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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-19 - Minutes -Fayetteville A&P Commission Meeting Minutes – May 19, 2025 Virtual Meeting – 2:00 p.m. Present: Chair Elvis Moya, Elliot Hunt, Sterling Hamilton, Mike Wiederkehr, Sarah Bunch, Chrissy Sanderson Absent: Katherine Kinney Staff: Jennifer Walker I. Call to Order Chair Moya called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. Approval of Minutes Commissioner Wiederkehr moved to approve the April 28th meeting minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hunt and passed by roll call vote. III. New Business A. CEO Report – Jennifer Walker CEO Walker provided an executive summary of activities from the previous month: - Signage: New publications and maps have been installed in the downtown area. Updated wayfinding signage has been added at the Visitors Center and Experience Fayetteville. - Impossible Routes: The cycling event concluded with over 40 hours of riding and strong social media engagement. - Bikepacking Campaign: A three-month targeted campaign launched in partnership with Arkansas Tourism. - Events: Sundays on the Square began with good attendance. The Strawberry Festival also saw good turnout despite severe weather. - Town Center: Hosted 16 events in April, including CASA NWA, U of A Engineering Capstone, and FHS Prom. - Restaurant Updates: Welcomed Akira Hibachi & Sushi, Taqueria Lucha, Sakura Poke Sushi & Grill (coming soon), Café Lavande, and noted the closures of Savoy Tea Co and El Sole Mexican. Mount Sequoyah is seeking a new coffee shop tenant. B. Financial Report – Jennifer Walker Jennifer Walker presented the financial statements, included in the board packets. - Revenue: 31% YTD (on target) - Expenses: 34% YTD (slightly over target of 31%) - HMR Tax Collections: $1.6 million year-to-date. Another slow month is expected based on lodging trends. - Balance Sheet: $4.6 million in cash and investments; $197,000 in unearned revenue for upcoming Town Center events. C. Marketing Report – Sarah King Sarah King introduced Anne Davis from Outright, who presented on current and upcoming marketing initiatives: - Campaigns targeting new direct flights (e.g., Salt Lake City, Philadelphia) and upcoming U of A Game Days. - Highlighted new digital tactics, including connected TV ads and a campaign landing page with customizable itineraries. - Campaign performance is being measured using ad platform data, website engagement, and Arrivalist insights. Campaign will have more data for the June meeting. -Anne introduced Wildsam Digital Guide whose readership is a good fit for Fayetteville - Upcoming promotions include Restaurant Week (July 20–26), an outdoors- focused fall campaign, an SEC town article in StyleBluePrint and earned media with Gear Junkie. - Additional ideas from Chair Moya and Commissioner Bunch included features on local cocktails, dog-friendly patio restaurants, splash pads, and summer activities for non-students. - Restaurant Week registration opens June 10. Commissioner Sanderson shared positive feedback from prior participation. Commissioner Hamilton suggested sourcing content from local restaurants. D. Dickson Street Art Court Grant – Tyler Wilson VP Wilson presented a recommendation to accept a new two-year grant from the Tyson Family Foundation to support the continued operations of the Dickson Street Art Court. The memo and grant agreement were included in the meeting packet. Commissioner Wiederkehr moved to accept the new two-year grant from the Tyson Family Foundation for continued operations of the Dickson Street Art Court and to authorize the Interim CEO to execute the grant agreement. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hamilton and passed unanimously. E. Added Agenda Item – Margin Protection Program Commissioner Hamilton requested to add an agenda item to request an update on the Margin Protection Program introduced in April. Commissioner Sanderson moved to add the item to the agenda, seconded by Chair Moya. Motion passed unanimously. CEO Walker reported that staff received information from Commissioner Hamilton with ideas for organizing the program. Initial internal discussions have begun. Staff will present recommendations at the June meeting for discussion, with a possible vote in July. Adjournment Commissioner Sanderson moved to adjourn the meeting. Commissioner Wiederkehr seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 3:12 p.m. Minutes provided by Amy Stockton, Experience Fayetteville