Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-21 Regular Meeting GRAPEVINE CONVENTION&VISITORS BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Thursday,August 21, 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. New Employee Introduction 4. Oath of Office 5. Elect Vice Chair 6. Approval of Minutes 7. Sales & Marketing Report A. Sales Missions and Trade Shows B. Marketing and Media Report 8. Ongoing Business A. 39 h Annual GrapeFest B. Marketing Committee Timeline C. Winfrey House and Tate House Report 9. New Business A. Live Christmas Tree B. Grant-in-Aid Request 10. Liaison/Hotels/Attractions Updates A. Liaison Updates 11. 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 15th day of August, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Becky 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,August 21, 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 Cynthia Blankenship Board Member lain Scouller Board Member Jeff Babcock Board Member Chuck Pacioni Board Member Mike Oakley Board Member Constituting a quorum, with the following liaisons and staff members present: Leon Leal Council Liaison Richard Wales Chamber Representative Paul W. McCallum Executive Director Leigh Lyons Assistant Executive Director Becky Roberson Executive Assistant CALL TO ORDER Board Chairman,Joe Szymaszek, called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Chairman Szymaszek introduced appointed board members, Fabien Goury and Kim Farbisz. NEW EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTION Director McCallum introduced Logan Easley, Manager of Event Venue Operations and Shadi McOsker, Nash Farm Manager. OATH OF OFFICE Jeff Babcock, lain Scouller, Mike Oakley, Kim Farbisz and Fabien Gourywere sworn in as board members. ELECT VICE CHAIR Chairman Szymaszek thanked Mark Terpening for his service as Vice Chair and recommended that he continue in the role. With a motion from Cynthia Blankenship and seconded by lain Scouller, followed by a unanimous vote, Mark Terpening was reelected as Vice Chair. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Board Chairman Szymaszek, called for a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting. With a motion from Mike Oakley and seconded by Mark Terpening,the minutes from the June 26, 2025 meeting were approved 7-0. SALES AND MARKETING REPORT Executive Director McCallum reported on recent sales missions and trade shows. National Sales Manager, Codi Missimo, attended Meeting Professional International's World Education Congress June 17 through 21. This gathering is both an educational and trade show event. It brings together meeting planners and hosted buyers. Approximately 2,000 attendees were at the event. Ms. Missimo participated in 23 one-on-one planner appointments which resulted in 6 requests for proposals. National Sales Managers,Tanja Nichols and Connie Ash, attended CVENT Connect June 10 through 12. CVENT is an industry-leading event for management and registration software for global meetings, events, and hospitality management software. It consists of educational sessions, training camps, networking, and a tradeshow. Five hotel partners joined the team and together, the team had 25 scheduled appointments and 35 walkup appointments which resulted in multiple proposal requests, ranging from 2027 to 2030. National Sales Manager,Tanja Nicols, also participated in the MPI Chicago Chapter's 29th golf outing. She partnered with Hyatt Regency DFW and together they hosted 250 attendees at hole#6 and served Texas-themed beverages and snacks. This allowed for more than 50 networking opportunities. National Sales Managers,Tanja Nichols and Ellie George attended HelmsBriscoe Annual Business Conference June 28 through 30. HelmsBriscoe is the largest leasd sourcing company for hotels and CVBs with an average of 2,000 transactions per day. With close to 550 HelmsBriscoe global and domestic planners in attendance, as well as hundreds of suppliers,the team hosted 39 appointments and returned with 6 proposal requests,with more expected to follow. National Sales Manager, Codi Missimo, along with hotel representatives from Gaylord Texan Resort and Hyatt Regency DFW, attended the MPI Greater New York Chapter's annual golf outing July 22 through 25. The Grapevine team sponsored the seventh hole and had the opportunity to meet with multiple meeting planners. Some were invited to the upcoming GrapeFest familiarization tour in September. The team also took the opportunity to host client meetings to follow up on qualified business leads. Director of Leisure and International Sales, Heather Egan, attended IPW,formerly known as International Pow Wow in Chicago June 13 through 18. IPW is the premier travel trade show driving international visitation to the United States. She partnered with Visit Lubbock and together the team held more than 50 appointments throughout the show. Helloworld Australia reported that while international visitation in Texas remains flat, the DFW market is up 5%and Grapevine is up 88%. Rooms that have historically been booked in other cities throughout the state are now being booked in Grapevine. Ms. Egan has consistently worked and developed a productive work relationship with Travel USA New Zealand. It was reported that there is now a webpage dedicated to highlighting Grapevine with the intent to drive interest among the New Zealand travel trade. This website went live in mid-June. It links local experiences to key attractions under the Things to See& Do feature. Upcoming events in Grapevine are highlighted and two Grapevine packages titled; Ultimate Grapevine and Explore Texas are expected to go live soon. The website offers the opportunity to connect with a travel agent in real time and book a trip to Grapevine. Director McCallum shared that the Smith Travel Research report tracked July hotel occupancy in Grapevine at 77.8%,which is a 6.3% increase year over year. While the daily rate was down just over$5, Grapevine was the leader in its competitive set in occupancy and rate. Assistant Director, Leigh Lyons, explained the comprehensive and strategic marketing campaign developed to drive summer business to Grapevine. With metrics indicating that overall summer travel be down, the Marketing and Communications teams immediately began a focused advertising campaign with both a 15 second and 30 second commercial, along with a robust print campaign. The commercials were shown and discussed. Advertising in both local and outer markets was shared. Radio and social advertising developed to drive hotel stays were shared in detail with reported numbers still coming in from digital partners. Ad buys are targeting potential visitors through multiple platforms, such as Expedia,TripAdvisor and other hotel travel sites. Connected tv and over the top ad campaigns were well underway through various digital platforms. A GrapeFest campaign was launched on June 15 and will run through the duration of the festival.The targeted plan for broadcast television, radio, print, outdoor billboard and social were shared. In addition, separate press releases showcased GrapeFest both regionally and internationally. Other press releases covered the relocation of the Winfrey House, Grapevine meeting spaces, Fourth of July happenings,All Tracks Lead to Grapevine summer activation, CVENT Grapevine Top 20, Main Street America,Amon Carter, People's Choice Wine Competition, Santa's North Pole Express Ticket Announcement, Summer Splash Bash, relocation of the Tate House, America's 250th Anniversary and more. While most of the releases focused on regional readers, others were written specifically for international visitors. Press releases for partners were also promoted such as the Gone Fishing Media Alert from Bass Pro Shops, The Longest Day, Grapevine Mill's Dig World and the expansion of Hotel Vin. The team has also worked to secure print, radio and television coverage for a variety of events and happenings. D magazine highlighted Grapevine Mills, Meow Wolf and Chicken N Pickle in an indoor summer fun article. Summer activities in Grapevine were covered in Talking Texoma. WFAA had a live report at the Holly Jolly Bar and covered Christmas ticket go live dates for Gaylord Texan events such as ICE! and Grapevine Vintage Railroad's Santa's North Pole Express. The front page of Community Impact showcased the expansion of the Grand Hyatt and had a feature on Grapevine tourism. An article about Ferrari's was pitched and picked up by the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Multiple potential media stories that are in development were also shared. The Communications team hosted two recent familiarization tours with German travel industry professionals. In partnership with Texas Tourism. Two representatives from TomonTour visited Grapevine June 8, 9 and 10. Theywere escorted to hotels, restaurants, and attractions and had the opportunity to visit with business owners. Over June 9, 10 and 11, eight German travel bloggers, morning television reporters, travel magazine writers and PR representatives visited Grapevine and had the opportunity to experience all that Grapevine has to offer. The team also hosted a regional writer that contributes to Southern Living online and an Australian freelance travel writer. ONGOING BUSINESS Director McCallum reported that GrapeFest had been named the#7 Wine Festival in the United States by USA Today's 10 Best. Nominees for the contest were selected by USA Today editors and a panel of wine and travel experts with winners being determined by four weeks of public voting. The theme for this GrapeFest is the Grape Gatsby in celebration of F. Scott Fitzerald's the Great Gatsby. Festival grounds will embrace art deco decor and contribute to a 1920's feel, from the addition of our take of a Florence Door at Champagne Terrance, sponsored by Hilton DFW Lakes,to an elaborate entry at Rose Rendezvous. Champagne Cork Shoot-Off will be relocated to the same area as GrapeStomp on West Wall Street. Schedules for both activities have been adjusted, and 121 Community Church will cover all volunteer positions for both. The wine tasting seminars are making a return. This year there will not be a food pairing element. There will still be a Barossa Master Class event that will feature six wines from Barossa Valley, Australia, one of the world's premier wine regions. Additionally, GrapeFest Co-Chair, Lisa Pacioni, has stepped in and will offer a class focused on Riesling wines and likely a second class that will experiment with spitzers. The Riesling-centric class will offer a horizontal wine tasting and will focus on how differing winemaking styles and vineyards influence wine. Director McCallum covered multiple activations with the festival. He spoke of the progress in attracting Texas wineries to participate in the People's Choice Wine Competition. The Liberty Park Plaza International Wine Experience, sponsored by Gaylord Texan Resort,will now offer options. For the first time, patrons can purchase four tastings, six tastings or a VIP option that includes six tastings, specific wines only offered in the VIP area and food pairings for an additional charge. Director McCallum reported on the security enhancements throughout the festival grounds. The meridian gates, heavy rubber barriers and improvement on perimeter fencing were all deemed necessary. Multiple city departments have worked closely together to formulate a plan that offers safeguards that are of the upmost importance. In addition,to the physical improvements, the team has also hired a contract worker to solely focus on strengthening and monitoring of the festival perimeter. Assistant Director Lyons reminded the group that Jeff Babcock had accepted the request to chair the Marketing Committee. She then shared the Committee Meeting Schedule and explained that some meetings would be in-person,while others would be online with the internal finalization due date set for November 7, 2025 with a planned distribution of the 2026 Marketing Plan to the Marketing Committee members scheduled for December 2, 2025. Director McCallum reported on the relocation and renovation of the Winfrey House and Tate House. The Winfrey House has been set on the foundation, and a retaining wall has been put in place to the north and at the northwest corner of the house. The exterior overlay siding has been removed. Next steps will be to replace damaged or rotted siding and trim. Soon the overlay roof will be removed, along with the aluminum windows. The Tate House is sitting on beams, and the team is working with an engineer to develop a foundation plan. The exterior work to remove overlay siding is set to begin soon and the replacement of damaged exterior pieces will follow. The window A/C unit, extraneous wiring and conduit will be removed and windowsills will be replaced. NEW BUSINESS Director McCallum shared that staff had researched live trees for Peace Plaza and was waiting for the opportunity to pick the ideal tree for Christmas Capital of Texas. He reported that the live Christmas tree had quickly become a focal point of the festival, attracting visitors both day and night.The goal is to secure a tree within days. Grapevine High School Ex-Students requested$3,000 to cover costs associated with the Grapevine High School Homecoming Parade,Tea and associated activities which will be held October 1 through 4.The requested funds will assist with signage for Grapevine High School Hall of Fame Inductees, Coming Home Queens, special honorees, and mums or boutonnieres for the honorees. Monies will also be used for decorations and program production for the Annual Homecoming Banquet. Discussion included the benefit to local restaurants, retail businesses and hotels as former students return to Grapevine for the homecoming activities. There is an additional benefit as these events build upon Grapevine traditions,while preserving Grapevine's heritage. Chairman Szymaszek called for a motion to support Grapevine High School Ex-Students in the amount of$3,000. Motion: Cynthia Blankenship Second: Chuck Pacioni Approved: 7-0 Airport Cities VFW 10454 is committed to providing services, aid, and programs to active service members,veterans and their families. Each year, Airport Cities VFW 10454, in partnership with the City of Grapevine, hosts a Veterans Day Event to pay tribute to local veterans. The date for this year's parade and fair is Saturday, November 8. This event brings the community together to honor our veterans, educate the public and showcase musical performances, food, historic military vehicles and various activities. Airport Cities VFW 10454 requested a sponsorship of this event in the amount of$2,500. Chairman Szymaszek called for a motion to support Airport Cities VFW 10454 grant request of$2,500. Motion: lain Scouller Second: Mike Oakley Approved: 7-0 Chairman Szymaszek acknowledged a letter to the board from outgoing board member, Dan Weinberger. HOTELS/ATTRACTIONS/ACTIVITIES Assistant Executive Director, Leigh Lyons, reported on various happenings throughout Grapevine. She shared that American Airlines announced six seasonal routes to Europe and South America for travelers to experience in summer 2026. Qantas will relaunch daily Airbus A380 flights between Sydney and Dallas Fort Worth starting January 2026, boosting seat capacity and convenience. She also shared that Dr Sue's Chocolate is relocating to the 510 Building on West College Street. Richard Wales, represented the Chamber of Commerce in Sue Wykes absence. He reported on recent and upcoming events. Board Member, fain Scouller shared an update on the much-anticipated Bubble Planet that will reside in Grapevine Mills and Chairman Szymaszek gave an update on Dig World. ADJOURNMENT Board Chairman Szymaszek called for a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:28 a.m. Motion: Mike Oakley Second: MarkTerpening Approved: 7—0 ATTEST: APPROVED: Becky Roberson oe Szymaszek Executive Assistant ithairman