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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 06-18-1997 Board Mtg Minutes Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board June 18, 1997 The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board met Wednesday, June 18, 1997, at 8:00 a.m. Ayr Mount in Hillsborough. Board Members Present: Lee Pavao, Chairman Moses Carey, Jr. Pat Evans Margaret Skinner Catherine Calloway Rick Strunk Remus Smith Board Members Absent: Hilliard Caldwell Nancy Davis Stephen Halkiotis Michael Weil Staff Present: Shelly Green, Director Betty Davis, Administrative Assistant Joseph Blake, Director of Sales Guests: Ted Abernathy, Orange County EDC John Link, County Manager Bill Crowther Cathleen Turner Chairman Lee Pavao called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. at Ayr Mount. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Mr. Pavao welcomed members and guests to the board meeting. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Pavao requested the approval of the minutes. Ms. Margaret Skinner made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted and Mr. Moses Carey seconded the motion. All members were in favor and the motion was approved. MARKETING COMMITTEE Ms. Skinner, marketing committee chairperson, stated that each member of the board was sent a copy of the marketing plan in the June board packet. At this time she asked Mr. Joe Blake, director of sales for the bureau, to review the marketing plan. Mr. Blake briefed the board members highlighting areas of special significance. A brief discussion on the marketing plan was entertained. Chairman Pavao asked for a motion to approve the marketing plan as presented. Ms. Skinner made a motion to approve the marketing plan and Mr. Carey seconded the motion. With all members being in favor the motion was approved. Members of the Visitors Bureau Board commended Mr. Blake on the excellence of the marketing plan. BUDGET AND FINANCE Mr. Carey, finance committee chairman, stated that he had reviewed the proposed budget for the fiscal year 1997-98. Mr. Carey asked Ms. Shelly Green to report on the proposed budget and answer any questions board members may have. Ms. Green reported that the bureau was in a better financial situation than anticipated, after the mid-year loss of occupancy tax from the Carolina Inn. Ms. Green also highlighted new items in the proposed budget for 1997-98 which included: two part-time staff positions, one position for data entry and one position for an assistant to the sales director; the calendar of events news line; and marketing research studies. Several questions and comments referencing the proposed budget were entertained and Ms. Green responded with her comments and answers. With no further questions or comments Mr. Carey made the motion that the proposed budget for the visitors bureau be adopted and approved. Mr. Remus Smith seconded the motion and with all members in favor the motion to accept the proposed budget was approved. DIRECTOR'S REPORT Ms. Green reported the bureau has several projects in progress at this time. The requests for bids for the group tour manual are due to the Orange County purchasing office on June 25 '. Also, the work on the lure brochure is near completion. Ms. Green distributed copies to board members of a proposed enhanced listing for the upcoming publication of the visitors guide. Board members had questions and comments about the enhanced listings, both pros and cons. It was decided that more information was needed for a decision to be made regarding the enhanced listings in the updated visitors guide. Mr. Pavao suggested that businesses be polled as to their preferences regarding the enhanced listings. Sheer Associates are moving forward with the meeting planning guide. In the new guide floor plans will be included of the facilities in the publication. The meeting planning guide should be completed in the fall. Ms. Green and Ms. Cathleen Turner of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough submitted Hillsborough as a site for a Revolutionary War Trail of North and South Carolina. After it was accepted, the two organizations collaborated on a Hillsborough Revolutionary War Tour. A brochure outlining this new walking tour is being prepared for completion in July. Ms. Green made the announcement that she had been elected and was presently serving as president of the North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (NCACVB). OLD BUSINESS Ms. Green showed a sketch of the roadway signs for Orange County to the board members. The signs for the interstate highways will be 11 feet by 4 feet in size and the signs for the secondary roads would be 3 feet by 6 feet. The signs will be green with white lettering with the Orange County logo. All board members were in consensus on approval of the signs and now the signs will be taken before the county commissioners for approval. Ms. Green reported that the progress in completing work at the Chapel Hill Museum is in the final stages. The $35,000 state grant monies is almost depleted but all is going well. Mr. Pavao stated that no changes had been made through legislative channels to the local occupancy tax legislation. Mr. Pavao stated that Chancellor Hooker was standing fast in his endorsement of not changing the legislation. Mr. Bill Crowther, County Commissioner, has spoken with Chancellor Hooker and he has opposed a contribution in lieu of occupancy tax from the Carolina Inn. After a brief discussion it was decided to allow the county attorney and the university's legal department to further study the situation of the occupancy tax at the Carolina Inn. The board asked Ms. Green to make a report at the next meeting regarding the amount of occupancy tax revenue that has been lost from the Carolina Inn since January 1997 along with projections for loses in 1997-98. NEW BUSINESS Ms. Pat Evans stated the nominating committee has met and the slate of officers were as follows: Mr. Pavao would continue to serve as chair, Ms. Skinner would serve as vice chair, Mr. Carey would serve as treasurer. Mr. Pavao opened the floor for nominations. With no nominations Ms. Evans made a motion to accept the slate of officers as presented by the nominating committee. Mr. Smith seconded the motion. With all members being in favor the motion was approved. OTHER Ms. Green asked that the proposed dates for the visitors bureau board meetings be reviewed. After brief discussion it was determined that the December 17th meeting conflicted with another meeting and the 17th meeting was changed to the 10th. Ms. Green also noted that all board meetings sites were in Chapel Hill. It was suggested that some meetings be changed to Hillsborough venues. Ms. Green said she would revise the schedule and distribute at the next board meeting. Ms. Green announced that Michael Weil had purchased a travel agency in Cary and he felt that he could not represent the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce on the visitors bureau board and therefore he would resign from the board. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to be discussed Mr. Carey made a motion that the meeting adjourn. Ms. Skinner seconded the motion. With all members in favor of the motion the meeting was adjourned at 9: 30 a.m. Minutes Drafted by: Minutes Accepted by: Shelly A. Green, Executive Director Lee Pavao, Chairman Date Date c:my document/Board/June 18 1997 Board Meeting Minutes