August 20, 2007 MSA Update

August 20-24

Monday - Greg - Rogers
Tuesday -
Wednesday - Susan, Mark – Batesville
Thursday - Susan & Nancy – Searcy
Friday – Orientation – Anita, Blytheville; Summer, Heber Springs, MSA Library

IN THIS ISSUE:

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PRESS
BRAIN DRAIN ARTICLE
ARKANSAS BUSINESS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR BUSINESS & NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR
CROWN COMMUNITIES AWARDS
TOURISM CARES GRANT
IT’S AN EXERIENCE DRIVE WORLD PRIZE
NTHP ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2008 DISTINCTIVE DOZEN AWARDS

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More Good Press for Main Street Rogers:

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/198133

State’s Work to Plug Brain Drain:

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=226909

Arkansas Business Publishing Group will recognize outstanding Arkansas companies, executives and nonprofit organizations with the 20th Anniversary Arkansas Business of the Year Awards. You may nominate by visiting www.arkansasbusiness.com/bizofyear or complete the nomination form in this week’s Arkansas Business by Friday, September 28

American City & County Municipal Leader of the Year and Crown Communities Awards

American City & County has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the Municipal Leader of the Year and the Crown Communities – Cities awards until Aug. 24.

Municipal Leader of the Year nominees can be any city employee or elected official who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the last year. The winner is profiled in the November issue of the magazine and recognized at the National League of Cities’ Annual Conference.

Crown Communities – Cities nominations can include any project completed by a city government between November 2006 and August 2007. The winners are featured in the December issue and recognized at the National League of Cities’ Annual Conference. Projects can encompass virtually any aspect of city government.

There are no restrictions on who can submit nominations. Download entry forms for all of the awards at www.americancityandcounty.com. Call Bill Wolpin at 770-618-0112 or e-mail bill.wolpin@penton.com for additional information.

Worldwide Grant Program

Tourism Cares’ Worldwide Grant Program distributes charitable grants to worthy tourism-related non-profit organizations worldwide for capital improvements or programs as outlined below. The 2007 Worldwide Grant Program goals for grantmaking call for a balanced distribution to U.S. and non-U.S. recipients. Typical grants are $10,000; However, based on availability of funds, grants up to $100,000 will be considered. The steps to the grant funding process can be found below. Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Worldwide Grant Program attempt to address other questions that are not explained elsewhere.

2007 Deadlines for Grant Letters of Inquiry Packets:
Thursday, February 1st, Friday, June 1st, and Monday, October 1st
Grant Letters of Inquiry Packets must ARRIVE AT Tourism Cares’ OFFICE NO LATER THAN 5 PM on these deadline dates.

Tourism Cares’ Grant Funding Goals and Preferences

Primary consideration is to fund projects and programs, whose goal is:

• capital improvements that serve to protect, restore, or conserve sites of exceptional cultural, historic, or natural significance, or
• the education of local host communities and the traveling public about conservation and preservation of sites of exceptional cultural, historical, or natural significance.

Preference is given to organizations with projects or programs that

• allow our grant funding to be leveraged to provide increased philanthropic support, through vehicles such as matching grants or challenge grants that have already been secured from an external source.
• are endorsed by the local, regional, or national tourism office.
• demonstrate strong support from and involvement of the local community.

http://www.tourismcares.org/Worldwide_Grant_Program.aspx

It’s An Experience-Driven World

California-based consultant Stephanie Weaver wrote an article, "It's an Experience-driven World," in the latest issue of Main Street News. It’s about creating a great customer experience within your Main Street district.

As a bonus for this article, she will give away a copy of her new book "Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries," to a reader who submits a brief story (250 words) with 3 photos for her blog, describing how you are creating a better experience for visitors to your Main Street. E-mail entries to sweaver@experienceology.com

Stephanie will choose the winner from all entries received by August 31, 2007.

NTHP accepting nominations for 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations

Nomination forms for the 2008 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations are now available online. To be considered as one of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations, a place must provide an authentic and dynamic visitor experience; have a heritage tourism infrastructure, such as unique shopping, dining or lodging (e.g. historic hotels); have interesting and attractive historic architecture and/or cultural landscapes; and organizations actively working to promote and protect the community's historic assets. The deadline for the nomination is September 28 and can be found at http://www.nationaltrust.org/dozen_distinctive_destinations/2008_form.html. For more information about the program or the nomination process, please visit www.nationaltrust.org/ddd or contact Carrie Johnson at 202-588-6141 or e-mail Carrie_Johnson@nthp.org.