Fourteen special events and projects received several hundred thousand dollars in grants recently from the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). The events and projects are expected to draw millions of visitors to Miami Beach, and to stimulate hundreds of millions of media impressions about Miami Beach.
The grants were awarded in several categories: Development Opportunities, Initiatives, Major One Time Special Events, Special Events Recurring, Special Projects Recurring, and Tourism Partnerships. Included in the Tourism Partnership category were local key programs, including the Miami Beach Watersports Center, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Miami Beach Guest, The Miami Beach Latin Chamber of Commerce Tourist Hospitality Center, and The Customer and You – Certificate Program in Service. Based on past successes, the MBVCA awarded grants again this year to Art Basel Miami Beach, the 26th Anniversary of Muscle Beach/ White Party, the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon and Tropical 5K, the 2010-2011 Orange Bowl Football Game and Ancillary Events and Design Miami. New projects receiving funding for their inaugural effort were a Taste of Peru: 1st Peruvian Gastronomic Fair, Ability Explosion 2010, and the NASCAR Championship Drive.
The Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority is a seven-member authority that was established by the State of Florida in 1967 to support the tourism industry in Miami Beach. By law, VCA funding comes from a portion of the bedresort tax in Miami Beach and must be reinvested in tourist-related opportunities.
The MBVCA strategically focuses funding and programming on events and programs that: improve the tourist experience, enhance the global marketing and branding of Miami Beach, attract visitors to stay in Miami Beach and result in significant and positive media visibility.
For additional information about VCA policies and procedures, for grant information and eligibility requirements, to learn more about VCA sponsored events and about event ticketing contacts, visit the MBVCA website at www.miamibeachvca. com or call 305.673.7050.
The MBVCA strategically focuses funding and programming on events and programs that: improve the tourist experience, enhance the global marketing and branding of Miami Beach, attract visitors to stay in Miami Beach and result in significant and positive media visibility.
