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DRAFT 2013-07-03 CSE Minutes TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 1 of 7 MINUTES: Town of Vail: Commission on Special Events Meeting Town Council Chambers __________________Wednesday, July 3, 2013 @ 8:30 a.m.______________ CSE Members Present: Jenn Bruno* (left at 10:55 a.m.) Bobby Bank Amy Cassidy Dave Chapin Sonny Kerstiens Rayla Kundolf CSE Member Absent: Barry Davis TOV Staff Present: Sybill Navas, CSE Coordinator Kelli McDonald, Economic Development Manager Others Present: Adam Sutner, MKT Vail/Strategic Consultant to the CSE Clare Hefferren, Callosum /CSE Event Liaison Consultant Margaret Rogers, Vail Town Council Brian Hall, Blue Creek Productions Brian Nolan, Group 97 Duncan Horner, Vail Valley Foundation Leon Fell, King of the Mountain Volleyball Kit Williams, Lionshead Merchant, Lazier Lionshead LLC Brooke Macke, Vail Resorts Michael Staughton, Vail Chamber and Business Association Ric Almas, Haagen-Dazs Meeting Materials may be viewed at: http://www.vailgov.com/WebLink8/Browse.aspx?startid=48965&row=1&dbid=0 CSE Chair, Jenn Bruno, called the meeting to order at 8:34 a.m. 1. Administrative Items • Approval of the Minutes of the CSE Meeting of May 1, 2013  Motion to approve the Minutes of the meeting of June 5, 2013, as presented. M/S/P: Kundolf/Cassidy/Unanimous TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 2 of 7 • Review Financial Status and: 1. Vail Family Fun Challenge Funding Agreement: $4,800 additional request for support items for the Survivor Casting Call: Following a presentation from Brian Hall of Blue Creek Productions, who presented an estimate of unanticipated expenses for the management of the Survivor Casting Call component of the event, the CSE voted to approve an additional $6500 for the event, and directed that the additional $1,700 above the requested amount be directed towards local marketing efforts, per the Marketing Checklist requirements.  Motion to approve additional funding of $6500 to provide logistical support and local marketing initiatives for the Survivor Vail Casting Call. M/S/P: Kundolf/Kerstiens/Unanimous 2. MKT Vail Consulting Contract Balance: McDonald reported that the scope of work described in the original contract with MKT Vail for strategic planning services had been substantially completed, and that the contract shall be considered complete with services rendered through June 30, 2013. Total payment of $24,950 for services rendered was agreed upon by consensus of all parties. The unspent balance of the total original allocation of $49,900, or $24,950, will not be earmarked for further consulting services • Roles and Responsibilities: A description of the roles and responsibilities of Staff and Consultants was provided by Kelli McDonald in the packets. There was no discussion. • Navas explained that the Town Council has requested that the CSE present an explanation at their next meeting on July 16 regarding the changes that were made to the Farmers’ Market, particularly with respect to the decision to “downsize.” Navas stated that the memo that had been provided to the Council for their July 2nd meeting, including information provided by Angela Mueller supporting the decisions, are included in the packet. Rogers requested that a new memo be prepared for the July 16 discussion, stressing that it should include any new information about upcoming summer events that the Council might not expect. McDonald stated that the staff will prepare a memo covering any unexpected events/activities for the balance of the season, including the loss of Adam Sutner as the CSE’s Strategic Consultant • Brian Nolan, representing Vail – Beaver Creek Restaurant Week, requested a few minutes to bring the CSE up to date on the most recent community meetings regarding this event. He stated that they had met with the restaurant group on July 2nd, and that there are now 31 Vail restaurants and 8 Beaver Creek restaurants signed up, adding that they expect to have the majority signed up by next week. He noted creative input had been given and more is welcome, and that “taglines with ‘sex appeal’ are in the works.” Bruno asked whether the lodging community has been involved and Nolan replied that the VVP was represented and that they expect to have lodging packages lined up by the end of July. Kerstiens asked when the marketing pieces would be ready? Nolan replied that it is currently in concept form, with a delivery deadline of July 15. There were questions and suggestions regarding a proposed logo, with McDonald explaining that was part of yesterday’s discussion, that the logo is “50% there” and will TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 3 of 7 use fall-like colors that will compliment those of Vail’s other culinary events. Navas questioned, and Nolan confirmed, that the name of the event will remain “Vail-Beaver Creek Restaurant Week.” • Nolan then requested a few more minutes to update the CSE on recent discussions with the Lionshead Merchants Group. He encouraged the CSE to rally-round proposing Lionshead as a key location to be developed as an event venue, in a similar fashion to the way that the Memorial Day event was developed. He noted that the Vail Valley Foundation had seriously considered moving the Climbing Wall for the Go-Pro Games to Lionshead, but it was not possible to accommodate the physical dimensions there. They acknowledged that EPIC Summer will make an impact on Lionshead, that the summer weddings at Arrabelle create challenges, and that they should focus on developing new events and/or working to enhance/expand existing events (i.e. Vail Jazz, Colorado Grand) that work well within the Lionshead venues. Chapin remarked that the CSE recommends consideration of Lionshead venues with nearly every proposal. 2. Event Liaison Update to the CSE. This presentation, which was included in the packets, was limited to Q&A, based on limited time. Hefferren noted that she has spoken with the July/August events (mostly athletic ones) that were significantly behind in meeting their Marketing Checklist directives, and conveyed the importance of staying up to date and using professional services. She added that she continues to emphasize the educational component of the marketing checklist and that all event producers are now caught up. 3. Event Recap: King of the Mountain Volleyball Leon Fell began his remarks on the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Special Event by stating, “OK, you guys were right,” and thanked the staff, sponsors and CSE for their support in making this a very successful addition to the overall event. He added that he is already working on next year, with a working title, but no guarantees of “1st there was Kerri, now there is Misty…” AVP is very interested in Vail for a 2014 event, requiring Solaris as a venue for one or two temporary sand courts- which may or may not occur at the same time as the King of the Mountain. Fell also noted that he is now in a position to secure more sponsorship dollars, by wrapping several “Fell” events, including the King of the Mountain into one package, and that he is committed to continuing “at least” what was done this year. Highlights of the 2013 King of the Mountain Volleyball Tournament include: • 615 teams participating, 60 more than last year • Juniors clinic- over 300 participants from as far away as Salt Lake City Albuquerque and the Front Range- AVP event was an important attraction • Steady continued growth for over 13 years with approximately 90% of participants returning competitors. Fell closed his remarks with, “I don’t do it for the money, I do it because I love the sport. *Note: The CSE voted unanimously by email following the meeting to release the final installment of the funding allocation to King of the Mountain Volleyball. 4. Strategic Plan: 1 Year/3 Year/5 Year. Sutner provided a PowerPoint presentation and prefaced his introduction of the new plan by describing his “single insight” on the CSE effort of the last year as “one of the best marketing enterprises I’ve seen in 25 years.” His advice, “Stay the course, you have a great roadmap, make the hard decisions.” TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 4 of 7 Citing the new mission statement, “ The Vail Commission on Special Events is accountable to deliver an annual Special Events Plan which ensures world class events that are fully aligned with Vail’s brand. The CSE should effectively and efficiently allocate available budget behind this objective. The Events Plan will deliver measureable results in terms of specific goals: economic impact,optimization of the seasonal calendar, positive community experience and integration, as well as positive guest-centric results that lead to future loyalty.” Sutner noted that the acid test of alignment with the VLMDAC objectives is the “effusive praise” from that organization, which isn’t often given out. • Report page review o Bank: Can Survivor model be applied to other casting calls? Sutner: This is a 5-year plan question, which focuses on media prospects. Sutner suggests forming a committee to go after television coverage. Ex. “Estillo DF” (the Mexican version of “People” magazine, in Vail for GoPro Mountain Games) Suggests going to long term producers and offer long- term opportunities such as the Red Bull TV event o Cassidy: Natalie Moralis, Today Show Host, coming in for Living Well o McDonald: Utilize VLMD journalist contacts • Additional Highlights: o AVP considering invite only Pro event after Labor Day. Discussion of trucking and sand partners to create temporary sand courts in Solaris. May be a Council contribution item, but it’s too early to tell. McDonald will discuss costs with AVP. o Vail America Days: New 3 day festival model • Calendar: Decisions will need to be made as some events may not return • Key Developments to strategically manage: o Discussion: Can CSE assist driving sponsorship. Ex. Umbrella Culinary Brand, collective spirits sponsor  Chapin: Is it ‘legal’ for CSE to allocate multiple year allocations? Rogers: Legally only 1 year at a time; however agreements for multiple year allocations are sometimes made with the stipulation that each year’s renewal is subject to the annual budget approval . Navas: Example: Historical precedent of a three year agreement with the Lacrosse tournament, subject annually to the approval of the new budget allocation from the Town Council. A financial commitment into the future carries far more weight, as it indicates a more secure financial base, and alleviates the impression of a ‘sense of desperation.’  James Deighan: How can the CSE assist event producers? Examples: Feast, as a new event vs. Gourmet on Gore. History speaks for long-standing events – timing, budget constraints, measures of success. Toyota signed 1 year because they don’t know if it will be of value to them, but respect the success of the event. Deighan’s opinion is CSE allocations work similarly – easier for repeat events, harder for new. There are differences in funding philosophy: Highline can’t carry the brunt of financial risk any longer.The producer taking the risk, even losing money, is not a viable partnership. Sponsorship needs to be adequate to produce the event.  McDonald: example GoPro (Teva) Mtn. Games year 1 was funded at 100%; as the event has grown, the CSE’s support has remained numerically the same, but has become a much lower % of the total event cost. The event producer can go into the future using the CSE’s funding to leverage additional sponsorships. Sponsorships purely allow for enhancements to the event. We should not set up a system that penalizes success. TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 5 of 7  Navas points out the Bravo! receives consistent funding each year from the Town Council – but Rogers states it is a fight every year.  Bruno: This is an educational process for council. The town is the greatest beneficiary of the success of the events.  Kundolf: When council turns over, there is not a consistent understanding of the CSE’ history.  Sutner: CSE has $1M to leverage, when broken into $40K parcels, it in effect diminishes the leverage. Do we undermine ourselves? Is there another way to look at it? Ex. 1) Give 1 Event producer block of funds for year and let them manage P/L.2) Let sponsor talk directly to Town and then leverage over events. Deigan: Some sponsors don’t want to be a municipal partner. May also have conflict with other partners; i.e. Vail Resorts-Auto category. Consider: bike and apparel partners  RRC Attendance Survey: Manage the recalibration of the baseline. Creates many more benefits than the questions that may be raised.  International footprint: Look for event opportunities. Ex. Brazilian volleyball at the Kick-it soccer tournament. Get international media to track this. • Expansion Scenarios:  Activation models: Piggyback 2014 World Cup soccer. Ex. Youth World Cup opportunity?  Vail Rocks: Bigger pop rock name, hike date or location change? • Key Insights to think about:  Reminder that hiking is the #1 driver of summer visitation. Chapin: VailResorts has taken hiking to the next level. TOV & VR seeking to “claim the high ground” of hiking parallel to Europe. Who’s the most advanced name in hiking? McDonald: Long term project for US Forestry is signage and access based on European model. Ex. Ellen Miller  EPIC Discovery: 3 million west-bound drivers on I-70 each summer – capture the market  Dedicated family adventure area within the villages? Bungee jump like Beaver Creek? Slackline? • Bruno: Thanks Adam for his 9 months time. (Bruno leaves at 10:55 a.m.) • Sutner: Another brainstorm – execute 1 ideal well, and move the strategic model. Keep the commitment and level of effectiveness. Corporate trend is to stop to parceling the $. • McDonald: Continual struggle quality versus quantity. • Next steps: o McDonald: Review plan, prioritize – rally around this year’s successes for 2014 funding decisions. Revisit, update plan in 2nd year, and continue looking out for partnership ideas o Kundolf: Sponsorship stands out for me. How do we make CSE $ work for Town of Vail and event producers? Key to success for coming years. o Kerstiens: Lodging occupancy is hugely affected by events. The one weekend in June where there was no event was very visible – lodging was 30% down. Added that Health and Wellness is a growing interest in the travel industry: Lots of discussions, the competition is growing. Marriott has new program called “Travel Brilliantly.” It’s time to get into action. Many thanks Adam. TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 6 of 7 o Rogers: VVMC is getting time from Council to play a role as a part of their master plan development. o McDonald: James Chung, who identified the importance of the Health and Wellness tier for the VLMDAC, has been hired by VVMC for strategic plan. 5. RFP for 2014: Confirm criteria, and performance conditions for funding- review of this year’s conditions and criteria for funding.Given the time constraints for a meaningful discussion of the strategic guidance and criteria included in the new Strategic Plan that Sutner just presented, Navas requested that the CSE members review the draft and send in comments by email. Key pages for review include page 1, the introductory information, which describes specific time frames, types of events and venues that the CSE will give priority. Additional input is requested on two attachments: Guidelines for Post Event Recaps and the Vail Brand explanation attachment. The review of a final draft, based on comments received, will be scheduled for the August 7th CSE meeting. Comments are requested by July 19. 6. New Business and Community Input • Bank: How are we measuring what is a successful event? Compared to Tough Mudder and the Blues & BBQ in Beaver Creek, Vail events don’t seem to have nearly the same level of attendance. • Chapin: Given the proposed reconstruction plan, can we schedule a presentation at the August or September CSE meeting regarding the status of the Ford Park Fields for the summer of 2014? • Kundolf: What are the ERC’s criteria for approving/not approving Special Events in Vail that have not been funded by the CSE? Please schedule in update for an upcoming meeting. • Kit Williams: Thanked the CSE for their hard work. Speaking on behalf the Lionshead Merchants Group, stated that he “wants to be part of the solution for Lionshead, not just sit on the sidelines.” Adjournment:  Motion to adjourn @ 11:20 a.m. M/S/P: Bank/Chapin/Unanimous Next CSE Meeting: Wednesday, August 7 @ 8:30 a.m. Vail Town Council Chambers TOV/CSE Minutes: July 3, 2013 Page 7 of 7