The Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors Bureau plans to reinvest expanded funding from Cookeville into increased tourism efforts.
Executive Director Shan Stout said the Bureau will receive $40,000 this year, up from $25,000 in years past. Stout said it will be used to help schedule events for the Expo Center, being constructed on Tennessee Avenue.
“The processes that we need for that, and to be able to do everything from bidding for these events to come, or providing infrastructure for these events to come, all of that is part of that $40,000 for our growth plan to be able to recruit and entice,” Stout said. “And we also have some sports tournaments coming to the expo center as well
Stout said there will also be some sporting tournaments held at the Expo Center when it opens in 2027. The center will be 65,000 square feet, and eight major expo events have already been booked there.
Stout said the Visitors Bureau is funded completely by visitor spending. Stout said the ability to bring more events to Cookeville has led to the increase in funding for this year.
“All of the tourism dollars are reinvested back into Putnam County, and that actually helps the quality of life for Putnam County Residents as well,” Stout said. “But the best part is that that visitor impact reduces Putnam County property taxes.”
Stout said the reinvestment of funding into tourism is meant to help people from elsewhere have a positive enough experience that they return to spend more money, in turn boosting the Putnam County economy. In fact, Stout said tourism was Putnam County’s biggest economic driver.
Stout said the $40,000 may not seem impactful to a government entity on paper, but it is enough to fund three major events. Stout said each event can attract an additional 15,000 visitors.
“If you have 15,000 visitors, and say they’re travelling in twos, you’re talking about 7,500 potential hotel stays,” Stout said. “And they may stay multiple days. So if you’re doing the math that way, that $40,000 can impact into several hundred thousand dollars when you’re reinvesting it.”
Stout said the convention center has also been a busy venue, as 67 events have already been scheduled there, including home shows. She said she expects those events to get bigger when the Expo Center opens. The large parking lot at the fairground have attracted large car shows.
Stout said tractor shows, trade shows, and unique events like a beekeepers association event have are among several planned for the future. Stout said national shows are on their way too, but those details have not yet been released. Stout said the common denominator between bringing these events in is Cookeville’s location.
“The magic I guess sauce of what we are over on Tennessee Avenue is we’re 20 seconds off the interstate,” Stout said. “So we’re right off I-40, and we’re directly between Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. So we’re kind of that trifecta, the sweet spot where we don’t have the congestion of massive city traffic, and we also have plenty of growth space over here.”
Stout said the location benefits visitors since there are cheaper hotels and food options than major cities. Stout said currently, the Visitors Bureau is giving around 12 facility tours a week.
