The Branson Veteran’s Task Force (BVT) and the Downtown Branson Main Street Association (DBMA) will no longer be eligible to receive matching funds from the Missouri Department of Tourism (MDT) under its Cooperative Marketing Program. Under the current guidelines, both organizations, along with the Branson Lakes Area CVB (CVB), had been certified as a Designated Marketing Organization (DMO) by MDT and were eligible to receive matching funds from its Cooperative Marketing Program.
At an Oct. 10, 2007 meeting with local government officials, and others actively involved in the promotion of tourism in the Branson area, Blaine Luetkemeyer, the Director of the MDT, informed those in attendance of recent changes to the guidelines his department uses in its cooperative marketing program. Based on Luetkemeyer’s responses to the questions asked at that meeting, it appears that Luetkemeyer and his staff arbitrarily put the changes in place without the approval of the Missouri Tourism Commission and without the conscious participation of the CVB, or any other DMO in the Branson area.
Under the new guidelines, which will be effective for MDT’s 2009 fiscal Year starting July 1, MDT will only certify one DMO within each county for participation in its Cooperative Marketing Program (CMP). Applications for the certification had to be submitted to MDT for approval by Nov. 1, 2007. The Branson Lakes CVB (CVB) was the only organization within Taney County that submitted an application for certification and has been certified as the DMO for Taney County to receive cooperative marketing funds under the MDT Cooperative Marketing Program (CMP).
The new guidelines provide that the funds each DMO is eligible to receive from the CMP, and what is required to receive them, is largely dependent on the “Designation” and “Level of Certification” that MDT determines for a particular DMO. Based on the new guidelines it appears that the Branson CVB will be assigned to a Level III Certification, MDT’s highest level, and will receive MDT Designations in the areas of Leisure Travel, Convention, and Amateur Sporting Event marketing.
One final factor to be considered is the County Tourism Level (CTL) which groups counties according to their Fiscal Year 2006 tourist expenditures and available lodging to determine the maximum amount a DMO can receive from the CMP in 2009. Taney County has the highest CTL available a “7.” The guidelines state, “Funding amounts are first limited by the amount allocated per Missouri county, and secondly by the certification level of the DMO.”
The CTL indicates that Taney County could receive a maximum of $600,000 to market Leisure Travel and an additional $60,000 to market Conventions and or Amateur Sporting Events for a total of $660,000. Under the guidelines, the Branson Lakes Area CVB, with its Level III Certification, could qualify to receive a total $660,000 under the CMP.
Dan Lennon, Vice President Marketing & Public Relations, Branson/Lakes Area CVB, said that there are different dates for submitting the applications for each designation. He pointed out that the application for the $60,000 to market Conventions has already been sent and was received by MDT prior to its Jan. 31 deadline. Lennon said that the application for $600,000 to market Leisure Travel is currently in the process of being developed and will be submitted in time to arrive at MDT prior to its Apr. 15 deadline. He said MDT should issue a notification of funding award on or before May 30 for both and anticipates that the maximum amount in each designation will be awarded.
Lennon was also quick to stress that the $660,000 would not be available for use until MDT’s Fiscal Year which begins on July 1. He also pointed out that to get the $660,000 from MDT the Branson Lakes Area CVB must spend $1.3 million because, in addition to the programs built in maximums, it will only reimburse up to 50 percent of eligible marketing expenses. The $1.3 million used to qualify for the MDT reimbursement will come from the Branson/Lakes Area Tourism Community Enhancement District as part of its overall marketing program for the district.
Furnished courtesy of the Branson Daily Independent.
