HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-29 Minutes
NEW HANOVER COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
January 29, 2025
PRESENT: Allen Oliver- Mayor – Town of Kure Beach
Natalie English -Wilmington Chamber of Commerce(virtual)
Kim Hufham - President/CEO – NHC TDA
Lynn Barbee, Mayor – Carolina Beach
Bill Saffo - Mayor – City of Wilmington
Eric Credle– NHC Chief Finance Officer
Nicole Jones, -Wilmington Hotel (150-)
Hap Fatzinger-NHC Attractions
Tom Ullring- CB Hotel Manager (150+rooms)
Ross Pitman- Bed & Breakfasts
Dan Tollens- Kure Beach Hotel/Motel
EXCUSED: Zach Brigman- Wilmington Hotel (150+)
Angela Rhodes-NHC restaurants
Nicolas Montoya- Wrightsville Beach Hotel
Zeke Partin - Wrightsville Beach Board of Alderman
LeAnn Pierce – NHC Commissioner
STAFF: Kim Little, Administrative Services Manager/Recording
Secretary
Linda Brothers, Senior Financial Analyst, NHC
Connie Nelson, Communications/PR Director
Shawn Braden, Executive VP Marketing & Strategy
John Sneed, VP Sales & Servies
Lee Davis, Director of Web Services
GUESTS: Jonathan Guy- Kimley-Horn
Tina Valdecanas- Clarity of Place
Rachel Cobb- Mythic
Macie Heintz- Mythic
Nick Karner- Mythic
Chad McEwen- City of Wilmington
Sue Bullock- Wrightsville Beach (virtual)
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Tom Ullring called the meeting of the New Hanover County Tourism Development
Authority Board of Directors to order at 5:00pm. The meeting was held at the CVB
offices.
Pledge of Allegiance
ITEM #1 – EXCUSED – Zach Brigman, Nicolas Montoya, Angela Rhodes, Zeke Partin,
LeAnn Pierce
ITEM #2 – APPROVAL OF BOARD MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 30, 2024
\[Motion made by Lynn Barbee and seconded by Nicole Jones to
unanimously approve minutes as read for October 30, 2024, as read.\]
ITEM #3- FINANCIALS/ROT REPORT – Eric Credle
NHCTDA Treasurer Eric Credle presented the ROT collections report for the period
through November 2024. Collections are down 8.3% through November 2024. The
revenues are currently down 3.33% year to date. The expenditure was higher by 24.3%.
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The 1 3% through December 2024 was under 3.6% compared to actual versus the FY25
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budget and FY24% year to date. The 2 3% was down 8.7% compared from actual to
FY25 budget and FY24% year to date
\[A complete financial report of the revenue/expenses for budget details in
Exhibit Book XIIII.\]
ITEM #4 EXPENDITURE REQUESTS- KURE BEACH – KIM HUFHAM
President/CEO Kim Hufham presented the following funding requests:
KURE BEACH:
The Town of Kure Beach respectfully requests funds for expenditures that were
incurred for the entertainment provided at the Ocean Front Park for the period of
December 2023 to November 30, 2024. The entertainment included concerts,
Storytime, the Kure Beach Market and other family-oriented activities. These
events attract tourists to Kure Beach by providing enjoyable and affordable
entertainment. The expenditure was as follows:
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Concerts $20,350.00
Family Activities $16,392.27
$36,742.27
Total funds requested: $36,742.27.
The Town of Kure Beach respectfully requests funds for expenditures for
lifeguard services for the summer 2023. The requested funds include expenditures
for two budget years, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The expenses to be reimbursed
are calculated as follows:
Total Lifeguard Expenses Incurred FY2023/2024 $508,918.29
Less: Lifeguard Expenses included on 01/16/24
TDA Request $252,346.16
FY2023/2024 Remaining to be reimbursed $256,572.13
FY2024/2025 Lifeguard Expenses Incurred from
7/1/24-11/30/24 $335,004.67
Total funds requested: $591,576.80
The program is directly related to tourism as it acts to protect vacationers and
visitors from harm as they swim and enjoy the beach strand in the incorporated
town limits of Kure Beach. Visitors are attracted to the beaches that offer
lifeguard services, particularly those with young children and older adults. Kure
Beach has always been on the cutting edge of oceanfront safety. We have a
proven track record of placing a high priority on the protection of our visitors.
The Kure Beach Lifeguard Program budget is attached to this request indicating
amounts previously received and the amount of this request.
The Town of Kure Beach respectfully requests funding for expenditures that were
incurred for maintenance, improvements and operating supplies at the Ocean
Front Park, pavilion, public restrooms, and Joe Eakes Park for the period of
December 23, 2023, to November 30, 2024. The Kure Beach Ocean Front Park
(OFP) and Joe Eakes Park have become destinations for tourists visiting Kure
Beach. The OFP pavilion is the location of many tourist-related activities,
including the Boogie In The Park concert series, weekly markets, programs for
children and educational programs. Additionally, tourists may reserve the facility
for private events. Joe Eakes Park is used for many different family activities. The
location of the parks in proximity to the ocean is part of the draw but also leads to
a variety of maintenance issues. Also, there is expenditure for operating supplies
used at the public restrooms located at the OFP. The expenditure for the period
12/23/2023 to 11/30/2024 total $50,282.72 and are supported by documentation
attached to this request.
Total funds requested: $50,282.72.
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The Town of Kure Beach respectfully requests funds for expenditures that were
incurred for the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce Free Summer Concerts
held during the summer of 2024 and the 2024 Cape Fear Kite Festival held in
November 2024.
The six free concerts, held at the Fort Fisher Military Recreation Area, and the
kite festival held at the Fort Fisher Military Recreation Area attract tourists to
Kure Beach by providing an enjoyable and affordable entertainment venue. The
expenditure for the fiscal year 2024/2025 totaled $30,000.00 and are supported by
documentation attached to this request.
Total funds are available in the amount of $30,000.
Total funds requested: $708,601.79
\[Motion made by Lynn Barbee, seconded by Ross Pitman and unanimously
accepted to approve the funding request for Kure Beach as read.\]
\[Copies of all the funding requests can be found in the Exhibit Book XIIII\]
ITEM #5- PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS- Kim Hufham
SERVICES
1. With 41,160 room nights already booked for FY 24-25, a 54.4% jump from
last year’s pace, we're poised to exceed last year's total of 41,971 by mid-
February.
2. Staff is preparing to welcome 10 potential clients on a FAM trip from
February 10-12. The itinerary includes tours of various hotels and meeting
facilities.
3. With the addition of the nCino complex and the Wilmington Convention
Center's history of successful USA Sports events, several new sporting
events are on the horizon, poised to drive significant off-season hotel usage
in the coming years.
4. The Official Visitors Guides were received in-house this week.
5. The Riverfront Booth is now operational 7 days a week. The new windows
for the opening will be installed soon.
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COMMUNICATIONS/PR:
1. The PR team is busy hosting journalists and vetting spring press trip requests.
2. Highlights include a writer on assignment with Conde Nast Traveler and a
historical travel writer doing research for multiple assignments relating to
America 250 celebrations.
3. We are also gearing up for a busy March with two media FAM tours, the
Garden & Gun promotion in Washington DC, and a countywide public school
job fair
MARKETING:
1. Completed:
2. Visitor Guide
3. New destination videos
4. Holidays on Water campaign
5. Working on:
a. FY25-26 planning,
b. CB Centennial campaign
c. spring/summer ads
d. local feature videos (WilmingtoNColor up next),
e. spring/OOS Influencer campaign
6. Tourism Master Plan
WEBSITE/TECHNOLOGY
The Technology Department has been actively implementing new advancements and
protocols to strengthen our cybersecurity measures and ensure the continuation of a
smooth and secure website and software operations. We are consistently exploring
newer, more efficient practices and emerging technologies to enhance our systems
and processes.
Looking ahead, we are excited about upcoming opportunities to further innovate and
optimize our technology infrastructure, keeping our organization at the forefront of
digital efficiency and security.
ADMINISTRATION
1. Riverwalk Committee Meeting
2. Tourism Master Plan Meetings
3. Brenda Fields – Hotel consultant
4. Sister City Commission
5. Gateway/Signage RFP Discussion meetings – City Planning
6. WDI Luncheon panelist
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7. WECT Interview – TMP
8. WCC Advisory Meeting
9. TDA TMP Work session
10. Griffin Estep – Insurance review
11. Grayson Overholt – Senator Thom Tillis office
12. ILM Press Conference – Frontier Logistics
13. Dark Horse Studios Grand Opening
14. NC Travel & Tourism Coalition – Executive Committee Mtg & Annual Planning
Retreat
Executive VP of Marketing & Strategy:
a. Received over 40 resumes
b. Approximately ½ with CVB or Tourism experience
c. Reviewed and cut to 8
d. Interviewed 3 candidates
e. Job offers to 1st choice candidate & accepted
f. Starting date to be determined
g. Shawn’s last day – February 3, 2025
Upcoming Projects
a. MAPS Personnel Study
b. Working with TMP Team on final deliverables
c. Community Sessions for roll-out of Tourism Master Plan
ITEM #6- Tourism Master Plan Update- Jonathan Guy and Tina Valdecanas
Creating strategies that succeed in:
Demonstrating the CVB’s commitment to balancing tourism growth
Facilitating greater collaboration and alignment
Identifying new destination products and experiences that complement existing
assets
Understanding the threats and opportunities
• Master Plan Process
• Overarching Needs
• Prioritized Recommendations
• Implementation Discussion
• Additional Opportunities
• Community Presentations
Next Steps
Recommendations: Present immediate opportunities and longer-range initiatives
and facilitate implementation.
Next Steps: Finalize Tourism Master Plan:
• Clarify strategies
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• Add metrics, roles, and timeline
In addition, there will be four plans, one each for Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and
Wrightsville Beach customized for each community and one destination wide plan
Some of the weakness that were glean from the survey is there isn’t enough affordable
hotel room blocks to service the Wilmington Convention Center to bring in larger
conventions. Another one is that residents’ perception of tourism industry. Most do not
understand the offset of taxes that tourism helps them. The threat is maintaining status quo.
Parking congestion is a complaint from residents and visitors. Some of the issues pertaining
to infrastructure and parking are beyond the town’s direct controls. Some of the projects
fall under the jurisdiction of NCDOT.
Discussion about what Wilmington and the Beaches set them apart from other destinations.
The history & authenticity of the communities here. We are seeing the development of a
foodie scene. Tourists visit for culinary experiences or to take classes. The movie and tv
industry bring fans of the movie and tv shows to walk in the footsteps of the stars from
shows such as One Tree Hill, The Summer I Turned Pretty.
The results of the Residents Sentiment Survey show the key points to improve the local
attitudes on the importance and inner workings of the tourism industry. One to emphasize
a collaborative effort to improve tourism and its role in the community. The CVB needs to
leverage current assets with the corporations and institutions as well as cultural diversity
of the area.
The timeline for the next steps will be divided into short-term, medium range, and long-
term. The CVB will be the lead partner and advocate and monitor the implementation of
tourism master plan final report.
\[A copy of The Tourism Master Plan Update can be found in the
Exhibit Book XIII\]
ITEM #8 –CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS-Tom Ullring
ITEM #9– OLD BUSINESS/NEW BUSINESS
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As there was no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
NHC TDA Board Meeting March 26, 2025
______________________________ __________________________
Kim Hufham, President/CEO Lynn Barbee, Secretary
Minutes located in TDA Board Minutes Book XIIII
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