Mason City, IA — Visit Mason City has several progressive programs aimed at attracting, retaining and expanding direct visitor spending in the community. One such program is the Visit Mason City Tourism Marketing Grant Program with the following Round I award winners:
Award Recipient …… Award Use ….. Award Amount
North Iowa Band Festival Committee – Brochures – $145.00
Up In Smoke BBQ Bash – Advertising – $350.00
Quality Inn & Country Inn & Suites – Event Shuttle Service – $278.00
N. Iowa Chapter – American Assoc. of Medical Assistants – Welcome Reception – $376.00
Charles H. MacNider Art Museum – Website – $300.00
A Day of Thunder on the Syrup – Website – $309.00
River City Society for Historic Preservation – Website – $425.00
Iowa Chamber of Commerce Executives – Welcome Reception – $392.00
Quail Run Horse Centre, Inc. – Brochure – $1,000.00
Inspiration for Women Ministries – Advertisements – $375.00
Country Inn & Suites – Event Shuttle Service – $285.00
Wright on the Park – Brochures – $390.00
Main Street Mason City – Advertisements – $375.00
North Iowa Band Festival Committee – Brochures – $145.00
These fourteen awards are estimated to attract over 50,000 visitors to the community. These grants will also leverage nearly $20,000 of private funding for tourism marketing resulting in economic impact through visitor spending.
The next round of applications for this tourism marketing grant program are due on Feb. 5, 2013. Applications are available on Visit Mason City’s web page located at www.visitmasoncityiowa.com/html/grant_program.htm. Applicants eligible include events, tournaments, conventions and tourism facilities that create tourism activity for Mason City.
Visit Mason City, formerly the Mason City Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), is a non-profit organization dedicated to marketing and promoting Mason City and the North Iowa area as a multi-day tourism destination to attract, expand and retain visitor spending in the area. Tourism related direct visitor spending contributed an estimated $92.03 million into Mason City’s economy during 2011. In Cerro Gordo County, tourism generated an estimated $184.06 million in direct visitor spending, the 10th highest county level in the State. Tourism related jobs employed over an estimated 1,500 people in Cerro Gordo County.
