The Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, based in Augusta, a nonprofit group organized to manage the Maine Tourism Marketing Partnership Program grant issued by the Maine Office of Tourism and the state of Maine in Kennebec and Somerset counties, has awarded sponsorship support funds in the amount of $1,785 to the Madison Anson Days Committee to assist with marketing for the Aug. 22-25 event.

The KVTC seeks to assist the growth of tourism in Maine’s Kennebec Valley and produce a positive economic impact on the region, according to a news release from the tourism council.

The Madison Anson Days Committee was one of eight sponsorship recipients awarded as part of the 2019 KVTC marketing partnership program. In total, the 2019 KVTC sponsorship support application requests reached nearly $20,000. The organization was able to award $15,000 in local regional sponsorships this year with plans to increase funding for sponsorships in 2020 to organizations located within Maine’s Kennebec and Somerset counties that will help KVTC promote the Maine’s Kennebec Valley Region as a destination place within their own marketing initiatives.

“The Madison Anson Days Festival is growing each year,” said Madison Town Manager and committee member Tim Curtis, according to the release. “With carnival rides in both Anson and Madison, along with events like a Dynamite Cook-off, chicken barbecue, and the Saturday parade and fireworks, there is something for everyone.” This year comedian Bob Marley will perform at the Somerset Abbey in Madison during the festival. “These funds from the KVTC help us spread the word so people from all around the area can come celebrate with us,” said Curtis.

“Supporting local organizations and events, particularly new events and destinations that are just getting off the ground, is a major focus of our regional marketing grant program,” said Tanya Griffeth, executive director of the KVTC, according to the release. “These funds are dedicated to support marketing efforts in some of the more rural areas in Maine. While established events can rely on word of mouth and brand awareness to help drive attendance, new events and destinations have quite a bit of ground to cover to pull visitors from neighboring regions.”

These sponsorships will help provide funding for key-marketing elements including advertising, printing, branding and more. This can allow organizers to focus their open limited funding on building the foundations of their programs versus stretching their resources too thin in the early stages of event and destination development.

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