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Home My WebLink About2001-09-20 Regular Meeting CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, September 20, 2001 - 11:30 am WALLIS BUILDING ONE LIBERTY PARK PLAZA, GRAPEVINE, TEXAS AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM AUGUST 16, 2001 MEETING III. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT IV. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT tir V. OLD BUSINESS A. BUDGET REPORT B. GRAPEFEST REPORT VI. NEW BUSINESS A. HOMECOMING GRANT REQUEST B. 2001-2002 MEETING CALENDAR VII. ADJOURNMENT STATE OF TEXAS (hro COUNTY OF TARRANT CITY OF GRAPEVINE MINUTES The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met on Thursday, September 20, 2001 at the Wallis Building, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Don Bigbie Chairman Ev Barnes Board Member Bill Brink Board Member Philip Cloud Board Member Kathee Livengood Board Member Robert Thrailkill Board Member Darlene Freed Council Liaison Paul W. McCallum Executive Director George Kakos Director of Marketing Absent: Paul Jennings Board Member Phil Parker Board Member Steve Trent Board Member Aaron Compton Grapevine Chamber Pat Stinson Heritage Foundation CALL TO ORDER Chairman Bigbie called the meeting to order, opened with prayer and welcomed Melva Stanfield, Chairman of the Grapevine Heritage Foundation Board to the meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the minutes from the August 16th, 2001 meeting was made by Robert Thrailkill and seconded by Bill Brink. Motion carried. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Mr. Kakos reported that during the month of August the convention sales team produced 16 leads representing approximately 8,000 room nights. Four groups went definite representing over 7,500 room nights. Convention Services worked with 6 groups representing 3,160 delegates. Tourism division generated 4 leads representing 445 attendees and 4 tourism groups went definite representing 144 room nights. The Visitor Information Center assisted 11,688 visitors during August and over 131,000 for the year to date. 98,800 brochures were distributed. Communications had $128,300 in media exposure during August. The Convention Sales team conducted a sales mission to Atlanta making 12 calls and generating 5 potential leads representing 5,900 room nights. Grapevine was also represented at Affordable Meetings in Washington D.C. where 157 meeting planners visited our booth. To date two leads representing 1,020 room nights have been generated from this show. The GrapeFest FAM, with 8 meeting planners participating, generated 3 potential leads representing 13,700 room nights. This week the convention sales staff is conducting a local sales blitz to identify short-term business. To date 16 calls have generated 3 leads representing 580 room nights. Board of Directors Meeting fire September 20, 2001 Page 2 of 3 HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT Mr. McCallum reported that staff has called a meeting for September 26th of all the general managers of Grapevine hotel properties to gather information on how our properties are doing in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The staff will also entertain ideas from the hoteliers on how to best approach a marketing strategy in these difficult times. Our sales team will then gather to determine the marketing strategy for the bureau. Next week Grapevine Mills will open the Visitor Information Center in its new location adjacent to the Rain Forest Café at the mall. With the recent approval of the budget, the bureau has begun discussions on the renovation of the Wallis. The renovation will involve the northeast corner of the building, the removal of two walls and the building of parlors to accommodate our increased staff and to allow us to bring some present staff into the Wallis. For someone standing in the lobby there will not be any visual changes to the building. Wagon Wheel Ranch has reached an agreement with Mesco, who put together an excellent proposal for the rebuilding of their barn, recently destroyed by fire. Jose Milmo reported to us that the funds from the GrapeFest auction to the orphanage in Parras were received with great enthusiasm. Council had approved for the old Suburban to go to the (hri orphanage and the mayor of Parras is working on the transfer of the vehicle. OLD BUSINESS Budget Report Mr. McCallum compared the impact of the terrorist attacks on local tourism business as compared to the impact after the Gulf War in 1991. In '91 there were no cancellations at the Convention Center and this time there were 23 pieces of airline related business cancelled, 7 of which were job fairs. Southwest Airlines cancelled a large Christmas party. The bureau is now concentrating on selling the destination and is concentrating on the leisure market. People are staying closer to home. The only capital improvement in the bureau budget is for the renovation of the Wallis. The capital improvements in the Tarantula budget are ticket driven and will only be accomplished if revenues are available. At this time the program of work for the bureau will continue with national sales missions but will concentrate on the drive market area. We will wait until October and November revenue figures are in before making any budget revision decisions. GrapeFest Report GrapeFest will be donating $224,689 to the Heritage Foundation. This along with the funds generated at Main Street Days will amount to approximately $301,000 for the Palace Arts Center Renovation Fund. GrapeFest set a record attendance of 164,000 people, but was a lower per capita festival. Communications gathered $295,000 in print and electronic media (IW coverage. Several items were picked up on the wire. The mayoral GrapeStomp was the media highlight. The goal of the bureau is to generate $385,000 in funds for the Heritage Foundation. This is the amount of the annual note payment on the Palace. Mr. McCallum c Board of Directors Meeting September 20, 2001 Page 3 of 3 OLD BUSINESS cont. GrapeFest Report cont. recognized Bill and Kathrine Brink for an outstanding job as festival chairs. The Mayor's Breakfast, a new event this year, is a platform to honor various groups at the festival. Mr. Brink added that the steering committee was well prepared, the volunteers filled in necessary slots and we were blessed with good weather. Just under $60,000 went to the participating non-profit organizations. NEW BUSINESS Homecoming Grant Request Mr. McCallum presented a grant request from the Grapevine High School Ex Students Association for $2,500 for the Grapevine Homecoming Parade. For the last 4 years the CVB has provided a grant. Phil Cloud made a motion to approve the grant, seconded by Ev Barnes. Motion carried. 2001-2001 Meeting Calendar Mr. Bigbie presented the 2001-2001 CVB Board Meeting calendar. There being no dissension the calendar will stand as presented. HERITAGE FOUNDATION Mr. Bigbie recognized Melva Stanfield, chair of the Heritage Foundation Board. Ms. Stanfield thanked the CVB board for all the time, planning and effort that was put into the festival. She expressed the sincere appreciation of the Heritage Foundation. She reported that the Foundation is coming up with concerts and programming for the Palace. Weekends between now and the end of the year are all booked for the Lancaster. They are getting the volunteers they need for the events in the Palace. Sarah Cloud is gathering volunteers to work on the educational tours. October 27th is "Paint the Barn Red Day" at Nash Farm. ADJOURNMENT Closing comments included the recognition of Grapevine Mills for $250,000 collected on Monday, September 17th for the Red Cross and recognition of several local business that joined together and raised $105,000 over the weekend selling T-shirts in Elliott's parking lot. There being no further business to come before the Board, Bill Brink made a motion to adjourn seconded by Phil Cloud. ATTEST: DATE: