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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarketing Cmte - 03-25-2014 � / li � f � ' ``�,,.,,,i PALM DESERT PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE ADJOURNED MEETING APPROVED MINUTES Tuesday, March 25, 2014— 2 p.m. Administrative Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER Rolf Hoehn called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m. II. ROLL CALL � ` � ; Members Present: Members Absent: � Arlene Amick Emily Bird-Hrivnak � Franchesca Forrer Theresa Maggio, Vi e C ai � � Kerry Graves Sara O'Flynn Rolf Hoehn, Chair Ray Rodriguez p Bruce Nation � � � � Jeffrey Norman � �. �` Diane Williams � C ' tl �` ' �; � j � Staff/Others Present: p ' ., Jan Harnik, Council Member � �" Donna Gomez, Tourism & Marketing Manager Q � - Martin Alvarez, Economic Developmenf Director � � F v. / Ruth Ann Moore, Economic Development Manager V � Q � �� �=� .�.. p/��.' ni.�a David Hermann, Management Analyst � w � L � G •: -� -- Jane Stanley, Recording Secretary � p � � �' =� -. � �., �G U � � � � �. ;:f µ; III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS � G N �- � � �--; r�' '� '=' U4 ..� � � �, -. -^ . �` Three new members of the Committee, Kerry Graves from The Living Desert, Franchesca Forrer from Westfield Mall, and Bruce Nation from Desert Willow, introduced themselves and were welcomed. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF JANUARY 21, 2014. Jeffrey Norman moved, by Minute Motion, to approve the minutes of the January 21, 2014, meeting as presented. Motion was seconded by Arlene Amick and carried by 7-0- 4 vote, with Amick, Forrer, Graves, Nation, Norman, Williams, and Hoehn voting AYE; Bird-Hrivnak, Maggio, O'Flynn, and Rodriguez absent. APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None VI. NEW BUSINESS A. PRESENTATION OF CITY OF PALM DESERT'S STRATEGIC PLAN — ENVISION PALM DESERT� FORWARD TOGETHER. Donna Gomez introduced David Hermann, who was very instrumental in the success of the Strategic Plan. David Hermann stated that a little over 1 year ago the City Council approved an agreement with the National Civic League to help coordinate and facilitate a new strategic plan for the City. The previous plan was done in 2008. With the economic downturn and the loss of redevelopment, City Council and staff agreed that it was time to reevaluate the City's plan for the next 20 years. With the help of a steering committee, the logistics were laid out. All residents were invited to be a part of the process. The first meeting was held in May with about 130 stakeholders. They met 9 times between May and December tackling a variety of subjects. The goal was to develop a community-wide vision for the City. The group that met regarding Marketing came up with the document included in today's agenda packet. A major goal is the "creation of a vibrant, downtown, walkable City core." All the groups recognized the City's dependence on tourism. Another identified goal is turning Palm Desert into "an education destination" utilizing the Community-Based Education Coalition. The entire report is available on the City's website, which was approved by the City Council on February 27tn Upon question, Mr. Hermann stated that the Plan will be utilized during the budget process to identify priorities and to make sure they are on track. It was also suggested that staff reports include how an item contributes to the goals of the Strategic Plan. However, there are no scheduled meetings of the steering committee. Mr. Hoehn expressed concern that the goals could "die on the vine" without accountability. Mr. Hermann stated that since so many members of the community were part of the process, they will be watching to see if the goals are being worked on. Among those are Arlene Amick, Theresa Maggio, and Sara O'Flynn from this committee. 2 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 Councilmember Harnik complimented Mr. Hermann on the incredible work he did on the Plan. Donna Gomez pointed out that the Plan will be very instrumental in helping direct the efforts in developing a new Marketing Plan. The Marketing and Tourism portion of the Strategic Plan emphasizes the importance of tourism in Palm Desert's overall economy. The identified priorities involve modes and ease of travel, cultural centers or tourist clusters, signature and special events, tourism opportunities, and extending marketing resources. Mr. Hermann added that each of the 9 topics in the Plan have (1) top priorities, (2) rationale for the priorities, (3) strategies for addressing the priorities, (4) specific action steps, and (5) measures of success. Ms. Gomez noted that she and Chairman Rolf Hoehn had discussed holding a strategic session for the Marketing Committee to discuss overall philosophy and direction for the future, incorporating some of the priorities of the Strategic Plan. Mr. Hoehn went on to say that the Strategic Plan is a great document to use as a basis for the forward-looking Marketing Plan. The strategic session would involve the entire Marketing Committee. Franchesca Forrer related that WestField's priority nationally and internationally is tourism. They will be reallocating dollars in 2015 towards this focus. Mr. Hoehn commented that there is always the issue of funding in the Valley. The way to move forward is for the City to be better prepared. He added that one of his staff members was part of the Strategic Plan process, and there was a lot of interaction between the participants. Mr. Hermann said the City staff also did an amazing job in keeping the discussions focused and providing information. With Committee concurrence, the Strategic Plan was received and filed. B. REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY MARKETING BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014/15. Ms. Gomez stated that it is still early in the budget process. The City Manager has provided input and there are no cuts in next year's Marketing Budget. Referring to the spreadsheet, she pointed out the various allocations, with Media Buys being the largest. Staff will meet with City Council in mid-April, so a strategic session of the Marketing Committee 3 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 could be done prior to that but is not necessary. The Media and Marketing Plans will be taken to a Council meeting in May or June. The Committee will see those plans prior to going to Council. Responding to question, Mr. Hermann explained why the BrightSide is still mailed to residents instead of being digital. Diane Williams moved, by Minute Motion, to approve the basic direction of the Marketing Budget allocations. Motion was seconded by Arlene Amick and carried by 7- 0-4 vote, with Amick, Forrer, Graves, Nation, Norman, Williams, and Hoehn voting AYE, Bird-Hrivnak Maggio, O'Flynn, and Rodriguez absent. C. UPDATE ON HOTEL AND SIGNATURE EVENTS COMMITTEE. Martin Alvarez explained that because of the loss of redevelopment, the City has shifted its focus towards economic development. Sales tax is about 37% of the City budget; TOT is about 18%. The goal behind the new Hotel and Signature Events Committee is to help the City develop programs and opportunities to enhance what has already been built to get "heads in beds." As far as signature events, the committee will help define what fits Palm Desert and how the City will be known. The Resolution in the agenda packet describes the makeup of committee members. They will be recommending to the Marketing Committee and the City Council what types of hotels and events should be attracted and the level of sponsorships. Responding to question, Mr. Alvarez said the City Council will be deciding on the appointment of committee members at their next meeting and committee meetings will commence within a month afterwards. The members who will be appointed are people in the specified fields who were asked to participate. Mr. Hoehn questioned the relationship between the Marketing Committee and the Hotel and Signature Events Committee, and wondered why no one from the Marketing Committee is on the other, since there is duplication and overlap between them. Mr. Alvarez responded by saying that the Marketing Committee has additional responsibilities as to how marketing dollars are utilized. The Resolution states that the Hotel and Signature Events Committee is to "make recommendations to the Marketing Committee and City Council to encourage the most appropriate events to enhance tourism." He offered to pass along the recommendation to City Council of the integration of one member of the Marketing Committee. 4 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 Councilmember Harnik added that the idea came from having a "think tank" to develop special events as was done in Palm Springs, and was changed to fit Palm Desert's needs. Mr. Hoehn noted that the Strategic Plan discusses hiring consultants. He highly recommends that before a consultant is hired, internal resources are utilized first. He agreed that the focus on events is the correct one. With Committee concurrence, the update report on the Hotel and Signature Events Committee was received and filed. VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS None VIII. OLD BUSINESS None IX. REPORTS FROM CITY COUNCIL LIAISONS Councilmember Jan Harnik said the past 2 weeks have had great events. Looking at the January 21 St Committee minutes, she noted that the Jazz Institute events had flopped. The Committee had approved a sponsorship. In the future, it would be a good idea to sponsor events where they already have sponsorship dollars. X. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Chair Rolf Hoehn reported on an all-around very successful PNB Paribas event. There was record attendance at 431,000 compared to 383,000 last year. Parking and traffic flow also worked better than last year. B. Committee Members Diane Williams said January and February were sluggish for home sales, but the last 2 weeks have been on fire. Arlene Amick reported that the Museum is still very busy, including its community events. First Fridays and Art Walk have also been very successful. New banners on EI Paseo advertise First Fridays and extended shopping hours. The Fashion Week after-party in conjunction with Saks Fifth Avenue received rave reviews. 5 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 Jeffrey Norman was delighted to report that the McCallum received a $600,000 grant from the Irvine Foundation for a project called the Crisalida Arts Project. A storyteller named David Gonzalez will be going to 4 east valley communities over the next 2 years to give people the opportunities to tell their own stories. This new initiative for the McCallum allows the arts to go outside the building. The 2014/15 season will be announced on April 8tn and will include the 2�d Annual Palm Desert International Dance Festival, as the first one was a big hit. Bruce Nation stated that the golf season is winding down. The Music and Dining events have all sold out, with a few events left. Classic Cars Under the Stars event is on April 19t". The Desert Willow website has recently been redesigned. Franchesca Forrer reported that H&M will open on May 8th, and the new restaurants will open soon. Sephora will open inside JC Penney on May 2nd May 3�d and 4th Westfield is partnering with Bright Pink, a national nonprofit focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women, for an incredible weekend of events. Ms. Forrer is honored to have been selected to become an international ambassador and will receive training in Chicago. Kerry Graves reported that this has been the biggest year in The Living Desert's 44-year history. The bird exhibit has been extremely popular. The Living Desert's new CEO is Allen Monroe. The focus moving forward is to look for events to drive attendance. The 6th Annual Brew at the Zoo will be on May 3`d, and the Easter Eggstravaganza will be a 2-day event on April 19 & 20. They found out yesterday The Living Desert was once again given AZA Accreditation. The soon-to-be born giraffe will have its naming rights auctioned off on eBay. Mr. Hoehn added that another event will occur on May 3`d, which is an evening jazz concert under the shade pavilion at the Tennis Garden, and the Indian Wells Arts Festival begins next weekend. C. Staff Ruth Ann Moore updated the Committee on some Fashion Week results. Six of the eight nights were sold out. Overall numbers will be down because there were 2 less nights. Preliminary ticket sales for the Food and Wine events showed a significant increase. There will be a complete recap for the Committee at an upcoming meeting. Next year's event will be year 3 of a 3-year contract, so after next year's Fashion Week the Committee will be looking at another contract. The proposed venue for next year's event is the top floor of The Gardens' parking structure. Ms. 6 APPROVED MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING PALM DESERT MARKETING COMMITTEE MARCH 25, 2014 Moore then gave an update on some new stores. The former TGI Friday's restaurant is under construction. Martin Alvarez reminded the Committee that the Desert Concorso Italian Auto Show is this Sunday. It has gotten some good media and sponsors. The development of a hotel at Desert Willow is pending final approval of the Long Range Property Management Plan by the State Department of Finance. XI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS A. Visitor Center Report Referring to the activity report, Ms. Gomez noted that the digital side remains strong and the numbers are encouraging. In cooperation with Desert Willow, the City had a booth at the PNB Paribas, which resulted in quality interactions with participants requesting information about shopping, events, and dining. Mr. Hoehn will be meeting with Ms. Gomez to come up with some possible dates for a Marketing Plan workshop to allow for maximum participation from the Committee. With Committee concurrence the Visitor Center Report was received and filed. XII. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, the meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. t �!2-Ci �l--f"Gt-7�-e�Lc. Jan Stanley, Record g Secretary 7