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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Marketing Committee 01-17-2006 and 02-21-2006� D1 PALM DESERT PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES Tuesday, January 17, 2006 — 2:00 p.m. Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Vice -Chairwoman Bird-Hrivnak called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Emily Bird-Hrivnak, Vice -Chair Norine Bowen, Chair Rick Darius Ric Mandelbaum Sara O'Flynn Ray Rodriguez Staff/Others Present: Robert Spiegel, Councilmember Richard Kelly, Councilmember Sheila Gilligan, Asst. City Manager Kristy Kneiding, Marketing Manager Donna Gomez, Visitor Center Manager Piper Close, Full Gallop Marketing Mike Osgood, Desert Willow Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary Members Absent: Michael Shimer III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2005 Mr. Mandelbaum moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the minutes of the November 15, 2005, meeting. Motion was seconded by Mr. Rodriguez and carried 5-0. APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 V. NEW BUSINESS A. SELECTION OF COMMITTEE CHAIR AND VICE -CHAIR Mr. Rodriguez moved to, by Minute Motion, appoint Norine Bowen as Chairwoman for 2006. Motion was seconded by Mr. Mandelbaum and carried 5-0. Ms. Bird-Hrivnak moved to, by Minute Motion, appoint Michael Shimer as Vice - Chairman for 2006. Motion was seconded by Mr. Rodriguez and carried 5-0. Ms. Bowen arrived at 2:15 p.m. B. PALM DESERT TELEVISION COMMERCIAL Ms. Kneiding previewed the Palm Desert commercial for the Committee. Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Ms. Kneiding stated that the media schedule included markets in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. She added that the commercial would be shown in rotation with the Desert Willow commercial during the Lexus Challenge on Fox Sports West Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Ms. Kneiding stated that the City could request airtime during the Samsung Tournament; however, to purchase that time would be extremely expensive. Committee members were pleased with the commercial. No action was taken. C. MID -YEAR BUDGET REVIEW Ms. Kneiding went over the Mid -Year Budget. Ms. Close gave further details on the budget. She stated that they were working on a Leed brochure for the new Visitor Center. The brochure would have information about the energy -efficient and recycled materials used in the construction of the Visitor Center. Ms. Close requested feedback from the Committee regarding the City's current advertising campaign. She stated that this would be the time to make changes to the campaign if the Committee felt change was necessary. She added that they could explore further exposure and repetition of the current campaign rather than change. 2 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 Upon question by Mr. Mandelbaum, Ms. Gomez responded that the idea of directing ads to the Visitor Center was discussed. Mr. Mandelbaum expressed some ideas with regard to marketing, one being the production of a Palm Desert Cookbook. Ms. Close said a Palm Desert Cookbook was a fun idea, especially with the creation of the Art Food and Wine Event. Mr. Mandelbaum suggested that the cookbook be free to the press and then sold to the public after the event. Mr. Rodriguez felt the current campaign was incredible and strong. He believed focus on the Visitor Center could be incorporated into the current campaign. Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Ms. Close said the City ran two ads with the CVA. She could not comment on the responses generated, as no evidence of that came through the Visitor Center. Ms. Kneiding commented that upgrades and modifications could be made to the current campaign if the Committee was in agreement with that decision. Costs associated with the upgrades and modifications would come out of a portion of the production budget. Committee members were in agreement with that proposal. Mr. Mandelbaum moved to, by Minute Motion, approve the Mid -Year Budget as presented. Motion was seconded by Ms. Bird-Hrivnak and carried 6-0. D. WEBSITE CHANGES AND UPGRADES Ms. Kneiding reported that the Tourism and E-Government sites were never married together in the proper way. She said the sites were separated so that each site was appropriate to its title. One site was visitor -oriented and the other city and business oriented. She added that the City of Palm Desert site was lacking in visual appeal and was being reorganized and redesigned. She asked the Committee to review the sites and report to her any suggestions they may have and if they had any difficulty navigating the sites. Ms. Bowen asked Committee members to make a concerted effort to view each website before February's meeting in order to give Ms. Kneiding feedback. 3 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 Mr. Mandelbaum moved to, by Minute Motion, continue the website changes and upgrades item to the February 21, 2006, meeting to enable Committee members to view the websites. Motion was seconded by Mr. Darius and carried 6-0. VI. OLD BUSINESS None VII. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION (S) Councilmember Spiegel reported that the City Council approved the Palm Desert Art Food & Wine event scheduled for November 9-12, 2006. VIII. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Chair Ms. Bowen reported that the Cinema Palme D'Or had a showing of four Film Festival movies on Monday, January 16. Two of the shows were "sold out" and two were 75% filled. The theatre continued to have very strong films, and the owners of the theatre continued to engage the film studios on proving that they can draw large audiences. Ms. Bowen agreed with Councilmember Spiegel in that Palm Desert could successfully run Film Festival movies for the entire week following the Film Festival. Ms. Kneiding said the showing of Palm Desert's Community Day movie was scheduled for February 9. The tickets would be available at the Visitor Center the first week of February and were free to Palm Desert residents only. Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Mr. Darius responded that he was not sure what it cost to show films at the McCallum Theatre. Ms. Gilligan requested that Mr. Darius research what the Film Festival paid to show movies at the McCallum Theatre and report back to the Committee. Mr. Darius responded that he would be happy to do that. Ms. O'Flynn could not be definite about what impact the Film Festival had on sales at The Gardens on El Paseo. Ms. Bird-Hrivnak said while there were a lot of corporate events going on during the week of the Film Festival, she was unable to discern the impact of the Festival on the Desert Springs Marriott. 4 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 B. Committee Members Ms. Bird-Hrivnak reported that the remodeling of Starbucks in the Marriott was complete. She announced that CBS2 would be there on Friday, January 20, 2006, for "Free Food Friday." She said the front driveway and water features were in the process of being remodeled and added that work in the lobby would begin in June 2006. Mr. Osgood announced that Desert Willow would be featured on the USA Network "Ready for the Weekend Movie," Sunday, January 22, 2006. On Wednesday, January 18, the Golf Channel will be filming an infomercial for the "Heavy Putter" at Desert Willow. Also, Jodie Fisher Jazz Trio will perform from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 19, in the Desert Willow restaurant. Desert Willow's VIP Golf Tournament will be held on Wednesday, January 25, with a reception to follow. Mr. Rodriguez relayed information about an offer from the Presidente of Palm Desert's Sister City, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. The Presidente expressed interest in inviting a business delegation from Palm Desert to Ixtapa- Zihuatanejo. Mr. Rodriguez spoke with City Manager Carlos Ortega, Councilmember Crites, and Susie Harvey about the invitation. They believed the business delegation would be better orchestrated through the Sister Cities Committee. If any Committee member had any thoughts or interest in pursuing this type of trip he suggested they speak with the Sister Cities Committee. The Presidente was hoping for a September or October visit. Mr. Rodriguez inquired about the status of the CVA. Councilmember Spiegel said a meeting with Mr. Beckelman was scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2006, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the Palm Desert Council Chambers. He said Mr. Beckelman was in the process of putting together the CVA's marketing plan. Besides meeting with the businesses, Mr. Beckelman would be addressing the Chamber of Commerce at its breakfast in March. Councilmember Spiegel was keeping an open mind with regard to the CVA. If the new marketing plan was meaningful and showed that it would bring additional visitors to the City, he would support that plan; however, it 5 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 would have to be factual in order for him to advise support to the City Council. Ms. Gilligan said staff was trying to be open minded toward the CVA as well. She, Ms. Kneiding, and Ms. Close would be meeting with Mr. Beckelman to discuss the CVA's marketing plan. Ms. Gilligan said a survey was sent to Palm Desert businesses. Staff would review the returned surveys, then bring them to the Marketing Committee for its input. Upon question by Ms. O'Flynn, Ms. Kneiding responded that surveys were sent to businesses that were members of the CVA. Mr. Darius announced that "Little Shop of Horrors" was opening at the McCallum Theatre tonight, Tuesday, January 17, 2006. Ms. O'Flynn announced that opening night of The Gardens Concert Series would be February 4, 2006. The first concert proceeds would go towards the Katrina victims. She encouraged everyone to attend the concert. Councilmember Spiegel noted that on February 18, 2006, The Gardens concert proceeds would go to the Palm Desert After School Program. He said the cost of a ticket would be $10. C. Staff Ms. Kneiding reported that the Palm Springs Life Dining Guide would be featured in its January, 2006, issue. IX. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Visitor Information Center Activity Report Ms. Gomez distributed a complete activity report for 2005. She commented that 2005 was a very successful year for the Visitor Center. A discussion ensued about the Visitor Center's activity report. Ms. Gomez announced that the Table Top Book was now being sold at Borders Books & Music. Ms. Close noted that the Table Top Book was displayed at Moeller's Nursery. 6 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE JANUARY 17, 2006 Ms. Bird-Hrivnak said the Marriott for its hotel in the future. Ms. Gomez said a new rack card the Visitor Center. might purchase Table Top Books was being developed to promote Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Ms. Gomez said temporary signage for the Visitor Center would be installed within the next couple of days, and the permanent monument sign would not be ready for another two to three months. Ms. Gilligan reported that two new Recycle Binney commercials were developed and ready for television. She thanked Ms. Kneiding and Ms. Close for all their good work. Ms. Close noted that there was also a bilingual Recycle Binney commercial being shown on Spanish television. X. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. Lori WiFnbish, Recording Secretary 7 PALM DESERT PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE APPROVED MINUTES Tuesday, February 21, 2006 — 2:00 p.m. Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Chairwoman Bowen called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Members Present: Emily Bird-Hrivnak Norine Bowen, Chair Rick Darius Ric Mandelbaum Sara O'Flynn Ray Rodriguez Michael Shimer, Vice Chair Staff/Others Present: Robert Spiegel, Councilmember Richard Kelly, Councilmember Sheila Gilligan, Asst. City Manager Kristy Kneiding, Marketing Manager Donna Gomez, Visitor Center Manager Piper Close, Full Gallop Marketing Mike Osgood, Desert Willow Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Ms. Kneiding introduced Marcia Fisher, the Marketing and Public Relations Director for The Living Desert. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Meeting of JANUARY 17, 2006 Ms. Bowen moved to, by Minute Motion, continue the approval of the January 17, 2006, meeting minutes to the March 2, 2006, meeting. Motion was seconded by Mr. Mandelbaum and carried 7-0. APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 21, 2006 V. NEW BUSINESS A. POLO & BALLOON FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP RANDY RUSSELL presented the Polo & Balloon Festival history to the Committee. The City of Palm Desert would be the host city of the Festival, would be held on January 5-7, 2007. Approximately 50,000 were expected to attend the Festival The balloons would take off from the College of the Desert driving range on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7, at 6:30 a.m. Admission was free with a donation to the Service Men and Women's families serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Committee was briefed on the events that would take place during the Festival. The number of balloons would increase from 50 to 75. Mr. Russell said, "The College of the Desert was an attractive location due to the open space provided by the driving range and plenty of parking provided by the College of the Desert campus." Mr. Russell reviewed items associated with the Silver Sponsorship, including but not limited to a 20'x40' banner with the Palm Desert logo on a balloon, the Palm Desert logo on 1000 posters, 20,000 flyers, and all print and television ads. Upon question by Councilmember Spiegel, Mr. Russell responded that the horse show was moving to Thermal in 2007. Mr. Russell met with Pat Scully, and she stated that the College of the Desert was on State land. A Special Use Permit could be obtained if the Festival wanted to land the balloons in Palm Desert. Upon question by Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Russell stated that the Festival predominantly promoted the event through local media. Upon question by Ms. Bowen, Mr. Russell responded that the ages of the individuals who attend the Festival varies, depending on the day and time. A discussion ensued about the number of balloons that would be launched from the College of the Desert and how that would occur. Upon question by Mr. Mandelbaum, Mr. Russell stated that the 2006 Festival raised $225,000, of which $25,000 was donated to the troops and their families. Mr. Rodriguez felt that the Polo & Balloon Festival was a wonderful event; however, it was a tough match for the city, considering that the City had an ordinance preventing the lifting off and landing of hot air balloons. 2 APPROVED MINUTES FEBRUARY 21, 2006 PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE Ms. Bird-Hrivnak was concerned about the promotional reach of the Festival being primarily local. Palm Desert strives to reach people from the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Ms. Kneiding commented that the City already has a local event happening that month, the Golf Cart Parade that attracts residents from the Coachella Valley to Palm Desert and El Paseo. The traffic and parking issues related with the Polo & Balloon Festival were also a major concern. Mr. Rodriguez moved to, by Minute Motion, concur with staff's recommendation to sponsor the Polo & Balloon Festival in the amount of $5,000. Motion was seconded by Mr. Mandelbaum and carried 7-0. B. REQUEST BY BIGHORN GOLF CLUB FOR FUNDING/SPONSORSHIP OF THE SAMSUNG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT Ms. Kneiding introduced THERESA MAGGIO, Marketing Director, and CARL CARDINALLI, Vice President of Operations, from BIGHORN, to the Committee. Mr. Cardinalli stated that the 2006 Samsung World Championships was a huge success and kept BIGHORN very busy. He also stated that to have an event like Samsung in October really helped to kick off the season and was very good for BIGHORN as well as the City. Ms. Maggio walked the Committee through the proposal submitted by BIGHORN. She reiterated that, once again, the Marriott Desert Springs would be the host hotel for the tournament. She suggested that the City consider staffing an on -site table in one of the tournament tents. She said the tents were air-conditioned, and last year the City's information was in high demand. She also suggested that a coupon package for attendees would be of great value to them. Upon question by Mr. Mandelbaum, Ms. Maggio responded that one person during the four peak hours of the tournament on Thursday and Friday would be adequate staffing for an on -site table. Two people might be needed on Saturday and Sunday. Mr. Cardinalli reported BIGHORN made a commitment to the Samsung World Championships for the next four years. He believed that the tournament was strong going into the future and would not be diminished for any reason. Mr. Shimer reported concerns about the lack of visitors on El Paseo due to the shuttle service being moved to the McCallum Theatre. 3 APPROVED MINUTES FEBRUARY 21, 2006 PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE A discussion ensued regarding shuttle service and parking. Ms. Gilligan recommended that staff work out the parking and shuttle issues as related to The Gardens on El Paseo. Councilmember Kelly believed this would be one of the best years for the LPGA because of the good young golfers joining the tour. Upon question from Councilmember Spiegel, Mr. Cardinalli responded that the Golf Channel would air the tournament on Thursday and Friday. NBC would broadcast the tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Ms. Bowen entertained the idea of increasing the City's sponsorship 10% from last year's sponsorship amount of $137,500 because of the increased cost of putting together the tournament. Mr. Rodriguez stated that the Committee last year, and he felt it appropriate to do so Mr. Mandelbaum moved to, by Minute Motion, Championship at BIGHORN in the amount of $150,000. Bird-Hrivnak and carried 7-0. supported that same decision again. support the Samsung World Motion was seconded by Ms. C. SPONSORSHIP OF KVCR-TV'S HELLO PARADISE Ms. Kneiding described the sponsorship request from KVCR-TV. She believed that the show did not fit into Palm Desert's marketing plan. Mr. Darius moved to, by Minute Motion, concur with staff's recommendation to deny the sponsorship request from KVCR-TV. Motion was seconded by Mr. Mandelbaum and carried 7-0. D. BUS SHELTER ADVERTISING Ms. Kneiding said Palm Desert's agreement with SunLine for bus shelter maintenance and advertising expires in May 2006. The agreement outlines the terms in which the City was entitled to advertise on the shelters. Palm Desert currently has 23 shelters, not including the shelters in Palm Springs. Ms. Kneiding liked using the shelters as a promotional tool. She thought they lent an interesting aspect to the City's advertising campaign. She added that the number of shelters would decrease as the City places more art -oriented shelters throughout the City. As a result, the number of ads would also decrease. 4 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 21, 2006 Staff was looking to the Committee for its recommendation on negotiating the City's advertising future with SunLine. Mr. Rodriguez moved to, by Minute Motion, concur with staff's recommendation to maintain 50% of available advertising space and request that all advertising designs be submitted to the Marketing Department for approval. Motion was seconded by Mr. Mandelbaum and carried 7-0. VI. OLD BUSINESS None VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS A. WEBSITE CHANGES AND UPGRADES Ms. Kneiding gave an overview of upgrades and text changes to the City's website. Ms. Bowen responded that the site looked much better. Mr. Darius stated that he reviewed the site and complimented the changes. He thanked Ms. Kneiding for updating the calendar. Upon question by Mr. Darius, Ms. Kneiding responded that she was uncertain as to whether a user could go directly to the McCallum Theatre's program site through the City's website; however, she would research that possibility and report back to the Committee. No action taken. VIII. REPORT ON CITY COUNCIL ACTION (S) Councilmember Spiegel reported that the City did not know what the CVA's marketing plans were and could not ascertain how effective those plans will be. He would probably recommend to opt back in to the CVA and then opt out again in November 2007. The City could then monitor the success of the CVA's marketing plan next season and make a decision based on those results. He explained that the CVA membership had to be paid whether the City opts in or out, and since the City opted out in December 2005, December 2006 would be one year, and if the City does not opt back in before that date, it will be out for good. He added that his recommendation would not impact the CVA's budget. Councilmember Spiegel thanked The Gardens on El Paseo for giving the City a Saturday night concert to support the City's After School Program. 5 APPROVED MINUTES PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 21, 2006 IX. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Chair Ms. Bowen announced that Nordstrom would open in Westfield Palm Desert in 2009. B. Committee Members Ms. Bird-Hrivnak distributed information on the Marriott's remodel. She said the interior of the lobby would begin in June 2006. Mr. Shimer updated the Committee on Fashion Week El Paseo the week of March 20, 2006. Eighty-five street merchants would be participating in the event. Designer Kevin Hall was signed for the closing fashion event on Sunday, March 26. He expressed appreciation to the City for its support and sponsorship of $50,000. C. Staff None X. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Visitor Center Activity Report Ms. Gomez gave an update on the Visitor Center. She attended the Oasis Gift Show in Phoenix, Arizona, which focused on desert resort and southwest types of gifts. It was very informative, and she could incorporate some of those new ideas. Ms. Bowen mentioned that Westfield Palm Desert purchased 20 Palm Desert Tabletop books as gifts for visitors from Wesffield's San Diego Region and Corporate Offices. Barnes & Noble continued to purchase the Palm Desert Tabletop book, not only for its local store, but for its distribution office as well. Borders Books & Music was also purchasing the Tabletop books. 2. Palm Desert Magazine Dine -Out Ms. Kneiding distributed the most recent issue of Palm Desert Magazine that included the Dine -Out pullout. 6 APPROVED MINUTES FEBRUARY 21, 2006 PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE 3. Update on Art of Food & Wine Ms. Kneiding reported on the progress of the Art of Food & Wine Festival. She said the logo, illustrations of the poster, and the website would be completed by the end of March. Councilmember Spiegel stated that young people from the College of the Desert would be volunteering at the Festival. Mr. Osgood reported that Desert Willow would be featured on the "Plan Your Weekend Getaway" segment break during the Happy Gilmore movie on the USA Network, Wednesday, February 22, 2006, at 7 p.m. City Council approved the management contract for Kemper Sports to continue managing Desert Willow. XI. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. i 1 < Lori Wimbish, Recording Secretary 7