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Home My WebLink About02. VLMDAC July Meeting Minutes Public Notice Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council Thursday, July 19, 2018 Grand View Room 8:30 – 10:00 AM Packet: https://bit.ly/2L2yHSb VLMDAC Members Present: Phil Metz (Vail Resorts) Laurie Mullen (West Vail Liquor) Jessie Klehfoth (VRD) Skip Thurnauer (EVMC) Beth Slifer (Slifer Designs) John Dawsey (CME) Jenn Bruno (Town of Vail) Also Present: Mia Vlaar (Town of Vail) Laura Waniuk (Town of Vail) Carlie Smith (Town of Vail) Jessica Sweetin (Vail Resorts) Hannah Eflin (Vail Resorts) David Neff (Vail Resorts) Kristin Yantis (MYPR) Marrit Zoll (VVP) Hannah Green (Cactus) Yann Bernamin (Vail Mtn) Meggan Kirkham (SITE) SEE AGENDA • Approval of June 21, 2018 Minutes (5 minutes), Board Motion/Second/Pass (Slifer/Thurnauer/Unanimous) • June 2018 Monthly Financial Report (5 minutes), Carlie Smith See Reserve Summary Handout. Over the past 5 years, up until 2016, VLMD had built up reserves, and in 2017 and 2018, the decision was made to dip into those reserves. As lodging tax revenues flatten, this practice will not be sustainable. As a result, the 2019 budget will be $3.3 million, as compared to $3.6 million in 2018. This 2019 expense budget will bring the fund balance to 26% of revenues, slightly above the 25% that is required. Discussion re: 2018 vs. 2019 recommendations. Sales tax information received through May; additional revenue/tax info from summer available at the beginning of Sept. needed for additional recommendations. Discussion re: planned events that may impact fund balance and spending recommendations. Discussion of the 25% figure as expected by the council. • Digital & Creative Update (20 minutes), Cactus - Hannah Green See slides for specific and statistics/data measuring current advertising efforts. Discussion re: Facebook and other social media have employed algorithm changes which have impacted ads. Digital video impressions are up year over year. Discussion of tactics being used to reach target audience. Question raised about the aggregate exposure Vail has received: are these efforts reaching more people who are more engaged, or are fewer people reached who are more engaged? Media team will continue to look at this information and follow up on these questions. Influencers: 3 have come to Vail thus far, considered “active professionals.” Next influencer campaign is directed at families. (Totals: 3 of 7 total influencers have been here this summer. The seven influencers are a mix of active professionals and families with teens.) Influencers have been highly motivated to have full schedules with lots of activities per day, resulting in good amount of content. See slides for photos and videos, Instagram examples. See slides for retail plan/digital media summary. CTR and Canvas content reviewed - results. It is difficult to compare results to last year, due to different targets in different campaigns. Buy 3 get 4 campaign was very successful. Question regarding number of hotels participating in retail promotion: 15 properties in final count. Detailed report on that available for follow up. Fall videos: Super Boomers and Oktoberfest, changes to culinary events video. See slides for video examples; these will be updated with flight info. Discussion about: start date for airing videos in early August to impact Fall travel, slightly later in the Front Range. Oktoberfest - ads - see slides. Additional social carousel videos coming in July and August. Update on photo shoot: Shift in approach has presented challenges with short time frame. Late last week, approach was changed to spread photo shoot out over 1 week. Cactus participated in a technical scout to prepare; photo shoot begins next week with daily reporting. Discussion re: challenges to this project and how new approach working with Cactus’ creative direction addresses these challenges (weather, etc.) Cactus reports confidence in the success of this project with the new approach. Additional discussion re: pictures, content, sunny vs. cloudy skies. • PR Update (15 minutes), MYPR, Kristin Yantis See slides: Q2 Comp set coverage - important to look at quality, not just number. Recap of comp sets: fire danger stories only in Aspen, Breck- big push for art programming, Park City - uptick of coverage, Steamboat - most coverage due to US News and World Report. See slides for percentages of key messages distributed. Discussion re: need to clarify “Events” vs.” Performing Arts/Music/Festivals.” Question re: where is Hot Summer Nights included? (Events vs. Music) Discussion re: Article appearing in Shape Magazine. Showcasing Vail: yoga/goat yoga, hotels that cater to runners, Vail as a culinary destination. Items donated from partners - SWAG given to influencers. Additional info re: influencers visiting in June - partners are going “above and beyond” for these visitors, i.e., behind the scenes tours, etc. Recap of Teen Ambassador program. Discussion re: good turnout, great conversations, burned out at end. Follow up survey will dive deeper into teen feedback with questions regarding family vacations, how they live, travel, etc. Additional discussion re: teen response to this initiative and the fact this is a great partner activity; ideas for next year for this program and funding it/costs. What’s next: 21 more influencers and additional media plans. Discussion re: how to use feedback and plan this most effectively, including teens from target cities vs. the local “outdoor set” and various cost comparisons to do this. A mommy blogger group was considered. This year, decision made that housing/hosting costs were too high. Additional discussion re: concern regarding biases of groups who are brought here, and balancing how to run these focus groups effectively without high costs; possible ideas, solutions, other cities. Additional discussion re: the strategic approach of these focus groups, how to expand/add value while controlling costs, additional ways to recruit. Vendors will continue to discuss for 2019. Kristin introduced her new Acct. Director (Amanda McNally), and described her experience. She has been working since May, will be here in the Valley in August, comes on full time in September. • Email Update (15 minutes), Vail Mountain Marketing, Hannah Eflin See slides: recap of this year’s email marketing strategy, how they have changed and adapted their delivery. Reach has been expanded significantly YOY. Email stats to-date recapped: emails sent, open to click, click volume. Explained how they have pulled together tactics to address concerns re: late Summer and Fall time periods. Team is working on how to leverage remainder of year strategy. See slides: more detailed performance for July. Email content available, plus sets of emails send in JPEG format available for review. See slides: June email recap/results on “families with teens” targets. Difficult to determine benchmark, but slight decline in expected results. However, expressed confidence in strategic objective with focus on target audience. Described “higher level” content for summer ad emails. Clarifying question: Click to Open Rate: compares the number of people who opened the email to the number who actually clicked through to the site, vs. Click through rate: the number of clicks generated by the email See slides: recap of Facebook and Instagram impressions YOY. Again, noted the algorithm changes employed by Facebook, Instagram, etc that are changing posts in feeds; currently watching that performance. Significant numbers for low investment. Wide, sweeping panoramic views are still the stand-out content in terms of performance. Recap of impressions, engagement. Discussion re: marketing of events. Recap of completed and upcoming events with Deadline Motion Works partnership. • 2019 Budget & Strategic Planning Timeline (10 minutes), SITE/Mia Vlaar Budget and Operating Plan to be proposed at August 23 meeting; formal presentation to Town Council on September 18. Budget must be presented by the end of October. Still do not have all results/number in, so there may be some shift in information. See slide: 2019 Budget and Operating Timeline. Discussion re: growth of summer sales tax percentage over 5 years, but challenges with lack of venues for more group business, need for Town to bring in more facilities options. Discussion re: spa space in Talisa, which part of the Aria club is now closed? Point raised that there is a need to include relevant aggregate information detailing summer growth, not just as compared to winter. • Other Business Next meeting date changed due to Colorado Classic • Adjournment Motion/Second/Pass (Beth Slifer/ /Unanimous) Upcoming Meetings: • NOTE: VLMDAC AUGUST MEETING NEW DATE & TIME (DUE TO COLORADO CLASSIC) • THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2 – 4PM, GRAND VIEW ROOM