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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVLMDAC June Minutes DRAFT FinalMinutes Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council Thursday, June 18, 2014 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM The Antlers – Caribou/Pronghorn Room VLMDAC Members Present: Mia Vlaar, Vice Chair (East West Resorts) Skip Thurnauer Michael Holton (VVMC) John Dawsey, Treasurer (CME) Jenn Bruno (Vail Town Council) Jamie Gunion (Vail Recreation District) Davy Ratchford (Vail Resorts) Laurie Mullen (West Vail Liquor Mart) VLMDAC Members Absent Beth Slifer, Chair (Slifer Designs) Also Present: Kelli McDonald (Town of Vail) Sybill Navas (Town of Vail) Meggen Kirkham (SITE Marketing) Chris Romer (Vail Valley Partnership) Haley McNeill (Vail Valley Partnership) Laura Waniuk (Event Marketing Liaison) Jonathan Smith (Vail Resorts) Kari Mohr (Vail Resorts) Satchel Burns Kristin Yantis (MYPR) Taylor Cook (MYPR) Benjamin Solomon Barry Davis (Yellowbelly) Crystal Stewart (Booyah) Jen Hardwick (Booyah) Katie Johnson (Cascade) Jack Affleck Bobby Bank (Vail Information Center) Clare Hefferen (Callosum) Andrew (Vail Mountain video) Kendyl Severino (Vail Mountain digital) Kim Langmaid (Walking Mountains) Kristen Bergtulia (Walking Mountains) Kristyn Dunlap (by phone, goodness) Tom Adams (by phone, goodness) I. May 2014 Monthly Financial Report – Kelli McDonald Vail had a record sales tax year, over last year. Projections for lodging tax collections will go up but no adjustments have been made yet. Same budget remains. Overages will be applied to fund balance. II. Approval of May 15, 2014 Meeting Minutes  Motion to accept minutes as presented/Dawsey. Seconded/ Thurnauer. Passed unanimously III. Walking Mountains Vail Initiatives – Kim Langmaid & Kristen Bertuglia – see slides for details Langmaid gave personal background and Walking Mountains (WM) objectives in hopes of finding a way to collaborate. Explained all the programs that happen at the newly built campus in Avon. WM is taking over Nature Center operation. Langmaid shared passion for nature center and is looking for feedback to bring new life to it. They are looking to build on the visitor hiking trend momentum. It was asked how the Nature Center will be blended and Gunion explained that the first year is in a transition and all the programs will remain the same. Capital is needed to spruce up the center. Community program brochure was passed out. WM is required to operate with a permit through the US Forest Service and is capped out on number of days they can use trails and Forest Service land. In November, Eagle Valley Alliance for Sustainability and WM combined and are working together. Vail programming was introduced. 2015 Actively Green initiative to make Vail a globally recognized green community, collaboration with Sustainable International. The Antlers is the first lodging property to be certified. A list of certified and almost certified properties was handed out. Benefits for businesses were reviewed – Sonnenalp saved $2000 in their first year of the program just by looking at the energy costs saved. West Vail Liquor Mart staff was commended for efforts in becoming certified. Many employees have found value in program and are helping business to get certified. Brochures are distributed at visitor centers. Vlaar pointed out what an incredible resource Walking Mountains is. Dawsey asked if concierge are aware of current summer programming - Langmaid said they are trying but need help and suggestions to get word out to concierge. It was asked for any help in getting the word out about Actively Green 2015 initiative. The next training date is July 23, it takes a couple months to go through the process to become certified. They hire 30 interns in the summer - 50 people working for WM in the summer. IV. Public Relations Update – MYPR Kristin Yantis - see slides for details Introduced Ben Solomon – America’s best summer job. Working with Vail on summer activities for him. Scheduling handled by MYPR and VR. VR is working with him on all things social media. Ben thanked board for chance to experience Vail. Has had a great first two weeks. Wellness FAM coming up and Ben will participate. Fourth of July will have an Americana feel as he will tour HAATS and Camp Hale and work with VR on parade float. Invited anyone to join Ben in any summer activities. His goal is to encourage social media engagement. Social media handle is @BenSolomon. Main blog is on Vail Mountain’s blog. Hotels have asked for blog entries too and some Vail Daily coverage has also taken place. Ratchford asked for as much community engagement as possible to build on brand and maximize experience. Vlaar suggested a three steps to get engaged with Ben and send out to lodging community. Romer suggested VVP email to lodging properties and encouraged VBCR to do the same two weeks later. Hotel properties have loved exposure so far. Media interested in including Ben in something are: TV8, KZYR, The Mountain and Vail Daily. Held PR partners meeting – went well and partners are engaged with Ben more due to meeting. More press trips to come in the next month. V. Digital Update – Booyah Crystal Stewart & Jennifer Hardwick – see slides for details Davy introduced Andrew (Vail videographer), Kari Mohr(social media) and Kendyl Severino (new online marketing) – Brian Rodine replacement. Gave intro and background. Booyah shared results so far this summer. Improved from last year on cost per visit. Site direct orders number is currently almost half of last summer’s numbers and pacing well to surpass. Concern about paid keyword, lodging terms bidding was addressed and made clear that specific lodging names aren’t being used but that prices are going up in general. Great measures have been taken to not use specific names. Board asked for any other ROI info related to site direct orders to show the great level of site engagement. Asked to track deeper. Offered to tag lodging sites and no properties have taken advantage of that offer. It was suggested the tagging offer be included in email containing “3 tips to engagement with Ben” to be sent out by VVP and VBCR. Email database update sent out and had a high rate of click through and opens. Two more emails will be sent out. Vail.com is also sending out emails. Laura Waniuk is working with event promoters asking them to include a bug on their email blasts for people to opt in to be part of summer email campaign. Not seeing a huge amount of volume of people opting in – maybe 5-10 a week. McDonald suggested thinking about another acquisition strategy for next year. Financials are currently pacing ahead and there is $10,000 remaining and it was suggested to use that for lead generation to continue to drive booking and built list. Lead generation programs were introduced and explained. Opt in – “do you want more information about Vail?” ends up costing about $5 a lead. Several options to build list. Board wants to table suggestion to discuss clear and organized objectives and to understand ROI for lead generation. VI. Photography Update – SITE Meggen Kirkham, Jack Affleck and goodness Tom Adams, Kristyn Dunlap (on phone)- See slides for details Goodness explained vision of photography to be used in creative for “enchantment” campaign. Detailed list of desired shots to be used in creative was explained. Jack Alfleck has spent a lot of time thinking about seeing the valley in a different way and is scouting locations to review with goodness preceding arrival. Affleck is working with goodness to see and narrow down locations. Events will be a challenge but he thinks it the right way to approach art direction. Discussion ensued about potential shots. Timing is late July for shoot. It was suggested that if you find great places that are hidden and don’t scream Vail but are unique and incorporate that enchanted experience and vision, communicate with Affleck on potential location. Extensive post production on these shots will take place and essential to attaining all of these shots. VII. Video Update – SITE Meggen Kirkham and Satchel Burns– see slides for details Collaborating with VR and TOV to establish ideas for video. Summer objectives were reviewed. Burns is rethinking how he shoots and is excited about challenge of bringing enchanted look to life. TV production shots were presented. Video of TV spot examples were presented. Reach and frequency was better with (:15) spots over (:30) spots. Discussion ensued about font. Discussion ensued about executing great video and expectations. Romer suggested a group sales video to be used at trade shows and to work with lodging properties to create video to speak to groups and meetings. Dawsey suggested making sure to include ropes course and team building type activities in a group sales targeted video. Showed Mountain Games video from recent event. Dance festival video also presented. Discussion ensued about videos. Reallocation of summer helicopter shot money discussion ensued.  Motion to reallocate 16k from helicopter shot to use money $6,000 for photography art direction from goodness. Holton/Dawsey – unanimous 8-0.  Motion to hold $10,000 for video and photography opportunities. Holton/ Thurnauer and 7-1 Dawsey opposed. VIII. Mexico Update – SITE Meggen Kirkham & Davy Ratchford VR– see slides for details Successful sales mission to Mexico. Davy and Taylor attended. Ratchford pointed out that this sales mission was money well spent. Vail brand was presented well and in many ways. Jen Vidditz Ward booked trips on the spot during events with influencers and it was asked that those trips bookings should be presented for tracking/ROI from Mexico mission. Discussion ensued about Mexico opportunities and suggestions. A feedback session was suggested to bring trends and concerns from Mexico market to local businesses. VR will bring feedback and VVP/VBCR will help to get the word out about feedback session. Results and tracking should be provided at session. A need for tracking was discussed and it was brought up that sharing of data is such an issue to overcome with lodging properties. Guest profiler can be used to track international – Mexico booking data. IX. 2015 Proposal – goodness mfg – see slides for details Document in package with wish list of projects. Aiming to start campaign earlier in February with production and creative process beginning in November.  Motion to ask Vail Town Council for $30,975 in a July 15 Supplemental request to renew the goodness contract as outlined for 2014 expenses. Mullen/Vlaar, unanimous 8-0. X. Other Business Keen Adventure race is full and team spots remain. Verizon is a sponsor. It was suggested that the Peak Wellness team should be invited to present at a future meeting. XI. Adjournment  Motion to adjourn/ Vlaar. Seconded/Mullen. Passed unanimously. Upcoming Meetings: VLMD Meeting, July 15, Time TBD, Council Chambers VLMDAC Meeting, July 17, 8:30 – 11:30 – Antlers