Most of the 21 states that provide financial assistance to destination marketing organizations within their borders to help attract events will do so only for what they consider a major event. What qualifies as such an event varies from state to state and sometimes is not spelled out at all. But the Louisiana Legislature's list of "Qualified Major Events" that are eligible for funding provides a strong template:
■ NFL Super Bowl
■ NCAA Final Four Tournament game
■ NCAA Division I Football postseason bowl game
■ College tournament or championship
■ Any NCAA conference, convention or conference media event
■ A football kickoff game between two NCAA teams
■ NBA All-Star Game
■ The Bayou Classic
■ The Essence Festival
■ X Games
■ The World Games
■ An Olympic activity (junior or senior activity), training program or feeder program sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee
■ A mixed martial arts championship
■ Breeder's Cup World Championships
■ Bassmaster's Classic
■ Zurich Classic or other PGA Tour event
■ WWE Wrestlemania
■ A national motorsports race
■ Red Bull Signature Series
■ A national championship or Olympic trials of an amateur or professional sport sanctioned by the national governing body of the sport
■ A national collegiate championship of an amateur sport
■ Must be sanctioned by the national governing body of the sport
■ Governing body must be sanctioned by United States Olympic Committee
■ A national military event
■ A national political convention of the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National Committee
