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VLMD January Meeting Minutes 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com VLMDAC Meeting January 17, 2019 Packet link: https://vailgovrecords.com/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=523561&dbid=0&repo=Tow nofVailLaserfiche Attendees: VLMDAC members: Amy Moser Harrison (Four Seasons) Yann Benjamin (Vail Mtn) Laurie Mullen (WVLM) Beth Slifer (VLMDAC) Skip Thurnauer (VLMDAC) Jessie Klehfoth (VRD) Esmarie Faessler (Sonnenalp) Jenn Bruno (TOV) Hannah Elfin (Vail Mtn) Hannah Green (Cactus) Ainslie Fortune (Cactus) Chris Romer (VVP) Kim Brussow (VVP) Sandra Perrig-Holst (VVP) Susan Proffitt (VVP) Carlie Smith(TOV) Matt Miano (TOV) Ernest Saeger (TOV) Chris Cremer, Maggie Meek (SITE), Meggen Kirkham (SITE) Marrit Zoll (VVP) Swearing in of new members: Stephanie Bivins, Town of Vail Swear in new and reappointed VLMDAC members for terms ending December 31, 2020 Beth Slifer, Skip Thurnauer, Esmarie Faessler, Yann Benjamin, Jana Morgan (not in attendance) November Monthly Financial Report: Carlie Smith, Town of Vail YTD lodging taxes through November are 2.9m; revenues are tracking ahead 2.9%. Expenses are 3.3m, with some final bills still coming in. Final 2018 numbers expected by end of month. Hoping for savings of $50-100k from 2018 budget; this savings goes into fund balance. 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com Approval of December 20, 2018 minutes: Motion: Skip / Second: Esmarie / Approval: Unanimous Group Sales Quarterly Report: Kim Brussow, Vail Valley Partnership Brussow introduced sales team (Susan Proffitt & Sandra Perrig-Holst) and reviewed group sales process by providing a high-level overview of the group sales efforts including prospecting, travel/tradeshows, and building relationships with the meeting planning industry. See slides for details. The sales team works closely with the lodging property sales managers to promote the destination and help close group and meeting business. Brussow covered and reviewed measurement criteria and metrics as well as overview of resources and tools to promote Vail to meeting groups (see slides for details), and process on how VVP sales team works with and communicates with lodging partners. Hosting FAM tour in 2019 along with numerous site tours and a front range trade show. All proposals are customized for specific groups. On-site marketing materials and presentations are also created/provided for groups in customized fashion. Co-op opportunities also offered to showcase Vail. Question re: Are there any particular trends or questions that the team hears regarding Vail that can assist with spending decisions? What feedback is coming from customers that can help direct dollars spent? Brussow explained that hurdles/questions are: 1) access to air - arriving in Eagle vs. Denver, and transportation up from Denver; and 2) larger group requests received all during the year for assistance such as rebates, transportation help, welcome receptions, etc., and similar requests that are difficult to accommodate after budgeting decisions have been made - yet these requests are ongoing throughout the year. Discussion re: additional barriers are: the seasonality/shoulder seasons, especially in May and October with the lack of businesses open, and how to address this and “sell Vail” during these times. Discussion re: not having a conference center, and this as a barrier to larger groups. Question re: what are the current limits, and what is the threshold that is desirable to offer? Ideal conference center capacity = 3,000 people. Vail has hotels with conference space, but the need is for larger contiguous space to hold exhibitors and larger groups with break out sessions. Discussion re: how current organization and management of groups falls to individual lodging partners. With one large conference space, this could instead be a centrally directed management system (one direct sales entity) that would coordinate with lodging partners for space. Brussow provided recap of trade shows, site tours, FAM tours for lodging partners throughout the year, and discussed plans to host their own FAM tour this year (July/August time frame) to showcase Vail. See slides for details and trends, conversion rates. 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com Brussow provided explanation of CVENT (software used by meeting planners) – see slides for details. Question re: request to please present this information annually. Question re: the groups booked/conversion rates and why numbers are down from 2017? Answer: attributed to rates as compared to 2016, and the fact that rates are higher, and continuing to rise, yet fewer concessions are offered by hotel partners. Question re: sales tool kit/marketing piece: VVP is funding this (not VLMD). 2018 Results and KPI’s, 2019 Goals: Ainslie Fortune, Cactus See slides for details. Team met and finalized recommendations for goals, KPI’s. Goals: 4% increase in sales tax, 5% increase in lodging tax. Summer occupancy (questions/discussion arose regarding best way to measure) - increase to 50%. Groups, increase 5%. Indicators: goal is to hold the balance of overnight state, international, and in-state overnights consistent. 3% increase over these will come from other categories of local tourism and in-state daily (day visitors). Will start tracking “consideration”. Shifting methodology to track how aware individuals are of Vail’s summer product. Net promoter score recap provided, from RRC intercept surveys and follow up web surveys. Assessment is that the more accurate representation of net promoter score is the web study report (58-60 score), after visitor stay, rather than the intercept (80 score). Recap provided of highest net promoter scores in other categories for comparison, i.e., Air = Jet Blue (74), Hotel = Ritz Carlton (75), Other = Airbnb (43). Vail’s net promoter score from web study is 58-60, well within range of other top performers in their category. Question re: methodology of this reporting, and whether these other categories have web surveys, or just intercepts? Discussion re: occupancy from Destimetrics information, and review of last month’s discussion re: what does 1% mean for Vail? Answer = for every 1% occupancy, Vail fills more rooms than aggregate of competitors. 1% occupancy for Vail = 38 rooms 1% for competitive set = 22 rooms (Also provided for comparison: national averages for vacation rental occupancy vs. hotel: Airbnb = 45.8, vs hotel = 77.8.) Discussion re: metrics provided, and two potential options are 1) average room consumption per month, or 2) room consumption based on total bed base. Request for feedback/discussion on how VVP can best communicate lodging occupancy and what this means relative to industry, given Vail’s larger bed base. Feedback: suggestion to go ahead and add a slide with info that explains Vail’s larger bed base, as compared to other competitors, and what relative occupancy percentages mean. 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com Recap provided of previously discussed tactics, approach, results, insights. (In February, Cactus will present more detailed media and creative plans.) Recap of audience categories (Destination Dynamic Families with Teens, Boomers, Front Range/Events), with insights, results, and strategic approaches for each. Key Insights for 2019 planning – see slides for details. Guests typically booking four months ahead. Detailed recaps provided by Cactus partners for: Paid Media Ecosystem, Traditional/Digital, Digital Video, Mobile AI, Paid Social, and TV categories. For each category, Cactus partners provided detailed explanations of: “what is working,” and “what is new,” as well as upcoming planned strategies, i.e., “why now?” messaging, timing of ads, target audiences, and various platforms (TuneIn, ROKU, etc.) with opportunity for expansion. (See slides for details.) Discussion re: TV ad placement, targets for 2019, and proposals to expand future messaging during live sports/events. New opportunity in front range through Denver Interconnect Network: for the cost of one spot, we can place five different messages simultaneously, for more efficiency with dollars and the ability to target specific audiences. Question re: opportunity for cross marketing with TV 8? Discussion re: new proposals can be considered, but past years’ evaluations of TV 8 have concluded that money is better spent elsewhere, with more specific audience targeting. Information presented regarding air/flight messaging – the only direct flights will be from Dallas. Discussion re: ad placement, and opportunities for connecting flight messaging with brand spots from specific destinations, such as Chicago. Recap (Hannah E) of Owned Media channels (includes Vail.com, Facebook and Instagram pages, and email blasts), and upcoming plans for content and improving partnerships – see slide. Discussion re: new VailSummer.com option from Vail marketing team, to click right into summer content. Questions and discussion re: how easy is it to navigate on Vail.com to summer content? Can there be a more prominent summer link on the navigation? (Answer: working on this navigation - hoping to include this improvement for March 1st launch. Will continue to look at year-round messaging availability as well.) Suggestion to add Visitvailvalley.com link to Vail.com site. Recap of paid email blasts insights, audience engagement results, timing of winter/summer messaging, 2019 planned strategies. Recap of Organic Social channels (Hannah E) and upcoming plans, i.e., continuing 2018 “why now?” messaging push, additional tracking. 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com Next, (Meggen) the team is working on compiling a comprehensive summer media tool kit. Team is encouraging lodging partners, event producers, and community stakeholders, etc. to use this kit in their own marketing efforts – see slide for details. Discussion re: photo transition successful, but video and ads are so large, this will need to be distributed via a Dropbox link or similar. Questions and discussion re: the protections and regulation of this material? And, how much of a concern, as the purpose of these assets is for wide promotion of Vail? Recap of Earned Media Ecosystem (Hannah E)– see slide for details. Groups (Kim Brussow) – see slide for details. Recap of group business successes. New for 2019: Susan will host a Vail-only lodging partner trade show. Planning a Denver location to host lodging partners, activity providers, etc. and focus only on Vail, in one location. GMITE: more intimate tradeshow with qualified event planners CONNECT Mountain – more targeted event; hosts planners interested in only mountain event bookings (not cities) Presentation of additional suggestions/opportunities - for the funds ($200,000) previously budgeted for the Colorado Classic event. (Ainslie) See slide for details. Additional discussion about and suggestions for the best strategic use of these funds, such as bringing back previous expenditures that have been removed from the budget over the last two years. Suggestion to create assets with these funds that can be reused; i.e. Virtual Reality experience, and also to consider a possible longer term (i.e. two year) proposal. Introduction: Maggie Meek from SITE marketing to assist Meggen. New Business Reminder to complete ENGAGEVAIL.com civic plan survey, and spread the word. Please emphasize that one does not need to live in Vail to complete the survey. Survey is for anyone who loves Vail and is willing to provide feedback about how they use Vail. Encouragement for plugging message that there is a need for facilities, ideally a large, 25,000 square foot space to accommodate 1,500 + person groups. Please consider your VLMD priorities for the survey i.e., use of space, and what does Vail need for teens? Survey phase 1 closes January 25th. All partners – please submit contracts to the Town ASAP (to Mia). Jana will be sworn in at the next meeting. 97 Main Street, Suite E-201, Edwards, CO 81632 VailValleyPartnership.com Thank you to everyone for their hard work, especially over the holidays! Adjournment: Motion: Esmarie/ Second: Jesse/ Approval: Unanimous