Ridgeland Event Sponsorship Program

The objectives of the sponsorship program are to fund the promotion of special events and festivals primarily to increase overnight stays in hotels and secondarily to:

• Encourage the development of innovative tourism products.
• Elevate Ridgeland’s brand as a premier destination in Mississippi.
• Promote collaboration within and across sectors of the tourism industry.
• Reach important travel segments such as arts & culture and sports & outdoors.

• Applications for FY26 must be submitted no later than July 1, 2025, to be considered within the budget allocations of Ridgeland Tourism’s fiscal year. This ensures a greater opportunity for your application to be approved. Applications submitted after the July 1st deadline will be considered as funds are available.
  Funding will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis with limited available funds for the year. The program is subject to change without notice.
  Funding may be used for advertising, promotion, and production expenses only. The Ridgeland Tourism Commission prohibits the use of our sponsorship funding for facilities and administrative costs.
  Upon approval by RTC Event Partnerships Committee, funding will be distributed at 50% with invoices from event organization with the remaining 50% funding distributed after submission of all event follow up reporting (see Final Report Requirements) to Ridgeland Tourism Commission.
• Final reports must be submitted no later than 30 days after the event.
• Organizations hosting multiple events as part of a series may receive 1 payment in full before for each event, however, funding for subsequent events will be contingent upon the timely submission and review of reports from previous events in the series.
• All events funded must include the Explore Ridgeland logo which can be found on our website at https://www.exploreridgeland.com/media/. Logo should be placed on all promotional materials prior to the event, during event, and post event communication. Any usage of the Explore Ridgeland logo/branding must be proofed and approved by Explore Ridgeland (advertisements, posters, flyers, brochures, event programs, web pages, video, etc.)
• Event website and/or promotional materials should include a link to Explore Ridgeland’s hotels webpage (https://www.exploreridgeland.com/stay/) or link to reservations landing page created by Ridgeland Tourism Commission, if applicable.
  If the event is ticketed, RTC asks if at least four tickets be provided to attend the event.
  In the event of cancellation of event for any reason other than weather-related cancellations, funds will be returned to Ridgeland Tourism Commission within 30 days.
• The Ridgeland Tourism Commission seeks to represent the broadest possible constituency, including people from a range of backgrounds and points of view. RTC does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a veteran. Ridgeland Tourism Commission provides funding to the sovereign participating organization to help accomplish its mission. RTC expects all participating organizations to comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws while upholding an image of hospitality and visitor engagement.