February 2025 Board Meeting Minutes and Recording

The audio recording and the director's presentation of the February 2025 Board Meeting can be accessed here:

February 2025 Board Meeting Recording.mp3

February 2025 Board Meeting Presentation - Director's Report

Resolution to Schedule Regular Meeting Dates

Please find the meeting minutes below:
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
Board of Directors Meeting
February 24, 2025 – 2:00 p.m.
CACVB Administrative Office

PRESENT: Francois Abadie, Olivia Branch, Andrea Copeland, Russ Cronberg, Chris Engel, Emily Kilroy, Bea LaPisto-Kirtley, Jennifer Lyon, Jaruchan Palakawongs, Danny Shea, Brad Uhl, Darcie Wiegand (Presence of Andrea Copeland not reflected in the recording)

ABSENT: Athena Eastwood, Amber Smith, Juandiego Wade

ALSO ATTENDING: Courtney Cacatian, Lauren Bohdan, Roy Van Doorn, Chris White

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Bea LaPisto-Kirtley called the meeting to order at 2:01 PM.

a. Roll Call: Bea invited Lauren Bohdan to perform the roll call.

b. Election of Officers: It was suggested that the officers remain the same in 2025. A motion was made to keep Bea LaPisto-Kirtley as Chair and Russ Cronberg as Vice Chair. The motion passed.

c. Establish Meeting Schedule: A motion was made to approve the future board meeting times and dates through February of 2026. An adjustment was made to the time of the meeting, moving the start from 2:00 pm to 1:00 pm. A vote was taken and all present members approved. The resolution was further resolved.

d. Rules & Procedures: A motion was made to move from Robert's Rules of Order to Robert's Rules for Small Boards. The largest difference being that there is no "second" needed when motions are made. A motion was made to approve this transition of rules and procedures, and the motion passed.

e. Consent Agenda & Financial Statement: Bea asked if all members had seen the minutes and financial statement. A motion was made to approve the December meeting minutes and financial statement. The minutes and financial statement were approved, and the consent agenda was passed.

f. FY2026 Budget Presentation: Courtney presented the proposed FY2026 budget and how it compares to the FY2025 budget. It was noted that there is a hope to approve this at the April board meeting, but it must be approved by the beginning of May at the latest. Board members posed minimal questions on the budget. An update was provided on the status of application for a Tourism Improvement District. Funds cannot be used to pay Civitas to establish this among hoteliers, and Russ does not currently have the capacity to continue to pursue the TID. The board members also noted that the other way to possibly increase the CACVB budget is that the City and County could adjust the formula for Transient Occupancy Tax funding.

g. Director's Report: Courtney presented the Director's Report with highlights including the upcoming Tourism for All Conference, A National Park Service presentation on outdoor accessibility, starting the process of rebrand procurement, Integration of Cvent and Destinations International’s event impact calculator into customer relationship management system, as well as regional tourism meetings. Upcoming items include the finalization of the budget at the April board meeting, selection of rebranding vendor by April, consideration of the next board projects including possible by-law updates, industry speaker list, and board job description. There is also an upcoming DRIVE workshop with the Virginia Tourism Corporation on history and accessibility.

1. Hotel performance metrics were presented including occupancy, average daily rate, and revenue per available room through the month of December, 2024. Francois and Russ also spoke from personal experience on the affect of the weather in January on occupancy. Courtney also presented a slide with the Market Sale Price per Room going back to the beginning of 2020, and the forecast for the coming year.

2. Marketing and PR updates included an audit of CACVB social media channels, development of a 2025 content strategy, refreshed and reprinted visitor guide, distribution of "What's new in 2025" media release, began developing a CACVB influencer strategy and the assessment of 2024 advertising. There were also seven new or updated blogs debuted, along with media coverage in publications including Southern Living, World Atlas, and the Local Palate.

3. Sales updates included attending the VSAE Political Outlook Luncheon, National Tour Association New Member Meetup and Destination Management Organization Meeting, the American Bus Association with 45 appointments. There were local meetings with UVA Athletics and Staybridge Suites, as well as site visits to the Jack Miller Center and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 8 RFP's were distributed and the event impact calculator was installed into the Customer Relationship Management system.

4. Visitor Services final metrics for the 2024 season were presented. Hurdles to 2024 operations included unfavorable weather, extended maintenance and inspection timelines, and low number at VA welcome centers on weekends. Changes for the 2025 season include moving the inspection appointment to July, during the MVC break, attending VA welcome centers during the week, moving setup location at King Family Vineyards to the back fields during polo matches, and adding an extra week of participation in Winter Wander.

5. Destination Development continued to work on on-going projects in the space of accessibility, history and VA250, outdoor recreation, and Tourism for All. Upcoming involvement in county's Three Notch'd Trail planning committee as well as partnering with JMRL Northside to host signature events. Workforce development includes upcoming career and community fair, young professionals panel, and coffee an conversations. The DDM team will also collaborate to implement calendar system updates, as well as museum and history page updates.

h. Public Comment: No Public Comment.

i. Board Announcements: Russ discussed event sponsorships and the affect they created for the Boar's Head. There was further discussion on the topic of event sponsorships with additional input from Chris and Courtney. A note was made to discuss this topic in further detail as we move into the next fiscal year. Russ also noted that the Birdwood Mansion is under construction and will hopefully be opening this fall. The property will have space for events as well as rooms for stays. The Virginia Guesthouse is looking at January of 2026 for an opening date. Russ also discussed the initial conversations regarding an ice rink in the area. Olivia noted that Southern Living will be building an Idea House at Keswick Estates. These builds commonly attract thousands of visitors who come to area to admire the design and build. Charlotte Moss will be the designer and it will be open to the public August through December of 2025. Chris noted that discussions regarding fireworks for the Independence Day celebration have progressed, and there will be a community fireworks display on July 4th.

Chair Bea LaPisto-Kirtley adjourned the meeting at 3:51 PM.