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Published:
17/11/2009
Estonia to reimburse event costs for large conferences
Under a new government-backed scheme Enterprise Estonia can reimburse organisers of large, international conferences in Estonia between 300,000 and 1 million EEK (€19,000 to €64,000) of their event costs provided they meet certain criteria. Managers of the scheme, that can cover up to 70 per cent of conference costs, will begin accepting funding applications on December 21.
The criteria for the funding are as follow: the events have to be of an international nature, help raise Estonia's profile as a travel destination, be at least three days in length, include a minimum of 300 overnight stays and involve a local or regional sightseeing element. Only not-for-profit events are eligible for the scheme.
The aim of the programme is to promote Estonia as a conference destination and increase the number of overnight stays. According to Tarmo Mutso, director of the Estonian Tourist Board, the more professionally organised events and conventions are, the more attractive they are, which should encourage increased attendance, higher occupancy in hotels and an overall positive influence on the local economies.
Funds from the programme can be used to cover a full spectrum of conference-related expenses from organisation and marketing costs to printed materials.
The deadline for this round of applications is 4 January 2010. More rounds will follow next year.
The programme is financed by the European Regional Development Fund. It will last through 2011 and carries a total budget of 23 million EEK (€1.47m), 10 million of which will be distributed in this first application round.
For more information on how to apply, contact Riine Tiigi at the Estonian Convention Bureau.
http://www.ecb.ee