The Vail Commission on Special Events is accepting funding requests from special event producers for 2021 events. The application, guidelines and accompanying information are available for submission online.
The Commission on Special Events is seeking innovative and exciting proposals for events throughout 2021 and beyond that support the collective vision of Vail as the world’s “Premier International Mountain Resort Community.”
The commission used the town council mission and vision and research results provided by the Vail Local Marketing District and RRC Associates to develop special event rating criteria. This criteria will be used to evaluate all proposals on how they align with a strategic approach to providing a diverse calendar of events which are well matched to the Vail brand and that exceed the expectations of a sophisticated, international clientele and the local community. Additional criteria are being evaluated for 2021 events relative to the adaptability and flexibility of the event proposal based on the COVID-19 pandemic.
An online request for proposals submission process is being used. Prospective event producers are directed to http://www.vailgov.com/cserfp to create an account and complete an application.
Producers will self-select one of two categories when submitting a proposal. While all submittals are reviewed with a strong eye as to how well they support the Vail brand, the Community, Recreational and Cultural events are measured primarily with respect to how well they will drive overnight destination visitation. Educational and Enrichment events are evaluated by how they contribute to life-long learning, a sense of well-being and enhanced quality of life. These categories have different criteria and score cards tailored to the type of event or program.
In 2020, the Commission on Special Events provided nearly $700,000 to events, after the cancelation of some previously funded events due to the pandemic. Examples of funded events include the Vail Farmers Market and Farm to Table Dinner Series, Vail Craft Beer Festival, Vail Free Family Fun Fest and 10th Mountain Legacy Parades. The funds are allocated to the commission by the Vail Town Council and come from the general fund and revenue generated annually by the Vail Business License fees.
Also in 2020, the commission allocated funds from the event budget to independently survey selected events to have consistent measurement of the economic return on the town’s investment.
Event funding submissions are due no later than 11 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28. Qualifying applications will be reviewed by the commission at a special meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Final funding allocations will be determined at a special meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Questions about the funding process can be directed to Special Event Coordinator Jeremy Gross, [email protected].
