HomeMy WebLinkAbout02.2 11-21-2019 VLMDAC Meeting MinutesPublic Notice
Vail Local Marketing District Advisory Council
Monthly Meeting
November 21, 8:30 am
Grand View Room
AGENDA
In Attendance:
Laurie Mullen, WVLM, VLMD
Jana Morgan, Sweet Basil, Mountain Standard, VLMD
Skip Thurnauer, VLMD, EVMC
Amy Moser Harrison, Four Seasons, VLMD
Esmarie Faessler, Sonnenalp, VLMD
Jenn Bruno, TOV, VLMD
Mia Vlaar, TOV
Meggen Kirkham, SITE
Yann Benjamin, Vail Mtn
Jeremy Gross, TOV
Chris Romer, VVP
Kristin Yantis, MYPR
Ainsley Fortune, Cactus
Marrit Zoll, VVP
Carlie Smith, TOV
David Reid, Eagle County Regional Airport
Mark Gordon, CSE
Sidney Bonser
Erica Cannava, Manor Vail
Alison Wadey, VCBA/CSE
Katie Kukar, Vail Chamber, Zip Media Co.
Scott Robson, Vail Town Manager
Introduction of new Vail Town Manager, congratulations to Scott Robson
• Monthly Financial Report (5 minutes), Carlie Smith
September lodging tax collections are flat with last year, at $174K. YTD total = $2.8 million, which is
5.3% ahead of last year. This is attributed to winter, as summer is down 3%, or $26K as compared to
last year. Expenses YTD are almost $2.4 million, which is 62% of budget. However, Carly noted
many invoices are currently coming in, so next month’s report will better reflect where the end of the
year will land.
• Approval of September 19 and October 17, 2019 Minutes (5 minutes), Board
Motion to approve September and October meeting minutes:
Motion: Skip/ Second: Amy/ Approval: Unanimous
• Eagle County Regional Airport (20 minutes), David Reid
David Reid, Director of Aviation at Eagle County Regional Airport, from MI and has been here 5
months. David extended an invitation to everyone to come tour the new facility and improvements. He
presented an overview of the recent upgrades and additions to the terminal.
Eagle has a 9,000 ft runway; a “must” for the mountains in order to accommodate larger aircraft; this
is a great asset for a regional airport.
Recap of route service for winter 2019-20; 14 direct routes planned, with new addition of Philadelphia.
On December 18th, the airport will start busy season with increased winter service; Eagle acts as a
small “hub” airport. Continued focus on building up off-season business for spring, summer, fall.
American is bringing back their spring service to Dallas (DFW) April 7 – June 3, with early AM
departure. Schedule can be a challenge with connecting flights, so early departures are desirable.
United also starts direct service to Chicago, June through August, also with 7am departure. No
incentives were needed for this United Chicago flight.
Recap of airport and passenger statistics such as arriving seats, (173,280 scheduled in first quarter
2020) and average seats per day – see SLIDES. Enplanements are up YTD. Longer term growth
trends (last five years) look good. As a very seasonal airport, 2/3 of traffic is generated in the first
quarter, with Saturday being biggest travel day. A leakage study is currently underway, assessing
where travelers who leave the area are going. This new study will be available in the next few
months.
Review of top markets domestically (New York/Newark) and internationally (Mexico City). In order to
handle international guests, need customs facilities, which EGE does not yet have.
Laurie; ? Could you please provide an update on the revenue guarantees.
Ans. As an airport operator, they do not participate directly in the guarantees.
Chris Romer spoke to details: American Airlines spring service to DFW has a minimum revenue
guarante. Goals for future MRG opportunities: focus on new airlines and new markets; both new
airlines that do not currently serve EGE and new communities/destinations. In order to grow non-ski
season flight service, need to show success in winter months. Fundraising remains stable. Good
momentum and ongoing meetings. Clarification- there is no revenue guarantee for the announced
Chicago flight, there is one in place for Dallas.
David emphasized the importance of the alliance and community support for the success of the
airport, especially with current demands for equipment and pilot shortages, and expressed his
appreciation.
Yann :? Regarding customs support for the international flights – is this airline’s responsibility to
provide this resource?
Ans.: Can be a partnership, can be partnership with airline, or airport and community. This is a very
expensive venture because of specific requirements.
Esmarie: ? Has there been a study of costs involved?
Ans. Just starting this process, looking at grant opportunities, possible partnerships.
David described new terminal upgrades and details. $35 million total project; expansion from 95,000
sq.ft. to 120,000 sq.ft. Customer service improvements include: “common use approach” computer
systems for airlines, added seating w/ in-seat charging, bigger concessions, fireplace, pet relief area
(required to accept federal funding), larger nursing space, jet bridges (gates 1-4), ground boarding
(gates 5-6), elevators and escalators, uninterrupted views of runways and mountains. As this is the
the first season with the common use computer systems, there will be “educational process” and
learning curve involved, but will lead to improvements for the long term in efficiency and customer
service. Soft opening was July 2019. Construction expected to be completely finished by 12/31/2019.
Jenn: ? Re: complaints about no Uber service, not enough transportation.
Discussion re: currently working on agreements with Uber and Lyft for this season. Will have an on-
site remote lot; goal is to have Uber and Lyft service in place by 12/18/19.
? And discussion re: rail line opportunity? There have been a number multiple, unproductive
conversations over the years. Romer has had multiple conversations with Union Pacific over the
years that have not gone anywhere.
Additional discussion re: winter and seasonal nature of our business and how this impacts the airport/
air travel. (SLIDES). Survey recap slides reflect the importance of the local airport. A question was
included asking guests what they would do if they had to fly to DEN and drive: 10% of respondents
would not come. 48% only consider EGE when traveling to the area.
Laurie: comments re: $75 K in budget to support spring, summer, and fall. Happy to continue
discussions of support and partnership.
• PR Update (15 minutes), Kristin Yantis
Kristin presented a quarterly PR update with YTD recap and end-of-summer discussion. Please see
SLIDES.
With extra funds set aside for fall, Kristin’s team hosted a Fall Media Dinner at Wolf’s Taylor, a
restaurant in Denver just listed in Food & Wine as one of the top restaurants in the country. Thanks to
Amanda for selecting. Nine journalists attended, including a Denver Post editor.
Kristin also hosted a Fall Media trip, a small group of male writers from publications such as Forbes,
Travel and Leisure, and the senior editor for Cowboys and Indians (publication with presence in the
southwest U.S., which lines up nicely with DFW service.)
Individual media visits took place during September and October, writers are working on additional
features. Visiting journalists program, Sept. 13-16; partnered with Four Seasons. Additionally, funds
were shifted from in-market media visits to include attendance at Travel Classics, a media event
hosted twice a year in the U.S. as well as internationally. Best travel PR event Kristin has attended.
Journalists pay for their own trip, get face time with editors. This was a very successful strategy and
better spend of funds; attending means the PR team gets to meet with editors from markets they
don’t typically visit.
Media coverage and performance YTD - please see SLIDES. Team measures against comp set, and
while numbers are used for a gauge, their focus is on quality over quantity. Breck and Aspen started
off strong due to the extension of ski seasons into mid-late June. (First time Aspen has been ahead of
Vail in several years.)
Key Messages: arts, music, and festivals are the most popular. Also, category covered most by
media. (Arts, music and festivals are performing arts, versus “other events,” which are Go Pro
Games, etc.) Sample media coverage – see SLIDES. Two pieces published in the fall on art in public
places, USA Today did an immersive art piece, and there was a teen story published by one of
influencers, “why teens will love summer in Vail.”
Pictures presented from Fall Media Dinner, September Press Trip. Leaning in to Bavarian theme as
much as possible.
Please see SLIDE – Travel Classics - map presented to show the markets the journalists (editors and
freelancers) came from, great exposure for the PR team. Kristin spent time with Jess from American
Way. Recommend continuing attendance at this event, as well as possibly hosting the event here in
2021.
Skip ?: now that summer and fall visits are behind us, what discussions can you share that you have
heard? Comments re: what is hot that is new, what they have mentioned that they loved about Vail,
or, conversely, what would they like to see in Vail?
Ans. Llamas are still popular. In general, they want new, different. Vail does not have a lot of new, so
focus has been on what is unique. People do ask for more night life. Impressed by food scene. Once
they have heard the history and Bavarian heritage of the Vail area, people understand the look and
appreciate the authenticity. Pleasantly surprised to hear history, tour information, 10th Mountain
Division history, and Colorado Ski Museum info. Focus on unique background is key, but there is also
need for a new, refreshed message.
Jana ? Re: additional info on influencers.
Ans. Some influencer reporting included at meeting two months ago, will also provide additional
influencer focused report in coming meeting, with recommendations for 2020.
? and discussion re: opportunity to host more military related events, activities for veterans.
Discussion of legacy weekend; how these events have been focused on broader audience, additional
opportunity to discuss, host and/or promote events, also recommend discussing with CSE.
Willingness to continue exploring these options expressed.
• RRC Research (40 minutes), Chris Cares
Chris unable to attend due to family emergency. Mia presented overview of Summer 2019 Intercept
and Web Survey results. Please see SLIDES – all survey results and specifics attached. Results
are consistent with and similar to past years’ results. About 1000 people interviewed on intercept, with
follow up email surveys for those willing to provide email.
2018 to 2019 numbers, parking trends, key takeaways – see SLIDES. NPS is slightly up. Intercept
survey results very similar YOY – accommodations, location, type, flight, reason for visit – all
consistent results.
Esmarie ? Can we look at NPS scores for first time visitors vs. repeat guests? On follow up.
Follow up survey questions, sent via email – see SLIDES- - reviewed questions and results: booking,
source of info, welcome center, types of activities. Strong awareness of Vail as “green.” Children and
teens show strong interest in revisiting and have a strong impact on decision making. Information
from this survey can inform future decisions and highlight opportunities to provide better info for
visitors.
NPS score from intercept to after visit drops from 85 to 56 on follow up, as compared to NPS 50 on
follow up in 2018. The exact number of people surveyed is not clear – (though the follow up number
is some smaller percentage of original intercept.) Chris can follow up in December on these numbers
and questions.
Skip ?: at welcome centers, are the number of requests for information tracked, and/or the nature of
the requests? Do welcome centers have information to reinforce the history of Vail, Bavarian themes,
and to promote consistent information for messaging?
Discussion re: this messaging and Vail’s themes as part of guest service training. (Skip is happy to
come in his lederhosen!)
Jenn - ? Could we get a deeper dive from Chris to explore the numbers and source info for our
Colorado visitors, as we are so dependent on them, as well as effects of I-70 traffic and the impacts
on guest’s decisions to drive?
Suggest breakdown of ‘purpose of visit” question to include why Vail, as opposed to other resorts.
Report does show ‘reason for visit” as 75% “rest and relaxation.” Additional discussion and questions
on survey model. Intercept survey is conducted, plus a post-visit follow up for those that provide an
email. This will change; currently focusing on developing new methodologies.
• Email, Website, Organic Social Results (15 minutes), Vail Marketing
Yann provided updates; Hannah and Jess have both moved on to other career pursuits. Monthly
updates have been ongoing; reporting today reflects aggregate summer performance.
VailSummer.com performance May to September, see SLIDE. This past summer, VailSummer.com
was the hub for all summer marketing efforts. Guests landing on VailSummer is a small percentage of
total website visitors. Some driven through to summer website as a result of paid efforts. Greater
engagement results.
Review of paid search performance 2018 v. 2019; Spend did go up. Impressions are slightly down.
Click volume as a whole is more important to consider. This past summer, some ground was lost on
non-branded search terms (those search terms which do not include the word Vail). Great results
seen in branded area. There was much more competition in non-branded space. See detail in
appendix. Next summer, recommend more focus on non-branded search terms.
Email performance – 2018 v. 2019 - please see SLIDES. Some volume loss in July due to not having
ability to access as broad an audience as in the June deployment.
Organic Social – great results, numbers are up 2019 v. 2018. About 190 posts, please see slides for
top photo, top event, and top video results.
? - were any posts “boosted?” Generally, not boosted as often in summer, good follow up question.
? Of the total 190 posts, how many were village focused?
Ans. 51=village, mountain=41, events=54, Epic Discovery=28
Discussion re: how are we differentiating ourselves from other resorts? Comments and suggestions
to continue the discussion of how Vail and partners can continue to try to showcase its uniqueness
and what sets us apart. Epic Discovery, events, activities, art, etc.
Discussion of email performance numbers, the issues with June to July emails, and the problems
encountered with the migration to Adobe platform.
• Data/Website Updates (20 minutes), Cactus
Ainsley presented recap of website updates, detailing work completed over last several weeks.
Please see SLIDES. Phase 1 and first URL update: choices have been narrowed to VisitVail.com and
DiscoverVail.com. See SLIDE for pricing details, current offers and counter offers being negotiated.
Will send recommendation to TOV. Trying to acquire both domains; will have an answer coming next
week.
User Research Overview –this was conducted differently than other destination research; interviews
were targeted to discovering more about how visitors search for information. 4 key insights. Please
see SLIDE. Took info and met with team for discovery session last week. Completed customer
journey mapping exercise (analysis of inspiration, consideration, and booking decision breakdown).
Please see SLIDE for methodology information. Also looked at differences between in –state and out-
of-state visitors.
Competitive Analysis – compared “GoBreck” site, discussed some highlights for comparison such as
no logo use, how Breck info is presented, use of toggles between seasons, multi-language ability for
international users. Also looked at visittelluride.com. Telluride site has a responsive chat option on
their site. Discussion of use of chat, the options to post chat reply hours, hiring people to respond (as
real estate services use, a live person with a script used after hours).
Review of site map card sorting exercise. Have also started SEO audits to evaluate what search
terms are being used, etc. Project timeline and progress – see SLIDE for dates and deadlines.
Phase 2 – see SLIDE for next phase details, these are underway; December meeting will include
many more updates.
Kristin ?: how will partners represent (identify) themselves at events, functions? (Vail Summer, VLMD,
etc? )
Mia –once the URL is locked in, this can be used. Good questions for additional discussion.
The schedule is on track and website progress report is great.
• CSE Meeting Update (5 minutes), Beth and Skip
Skip provided recap. Good overview meeting; many event producers provided a recap at this meeting
from events throughout the summer. Overall positive discussion, funding confirmed. Beth and Skip
provided web development update, as it benefits both organizations. Beth made a pitch for tax
increase which was left for further discussion.
• CSE Funding (5 minutes), Ali Wadey
Discussion of funding requests and awards, overview. Highlights of some of the funded and new
events: Bacon and Bourbon, at $45 K. They were very flexible on dates and moved to 1st weekend in
October; they have large marketing capabilities with radio stations and podcasts for some cross-
promotion opportunities. Mountain Art Collective – GoldDustDance, yoga, art; they have events for
the first Friday each month booked through the season, with a different genre of music. Vail Classic
Invitational - gymnastics club, competitive meet at the end of August. Funded $8 K for an additional
set of equipment to increase their numbers. Vail Pickleball Open – August.
Future focus discussion included defining growth, as well as continuing to challenge event producers
to improve the quality of their events (guest experience, event well-managed, guests feel safe), not
just increasing numbers. Funding choices often come with a caveat to implement concerns and
feedback, and future funding decisions will be based on event producer’s willingness to embrace
these considerations. Attendance volume staying in line with a positive experience. Also, will continue
to push events into mid-week as well as shoulder seasons. Funding recap can be emailed.
? Re: what are need periods right now?
Ans. October, Memorial Day (trial for this year - push restaurant week back).
Mia – sales tax reporting system being implemented that will allow for more specific evaluation of
needs within each month, week – by - week. Can narrow report focus, better evaluate ROI, and more
effectively gauge weeks by need. Will ask business community to voluntarily report on specific weeks.
This will be retroactive, looking at event weeks vs. the rest of the month. Set up and ready to go for
Nov. 1st with separate report planned for Revely week.
Additional discussion of opportunities for events for team market, and how to encourage and include
Bavarian themes. Also looking at opportunities with Vail’s sister city (in Japan) -possible opportunity
to re-evaluate, under consideration.
• PrimaVail, Vail Apres and Revely Update (10 minutes), Ali Wadey
Prima Vail - Guest service training and employer engagement – see SLIDE. Great kick off party held
on November 20. History and walking tours have had great reception. New employee social program-
first event is Dec. 11 – hosting activities at locations where employees might not normally pay to
experience, so they can enjoy these and sell to guests. In addition to customer service and best
practices, goals are making employees feel welcome, part of the community, and to establish
connections. Leadership program also coming up.
Vail Apres, new tradition! See SLIDE. 3pm bells will ring, encouraging people to stay as the mountain
closes, inviting guests to begin the apres experience. Will continue to collect information to promote
all restaurants and specials.
www.Vail.com/apres
Bells available to buy. This goes all season long. Every 15th of the month, there will be a VIP event in
a different location. (Lion Square Lodge in December, where they purchased a large bell.)
Revely for the week of Thanksgiving, Nov 23 – 30. See SLIDE for recap of events.
• Other Business
VLMDAC applications due tomorrow 11/22, with interviews on December 3.
December 17th - civic area plan discussion
Burton US Open– is there an activation opportunity for this event?
Need to discuss obtaining items for gievaways.
December 19th - VLMDAC
Hannah Green is also leaving to work on a summer team in Snowmass.
Thank you again to Scott for attending.
Thank you to Jenn for your representation at TOV and VLMD and the relationship with CSE.
Thank you to all for your interest and attendance all year long!
• Adjournment
Motion to adjourn:
Motion: Esmarie/ Second; Skip/ Approval: Unanimous
Upcoming Meetings:
VLMDAC Monthly Meeting, Thursday, December 19, 2019
Grand View Room