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Home My WebLink About10. VLMDAC December Meeting Minutes Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council Monthly Meeting Thursday, December 20, 2018, 8:30 am Grand View Room AGENDA Packet Link: In Attendance: Hannah Green (Cactus) Ainslie Fortune (Cactus) Meggen Kirkham (SITE) Matt Miano (TOV) Ernest Saeger (TOV) Yann Benjamin (Vail Mtn) Jenn Bruno (VLMDAC/TOV) Phil Metz (VLMDAC/Vail Resorts) Skip Thurnauer (VLMCAC/at large Beth Slifer (VLMDAC) Laurie Mullen (VLMDAC/WVLM) Jessie Klehfoth (VLMDAC/VRD) Esmarie Faessler (VLMDAC/Sonnenalp) Mia Vlaar (TOV) Kristin Yantis (MYPR) Amy Moser Harrison (VLMDAC/FS Vail) Matt Gennett (TOV) Chris Romer (VVP) Hannah Elfin (Vail Mtn) Marrit Zoll (VVP) Congratulations to Skip and Beth, and welcome to Yann Benjamin and Jana Morgan on recent (re) appointments to the VLMDAC. Swearing in will occur in January. • November 2018 Monthly Financial Report (5 minutes), Carlie Smith Updated revenue and expense reports, PLEASE SEE SLIDES. 4.6% up for the year over prior year, summer up 19%. Please turn in all invoices and help double check all payments, especially as there has been some accounting turnover. Discussion re: clarification of summer stats. Summer numbers spectacular! But, what is realistic to maintain? • Approval of November 2018 Minutes (5 minutes), Board Motion/Second/Pass – approved with correction request: (Phil) Page 3, paragraph 3, second sentence: “Vail mountain needs to show stats of images provided to Board...” is hereby amended. In the November meeting, Phil offered for Vail Mountain to provide some statistics to the Board to regarding imagery and their efforts to achieve a healthy balance of image types and offered to bring this information to the next meeting. Vail Mountain submitted these to the Board and they are slated for discussion. Beth/Phil & Skip/Unanimous • Civic Area Plan (15 minutes) Matt Gennett Matt is the Community Development Director for TOV, and the Project Manager for this plan, kicked off December 11th. Have just launched: ENGAGEVAIL.com. This is the platform to engage with and gather information from the public. They would like feedback on their survey from “anyone who loves Vail.” As of yesterday morning, about 550 visitors thus far, about 90 categorized as “active.” Materials will be constantly updated. Note: request for next month’s preparation by this Board: please complete survey and provide feedback, please take the plan information into account, read, engage, and please be prepared to make recommendations at next meeting. Matt to cover: Project Overview, What Comprises Study Area, Prior Planning Efforts, Current Approach, Considerations for a Successful Civic Area Project Overview: This plan is to guide future development and use of Town owned lands in study area. PLEASE SEE SLIDES AND MAPS OF AREA (Grand View, Dobson, Town Hall, Library, etc…) Overall goals – PLEASE SEE SLIDES Town Council acts as Vail renewal authority; land owner has final decision making. Goals for plan include: developing economically diverse and competitive revenue streams, ideas for Dobson Ice Arena and adjoining land, workforce housing, emerging technologies, environmentally sustainable development, strong public outreach and citizen participation. Tax Increment Financing tool expires June 6, 2030. Expecting to collect $30-$34 million in revenues by that time for this project- can be used to secure bonds to finance improvements and gain more revenue. Have received feedback regarding getting traffic off of West Meadow Drive. Question regarding location of Middle Creek corridor area – please see SLIDES AND MAPS – corridor is north and east of Dobson, between hospital and Evergreen Lodge. (Bridge in that area is the original Highway 6 bridge.) Additional review of previous plan suggestions and current feedback. Team & Approach: Team: Process Committee set up to provide transparency, clear channel, focus on process, engagement. Kim Langmaid and Greg Moffett are town council members on committee. Introductions of other team members on project: consultants, strategists, architects. Approach: engage community, ask questions, listen, study existing opportunities, conditions, constraints, test ideas, program, site design, economics, formulate plan; plan to present three scenarios to Town Council in September – October (rapid process goals, yet transparent and engaged). Schedule and timeline – please SEE SLIDES Please also refer to SLIDES for elements/details they wish to include, and ingredients of successful civic area. ENGAGEVAIL.COM is primary outreach tool - please take the civic area survey, share the link to the survey. Backed and built on “Bang the Table” (software for community engagement), provides robust back end, ability to sort and evaluate data. This online ‘engage’ platform, if successful, can accommodate other plans (West Vail) and communication for community. This civic area plan is a test of the software for future uses. Platform requires registration, collects minimal demographic information. rendering data that provides accountability. Discussion regarding this Board providing collective feedback, i.e., list of priorities. All asked to complete survey individually and research materials in next month to provide feedback later. Questions re: covenants on the properties, i.e. Dobson requires some form of public skating use. Full title search being conducted to better understand and address. Questions re: parking/transportation and # of spaces, the need for more parking, more efficient parking, push for environmentally friendly solutions (push use of bus, shuttles). Requests for additional clarification and more detailed information on parking in order to make meaningful recommendations. Questions re: overall costs and projections; economic consultants will discuss funding strategies, etc. • Vail Mountain Digital Creative Analysis (15 minutes) Hannah/Yann PLEASE SEE: Reference memo: share of ON mountain vs. OFF mountain content social/email imagery Question/discussion re: order and sequence of summer messages and the sharing of this space and including Vail.com in addition to social media channels. Question re: requests for time adjustments, proactive communication, providing more advance notice Questions re: guest access on website during winter to get to summer information; methodology in deciding content. Opportunity for more coordination on timing of summer messaging especially March, April. • Social Videos (5 minutes) Deadline Motion (Henry & Ashley) (Video presentation) Collaborative effort between Deadline Motion, Vail Mountain marketing, TOV, Cactus Questions re: using this on TV 8? Currently using social media and email – TV 8 could be opportunity? Question re: rest and relaxation component of our destination messaging, vs. “sped up”/time lapse village experience portion of video • RRC Research Additional Take-Aways (15 minutes) Cactus (Hannah Green) SEE SLIDES – additional research efforts: evaluation of audience breakdown. Divided categories into three groups: Front Range vs. Destination, Repeat vs. First-Timers, Destination Families with Teens Please SEE SLIDES for specific statistics, net promoter scores, results, booking windows, data Insights noted: Repeat visitor driven by “rest and relaxation” themes, first-timers motivated by “adventure, outdoor pursuits.” Average age of first-time visitor is 40.5 yrs., single, no children Satisfaction ratings – destination families with teens lowest on “social activities;” this is opportunity; teen engagement and activities, ideas, movie nights Question re: data for Snow Days, target (35-55 yrs.), business feedback. Intercept surveys done. Two to three more weeks for hard data from surveys. More robust follow up being prepared; data ready in January. Please see SLIDES for additional “TAKEAWAYS,” discussion re: takeaway details Cross-seasonal messaging – website/mobile/lodging inventory This was the first year for “specific teen” questions. Gives baseline for next year’s comparisons. • 2018 Results & 2019 KPI’s (15 minutes) Cactus • Occupancy/ ADR Leisure vs. Groups (15 minutes) Cactus, Chris Romer Vail compared to industry data (Summary info taken from Destimetrics reports from packet; Cactus has added industry wide info to that page for more insight) Vail outperformed industry by a little bit on occupancy and ADR; industry data also includes other in-state destinations (Aspen, Steamboat, Telluride, Breckenridge) and out-of-state (Tahoe, Jackson Hole) – including those with big summer draws (lakes and parks) PLEASE SEE SLIDES for specific data Decrease in advertising spend includes focus on higher quality, impact placements Noted: for June 2019: Vail’s ADR was under industry average for first time in number of years of data Six-month cycles of data, so June pacing can be looked at with next data report Questions re: percentages and meaning, i.e., bed base numbers, and as compared to other smaller competitor’s locations DATA and TOTALS – SEE SLIDES – 3 years of data provide look at trend evaluations (Spreadsheets available back to 2005) Bed base in Vail is one of largest; discussion re: net visitor numbers and how this translates – how many net visitors is 1% for Vail, vs. 1% in location with smaller bed base? VVP will continue to look at this information and report back. Discussion re: inverse relationships with ADR and occupancy; overall balance of more equal growth is more sustainable for the community Leisure occupancy – SEE SLIDES Considerations re: this year’s smaller, more targeted budget Rates/ADR: looking at three years, there is an apparent market correction from 2 years ago – rates too aggressive – (having these numbers closer together is more sustainable and better for community as a whole) Questions/discussion re: strategy; successful, loyal base vs. first-timers. How to grow loyal, repeat guests compared to attracting first-timers? Overall guest experience: how to improve this holistically, and include ALL components (guest services, events, etc). Lodging tax 19% vs. slightly down and flat occupancy: this was skewed with bed base situation (and more beds back in inventory, plus Airbnb, etc.). Number of NET visitors has increased. Question re: looking at Revenue-per-Available-Room separately, discussion re: looking this more comprehensively in order to explain results. (Will there be a need to educate people how to use this?) RevPar also serves as equalizer among various strategies. Next, group data – PLEASE SEE SLIDES – please remember that this data is a subset of lodging partners that have group meeting space, not reflective of VLMD efforts or those reported through Partnership. (SLIDE CORRECTION: Occupancy - YOY decrease – 2016 – column reflects dollar amount, rather than percentage.) Question re: adding “number of rooms nights” column • KPI’s and Goal Setting for 2019, Cactus SEE SLIDES Noted: Colorado Classic money may be available for another opportunity Discussion re: How to increase overall occupancy? Discussion re: adding room nights column Discussion re: 3% rate increase goal Discussion re: approval of goal setting, what is realistic? Five years, too much? One to three years more realistic. Re-evaluate to advise board in January Discussion re: 3% NET vs 3% GROSS Points vs. Percentage (i.e., 3 POINTS, which is 6 PERCENT) 2019 indicators – SEE SLIDES Question re: Net Promoter Score – declines slightly after “in the moment” responses. 73% web vs. 87% on site • Other Business Mia – updates: vendors asked to please get executed/notarized contracts in Discussion re: date of January meeting? Calendar will go out to review any conflicts Cactus would like to present tactics – can do later in February Colorado Classic is not taking place – discussion re: fund balance, request to hold off on reallocating that money – hold for now and put in reserves Discussion: Summer business growing as a percentage of overall business • Adjournment Motion/Second/Pass – (Beth//Jesse/Jen/Unanimous) HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Thanks to those who have served Upcoming Meetings: VLMDAC Monthly Meeting, Thursday, January 17, 2019, Grand View Room