HomeMy WebLinkAboutWaterloo Center for the Arts-Grant Application-12.01.2008 le.eA (44e, 41%
Grant Application
1. GENERAL INFORMATION (use a separate sheet ofpaper, if necessary):
Name of organization Waterloo Center for the Arts
Check payable to: (If different from above)
Name of project/event Reaching a CAPTIVE audience
Date of project/event July 2008—May 2009
Contact person Shannon Farlow
Address of organization or person completing application(include address for check if different):
Street 225 Commercial Street
City Waterloo State IA Zip 50701
Phone: 319-291-4490 Fax: 319-291-4270
2. What is the mission of your organization?
The Waterloo Center for the Arts' mission is to initiate and further awareness, appreciation and support of the
arts by a diverse audience through collection, preservation, exhibition, education, support of area artists and
outreach programming. The Center's newest addition,the Phelps Youth Pavilion, launches a world of
interactive wonder, discovery and learning for children and their families. The Waterloo Center for the Arts
offers a full range of programs including exhibits, educational/interpretive programs for all ages, care and
display of a significant permanent art collection, special events, room rentals, Gift Store, ArtHouse Cafe', and an
active volunteer program. The Waterloo Center for the Arts strives to support local, state and Midwest artists,
and to partner with area schools and cultural and community organizations make a more inclusive Cedar Valley
community.
3.How does your organization benefit the community?
The Waterloo Center for the Arts strives to serve the community by providing quality cultural and educational
opportunities for all citizens, so it offers a full range of programs that include exhibits, educational/interpretive
programs in the Center and out in the community, display of a significant permanent art collection, special
events, group and school tours, and classes/workshops; all of which attract not only local visitors but people
from outside the Cedar Valley area. The Center also boasts the new Phelps Youth Pavilion, an interactive
children's museum where over 40 hands-on exhibits have children playing to learn and adults learning to play.
The Waterloo Center for the Arts also has a strong Friends of the Arts Center membership, which provides
financial and volunteer resources for the Center including the planning and sponsorship of annual events such as
Rooftop Jazz in July, ArtiGras and CultureFest in March, and the Holiday Arts Festival in November. In
addition to offering a variety of events and programs for preschool through seniors, the Center is home to the
Waterloo Community Playhouse, Black Hawk Children's Theatre, Metropolitan Chorale, Municipal Band,
NAMI Club, Senior Citizens Club, Senior Singers, and several additional community organizations and hobby
groups that meet there on a regular basis. The Center also hosts hundreds of one-time events such as wedding
receptions, meetings, reunions, dances, parties, craft expositions, political gatherings and workshops each year.
During the Waterloo Center for the Arts' 2007-2008 fiscal year, it served over 100,000 visitors from across the
nation.The Center not only serves as a performance venue, but as a community convention, conference,and
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meeting place with more than 1,000 programs, classes,events, and meetings attracting visitors from outside the
Cedar Valley area. The Center provides opportunities for the Cedar Valley community that makes it possible
for people to get high-quality, cultural and entertainment options without having to travel to another community.
4.How long has the organization been in existence?
Since 1947 the Waterloo Center for the Arts has provided cultural arts programming and exhibitions to the
Cedar Valley community.
5. How many staff members and/or volunteers are involved in this organization?
There are 23 full and part time staff members(plus an additional 20-30 instructors)who carry out the mission of
the Waterloo Center for the Arts. The Center also could not exist without its 200 dedicated and passionate
volunteers who believe and support its purpose, programs, and events.
6. Is a member of the Waterloo City Council on your Board of Directors? If so, please list them.
We do not have any members of the Waterloo City Council on our Board of Directors.
7. If hotel/motel tax funds were awarded in previous years,describe how monies were used(attach any
appropriate materials).
The Center has used Hotel-Motel funding in a variety of marketing and advertising avenues, such as billboards,
promotional brochures and mailers, and print ads in publications such as The Iowan, the Dubuque Telegraph-
Herald,ArtScene and The Courier. Hotel/Motel funds have also been used towards fixtures in the Center's new
Gift Store. With funding from the 2008-2009 grant cycle, the Center is currently developing a new
comprehensive promotional piece that will highlight everything that the Center has to offer.
8.If hotel/motel tax funds were awarded in previous years for this project,please list any information available
to show the impact of the event(hotels and number of rooms used,information about attendees,etc.)
Hotel/Motel funds were not used for this specific project in previous years.
9. Please describe, in detail,your project. a)Explain the project as though you were telling a complete
stranger. b)Please be sure to specify how the grant monies will be used in the overall project.
Picture this:you plan to see the newest James Bond movie on its opening night, so you get there early to get the
best seat and enjoy the movie theatre's pre-show entertainment on the screen. You'll see different clips from
TV shows, upcoming movies, as well as animation clips, local theater advertising, trivia and more. Because
you're in your seats already, watching the pre-show is a given; it's entertainment before the entertainment. And
wouldn't you rather watch a pre-show than stare at a blank screen?
The captive audience at the movie theatre is the perfect group of consumers to target with on-screen advertising
for the Waterloo Center for the Arts. The Center's newest `product' is the Phelps Youth Pavilion, which has an
enormous amount of visual appeal. The best way to describe the Pavilion is with images and video because
what patrons do at the Pavilion is hands-on, interactive learning and playing. The Center wants to sustain the
excitement of the Pavilion since its opening in April 2008,and this new advertising medium has the power to do
just that, as well as drive top of mind awareness with a receptive audience and minimal competitive clutter.
Movie theatre ads can be noticed by thousands of people who might not otherwise sit and watch the same
commercial on TV.
The Waterloo Center for the Arts would like to do 16 weeks of advertising with Screenvision Direct in the
Cedar Falls' Marcus College Theatres(12 screens), Waterloo's Marcus Theatre(12 screens), and Cedar Rapids'
Wehrenberg Galaxy Theatre(16 screens). The Center will create a 30 second commercial to highlight the
Phelps Youth Pavilion, and it will be shown before every movie playing at all 40 movie screens for 16 weeks.
The 30-second commercial receives premium placement in the theatre's pre-show entertainment line-up, always
being shown within the last 10 minutes before the movie begins. So, for those consumers who get to the movies
right before the show begins, chances are still high that they'll see the Pavilion commercial also.
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For the 16-week advertising plan,the Center will split the campaign schedule into two, 8-week flights. This will
allow the Center to target consumers during times when they have more free time and are looking for
entertainment options. The first 8-week flight would run November 16, 2009 through January 4, 2010, focusing
on consumers' holiday free time. The second 8-week flight would run February 15, 2010 through April 5, 2010,
focusing on the spring break leisure timeframe.
In addition to showcasing what's inside the Phelps Youth Pavilion, the commercial will also reference a
discount opportunity to movie-goers who mention the commercial on their next visit to the Pavilion. By
including this measurable discount offer(i.e. receive$1 off your admission to the Pavilion when you mention
this ad),the Pavilion can more easily track and evaluate the success of this advertising medium.
Advertising at the movies is a great fit for the Waterloo Center for the Arts' new Phelps Youth Pavilion because
it targets an audience that has disposable income, enjoys entertainment and is already out in the community
spending money. Women tend to go to a larger variety of films,and they are also the same demographic that
tends to be the decision-makers when it comes to deciding family entertainment and vacation destinations. With
this advertising strategy, the Pavilion commercial is on all 40 screens, for 16 weeks in three Eastern Iowa
communities, giving greater frequency than many other media choices. And lastly, this new marketing approach
puts the Pavilion message in front of a CAPTIVE audience!
The Hotel-Motel funding will assist in purchasing the on-screen advertising and the 30-second commercial
production.
10. Describe how the proposed project/program will bring visitors to the Waterloo area:
This project will directly target consumers with disposable income in the Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Cedar
Rapids areas. With the current economy,consumers are looking for entertainment options closer to home,
which has a great effect on this project. Going to the movies and to the Phelps Youth Pavilion are both close-to-
home entertainment options for all of the markets this project will be targeting. With Cedar Rapids being a short
50 minute drive from Waterloo,this advertising medium will encourage that market to make an easy trip to the
Waterloo area. The effect of this movie theatre advertising may not give direct, immediate results, but it will
create the long-term and top of mind awareness for visitors as they're looking for close-by entertainment
options. Additionally, the importance of awareness could come into play when travelers are driving through
Waterloo to a different destination, and remember seeing the Pavilion ad. If the Pavilion can give them a reason
to stop in Waterloo during their travels,the entire community will benefit.
Though many people attending the movies from Waterloo and Cedar Falls live in the area, consumers often take
out-of-town visitors to the movies, especially over holidays and school breaks. Running movie theatre
commercials during spring break and during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons will ensure that
the audience the commercials is speaking to is more than just Cedar Valley residents.
11. Give an estimate of a) the number of visitors expected at this event; b)an approximate number of
hotel rooms that will be used in Waterloo for this event:
The Phelps Youth Pavilion commercial will run for 16 weeks in 3 movie theatres(40 screens), so an average of
36,000 people will see the ad every week. This advertising medium has the potential to reach 576,000 Eastern
Iowa consumers during its 16-week span, Although the Center does not except to see an immediate return on its
investment from that many consumers, it does expect that its top of mind awareness and branding will be
significantly enhanced, thus leading to more visitors in the long-term. Repetition builds awareness and this
medium will compliment the other marketing and advertising efforts that the Center does throughout the year.
In general, during the Waterloo Center for the Arts' 2007-2008 fiscal year, it provided cultural opportunities to
over 100,000 visitors from across the nation, including the Phelps Youth Pavilion's 13,000 visitors during its
first 4 '/2 months of operation.
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Despite the difficulty in predicting the number of visitors the Phelps Youth Pavilion could specifically bring into
the community for overnight stays, the year-to-date attendance to the Pavilion speaks volumes to its influence
on attracting thousands of visitors to the downtown Waterloo area. Since opening for school tours in February
2008 and to the public in April, the Pavilion has had over 22,000 visitors from 16 states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas, Colorado, Virginia, Texas,
Minnesota,Nebraska,and Florida)and even Puerto Rico and Russia.
With a growing list of over 4,500 Waterloo Center for the Arts patrons(including representation from more than
30 states and 140 Iowa cities)who receive notification of its events,programs, and exhibits,the Center is
confident that it helps entice local and out-of-town visitors to spend their leisure time and money in the Cedar
Valley area. The Center continually strives to provide high-quality cultural and entertainment opportunities for
residents and visitors, so they can spend a weekend filled with leisure and entertainment fun.
12. Describe specifically how the proposed project will be marketed. Please list, in detail,where
marketing will take place:
The Phelps Youth Pavilion 30-second commercial will be shown on 40 movie screens in Waterloo,Cedar Falls,
and Cedar Rapids for 16 weeks. Each commercial will run 1,100 times weekly with premium placement, for 16
weeks at the Cedar Falls' Marcus College Theatres, Waterloo's Marcus Theatre,and Cedar Rapids' Wehrenberg
Galaxy Theatre. What makes this project unique is that the marketing is ultimately taken care of by the movie
theatres and the new movies themselves. Hollywood wants to make sure their movies are box-office hits, so
they spend thousands of dollars to promote their movies and get people in the seats. Once they've done their
part,our project is automatically placed with the captive audience that they've created for us.
The Waterloo Center for the Arts will also promote this advertising campaign on the Pavilion's website,
encouraging visitors to the site to watch for our commercial the next time they're at the theatre. With the
Hotel/Motel grant funding, the Center can increase the awareness and appeal of the Phelps Youth Pavilion to a
group of consumers with disposable income throughout Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids.
13. Please provide a detailed description of the project budget. Please include information about
additional funding sources, income and how the project cost and hotel/motel tax grant fit into the overall
budget.
Total Project Expense Budget
Project Hotel-Motel Additional
Expenses Request Funding Sources
Onscreen Advertising Placement $8,960 $7,210 $1,750
Includes 16 weeks of on-screen advertising at$560/week
with Screenvision Direct
Development of Commercial $800 $500 $300
Includes the production of 30 commercial
Handling Fees $450 $0 $450
Screenvision Direct's handling fee for the commercial
Total Project Budget: $10,210 $7,710 $2,500
The Hotel-Motel funding will assist in purchasing the on-screen advertising and the 30-second commercial
production. As a collaborative partner,the Waterloo Center for the Arts will also provide funding for the project
from the Phelps Youth Pavilion's advertising budget. The cost of running a 30-second commercial with
Screenvision Direct for 16-weeks in the Waterloo, Cedar Falls,and Cedar Rapids markets is $8,960
($560/week). Screenvision Direct also charges a$450 handling fee for the commercial. The Center would also
need to create a 30-second commercial to be utilized in this advertising campaign, which would cost$800. The
added benefit of having this commercial created is that it could also be utilized in additional ways after the on-
screen advertising campaign ends.
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14.Additional information:
As a non-profit organization, the Waterloo Center for the Arts relies on funding from granting agencies, private
corporations, and public contributions. Together with the City of Waterloo's municipal backing, these
supporters are the lifeblood of the Center, and contribute to the success of each event, program, and exhibit.
The Center is extremely fiscally responsible with each investment it receives, and strives to achieve the largest
return on each donor's investment. Marketing, advertising, programs, exhibitions, collections, acquisitions,
conservation, professional training, printing, and distribution costs are all funded in part by non-municipal
dollars each year. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
15. Please attach the following to the application:
I Proof of liability insurance
I List of current board of directors and officers
I Documentation of IRS 501 c determination
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BUDGET SUMMARY:
Total Project Cost $ 10,210
Additional Funding Sources $ 2,500
(HIM Tax Grant cannot be sole source).
In-Kind Services $ 0
Hotel/Motel Tax Grant Request $ $7,710
Please note: Additional Funding Sources,In-Kind Services and Hotel/Motel Tax Grant Request must equal Total
Project Cost.
I have reviewed this Application for Grant Funds from the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau. To the
best of my knowledge, the information contained in this application and its attachments is accurate and
complete.
The Hotel/Motel Tax Grant funds are to be used for the express purpose as stated in the Grant Application. I,the
undersigned, know full and well that if this program/project does not transpire,recommendation by the
Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors for funding will be withdrawn. My organization
wi„p responsible for
orr re ndin portion of funds already received.
AlArei4ef 211
ature of Applies Date
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