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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 02-17-1999 Board Mtg Minutes Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board February 17, 1999 The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board met Wednesday, February 17, 1999 at 8:00 a.m. at the Aqueduct Conference Center located at 1760 Mount Carmel Church Road in Chapel Hill. . Board Members Present: Lee Pavao Creston Woods Moses Carey, Jr. Rick Strunk Nancy Davis Pat Evans Glenn O'Neil Catharine Callaway Board Members Absent: Mike Nelson Catherine Martin Staff Present: Joe Blake, Executive Director Betty Davis, Administrative Assistant Chairman Lee Pavao called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m in the conference center lodge. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Mr. Pavao welcomed the board members. No guests were present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Pavao asked for the approval of the minutes from the December 16, 1998 meeting. Ms. Pat Evans made a motion to accept the minutes as written and Mr. Moses Carey seconded the motion. With all members being in agreement the minutes were approved. SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS Budget and Finance Committee Mr. Moses Carey, treasurer, reported on the Bureau's financial statements. All revenues and expenditures were in order. Mr. Carey noted that year-to-date revenues were above last year's and expenditures were under budget for the year. Mr. Blake elaborated that expenditures were less than budgeted due primarily to lapsed salaries created by vacant staff positions. Blake advised that the unused personnel funds would be used to accomplish additional marketing projects prior to year's end. Marketing Committee Mr. Creston Woods, Marketing Chair, reported that the website continued to improve with approximately 2000 site visits for January. He also reported that filming of stock footage for the destination video was complete and production would begin once the script is finalized. Mr. Woods noted that the group tour manual revisions were near completion and should go to print in a short time. Lastly, he announced that the marketing committee would meet in mid-Spring to begin preparation of the `99-`00 marketing plan, which will be presented to the board at the June meeting. DIRECTORS REPORT Mr. Blake reported recent changes in Orange County lodging accommodations. The newly constructed Days Inn Chapel Hill opened its doors for business on February 11, 1999. Regretfully, the Village Bed and Breakfast Inn closed on November 30, 1998. Mr. Blake announced that Betty Davis had received a promotion to the position of sales coordinator at the Visitors Bureau. He also informed that the search for the director of sales position was progressing. The final candidates for the position, all having sales experience, were scheduled for interviews and the selection process would be completed as soon as possible. An announcement was made that the North Carolina Association of Convention & Visitor Bureau's would host the 7th Annual Tri-State Convention and Visitor Bureau's Conference in Chapel Hill at the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel on March 28 —31, 1999. The group had chosen our bid out of eighteen submitted due largely to the attractive package offered by the Sheraton and the perception that our destination would be a draw for other industry professionals. The conference was anticipated to generate attendance of approximately 200 industry professionals from not only the tri-state members, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, but also Georgia, Tennessee and West Virginia, who had also been invited. Mr. Blake reported that the NC Bid Committee for the 2007 Pan Am Games had been impacted by the International Olympic Committee scandal. The Triangle site visit previously scheduled for late February has been postponed to fall 1999 by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Mr. Blake announced that the July 4th closing ceremonies for the Special Olympics World Summer Games have been moved from Kenan Stadium at UNC-CH to the Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke University. He also informed the Board that the Orange County accommodations, which are participating as family hotels for the Games, are full. 2 Assignments for hotels participating as honored guests and sponsor accommodations are expected from the Games office prior to mid-March. Mr. Blake announced that a director for Orange County Economic Development had been hired. Ms. Dianne Reid will begin her new position on April 5. Mr. Blake asked the board members to refer to the prospectus for the Trading Path Preservation Association that was included in their meeting packet. He reviewed briefly the information contained in the document. Mr. Blake informed the board that the Association would like to list the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau as a reference. The request would not require monetary support to the Association from the Bureau. The Board members discussed the request briefly. A motion was made by Mr. Rick Strunk not to endorse the Trading Path Preservation Association in keeping with prior policy established by the board . Mr. Carey seconded the motion. With all members being in agreement, the motion was carried. Mr. Blake provided a report that some hotels and motels on the border of Orange County in Durham County were positioning themselves as being in Chapel Hill and had been requesting Chapel Hill/Orange County collateral pieces to display and distribute at their locations. He reminded the board members that it is the Bureau's policy not to distribute our publications to hotels or businesses outside Orange County. Under a previously arranged agreement with the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the hotels should contact that Bureau if they desire a display copy of our information. Lastly, Mr. Blake made brief reference to the Orange County hotel occupancy and average daily rate performance for January. OLD BUSINESS Ms. Pat Evans reported that the matter of allowing bed &breakfast inn establishments in Chapel Hill was still undetermined. The Town Council had sent the matter back to staff. A hearing concerning the issue is to be held on April 19. A brief discussion among Board Members regarding the issue ensued. Mr. Pavao asked for support in favor of allowing bed &breakfast inns at the April 19, Chapel Hill Town Council meeting Mr. Pavao reported that Mr. Blake and he had visited five additional Orange County lodging accommodations recently. The purpose of the visits was to get feedback on the Bureau's performance from the managers. The accommodations visited have given very favorable comments regarding the visitors bureau's programs. Mr. Rick Strunk asked board members to refer to the revised by-laws document that was mailed two weeks prior to the meeting. He reiterated that the purpose for the proposed changes was to accurately reflect the Visitors Bureau's status as a county department instead of a private, non-profit agency, which the current by-laws reference. Mr. Strunk briefly reviewed the changes with the board. It was noted that the final document 3 contained changes suggested by Geoff Gledhill, Orange County's Attorney, whom the committee asked to review for consistency with the county's policies. Mr. Blake advised the Board that recently, at the request of Commissioner Halkiotis, the Orange County Board of Commissioners had voted and approved to remove one of the two Commissioner's seats on the Board. With no questions from board members, Mr. Strunk made a motion that the revised by-laws be approved. Mr. Carey seconded the motion. With all members being in favor, the motion was carried. Mr. Pavao advised the board that The Town of Chapel Hill has obtained private council to represent the town in the Meadowmont Project. NEW BUSINESS Mr. Blake presented two versions of a new logo for the Visitors Bureau containing the tag line, "You'll be a Fan for Life". Mr. Woods announced that the marketing committee and staff recommended the logo that was most similar to the existing logo be chosen in keeping with the mission to maintain consistency of"look". With no discussion from the members, Mr. Woods made a motion that logo be adopted as the official logo of the Bureau. Ms. Evans seconded the motion and with all Board Members in favor the motion was carried. Mr. Pavao explained to the Board about the Chapel Hill Sign Ordinance that prohibits corporate flags being displayed in the Chapel Hill town limits. Mr. Pavao and Mr. Blake had earlier discussed the town ordinance. Mr. Blake sent a questionnaire to all Chapel Hill accommodations regarding their preferences about flying corporate flags at their individual properties. After receiving responses to the questionnaire, it was determined that there was not sufficient interest to pursue the matter with the Chapel Hill Town Council. ADJOURNMENT With all business being concluded Mr. Pavao asked for a motion for adjournment. Mr. Moses Carey made the motion for adjournment; Ms. Pat Evans seconded the motion. All members being in agreement the meeting adjourned at 8:50 a.m. Minutes Drafted by: Minutes Accepted by: Joe Blake, Executive Director Lee Pavao, Chairman Date Date c:my document/Board/February 17 1999 Board Meeting Minutes 4