Within three weeks during November and December, the Council Bluffs Convention & Visitors Bureau received approval for not one but two grant applications totaling $60,000 in support of its local tourism efforts.
On November 19, the Iowa West Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to fund the Council Bluffs Sporting Event Attraction & Retention Project. These dollars are paired with the $70,000 State of Iowa Regional Sports Authority District grant approved in August 2024. Both grants assist the Council Bluffs CVB in bidding for and securing 11 tournaments to be held in the city between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Four of the events are national championships appealing to fans and athletes from across the country and around the world.
Word followed on December 9 that the Iowa Tourism Office approved a $10,000 grant application to support a year-long advertising campaign to attract business travelers to CB. The Council Bluffs CVB secured the participation of two hotels, Country Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites @ Ameristar, to back the $20,000 marketing initiative that will start in January and conclude in early December 2025. Other Council Bluffs hoteliers can join the effort if so inclined.
The Iowa Tourism Office received 109 eligible tourism grant applications seeking $971,509 in funding from the pool of $300,000 available. The Council Bluffs CVB was one of the 35 recipients. Applicants were required to submit a request between $2,500 and $10,000 and provide a 20 percent cash match.
“Sporting events and digital marketing serve as two of the most effective ways to draw visitors to the city and county,” said Ashley Kruse, president of the CBCVB Board of Directors and communications & events manager for the City of Council Bluffs. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of the financial support both the Iowa West Foundation and Iowa Tourism Office are providing for our work,” she said.
Thus far in fiscal year 2025, the Council Bluffs CVB has been the recipient of $155,000 in grants to promote local attractions, events, venues, and sports facilities. In addition to the aforementioned, Union Pacific Railroad provided $25,000 to advertise Railroad Days held in Council Bluffs on September 21, 2024.
The Council Bluffs CVB serves as a catalyst to grow Pottawattamie County’s visitor economy through collaborative sales and marketing, destination advocacy, and sustainable placemaking activities in order to enhance the region’s quality of life. During 2023, Pottawattamie County benefited from $336.24 million in direct spending from visitors coming from 50 miles or farther, according to Tourism Economics. The state of Iowa realized $7.3 billion in direct spending in 2023. For more information about the Council Bluffs CVB, visit UNleashCB.com.
