Partner Zone

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Visit Canton’s Grant Programs provide funding to support events, projects, and initiatives that attract visitors to Stark County. Applications for 2026 projects open September 10th, giving partners the chance to strengthen tourism impact and create memorable experiences. Learn more about eligibility, criteria, and how to apply on the Visit Canton Grant Landing Page.

2026 Cultural Tourism Grants

The ArtsinStark/Visit Canton Cultural Tourism Grant program will invest up to $200,000 in 2026 to support arts and cultural events, programming, and marketing initiatives that drive regional visitation and visitor spending.

Grant Program Highlights:

• Competitive awards of up to $20,000 per project (max $20,000 per organization per cycle).

• Projects must increase attendance from outside Stark County, enhance events with arts & cultural elements, and foster collaboration.

• Applications must be submitted 90 days before project execution; projects must be completed in 2026.

2026 Event Support Grants

Visit Canton’s Event Support Grant program is designed to increase regional visitation and economic impact through visitor spending by supporting sporting events & tournaments, conferences, professional meetings, expos, and complementary experiences tied to qualifying events.

Grant Program Highlights:

• Events must have a minimum commitment of 125 Stark County hotel room nights and/or 400-day visitors from outside of Stark County.

• Competitive awards of up to $10,000 per event, pending available funds.

• Applications must be submitted at least 90 days before the scheduled event.

• Events must be hosted within the 2026 calendar year.

We Want to Hear from You – 2025 Industry Partner Survey

We invite you to take just a few minutes to complete our 2025 Industry Partner Survey.

Whether you have thoughts on the resources we provide, how we communicate, or the opportunities you'd like to see in the future, your feedback will directly shape our efforts going forward. Your insights help us grow, improve, and better support your business and the local tourism community in the most impactful way possible.

As a thank-you for your time, Visit Canton will randomly select one survey participant to receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

If you have additional thoughts to share outside the survey, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Katy Madden, Partner Relations Coordinator, at katym@visitcanton.com

Thank you for your partnership!

📅 Tuesday, September 16th from 8:00AM-12:00PM
📍 Location: Doubletree by Hilton Downtown Canton

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO ATTEND

The Visit Canton Industry Development Day is a half-day tourism conference for our Industry Partners. You're invited to join us for breakfast with the keynote presentation 2026 Visit Canton Grants Preview: Committee Insights & Program Updates. After breakfast, enjoy a full morning of educational breakouts and networking.

We encourage tourism partners to send at least two representatives to the event to ensure you get the most out of the presentations!

Industry Development Day Schedule

• 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM | Registration & Media Expo
• 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM | Breakfast & Keynote Presentation
• 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Educational Breakout Sessions

Plus, join us for FREE site visits at the Canton Classic Car Museum or National First Ladies Library & Museum following the conclusion of the educational breakout sessions.

Visit Canton Industry Development Day is FREE to attend. Please contact us right away if you need to cancel to avoid a cancellation fee. Can't stay for the full day? Registration is available to those only able to attend the breakfast or only able to attend the educational breakout sessions.

Have a question about the day? Reach out to Visit Canton Partner Relations Coordinator, Katy Madden, katym@visitcanton.com.

Reserve your space by September 19th for Early Bird Savings!

Visitor spending has reached $1.37 billion annually in Stark County, with over 1.5 million overnight stays! Visit Canton’s Official Travel Guide is the publication to reach this growing customer base.

2026 Guide Features

• Visit Canton will publish two publications to highlight seasonal attractions, special events, and holiday happenings.
  • Spring/Summer guides will be published in February 2026
  • Fall/Winter guides will be published in September 2026.

• One rate includes advertisements in both guides with the opportunity to update ad creative.

• Special Event Section with the opportunity to feature your event in print + digital issues.

• A total of 75,000 guides will be distributed throughout the year via diverse channels.

The Official Visit Canton Travel Guide is Visit Canton’s #1 print fulfillment piece. It's distributed at hotels and attractions throughout Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and Amish Country. It’s also delivered by request to interested visitors, distributed at special events, and shared with tournament and conference planners.

• Early Bird Bonus - Save 10% | September 19
• Ad Space Reservation Deadline | October 3
• Artwork Due | October 17

Stark County Partners Media Kit

Regional Partners Media Kit

Contact Nichole Cardinale at ncardinale@glstudios.com to reserve your space today!

Business and Event Listings Updates and New Partner Onboarding: Katy Madden, katym@visitcanton.com

Website Updates and Social Content Requests: Willis Brienza, willisb@visitcanton.com

Exploreboard Maintenance and Updates, Welcome Center Brochures, and Travel Guide Requests: Gabe Baker, gabeb@visitcanton.com

Grants, Industry Partner Programs, Marketing and Promotions Opportunities: Allison Gromofsky, allisong@visitcanton.com

The America 250-Ohio Commission website now features a dedicated landing page where you can list your community’s 2025-2026 America 250 events. Submit your events anytime using this calendar submission form to increase visibility and support statewide promotion.

Let's put Stark County on the map - don't miss this FREE opportunity! Submit your America 250 Ohio events here.

Visit Canton Industry Development Day
Tuesday, September 16th from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM | DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown Canton

Visit Canton Merry Mixer
Thursday, November 13th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Social at the Stone House

Click Here for Event Details and Registration

We want to see your best shots! Whether it's a scenic view, a fun event, or your latest photoshoot, upload your photos and videos to help us showcase what makes our area a great destination.

Upload Directly to Visit Canton

Have you been featured in the news? Let us know!

• Partner Benefits & Industry Resources
• Event Planning Resource Guide

Visit Canton uses a technology platform to aggregate event listings from Google-indexed data. If your event is listed on Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, Facebook, or your website, it may already be listed. View the Event Guide for more information on the automation process.

If you prefer to submit your event manually, please submit event details here.