HomeMy WebLinkAboutTDA Board Meeting August 31 2022
NEW HANOVER COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
August 31, 2022
PRESENT: Mary Baggett- Wrightsville Beach Hotel/ Owner
Jim Kitts – NHC Vacation Rentals
Natalie English- Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Kim Hufham – President/CEO – NHC TDA
Nicole Jones – Wilmington Hotel (150-)
Lynn Barbee- Mayor – Town of Carolina Beach
Zach Brigman – Wilmington Hotel (150+)
Bill Saffo – Mayor- City of Wilmington
Tom Ullring- Carolina Beach Hotel
Ken Dull- Town of Wrightsville Beach
Ross Pitman- NHC Bed & Breakfasts
Eric Credle- NHC Chief Financial officer
EXCUSED: Deb Hays- NHC County Commissioner
Angela Rhodes – NHC restaurants
Hap Fatzinger- NHC attractions
Craig Bloszinksy- Mayor- Town of Kure Beach
STAFF: Kim Little, Administrative Services Manager/Recording Secretary
Karla Thompson, Systems Administrator
Shawn Braden, Executive VP Marketing
John Sneed, VP Sales
Connie Nelson, PR/Communications Director
Linda Brothers, Senior Financial Analyst, New Hanover County
GUESTS: Wendy Parker, Mythic
David McClay, Mythic
John Szalay, Mythic
Chairman Nicole Jones called the meeting of the New Hanover County Tourism
Development Authority Board of Directors meeting to order at Wilmington Chamber of
Commerce’s River Room at 5pm.
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ITEM #1 EXCUSED MEMBERS
Chairman Nicole Jones noted excused absences for Craig Bloszinksy, Deb Hays
Hap Fatzinger and Angela Rhodes.
ITEM #2 -RECOGNITION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS-
Eric Credle, NHC Chief Financial Officer, Jim Kitts, NHC Vacation Rentals,
Ross Pitman, NHC Bed & Breakfasts
ITEM #3 – APPROVAL OF BOARD MINUTES – May 25, 2022 & June 8, 2022
\[Motion made by Tom Ullring, seconded by Lynn Barbee and unanimously
approved to accept May 25, 2022. TDA Board minutes as presented
Motion made by Tom Ullring, seconded by Lynn Barbee and unanimously
approved to accept June 8, 2022, TDA Board minutes as presented.\]
ITEM #4 – FINANCIALS/ROT REPORT –Eric Credle
NHCTDA Treasurer Eric Credle presented the ROT collections report for the
period July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022.
ITEM# 5- EXPENDITURE REQUESTS- Kim Hufham
CAROLINA BEACH:
The following Carolina Beach expenditures requests were presented for
approval by the TDA Board of Directors.
Hamlet Ave. Public Bathroom Building-$ 75,597.13
Construction of public restroom facility at Hamlet Ave. public beach access; will
be used by visitors/tourists while at Carolina Beach; will also serve as Ocean
Rescue office and storage facilities.
Ocean Rescue/Lifeguard Expenses-$160,067.77
Salaries, expenses, and benefits related to ocean rescue/lifeguard staff.
Parks and Recreation Events-$42,532.15
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Events held by P&R to promote travel and tourism to Carolina Beach. Examples
include weekly fireworks displays, band performances, Sunday night movies,
family nights at boardwalk (face painters, bands, other entertainment).
Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce- $10,000.00
The PICC holds events and activities in Carolina Beach that promote travel and
tourism to the area. Examples of events include the annual Carolina Beach Music
Festival, and more. These events attract tourists to Carolina Beach by providing
enjoyable or free entertainment.
**Total funds requested $288,197.05
\[Motion made by Mayor Bill Saffo, seconded by Tom Ullring, and unanimously
approved to accept funding request as read, May 25, 2022\]
**** City of Wilmington and NHC TDA to collaborate on a funding a professional
assessment on the Riverwalk. The NHC TDA will fund the assessment study, and
provide to the city for implementation.
\[Motion made by Mayor Bill Saffo, seconded by Natalie English to approved
funds to be used for the City of Wilmington’s Riverwalk assessment study All approved
with one dissenting vote by Mary Baggett.\]
ITEM #6- PRESENTATION OF 2021/2022 Program of Work – Kim Hufham
President/CEO Kim Hufham presented the Program of Work/ Strategic Plan for
2022/2023. (Copy located in Exhibit Book XIII) A full presentation to be given to our
Industry Partners on September 13, 2022. Presentation of the State of Tourism)
Kim Hufham presented the State of Tourism to the NHC TDA Board:
2021 Tourism Expenditures of $930.40 million- 56% increase
NHC tourism generated $72.8 million in local /state taxes
More than 6,143 employed in travel & tourism related jobs- $246.5 million in
payroll
Each NHC resident’s taxes were offset $319.28
#7 ranking among NC’s 100 counties
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Kim Hufham touch on the NHC TDA advocacy issues faces us, as well as challenges.
Recession
Inflation
Social Issues
Workforce Shortages
Fuel Prices
Safety
Infrastructure & Parking
Environmental Issues
Wind Energy
An update was given on the marketing campaign with Avelo Airlines. The
NHC TDA marketing team has been working alongside Avelo Airlines
since June 2022 to place the following marketing initiatives to promote
our area to the new markets of New Haven, CT, Ft. Lauderdale, FL and
Baltimore, MD.
o Inflight cards
o Social media giveaways
o Metro + Bus Campaigns
o E-blasts
Mythic Marketing made a presentation of the FY22/23 NHC TDA Marketing
Plan. There will be new campaigns for each of the island beaches, in addition to, a
Unified Campaign for all the area. Mythic and Shawn Braden and her team met
with each beach MAC committee.
Each beach community has its own personality, so they are developing three
individual marketing campaigns for Carolina Beach(“You just have to be here),
Kure Beach(Nature’s Playground) and Wrightsville Beach( Beach Better).
The Mythic team gave the NHC TDA Board a sneak peek of the campaigns in
print. The board members were asked to rank and give feedback on the three
Unified Concepts: (1) “STAY”, (2) “THIS IS CAROLINA COASTING”,(3)
‘WHERE THE BEST OF THE CAROINA COMES TOGETHER”
In the end, the board members like the Come for X and Stay for Y concept with
visuals from “THIS IS CAROLINA COASTIN.” Mythic ad the CVB marketing
will work on merging the two concepts and present in September NHC TDA
Work Session Board Meeting.
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For the Unified Campaign for Wilmington and Beaches CVB, there will be a shift in
strategies, promoting the city & beach combo and highlighting the area attractions and
products.
ITEM #7 -PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS – Kim Hufham
Due to the meeting, running late Kim will finish the Program of Work
presentation at the NHC TDA work session on September 28, 2022.
ITEM #8 – CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS – Nicole Jones
ITEM #9- OLD BUSINESS/NEW BUSINESS-
A motion was made to nominate Tom Ullring for NHC TDA Board Secretary.
\[Motion made by Lynn Barbee, seconded by Ken Dull, and unanimously
approved to accept Tom Ullring as NHC TDA Board Secretary for 2022\]
Additional information located in Exhibit Book XIII.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the NHC TDA Board of Directors,
Motion to adjourn at 7:45 pm made by Nicole Jones and was seconded by and carried
unanimously.
Next meeting – September 28, 2022. The meeting will be at the Wilmington
Chamber of Commerce’s River Room.
______________________________ __________________________
Kim Hufham, President/CEO Tom Ullring, Secretary
Minutes located in TDA Board Minutes Book XIIII
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