Door County Tourism Zone Commission : Meeting Minutes

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July 16, 2009 Door County Tourism Zone Commission Meeting

DOOR COUNTY TOURISM ZONE COMMISSION
MINUTES OF THE JULY 16, 2009 MEETING
Egg Harbor, Bertschinger Center

ACTION ITEMS:
Larson moved and Boston seconded to approve the minutes of the June 18, 2009, meeting with the suggested correction. Motion carried.

Stayton moved and Goss seconded to authorize all payables as submitted. Motion carried.

Larson moved and Stayton seconded that the TZC will not cover snack expenses at monthly meetings. Motion carried.

Stayton moved and Skare seconded to adjourn. Motion carried.

Commission members present: Mary Boston, Bob Brown (in lieu of Richard Briggs), Andy Coulson, Pauline Cyrus, Nancy Goss, Dave Holtz, Diane Jacobson, Bob Kufrin, Jeff Larson, Little Bit LeClair, Bryan Nelson, Sarah Sawyer, Dick Skare, Carol Stayton, Bill Weddig and Nora Zacek.

Members excused: Tom Benzshawel, Mike Johnson, Debra Jeanquart, and Chuck Tice

Also present: Jack Moneypenny, Mary Denis, Sally Everhardus, Jon Jarosh from Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB); Kristen Kubisiak, Advocate; and Dianne Lensert, Kerber Rose

Call to Order
Chairperson Kufrin, called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.

Approval of Minutes of June 18
Correction: Jacobson was excused. Larson moved and Boston seconded to approve the minutes of the June 18, 2009, meeting with the correction. Motion carried.

Administrative Assistant�s Report
Kufrin filled in some details of Administrative Assistant Kirkland�s report � the Maple Grove prosecution is running into trouble with the defendant becoming uncooperative. There were no questions from the Commission on Kirkland�s report.

Report by Door County Visitor Bureau on Marketing Efforts
Moneypenny pointed out the revisions to the monthly written report that are in response to the Commission�s requests � namely that the year-to-date statistical targets are recalculated on a bell curve based on the last 3 years� stats. He stated that Visitor Center visits are 150% of where they were at this time last year, and Visitor Guide requests are already at 77% of last year�s total. So those indicators are very positive. Weddig asked about the status of the State Gateway centers that are now staffed by local marketing entities. Moneypenny answered that the DOT wanted to charge each local entity $80k per year in rent just for the right to man them with volunteers. Ultimately, the DOT allowed signage at the Gateways (where only bathrooms are open) directing them to the local info centers where the local entity is distributing material from other destinations throughout the state. These �Gateway-local association� visitor centers want materials mainly from the Dells, Bayfield, and Door County.

Moneypenny quoted from the most recent Smith Travel report: �Year-to-date occupancy for the state is down 14% while Door County is, by all indicators, slightly up even though our ADR is slightly down.� Kufrin pointed out the downward trend in May to June web hits and in the Ad Value Equivalency metric. Moneypenny responded that he is always paying attention to these numbers but doesn�t have an explanation other than that perhaps we now have only �serious shoppers� after other �mere lookers� have dropped out. Jarosh addressed the drop in AVE by explaining that we have no control in when an editor decides to publish a story and AVE is a measure only of what appears in the press. Denis is very far along in coordinating the fall marketing campaign. Kufrin asked Moneypenny if he has any campaigns currently underway or if he is relying on the May/June campaigns to carry through the summer. Moneypenny responded that he is being careful to refrain from spending money before seeing some real figures in summer tax collections, even though they still have the $50,000 emergency marketing fund to fall back on. Larson thanked Everhardus for the statistics on the member newsletter but would like real numbers on Visitor Guide fulfillment.

Regarding the DCVB Marketing budget, Kufrin asked if there was a way to separate the line item for the Community Marketing Fund from the regular marketing budget since the former may or may not be directed toward external marketing. Larson asked about the wide variance in the YTD Budget vs. Actual line items. Kufrin expanded on that question. Moneypenny responded that the bottom line remains the same but that monies actually spent on line items gets moved as they adjust to a changing climate: vis-�-vis taking money from broadcast media advertising and putting it into magazine advertising or online. Kufrin asked that the original targets on the reports remain the same � even though they may change during the year. Denis assured the Commission that that is, indeed, what they do with internal tracking. Their right-hand column on the Marketing P&L is the target figure, and it will remain the same even as in-progress �course changes� take place.

The Commission congratulated the DCVB on achieving a remarkably clean Audit. There were a few questions regarding gift certificates and comments and questions in the Management Letter pertaining to the audit.

Discussion on Current Comparable Occupancy 2009
Lensert reported that Kirkland and she have developed an amended reporting form to accommodate errors (of the honest variety). Kufrin commented that it is nice to see that, even though the number of rooms available has increased by nearly 20%, the ADR is stable if not increasing. Moneypenny agreed that it looks as though Door County is holding its own but the DCVB is very wary in keeping its �ears to the ground.� A few Innkeeper/Commissioners commented on anecdotal evidence that seems to indicate that the season is going at least okay. There was a brief discussion regarding price sensitivity and the old impression that Door County is expensive. Stayton commented that there is a growing problem with businesses closing earlier into the fall. The DCVB is working hard to bring people in with special promotions and activities, but it sends a disastrous message if the tourists come but find so many businesses are closed. This comment sparked a wider discussion of individual business commitments to stay open when published. Stayton also expressed the need for Door County financial institutions to open up credit for purchase and expansion of Door County businesses. Kufrin offered to speak to Bill Chaudoir, Executive Director of the Door County Economic Development Council, about broaching this topic with local lending institutions. Stayton suggested that the DCEDC has not �bought into� promoting tourism but has focused primarily on industrial development. Kufrin again offered to talk to Chaudoir about this.

Consideration of Approving Reports and Payables
Stayton moved and Goss seconded to authorize all payables as submitted. Motion carried. Lensert explained that the TZC last month authorized her to release the $75,000.00 that the Commission held back from the DCVB to get through its seasonal cash flow ebb in May. Because of our continuing cash flow situation she has issued a check for $50,000.00 and will hold the remaining $25,000.00 until we are able to write the check in another month or so.

Meeting Snacks
Larson moved and Stayton seconded that the TZC will not cover snack expenses at monthly meetings. Motion carried.

Adjournment
Stayton moved and Skare seconded to adjourn. Motion carried. Adjourned at 10:19 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bryan Nelson
Acting Secretary

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