The Lincoln Theatre received a $5,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Microbusiness Marketing Leverage Program for its The Lincoln Theatre Experience: A Weekend of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment campaign.
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.
The Lincoln Theatre partnered with PBS Appalachia, Smyth County Tourism and WEHC to supply matching funds for the project. These organizations provided marketing support for events and community programs.
Unlike many venues that slow down during the winter months, The Lincoln Theatre thrives from September to May with a jam-packed schedule of events. From captivating live music to thought-provoking film screenings, our mission is to keep Marion and its visitors entertained throughout the year.
While the summer months in Southwest Virginia are known for outdoor activities and farmer’s markets, The Lincoln Theatre’s focus on indoor events during the shoulder season complements these offerings. It provides an attractive alternative for tourists looking to escape the elements while still enjoying cultural and entertainment experiences. This, in turn, benefits businesses in the historic district, as visitors seek indoor options and nearby amenities.
The program’s emphasis on themes and events creates opportunities for collaborative partnerships between local businesses. This shoulder season The Lincoln Theatre is coordinating with Better Coffee Co for coffee tastings with a housemade donut pairing, collaborating with Collins House Bed & Breakfast for themed stays, and working with Ford Studios for hands-on creative workshops.
The Lincoln Theatre’s diverse entertainment offerings, including film screenings, live concerts, and themed events, cater to a wide range of visitor interests. This diversity attracts a more extensive and varied audience, benefiting a broad spectrum of local businesses.
In essence, The Lincoln Theatre Experience: A Weekend of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment is not only about bringing cultural and entertainment experiences to Marion but also about strategically leveraging these offerings to drive economic vitality within the community. By fostering partnerships, extending the tourism season and creating unique thematic experiences, the program plays a crucial role in supporting and sustaining small businesses during the tourism shoulder season.
“Whenever The Lincoln Theatre hosts an event, the influx of diners transforms the Wooden Pickle into a bustling hub of excitement,” states Mike Hall, restaurant owner.
“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.
