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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03. Destination Stewardship Plan PSA Memo To: Vail Town Council From: Economic Development Department Date: 2/1/2022 Subject: Destination Stewardship Plan I. PURPOSE The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a recommendation to move forward with a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to develop a Destination Stewardship Plan for the Town of Vail. II. BACKGROUND As part of Vail’s designation as a top 100 Sustainable Destination by Green Destinations, and as a Mountain IDEAL certified sustainable destination, recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Town of Vail is required to develop a Destination Stewardship Plan (DSP) by the end of 2022. The DSP is defined in the Mountain IDEAL standard as “an up-to-date multiyear destination stewardship strategy and action plan to guide planning, development and stewardship of tourism and recreation activities.” The criteria require that the plan be based on the major tenants of sustainable tourism management practices, incorporating socio-economic sustainability, as well as cultural and environmental sustainability, and an assessment of environmental issues and risks. Each of these will integrate into and inform the unified vision for tourism in Vail. The Destination Stewardship Plan Request for Proposals (RFP) was published in November 2021 and three proposals were considered for this important work. The selection committee was comprised of the town manager, the environmental sustainability director, and the director of economic development. Criteria for selection included global sustainable tourism expertise, mountain resort experience, values- based marketing, and the ability to take Vail’s position as a sustainable destination to the next level. Following several meetings with each of the two finalist group members, the committee selected the proposal submitted by the combined team comprising Better Destinations LLC, MMGY NextFactor and The Travel Foundation (Attachment A) The group was chosen due to the following key skills and experience: Proven Experience in Destination Management Planning: Town of Vail Page 2 • MMGY NextFactor has delivered insights and strategies for more than 250 global destinations, including Breckenridge’s Destination Management Plan. • Better Destinations Founder Cathy Ritter co-led and co-wrote the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, now widely recognized as one of the first destination management plans in the U.S. • The Travel Foundation’s seminal report, “Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism,” is inspiring destinations to account more holistically for the costs and benefits of tourism. Global Thought Leadership in Destination Stewardship: • MMGY NextFactor recently completed the DestinationNEXT 2021 Futures Study, which tapped insights from 500+ global destinations to identify transformational opportunities and key trends and strategies for Destination Marketing Organizations. • Better Destinations Founder Cathy Ritter’s contribution to “Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future” (Island Press, 2021) shared insights into the making of the “Are You Colo-Ready?” Destination Stewardship Plan, widely credited for launching a national sustainable tourism movement. Extensive Experience Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Processes: • MMGY NextFactor offers proven facilitation strategies to build alignment and generate recommendations with support of key industry stakeholders, community leaders and residents. • Collectively, the team has managed and conducted hundreds of sensitive consultation and engagement processes, at times uniting divided communities around common long-term goals. Unmatched expertise in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship: • As a founding member and Chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition, The Travel Foundation is a global leader in identifying strategies to address the impacts of tourism on communities, environment and resources. With deep experience and understanding of how tourism works -- whether in private companies, in communities or in policy – the organization is skilled in finding root causes and issues and then offering practical solutions to solve them and drive benefits. CEO Jeremy Sampson is well-acquainted with Vail’s past sustainability work, having collaborated in developing its Actively Green program in a prior role with Sustainable Travel International. The selection committee believes that the combination of Better Destinations, MMGY NextFactor and the Travel Foundation will provide the highest level of expertise and experience to guide the development of Vail’s Destination Stewardship Plan. The project is scheduled to kick off with a meeting in early February. The second phase of the project is focused on community engagement. Beginning in March, this phase will include 20 one-on-one consultation meetings, 10-12 focus groups, and three visioning workshops for community engagement. Town of Vail Page 3 III. PROJECT FUNDING The plan comprises the original budget of $156,000 and the Optimizing Value Framework $13,500 as outlined in the attached proposal (Attachment A). The revised budget is included in Attachment B. By including the Optimizing Value Framework, Vail will be among the first destinations globally to prototype a proprietary concept that provides a methodical approach to visualizing the components of a balanced tourism economy, mapping the various benefits and drawbacks. Stakeholders will prioritize key indicators of success based on a shared vision for a tourism economy that delivers true value and net positive benefits for Vail. The total cost of the development of the plan is $169,500 and will be funded from two budget accounts as follows: Vail Local Marketing District $ 100,000 Destination Stewardship Plan $ 69,500 IV. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Vail Town Council authorize the Town Manager to enter into an agreement, in a form approved by the Town Attorney, with Better Destinations, LLC to provide professional services for the development of a Destination Stewardship Plan in an amount not to exceed $169,500. 1 COMPANY OVERVIEWS & EXPERTISENovember 19, 2021 Destination Stewardship Plan Proposal Guided by principles of sustainability to support economic prosperity and quality of life in a beloved global destination Please consider the environment before printing this document town of vail, colorado Dear Mia, Thank you for this opportunity to submit our proposal for a Destination Stewardship Plan for the Town of Vail, Colorado. Your RFP makes it clear. You are seeking a best-in-class strategy, guided by principles of sustainability, to create a shared vision. Your goal is to create a lasting framework for a thriving tourism and recreation-based economy that supports quality of life and quality of place for all of those who care about Vail. By framing this work as a Destination Stewardship Plan, you are signalling a forward-thinking commitment to a holistic planning approach that engages your entire community in addressing challenges and maximizing your considerable opportunities. In response to your request, we have assembled a first-time partnership among three leading tourism organizations -- MMGY NextFactor, Better Destinations and The Travel Foundation. Our shared purpose is to empower the Town of Vail to design and activate timely destination- building stewardship strategies through proven planning resources, exceptional destination management and marketing expertise, and thought leadership in sustainable and regenerative tourism. (For administrative purposes, MMGY NextFactor will serve as lead agency) We are committed to working collaboratively with your team and stakeholders to develop an actionable strategy for the next 10 to 20 years. We will be your partners in creating a plan to ensure the future viability of your visitor-powered economy while sustaining and celebrating your remarkable social, cultural and environmental assets and quality of life. We believe our team is uniquely qualified to deliver on all aspects of your request, based on: +Proven Experience in Destination Management Planning: Over the past five years, MMGY NextFactor has delivered insights and strategies for more than 250 destinations across the globe, including Breckenridge’s Destination Management Plan. Better Destinations Founder Cathy Ritter co-led and co-wrote the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, now widely recognized as one of the first destination management plans in the U.S. Together, MMGY NextFactor and Better Destinations now are creating one of the first Destination Stewardship Plans in North America for an eight-county region surrounding Glacier National Park. +Global Thought Leadership in Destination Stewardship: All three of our organizations are at the forefront of a new industry focus on destination stewardship and aligning tourism with community shared values. MMGY NextFactor recently completed the DestinationNEXT 2021 Futures Study, which tapped insights from 500+ global destinations to identify transformational opportunities and key trends and strategies for DMOs. The Travel Foundation’s seminal report, “Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism,” is inspiring destinations to account more holistically for the costs and benefits of tourism. Better Destinations Founder Cathy Ritter’s contribution to Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future (Island Press, 2021) shared insights into the making of the “Are You Colo-Ready?” Destination Stewardship Plan, widely credited for launching a national sustainable tourism movement. MIA VLAAR Economic Development Director TOWN OF VAIL, CO November 19, 2021 November 19, 2021 PAUL OUIMET President, Partner MMGY NextFactor 5 Strachan Point Road West Vancouver, BC, V7W 1C1 pouimet@nextfactorinc.com 1.250.317.5838 Address 5 Strachan Point Rd. West Vancouver, BC Canada V7W 1C1 Phone +1.250.317.5838 Website nextfactorinc.com NEXTFACTOR ENTERPRISES INC. Email pouimet@nextfactorinc.com +Extensive Experience Facilitating Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Processes: All three of our organizations have been recognized for expertise and experience managing complex community engagement processes. In particular, MMGY NextFactor offers proven facilitation strategies to build alignment and generate recommendations with support of key industry stakeholders, community leaders and residents. Collectively, our team has managed and conducted hundreds of sensitive consultation and engagement processes, at times uniting divided communities around common long-term goals. +Unmatched expertise in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship: As a founding member and Chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition, The Travel Foundation is a global leader in identifying strategies to address the impacts of tourism on communities, environment and resources. With deep experience and understanding of how tourism works -- whether in private companies, in communities or in policy – the organization is skilled in finding root causes and issues and then offering practical solutions to solve them and drive benefits. CEO Jeremy Sampson is well-acquainted with Vail’s past sustainability work, having collaborated in developing its Actively Green program in a prior role with Sustainable Travel International. It would be our privilege to assist you not only in achieving this final step toward full compliance with the Mountain IDEAL, but in further enhancing Vail’s position as a global leader in the practice of destination stewardship. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, JEREMY SAMPSON CEO The Travel Foundation CREATE Centre Bristol, UK BS1 6XN jeremy.sampson @thetravelfoundation,.org.uk 509.499.2194 CATHY RITTER Founder & CEO Better Destinations 631 Monroe St. Denver, CO 80206 Cathy@BetterDestinations.us 847.774.0106 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS17 understanding of the project 20 proposed work plan 05 agency overview 10 project team 36 relevant experience 40 references table of contents31 timeline and budget agency overview a. AGENCY OVERVIEWMMGY NextFactor is an industry-leading consulting firm specializing in travel and tourism. Our team of experts has delivered insights and strategies to more than 260 destinations across the globe. We empower our clients and the travel industry at large to deliver sustainable growth to visitor economies and build stronger communities. Our firm was founded by Paul Ouimet in 2015, following the launch of our ground-breaking DestinationNEXT initiative. Our collective team saw the opportunity to blaze a new trail for visitor economies and help destinations prepare for the next era of travel. We believe in the transformative power of travel. We realize that to be a leader in the tourism sector today is to be an architect of future economies, societies and possibilities. We provide the intelligence, insight and inspiration these leaders require to make a meaningful, sustainable and equitable difference in their communities. In 2019, we joined forces with MMGY Global, the world’s largest integrated marketing company specializing in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. As part of the MMGY Global family, our clients have access to insights and experts across multiple agencies throughout the world. agency overview 06 Better Destinations is a flexible consulting practice founded on a belief that healthy visitor ecosystems grow from addressing a holistic range of considerations. Based in Denver, the woman- owned consultancy is equipped to assist destinations and other organizations in maximizing the benefits of tourism while addressing impacts to achieve overall positive outcomes, including stakeholder support. Since its founding in May 2021, Better Destinations has taken on projects with Glacier Country Tourism in Western Montana, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, the Port Aransas (TX) Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce, Destination North Myrtle Beach and Visit Durango. It also serves as a strategic advisor to CrowdRiff, a tourism-focused technology company. The consultancy draws upon Founder & CEO Cathy Ritter’s decade of experience as state tourism director for two powerhouse states and her track record of creating customized, insight-led solutions to pressing tourism challenges. A specialty is action- oriented destination management planning, especially relating to sustainable or regenerative tourism. Another is guiding creation of initiatives to address specific objectives, whether low-impact tourism, visitor preparedness, inclusion in travel, workforce development or other interests requiring stakeholder engagement. Better Destinations is fueled by the power of partnership. Like few others, it offers a strong capability for bringing people together to create timely and innovative solutions. It also draws strength from a deep awareness of emerging trends and readiness to leverage the right expert resources, whether local or global, at the right time. a. AGENCY OVERVIEWFounded in 2003, the Travel Foundation (TTF), works globally to understand and improve the impacts of tourism on communities, environment, and resources. The organization’s deep experience and understanding of how tourism works - in companies, in communities, and in policy – allows it to identify issues and root causes and offer practical solutions towards solving them. TTF offers a unique and global perspective, having worked in more than 40 countries, and with more than 100 years combined tourism experience, TFF has built a vast international network, through which it can draw and share expertise and know-how. TTF has worked with many destination authorities, supporting them to develop inclusive, equitable and low-impact tourism development and innovative management strategies, with a particular focus on understanding and addressing the impacts of tourism to generate a net-positive for communities. In 2019, TTF’s seminal report, “Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism,” helped reveal the hidden costs of tourism. The report has helped destinations more holistically account for the costs and benefits of tourism. As a founding member and Chair of the Future of Tourism Coalition, TTF will continue to play a leading role in defining the solutions and knowledge that will help the tourism sector respond to the clarion call for continuous improvement. TTF has recently supported destinations (including Colorado Tourism Office and Visit California) with a Destination Recovery and Resilience program, using a proprietary framework, integrated into tools and training, to help DMOs understand impacts, trends and demands, and future-proof their tourism sectors. 07 Strategic Marketing and Research Insights (SMARInsights) In its 30 years of conducting research for tourism destinations, SMARInsights has worked with more than 35 state tourism organizations, more than 85 local convention and visitors bureaus, and 20 attractions. its mission is to provide each client with personalized consultation and research design based on fully integrated marketing research services. It works with a variety of local, regional, national and international clients and has experience with many types of research techniques, both traditional and new. SMARInsights has steadily evolved throughout its history, as the travel and research industries have changed and developed new technologies and techniques. The firm has worked with numerous destinations to gain insight into their image and appeal, whether for a broad tourism audience or targeted segments. It also is experienced in identifying the best messaging to influence interest and visitation. SMARInsights also has built expertise in conducting studies of resident opinion to help guide tourism development and marketing issues. Its key staff has experience heading DMOs, and thus understand the issues and challenges that a DMO faces. 08SECTION NAME ADD HERE08AGENCY OVERVIEW +BestCities Global Alliance +Blue Mountain Village Assoc. +Boulder CVB +Coastal Mississippi +Destination Ann Arbor +Destination Canada +Destination Cleveland +Destination Missoula +Discover Lancaster +Discover Lehigh Valley +Discover Puerto Rico +Discover Saint John +Discover the Palm Beaches +Experience Grand Rapids +Experience Olympia & Beyond +Glacier Country Tourism +Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB +Greater Lansing CVB +Greater Madison CVB +Greater Miami CVB +Greater Palm Springs CVB +Hawai’i Tourism Authority +Hilton Head Island CVB +Hocking Hills Tourism Assoc. +ICCA +Lake Placid (ROOST) +Maine Office of Tourism +Marquette County CVB +Meet Chicago Northwest +Meetingplace Copenhagen +Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB +New Smyrna Beach CVB +Newport Beach & Co +Ottawa Valley Tourism Assoc. +Providence Warwick CVB +Pure Michigan +Reno-Sparks CVB +Roseville Visitors Assoc. +Ruston-Lincoln CVB +Shreveport-Bossier CVB +Temple CVB +Tourism Kamloops +Tourism Toronto +Tourism Vancouver +Valley Forge CVB +Visit Aurora +Visit Albuquerque +Visit Anaheim +Visit Cape Breton +Visit Corpus Christi +Visit Dallas +Visit Frisco +Visit Mesa +Visit Milwaukee +Visit Napa Valley +Visit Newport Beach +Visit Norfolk +Visit Orlando +Visit Pittsburgh +Visit Phoenix +Visit San Antonio +Visit Temecula Valley +Visit Tri-Cities +Visit Tucson +Visit Walla Walla A list of current and past clients for strategic planning, state assessments, and destination master planning projects is provided below: +Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB +Breckenridge Tourism Office +Destination Ann Arbor +Explore Edmonton +Explore Waterloo Region +Frontenac County +Galena Country Tourism +Glacier Country Tourism +Greater Birmingham CVB +Greater Miami CVB +Greater Palm Springs CVB +Haliburton Highlands +Hilton Head Island CVB +Lake Placid (ROOST) +Travel Manitoba +Visit Buffalo Niagara +Visit Colorado Springs +Visit Denver +Visit Fort Worth +Visit Indy Strategic Plans Destination Master Plans current & past clients COLORADODENVERMIAMIBRECKENRIDGEMANITOBABIRMINGHAMHILTON HEAD ISLANDFORT WORTH AGENCY OVERVIEWMMGY NextFactor believes in the importance of cultivating a tourism industry that represents a wide variety of individuals at every level of our organization. We celebrate the broad range of human differences among us, while also embracing the commonalities we all share. We firmly stand by our belief that all industries should be open to everyone for opportunities and growth and that it is critical for industry CEOs and executive leaders to commit to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to drive a vision for change and be accountable for implementing that change. A diverse and inclusive workplace is central to our industry’s ability to attract, develop, and retain the talent it needs to remain competitive, drive innovation and maintain relevance. We stand committed to our vision to implement Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategies and best practices and promise to work with our members and industry leaders to be the catalyst for change. There is much work to be done and we must all come together to advance these dialogues to drive solutions. our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion 09 Our Commitment to Promoting Diversity in Travel MMGY Global recognizes its position as a leader in the global travel, tourism and hospitality industry. We are committed to lending our voice, our reach, and the work that results from our partnerships to better reflect the true diversity of our communities. “Inspiring People To Go Places” is more than a mantra; it is a commitment to ensure that the equitable promotion of communities, no matter their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender affiliation, and ability is a priority. MMGY Global continues to lead as a purveyor of primary research in North America and across the world. MMGY Travel Intelligence, the company’s research and insights division, maintains one of the most comprehensive databases of leisure and business travelers anywhere, helping hundreds of destination, hospitality and travel brands power strategic, data-driven marketing campaigns. MMGY NextFactor, the premier strategic planning firm focused on destination development, guides C-suite destination decision-makers globally in enacting change and openly discussing how the industry moves forward. Through a renewed focus on the development of Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ traveler studies and reports, including alliances with prominent advocacy groups for these groups, MMGY Global is enriching and promoting a deeper understanding of travelers across all communities. project team 11 SECTION NAME ADD HERE11 SECTION NAME ADD HEREPaul is President of NEXTFactor Enterprises Inc., a privately held company he established in 2015. In 2019, Paul sold a portion of NEXTFactor to MMGY Global, joining their global group of companies as Partner, President of MMGY NextFactor. He also serves as Managing Director of DestinationNEXT in a partnership with Destinations International, a professional trade association based in Washington DC. He was one of three founding partners of lnterVISTAS Consulting Inc. in 1997. For 20 years, he played a major role in building it into a multinational company with offices in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He continues as an executive consultant for lnterVISTAS. In March 2020, in partnership with Tourism Economics, MMGY NextFactor launched OrganizationNEXT, a project on Strategic Recovery Planning. Paul has successfully delivered strategic plans and master plans for many destination organizations, governments, non profit organizations, hotels and airports around the world. He has also completed organization reviews and developed start-up plans and business plans for new ventures. During the past six years, Paul has led the team that developed and delivered DestinationNEXT, an important Destinations International initiative informing the future of destination organizations. DestinationNEXT was ranked by Skift Magazine as one of the top 10 biggest developments in the global tourism industry in 2015. To date, the team has conducted over 260 assessments and workshops around the world. President, Partner | MMGY NextFactor Responsibilities: Chief Strategist, Project Advisor Visit Orlando Strategic Plan 2021 | Orlando, FL DestinationNEXT Futures Study (Ongoing) | Global ICCA Kaohsiung Protocol 2020 - Global Thought Leadership Initiative Destination Canada 2030 Strategic Plan 2020 | Canada Tourism Vancouver Mandate Review 2021 | Vancouver, BC Hilton Head Island Destination Master Plan 2019 - 2020 | Hilton Head, SC Washtenaw 2030 Destination Management Plan 2019 | Ann Arbor, MI Greater Victoria Destination Strategic Marketing & Management Plan Underway - Victoria, BC Discover Saint John Strategic Plan 2019 | Saint John, NB Breckenridge Destination Management Plan 2019 | Breckenridge, CO Madison Destination Strategy 2019 and 2016 | Madison, WI Greater Miami CVB 5-Year Strategic Plan 2019 | Miami, FL Visit New Smyrna Beach Strategic Plan 2019 | New Smyrna Beach, FL Discover Lehigh Valley Strategic Plan 2019 | Allentown, PA Manitoba Provincial Tourism Strategy 2018 | Manitoba Visit San Antonio Strategic Plan 2018 | San Antonio, TX Tourism Toronto Strategic Plan 2018 | Toronto, ON Colorado Springs & Pikes Peak Region Destination Master Plan 2018 | Colorado Springs, CO Visit Anaheim Strategic Plan 2015-2018 | Anaheim, CA Visit PITTSBURGH Strategic Tourism Plan 2018 and 2015 | Pittsburgh, PA Discover Puerto Rico Strategic Business Plan 2018 | San Juan, PR Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB Strategic Plan 2018 | Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Worth Destination Master Plan 2017 | Fort Worth, TX Birmingham 2025 Destination Master Plan 2016 | Birmingham, AL Denver Destination Plan 2025 2016 | Denver, CO Regional Indianapolis Tourism Master Plan 2015 | Indianapolis, IN Hotel Association of Canada Strategic Plan 2013 | Toronto, ON Canada Destination Organization Best Practices and Benchmarking Study 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 paul ouimet Relevant Project Experience 11 PROJECT TEAM 12 SECTION NAME ADD HERE12PROJECT TEAMManaging tourism dynamics during times of prosperity and crisis, Cathy has built a strong reputation for partnership and turning insights into action. From her award-winning journalism career to top roles in government and nonprofits, she has cultivated a network of expert resources, now a key asset for Better Destinations’ collaborative approach. Drawing from a decade of experience as state tourism director for two powerhouse states, Cathy has built a record of success in developing customized, insight-led solutions to emerging tourism challenges. In serving as Director of the Colorado Tourism Office from 2015 to 2021, she led development of the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, now recognized as an early model for destination management planning. Embracing the Roadmap’s new measures of success, she re- focused Colorado’s $20 million domestic and international marketing effort from attracting ever more visitors to driving a collection of benefits across the state, including increased traveler spending and rural economic development. Her work to build out the Roadmap’s new focus on stewardship is often credited with leading a national movement toward responsible tourism. To educate Colorado travelers about protecting resources, she approached the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in 2017, creating a ground-breaking alliance that has become a model for other destinations and fueled the state’s widely recognized Care for Colorado campaign. While at the helm of Colorado tourism, Cathy led five winter marketing campaigns touting not just ski and non-ski experiences, but Colorado’s winter state of mind. She led the agency to phase messaging through the winter season, rather than share a season-long static message. She led the state away from its “Best Skiing in America” winter platform to “Snow’s Perfect State” to create a unifying message for the entire snow industry. To offset impacts of the 2017-2018 low-snow season, she steered emergency funds to a national campaign. The pointed message -- “It’s snowing in Colorado. Don’t miss it.” -- was widely credited, by Vail Resorts included, with saving the season. Last year, she led a major collaboration to field Colorado’s first-ever winter backcountry safety awareness campaign and raise funds for Colorado Search and Rescue. Promotion of emerging on-mountain activities became a staple of Colorado’s summer campaign in recent years. Cathy has built strong connections with a wide range of North American and global travel experts and thought leaders. She currently serves as a Trustee of the Travel Foundation, a leading NGO focused on global tourism sustainability. Immediate past chair of the National Council of State Tourism Directors, she has served on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Travel Association and as an officer of the Western States Tourism Policy Council. She joined the travel industry in 1999 as Illinois’ state tourism director, leading the creation of a strategic plan that ultimately guided the state for nearly two decades. The Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association named her Industry Partner of the Year in 2018. Cathy is a contributing author for Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future (Island Press, May 2021). She recently was named as an advisor to America 250, the official planning organization for the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026. Founder & CEO | Better Destinations Responsibilities: Project Leader, Chief Strategist, Stakeholder Engagement, Visitor and Resident Research cathyritter 13 SECTION NAME ADD HERE13PROJECT TEAMJim is Senior Vice President of Destination Stewardship at MMGY NextFactor. He helps cities worldwide curate more immersive destination experiences, manage sustainable visitor growth, promote equitable economic development and elevate quality of life and quality of place. Jim leads the development and evolution of MMGY NextFactor’s destination master planning team and consulting practices. Jim has successfully delivered destination master plans for iconic cities such as Los Angeles, burgeoning ‘second cities’ such as Richmond, VA and emerging destinations such as the Quad Cities. Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor, Jim held senior positions with Destinations International, the global trade association for destination marketing organizations. Along with a Masters in Tourism with a focus on Sustainable Destination Management from George Washington University, Jim also holds a certificate in Placemaking and Community-Based Urbanism from New York University. SVP, Destination Stewardship | MMGY NextFactor Responsibilities: Project Leader, Chief Strategist, Stakeholder Engagement, Visitor and Resident Research jim mccaul Greg is SVP Innovation at MMGY NextFactor, focusing on the convergence of global trends driving tourism, community, and economic development. Greg is a lead destination management strategist and developer of MMGY NextFactor’s destination master plans and tourism strategy plans. He also oversees the ongoing evolution of Destination International’s industry-leading DestinationNEXT framework. Greg specializes in sustainable tourism strategy and equitable community growth, aligning public and private sector mandates to ensure the long-term social, economic and environmental viability of destinations worldwide. Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor, Greg led tourism research and brand partnerships at Skift, leveraging the industry shifts reshaping the global visitor economy. During his career, he has collaborated with many destination organizations of all sizes and budgets to help position them as thought leaders in their communities. SVP Innovation | MMGY NextFactor Responsibilities: Chief Strategist, Project Advisor, Trends Analysis greg oates 14 SECTION NAME ADD HERE14PROJECT TEAMShirin is the Destination Development Manager at MMGY NextFactor. She creatively helps destinations implement sustainable tourism strategies that lead to community engagement, socioeconomic growth, environmental conservation, and efficient destination management. Shirin spearheads the DestinationNEXT assessment program at MMGY NextFactor and has also worked with various destinations including Orlando, Ottawa, Buffalo, Edmonton, and Oregon on successfully delivering comprehensive long-term strategic and master planning projects. Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor, Shirin worked with San Francisco Travel Association on the development of an innovative citywide sustainable tourism development plan. She was also the lead consultant in an ecotourism development project in Abruzzo, Italy, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Having worked with the International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) as a consultant and graduate research assistant, Shirin is a published researcher with extensive background in international relations and policy, data analysis, and multi-language stakeholder communication. Shirin holds a Master of Tourism Administration degree with a concentration in Sustainable Tourism Development from The George Washington University, and has completed part of her graduate studies at the prestigious Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a minor in Economics from the San Francisco State University. Destination Development Manager | MMGY NextFactor Responsibilities: Data Analysis shirin jafari With extensive experience in more than 30 countries, Jeremy Sampson is a globally recognized leader, facilitator, speaker, and advocate in sustainable tourism. During his career he has supported business and destinations around the world on issues related to impact management, marketing, product development, and sustainability, and was one of the assessors for the Early Adopters Program, which encapsulated the initial pilot testing of the GSTC Destination Criteria. Jeremy has very recently been named one of the Top 100 Innovative People in Tourism Policy for 2021 (announcement forthcoming) and was instrumental in setting up the Future of Tourism Coalition in 2020. He currently serves as the Chair of this global coalition representing 6 NGOs and nearly 600 signatories. Prior to joining TTF as its CEO in 2019, he spent five years as VP of Communications and Partnerships at Sustainable Travel International and another two years as President of international tour operator, GreenSpot Travel. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies, teaching sustainable tourism communications and marketing, was elected to serve on the Executive Committee for the WCPA Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS), and currently serves on the GSTC’s Destination Working Group. Immediately prior to joining TTF, Jeremy worked at the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, where he designed and managed large-scale European Union-funded transnational cooperation initiatives, such as DestiMED, and was instrumental in launching the MEET Network, a region- wide ecotourism network and destination management organization that promotes ecotourism in protected areas and gateway communities across the Mediterranean. CEO | The Travel Foundation Chair | Future of Tourism Coalition Responsibilities: Strategist, Advisor - Optimizing Value Framework, Sustainability Analysis jeremy sampson 15 SECTION NAME ADD HERE15PROJECT TEAMRebecca is an experienced sustainable tourism consultant, passionate about using tourism responsibly to generate social and economic development benefits; empowering and engaging local communities in that process; whilst carefully managing the relationship between visitors and the landscape. She is skilled in stakeholder engagement as well as strategic analysis, with an ability to see the ‘big picture’ as well as focus on the detail needed to implement change. Her previous career as a solicitor also gives her a valuable insight into relevant policy, legal and regulatory frameworks. Rebecca has an MSc in Responsible Tourism Management (Distinction), for which her research focused on conditions for success of community- based tourism, and has worked with a variety of organisations ranging from large mainstream travel companies to destination-based assignments in the UK and internationally. Rebecca’s recent experience includes supporting development of a COVID recovery action plan for the Scottish Tourism Alliance and proposals to the Scottish Government, as well as a plan for future partnership and delivery arrangements for Edinburgh’s visitor economy. Both projects have provided her with valuable insight into the current challenges and opportunities for Scottish tourism, as well as the wider strategic landscape. Destination Specialist | The Travel Foundation Responsibilities: Analyst, Project Lead - Optimizing Value Framework rebeccaarmstrong Currently on sabbatical, Elke is Marketing Director of Visit Flanders, responsible for all the place-marketing activities for Flanders. She leads a team of 50 overseas and 40 at the Brussels head office, strengthening the reputation of Flanders and engaging the region’s community with a destination development and management agenda. Elke is the current chair of the European Tourism Commission Marketing Group, responsible for aligning European national tourist boards to creating and executing a pan- European marketing strategy, and a member of the board of trustees for both the Travel Foundation and the Impact Travel Alliance, the largest community of eco and social conscious travelers. Elke was voted Marketer of the Year 2019 by the Belgian Association of Marketing and recognized as one of the Top Women in Travel (2020). She holds a PHD in Communications, her research focusing on the influence of social media and online ‘word of mouth’ on travel decision making. Destination Strategist, Marketing Director | Visit Flanders (sabbatical) Responsibilities: Project Advisor, Resident Engagement & Marketing elkedens 16 SECTION NAME ADD HERE16PROJECT TEAMCo-founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, an initiative that supports tourism destinations, businesses and organisations working together to reduce their carbon emissions in line with the Science-Based Targets and to develop a resilient future for their industry, Jeremy was instrumental in the creation of the Glasgow Declaration, launched at COP 26 in November 2021 . Created in partnership with UNWTO, UNEP, Visit Scotland and the Travel Foundation, the Glasgow Declaration is a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism and to secure strong actions and commitment to cut tourism emissions in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050. Jeremy also co-founded and edits Travindy, the first travel industry news site to focus on the ideas, innovations and issues shaping a sustainable future for tourism and is a published author - Transforming Travel - realising the potential of sustainable tourism - was published in January 2018. He speaks regularly about responsible and sustainable tourism and provides copywriting and other communication services for sustainable tourism, ranging from digital campaigns and communication audits, to branding and sustainability strategy. Current and recent clients include Bruges Ommeland, GSTC, Travalyst, Tripadvisor, Rotterdam Partners, WTM, European Travel Commission, English National Parks, the Travel Foundation, Visit Finland, PATA, WTTC, and various independent hotels, lodges and tour companies. Jeremy co-wrote Clean Breaks - 500 New Ways to See the World, Rough Guides' only book dedicated to responsible tourism, and from 2001-2007 edited The Ecologist, the world's longest running environmental magazine. Climate Specialist & Founder | Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency Responsibilities: Project Advisor, Sustainability Analysis, Climate jeremysmith understanding of the project 18 SECTION NAME ADD HEREUNDERSTANDING OF PROJECTIn the past, the tourism sector typically defined itself by a single tactic: driving demand. To measure impact, it defined overall success by a single metric: volume. There are few sectors apart from tourism in which organizations expend so much more effort and resources on marketing a product than they do in developing and managing it. Addressing that gap in recent years, the world’s most progressive tourism organizations have been expanding beyond destination marketing to destination management. Vail is now at the forefront of a movement toward an even more enhanced role for DMOs -- destination stewardship. This mindset marks a further shift toward engaging with and caring for communities, which in turn, yields more liveable, lovable and sustainable destinations. understanding of the project Our team shares a belief that a healthy visitor economy should be designed to thrive, not necessarily to grow. Today, the majority of visitor economies around the world are designed to grow, regardless of whether growth makes a community better. We believe the critical question now facing destinations is this: “How can we create a visitor economy that meets the needs of our community, with or without growth?” As North America’s premier international mountain resort community, Vail already has achieved global recognition for ground-breaking work to sustain the integrity of its stunning resources and setting. With this project, the Town of Vail seeks to complete its last remaining task to achieve certification to the Mountain IDEAL. Further, reflecting the farsightedness that built Vail from the ground up in just 60 years, the community is creating a bold opportunity to shape its economic engine, culture, recreational assets and approach to natural resource management for its next decade or two. 19 SECTION NAME ADD HEREUNDERSTANDING OF PROJECTAs a Founding Signatory of the Future of Tourism Coalition, Vail is committed to using the Coalition’s 13 Guiding Principles as its lodestone for planning. It is seeking a planning partner with genuine expertise and a record of accomplishment in leading change and aligning destination stakeholders around shared goals. While recent consumer research indicates Colorado’s winter season is losing ground to Montana, Vail’s home state is still North America’s preeminent snow destination. Vail is seeking real solutions to the pressures of increasing visitor volume on resources amidst an eroding supply of affordable/attainable housing and skilled workers and the challenge of climate change-induced shifts in weather patterns. As a global destination requiring a year round economy, it needs deep insight into how to leverage its marketing and communications channels to attract visitors who will support and respect the destination. It seeks guidance on how to create even better experiences for guests, including strategies for providing more equitable access to all that Vail offers. It also sees opportunity in more fully celebrating the remarkable stories of its people and place. From its origins as the 10th Mountain Division’s training ground, Vail has played a pivotal role in Colorado’s history of winter sport, serving now as training ground and home for champions as well as host for numerous prestigious global ski and snowboarding championships. Its tradition of welcoming international visitors has broadened its community perspective in profound ways that merit telling. Our proposal is responsive to each of these requests. In the following pages, our planning team will explain how our proposed approach is built upon the three transformational opportunities identified in MMGY NextFactor’s DestinationNext 2021 Futures Study -- Destination Alignment, Sustainable Development and Values-Based Marketing. These three opportunities were identified from extensive research and input from destination leaders across the globe. They appear to be a perfect fit for framing the vision Vail has outlined for its Destination Stewardship Plan. proposed work plan 21 SECTION NAME ADD HEREDuring our project initiation meeting, we will discuss and finalize with the Town of Vail management team: +Project objectives, approach, timelines, and key milestones +Discussion of whether to form a steering committee and its composition +Approach to stakeholder engagement +Approach for capturing both resident sentiment and visitor insights +Communication plan +Approach to project management, including repository of key planning and source documents for review by the planning team Due to her Denver location, Cathy Ritter can be readily available for in-person meetings. In general, planning team members will be available for both in-person and online meetings (based on approval of travel). We propose using the project initiation meeting as an opportunity for key project team members to connect with the Town management team and familiarize themselves with the Vail destination. Following the project launch, we will finalize the work plan, which will form the basis for monitoring and reporting on project status throughout the engagement. project initiation & management PROPOSED WORK PLANTasks Consultations Deliverables a. Hold kickoff meeting to finalize the project plan and management structure b. Participate in a 1.5-day familiarization trip c. Identify existing research, destination plans and other planning documents d. Prepare a stakeholder consultation plan e. Project planning, management and monitoring +Town of Vail +Members of the Steering Committee (if relevant) +Updated project work plan +Stakeholder consultation plan 22SECTION NAME ADD HEREA comprehensive Destination Stewardship Plan requires a detailed examination of the current and future state of Vail’s planning terrain, as well as a thorough analysis of resident sentiment and visitor perceptions and attitudes. We will work with the Town of Vail to undertake the following: +Data Analysis: This will involve gathering and analyzing destination metrics such as visitor count, visitor profile, spending, seasonality, source markets, and length of stay. +Resident Sentiment: Our team proposes to engage Strategic Research and Marketing Insights (SMARInsights) to deliver a formal resident sentiment survey. SMARInsights will manage the resident sentiment survey to ensure a representative response and an accurate measure of resident attitudes and preferences. The survey will be designed in consultation with you to address key issues of interest. Additionally, SMARI will align the resident survey with the visitor survey described below to provide side-by-side comparisons and understand both similarities and differences in the attitudes of residents and consumers. +Visitor Brand Perception Study: Vail is expressing a desire to identify travelers whose interests align with the goals of the community and to gain insight into how to influence visitors to travel more sustainably. Simply stated, by attracting the right consumers with the right messaging, Vail can fuel the primary driver of its economy, while addressing resident interests. We propose engaging SMARInsights at a cost of $20,000 to deliver a Brand Perception and Consumer Segmentation Study. This approach not only will provide Vail with insight into its unique market position, but will deliver valuable guidance for its Destination Stewardship Plan. By fielding this study after a thorough review of existing research, we can ensure that it will build on existing knowledge, is steeped in Vail’s current situation, and addresses gaps in existing research. This research will assess Vail’s competitive environment and overall image, including both strengths and weaknesses, for winter and for summer and fall, based on the perspective of recent and potential visitors, being mindful of the appeal and impact of its major resort. We also will examine how Vail’s stand on sustainable tourism influences its image and appeal. Statistical analysis of findings will point to what differentiates Vail, what is important for visitors who value sustainable travel and opportunities for influencing behavior. A key deliverable is a perceptual map, pointing Vail to opportunities for differentiating its messages and product offerings for visitors and ultimately how visitor patterns might change based on promotion of various messages. Among other benefits, SMARInsights’ perceptual maps also can be used to assess the size of the audience that values sustainability, profile this audience, and identify the key messaging to differentiate Vail from the competition. The survey will be shared with 1,200 past and potential Vail visitors across the U.S. Potential visitors are those with past visitation to similar mountain communities or who express interest in visiting Vail in the future. +DestinationNEXT Assessment: MMGY NextFactor will provide the Town of Vail with its first-ever DestinationNEXT Assessment. This will benchmark key components of Vail’s power as a destination against those of hundreds of other global destinations. This assessment is a comprehensive stakeholder survey that measures both destination strength and community alignment, based on a series of 24 variables. To date, MMGY NextFactor has led more than 250 detailed assessments of destinations around the world. Its assessment tool is the only platform officially endorsed by Destinations International. foundationalresearch PROPOSED WORK PLAN1phase 23SECTION NAME ADD HERE +Trend Analysis: MMGY NextFactor will leverage its ongoing research and knowledge of industry trends and best practices, including more than 400 powerful case studies of proven NEXTPractices in sustainable destination management and community alignment developed through our proprietary DestinationNEXT initiative. +Sustainability Analysis and Recommendations: The Travel Foundation will document, review and analyze Vail’s existing initiatives relating to sustainable tourism and destination management, as well as benchmark current global trends in these areas, identifying recent case studies and good practices that can serve as relevant inspiration for this project’s outcomes. This review will build on Vail’s progress in addressing the requirements of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council destination criteria and the Mountain IDEAL, exploring further areas in more depth such as impact management, optimizing tourism’s value, climate action, and destination stewardship. The Travel Foundation will utilize the Future of Tourism Coalition’s 13 Guiding Principles as a framework, to identify gaps and opportunities in current policies and practices and identify ways to address them consistent with Town policies and plans. +Situational Analysis: Upon completion of the foundational research, we will prepare a synthesis and analysis presentation of our key findings. The synthesis and analysis will summarize the current state of the tourism ecosystem in Vail as well as potential challenges and opportunities. foundationalresearch PROPOSED WORK PLANTasks Consultations Deliverables a. Collect and analyze destination metrics b. Identify relevant local, national, global trends c. Conduct DestinationNEXT assessment d. Analyze and identify gaps and opportunities related to Vail’s sustainability and destination management practices e. Situational analysis +Residents +Past and prospective visitors +Industry and community leaders and stakeholders +Government leaders +Vail’s six Memorandum of Understanding Partners +Resident Sentiment Study +Brand Perception and Customer Segmentation Survey +Comprehensive DestinationNEXT assessment of destination strength and community alignment +Analysis and Identification of gaps and opportunities for Vail’s destination management and sustainability practices 1phase 24SECTION NAME ADD HERE24COMPANY OVERVIEWS & EXPERTISEPROPOSED WORK PLANDuring the past six years, Paul Ouimet created and has led the ground- breaking DestinationNEXT initiative, on behalf of Destinations International. This work has included: +Four Futures Studies that identified: +Key trends in leisure tourism and business events; and +Implications for DMOs and key strategies required in today’s changing world. +The development of a powerful scenario model & online diagnostic tool to assess destinations. Using this model, we have completed over 280 detailed assessments of destinations in 11 countries. We have also compiled over 400 case studies of recommended NEXTPractices to help DMOs improve visitor experiences and community alignment. leveraging destinationnext VOYAGERS Strong Community Alignment Developing DestinationEstablished DestinationWeak Community Alignment EXPLORERS TRAILBLAZERS MOUNTAINEERS Scenario Model 24 1phase 25SECTION NAME ADD HERE25PROPOSED WORK PLANDestinationNEXT is the only self-assessment tool that combines the most wide-ranging industry research available with community and stakeholder input, to provide destinations with strategies for sustainable growth. The online diagnostic tool is designed to assist DMOs in conducting an objective self-assessment which will help them determine priorities and strategies for the future. The tool presents a framework that DMO leaders and communities can use to critically assess the destination. It also helps to start a conversation and provide focus on what needs to be done in the future. The tool is based on 24 variables related to destination strength and alignment. Within each variable, a series of metrics are also identified which offer the opportunity for DMOs to gather data and provide a more in-depth look at the variable. DestinationNEXT 2.0 To ensure proper representation of all new and future industry trends, we recently launched DestinationNEXT 2.0 assessment. Updated variables include but are not limited to health & safety, sustainability & resiliency, arts, culture & heritage, equity, diversity & inclusion, and emergency preparedness. In consultation with the client, a survey will be prepared using the DestinationNEXT scenario model. Additional questions to address some specific issues and topics can be added. An email with a link to the survey will be prepared for distribution by the client to key stakeholders and clients. Destination Strength Destination Alignment +Attractions & Experiences +Arts, Culture & Heritage +Dining, Shopping & Entertainment +Outdoor Recreation +Conventions & Meetings +Events & Festivals +Sporting Events +Accommodations +Local Mobility & Access +Destination Access +Communication Infrastructure +Health & Safety +Business Support +Community & Resident Support +Government Support +Organization Governance +Workforce Development +Hospitality Culture +Equity, Diversity & Inclusion +Funding Support & Certainty +Regional Cooperation +Sustainability & Resiliency +Emergency Preparedness +Economic Development destinationnext assessment 1phase 26SECTION NAME ADD HERE2phase Our Destination Stewardship Plans begin with a vision and framework for tourism in the destination, with a focus on ensuring economic sustainability while preserving the quality of life for residents and quality of place for visitors. Throughout this phase of work, our team will draw inspiration from the key trends and strategies identified in the DestinationNEXT 2021 Futures Study. The proposed Pillars for our planning framework will be the three transformational opportunities identified in the Futures Study: +Destination Alignment: Identifying strategies to drive destination performance through alignment among Vail’s key sectors -- civic, public and private, including residents. +Sustainable Development: Identifying strategies to drive destination management and product development in ways that marry people, planet, prosperity and policy. +Values-Based Marketing: Creating a new competitive advantage and attracting preferred visitor segments by tapping into community values, goals and energy. Collectively, these three opportunities are a close fit for the areas of focus the Town of Vail has outlined in its RFP -- from aligning the Vail community around solutions to its most pressing issues to advancing sustainability practices to focusing future marketing efforts on communicating community values, including sustainable tourism. Our Destination Stewardship Planning process will include extensive stakeholder consultation. Regardless of which stakeholders we are consulting, we will be framing discussions in ways that shed light on how Vail can maximize the three transformational opportunities above. Another focus for stakeholder consultation will be identifying costs and benefits of tourism to inform the Optimizing Tourism Framework. We recognize and respect the work already done in the destination and consider these already developed and implemented plans, goals, efforts, and objectives a strong foundation to build upon. The ultimate goal of Phase II is to achieve community alignment around a Destination Stewardship Plan that will be shared with the Vail Town Council for adoption. To ensure the best use of budget, we propose the Town of Vail management team take the lead on scheduling stakeholder consultation sessions as well as managing logistics for in-person meetings and workshops. One-on-one Interviews: An interview guide will be developed with key questions for one-on-one consultations with up to 20 key stakeholders. Focus Groups:These sessions will include a short presentation, followed by a highly interactive discussion on addressing key opportunities and challenges for Vail’s visitor economy. A total of 10 to 12 focus groups may be allocated by industry segment (hotels and accommodations; culinary and restaurants; ski and outdoor recreation; arts, history and culture, etc.) or by topic (sustainable tourism, public lands management, marketing, transportation, etc.) destination stewardship plan PROPOSED WORK PLAN 27SECTION NAME ADD HERE2phasedestination stewardship plan PROPOSED WORK PLANVisioning workshops: Engaging a diverse set of stakeholders throughout the planning process is foundational for a destination stewardship plan. We propose three visioning workshops open to all community members, whether businesses, nonprofits, land managers, MOU partners, elected leaders and of course, residents. We will employ a facilitation tool called Mentimeter to ensure that all voices, not just the loudest in the room, are heard. Our team is practiced in using initial responses on Mentimeter as a springboard for deeper exploration and discussion. +Session One: We will invite participants to take an honest look at the benefits and drawbacks of Vail’s tourism economy, assess impacts of visitor volume, explore preferred visitor characteristics and consider opportunities to advance Vail’s commitment to sustainability. The aim is to understand costs and benefits across four desired ‘well-being’ states: economic, environmental, social, and cultural. +Session Two: Participants will hear initial findings, weigh in on a draft impact map for the Optimizing Value Framework (see description below) and consider initial recommendations. +Session Three: Participants will share feedback on draft vision, mission and purpose statements as well as validate key components for the draft Destination Stewardship Plan and the Optimizing Value Framework. Optimizing Value Framework: A key purpose for stakeholder consultation will be consideration of the Travel Foundation’s Optimizing Value Framework. This proprietary concept provides a methodical approach to help key stakeholders visualize what balanced tourism can look like in the local context and map the various impacts and costs of tourism, whether positive or detrimental. Stakeholders also will be able to prioritize key indicators of success based on a shared vision for a tourism economy that delivers true value and net positive benefits for the people of its destination. The Optimizing Value Framework will point to actionable recommendations for balance in Vail’s tourism economy. Half-Day Visioning Workshop: The objective of the visioning process is to build steady momentum toward a shared vision for the future of Vail’s visitor economy. A pivotal step in this process is to convene a final half-day visioning workshop for the Town’s management team and key stakeholders, perhaps its steering committee or the six MOU Partners, This facilitated engagement will present these key leaders with a synthesis of findings from throughout the planning process as well as a draft of the Optimizing Value Framework. Participants will be supported to identify priorities and share further insights. The goal is to end the workshop with strong alignment around a shared vision that can motivate disparate stakeholders to unite in achieving what otherwise might be unachievable. Draft Recommendations: Following the Half-Day Visioning Workshop, we will develop a draft vision, mission and purpose statements for the Town of Vail along with a set of goals and recommendations for the Destination Stewardship Plan. We will then conduct validation sessions with key stakeholders and the third and final community visioning workshop to ensure buy-in and consensus. Final Plan: Once the draft recommendations have been validated by key stakeholders, we develop a final Destination Stewardship Plan for the Town of Vail. To ensure the budgeted dollars are maximized, we propose that the Town of Vail and MOU partners complete the design of the report. If this is not feasible, our team of designers will lay out and design the plan according to your organization's brand guidelines for an additional $7,000. Once the final plan is approved, we will join you in presenting the plan to the Vail Town Council for approval. 28SECTION NAME ADD HERE2phase Communication Plan: To ensure the full engagement of the Vail community and transparency throughout the planning process, we propose that Vail develop a microsite or webpage to share findings, research, media coverage, and planning milestones as well as to facilitate signups for communitywide visioning workshops. Based on our recommendation, Glacier Country Tourism developed this microsite for its website’s Partner Center. We also will work with Vail on methods to publicize the resident workshops and survey work as well as the planning process in general, whether through paid or earned media. All three of our organizations will seek opportunities for Vail to share the ground-breaking nature of its Destination Stewardship Plan as both a national and global model for others. destination stewardship plan PROPOSED WORK PLANTasks Consultations Deliverables Stakeholder Engagement a. Prepare discussion guides b. Conduct 20 one-on-one consultation meetings c. Facilitate 10 to 12 focus groups d. Facilitate 3 visioning workshops for community engagement e. Support development of Communication Plan and messaging Stakeholder Analysis a. Prepare a synthesis and analysis of key takeaways of stakeholder engagement Half-day Visioning Workshop a. Prepare the draft impact map b. Prepare session materials c. Facilitate a half-day visioning workshop Draft Recommendations a. Prepare draft vision, mission and purpose statements b. Draft goals and objectives c. Draft Optimizing Value Framework d. Conduct validation sessions with key stakeholders, including the final community workshop Finalize Plan a. Prepare draft Destination Stewardship Plan b. Work with the Town of Vail to review/edit/finalize the plan for Town Council consideration +Town of Vail +Key Industry, Government, Community Leaders +Steering Committee (if applicable) +Vail’s 6 MOU Partners +Community stakeholders +Residents +PowerPoint deck of key takeaways from research and engagement +Optimizing Value Framework for Vail +Final Destination Stewardship Plan 29SECTION NAME ADD HERE29 facilitation methods Our proven facilitation strategy builds alignment and generates proactive recommendations, supported by all stakeholders. We use Mentimeter, an innovative technology to facilitate meetings efficiently and effectively. It is a web-based collaborative and interactive tool that allows individuals to submit and prioritize ideas and actions. Menti provides the following benefits: +High volume idea generation from which important ideas emerge +The ability to engage a diverse group of individuals, in an anonymous environment to promote honest idea generation, voting and collaboration +A transparent means to immediately compare, prioritize and evaluate ideas to generate consensus and momentum +An effective and time-sensitive means to synthesize and organize ideas directly into strategic plans The software can be used in real-time, involving on-site and off-site participants or as a survey instrument sent as an email with a link to a direct, secure site.PROPOSED WORK PLAN2phase 30SECTION NAME ADD HERE3phase While the Destination Stewardship Plan tackles the “what” and “why” of the destination, the Implementation and Action Plan is all about “how” the recommendations will be carried out, “who” will be responsible for them and “when” they will be delivered. The reality is that no single individual or organization will be able to implement this plan alone. It will require the support of a broad reaching group of contributors and a ‘Team Vail’ philosophy. Our approach to developing an implementation and action plan lays out the goals and recommendations in the Destination Stewardship Plan and articulates how we’ll get there, how success will be measured and who will be responsible for executing on each. To this end, our team is prepared to assist Vail in developing a transparent way of sharing both the one-year action plan and the long-term action plan, as well as its progress in implementing it. A fine example can be found in the way Visit Indy is portraying the outcomes of its planning work. The Travel Foundation will take the lead on developing concrete recommendations for advancing Vail’s sustainability goals, including ongoing governance and collaborative mechanisms to support identified priorities. The Travel Foundation also will work with the Vail management team and its six MOU Partners to identify potential destination- level climate action recommendations. Ultimately, the Implementation & Action Plan will reflect the full range of recommendations emerging from the planning process for each planning Pillar, whether Destination Alignment, Sustainable Development or Values-Based Marketing -- or other key Pillars identified through this shared work. implementation & action plan PROPOSED WORK PLANTasks Consultations Deliverables a. Prepare Implementation & Action Plan b. Work with Town of Vail to review/edit plan +Town of Vail +Implementation & Action Plan timeline and budget 32SECTION NAME ADD HERETIMELINEPhases & Tasks Month (January - December) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Project Initiation & Management a. Hold kickoff meeting to finalize the project plan and management structure b. Participate in a 1.5-day familiarization trip c. Identify existing research, destination plans and other planning documents d. Prepare a stakeholder consultation plan e. Project planning, management and monitoring Phase 1 - Foundational Research a. Collect and analyze destination metrics b. Identify relevant local, national, global trends c. Conduct resident sentiment study d. Conduct visitor brand perception study e. Conduct DestinationNEXT assessment f. Analyze and identify gaps and opportunities related to Vail’s sustainability and destination management practices g. Situational analysis Phase 2 - Destination Stewardship Plan Stakeholder Engagement a. Prepare discussion guides b. Conduct 20 one-on-one consultation meetings c. Facilitate 10 to 12 focus groups d. Facilitate 3 visioning workshops for community engagement e. Support development of Communication Plan and messaging Stakeholder Analysis a. Prepare a synthesis and analysis of key takeaways of stakeholder engagement Half-day Visioning Workshop a. Prepare the draft impact map b. Prepare session materials c. Facilitate a half-day visioning workshop Draft Recommendations a. Prepare draft vision, mission and purpose statements. b. Draft goals and recommendations, proposing both immediate and long-term priorities as well as roles and responsibilities for implementing them. c. Draft Optimizing Value Framework d. Conduct validation sessions with key stakeholders Finalize Plan a. Prepare draft master plan report b. Work with the Town of Vail to review/edit/finalize plan for Town Council consideration Phase 3 - Implementation & Action Plan a. Prepare Implementation & Action Plan b. Work with Town of Vail to review/edit plan relevant experience 37SECTION NAME ADD HERE37RELEVANT EXPERIENCEBackground The Town of Breckenridge, Colorado wanted to elevate and protect its authentic character and brand while retaining a hometown feel and friendly atmosphere. But, as the destination grew in popularity, so did friction between visitors, residents, governments, and tourism organizations. If left unmanaged, the increasing number of travelers could undermine the quality of life for residents and lessen the destination experience for visitors. The Breckenridge Tourism Office wanted a Destination Management Plan to help mitigate those types of challenges by providing inspired solutions to protect and enhance the town’s authentic character. Results The Destination Management Plan delivered a new vision to harmonize “Quality of Life for Residents and Quality of Place for Visitors.” The plan outlined four strategic goals aligned around elevating the long-term viability of the local economy, maintaining the community’s authentic character, protecting the environment, and improving the overall destination experience for both visitors and residents. +Deliver a balanced year-round visitor economy by 2024 +Elevate and fiercely protect Breckenridge’s authentic character and brand — our hometown feel and friendly atmosphere +More boots and bikes, less cars +Establish Breckenridge at the leading edge in mountain environmental stewardship and sustainable practices The plan was so well received, in fact, Breckenridge’s Town Hall adopted the visitor strategy as its own. Approach Our approach was anchored in a robust series of community engagement initiatives to ensure key stakeholders and residents were aligned around a collective vision for their future. Community members from across Breckenridge shared their views on the opportunities and challenges in the local visitor economy in a variety of formats including: 35+ one-on-one interviews, 13 focus groups with various industry and community segments, and three town halls with a wide cross section of participants. All together, there were more than 250 individual engagements and more than 1,100 survey participants, leading to a broad coalition of agreed upon priorities and strategies between the Town of Breckenridge, Breckenridge Tourism Office, and local people who make Breckenridge such a dynamic destination. 1 breckenridgedestination plan The full planning document can be found here. 38SECTION NAME ADD HERE38SECTION NAME ADD HERERELEVANT EXPERIENCEBackground Upon completion of Denver’s DestinationNEXT Assessment, Visit Denver sought a blueprint and aligned plan on how the tourism experience in Denver would define the destination community. NEXTFactor and InterVISTAS were engaged in early 2016 to complete Denver’s first ever community-wide Destination Plan. Approach The approach and methodology have now been established in creating Denver’s Destination Plan, and key initiatives are now underway, including: +Marketplace advisory group sessions +Consultation with community advisory groups and key stakeholders +Development of a survey to generate input from local residents on tourism in the Greater Denver area +Development of a competitive analysis of key competing destinations +Development of current major industry trends for leisure and group sectors denver 2025destination plan 2 Results The Destination Plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors. It included bold, new initiatives to: expand meeting and convention business infrastructure; attract more visitor-driven events; create more world-class attractions; and enhance connectivity & mobility. The full planning document can be found here. 39SECTION NAME ADD HERE39SECTION NAME ADD HERERELEVANT EXPERIENCEBackground Colorado’s visitor industry has grown tremendously in recent years, increasing at twice the national average since 2009 and becoming one of the very top U.S. vacation destinations in the western United States. In May 2016, the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) initiated a strategic planning process to ensure that the state’s tourism industry maximizes its full potential. Approach Led by the Colorado Tourism Office, the Roadmap incorporates the voices of more than 1,000 tourism industry professionals, elected leaders and Coloradans. The plan was shaped not only by these insights, gathered in more than 20 listening sessions across the state and via survey posted on a public website, but from extensive analysis of existing CTO research as well as original research. Initial findings were compiled into a State of the Industry report shared first at the annual Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in September 2016 and, subsequently, during a fresh round of statewide listening sessions. colorado tourismroadmap 3 Results This body of work inspired development of both Mission and Vision statements as well as four key Pillars — Compete, Create, Steward and Advocate — that form the Roadmap’s foundation. Each Pillar is supported by objectives, strategies and tactics aimed at guiding the CTO and its industry partners in building Colorado’s competitive advantage through both prosperous and challenging times. The full planning document can be found here. our references 41 SECTION NAME ADD HEREour references Lucy Kay President & CEO Breckenridge Tourism Office 111 Ski Hill Rd Breckenridge, CO 80424 Phone: 970.453.5054 Email: lkay@gobreck.com Project: Breckenridge Destination Management Plan Racene Friede President & CEO Glacier Country Tourism 4852 Kendrick Pl Missoula, MT 59808 Phone: 406.532.3235 Email: racene@glaciermt.com Project: Glacier Country Destination Stewardship Plan Mary Kerr President & CEO Destination Ann Arbor 315 W. Huron Street Ann Arbor, MI 49103 Phone: 734.995.7281 Email: mkerr@annarbor.org Project: Washtenaw 2030 Destination Master Plan REFERENCES NEXTFACTOR ENTERPRISES INC. ADDRESS 5 Strachan Point Rd. West Vancouver, BC Canada V7W 1C1 PHONE +1.250.317.5838 WEBSITE nextfactorinc.com