Shop Botetourt received a $1,600 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)’s Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program (MMLP) for its “Experience Botetourt” marketing campaign.
Shop Botetourt partnered with other local businesses to supply matching funds for the “Experience Botetourt” project. It is a unique marketing program that invites visitors to immerse themselves in the charm of Botetourt County during holiday and shoulder seasons.
Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded more than $757,000 to 131 marketing programs, ultimately impacting 655 combined partners, and supporting more than 1,300 jobs across the state to help increase off-season visitation to tourism businesses and destinations.
“We are so grateful to have Shop Botetourt here in the county working to help promote small businesses! Their work goes above and beyond,” said Candace Monaghan, owner of Gracely Hill and founder of the Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival. “Brandy, with Shop Botetourt, helps spread the word about upcoming events, new business openings, business specials, and more. Shop Botetourt is truly a blessing and so helpful in making small businesses in Botetourt a success!”
“Right here in Botetourt County, we value our small businesses, and we see this grant program as a means to boost tourism while supporting our local retailers,” said Tiffany Bradbury, Director of Communications for Botetourt County. “Shop Botetourt is a gem in our community, and we are very proud of them for all that they do to highlight and promote our small businesses.”
“The Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is part of VTC’s strategy to grow year-round visitation in Virginia and is designed to support small tourism businesses with marketing dollars to drive out-of-state visitation during off-peak travel seasons. We are excited about this program because we see it as a gateway for small businesses to engage with VTC’s marketing and development ecosystem to grow their business and build on the ‘Virginia is for Lovers’ branding,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The VTC Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending in the off-season by leveraging limited marketing dollars, stimulating new tourism marketing through partnerships, and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. This is a program focused on supporting tourism businesses with less than 20 full-time employees through marketing partnerships. A minimum of five Virginia entities must partner to apply for the microbusiness marketing grant. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties, convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other tourism-related businesses.
Shop Botetourt is committed to empowering and advancing small businesses in Botetourt County through targeted marketing initiatives and strategic promotions. Its mission is to foster and cultivate a vibrant community where small businesses not only survive but thrive in today’s dynamic market landscape.
“As part of our ongoing initiative, we partner with local businesses to host signature events such as Vendors at the Vineyard and Botetourt Restaurant Week. This VTC grant award will allow us to broaden our marketing reach into metro areas and entice a larger audience to ‘Experience Botetourt’ and all the charm that small businesses bring to our county,” Monaghan said.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
