Not selling space yet
Advertise, after the guide is earning its traffic
Placements come after the calendar, town pages, and search listings are doing their job. A thin site with banners does not help a visitor, and it does not help an advertiser.
What has to be true first
Pages that answer a real search — “Middle Tennessee fall festivals,” “family events in Gatlinburg,” “things to do in Franklin TN” — and a calendar people return to. That is the work in front of ads.
What a later placement can be
A labeled sponsor note on a region page, a town page, or the calendar. Not a popup, and not a block that pushes the event title down. Hotels, attractions, and regional brands fit. The listing stays separate from the editorial town book so a paid mention is obvious.