The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2012-03-22 Regular Meeting CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, March 22, 2012 — 8:00 a.m. Wallis Building Grapevine, Texas AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES III. INTRODUCTION OF STAFF IV. BOARD MEMBER INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS V. OLD BUSINESS A. CV B HEADQUARTERS GRAND OPENING B. PRE OSCAR EVENT C. NEW YORK ST. PATRICKS DAY SALES MISSION VI. NEW BUSINESS A. GRANTS-IN-AID REQUEST VII. SALES & MARKETING REPORT VIII. HOTELS /ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES IX. GRAPEVINE VINTAGE RAILROAD REPORT X. LIAISON UPDATES A. HERITAGE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES B. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTIVITIES XI. ADJOURNMENT State of Texas County of Tarrant City of Grapevine MINUTES The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. at the Wallis Building, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Paul Slechta Chairman LuAnn Chapman Gatts Board Member Tom Cherry Board Member John Imaizumi Board Member Dennis Roberts Board member Peggy Weaver Board Member Dan Weinberger Board Member Curtis Ratliff Heritage Foundation Liaison Sharron Spencer Council Liaison Paul W. McCallum Executive Director George Kakos Assistant Executive Director Absent: Doug Lawson Chamber Liaison Jennifer Hibbs Assistant City Manager CALL TO ORDER Chairman Slechta called the meeting to order. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the minutes from the February 16, 2012 meeting was made by LuAnn Chapman Gatts and seconded by John Imaizumi. Motion carried. INTRODUCTION OF STAFF Mr. McCallum introduced Kristi Brown, Creative Marketing Manager, to the board. BOARD MEMBER INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS • Gaylord opened Paradise Springs on March 11 and will be open on weekends until Memorial Day; then open 7 days a week. They are working on a design to expand Paradise Springs. • Grapevine Mills experienced a great Spring Break week. Coach Factory Store has opened and expects to exceed their revenue projections. Under Armour store is under construction and should open the end of next month. • Peggy Weaver tendered her resignation as Grapevine Mills mall manager and has taken a position with Hines Corporation. • Gaylord has a contract through the next three years with Dreamworks and will continue to have various activities with Dreamworks characters. Board of Directors Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 2 of 4 OLD BUSINESS CVB Headquarters Grand Opening Mr. McCallum reported that the Grand Opening for the CVB Headquarters and Museum Complex will be Friday, May 18. The Wine Museum and Historical Society Museum will still be under construction at that time. Prior to the Grand Opening will be a dedication of the Stephen W. Stinson Board Room. The Grand Opening will include dedications of the tower and building facades, viewing of the would be train robbers, open house and private reception. On Saturday, May 19th will be a luncheon for the tradespeople who worked on the building. Pre Oscar Event The 4th Annual Pre Oscar Event was held at the Palace Theatre on February 23rd with 75 meeting planners and guests in attendance. This year an industry panel educational session was added to the event. It was very well received. Information was sent out to 1,600 meeting planners and leads received to date include GameStop, Galderma and USANA. Candace Holden was the point person for this event. New York St. Patricks Day Sales Mission During the 24th Annual St. Patrick's Mission staff hosted three events; a breakfast educational session at the Grand Hyatt New York, a reception at Winston's NYC and a dinner at Beauty & Essex. Staff conducted sales appointments with National Stuttering Association, Ernst & Young, Association of American University Presses, National Kidney Foundation, IntraMed Education Group, Renal Research Institute, Public Relations Society of America, Thomson Reuters, International Trademark Association and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Katey Hubbard and Susan Cutts were the point persons for this mission. To date leads have come in from the National Stuttering Association, National Kidney Foundation, Meetings in Medicine and MetLife with a total potential economic impact of five million. NEW BUSINESS Grants-In-Aid Request Mr. Slechta presented a grants-in-aid request from the Grapevine Art Project to assist in bringing the National Watercolor Society 2012 Traveling Exhibit to Grapevine. This exhibit is only making two stops in Texas, here and Houston. It is scheduled to open on Thursday, May 17th and run through June 17th. The request is for $6,400. The motion was made to increase publicity and promotion by $1,200, not to fund salaries, and to fund in the amount of$6,400. Motion was made by Dennis Roberts, seconded by Tom Cherry; motion carried. Board of Directors Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 3 of 4 SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Mr. Kakos reported that during the month of February, Convention Sales produced 50 leads representing 60,229 potential room nights. They assisted with eight definites representing 4,821 room nights and conducted seven site inspections. Staff exhibited at the Dallas Chapter of Meeting Planners International, attended the Society of Government Meeting Planners luncheon, attended the Dallas Fort Worth Association Executives luncheon, sent a New York sales mission eblast to 1,350 east coast planners and sent a Valentine's Day eblast to 1,000 clients. Tourism sales produced four leads representing 175 potential room nights and 200 attendees. They assisted with eight definites representing 525 room nights and 335 delegates. The tourism team participated in the Bank Travel Conference, Texas Home & Garden Show in Houston, San Antonio Home & Garden Show, Fort Worth Home & Garden Show, and AAA shows in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Collin County and Fort Worth. 61,235 brochures were distributed during the month and 5,007 visitors were welcomed at the Visitor Information Center. Destination Services provided registration and information assistance to 13 groups with 11,360 delegates. The Grapevine Visitor Shuttle carried 2,853 passengers versus 1,614 last year. The Convention Center had 19 future bookings with 7,560 attendees and total sales of $34,305. The Palace Arts Centre had 19 future bookings with 2,875 attendees and total sales of$23,413. The Concourse had 1 future booking with 100 attendees and total sales of$11,895. There were 64,966 unique visitors to the web site versus 54,907 last year. There were 13,848 mobile visitors. There were seven convention group ad insertions, two leisure group ad insertions, 15 on-line ad insertions, 36 consumer publication ad insertions and 29 TV/radio runs. Total advertising investment was $39,341. Public relations generated $141,319 in print, $9,900 in electronic and $4,500 on-line for a total public relations value of$155,719. HOTELS /ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES • Apollo Global Management LLC has purchased the Great Wolf Resorts for $703 million. • Baylor Regional Medical Center has been awarded the Magnet Recognition which is one of the highest honors a hospital can earn. • Main Street Bread Baking Company has received a permit to operate a commercial bakery at 316 S. Barton Street. • Oh Look! Performing Arts Center received a permit to operate a theatrical center and classes at 1631 Northwest Highway • Construction has begun on a 95-room Hampton Inn in Trophy Club. It is scheduled to open in early 2013. • Eatzi's is expected to open in late April or May. Elis Droubi is the general manager. Board of Directors Meeting March 22, 2012 Page 4 of 4 HOTELS /ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES cont. • Realty Capital is preparing a plan for the Flower Mound Council on Lakeside Village and the Shops at Lakeside. The 150-acre site overlooking Lake Grapevine will include shops, restaurants, housing and possibly a boutique hotel. • Smith Travel report for February shows occupancy equal to last year and rate and rev par down. Both of the negative numbers reflect the fact that last February the Metroplex hosted the Super Bowl. • Council approved the conditional use permit for Jake's Hamburgers at 520 S. Main Street. GRAPEVINE VINTAGE RAILROAD REPORT Mr. McCallum reported that while the train was down for maintenance they replaced the condenser on car 208, reinforced or rebuilt and stained the seats in the open air cars, painted the interior walls of the open air coaches 1808 and 1818, changed out six sets of wheels, replaced the throttle switch gear, repaired the roof of 1818, and painted the trucks. The train has begun a modified service departing at 1 p.m. and returning around 5:35 p.m., in time for folks to watch the would be train robbers. There were 2,400 riders during spring break. LIAISON UPDATES Heritage Foundation Activities Curtis Ratliff reported that the Heritage Foundation recognized the Palace Arts Committee members with lifetime passes to the Palace activities. On March 29th at 6:30 p.m. at the Founders Building there will be a public meeting for folks to give input on the Nash Farm fence, building locations and site plan. The recent bread baking class at the Farm has 12 bakers. Coming in April will be Spring Into Nash. ADJOURNMENT LuAnn Chapman Gatts made a motion to adjourn seconded by Dan Weinberger. Motion carried. ATTEST: DATE: