners to show tourists
the area's activities. The campaign will be advertised in newspaper and magazines
along with a direct mail piece in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York,
Maryland and Virginia. Project cost is $63,249.91; the grant match is $31,624.96.
* Charles Town Races and Slots plans an extensive advertising campaign to promote
itself and the Jefferson County tourism destinations. The company will advertise
through print publications, television and radio medias along with billboards
and a direct mail piece to Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington,
D.C. Partners include the Bavarian Inn and the Clarion Hotel and Conference
Center. Project cost is $2,218,789; the grant match is $1,109,394.50.
* The Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau will use its "Doorway to
West Virginia" promote the capital to decision makers in the meetings and
conferences industry as well as leisure tourists. The CVB will advertise in
many niche publications and create a direct mail piece to accomplish this. Project
cost is $217,279; the grant match is $108,639.50.
* "Discover it All" is the theme of the advertising campaign by the
Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, Shepherdstown. The promotion will rely
primarily on newspaper advertisements and some magazine ad placements in the
northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Partners include The Old Opera House. Project
cost is $30,180; the grant match is $15,090.
* The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, Inc. plans to promote
The World's Famous New River Train trips for 2004. By advertising through many
media, including print publications, radio, television and billboards, along
with a direct mail piece. Marketing will reach consumers in Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Maryland, Michigan, Virginia and West
Virginia. Partners include 16 businesses in Huntington and Hinton. Project cost
is $58,985; the grant match is $29,492.
* The Contemporary American Theater Festival, Shepherdstown, plans to promote
"Launching New American Theater in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!"
with its advertising grant. The Theater Festival will promote its summer plays
through newspaper and magazine advertisements and a direct mail piece in Maryland,
Illinois and the East Coast. Partners include The Woods Resort and The Bavarian
Inn. Project cost is $35,600; the grant match is $17,800.
* Country Roads Cabins, Hico, will use a "Getaway Packages" campaign
to promote the company's deluxe cabins and the area tourism destinations. The
co-op venture calls for advertising in newspapers and magazines and a direct
mail piece in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Partners
include New River Bike and Touring, Canyon Rim Ranch, Hark Rock Climbing, and
Agora Cabins LLC. Project cost is $74,570; the grant match is $37,285.
* Drift-a-Bit Inc., Fayetteville, will promote its whitewater rafting company
in partnership with Possum Trot Campground LLC, also of Fayetteville. The companies
will advertise mostly in magazines with some newspaper advertising and a direct
mail piece to consumers in the eastern United States. Project cost is $36,988;
the grant match is $18,494.
* The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, will use "The Greenbrier "
magazine to promote the luxury hotel. The magazine will be a direct mail piece
to more than one million households. Partners included the Greenbrier County
Convention and Visitors Bureau. Project cost is $447,061; the grant match is
$223,530.50.
* The Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreational Authority plans to use an extensive,
multi-faceted campaign to promote the Hatfield-McCoy Recreation Trails. The
authority and its 19 campaign partners will advertise nationally in print publications,
radio, television and a direct mail piece. Project cost is $106,227.54; the
grant is $53,113.77.
* The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce plans to promote the Mountain Heritage
Arts and Crafts Festival to be held in September with its grant. The chamber
will use advertise extensively in newspapers, television and radio and use a
direct mail piece to promote the festival in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
and Washington, D.C. Project cost is $92,399.50; the grant match is $46,199.75.
* "Discover It All in the Eastern Panhandle" is the promotional campaign
to be used by the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote
the county's tourism destinations in national and regional publications. The
visitors' bureau will use extensive advertising in newspapers and magazines
and use a direct mail piece to promote the campaign. Project cost is $135,761;
the grant match is $67,880.50.
* Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau has a grant for advertising in
Blue Ridge Country's southern and mid-Atlantic magazines, the mid-Atlantic issues
of AAA's tour book and the West Virginia Wild and Wonderful travel guide to
continue promotion of the tourism opportunities in the Mercer County region.
The total grant project is $36,000; the matching portion is $18,000.
* Mountain State Art and Craft Fair, Ripley, has a promotional grant for the
2004 print and radio advertising campaign, "A place for every generation",
to promote this year's Mountain State Art and Craft Fair in Ripley. Advertising
will reach markets in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania that are
strategic to the fair's target audiences. The grant partners are the MSACF and
juried fair artisans. The total grant project is $55,544.07; the matching portion
is $27,720.04.
* Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, Chester, has a 2004 marketing
campaign that will promote Mountaineer and other Northern Panhandle tourism
properties through a series of print and broadcast advertisements in West Virginia,
Pennsylvania and Ohio markets as well as direct mail campaigns and advertising
partnerships with Tomlinson Run State Park, Homer Laughlin China and the Hancock
County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The total grant project is $2,331,959.32;
the matching portion is $1,165,979.66.
* North American River Runners, Inc, Hico, will use the theme "Vacation
at Nature's Playground" for this 2004-2005 advertising program that will
target families, adventure enthusiasts and group travel planners in the eastern
United States and Canada with regional magazine and airport advertising as well
as direct mail marketing. North American River Runners is partnering with 14
other businesses for the grant. The total grant project is $187,473.00; the
matching portion is $93,736.50.
* Oglebay Resort & Conference Center, Wheeling, has "Wheeling is Your
Place to Play", a cooperative advertising partnership between Oglebay and
Wheeling Downs Racetrack and Gaming Center. The 2004-2005 multi-media campaign
includes television, radio, newspaper, billboard and direct mail activities
in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia markets. It targets motor coach
and group tour markets as well as consumers. The total grant project is $826,000;
the matching portion is $413,000.
* Raft West Virginia, Inc., Fayetteville, has a joint partnership with Riftrafters
Campground Inc. for a 2004 advertising campaign that will include print advertising
in newspapers and magazines in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky and Michigan. Radio advertising
in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina and a direct mail campaign
will support the print campaign. The total grant project is $60,663.17; the
matching portion is $30,331.58.
* Randolph County Convention & Visitors Bureau requested funds for a 2004
celebration marketing program will feature festival, heritage and adventure
travel opportunities in the area with print advertising in Ohio, Maryland, Virginia
and Washington DC as well as a direct mail promotional catalog. The total grant
project is $24,988.76; the matching portion is 12,494.38.
* Snowshoe Mountain, Snowshoe, will use its grant for the summer 2004 Snowshoe
Mountain Summer Activities marketing campaign. It will include radio, print
and direct mail campaigns that target promotion of the resort's golf, mountain
biking, summer events and group/conference business. The campaigns include print
advertising in national magazines as well as newspapers and magazines in West
Virginia, Virginia and Ohio; radio advertising in West Virginia and direct mail
campaign to targeted consumer audiences. Pocahontas County Tourism and Granny
Gear Productions are partners in the grant. The total grant project is $264,090.00;
the matching portion is $132,045.
* Stonewall Resort, Roanoke, in partnership with Snowshoe Mountain, is promoting
a Hall of Fame golf packages campaign that targets residents in Pittsburgh PA,
Columbus OH and Cleveland OH. Print advertisements in the newspapers of those
cities will be the primary advertising medium. The total grant project is $38,967.20;
the matching portion is $19,483.60.
* Timberline Resort Realty, Davis, requested funds for its summer/fall 2004
advertising campaign, Four Seasons DreamMakers Vacations. This is a partnership
with Black Bear Resort and targets consumers in the northern Virginia, metropolitan
Atlanta, Georgia; western Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. market areas. A series
of print advertisements in newspapers and magazines will be used from June until
October. The total grant project is $20,405.83; the matching grant portion is
$10,202.91.
* Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center/Sleep Inn of Cross Lanes will target
audiences in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, the "Play Late
Sleep Inn" campaign will be yearlong program using billboards, magazines,
newspaper and television advertising as well as direct mail to promote both
tourism properties. The total grant project is $599,959.00; the matching grant
portion is $299,979.50.
* Tucker County Convention & Visitors Bureau will use its grant for "Tucker
County in the Warm Months", a print advertising and direct mail campaign
to increase traveler awareness of summer tourism attractions in the Tucker County,
Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley areas. Magazine and newspaper advertising
will reach target markets in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington,
D.C. as well as national audiences. The direct mail campaign will focus on travelers
who have visited the region for winter sports. The total grant project is $24,457.50;
the matching grant portion is $12,228.75.
* USA Raft, Rowlesburg, along with Equestrian Adventures and Hard Rock Climbing,
will promote adventure travel to southern West Virginia to outdoor adventure
and church/youth group audiences through a print advertising campaign in West
Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Kentucky and Washington D.C. and a direct
mail adventure guide. The total grant project is $22,400.00; the matching grant
portion is $11,200.
* West Virginia Motor Speedway, Vienna, has a print and broadcast campaign is
aimed at increasing awareness of motorsports in West Virginia to audiences in
West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Virginia. Amerihost Inn is a
partner in the grant. The total grant project is $94,000; the matching grant
portion is $47,000.
* Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau will continue the "Wheeling Is
Your Place to Play" theme in its 2004-2005 advertising campaign that is
focused on the leisure and family travel markets. The campaign will include
advertising in Long Weekends (Ohio) magazine, Cabela's Outfitter Journal and
the 2005 West Virginia travel guide. Partners in the project are Oglebay Resort,
Jamboree USA, Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center and the Wheeling
National Heritage Area Commission. The total grant project is $57,700; the matching
grant portion is $28,850.
* Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center has a targeted regional advertising
campaign that will use print and broadcast media to promote the track and other
Wheeling area attractions in the West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania tri-state
region. A direct mail campaign will be used as well. The total grant project
is $1,260,000; the matching grant portion is $630,000.
# # #
West Virginia Division of Tourism • 90 MacCorkle Ave., SW • South Charleston, WV 25303
304-558-2200
or 1-800-CALL-WVA • FAX: 304-558-2459 • www.callwvanews.com