HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_CVB_08.11.2017Minutes of Meeting of the
Convention & Visitors Bureau Board
City of Georgetown, Texas
August 11, 2017
The Convention & Visitors Bureau Board met on Friday, August 11 at 8:30 am at Convention and
Visitors Bureau Office, located at 103 W. 7th Street, Georgetown, Texas.
Regular Session - To begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
Convention & Visitors Bureau Board may, at any time, recess the Regular Session to convene an
Executive Session at the request of the Georgene Richaud for any purpose authorized by the
Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code Chapter 551.)
MEMBERS PRESENT: Georgene Richaud, Rita Healy, Stephanie Blanck,
Al Shankkle, Christy Fisher
MEMBERS ABSENT: Karen Soeffker, Tauyna Vessels
STAFF PRESENT: Cari Miller, Marie Woodard, Marcy Renneberg
GUEST: None
Regular Session
1. Chair Richaud called the meeting to order at 8:33 a.m.
Legislative Regular Session
2. Discussion and possible action regarding approval of the July 28, 2017 minutes
Motion by Healy, second by Fisher to approve the July 28, 2017 minutes.
Approved 5-0
3. Discussion and possible action regarding the Transportation Grant Program - Marie
Woodard, Group Sales & Servicing Coordinator
• The draft application was presented by Woodard and a lengthy discussion
followed.
• The grant will be requested by the hotel.
• Conference/Meeting Group will be responsible for booking the transportation.
• CVB staff will provide the Board with the updated application and the Board is
encouraged to review the application prior to the September meeting.
• The final document will be reviewed by the City Legal Department.
• Item will be on the September agenda.
No action was taken.
7/28/17 1
4. Presentation on the 2017-18 CVB Leisure Advertising Plan — Marcy Renneberg, Marketing
Coordinator
• Renneberg provided detailed insight to the various elements of the 2017-18 CVB
Leisure Advertising Plan (attached). A discussion of the Plan followed.
No action was taken.
5. Discussion and possible action regarding advertising and media exposure and dates of
upcoming events— Cari Miller
• Review of the current status of the CVB's advertising and media activities. The CVB
July Monthly Review is attached.
No action was taken.
Adjournment
Motion by Healy, second by Fisher to adjourn the meeting at 9:31 a.m.
Approved 5-0
Georgene Richaud, Chair
/73 4nc)
ephanie Blanck, Secretary
Cari Miller, Tourism Manager
Date
7/28/17 2
Downtown & Community Services
Convention & Visitors Bureau
Monthly Review - July 2017
Georgetown Tourism by Numbers
$121,690 Total amount of HOT collected in June (2016 = $87,848)
3,763 Visitors to the Visitors Center for the month of July (2016 =3,146)
43,206 VisitGeorgetown.com webpage views (2016 = 53,468)
2.71 Pages per session * / *Average is 2 Pages per session
6,418 Mobile App Downloads (2016 = 5,679)
8,026 Facebook Fans (2016 = 6,050)
16,822 Post Impressions
3,665 Twitter Followers (2016 = 2,770)
17,500 Tweet Impressions
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2,857 Emma Newsletter Emails (2016 = 2,008)
8.9% Mail Score* (out of 10%) / Emma Average is 7% (*Mail Score =Overall Email Quality)
34% Open Rate / Emma Average Open Rate is 20%
1,553 Instagram Followers
8,222 Post Impressions
Website/Social Media/Advertising
x July digital ads
TourTexas.com Sponsored Page (Total Content Engagement = 24,271)
Texas Meetings & Events Banner Ad (2.4 to 3 Click Ratio)
Texas Society of Association Executives (new premium position / 4,500 open rate)
x July print ads
Association Leadership magazine's July/August issue (circulation 1,213+)
Texas Meetings & Events magazine's summer 2017 issue did free highlight of Sheraton (10,201 circulation)
Christian Meetings & Conference Assoc. Newsletter, full page ad (1,200 member distribution, quarterly)
x Daytripper Sponsorship Television and Website (#1 non -City web referral/182 referrals/2.24 pages per session )
x Posted to Visit Georgetown, Texas Facebook, Twitter.com/visitgeorgetown and lnstagram/visitgeorgetowntx
Sent mobile app push notifications for First Friday on the Square and Summer Music on the Square Concerts
Group Sales & Servicing
Groups Requesting Services: 3 Groups
x Requests for Proposals Received: 3 RFPs received and responded to
x Requests for Sales Leads for Room Availability: 1
x Services Provided: 340 goodie bags / Year to Date: 5,047
x Conferences / Tradeshows: 0
Media/PR (July Newton O'Neill Report Attached)
Pieces of Coverage: 1
x Online Readership: 1.67K
x Estimated Coverage Views: 454
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The Culture Collective
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HOME ABOUT BLOC I AM A WORK WITH U5 CONTACT Q
THE BUSINESS OF SUSTAINABILITY: HOW ONE CITY IN TEXAS BOOSTS THEIR ECONOMY
THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY
Tuciced away just about 25 miles north of Austin, Texas is the nation's fifth fastest glowing city, The community's southern
hospitality, diverse outdoor offerings and burgeoning food scene are just the icing on the cake for Georgetown's real draw — a thriving
economy.
With a focus on long-term sustainability and growth management, Georgetown's mayor Dale Ross credits much of the city's economic success
to their shift toward renewable energy. By 2012, the citywill run entirely onward and solar power.
While climate change conversations oftenfeellike a rigorous political debate, Ross (a Republican)has pushed the city's shift toward renewable
energies on the bash that environmental responsibility is a nonpartisan issue.
"For us to be a really conservative city, in a conservative county, in a real conservative state, were pretty progressive, but you knowwhat?
These are allnonpartisanissues," Ross said.
"There's a certain amount of pride in our city. It's neat to be innovative, and to lead, especially based on our politics," he continued. "I mean,
you would have thought that this green energy thing would be led by the northeast, because that's where liberals and progressives are, but
you know — green energy doesn't have a political party. It's all about economics, sustainability and being able to make decisions that are best
for the people we were elected to serve."
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THE BUSINESS OF
SUSTAINABILITY: HOW ONE
CITY IN TEXAS BOOSTS
THEIR ECONOMY THROUGH
RENEWABLE ENERGY
JUL 12 2017
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Gabe el Parkin George own
The Business of Sustainability
Georgetown's shift toward sustainahility represents an example of how going green is not just a better option for our environment, it can also
be a good business decision. The increased economic prosperity and decreased environmental impact certainly seems like a no-brainer
solution, but Ross explained that the transition has not beenwithout its share ofnaysayers,
"The most common reaction from the skeptics is that it's too good to be true. They ask, 'How can you say you're going to save us money?'"
he framed.
Part of the secret to the success of renewable energy in Georgetown is their focus on long-term contracts. Ross explained that withwind and
solar energy, under a 25-year contract, there are no cost of living or inflationary adjustments, which means that it's the same cost throughout
the duration of the contract. While prices fluctuate for other energy sources, the long-term contract system means that Georgetown's utilities
programwill continuously remain one of the least expensive options in the region — and other cities will be left at the mercy of the short-term
market.
"The wind blows all the time, the sun shines all day... Let's play this out 1,000 years... Are we in Texas going to run out of sunshine before we
run out of fossil fuels?" he asked.
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Cities that run on renewable energies are also attractive to corporations looking to set up shop in destinations where they can report back to
headquarters that they're run on 100% renewable energy, the more cost-efficient method. Ross explained that this is particularly appealing to
data centers, which run on atremendous amount of electricity.
"What that's been able to do from the economic development standpoint is that if youwere one of these companies that wants to expand your
operations or move your operations here, but you need electricity that's green, affordable, and available, Georgetown is your spot,"he said.
"We can do adjusting on their pricing, so it gives us another tool to recruit quality companies."
Ross also cited the overall low maintenance costs ofwind and solar energy as a driving reason they've transitioned to renewable energies. In
comparison, fossil fuels have amuch higher rate of economic volatility.
"Itwill not be economic for coal to continue," he said, explaining that manywhrd turbines can be paid off in 15 years, and have alifetime of40
years, which means that the costs associated with those remaining 25 years are regular maintenance and repairs, 'And on the other side, if
you're afossil fuel generating company, you still have to pay for it. 5o how are you gonna compete withwindmills and solar panels once we get
the solar farm andwmdmills paid off?"
HOW DUTCHESS COUNTY'S
FOOD SCENE EMBODIES
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ENTREPRENEURIALISM AND
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WHEN YOU SHOULD WORK
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And these opportunities are just the beginning. Renewable energy technology is constantly being refined and improved, so the solar panels are
becoming more efficient, which means there will continue to be additional cost -saving opportunities.
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Boosting the Economy & 3ob Growth
The state of the industry is certainly ripe for a change. As big companies like :, I.1n c, .._.;il ='psi'
, alternatives to fossil fuel options are becoming more and more prevalent - which means energy providers are able to adopt
innovative models, as well as create newjobs.
"Say if you were working on the oil fields in Texas, as fossil fuel production declines, and renewable energy increases, you may have to shift
industries. But there's going to be demand for you in the renewable energy field;" Ross said. He explained that anyone who is currently
working on an oil rig can easily transition to a solar or wind farm, and it will be a much safer and cleaner environment.
He shared an anecdote of time spent in Amarillo, Texas, where he spoke with the workers at the wind farms, "and they said, we plan on
working on these the rest of our hues..
"Talk about job security -we have 97 windmills to manage," Ross said, "(Withmaintenanceb by the time we start on windmill number one on
the first of the month, by the time we go through at the end of the month, it's time to do them again."
"The number ofjobs on renewable energy is going to continue to increase each and every year because there's going to be more and more
demand," he said.
Renewable energy also offers economic stability and growth through exportation. Under the way laws are currently written, Ross explained
that 1t "is not Impossible, but it 1s difficult" to export wind and solar energy to other states - but if the laws were reworked, there's a great
amount of potential for even more economic growth.
"Iwould love to have Texas sell some of this energy to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama - I think it'd be fantastic,. he said.
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The Power to Create a Wider Political Impact
The restructuring of these laws to allow for more imports from state -to -state, an actionwhich has the power to potentially impact wider
societal standpoints. Since the 20th century, the united States political policy has been largely driven by our dependency on oils from foreign
countries.
"Now if you want to go to maybe a more national, political level (...1 if we weren't dependent on foreign countries for oil and gas, would we
possibly have a rational foreign policy?" Ross framed. "It would make our foreign policy decision -making a little easier, because we wouldn't
have that dependency onwhether it's Iraq or Saudi Arabia or Iran,"
The United States currently imports about -with
- Shifting away from some of this dependency could mark the start of a new era where the
American economy becomes more self-sufficient.
Change that Starts at Home
An improved economy, more resilient environment toward climate change, and a refined political system are all tempting arguments to shift
toward renewable energy, but these benefits cannot come to fruition ifwe do not take action as individuals. A pivot toward a more sustainable
future starts at home.
"There's a lot of folks in cities that when they come home, they just turn on the light switch and they don't really think about how that
electricity arrived to their doorstep," Ross said, And alot of cities don't have their own city -owned utility, so there are multiple providers, In
Houston, you can choose from about SO different providers... One of the choices is 100% renewable, but a lot of people don't think about that.
They're just thinking about the cheapest price."
If our decisions are always impulse -based on the best immediate and short-term solutions, we are not preparing for the future of the
environment, economic development, and long-term sustainability.
"If this is an issue that's important to you, you have to get numbers of people to ensure that your elected officials know your point of view,"
Ross said. "That's the way to make change, because politicians do listen, especially if there's power in numbers and you have a lot of people
that are sayingwe want renewable energy. That's the best way to get things done."
fattended a press hip as part of the research for this post
As always, all opinions are my own
Special thanks to and for this opportunity.
Keep on reading,,.
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