Event Funding

Investment in human-powered sports, arts, culture and health and wellness-focused events is an important part of the vitality of the North Lake Tahoe community.  Recognizing this, the Business and Chamber Advisory Committee and the NTCA Board of Directors have allocated funds to support local organizations and event producers in bringing such programming to the North Lake Tahoe area. 

Additionally, event investments, part of the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work Program, aim to provide a clear and strategic approach to allocate North Lake Tahoe Tourism Business Improvement District (“NLT-TBID”) assessment funds to promote community vitality, environmental stewardship, and economic health in the North Lake Tahoe region.

Creating the program framework involved close collaboration and feedback from multiple committees, including participation in vetting program criteria, providing insights, and contributing to refining the investment structure.

Since the NTCA promotes and manages visitation and collaborates to achieve economic health, community vitality, and environmental stewardship to benefit our residents, businesses, and visitors, the event investments will be scored on the three pillars of economic health, community vitality, and environmental stewardship.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• The event must take place within the NLT-TBID district boundaries – Eastern Placer County.
• The applicant is a nonprofit, or business registered as an LLC, Corp, or B Corp, sole proprietor.
• TOT-TBID funds will not be the sole/primary revenue source for the event. The event is not contingent upon the receipt of this event investment to occur.
• The applicant’s proposal is consistent with the preferred event investments outlined in the application.
• The event is fundamentally not a conference, meeting, industry trade show, workshop or expo.
• The event producer will promote lodging within the NLT-TBID boundaries.
• The event is open to the general public (spectators), promotes attendance to spectators and/or participants, and does not require the general public (spectators) to purchase a membership, conference registration or annual dues to spectate. Spectator ticket charges are acceptable for gated events.
• The event will follow industry standards for event environmental stewardship practices.
• The event is welcoming to all.

Preferred Event Investments:

• Investment in human-powered sports, arts, culture and health/wellness-focused events
• Events that create community vitality
• Events that utilize the local workforce and resources/vendors
• Events that have a positive economic impact
• Events that support local nonprofits
• Events that increase brand awareness of North Lake Tahoe
• Events that support longer lengths of stay, shoulder season visitation, and that draw people into the mountains in summer and toward the lake in winter

Step 1: Event producers submit an application.

Step 2: NTCA staff reviews the application to ensure events meet the event investment criteria and can demonstrate measurable impact.

Step 3: Event producers who meet the criteria are given the opportunity to answer questions from the Business and Chamber Advisory Committee, while new events may be asked to make a presentation.

Step 4: The Business and Chamber Advisory Committee makes a funding recommendation to the NTCA Board of Directors.

Economic Health – 35 Points
We collaborate with local businesses and community stakeholders to positively impact the region’s economic health, focusing our efforts on fostering a continually thriving community. 

1. Amount spent in the region by event promoter
2. Amount spent in the region by out-of-market attendee spending
3. Supports our off-peak strategy for longer stays, shoulder season visitation, mid-week, and attraction to the mountains in summer and the lake in winter
4. Event monetarily benefits a local organization(s) or non-profit(s)
5. Event provides numerous marketing benefits as a sponsor and checks many boxes as outlined on marketing checklist
6. Event provides marketing power
7. Evaluate the budget: Does revenue, expenses, net-profit align with our values? Also consider the sponsorship budget and media budget

Community Vitality – 35 Points
We center our efforts around the community and the preservation and enhancement of its culture. Being true to our home and its residents is paramount.

1. Staffing Plan: Ratio of paid vs. volunteer staff, ensuring adequate personnel to host the event
2. Collaboration: Engagement with local organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and stakeholders
3. Community Spirit: Positive reviews, testimonials, and high event promoter scores
4. Quality of Life: Enhances the quality of life for residents
5. Accessibility: Welcoming to all, including accommodations for people with disabilities
6. Safety: Considers traffic management, emergency response plan, security, water refill stations, and heat/cold management
7. Attendance for 2024 and Forecasted Attendance for 2025: Also consider the number of in-market attendees vs. of out-of-market attendees

Environmental Stewardship – 35 Points
We provide resources and tools to educate stakeholders on sustainable efforts and help people collaborate to preserve our region for generations to come.   

1. Green Standards: Event meets green event industry standards: ex. sources locally, uses non-toxic products, and collaborates with industry experts
2. Sustainable Practices: Follows sustainable event practices and zero waste guidelines by reducing single-use items, encourages eco-friendly materials and going paperless, and providing refillable bottle stations
3. Transportation: Encourages the use of public transportation, provides specific information on how to use local public transit, provides bike valet and/or incentives for ride-sharing
4. Waste Management: Provides recycling bins, minimizes waste production, and offers composting services
5. Noise Management: Minimizes noise pollution to reduce impacts on local neighborhoods and wildlife
6. Environmental Education: Provides opportunities for environmental education and outreach
7. Tourism Mitigation: Minimizes visitor impact by recycling, organizing clean-up days and restoring trails

Preview the application for the opportunity to see the information required to submit your application.

For information or assistance, please contact Kimberly Brown at [email protected].

The complete list of 2023 local and sponsored events approved by the NTCA board:

• Alpenglow Speaker Series – December 2022-March 2023
• Palisades Tahoe World Cup – February 24-26, 2023
• SnowFest – March 2-12, 2023
• The Great Ski Race – March 5, 2023
• Winter WonderGrass – March 31-April 2, 2023
• Made in Tahoe – May 27-28, 2023; October 7-8, 2023
• Big Blue Adventure – June-October, 2023
• Lake Tahoe Paddle Racing Series – June-August, 2023
• Tahoe City Food & Wine Classic – June 9-10, 2023
• Lake Tahoe Summit Classic – June 17-18, 2023
• Broken Arrow Skyrace – June 16-18, 2023
• Tahoe City 4th of July Celebrations – July 4, 2023
• Tahoe Trail 100 – July 15, 2023
• Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival – July 22 & 23, 2023
• Lake Tahoe Dance Festival – July 26-July 29, 2023
• Skate the Lake – August 5-6, 2023
• Concours d’ Elegance – August 11-12, 2023
• TaHoe Nalu – August 12-13, 2023
• Northstar Enduro – August 19-20, 2023
• Music on the Beach, Lights in the Sky! (Kings Beach Drone Show) – September 1, 2023
• Adventure Van Expo – September 16-17, 2023
• Tahoe City Oktoberfest – September 23, 2023
• Annual Oktoberfest in the Village at Palisades Tahoe – September 30, 2023

The Business & Chamber Advisory Committee proudly sponsored a diverse range of events in 2024 that includes: 

• Alpenglow Speaker Series (Nov. 30, 2023; Jan. 4, Jan. 17, Feb. 15, March 7, 2024)
• Stifel Palisades Tahoe World Cup (Feb. 23-25, 2024)
• Snowfest (Feb. 28-March 10, 2024)
• The Great Ski Race (March 3, 2024)
• Winter WonderGrass Tahoe (April 5-7, 2024)
• Tahoe Music Alive (May-November, 2024)
• Made in Tahoe Spring and Fall Festivals (May 25-26 and October 12-13, 2024)
• Tahoe City Lakeside Movie Series (June-August, 2024)
• Big Blue Adventure (June-September, 2024)
• Tahoe City Food & Wine Classic (June 8, 2024)
• Tahoe Joy Festival (June 9, 2024)
• A Day of Healing Arts (June 15, 2024)
• Lake Tahoe Summit Classic (June 15-16, 2024)
• Tahoe Paddle Racing Series (June-September, 2024)
• Broken Arrow Skyrace (June 21-23, 2024)
• Tahoe City 4th of July Celebration (July 4, 2024)
• Tahoe Trail 100 (July 20, 2024)
• Boarding for Breast Cancer’s Annual Skate-the-Lake (July 20-21, 2024)
• Lake Tahoe Dance Festival (July 23-26, 2024)
• Great Gravel Race (August 3, 2024)
• Lake Tahoe Reggae Fest (August 3-4, 2024)
• Lake Tahoe Concours d’ Elegance (August 9-10, 2024)
• CA Enduro Series (August 17-18, 2024)
• Music on the Beach, Lights in the Sky! (August 30, 2024)
• Tahoe City Oktoberfest (September 21, 2024)
• Oktoberfest – The Village at Palisades Tahoe (September 28, 2024)
• Tahoe Literary Fest (October 11-12, 2024)
• Tahoe Film Fest (December 5-8, 2024)
• Tahoe Nutcracker (December 13-15, 2024)