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HomeMy WebLinkAbout 2015-10-07 CSE Meeting MinutesCSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 1 of 7 MINUTES: COMMISSION ON SPECIAL EVENTS MEETING Vail Town Council Chambers Wednesday, October 7, 2015 @ 8:30am CSE Members Present: Barry Davis Jeff Andrews Mark Gordon Rayla Kundolf Marco Valenti Alison Wadey CSE Members Absent: Shenna Richardson Town of Vail Staff Present: Sybill Navas, CSE Coordinator Kelli McDonald, Economic Development Manager Laura Waniuk, Event Liaison Others Present: Margaret Rogers, Vail Town Council Chris Cares, RRC David Becher, RRC Cabal Yarne, VCBA, LHMA Mark Christie, Vail Town Council candidate Bobby Bank, Vail Info Robin Litt, Vail Jazz Owen Hutchinson, Vail Jazz Brooke Skjonsby, Vail Resorts Sandra Perrig, VVP John Knight, The America Cup Jodi Knight, The America Cup Brian Hall, Blue Creek Productions Dick Cleveland, Vail citizen, Town Council candidate Maggie Bevan, Vail Valley Foundation Martha Brassel, Vail Valley Foundation Jen Mason, Vail Valley Foundation Jim Soran, Vail Lacrosse Shootout Liz Campbell, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Ariel Rosemberg, Vail Summer Bluegrass Series Beth Pappas, VRD Helene Mattison, Kids Adventure Games Bill Mattison, Kids Adventure Games Gaby Milhoan, Peak Wellness Retreat Dan Cramer, North American Sports Group Bryce Thornburg, North American Sports Group CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 2 of 7 Caitlin Murray, Bravo! Vail Jeanne Reid White, Bravo! Vail Lisa Mallory, Bravo! Vail Megan Roepke, Bravo! Vail AGENDA: Meeting materials can be accessed at the following link: http://65.38.144.10/WebLink8/0/fol/321731/Row1.aspx CSE Chair, Barry Davis, called the meeting to order at 8:33am Administrative Items 1. a. Approval of the Minutes of the CSE’s Meeting on September 2, 2015  Motion to approve the minutes of the CSE Meeting, September 2, 2015, as presented. M/S/P: Kundolf/Valenti/Unanimous The motion passed 4-0 (Wadey and Andrews had not yet arrived) o Mark Christie, candidate for Vail Town Council, introduced himself to the CSE and provided his personal and business background. b. Updates: • CSE Members “Thank you Lunch” for Margaret and Rayla: October 7th following the CSE Meeting in the Admin Conference Room • Thursday, Nov. 19: Presentation of the 2016 funding allocation decisions to the VLMDAC, Antlers at Vail. 8:30-9:00am. • Tuesday, Dec. 1: Presentation of the 2016 funding allocation decisions to the Vail Town Council at their evening meeting. Specific time TBD. • Application Deadlines and Interview Dates for CSE applicants: Letters of interest due to the Town Clerk by Dec. 4th Interviews on Tuesday, Dec. 15th at the Town Council Work Session c. Financial/Contract Overview. Navas congratulated Laura Waniuk, who is no longer working under contract, but as of October 1st, as an official Town of Vail employee. The remainder of the contract funds will go back to the General Fund to compensate for the salary for the remainder of the year. d. Report on 1st reading of TOV Budget on Tuesday, October 6. McDonald stated that the CSE budget was approved on 1st reading, as was the $150,000 request for the Education and Enrichment events budget. Rogers discussed funding of the Burton USO and her perspective on voting for the funding amount, either $300,000 or $400,000. Burton will present to the Town Council at the second reading of the budget on October 20. Rogers also noted that there was much discussion as to whether to fund the Air Alliance at the requested amount. The Council requested further information on the commitment of other entities in Eagle County. CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 3 of 7 e. CSE 2016 Budget Review: Noted was the moving of $2800 for survey incentives to the admin budget, which was taken out of the total available Cultural, Recreation and Community (CRC) event funding. Navas added that the agreement for the survey contract for 2016 has not yet been negotiated, so there may yet need to be some additional adjustments. 2. RRC Associates - Chris Cares and David Becher: Explanation of event survey methodologies and associated results Please see presentation for full detail. Cares discussed the overall program logistics and how town staff and producers have worked closely with RRC to implement this survey process for 2015. Cares reviewed the differences between the intercept vs. the post-event web based survey. Different event organizers have different definitions of how attendance is defined; RRC worked with event producers to clarify this. There are “reasonableness” checks using lodging occupancy and parking counts. The surveys conducted thus far were 60% intercept and 40% post event surveys. Once all event surveys are compiled, then the events will be compared against each other for a complete 2015 event overview. Davis asked about stats for people who quit partway through it, Cares said that it’s very rare for people to not continue. Davis asked about manual counts and if they have used photography or drones for attendee counts. They do use photographic counts for concerts and Burton. Davis mentioned that it might be a good idea to offer some additional incentive for the online survey as well, perhaps discount on future event entries. Cares said that they don’t consider a post event survey unless there is a registration list. Cares said that some of the intercept data is impacted by the interviewer. Cares explained that they try to hire the same people over the course of the project. Valenti asked if RRC looks for bias with interviewer. Cares said they cross check for number of surveys performed. It’s a challenging program to maintain perfect quality control. Kundolf asked about specific counts domestic vs. international attendees and how they are represented. Cares said that the type of event speaks to the type of attendee, for example, the Lacrosse Shootout is not an international event. Valenti asked about the methodology for attendance estimates for non-ticketed events. Becher said that in the survey the guest is asked about how many events they have attended and then there is a formulaic approach and a multiplier after they are de-duplicated. Valenti asked if there is a way to include a designation in the dashboard between intercept vs. post survey and then track across number of years the event has been surveyed. Kundolf asked about how they differentiate when there are multiple events in the same locale. For example, asking about Farmers’ Market while surveying an attendee from Outlier Festival. Navas asked about the community impact data for the number of people who are a part of the event, such as the Bravo! orchestra members, not just attendees. Becher said it gets complex to measure, McDonald stated that the goal is to measure the economic impact to the town around the event attendees. McDonald said that Vail Resorts is moving to offer post trip surveys only; the reason is because it’s hard to understand what the visitor’s total experience is if you survey them on the first day of their vacation. Cares said that Vail Resorts has a great database and it’s easier for them to segment by guest and data. John Knight asked about future web based surveys being multi-lingual because his attendees are CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 4 of 7 international. Cares said that there is an opportunity to implement; it just needs to be reviewed on the contract side with the Town of Vail. Event Recaps – Please see detail in presentations. Vail Lacrosse Shootout: June 27 – Sept 3 - Jim Soran Fields were great, more players stayed in Vail this year. Zen Masters’ league was new this year, they plan to add a similar women’s category next year. The online streaming drew about 700 per day. 2016 will be the 44th year for the tournament in Vail. Valenti asked what % of participants are repeat attendees. Soran responded that it is quite high, some having come for over 40 years. Kundolf mentioned that it would be great to have a refillable water station at the fields, Soran agreed. Vail Summer Bluegrass Series: 4 Wednesdays- July 1, 15, 29 & Aug 12 - Ariel Rosemberg Second year for the event included a new relationship with the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. The garden concert series was very well-received. They are looking for other sponsors and investors to turn the event into more of a profit center. The LHMA stepped in to help keep the LH businesses open in the evenings. Attendance was up significantly over 2014. The final night performance attendance was impacted by a competing event in Avon. Hot Summer Nights: Tuesdays, 6/9, 16, 23 & 30; 7/7, 14 & 21; 8/11 & 18 – Jen Mason Attendance was down due to the weather: heavy rain every Tuesday except the last concert- where attendance reflected historically comparable numbers. Mason stated that it has become a tourist event more than a locals-focused event. Tickets to Bravo and the Dance Festival events are sold at GRFA during HSN. Marketing was duplicated from 2015. Kundolf mentioned that the food prices are too high. The goal is to book nationally touring bands. Davis stated that he is interested to see how the event evolves. Gordon mentioned that he thinks the booking has to be more deliberate. Wadey said it might be a good time to redefine their niche and their brand. McDonald raised the issue of the food and beverage costs within the GRFA and Mason stated that there are different opportunities for special deals. It was noted that all of the towns in the county now have their own summer concert series and that is likely impacting the local attendance numbers. Kundolf mentioned that it’s important to “own the night” for the different musical events in town. Vail Family Fun Fest: 7 Saturdays 6/20 & 27; 7/11, 18 & 25; 8/1 & 8 – Brian Hall Share their audience and suggestively sell cross-events like the Farmers’ Market. Hall noted that since they had moved the event time to mid-day heat, rather than late afternoon showers, they brought in tents to provide shade as opposed to rain cover. The producer continues his great communication with the local hotels. Kundolf appreciated the changes in the program and the producer flexibility. Vail Jazz Festival- June 28 – Sept 7 - Robin Litt & Owen Hutchinson The festival was re-branded this year, new identity has great appeal to a wider CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 5 of 7 audience. New website design came from the new look. There was a huge increase in views, visits and time on site. Target audience is ages 35-55; there is still a large following of an older age group. They produced 59 events, 55 were in Vail, and 33 were free. Focus on talent this year. They entered into new partnerships for the first time: Women’s Foundation of Colorado, KZYR, VVF. Brought in a big sponsor – Land Rover, very positive feedback from them and partnership will most likely continue. RRC only surveyed the 4 day Vail Jazz Party, so the overall ROI that the Jazz Festival presented is extrapolated from that number. Andrews asked about cutting down the number of events, Hutchinson stated that it’s more about segmenting the market. Andrews stated that Jazz, Bluegrass and Vail Family Fun Fest events have had an amazing impact on the Lionshead area. Bravo! Vail July 1 – Aug 6 – Jeanne Reid White Bravo! Vail helps reinforce and shape the Vail brand. The Bravo! Survey data is based on multiple events. They increased focus on younger demographics, including a Pixar concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra. They also held an “After Dark” series which will continue in 2016. They are also working on full length concert videos, 40 were recorded over the series. For 2016, the performances will begin earlier in June, with the addition of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Joshua Bell, their music director. A new percussionist concert will be held on August 6, 2016. Wadey said she liked the implementation of the family concerts. Kundolf suggested having two concerts on 4th of July. Podcasts/broadcasts on Colorado Public radio were a beneficial addition. Gordon said spreading out performances around town is great. Andrews said diversification is good to see. Andrews asked about leadership changes, Reid stated they are currently searching for a new executive director and hope to have them on board in early 2016. Vail International Dance Festival: July 27- Aug 10 - Martha Brassel Festival had one fewer paid performance than normal, but the overall budget was not ill- affected. Brassel noted that children under 12 are still free, and that lawn tickets are still $20- and she is committed to maintaining those policies. The inclusion of the Compania Nacional de Danza de Mexico increased publicity down in Mexico, and has resulted in an invitation to bring the festival to Mexico. Over 100 children participated in the Celebrate the Beat program. They had incredible PR and media impressions on their $100k marketing spend. The exposure in the New York Times continues to be extraordinary. Kundolf remarked that the internship program is incredible. Kick-It 3v3 Soccer: July 31- Aug 2 – Dan Cramer, Bryce Thornburg They said it was nice to be back in Vail and have the fields ready. They made a real effort to market Vail and grow the event. Thornburg said they brought in World Cup star, Christie Rampone, for a clinic and signing to increase the excitement for the event. Cramer said that they want to improve on their engagement throughout the town and look at hosting some after hour activities. The increased marketing brought in teams from further away than in previous years, although the largest numbers are still from Colorado. They want to understand how to maximize the space and are considering a shuttle for next year to help with movement of players between the fields. They are CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 6 of 7 looking to move the date up into July in 2016. Vail Kids Adventure Games Aug 5-9 - Helene Mattison, Bill Mattison, Beth Pappas Production team stayed the same, business team changed. The youngest age group raced on Sunday, which worked well, decreasing the impacts of playing against the Farmers’ Market. The adventure expo was expanded this year and the human hamster balls were a big hit. There was a partnership with the GoPro Games that helped co- promote both events. The spectator guide was distributed widely across town. Event was spread out over 5 days, so the athletes and their families spent a lot of time in town. They partnered with local and regional television and engaged mommy bloggers. There were some issues with the race course and the delivery trucks near Checkpoint Charlie and lack of enforcement of the requested bicycle dismount zone. The producers are still considering hosting a national event in Vail. Davis asked about the length of the race course. Mattison said they would like to make a longer course for the older kids and have 3 different race courses. They could consider a course or activation in Lionshead. The producers are now producing these races in 8 different mountain locations. World Youth Fly Fishing Championships: Aug 10 -16 – John Knight Youth teams from 10 countries competed and reported that it was the “best ever” event. There are three reasons the event was so great, the Town of Vail as an exceptional venue, excellent watershed venues and the educational component. The post-event surveys were challenging because of the language barrier. They had great media coverage and the TV episode filmed by the Discovery Channel will air the end of November on Destination America. Volunteers flew in from all around the USA to participate. Next year they would like to include the volunteers in the surveying. Knight is going to partner with Highline on some aspects of the event operations for the World Fly Fishing Championships in 2016; where upwards of 35 countries are expected to compete. Peak Wellness Retreat: Aug 22-23 – Gaby Milhoan The Mountain Fit event was where funding was used. They sold out the event to the scale they could handle. They did have a waiting list. They would like to get a bigger name speaker for 2016 and they did get 14 sponsors on board for 2015. The sponsorship allowed them to make a slim profit. They are focusing on Mountain Fit only, if they have requests for smaller custom programs, then they will address those one at a time. Andrews said that the refined focus is a good direction. Vail Valor Races: May 24-25- by email/no survey This information was not received.  Motion to approve the final funding disbursement for each of the following events: Vail Lacrosse Shootout, Vail Summer Bluegrass Series, Hot Summer Nights, Vail Family Fun Fest, Vail Jazz Festival, Vail International Dance Festival, Bravo! Vail, Kick-It 3v3 Soccer Championships, Vail Kids Adventure Games, World Youth Fly Fishing Championships and Peak Wellness Retreat, CSE Minutes Regular Meeting: October 7, 2015 Page 7 of 7 pending completion of all agreement conditions. M/S/P:/Kundolf/Andrews/Unanimous The motion passed 6-0 New Business and Community Input Andrews explained that he will not be submitting an application for the CSE for 2016. He has been appointed to the Board of Managers of the Vail Valley Partnership, and feels that time commitment is a better fit with respect to his professional goals.  Motion to Adjourn at 11:39 pm M/S/P: Andrews/Wadey/Unanimous The motion passed 6-0 Next CSE Meeting: Review RFP’s Wednesday, November 4, 2015 @ 8:30am-5:30pm Antlers at Vail Funding Allocations Determined: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 @ 8:30am-3:30pm Antlers at Vail Present CSE Funding Decisions @ Joint Meeting w/ VLMDAC Thursday, November 19 @ 8:30-9:00am Antlers at Vail