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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-02-20 Regular MeetingCITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, February 20, 2014 — 8:00 a.m. CVB Headquarters 636 S. Main Street Grapevine, Texas AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 111. LIAISON UPDATES A. HERITAGE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES B. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTIVITIES IV. SALES & MARKETING REPORT V. OLD BUSINESS A. WALLIS UPDATE VI. NEW BUSINESS A. NEW VINTAGE UPDATE B. ST. PAT'S SALES PROMOTION C. WHOLESALE PACKAGES FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKET D. PROMOTIONAL AND INCUBATOR PROGRAMS VII. HOTELS / ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES VIII. ADJOURNMENT IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THIS SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING AND YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT REQUIRES SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS AT THE MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU AT (817) 410-3185 AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE MADE TO ASSIST YOUR NEEDS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551.001 et seq, ACTS OF THE 1993 TEXAS LEGISLATURE, THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU ADVISORY BOARD MEETING AGENDA WAS PREPARED AND POSTED ON THIS THE 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2014 AT 5:00 P.M. Eloise Koehn Director of Finance and Administration State of Texas County of Tarrant City of Grapevine MINUTES The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met in Regular Session on Thursday, February 20, 2014 at 8:00 a.m. at the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Headquarters, 636 S. Main Street, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Paul Slechta Tom Cherry John Imaizumi Lance Marrin Joe Szymaszek Mark Terpening Dan Weinberger Debi Meek Chairman Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Alternate Board Member Constituting a quorum, with the following liaisons and staff members present: Sharron Spencer Pat Stinson C. W. Higgins Paul W. McCallum Michael Woody Eloise Koehn Shawna Barnes Absent: Jennifer Hibbs Council Liaison Heritage Foundation Liaison Chamber Liaison Executive Director Assistant Executive Director Director of Finance & Administration Assistant to the Executive Director Assistant City Manager CALL TO ORDER Chairman Slechta called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Tom Cherry, seconded by Dan Weinberger to approve the minutes from the January 16, 2014 meeting prevailed by the following vote: Ayes: Slechta, Cherry, Imaizumi, Marrin, Szymaszek, Terpening, Weinberger Nays: None LIAISON UPDATES Heritage Foundation Activities Pat Stinson reported that the Foundation newsletter, The Vintage Vine, has been mailed and includes the year in review. The new fence is almost finished at Nash Farm. Board of Directors Meeting February 20, 2014 Page 2of6 LIAISON UPDATES cont. Heritage Foundation Activities cont. The 13th Annual Spring Into Nash will be Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the farm and to join the Farm Hand program. The new Grapevine Opry kicked off their 2014 season at the Palace. Movies at the Palace include The Dead Poets Society on February 28th and The Alamo on March 7th The Foundation is accepting nominations for the preservation advocacy awards. No action taken by the Board Chamber of Commerce Activities Mr. Higgins reported that the Chamber Awards Banquet went very well and earlier this month they held a retreat to set goals for the Chamber. A legislative council is in the making. No action taken by the Board SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Mr. Woody reported that convention sales had 46 leads with 36,220 potential room nights with an economic impact of $15,962,116. They assisted with 19 definites representing 19,349 room nights, 15 of which were for 2014, with a potential economic impact of $10,327,300. The sales team conducted 35 sales calls, hosted seven site inspections and participated in Southwest Showcase in Austin. Tourism sales and service produced seven leads with an economic impact of $79,300, all for 2014. They conducted 43 sales appointments, hosted one FAM tour and participated in Home and Garden shows in both Austin and Oklahoma City. They attended TACVB Mid -Winter Conference and hosted a development meeting for the Sister City program. They distributed 42,257 brochures and welcomed 3,567 guests to the Visitor Information Center. Destination Services assisted six groups with 9,964 delegates and a potential economic impact of $9,407,212. The visitor shuttles carried 4,137 passengers, a 29% increase over last year. The Convention Center booked 73 future groups representing 10,805 attendees and had $55,236 in sales for the month. The Palace Arts Center booked 19 future groups representing 5,185 attendees and had total sales for the month of $27,696. The Concourse booked 10 future groups representing 590 attendees and had $2,000 in sales. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad did not operate during January. 2014 service launched last weekend with a private charter on Friday night. The web site had 69,337 unique visitors with 15,514 reaching us through a mobile device. Visitors spent over 8 minutes on the site. For marketing there were eight print trade insertions, 35,000 online impressions, 30 print consumer publications insertions, 31 TV and radio insertions and 851,320 online advertising impressions. Public relations print value was $848,674 and electronic was $52,785 for a total of $901,459. No action taken by the Board Board of Directors Meeting February 20, 2014 Page 3 of 6 OLD BUSINESS Wallis Update Mr. McCallum shared the background on the search for a tenant for the Wallis building. He met with Council in Executive Session this week regarding a winery tasting room with a production component for the Wallis facility. This addition would encourage other wineries to come to Grapevine. Council approved to move to a winery use for the Wallis. No Action taken by the Board. NEW BUSINESS New Vintage Update Mr. Woody reported that the Jazz Wine Trains presented by Park Place Motorcars — Grapevine will be held March 21st and 22nd. Tickets sales are currently at 70 for Friday and 195 for the Saturday. The price of $59 represents a $4 increase. Prices have not increased since 2007. It is all general seating and boarding will begin at 6:40 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. departure. Each ticket includes wines from each Grapevine Winery Tasting room, boxed dinner and desserts, souvenir wine glass, live jazz entertainment and a goodie bag from Park Place. The Blessing of the Vines and New Vintage Wine and Gallery Trail presented by Park Place Motorcars — Grapevine will be Saturday, April 12th. The Blessing of the Vines is from 11 a.m. to noon and free to the public. It includes mariachi performers and a complimentary wine tasting. The price for the Wine and Gallery Trail is $49 and includes a souvenir Riedel wine glass and three one -ounce wine tastes, one food sample and live entertainment. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with shuttles running continuously. There will also be a designated driver program. No action taken by the Board. St. Pat's Sales Promotion Mr. McCallum shared the history of the New York St. Pat's Sales Promotion with the board. This year the promotion will include a luncheon at Le Bernardin for a select group of meeting planners. They are expecting approximately 12 planners. Also, on Monday, March 17th there will be a Happy Hour Reception at the Campbell Apartment, located inside Grand Central Station, from 5 — 7 p.m. E-vites were sent to 1,200 meeting planners. Copies of the invitations for each event were shared with the board. No action taken by the Board. Wholesale Packages for International Market Mr. McCallum reported that the CVB has formed a partnership with Allied PRA to handle all the package details. We sell at a price that the tour operators can then mark up. Staff has taken it to the Canadian market and will be taking it to the Asian market. Board of Directors Meeting February 20, 2014 Page 4 of 6 NEW BUSINESS cont. Wholesale Packages for International Market cont. It is a two -night DFW stopover to capture visitors utilizing one of the almost 30,000 international flights arriving annually into DFW International Airport. It is promoted as an add-on at the front or back end of the visit. There are four themed programs; Shopping & Relaxation, The Texas Experience, Let the Games Begin, and Texas Wine and Art Showcase. The packages include wine tastings, horseback riding, a round of golf, a gift card from Grapevine Mills and more. All packages must include a two -night stay at a Grapevine hotel. No action taken by the Board. Promotional and Incubator Programs Mr. McCallum reported on the many promotional and incubator programs of the CVB. The Tower and Grand Galleries have had such programs and exhibits as the Gail Cope Exhibit, NASA Blast, Texas Sculpture Association, JP Bell Railroad Photography, International Christmas Market, Le theatre de Marionette, South on Main Street Artists, Grapevine Art Project, Smithsonian Mail Call Exhibit, Dust Bowl Exhibit and upcoming exhibits include the Light Crust Dough Boys and the Human Plus Exhibit and the Smithsonian's Evolving Universe. Settlement to City museums work to teach students about Grapevine's heritage. The Nash Farm also has programming to teach about Grapevine's heritage including such programs as hog butchering and cheese making. The Grapevine Historical Society will be moving their museum into the Ice House. They will be able to display even more of their impressive collection, donated by Grapevine families. The Grapevine Farmers Market and Grapevine Market are designed to bring people into Grapevine. The Farmers Market is in the process of signing a new three-year lease which will go through 2016. Hours are from 8 a.m. — 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We are paid a percentage of the gross collected which covers the costs. The Grapevine Market is managed through the Festival and Events division and operates Thursdays and Saturdays from April 10 — October 18th from 9 a.m. — 2 p.m. We collect a small space fee to cover costs. The Blacksmith Shop is starting a new three-year lease through December 2016 with Will Frary. He is available for school tours, festivals, special Cottonbelt District events and working with school artist programs. The Grapevine Fine Arts Foundry re -opened in August. Linda Lewis -Roark will also oversee the Grapevine Community Foundry, assisting local sculptors and residents who want to learn to sculpt and pour the own creations. The Holder Dane Gallery and Studios contributes to the success of South on Main Artists (SOMA) Board of Directors Meeting February 20, 2014 Page 5 of 6 NEW BUSINESS cont. Promotional and Incubator Programs cont. The Gidden's Gallery of Fine Art pays market rent for their space in the CVB Headquarters Building. They represent over 12 regional artists, host artist receptions and are active participants in Grapevine Art Dealers Association (GADA). The Grapevine Opry Show opened last Saturday to an almost sell-out crowd. Under new leadership the show will present both a country music and a classic music variety show. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad is also a successful promotional incubator and so too will the winery at the Wallis facility drawing other wineries and visitors to Grapevine. The winery will pay market rent for the Wallis. No action taken by the Board. HOTELS / ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES Hotel Updates • Gaylord rooms renovation to be completed by end of August ahead of the projected end of the year completion. • Springhill Suites recently completed a remodel of all public space and guestrooms. Restaurant / Winery Updates • The Back Porch has reduced their footprint and shifted to a smoke-free facility in the dining room. • Farina's Winery and Cafe was granted a conditional use permit to add beer to their beverage offerings. • Redefined Coffee House will open in Late March at 220 North Main Street. Attractions • Legoland Discovery Center is adding a pirate themed outdoor Splash Pad with wet/dry transition areas and outdoor food and beverage service. • SeaLife will open Shark Mission on March 7th in conjunction with the newly remodeled Shark Walk! In the Area • Dallas CVB welcomed Mark Thompson as the Vice President of Tourism. His former VP position in Irving CVB was filled with Diana Pfaff. • Irving and Mortenson Development, Inc. announced Westin Hotels & Resorts brand as the official flagship of the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas Headquarter Hotel. Grand opening slated for late 2015. As part of the Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide the 350 -room, full service Westin will be next to the Convention Center and connected by a sky bridge. New Brochures • 2014 Festival & Event Guide • Jazz Wine Train • ChocolateFest • Life on the Farm — Self -guided tour Board of Directors Meeting February 20, 2014 Page6of6 HOTELS ! ATTRACTIONS ACTIVITIES cont. • Grapevine Today cover • Nexos Other items The Tarrant Area Guild of Storytellers submitted their final evaluation report for their grant. No action taken by the Board. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the board a motion by John Imaizumi, seconded by Joe Szymaszek to adjourn the meeting at 9:43 a.m. prevailed by the following vote: Ayes: Slechta, Cherry, Imaizumi, Marrin, Szymaszek, Terpening, Weinberger Nays: None PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS ON THIS THE 20th DAY OF MARCH, 2014. ATTEST: APPROVED. Pa I echta Chairman Eloise Koehn Director of Finance & Administration