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Home My WebLink About01-27-2009 NEW HANOVER COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS JANUARY 27, 2009 Bill Caster, NHC Commissioners PRESENT: Scott Cromartie, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Chris Green, Hotel - +150 Wilmington Anne Marie Hartman, Hotel – 150+ Wrightsville Beach Kim Hufham, President/CEO – NHC TDA Frank Jones, Hotel – (-)150 Wilmington Bob McKoy, NH County Vacation Rentals Donna Moffitt – County Attraction Ronnie Pernell, Hotel – Kure Beach Avril Pinder, NHC Authority Finance Officer Jimmy Pope, Hotel – Carolina Beach Bill Saffo, Mayor – City of Wilmington Steve Whalen, Mayor – Wrightsville Beach EXCUSED: John Andrews - County Restaurant Joel Macon, Mayor – Carolina Beach Mac Montgomery, Mayor – Kure Beach Chuck Pennington – County Bed and Breakfast STAFF: Jeanette Foster, Administrative Services Manager/Recording Secretary Lee Nettles, Vice-President of Marketing Mikie Wall, Vice-President Sales and Services Connie Nelson, Communications/Public Relations Director Sheila Boyd, NHC Finance GUESTS: Jules Norwood – Lumina News Bill Rudisill – Immediate Past Board Member Ruth Haas, Director – Cape Fear Museum Board Chairman Ronnie Pernell called the meeting of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority Board to order at 5:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Museum. Chairman Pernell welcomed our new Board Member, Frank Jones of Suburban Extended Stay Hotel who will represent hotels - (-)150 rooms, Wilmington. 1 Chairman Pernell presented a plaque to outgoing Board Member, Bill Rudisill, one of the original members of the TDA Board (2003-2008) who represented hotels (-) 150 rooms in Wilmington and thanked him for his many years of service to the Tourism Development Authority Board. ITEM #1 – EXCUSED ABSENCES John Andrews, Mayor Joel Macon, Mayor Mac Montgomery, Chuck Pennington. ITEM #2 – MINUTES APPROVAL – NOVEMBER 25, 2008 [Motion made by Donna Moffitt, seconded by Scott Cromartie and unanimously carried that the minutes of November 25, 2008 be approved as read.] ITEM #3 – FINANCIALS AND ROT REPORT – AVRIL PINDER Avril Pinder presented current financials as of January 31, 2009. She advised that expenses are being tracked and she and Kim will be meeting next week to discuss the current economy. Cut backs have already been made and will be making sure if any further cut backs are required because revenues are down. Revenues are down for the first 3% for fiscal year to date of 5%; second 3% fiscal year to date – Carolina Beach is down 7%; Kure Beach is down less than 1%; Wrightsville Beach is down 2.9%. At this time, prediction is made that this trend will continue. Mrs. Pinder also went over the calendar year to date for each municipality. There was some discussion as to October being down and November doing better. One reason was due to a few of the hotels’ figures not being reported in October due to their late reporting and showing up in November’s report. There was some discussion as to other counties being down as well. [Motion made by Mayor Steve Whalen, seconded by Scott Cromartie and unanimously carried to accept the financial report as presented by Avril Pinder.] 2 ITEM #4 – PRESIDEN’TS COMMENTS President/CEO Kim Hufham advised the Board where we stand for the first six months of the 08-09 Fiscal Year (July – December.) The new 2009 Visitors Guides have arrived and everyone will be receiving same by mail in a few days. Pace Communications is now doing the publishing and ad sales for this piece. The Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB exhibited at the annual AENC trade show in December with over 200 planners in attendance. The new convention center was part of the exhibit. We have started some of the convention center marketing with convention center dollars which we received. Our booth won an award for the best self-decorated booth in the show. The CVB hosted one of the American Bus Association’s FAM tours which visited our area including the Aquarium and other attractions and sites as well. There were 12 tour companies representing 10 different states. From comments Mikie has received, it is felt we will definitely get some tour business out of this event. We had the opportunity because ABA was in Charlotte. The CVB participated in the Atlanta Media Mission. Convention center marketing as begun, although we are limited in what we can do due to not knowing whether the expansion on the center will be done. Until that is confirmed, it is difficult for planners to book without knowing what type of space the center will have. We are building awareness of the Center, and at the same time advising the City of the challenges we are having. In conjunction with the CVB, the convention center will be sponsoring a lunch for AENC in February. A logo has been presented and our next steps are a website and collateral pieces. To further bring the Board up to date, President Hufham presented a brief mid- year update (July-December, 2008.) During the State of the City Address last evening, the Mayor recognized Tourism as a bright spot. Even though the economy is not good at this time, we are going to get through it. Visitor Inquiries – (July-December) – we are up in total inquiries of 15.66%. Area Attraction Attendance – We are down 12.34% although in putting this information together, the Cape Fear Museum and the Battleship NC are both having a good year. Communications/PR Activities – Individual site visits are holding their own; media contacts are up; free editorial generated is down a little; placements are up and non-media inquiries are down a little, but overall feeling good about this. 3 Group Sales and Services – Leads are up and preplanning and assistance is also up. Room Occupancy Tax Receipts thus far are down a little over 5% for Fiscal Year to date. Smith Travel Research is not on our entire destination, but gives us a good idea for the area – Room revenue for the calendar year down only 3.7%. Occupancy tax only down about 3.4% and these two figures tie in together and is something we keep a close look at. Feel this will probably be the trend for the remainder of the calendar year. What all of this ties into is where we stand with the budget at this time. In light of current conditions, the CVB staff have made budget cuts of 5% ($94,000.) However, no marketing activities have been affected; nothing cut from advertising; trimmed back some per department. Of course, if deemed necessary, further cuts will be implemented. Lee made some comments on what the Marketing Department is doing. He advised that their biggest focus is on North Carolina; however, thinks will be in our best interest to broaden out for the summer season. Kim also mentioned that efforts on PR side that we are only “a tank of gas away.” Working with partners in doing packages to emphasize value with reasonable accommodations and great attractions through advertising and the public relations side. ITEM #5– OLD AND NEW BUSINESS Congratulated President Kim Hufham on her award as NC Coast Host’s Tourism Person for the Year and Anne Marie as well for her Torch Bearer award (ranked #2 out of 1,100 properties.) Mayor Saffo’s State of the City Address – everyone was pleased with his comments on the convention center, tourism, etc. Chairman Ronnie Pernell advised that a committee needs to be appointed to nominate Board officers for 2009. It was the Board’s consensus that the Executive Committee should again do the 2009’s nominations. Bill Caster discussed the Beach to Battleship event to take place here again in November, 2009. Almost full already – 750 full iron man; 750 half iron man. Chairman Pernell brought up old business concerning the Titan Issue. Feels this issue is “opening a can of worms” if the Board gets involved in this. Need to establish a review board and set a policy on whether this is a real tourism issue as well as other issues that may come up and bring back before the Board. The Board agreed this could definitely be a problem. A process should be in place as more and 4 more groups would be asking for the Board’s approval on many environmental or other issues. {Scott Cromartie made a motion and seconded by Bill Caster that any group who would like the TDA to take a stand on any issue should present it to the Executive Committee at least 30 days prior to it being presented to the TDA’s Board meeting for approval and has to be tied directly to tourism; and that it also has to be approved by the full Board prior to the group being brought in. Unanimously approved by the Board.] Kim thanked Ruth Haas for having us at the Cape Fear Museum for our Board Meeting. ITEM #6– CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS – RONNIE PERNELL There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. ______________________________ __________________________ Kim Hufham, President/CEO Bill Caster, Secretary 5