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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-10 Regular Meeting CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS GRAPEVINE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday, April 10, 2025 — 8:00 a.m. CVB Headquarters Boardroom 636 S. Main Street Grapevine, Texas AGENDA 1. Call to Order 2. Citizen Comments Any person who is not scheduled on the agenda may address the Convention & Visitors Bureau Board under Citizen Comments or on any other agenda item by completing a Citizen Appearance Request form with staff. A member of the public may address the CVBB regarding an item on the agenda either before or during the Board's consideration of the item, upon being recognized by the Board Chair or upon consent of the CVBB. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, the CVBB is restricted in discussing or taking action during Citizen Comments. 3. Approval of Minutes 4. 5. Sales &Marketing Report A. Mid-Year Sales Update B. Sales Missions and Trade Shows C. Marketing and Media Report 6. Ongoing Business A. 41'Annual Main Street Fest Update B. Grapevine Fairway Events Center Update 7. New Business A. Tourism Friendly Designation 8. Liaison/Hotels/Attractions Updates A. Liaison Updates 9. Adjournment If you plan to attend this special public meeting and 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 4th day of April, 2025 by 8:00 a.m. ('&04 -- —'-- d- -- ecky Roberson Executive Assistant County of Tarrant City of Grapevine State of Texas MINUTES The Grapevine Convention &Visitors Bureau Board of Directors met in Regular Session on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. at the Stephen W. Stinson Boardroom of the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau, 636 S. Main Street, Grapevine, Texas with the following persons in attendance: Joe Szymaszek Chairman MarkTerpening Vice Chairman Chuck Pacioni Board Member Dan Weinberger Board Member Jeff Babcock Board Member Mike Oakley Board Member Debi Meek Board Member Absent: Cynthia Blankenship and lain Scouller Constituting a quorum,with the following liaisons and staff members present: Leon Leal Council Liaison Sue Wykes Chamber Liaison Paul W. McCallum Executive Director Leigh Lyons Assistant Director C.J. Gardner Website Manager Becky Roberson Executive Assistant CALL TO ORDER Board Chairman, Joe Szymaszek, called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Chairman Szymaszek introduced and welcomed Sue Wykes, Grapevine Chamber of Commerce Board Chair and liaison to the Grapevine Convention &Visitors Bureau Advisory Board. I NEW EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTION Director McCallum introduced Sales Associate for Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Hannah Stewart, Festivals and Events Manager, Kassidy Hill and Leisure Sales Manager II, Brian Hilterbrandt. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Board Chairman,Joe Szymaszek, called for a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. With a motion from Dan Weinberger and seconded by Debi Meek, the minutes from the February 13, 2025 meeting were approved 6-0. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Executive Director McCallum reported on sales trade shows from the month of February. National Sales Manager, Codi Missimo, attended the Meet NY trade show, which is the largest buyer-hosted hospitality event in the Northeast. With an attendance of 280 New York meeting planners and 62 destination and hotels represented, Ms. Missimo secured meetings with 40 planners. While in New York, Ms. Missimo attended the Northeast CVB Reps trade show and luncheon. This event hosted 70 meeting planners and each CVB representative had ara opportunity to promote their destination. Director of Leisure and International Sales, Heather Egan, had two sales missions in February. Ms. Egan attended the International Inbound Travel Association Summit. This conference is a trade show that offers educational sessions. Ms. Egan secured 22 appointments and returned with multiple leads. During the event, Ms. Egan was a panelist alongside the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism &Convention Board, the Vice President of Global Trade Development for Brand USA and the Managing Director of International Inbound Travel for the US Travel Association. The panel took place during the Coming to America: Opportunities Abound to Draw Visitors session. Discussion focused on big events such as FIFA World Cup, Route 66 Centennial,America's Semiquincentennial and the Olympic Games. Ms. Egan also attended the American Bus Association's Marketplace.The American Bus Association is the largest motor coach association in the United States. She represented Grapevine as part of the Team Texas Booth and had 48 appointments. These appointments resulted in six immediate date-specific leads with 194 total room nights. Many inquiries centered on visits during the Christmas Capital of Texas timeframe. The American Bus Association Marketplace will return to Grapevine in 2031. Director McCallum reported that the Convention and Visitors Bureau is actively seeking ways to both attract and retain large meetings. One goal is to offer planners ease in booking and savings on transportation alongwith attendee incentives. The focus would be on groups with more than 2000 rooms on peak nights. The program would market the geographic convenience that meetings in Grapevine offer,turnkey planning support and a true Texas experience. Details on the launch of the program are still in the planning phase and the team is working closely with Gaylord Texan and the Director of Sales of full-service hotels. He reported that the 2025 issue of Grapevine Today had arrived and could be found at numerous locations throughout the city and would soon be at the Travel Information centers across Texas. He showcased the three distinct covers and explained how the magazine is utilized to bring visitors to Grapevine. He also highlighted four newly redesigned brochures and spoke to two additional brochures that were in the final stages of production. Director McCallum reported on earned and unearned media coverage. We took advantage of the Super Bowl and partnered with two outer market locations.We featured a 15 second television spot encouraging viewers to scan a QR code to enter to win a Destination Grapevine package. The team worked with partners to build a prize package for each market featuring assets from local stakeholders. As part of the Super Bowl promotional package,we received a spot schedule on each station that ran in news, sports and prime programming. It was reported that from 127 spots in one market, we received over a million impressions. In addition to the Super Bowl promotion, earned media coverage was reported. The Courier mail in Australia had an article titled, Best things to do in Grapevine, Texas: America's most underrated city. This article came as a direct result of a connection with team members and a site visit to Grapevine. Other articles and advertorials were highlighted covering a variety of topics, such as the Season Opener of Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Meow Wolf the Real Unreal, Great Wolf Lodge, LEGOLAND, Gaylord Texan and more. It was also reported that the team continues to develop integrated approaches for Spring Break, Spring Wine Trail, 41 st Annual Main Street Fest and Summer advertising. Director McCallum gave an overview of February press releases. They covered a variety of topics and were sent to international and domestic outlets. The international outlets received upcoming festival dates and a press release showcasing Grapevine as a gateway to Route 66. Domestic outlets received press releases on the dedication and history of the Witness Tree as well as the announcement of the co-chairs of the 41 st Annual Main Street Fest. ONGOING BUSINESS Director McCallum reported that on March 4, 2025, he presented the Grapevine Concourse Renaming Proposal to the Grapevine City Council. He shared the history that Lead to the naming of the Concourse. The building and opening of the space aligned with the recently opened Dallas Fort Worth Regional Airport. Now with the renovation of the space, it was determined that a name to fit the current intent of the building was required. The team reached out to industry persons who are knowledgeable in branding, marketing and facilities. That exercise produced some 20 suggestions and from those,three potential names rose to the top. Director McCallum explained that the goal of the name is to immediately communicate what community the facility is in,where it is located within the community and the intended purpose. Grapevine Fairway Events Center fulfilled the requirements. Director McCallum reported on updates relating to the 415tAnnual Main Street Fest—A Timeless Texas Tradition presented by Bank of the West. The Steering Committee held its formation meeting on February 27, 2025. At that meeting the Steering Committee leads were announced and the twenty-one sponsors to date were acknowledged. The initial meetingwas facilitated by staff and the Co-Chairs, Councilman Leon and Tracy Leal and was a successful and productive meeting. Director McCallum spoke to the importance and great appreciation to the sponsors, chairs and city departments that work alongside the Festivals and Event Team. He reported that staff were continuing to work with other departments to address security expansion and hardening of the festival perimeter. NEW BUSINESS Director McCallum reported that after many years of Grapevine having a working foundry, it had been unmanned for the two previous years. After multiple visits and conversations, it was decided that Hefestus Fine Arts will take over the space. Hefestus Fine Arts, based in Springtown, sees value in having a working foundry and gallery in Grapevine. He shared images of pieces from the Hefestus collection and explained that the Grapevine location will focus on smaller,tabletop works of art. Director McCallum explained that after considerable research,the New Vintage Wine & Gallery Trail and Blessing of the Vines was evolving to Spring Wine Trail and Blessing of the Vines. An updated logo has been approved and added to the advertising campaign. The aim of this repositioning is to better capture the beauty of the season and enhance the appeal of wine enthusiasts. Considerable research went into this decision. The goal is to increase awareness,attract a greater number of visitors and drive business to local wineries and galleries. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS/ACTIVITIES Chamber Liaison, Sue Wykes shared upcoming chamber affiliated events and Assistant Director Leigh Lyons reported on Spring Break activities around Grapevine. In addition to the fun offered at the 80,000 square foot indoor water park, Great Wolf Lodge celebrates with Spring Breakout and includes family friendly activities like the Sunshine Dance party,ATree to Be Yoga Tails, character Meet&Greets and exciting games. Grapevine Mills has multiple offerings for guests. Meow Wolf Grapevine:The Real Unreal introduces the Meow Wolf Midway, transforming the exhibit into a whimsical carnival with games, hidden treasures and collectible character cards that create a unique take home poster. Spring Break at LEGOLAND Discovery Center boasts over two million Lego bricks, race custom-built cars, interactive rides, play areas and showcase some of Dallas Fort Worth's iconic landmarks in MINILAND. SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium offers opportunities for visitors to meet rescued sea turtles, hear their inspiring stories and take on a mission to feed, track and protect them. There are sixteen themed zones that provide up close views to sharks, rays,jellyfish and more. Spring Break at PEPPA PIG World of Play encourages little ones to visit Peppa's House, explore Grandad Dog's Garage and Peppa Pig's Treehouse,jump in Muddy Puddles, climb through George's Fort and ride on Grandpa Pig's Train. Chicken N Pickle is putting an emphasis on kids ages 7-13, offering two sessions of a two- day pickleball camp, complete with fun drills, games, ample court time and lunch. The Third Rail at Harvest Hall will transport guests to a tropical tiki paradise with festive decor, island- inspired cocktails and live music. Their Castaway Cove will run through March 30. ADJOURNMENT Board Chairman Szymaszek called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:04 a.m. Motion: MarkTerpening Second: Dan Weinberger Approved: 6-0 ATTEST: APPROVED: ,i Becky Roberson Joe Szymaszek Executive Assistant Chairman