Marion A&P set to fund slate of events in 2018

Marion A&P set to fund slate of events in 2018

Chamber gets money for ‘ festivals, advertising, and billboards’ and more

news@theeveningtimes.com

Marion Advertising and Promotions Commission approved a $96,000 budget for the Chamber of Commerce for events in 2018.

Chamber Vice President Tracy Brick told the A& P that the money is for everything from the Sultana Festival to billboards to ads in travel publications to promote the city. “That includes festivals, advertising, and billboards,” Brick said. “These are city events that we are contracted to do that are reimbursable costs, and for events in which A& P is a sponsor.”

Brick highlighted some of last year’s expenses which included $22,000 for the “Move to Marion” ad campaign. The Chamber contracted with ASU MidSouth to produce a brochure aimed at luring workers at Big River Steel in Osceola to buy a home in Marion, as well as a video highlighting Marion’s quality of life, and billboard and radio ads.

The bulk of the funding — $35,000 goes toward billboards which are in strategic places throughout the county aimed at luring motorists to stop and refuel and spend the night in Marion, promote the Sultana museum, and to attract new residents.

Brick said she made a decision to change the art on the billboard in Jonesboro to the new design used to promote Marion as the “center of living.”

“I made an executive decision on that,” Brick said.

“It was just old and needed to be changed.”

Brick said eventually that billboard will be used to advertise the Sultana museum for motorists on I555.

“One reason is we haven’t gotten our logo or branding for Sultana yet,” Brick said. A& P chairman and City Councilman David Bigger urged the Chamber to get the Sultana logo done as soon as possible.

“I would do something with Sultana soon,” Bigger said. “I don’t think people are moving from Jonesboro to Marion.”

“No, but at least it is a new graphic they will notice,” Brick responded.

Brick also highlighted the positive turnout they had for their Hogs on the Square event. The Chamber rented a large screen Jumbotron and hosted a watch party for the Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Alabama game at Court Square.

The Chamber plans to hold another watch party next year on Sept. 29 when the Hogs take on Texas A& M.

“That was so much fun,” Brick said. “It was everything we hoped it would be. There were kids out throwing around the football.

There were people playing Bag-O.”

Bigger agreed. “I was tickled to death to see the turnout,” Bigger said. “There was some serious tailgating. And I was thoroughly impressed with the screen. It was so nice.”

Although A& P provided $5,000 for the event, Brick said they barely spent any money because they had almost $5,000 in sponsorships.

For 2018, Brick is again asking for $5,000 for Hogs on the Square, $20,000 for the 3rd annual Sultana Festival, and $5,000 each for the Country Style bike Ride, and a to be determined event. “We had 70 riders last year for the Country Style Ride and I think the sky is the limit on this,” Brick said.

“Biking interest just keeps going up. I think getting rid of the 5K and going to a bike ride is a good idea A&P

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until everyone else catches on and they start doing one themselves.”

Brick said they plan to scale back the Sultana Festival and just do the lecture series. The event had featured lectures along with outdoor living history events but suffered from rainy weather both years.

“I think the way to go is to just do the lectures,” Brick said. “The people who come for Sultana are not the ones who want to mill around outside. They want to see the lectures. So I will probably do away with all of the outdoor things and the food trucks. The bulk of the money will go to advertising in Civil War publications. So even if the event isn’t a big draw, it will keep the Sultana name out there.”

Other requests include:

• $5,000 for city maps “We printed 1,600 0f them and we are down to one box,” Brick said.

“We have maybe 400 left.” Bigger asked whether people still use maps.

“I would have thought that was a waste of money,” Bigger said.

Brick said the welcome center in Blytheville hands out a ton of the maps.

“People really still use a map,” Brick said. “You wouldn’t think it. That welcome center gets a box of 400 at a time.”

• $5,000 for changeable signs to promote events on the Welcome to Marion

metal signs. • $2,000 for landscaping and upkeep around the signs. • $5,000 for a Delta Byways

ad which are in a 15

county regional travel guide.

• $3,500 for an ad in the officials Arkansas state tourism guide.

“They print a total of $500,000 of them,” Brick said. “They are in all 14 welcome centers and about 200,000 are mailed out to in-state inquiries and another 200,000 go to out of

state.”

By Mark Randall