BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) today announced the release of applications for the FY19 Cooperative Marketing Program (CMP). The program provides grants supporting Louisiana-based convention and visitors bureaus, tourist commissions, and other eligible organizations in the marketing and promotion of Louisiana and their areas in eligible media outlets. The deadline to apply for the Cooperative Marketing Program is Thursday, May 24.
“Investing in tourism opportunities around Louisiana benefits the state as a whole. For every dollar invested, we see a return of $40 to the state’s economy,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “With more than 400 fairs and festivals around the state and countless attractions, I’m proud that the Louisiana Office of Tourism can continue to help our CVBs promote their areas during tight budget times.”
“Louisiana has seen five consecutive record-breaking years for visitation to our state. This program is vital to keep that momentum going. Tourism is an important engine that helps drive our state’s economy and by combining our efforts through the Cooperative Marketing Program, we can get the most return on our investments to promote and attract more visitors to Louisiana,” said Assistant Secretary Doug Bourgeois.
Each applicant may apply for up to $20,000; however, the funding level for the Cooperative Marketing Program will not be determined until the Louisiana Office of Tourism’s FY19 budget allocation is finalized in the 2018 Regular Legislative Session. Should requests exceed funding available in the LOT’s legislatively-allocated FY19 budget, fewer grants may be awarded or grant amounts may be reduced.
The Cooperative Marketing Program provides reimbursement funds for eligible marketing expenditures up to the total amount of each recipient’s grant award. Reimbursement percentages are based on the applicant’s operating budgets. An applicant with an operating budget equal to or less than $300,000 per year is eligible to receive a 67 percent reimbursement of the total cost of media placements, up to the maximum amount of the award. An applicant with an operating budget exceeding $300,000 per year is eligible for a 50 percent reimbursement on qualifying media placements, up to the maximum amount of the award.
Reimbursements will be made after a final report is submitted and approved by LOT. Reports must include proof of a reimbursable charge in the form of a legible vendor invoice reflecting the date of publication/run, description of the charge, and dollar amount. Also included must be a proof of implementation in the form of a tear sheet for print ad placements, screenshot of online banner ad placement, script and log report indicating actual broadcast times/dates for radio and television placements, and “proof of play” report from vendor for billboards.
For more information on the Cooperative Marketing Program, and to access the FY19 application, please click here.
