June 2023 Board Meeting Minutes and Recordings

The audio recordings and the director's presentation of the June 2023 Board Meeting can be accessed here:

June 2023 Board Meeting Recording 1.mp3

June 2023 Board Meeting Recording 2.mp3

June 2023 Board Meeting Presentation

Please find the meeting minutes below:
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
Board of Directors Meeting
June 26, 2023 – 2:00 p.m.
The Dairy Market

PRESENT: Cecil Banks, Chris Engel, Sheldon Johnson, Emily Kilroy, Susan Krischel, Bea LaPisto-Kirtley, Natalie Masri, Jay Pun, Gabe Silver, Danny Shea, John Wharton. (Presence of Sheldon Johnson is not reflected in roll call on the recording.)

ABSENT: Russ Cronberg, Mariane Doyle, Shaun Jenkins, Juandiego Wade

ALSO ATTENDING: Lauren Bohdan, Courtney Cacatian, Jason Woodle

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Gabe Silver called the meeting to order at 2:04 PM.

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

b. Industry Presentation: Gabe invited Courtney to introduce Jason Woodle from James Monroe's Highland. James spoke on the changes in name and branding from Ashlawn to Highland, as well as the change in the story being told as they discovered more about the property through archaeological digs. Also spoke on visitation post-covid and events being put on such as the Albemarle County Fair and public hikes on the Highland Rustic Trails.

c. Member Introduction: As there were a number of new board members present at the meeting, Gabe asked everyone who was a member of the board to introduce themselves and note the entity they were involved with.

d.  Consent Agenda: Gabe asked for input on the consent agenda. A motion was made to approve the April meeting minutes. The minutes were approved and the consent agenda was passed.

e.  Approval of Executive Director's Performance Review: Gabe made a motion to grant Courtney two weeks of additional paid leave on a one-time basis in recognition of the great work that has been performed over the past few years. All were in favor and the motion passed.

f.  Director's Report: Courtney presented the Director's Report. Highlights include the press release and video with Virginia Tourism on DRIVE 2.0 Projects, VA-1 Tourism Conference Planning Committee, Wheel the World Certificate Completion, Opening of the Forum Hotel, TJPDC CEDS planning, and Chamber Public Policy Committee. Hotel Performance: Courtney presented a few charts indicating hotel performance through March of 2023, with past performance dating back to 2018. Performance remains strong as compared to other localities around the state of Virginia.

g. Hotel Performance Update: Courtney presented a few charts indicating hotel performance through May of 2023, with past performance dating back to 2018. Performance remains strong as compared to other localities around the state of Virginia. Courtney also presented a new chart on Hotel Rooms occupied by year, giving the board an idea of the total number of rooms that were available each year, showing the growth of the number of rooms as compared to occupancy. This graph will be presented during the February board meeting on a yearly basis.

h. Tourism Master Plan: Courtney noted that the cost of the development of the Tourism Master Plan in collaboration with SIR was $26,000 higher than the anticipated $100,000 on the budget. Asking to spend this additional amount to pursue the development with SIR. Funds would be shifted from the Advertising and Promotions budget. Otherwise, an RFP would need to be submitted and this process may take an additional few months. A discussion was had on whether to pursue the option suggested or pursue an RFP. The board decided to take 10 minutes to re-read the SIR plan distributed by Courtney and rejoin the meeting to make a decision on this adjustment. The board moved forward with the discussion after the short break, and a motion was made to allow the addition of funds to be added to the Tourism Master Plan budget line item. The Motion Passed.

i. Marketing and PR Update: Courtney gave an update on the Marketing and PR efforts. Summer advertising has launched in key markets. Linnea Bennett joined the team as the new Social Media and Content Manager on April 24th and has hit the ground running with a robust content creation effort. The CACVB has also hosted a substantial number of travel journalists over the past few months. Social media stats and improvements were presented as well as metric baselines. The introduction of a broader social media strategy included focusing on LinkedIn in addition to Facebook and Instagram. Numerous blogs were published in May and June including a focus on paddling adventures, Juneteenth, and LGBTQ+ spaces to visit. Recent media visits included Zoomer Radio, Grown Up Travel, and a France Group Media Tour.

j. Sales Update: Courtney gave an update on the CACVB’s sales efforts. Teresa attended multiple meetings with local partners as well as other informational meetings such as the STS Domestic Showcase in Huntsville, Alabama, VSAE Annual Meeting in Richmond, and the Grand Opening of the Forum Hotel. The CACVB also hosted a 2-day site visit for the Catholic Alumni Club and received and distributed 9 RFPs. Welcome bags were provided for the Oenoverse Club and the Seniors on the Go Tour Group.

k. Visitor Services Update: Mobile Visitor Center statistics were presented. The rest of the team was covering the shifts left open by the absence of a Travel Specialist. Starting on June 1st, the decision was made to run a single MVC to allow for the rest of the team to focus on duties as it pertained to their positions. A new Travel Specialist has been hired and will be starting in Early July, with both MVCs back running on a normal schedule by Mid-July. The Visitor Services team has distributed over 33,000 brochures in 2023, as well as fulfilled 45 bulk orders. The top 5 areas requested from were Virginia Beach, VA, Charlotte and Raleigh, NC, Pittsburgh, PA, and Silver Spring, MD. Questions at the MVC consisted of wineries and pick your own fruit, live music, relocation, trails and parks, and family-friendly experiences.

l. Destination Development Update: Destination Development continues with Chris currently focusing on outdoor recreation. Ongoing learning consisted of attending the Outside Portfolio new website debut and the Virginia Land Conservation and Greenways Conference. Conversations have also started regarding the advancement of accessible adventures in the Charlottesville area and Shenandoah National Park. The partnership with Ride with GPS continues to progress, and outdoor recreation routes are being created to bolster the "Trails" page on the Visit Charlottesville website. CACVB staff have connected with families from Kindness Cafe and Arc of Piedmont. Both organizations serve individuals with cognitive disabilities. The Director of Engagement has completed Rutgers University's DEI for Public Managers Certificate as well as Wheel the World's online academy. Also presented during Travel Ability's June Alliance meeting with Boston and New Orleans about job fairs.

m. Public Comments: No public comments.

n. Board Comments: A question was asked of Courtney regarding the status of the second Destination Development Manager. Courtney noted that the CACVB is still in the interview process for this position. Bea noted that the county is working with the Rivanna Trails Foundation to make sure that the trail is clear and accessible.

Chairman Gabe Silver adjourned the meeting at 3:43 PM.