- Jackson County Visitors Bureau is offering micro grants of up to $3000 to owners and managers of event spaces that want to upgrade their audiovisual technology.
- Deadline to apply at experiencejackson.com is October 1.
- Video shows Art 634 — an example of an events space that says it could use some help with technological upgrades; also Experience Jackson Marketing & Development Manager Rachel Buchanan discussing the microgrants.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The Jackson County Visitors Bureau knows the economic potential of the meetings industry — and wants to help Jackson-area event spaces up their game.
Art 634 is an art community and events space in a historic Jackson building.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d8d27e0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2532x1410+0+0/resize/1280x713!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd5%2Fb4%2Fd394cc464ae486a6139d6a2ef696%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-23-at-6-34-51-pm.png)
Owner Andrea Ericksen admits — it's not easy to meet the technological demands of a contemporary business audience: "As an art community, we aren't always able to make those extra costs."
But the interest is definitely there.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4b3f468/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2216x1314+0+0/resize/1280x759!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8d%2Faf%2F94997dda44aaab8610e3f7de3c00%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-23-at-4-24-04-pm.png)
"Businesses do contact us to have different corporate events here, but they're always wanting IT stuff and screens and projectors," says Ericksen.
Experience Jackson Marketing and Development Manager Rachel Buchanan says event spaces like Art 634 can now apply for microgrants of up to $3000 for technology including speakers, microphones, screens, or projectors.
![](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cfa3064/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2526x1404+0+0/resize/1280x711!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2Fcf%2F4e56cae14f8f88bcd7486b3877aa%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-23-at-6-35-08-pm.png)
"We're looking for either that entrepreneur, or that venue that really wants to take things to the next level," says Buchanan.
Buchanan says the aim of the microgrants is to increase the value of a venue and help reduce venue reliance on outside vendors, which can complicate operations.
"It's all about making sure that our venues have the opportunity to not only be beautiful spaces to rent and host meetings and events, but also to have quality audio and images to be able to provide for the people renting those spaces," she says.
The deadline for applications is October 1. More information is available at experiencejackson.com.
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