2010 Idaho Regional Travel And Convention Grant Program Application
Grant Name: Bear Lake Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau
Application Type: Local Application			Region: 5
Organization's Legal Name (as recorded on the non-profit incorporation papers): Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
Chief Official:  Norman A Weston			Title:Chairman
2125 N. Mine Rd
City: Randolph		State: UT	Zip: 84064
Grant Manager (if awarded):  Judy Holbrook			Title:Director
69 N. Paradise Parkway Bld. A  PO Box 471
City: Garden City		State: UT	Zip: 84028
Phone:4359462197	Fax:4359462205	E-Mail:visitors@bearlake.org
Describe how the financial resources will be monitored by your organization
The Bear Lake CVB has a grant manager. It is this person’s duty to track all billings, make payments, make grant funding requests, and monitor all financial actions of the Bureau. The Bear Lake CVB Board signs checks and reviews the invoices monthly and is given a monthly financial report to review. The grant manager is currently Judy Holbrook, Director. The books are reviewed on a yearly basis by a CPA. The Bear Lake CVB is a non-profit corp. in Idaho and Utah. The Bureau consists of one Director, and a 10-person board, a county commissioner from Bear Lake County, Idaho and Rich County, Utah, mayors from each incorporated city in each state, a representative from recreation, one from water users, and a member at large.
ITC Dollars Requested:	$30,800.00	Total Match:	$4,000.00
Signature of Organization's Certified Chief Official: Norman A. Weston

Element 1

Title: Audit

Description:

An independent Compliance Audit is required when a grant award meets or exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). Funds awarded for the audit will be used for that purpose only and cannot be shifted into other elements. Any unspent funds remaining will revert back to the region's funding pool for the following year. The audit shall be performed by a Certified Public Accountant and submitted to the Idaho Dept. of Commerce, Tourism Development Grant Analyst, within sixty (60) days following the authorization of the last request for funds dispersal. When the final request for funds - which will include the auditor's invoice, a copy of the audit report, final narrative report, and declaration of capital outlay is received, the grant will be closed if the match obligation has been met.

ITC Requested:  $0.00    Total Match:  $0.00    Total Cost:  $0.00

Element 2

Title: Admin/Fulfillment

Description:

This element will include an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the amount awarded, up to $25,000. This ten percent (10%) is to be used for: 1) Fufilling requests for information and publications generated by the ITC-funded marketing plan. 2) The cost of mailing requests for funds and other direct costs incurred related to the grant award. Audit/Fulfillment will be calculated for each request for funds and reimbursed with no further documentation from the grantee. No additional administration or fulfillment amounts will be awarded, nor can funds be shifted into or out of this element.

ITC Requested:  $2,800.00    Total Match:  $0.00    Total Cost:  $2,800.00

Element 3

Title: Advertising

Description:

Bear Lake's unique quality of life is an essential part of our marketing plan as we promote our outdoor products and recreation to inform and inspire travel to the Bear Lake Valley as a year round destination and put heads in beds. Bear Lake and the National Oregon/ California Trail Center are a plus when tied with other attractions in southeast Idaho and Northern Utah. Snowmobiling and snowmobile events such as RMSHA hill climbs and other shoulder season activities such as hiking and biking events are providing more room nights in our valley during the off season.With the current state of the economy our target market will be on our backyard visitors as well as boarding states such as Utah, Wyoming, California, Colorado, Nevada and Canada. This market has enormous opportunities, but so are the associated costs of advertising. Therefore, collaborative marketing with partners such as: Pioneer Country Travel Council, Pocatello CVB, Northern Utah Travel Region, Rich County Tourism, Bear River Heritage partners, Scenic By-way programs and both Idaho and Utah state co-op grants, will provide us with a larger presence in these markets. Our Scope of Work will include print, radio, internet, newspaper, video, trade shows,the Intermountain Snowmobile Show, 2 and 3 day events, the Montpelier Snowmobile Hill Climbs, events at the National Oregon/California Trail Center, and any other events that bring in additional room nights. Participate in Fam tours to the area that will encourage them to come back and spend more time exploring the Bear Lake area, i.e. the Go West Fam Tour, etc. Ads will be placed in Western Guide to Snowmobiling, RV Life magazine, group tour magazines, Salt Lake City magazines, Idaho Winter Insert, Via, True West Magazine (of which named the National Oregon/California Trail Center as one of the Top 10 Museums of the West),and others as opportunities arise.

ITC Requested:  $15,000.00    Total Match:  $2,000.00    Total Cost:  $17,000.00

Element 4

Title: Web Site and Social Media

Description:

Internet is the most effective way of keeping our information up to date throughout the grant year and providing the overall visibility of our area. As a gateway to Jackson and Yellowstone an estimated 700,000 travelers come through the Bear Lake Valley annually. This element is to fund the service needed to keep the Bear lake web site up to date, including maintenance, web page development, and web hosting services, virtual tours, create and send emails, video, Regal 360 and element 242. This element will provide internet advertising on state web sites and other collaborative marketing with partners such as but not limited to: utah.com, go-utah.com, go-idaho.com, topofutah.org, and seidaho.org, Site Seer 3D, and the States Hot Leads Program. The bearlake.org web site informs travelers of ‘Hot Deals’ for room packages in the valley and puts more heads in beds, these are geared towards the shoulder seasons. Our Google analytics shows that our site had 103,936 visits in 2009 compared to 72,673 in 2008, a 43.2% increase.

ITC Requested:  $7,000.00    Total Match:  $1,200.00    Total Cost:  $8,200.00

Element 5

Title: Brochure Distribution

Description:

Through a 12 month contact with a brochure distribution company the Bear Lake Valley CVB will distribute the ‘Bear Lake Valley Utah/Idaho’ brochure in the Wasatch Front at approximately 208 sites including hotels, attractions, car rentals agencies, restaurants, and other travel service type businesses.The Bear Lake Valley brochure was printed in the 09 grant cycle as a co-op with the Utah Office of Tourism and will be our fulfillment piece. The supply will last through the 10-V-2 grant year. This is one of our most successful advertising elements in our grant. Past distribution through Certified Folder Display has proven that our brochure is fast moving in all of their displays. A grant from Rich County, Utah gives us cash match by providing this same service in Idaho with Certified Folder racks in 78 sites in the Pocatello/Idaho Falls area, and this year we want to expand into the Boise area, bringing additional room nights from our backyard visitors.

ITC Requested:  $4,500.00    Total Match:  $800.00    Total Cost:  $5,300.00

Element 6

Title: Training

Description:

This element is for training which includes the grant summit, and the Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism, registration, travel and expenses, and other training opportunities that come available through the ITC Grant program throughout the grant year.

ITC Requested:  $1,500.00    Total Match:  $0.00    Total Cost:  $1,500.00

*Element detail is generated automatically based on information provided in the application. Audit costs must be included in your budget proposal if the ITC grant award total is $100,000.00 or more. (An Audit may be required at the discretion of the ITC, if ITC funding is less that $100,00.00). Audits are exempt from match requirements.

Element	Total Project Cost	Matching Share	ITC Grant Request	Amount Awarded
1) Audit	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
2) Admin/Fulfillment	$2,800.00	$0.00	$2,800.00	$2,600.00
3) Advertising	$17,000.00	$2,000.00	$15,000.00	$14,000.00
4) Web Site and Social Media	$8,200.00	$1,200.00	$7,000.00	$6,000.00
5) Brochure Distribution	$5,300.00	$800.00	$4,500.00	$4,500.00
6) Training	$1,500.00	$0.00	$1,500.00	$1,500.00
Totals	$34,800.00	$4,000.00	$30,800.00	$28,600.00

It is hereby mutually agreed upon and understood the use of these funds will be for the purposes stated in this document only and are subject to, and will comply with, the terms of the current rules & guidelines of the Idaho Regional Travel and Convension Grant Program, Idaho Dept. of Commerce, as signed by the authorized individuals.

Appropriate credit logos must appear on all plans funded by the ITC for reimbursement. Refer to IDAPA 28.02.03.021.

The total of cash match should meet or exceed the total match obligation.

The organization has received cash match commitment from the organizations listed below. Written letters of cash match commitment are stored by the organization and available for review.

Contributor	Cash Match (12.5% of Match obligation)
Rich County Tourism Grant	$4,000.00
Totals	$4,000.00