2023-03-29 Minutes
NEW HANOVER COUNTY TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
March 29, 2023
PRESENT: Craig Bloszinsky, Mayor – Town of Kure Beach
Kim Hufham, President/CEO – NHC TDA
Eric Credle, NHC Chief Financial Officer
Jim Kitts, NHC Vacation Rentals
Natalie English, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
Zach Brigman, Wilmington Hotel Manager (150+)
LeAnn Pierce, Commissioner – New Hanover County
Lynn Barbee, Mayor – Carolina Beach
Angela Rhodes-NHC restaurants
Zeke Partin- Wrightsville Beach Board of Alderman
Tom Ullring, Carolina Beach Hotel
EXCUSED: Hap Fatzinger, NHC Attractions
Ross Pitman, NHC Bed & Breakfast
Bill Saffo, Mayor- City of Wilmington
STAFF: Kim Little, Administrative Services Manager/Recording
Secretary
Linda Brothers, Senior Financial Analyst, NHC
Connie Nelson, Communications/PR Director
Karla Thompson, Technology/Systems Manager
Shawn Braden, VP Marketing
John Sneed, VP Sales
GUESTS:
Vice- Chairman Angela Rhodes called the meeting of the New Hanover County
Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors to order at 5:00pm. The
meeting was held in the River Room at the offices of the CVB.
ITEM #1 – EXCUSED – Hap Fatzinger, Ross Pitman, Bill Saffo
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ITEM #2 – APPROVAL OF BOARD MINUTES FOR JANUARY 31, 2023 –
Angela Rhodes
\[Motion made by Tom Ullring, seconded by Natalie English and
unanimously accepted to approve the January 31, 2023, TDA Board minutes as
read.\]
ITEM #3- FINANCIALS/ROT REPORT – ERIC CREDLE
Eric Credle presented financial graphs through February 2023.
Eric presents a Lease and Software Based Information Technology Arrangement Policy.
This is required by GASB Statement No.87 (leases) and GASB Statement No. 96
(SBITAs- software based information technology arrangements.)
\[Motion made by Natalie English, seconded by Zeke Partin and unanimously
accepted to approve the NHC TDA’s Lease and Software based Information
Technology Arrangement Policy.\]
Linda Brothers ask all board members to return Kim Hufham’s yearly review by
April 6, 2023)
\[Complete financial graph presentation and the Lease and Software
Based Information Technology Arrangement polity report can be found in
Exhibit Book XIII.\]
ITEM #4- ARRIVALIST PROPOSAL- Kim Hufham
Kim Hufham presented the Arrivalist proposal for the additional tracking at
Wilmington International Airport. The report would provide the following
information.
• Address the question of where people are going upon arrival at ILM
• One time Report – Calendar Year 2022 (Banner year ROT and airport)
• Include New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender Counties
• Deliverables:
• Number of visits
• Origin Markets
• Snapshot of year
• Maximum of $10K – approach ILM about participating in expense
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ITEM #5 – RESOLUTION HB524- Kim Hufham
• Asked by New Hanover County to support H.R. 524 and adopt Resolution to
that effect.
• Resolutions of support from:
• New Hanover County
• Beach towns
Chamber of Commerce
\[Motion made by Craig Bloszinsky, seconded by Lynn Barbee and
unanimously adopted the Resolution HB524 as read.
The adopted resolution will be forwarded to NHC for inclusion in their package to
Congressman Rouzer.\]
ITEM #6- RIVERWALK ASSESSMENT- Kim Hufham
• RFP – 2 proposals received
• Working with City of Wilmington – Destination Development Association was
chosen
• May 2023 – Assessment conducted to include:
• On-site Assessment
• Workshop
• Destination Assessment Findings & Suggestions Report
ITEM #7- CVB/ STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE- Kim Hufham
STRATEGIC PLAN
• Updates from January TDA Board meeting discussion
• New one-pager
• Updated Challenges/Opportunities to be basis for 23/24 Program of Work
Kim gave an update of the CVB departments:
ADMINISTRATION:
• NC Travel & Tourism Coalition Meeting
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• NCTIA Board Meeting
• VisitNC Tourism Conference
• NC T&T Occupancy Tax Sub-Committee
• General Manager’s Roundtable
• Leadership Wilmington Presentation
• Appalachian State Presentation
• NC T&T Executive Committee
• Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting
• WAHA Meeting
Wit Tuttell – VisitNC
• ASM (WCC) Regional Manager
• ILM/CVB Meeting
• Chamber Public Policy Meeting
• Sister City Commission Meeting
• NHCTDA Executive Committee Meeting
• Bijou Park Ribbon Cutting
MARKETING:
• FY23-24 Marketing Plan Recommendations with MACs
• FY23-24 Media vendor RFPs and interviews
• FY23-24 Marketing Budgets
• Development of 34 short form videos for mobile, web and YouTube
Development of sports marketing video and launched SkyNav Sports
Marketing Virtual Tour
• Development and April launch of Mobile Trip Guide Completion of
spring ad campaign Development of summer seasonal pages Sun Country
media plan review
• Development of Direct Mail piece for 500 top meeting planners
COMMUNICATIONS:
• Spring press trips are going strong. In February and March we hosted food
bloggers from Charlotte and Raleigh, as well as writers on assignment with
Food + Wine, Small Market Meetings, and Local Palate magazines. Several
more on the books for April and May, including Southern Living, QC
Exclusive, and Spectacular magazine.
• Communications/PR Director Connie Nelson met with travel media during the
Visit NC Tourism Conference in March 6-8 and is participating in Visit NC’s
Atlanta Media Mission, April 2-4.
• Workforce Development: The PR Department and 3 travel partners
participated in Isaac Bear Early College’s Career Day in early March. They
will also participate in the NHC School’s C3 job fair event on March 31.
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• Ambassador Training Program: The CVB is working with The Tourism
Academy to develop a certificate-based tourism ambassador training program
that will make its debut during the Travel Rally Breakfast. The online training
modules are designed to familiarize visitor-facing industry employees with
visitor information resources and all our destination has to offer.
• Recent interviews include: WRAL (spring travel), Family Travel Radio
Network, Star News (hotel inventory), Greater Wilmington Business Journal
SALES & SERVICES
• Sales Staff hosted a FAM with seven 3rd Party meeting planners that represent
more than 20 potential groups. We have already received one RFP and have
another one on the way, with more to come.
• In an effort to engage our IPs more, we invited all IPs to attend the 3
networking functions during the FAM. More than 40 industry partners from 14
different properties attended.
• Sales staff hosted a luncheon in Raleigh with 15 Raleigh area planners and
three IPs. Luncheons are also planned for the Charlotte are and Greensboro
area later this year.
• Destination Bookings up 31%
• Convention District Bookings up 85%
• Lost Business up 27%
• Lack of available room blocks
• Lack of available dates
• Room rates too high
\[Copies of all the presentations can be found in the Exhibit Book XIII\]
ITEM #8- PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS – KIM HUFHAM
Mark your calendars: CVB’S Annual Travel Rally Breakfast on May 10 at the
Wilmington Convention Center to celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week.
ITEM #9– CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS- NICOLE JONES
ITEM #10- OLD BUSINESS/ NEW BUSINESS -
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ITEM #11– ELECTIONS OF 2023 OFFICERS
Chairman- Nicole Jones
Vice- Chairman – Tom Ullring
Treasurer- Eric Credle
Secretary- Angela Rhodes
\[Motion made by Natalie English, seconded by Zeke Partin
unanimously accepted to approve the slate of officers presented.\]
As there was no further business the meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.
Next NHC TDA Work Session April 26, 2023
______________________________ __________________________
Kim Hufham, President/CEO Tom Ullring, Secretary
Minutes located in TDA Board Minutes Book XIIII
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