Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Marketing Committee 06/25/2005PALM DESERT APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2005 — 2:00 P.M. ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Norine Bowen called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Norine Bowen, Chair Sara O'Flynn Ray Rodriguez Michael Shimer Staff/Others Present: Robert Spiegel, Councilmember Kristy Kneiding, Marketing Manager Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None IV. CONSENT CALENDAR Members Absent: Ric Mandelbaum Rick Darius Emily Bird, Co -Chair A. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF MAY 17, 2005 Mr. Shimer moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the minutes of the May 17, 2005, meeting. Motion was seconded by Ms. O'Flynn and carried 3-1. Mr. Rodriquez abstained. V. NEW BUSINESS A. PRESENTATION OF DINING GUIDE CONCEPT FRANK JONES, Palm Springs Life, introduced his colleagues, Jim Doyle and Mike Evans, to the Committee. He distributed materials and briefly explained each piece of the advertising campaign. He stated that Palm Desert Magazine had a tri-fold reach of 5,000 residents, 5,000 hotel APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JUNE 21, 2005 rooms, and 5,000 newsstands in Southern California and selected areas nationwide. He said 25,000 Palm Desert Dine Out Directory and Guides would be printed. 15,000 would be bound in the January 2006 issue of Palm Desert Magazine, and the remaining 10,000 would be for rack and City distribution. Mr. Jones also distributed portable menu lamps, which would be included in the campaign. He said 1,500 would be customized for restaurants and 1,000 for the City of Palm Desert. Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Mr. Jones responded that Palm Desert Magazine would sell advertisements to the restaurants. He said the ad campaign would begin in the January, 2006, issue of Palm Desert Magazine. Upon question by Ms. Bowen, Mr. Jones responded that they would seek out restaurants that they believed would be interested in advertising; i.e., owner -operated and larger chain restaurants. He added that all 170 restaurants would be included in the booklet. Mr. Shimer was very supportive of the Concept and thought it was a great opportunity for restaurants that would not normally advertise. He inquired about how participation in the "Dine Out Directory and Guide" would affect his participation in the "Treasures Every Step of the Way" catalog. Mr. Jones said they could possibly waive $500 from the cost of the catalog if a restaurant wanted to advertise in both publications. Councilmember Spiegel really liked the Dining Guide Concept. He thought the menu lamp was a creative idea. Upon question by Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Jones responded that they would probably limit the number of restaurants at the $500 level to 20 or 30, as any more than that would be too difficult to navigate. The Committee further discussed the merits of supporting the Dining Guide Concept. Mr. Rodriguez moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the Dining Guide Concept in an amount not to exceed $50,000. Motion was seconded by Mr. Shimer and carried 5- 0. 2 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JUNE 21, 2005 VI. OLD BUSINESS A. UPDATE ON VACATION PLANNER AND RELOCATION GUIDE Ms. Close said the Vacation Planner and Relocation Guide were being edited. She distributed prototypes for the Committee to review. She said the new copy was real close to the previous one except that it was rewritten and improved. Ms. Kneiding stated that the Dining Guide was at the printer. She added that staff concluded that there was not enough interest from the restaurants to warrant the cost of producing a discount dining card. Upon question by Ms. Bowen, Ms. Close responded that they print 20,000 Vacation Planners, 20,000 Relocation Guides, and 10,000 Dining Guides. Further discussion ensued regarding the Relocation Guide. No action was taken on this item. VII. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION (S) Councilmember Spiegel reported that the City of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Casinos had pillar wraps in the Palm Springs Airport. Councilmember Spiegel stated that the City Council would consider the Palm Springs International Film Festival's proposal on Thursday, June 23. Ms. Kneiding stated that she and Ms. Gilligan met with Mr. Greenburg to discuss the Palm Springs International Film Festival. She said Mr. Greenburg seemed surprised that the Marketing Committee assessed proposals on whether the City would receive a return on its investment. She believed that Mr. Greenburg's proposal to City Council would be more community based rather than marketing based. Upon question by Ms. Bowen, Ms. Kneiding responded that she believed the Film Festival had a good relationship with the Palme d'Or, and the theatre had received reimbursement for its participation. Councilmember Spiegel believed that Mr. Greenburg realized he would have to offer more in order to secure sponsorship from Palm Desert. He spoke with Ken Walters from UCSB Palm Desert campus, and Mr. Walters indicated to him that he was scheduled to meet with Mr. Greenburg on Wednesday, June 22. He said they might be discussing an opportunity to have film classes at the UCSB Palm Desert campus and offer a Masters Degree Program in film. He added that any funds approved for the Palm Springs International Film Festival would not come from the Marketing budget. 3 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JUNE 21, 2005 Councilmember Spiegel reported that the City of La Quinta had contributed $1 million dollars to a building that would house the School of Nursing. Upon question by Ms. Bowen, Councilmember Spiegel responded that the City Council would be dark the 4th Thursday in July and the 2nd Thursday in August. He added that the Marketing Committee could go dark in July and August if there was no new business to discuss. VIII. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Chair Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Ms. Bowen stated that sales at Westfield Palm Desert were up 20%. B. Committee Members Mr. Rodriquez reported that he attended the UCSB Palm Desert campus 2005 graduation. He said it was the most impressive and exciting event he had attended in years. He was very appreciative of what the City of Palm Desert had accomplished with that facility. Ms. O'Flynn stated that she was also appreciative of the City's participation in providing an opportunity for students in the Valley to receive higher education. C. Staff Ms. Kneiding mentioned that the new Visitor Information Center was coming along nicely and on track to be completed by the end of July. She said the VIP reception was planned for Friday, September 23, 2005, and the Community reception was planned for Saturday, September 24, 2005. Ms. Kneiding announced that the Marketing Committee meetings would go dark in July and August, if there was no new business. IX. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Visitor Information Center Activity Report Ms. Bowen was pleased that the Visitor Center numbers remained high. 2. Marriott Desert Springs Print Ads Ms. Kneiding distributed the print ads created by the Marriott Desert Springs Resort. 4 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JUNE 21, 2005 X. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m. r ^ Lori 1Nimbish, Recording Sdcretary