Colorado’s Meeting and Events Incentive Program Launches July 1, 2021

DENVER, Colo. – The Meetings and Events Incentive Program bill, sponsored by Colorado Reps. Roberts and Soper and Sens. Rodriguez and Hisey, will take effect July 1, 2021, and run until December 31, 2022. The bill was signed by Governor Polis on June 6th and allocates $10 million in rebates and incentives for individuals hosting events in Colorado. The bill, which is part of the Colorado Comeback Stimulus, will aid the state’s meeting and events industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"Downtowns, destinations, local governments, and small businesses across Colorado have been hit hard by the loss of business meetings and special events. This program incentivizes meeting and event planners to book in Colorado, thereby bolstering the tourism economy and industry and supporting thousands of small businesses in every corner of the State,” said Colorado Tourism Office Interim Director Jill Corbin.

The Meeting and Events Incentive Program provides pre-approved applicants with a 10 percent rebate between $3,500 and $100,000 against the eligible hard costs of hosting meetings and events. The program supports the retention and attraction of events like business meetings, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, trade shows, consumer shows, festivals, and weddings.

The Colorado Tourism Office is partnering with Metropolitan State University of Denver to administer the program. Interested applicants should go to the State website for program information and instructions on how to apply.

About Destination Colorado: Destination Colorado is Colorado’s one-stop resource for educating and assisting meeting planners and incentive buyers with meeting facility site selection and group travel services throughout the state. Meetings and events are initiated, researched and finalized through Destination Colorado and our 120+ members statewide.

About the Colorado Tourism Office: The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) is a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The CTO’s mission is to generate traveler spending through the promotion of Colorado as a four-season, four-corner, world-class travel destination and the development of compelling, sustainable travel experiences. In 2019, Colorado travelers directly spent $24.2 billion, generating $1.49 billion in local and state revenues. Replacing those revenues would have cost each Colorado household $707 in additional taxes last year. Tourism is the state’s second-largest employer, directly supporting 181,200 jobs in 2019. For more information, please visit https://industry.colorado.com/research.

Source: Colorado.gov