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About the Griffin+Spalding Business and Tourism Association
The GSBTA Mission and Activities
As a 501(c)(6) nonprofit tax-exempt entity, The Griffin+Spalding Business and Tourism Association (GSBTA) serves its mission through funds derived from the local hotel/motel sales tax.
The GSBTA holds its regular monthly meeting on the fourth Thursdays of every month at 3:30 p.m. at the Griffin Regional Welcome Center. https://ingriffin.com/welcome-center/
A combined November/December meeting is scheduled the week after the Thanksgiving break each year.
Current 2023 GSBTA Board
BONNIE PFROGNER, CHAIRPERSON
GWEN FLOWERS-TAYLOR, VICE-CHAIRPERSON
BRUCE BALLARD, SECRETARY & TEMP. TREASURER
CYNTHIA REID WARD
T.J. IMBERGER
ROBERT WORLEY
VERA McINTOSH
ROSS DEBONO
YASMEEN HOWARD
Mission
To promote business, tourism, trade, and conventions for the City of Griffin and Spalding County, Georgia. To study, investigate, and develop plans for improving business and tourism in the City and County and to implement such plans in order to attract businesses, visitors, and conventions to the City and County.
Primary Activities
GSBTA conducts two primary functions:
- Solicitation, vetting and awarding of Grants to promote local Tourism
- Creating and implementing an ongoing Local Tourism Campaign
Grant Process
The GSBTA Grant Committee meets in between advance application deadlines and Board Meetings (fourth Thursdays) to review Pre-Proposals, Grant Applications & Recurring Grants as they progress. These discussions cover project viability, likelihood of approval, recommended proposal clarifications/changes, etc. The Grant Committee then formulates their recommendation to the Board for agreement to proceed to Grant Application Status, and continues working until the Grant is right to present to the Board at the proper time for a formal approve/not approve/table vote.
Initially, new applicants (who have not previously been awarded a GSBTA Grant) should focus on the Three Pre-Proposal forms that can be downloaded here:
The Pre-Proposal forms are not a complicated to complete. Often it is likely edit, cut & paste from a business plan or marketing plan.
Timeline-wise, Pre-Proposal applications should be sent 60-days in advance of formal grant deadlines. Please review the 2023 chart to understand the flow of things.
Based on Pre-proposal accept/revise/reject status, applicants can then proceed/not proceed to their formal grant request which is due at least 30-days in advance of the formal grant submission deadline date.
The Three Grant Proposal forms that can be downloaded here:
Applicants who have already received a GSBTA grant in the past generally do not have to go through the “Pre” set of forms.
The Recurring Grant Proposal form that can be downloaded here:
Tourism Campaign
Another critical role beyond the vetting and awarding of Tourism Grants is the creation and management formal plan to keep and encourage tourism in the area. Griffin+Spalding has a surprising amount of destination tourism impact driven by spinoff from Atlanta Motor Speedway, UGA Griffin Campus, Pickleball Tournaments, Cherokee Rose Clay Shooting tournaments, Youth Sports League Tournaments, and Major Industry Visitors & Consultants. Plus, there is interest in Downtown events, restaurants, shopping, local history, concerts, architecture, arts and all things Doc Holliday (the number 1 Internet search phase associated with Griffin).
After a formal branding effort to define the look and feel of the coming campaign, the Tourism Campaign launched in 2021. Led by input from the Griffin+Spalding Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee, GSBTA administers annual, budgeted plans and manages seven companies that provide:
- Copywriting
- Graphic Design & Videography
- Original Photography
- Web Design, Maintenance & Hosting
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media
- Public Relations
Website
The campaign website www.ingriffin.com stands as the best repository of things to do and see while in the area. Residents and visitors are encouraged to:
- familiarize themselves with it,
- find things of interest on it,
- share links with family and friends.
The website is ordered around the “five buckets” which represent the main attributes (or tourism products) of the area:
Social Media
There are also two robust social media channels. Please follow them, subscribe and tag their messages, and share video links to them:
The YouTube account has some fantastic views into what goes on downtown and around the county, and really capturers what it like to be at our events!
Nightlife in Griffin + Spalding | inGriffin.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSsWLeFjASM
June Jam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2O-2C-7qTA
Doc Holliday Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w26dD-MlLTE
September In Griffin + Spalding | inGriffin.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrF0BqWzBmY
Christmas in Griffin + Spalding |inGriffin.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt-pU-RAhrk
Travel Media Press Room
You can keep up with our latest press releases right here:
https://www.travelmediapressroom.com/georgia/griffin-spalding-county-georgia/
Get involved with our Mission
Local residents are welcome to attend a meeting and find out ways to volunteer! The Griffin+Spalding Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee meets quarterly at The Griffin Regional Welcome Center. https://ingriffin.com/welcome-center/. You can find the next scheduled meeting by clicking this link https://www.griffinchamber.com/events/ and entering “tourism” in the search bar.