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Home My WebLink AboutCH-OCVB minutes 081507Minutes Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board August 15, 2007 The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board met at the Holiday Inn Express at 202 Cardinal Drive in Hillsborough, at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Board Members Present: Lee Pavao Creston Wood Rick Strunk Frances Dancy Bob Ward Jim Ward Rachel Hawkins Jon Wilner Bill Crowther Board Members Absent: Moses Carey Linda Convissor Mark Sherburne Liz Parham Staff Present: Laurie Paolicelli Betty Davis Linda Ekeland Tina Roberts Guests: Elizabeth Read, Interim Director, Alliance for Historic Hillsborough Robbie Paul, Senior at UNC-Wilmington Gayle Wilson, Orange County Solid Waste Blair Pollock, Orange County Solid Waste CALL TO ORDER Mr. Lee Pavao, Chair, called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Mr. Pavao opened the meeting by welcoming Board Members and guests Elizabeth Read; Robbie Paul; Gayle Wilson; and Blair Pollock. Chair Pavao introduced our host for this meeting, Anjan Desai, owner/manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Hillsborough. Mr. Desai welcomed board members and guests and informed them of recent/current remodeling efforts and stated willingness to host future meetings. He also invited members to tour facilities. Chair Pavao recognized Elizabeth Read as Interim Director for the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. Elizabeth updated board members on current agendas for the Alliance. Bill Crowther added that the Alliance is searching for a new director and that Laurie Paolicelli is checking with Orange County attorneys on a potential conflict of interest issue. Mr. Pavao gave the floor to Robbie Paul. Robbie discussed a construction/cabinet building project he is working with the Visitors Bureau and which will promote the local music scene. The project is an exhibit with interactive equipment featuring local artists and will be set up in the C.H. Visitor Center. He thanked the Visitors Bureau for the opportunity to try his hand at this project while studying entrepreneurship at UNC Wilmington. Chair Pavao introduced Gayle Wilson and Blair Pollock (supplemental handout given). Mr. Pollock informed members that Orange County has a 20-year recycling history with a 61% waste reduction goal. Recycling programs have focused primarily in the residential sector. Pollock noted that the ABC board would regulate an ordinance that requires recycling by those who retain an alcohol permit. Pollock stated that they plan to form a focus group that will develop a survey on commercial recycling and encouraged board members to get involved. Board agreed to invite Mr. Pollock for an update. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Pavao asked for approval of the June 20, 2007 Board Meeting minutes. Bill Crowther made a motion to accept the minutes as presented. Jon Wilner seconded the motion. With all Board Members in agreement, the motion was carried unanimously. COMMITTEE REPORTS Marketing Committee Mr. Rick Strunk, Marketing Committee Chair, informed the board of a successful meeting with Chapel Hill hotels, hosted by his office and Linda Ekeland, Creston Woods, and Laurie Paolicelli regarding the economic potential of spectators attending high school championship games to stay overnight in Chapel Hill/Orange County. Strunk said it was attended by all hotels and that he felt good about the buy-in and advocacy generated. Mr. Bruce Walch of Jennings presented Chapel Hill/Orange County ads encouraging overnight stays. A brief discussion on summer visitation promotion as well as continued work on the website. Jon Wilner suggested including hotel venues in ads. Jim Ward commented on graphic placement. Didn’t like the way Carrboro and Hillsborough were add, next to positioning line. Jim thought it looked awkward. Agency—at Laurie’s prompting—agreed to present alternative layouts because Paolicelli had registered similar concerns last month. Budget & Finance Laurie Paolicelli informed members that the VB ended the 2006/07-budget year within $200.00 with a beginning budget of $755,000. At the end of last fiscal year, the board had agreed to begin spending down the fund balance, which was $350,000. The staff will use $270,000 of fund balance for advertising, to help growing hotel inventory and dips in occupancy. The VB received approval for $965,000 for the 2007/08 budget. The VB will be requesting Commissioners to raise the occupancy tax by 1% in 2008 in order to sustain same level of promotion. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT (Supplemental handout given) Ms. Paolicelli reiterated the origins of funding and the mission statement for the Visitors Bureau. On this note Paolicelli informed members that the VB has been requested to serve on the steering committee for Culture Shock, a concept presented by the arts community. Paolicelli asked for discussion because Culture Shock is a two-county promotion and she wanted to solicit the board’s opinion on supporting a promotion that would benefit artists of another county when that county did not contribute taxes. Jon Wilner discussed the economic benefits of working with neighboring communities in other counties. Funding from other communities was discussed. Ward, Pavao and others felt it was important that Chatham County pitch in money or benefits. Members agreed to continue discussion at next board meeting and no official action was taken. Laurie recommended that the board make a policy change allowing the Visitors Bureau to provide Visitors Guides and other materials to Durham hotels who requested these items. Currently the Bureau operated under a “handshake agreement” with the Durham Visitors Bureau to not provide Durham hotels any Orange County materials because Durham felt they lost too much money to Chapel Hill and that Orange County tax dollars shouldn’t pay for guides given to other counties. It was stated that the policy was put into place due to the expense of production and that goodwill relations were not the best with Durham’s VB. Jon Wilner motioned to change the policy after staff met with Durham VB to update them on change. Creston Woods amended the motion asking that we first see the financial ramifications involved with giving Durham hotels Orange County materials. Bob Ward seconded. With all members in agreement, staff will present findings to the board during September’s meeting. Bill Crowther and Frances Dancy terms will expire in December. By-Laws/Board terms were discussed. Frances Dancy said she would like to continue to serve and that her board would issue a letter supporting this. Bill Crowther said that the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough board would be nominating Dave Gephart, as long as Gephart could continue to bid on the Bureau’s merchandise business. Sales Report Postponed to next board meeting NEW BUSINESS In Mark Sherburne’s absence, Paolicelli informed members that the Best Western University Inn will be closing in four (4) weeks with demolition expected at year-end. Planned is a 130-room building and multi-use village with completion date around 2011. Revenue loss/long term gain was discussed. Bob Ward said that he felt we were being too territorial with all these county lines and that we should give Durham and Chatham any brochures that their visitors needed and that our Visitors Bureau should also give visitors Durham and Chatham materials if they requested. Stated that visitors get frustrated at county lines and political turf issues and that we should work together for greater customer service. Ward said he was disappointed that Bennett Place in Durham had NO Orange County materials. Other items on the agenda were postponed to the September board meeting. OLD BUSINESS Chairman Pavao asked for a committee to begin strategizing on a request to the BOCC for a 1% increase in revenue, Creston Wood volunteered involvement. Paolicelli said Jim Ward also volunteered before he departed. Lee Pavao will get with Jim because it might make more sense for him to sit this one out, considering the municipality he represents does not give full funding to the Visitors Bureau. It might hurt him/visitors bureau request if he led this effort. Pavao will pull together a committee. OTHER MATTERS Betty Davis recently retired and board members recognized her for her many years of service with the Visitors Board. ADJOURNMENT With all business of the Board completed, Mr. Pavao asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Crowther made the motion to adjourn and seconded by Mr. Strunk. With all Board Members in agreement, the meeting was adjourned at 9:25 a.m. ________________________________ _________________________________ Minutes Drafted by: Minutes Accepted by: Laurie Paolicelli, Executive Director Lee Pavao, Chair ________________________________ _________________________________ Date Date