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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-03-25 Regular Meeting (isv CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, March 25, 2004 -- 11:30 a.m. WALLIS BUILDING ONE LIBERTY PARK PLAZA, GRAPEVINE, TEXAS AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES III. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT IV. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT A. NEW YORK SALES BLITZ (Ibir B. AUSTIN SALES BLITZ V. OLD BUSINESS A. GAYLORD TEXAN OPENING B. NEW VINTAGE WINE TRAIL C. MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON TOURISM VI. NEW BUSINESS A. DALLAS METROPLEX PROGRAM VII. REPORTS A. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE B. HERITAGE FOUNDATION VIII. ADJOURNMENT t, State of Texas County of Tarrant City of Grapevine MINUTES The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met on Thursday March 25, 2004 at the Wallis Building, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Ev Barnes Board Member Bill Bretches Board Member Bill Brink Board Member Philip Cloud Board Member Darlene Freed Council Liaison Kathee Livengood Board Member Paul Slechta Board Member Tom Smith Board Member Steve Stinson Board Member Pat Stinson Heritage Foundation Paul W. McCallum Executive Director George Kakos Assistant Executive Director (1, Absent: Don Bigbie Chairman Ronny Nordling Grapevine Chamber CALL TO ORDER Kathee Livengood called the meeting to order at 11:40 AM. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the minutes from the February 19th meeting was made by Steve Stinson and seconded by Philip Cloud. Motion carried. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT Mr. McCallum shared the following: • Information about the Grand Hyatt and the visit made by Michael Costello, Divisional Director of Sales, Hyatt Hotels & Resort. The fact sheet about the hotel's configuration was shared. A director of sales is expected by Nov/Dec. 2004 although this could be delayed to Jan. 2005 according to Tom Smith. The Board of Directors Meeting March 25, 2004 Page 2 of 5 HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT cont. • Mr. McCallum asked Tom Smith for an update on Hyatt DFW's transformation. Mr. Smith indicated that the lobby will be completed within 2 weeks; sales & catering will move into their offices by April 9; artwork and plants will be added in May and work on the existing meeting space will begin in May 2004. • Mr. Bretches reported that the Embassy Suites was given the top performer award out of 180 in the brand. The property has finished in the top five for the last five years. Embassy Suites is experiencing the best 1st quarter it has had in the hotel's history. • Mr. Barnes reported that mall traffic at the Food Court was down in the first quarter. The opening of the Gaylord Texan is expected to help increase mall traffic. • Mr. McCallum introduced the new Back Porch Cabin & Grill, which will open in the space that Charlie's Café occupied. It will be a nice addition to Grapevine's mix and will give the convention guest a true Texas flavor. Live music is planned five nights a week. • Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center on Lake Grapevine will operate trolley (iv shuttles between the resort, Grapevine Mills, Bass Pro Shops, and Grapevine's Historic District. Service begins on April 2 and will operate between the hours of 10:00 AM and 8:00 PM, with 2-hour headway. The service is complimentary. The trolley stops were reviewed. • Historic Downtown Grapevine Association is reported to be doing well. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Mr. Kakos shared highlights from the month of February. The convention sales division produced 35 leads representing a potential of 27,397 room nights. The team assisted with 11 definite groups representing 16,324 room nights. The Chicago Sales Blitz was conducted during Valentine's week. Eight leads were produced representing 7,480 room nights. Additional 10 potential leads representing 33,185 room nights are being worked. TACVB sales blitz was conducted in Austin, Texas. A lead representing 795 room nights and 15 potential leads representing 4,055 room nights were identified. The Southwest Showcase was held immediately following the TACVB sales blitz. Approximately 60 customers visited Grapevine's booth with one lead being produced representing 550 room nights. Additional 18 potential leads representing 18,800 room nights were identified. The annual New York Sales Blitz was conducted during St. Patrick's Day week. Calls were made in New Jersey and New York City. A reception was hosted on March 15 and a dinner was hosted on March 17. Immediately following the New York Sales Mission, the team went on to participate in the Conference Direct annual sales meeting in Toronto. Conference Direct is a third party booking organization with a national network of commissioned sales representatives. The Grapevine representative visited 41 sales representatives within a 2-day period. The Board of Directors Meeting March 25, 2004 Page 3 of 5 SALES AND MARKETING REPORT cont. The Tourism team generated 4 leads representing a potential of 190 room nights. They assisted with 3 definite groups representing 390 attendees and 300 room nights. Tourism participated in three trades shows including the Kansas Boat & Sports Show, Bank Travel Network and Annual meeting and the Houston Vacation & Leisure Show. The Grapevine Convention Center booked 34 groups representing 15,357 attendees. Seven of the groups were for February 2004 and seven were for March 2004. These reflect the short-term nature of the business. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad began service on February 6 following the annual inspection. Ridership was 955 for the month. The two spring break weeks resulted in 3,510 riders. The websites experienced 4,861 on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad site and 2,783 on the general site. Public Relations generated $119,146 in print and $172,123 in electronic media for a total of $291,269. Mr. McCallum reported that the current convention sales kit is undergoing revisions. The three formats of the current kit are 1) mini CD Ram 2) MPG binder and 3)the less expensive detailed folder. Many clients already have the 3 ring binder. torr Mr. Bretches gave positive feedback on Susan Burk and felt this was the most productive Northeast trip to date. The Embassy Suites will book a $400,000 program in July 2004 as a result. Mr. Kakos reviewed the all-inclusive festival and events brochure. OLD BUSINESS Gaylord Texan Opening Mr. McCallum reviewed the time schedule, which has now solidified. Areas of the board's involvement were reviewed. Encouraged the board to arrive no later than 10:30 AM on April 2. New Vintage Wine Trail Mr. McCallum reviewed Gaylord, New Vintage Wine Trail, and the Sister city events. Also discussed the RSVP sheet and the board's involvement. Reviewed the three FAM's and encouraged the Board to use the same embracing style with each group. Ms. Livengood reiterated the "volunteer" aspect of the board and the positive impression it makes on visitors. Western attire is encouraged for all events. ., The Board of Directors Meeting March 25, 2004 Page 4 of 5 OLD BUSINESS cont. Mayor's Task Force on Tourism Mr. McCallum reviewed February's trip to Parras, the schedule, the participants, and the outcomes. Javier Rodriguez translated 20 hours worth of seminar time. New leadership has been put onto Parras festivals as a result of the Mayor's task force. A follow-up meeting will be held in August/September 2004 and may be held in Grapevine. The Parras group needs help with public relations efforts. The group is good at implementation but needs training in publicity. Additional sleeping rooms are being added in town. Parras' Mayor has quickly grasped the task force concept and understands that tourism can be developed based on their heritage, which has been encouraged by Mayor Tate. Krems, which is on the world register, could help Parras learn how to achieve the same status. Krems will visit in April to assess humanitarian and cultural exchange opportunities. NEW BUSINESS Dallas Metroplex Program Mr. Kakos reviewed the program and asked for validation on the direction discussed with Mr. McCallum. Initially, the program involved many Metroplex cities including Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Irving, and others. Grapevine's resources can be better utilized in other marketing programs. The Metroplex program no longer fits Grapevine's needs. Staff does not recommend participation in the program. Discussion followed. Mr. Barnes made the motion that the Grapevine CVB retains its funds and not participate in the Metroplex program. Paul Slechta seconded. Motion carried. REPORTS Chamber of Commerce Kathee Livengood reported on the upcoming Chamber Banquet to be held at the Gaylord Texan on April 8. Participants may stay at the resort for $79. Phil Cloud reported on the Great Taste of Grapevine will be held on April 1 at the Grapevine Convention Center. Heritage Foundation Pat Stinson discussed the educational programs including ArchiTreasures and Nash Farms. The foundation has many volunteers who step up to the plate continually. ADJOURNMENT Darlene Freed discussed the parking fees at the Gaylord Texan. It is a new facility with limited parking and a new philosophy. It is a different type of hotel and the parking fee Cov The Board of Directors Meeting March 25, 2004 Page 5 of 5 ADJOURNMENT cont. has been part of their agreement with the city. Parking tickets will be validated when the restaurant and the Spa are used. Mr. McCallum emphasized that Gaylord Texan is the 4th largest convention center in the State of Texas. Ms. Livengood discussed the Rockin' Retro Saturday. It is a joint program between the CVB and HDGA. It is designed to drive more activities into the downtown area. The Farmers Market was also discussed. These activities add new life into the Historic District. There being no further business to come before the board; Bill Brink made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Ev Barnes. Motion carried. thor ATTEST: DATE: