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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-02-14 - Minutes• ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING February 14, 2005 • • Commissioners Present: Dan Coody, Neal Crawford, Pat Gazzola, Don Marr, David McGeady, and Maudie Schmitt. Commissioners Absent: Curtis Shipley Staff Present: Willistine Smith, Allyson Twiggs and Marilyn Heifner Chairman David McGeady called the regular monthly meeting of the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission to order on February 14, 2005 at the Fayetteville Town Center Mockingbird Room at 2:00 p.m. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN David McGeady was nominated by Mayor Coody. Neal Crawford nominated Pat Gazzola. McGeady received one vote, Gazzola received 3 votes. Gazzola was elected chairman of the commission. MINUTES Moved by Marr, second by Coody to approve the minutes of the January 10, 2005 regular meeting. Motion carried. HMR REVENUES HMR revenues for January were $153,048.10, a 12.59% increase over last January. Hotel revenues were up 16.40% and restaurant revenues were up 6.73%. FINANCIAL REPORT Larry Bilbrey presented the financials for the month of January. Moved by Coody, second by Crawford to approve the financial statements. Motion carried. CITY ATTORNEY City Attorney Kit Williams reported that the Prosecutor's office collected $8,500 delinquent HMR taxes in January. Most of this was from a single owner of a former restaurant that the City Prosecutor (with the assistance of the police) has been pursuing for several months. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Marilyn Heffner reported a significant jump in advertising inquiries in January (a 110% increase) and in internet unique visits and per day average visits (97% increase). Manlyn manned a booth at the Tulsa Boat, Sport, and Travel Show for Fayetteville in conjunction with Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association. We distributed brochures and found a number of people who come over here at least twice a year. She and Allyson attended a reception for Skip Rutherford, president of the Clinton Library Foundation. • We will have an article in the Apnl issue of Ozark Monthly magazine. Marilyn also attended an Arkansas River Connection meeting, a group linking the railroad, rivers, and roads from NWA to Pine Bluff. CVB REPORT Allyson Twiggs told the Commissions that the Tyson Invitational had a packed house. Dick Johnson has gotten the state soccer championships here in 2005. She distributed a Convention Alert and a Sales Lead sheet that is being generated by the new CVB software and is being sent to business around where the actual event is being held. Don Marr asked if that could be send to a wider audience. Allyson agreed to send it to anyone who requested to be on the distribution list. TOWN CENTER REPORT Willistme Smith reported that the contracted sales at the Town Center were up 19% in January. The Town Center had a 62% increase in completed events. Average sales per event increased 12% as well. The staff participated in the Bridal Fail on January 15 and had 108 inquiries and leads from that event. • AGENCY REPORT Brian Clark indicated that the Agency was pleased with the inquiries. The on-line advertising which Fayetteville is running is directing people to the website. The Visitor Guide will be 28 pages, based on ads sold, and in keeping with the 1/3 to 2/3 advertising to editorial ratio. They have extended the deadline a few more days • The spring campaign is in full swing. In March, the Agency will bring the new ads that are running. The Govemor's conference on Tourism will be March 6-8 in Little Rock. He encouraged the Commissioners to attend. The legislature is in session and has a bill in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee to tax advertising by repealing the exemption. OTHER BUSINESS Clinton House Museum Allyson presented the business plan for the Clinton House Museum. Commissioners asked the staff to look at zoning, sustaining the visitors we expect, restroom facilities, parking, and the asbestos described in the Engineer's Report. Moved by McGeady, second by Coody to proceed with the Clinton House Museum project pending structural and zoning issues being addressed. They recommended a 1 or 2 year lease/purchase agreement. Motion carried. • • • Commissioners were asked to review the Sales Tax study, the Bikes, Blues and BBQ economic impact and the Georgia game economic impact. Marilyn pointed out the sales tax and HMR comparisons that she provided for Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Marilyn Heifner, Executive Director