Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-02-15 Regular Meeting CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, February 15, 2007 — 11:30 a.m. Wallis Building Grapevine, Texas AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES III. INTRODUCTION OF STAFF IV. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT V. GRAPEVINE VINTAGE RAILROAD REPORT VI. HERITAGE PROGRAMS AND PRESERVATION REPORT VII. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT A. MPI PEC B. RCMA VIII. OLD BUSINESS A. REPORT ON AMERICAN BUS ASSOCIATION IX. NEW BUSINESS A. MOVE OF DENTON CREEK SCHOOL HOUSE B. FESTIVAL PRICING AND HOURS X. REPORTS A. HERITAGE FOUNDATION LIAISON B. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LIAISON XI. ADJOURNMENT L State of Texas County of Tarrant City of Grapevine MINUTES The Grapevine Convention &Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met on Thursday, February 15, 2007 at the Wallis Building, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Don Bigbie Chairman Ev Barnes Board Member Philip Cloud Board Member John Imaizumi Board Member Kathee Livengood Board Member Paul Slechta Board Member Steve Stinson Board Member Mark Wasiak Board Member Darlene Freed Council Liaison Jennifer Hibbs Assistant City Manager Paul W. McCallum Executive Director Ross Bannister Director of Heritage Programs & Preservation George Kakos Assistant Executive Director ABSENT Bill Brink Board Member Mike Lease Chamber Liaison Pat Stinson Heritage Foundation Liaison CALL TO ORDER Chairman Bigbie called the meeting to order. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion to approve the minutes from the January 18th meeting was made by Ev Barnes and seconded by Paul Slechta. Motion carried. INTRODUCTION OF STAFF Mr. McCallum introduced new staff members, Susan Thornton, Festival and Events Manager, and Michael Miori, Festival and Events Manager. Mr. Bigbie welcomed them on behalf of the board. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT Mr. McCallum reported • The tentative opening date for Great Wolf Lodge is November 2007. Work is progressing on the rooms portion and they have started on the waterpark addition. All the slides etc. are on site. Board of Directors Meeting February 15, 2007 Page 2 of 4 HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS REPORT cont. • At the Hilton Garden Inn, located next to Stacy Furniture, workers have been putting in construction forms. • A building permit has been issued for the Baymont to do a sizable interior alteration. • The tentative opening date for Bob's Chop House is April 20th • The Marriott Solana is scheduled to add 96 rooms in a $23 million project. It will include a new wing with the additional guestrooms and an additional 4,500 square feet of meeting space, an expanded ballroom and a new fitness center. GRAPEVINE VINTAGE RAILROAD REPORT Engine 2248 passed her annual inspection. A 30-minute Japanese TV documentary on the train and Grapevine is being shot this week by a public broadcasting station with a viewership of over five million. Thomas the Tank tickets are on sale and 6,000 tickets have been sold to date. This year Bob the Builder will be making three appearances per day. The restoration of car 1808 is complete. We now have three renovated cars. The Sweetheart Express carried 148 passengers, with one couple coming from Memphis. OLD BUSINESS At this time Chairman Bigbie asked that we move to Old Business and return to the Heritage Programs and Sales Report following. Report on American Bus Association (ABA) Mr. McCallum thanked the board for their participation in the event. The Gaylord Texan was the host hotel and there were eight other participating hotel properties. This was the largest event to date with 11,221 room nights and 3,063 delegates. There were 18 site-seeing tours, 6 pre / post tours throughout Texas, four evening events, and 110,000 appointments. We continue to market to this group with follow-up promotions. Sponsorships included $100,000 from the state, $125,000 from Dallas, $75,000 from Fort Worth, $35,000 from Lone Star Park, $119,000 from 31 CVBs and attractions throughout the state, $60,000 from transportation companies, snack foods and beverages; and a substantial sponsorship from the Gaylord Texan. Mr. Imaizumi reported that Lynn Brewer, the meeting planner, shed tears of joy at the post convention meeting. This is the first time in ABA history that they wanted to rebook a meeting before the end of the convention. The group is looking at 2012 to return. Mr. McCallum shared several of the notes received regarding this successful ABA Marketplace. HERITAGE PROGRAMS AND PRESERVATION REPORT Ross Bannister reported that Jubilee was a great success. They surpassed their goals with 35 tables sold and attendance of 308. They met their goal of$30,000 for the matching Texas Historical Commission grant. In addition, Jubilee brought in an L Board of Directors Meeting February 15, 2007 Page 3 of 4 HERITAGE PROGRAMS AND PRESERVATION REPORT cont. additional $40,000 in cash and pledges. The Hilton DFW Lakes was a key sponsor of the event. Tom Durrant, Classic Chevrolet pledged $75,000 and joined other major donors including Kidd Plumbing, Bank of the West, Stacy Furniture, North Star Bank, and Phil & Eric Parker. Selective demolition is underway at Nash Farm. On Janary 27th volunteers from the Public Works department removed the 1948 kitchen and bathroom. On February 10th the Dirty Dozen provided a major clean up at the site. Next week a representative from the Texas Historical Commission will visit to survey the site and get a personal sense of the scope and scale of the project. The Platters will perform at the Palace Theatre tomorrow evening. On March 2nd there will be a Texas Independence Day reception for Township Neighbors and on March 10th singer songwriter, Malcolm Palmer, will perform at the Palace. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Mr. Kakos reported for the month of January that the convention sales division produced 10 leads representing 2,598 potential room nights with all but one group being for 2007. The team assisted with five definite groups representing 7,915 room nights and conducted one site inspection. Staff exhibited at the Religions Convention Managers Association in Louisville with partners from Embassy Suites, Gaylord, Hilton and Hyatt DFW. 73 planners visited the booth and staff returned with eight requests for proposals with a total room night potential of 3,125. Staff also exhibited at the Meeting Planners International Professional Education Conference in New Orleans. There were 25 visitors to the booth and one lead representing 42 room nights was generated. Staff also exhibited at the Southwest Showcase in Austin where there were 49 visitors to the booth generating eleven leads with a potential of 6,230 room nights. The sales staff has begun the process of accumulating room commitments for the 2011 Super Bowl. Tourism sales staff generated five leads representing 110 room nights and 211 visitors. They booked two day-tours representing 75 participants. Destination Services staff provided registration assistance to twelve groups representing 21,280 attendees. 60,400 brochures were distributed during the month and 3,576 visitors were assisted through the Visitor Information Center. The Convention and Palace Arts Centers booked 37 future events representing 12,970 attendees. In the month of January there were 43 groups with $33,112 in room rental and $17,901 in food sales. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad website had 22,680 unique visitors and the general site had 51,624 unique visitors. Public Relations generated $54,305 in print and $35,045 in electronic media coverage. Mr. Kakos shared several articles on ABA and other press clippings with the board. L Board of Directors Meeting February 15, 2007 Page 4 of 4 NEW BUSINESS Move of Denton Creek School House Mr. McCallum reported that approximately two years ago Sallie Andrews and David Klempin located a little schoolhouse that was moved from Denton Creek. It is believed to have been constructed around 1900-1910 and is 14' by 32'. Steve Stinson made a motion that we move the schoolhouse to the Keeling House property on Church Street and set it up as a school house to be used in conjunction with the third grade education program that is currently in place. Ev Barnes seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Festival Pricing and Hours Mr. McCallum presented a plan to make permanent the extension of Main Street Days festival hours that were approved last year by City Council. A motion to endorse the permanent extension of Main Street Days Hours was made by Phil Cloud and seconded by Paul Slechta. Motion was unanimously approved. Mr. McCallum presented recommended festival gate admission prices to the board. Mark Wasiak made a motion to endorse the presented gate admission prices, seconded by Ev Barnes. Motion was unanimously approved. REPORTS Heritage Foundation In Pat Stinson's absence the Heritage Foundation report was covered in the Heritage Programs and Preservation report. Chamber of Commerce Phil Cloud reported that March 29th is the date for the annual Chamber Banquet, which will be held at the Hilton. The Chamber members were please to be involved in ABA. Kathee Livengood promoted the Great Taste of Grapevine, which will be held on March 22nd at the Convention Center. There are 24 area restaurants participating and tickets are $20 each. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Bigbie thanked Bernhard and Sandra Lechner from our Sister City, Krems, for being at the board meeting. Mr. Lechner offered congratulations for the success of the recent ABA meeting and thanked everyone who assisted them during their time here. There being no further business to come before the board Mark Wasiak made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Kathee Livengood. Motion carried. ATTEST: DATE: