Shop Botetourt gets Tourism Grant

Shop Botetourt Receives Virginia Tourism Corporation Grant for Tourism Marketing
Shop Botetourt received a $1600 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC)’s
Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program (MMLP) for its Experience Botetourt marketing
campaign.
Shop Botetourt partnered with other local businesses to supply matching funds for the
Experience Botetourt project. It is a unique marketing program that invites visitors to
immerse themselves in the charm of Botetourt County during holiday and shoulder seasons.
Virginia Tourism Corporation awarded more than $757,000 to 131 marketing programs,
ultimately impacting 655 combined partners, and supporting more than 1,300 jobs across the
state to help increase off-season visitation to tourism businesses and destinations.
“We are so grateful to have Shop Botetourt here in the County working to help promote small
businesses! Their work goes above and beyond.” said Candace Monaghan, owner of Gracely Hill
and founder of the Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival. “Brandy with Shop Botetourt, helps
spread the word about upcoming events, new business openings, business specials, and more.
Shop Botetourt is truly a blessing and so helpful in making small businesses in Botetourt a
success!”
“Right here in Botetourt County, we value our small businesses, and we see this grant program as
a means to boost tourism while supporting our local retailers,” says Tiffany Bradbury, Director of
Communications for Botetourt County. “Shop Botetourt is a gem in our community, and we are
very proud of them for all that they do to highlight and promote our small businesses.”
“The Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is part of VTC’s strategy to grow year-round
visitation in Virginia and is designed to support small tourism businesses with marketing dollars
to drive out-of-state visitation during off-peak travel seasons. We are excited about this program
because we see it as a gateway for small businesses to engage with VTC’s marketing and
development ecosystem to grow their business and build on the Virginia is for Lovers branding,”
said Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The VTC Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program is designed to increase visitor spending in
the off-season by leveraging limited marketing dollars, stimulating new tourism marketing
through partnerships, and extending the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand. This is a program
focused on supporting tourism businesses with less than 20 full-time employees through
marketing partnerships. A minimum of five Virginia entities must partner to apply for the
microbusiness marketing grant. Partners may consist of Virginia cities, towns, counties,
convention and visitors’ bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination
marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other
tourism-related businesses.
Shop Botetourt is committed to empowering and advancing small businesses in Botetourt County
through targeted marketing initiatives and strategic promotions. Our mission is to foster and
cultivate a vibrant community where small businesses not only survive but thrive in today’s
dynamic market landscape.
As part of our ongoing initiative, we partner with local businesses to host signature events such
as Vendors at the Vineyard and Botetourt Restaurant Week. This VTC grant award will allow us
to broaden our marketing reach into metro areas and entice a larger audience to “Experience
Botetourt” and all the charm that small businesses bring to our county.

Brandy Underwood, Shop Botetourt
shopbotetourt@gmail.com
540-354-1368

Congratulations! All your hardwork is paying off