Scottsdale launches matching marketing program for Old Town businesses

Scottsdale is offering dollar-for-dollar tourism marketing support to Old Town businesses as it tries to boost visitation and help local operators promote the district more aggressively. The city says eligible businesses can apply alone or together, with larger awards available for collaborative campaigns.

Scottsdale's Tourism & Events Department has introduced a Matching Marketing Program aimed specifically at businesses in Old Town Scottsdale. The city says the program will provide dollar-for-dollar support for tourism-focused promotion, giving local operators another tool to attract leisure visitors and maintain momentum in one of the state's best-known shopping and entertainment districts.

Under the plan, approved applicants can receive as much as $5,000 per business for qualified marketing activity. The city also allows businesses to join forces on shared campaigns, and those joint applications can qualify for awards of up to $20,000. That structure gives small independent operators a chance to market on their own while also encouraging district-wide promotions that could draw more coordinated foot traffic.

Scottsdale says the money can be used across multiple channels, including traditional advertising, social media campaigns, digital marketing, outdoor advertising, and printed promotional materials. In other words, the city is not limiting the funds to one style of outreach; it is trying to give businesses flexibility to reach likely visitors where they already spend time and attention.

Eligibility is limited to businesses located in Old Town Scottsdale and associations of businesses based there. The program is part of a wider city effort to increase visitation and support local commerce through targeted Old Town marketing work, rather than relying only on broad destination branding that may not directly help individual storefronts.

For Arizona business owners, the move is worth watching because it shows how local governments are starting to use smaller, practical grant-style tools to support district-level commerce. For residents and movers, it is another sign that Scottsdale is still investing in Old Town's draw as a retail, dining, and tourism hub rather than treating that area as a mature district that can coast on its own reputation.