For the second time ever, the U.S. is hosting the Cyclo-cross World Championships and it has a new sponsoring partner. 

• Making history: The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism will assist in the event contributing to the “substantial economic impact” to NWA. With a 72 year history, the Cyclo-cross World Championships will take place in Fayetteville Jan. 28-30 adding to the region’s reputation as a place unparalleled for cultural experiences and cycling.
• Big and bigger: In the championship, approximately 300 male and female cyclists will participate representing 25 countries. For the first time ever there will be relay events held at the championship.

You can find the full announcement HERE. 

Fayetteville start up AMBOTS, Autonomous Mobile roBOTS and Advanced Manufacturing roBOTS, recently won a $1m award in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, bringing more innovation and opportunity to the region.

• Momentum: The SBIR awards businesses with relevant potential and incentivizes them to succeed in profitability. Birthed out of the U of A, AMBOT is a manufacturing company that utilizes a “swarm” of autonomous robots to create potentially anything with digital design.
• Bringing liberation: AMBOTS has a mission to break down complex manufacturing tasks and automate them with robots working together with energy invented to liberate from physical labor. The demand for autonomous manufacturing exists, and AMBOT is excited to deliver.

Read more about the award and AMBOT HERE. 

Northwest Arkansas is growing as a tourist destination and we have the numbers to prove it. 

• Breaking records: The hospitality tax collected from NWA and Arkansas as a whole show a rebound from 2020 and numbers beyond 2019 data. However, the number of jobs have not rebounded from records set in 2019 anywhere in Arkansas except in the NWA region. 
• The numbers: Northwest Arkansas saw an average of 25,800 travel and tourism jobs from Jan-Aug this year. This is 100 more than the 2019 numbers, and up 7% compared to 2020. From last year, the tourism tax collections grew 39.7% in Benton County and 66.75% in Washington County. 

Find the full Tourism Ticker report by Talk Business & Politics HERE. 

Are you looking for a more diverse menu this holiday season or a new restaurant to try with the family?

• Stop on by: Diversity NWA has compiled a list of a few of their favorite diverse eateries for you to explore and enjoy while supporting locally owned restaurants. From Indian food at Punjabi Kitchen to Cajun at Cafe Rue Orleans, you’re bound to be in for an experience. 
• At home: You could even take a it a step further and try a new recipe at home for a fun activity and pick-up your ingredients at a local, authentic market. NWA has authentic Hispanic, Asian, and Indian markets where you can find everything you'd need for a home cooked meal.

Check out Diversity NWA’s eatery list HERE. 

The organizers recently announced the iconic Bikes, Blues, & BBQ motorcycle rally is scheduled to return to Fayetteville after 2 years of cancellations. 

• Get ready: Bikes, Blues, & BBQ announced last week the annual rally would take place October 5-8, 2022. The dates were chosen to be later in the year so as to offset the LGPA’s Championship in Northwest Arkansas. The specific event locations, usually concentrated in Fayetteville, will be announced in the coming weeks.
• The road: Bikes, Blues, & BBQ, a loud time with live music and tasty food, is the largest charitable motorcycle rally in the US. Running for almost 22 years, the nonprofit has donated over $3m to local charities and pumped millions of dollars back into the NWA economy.

Learn more about Bikes, Blues, & BBQ HERE.