Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-12-08 KCVB MinutesTO: Kenai CVB Board of Directors FROM: Mya Renken, Executive Director RE: Executive Director's Report DATE: December 8, 2006 MEMORANDUM Administration o Staff update We completed our first service project by filling boxes for Thanksgiving Dinner at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. Thank you to Sharon Brower for watching the Center so we could do this. We're finalizing the date December's service project. Cassandra's last day of work will be December 22, 2006. A potluck Christmas /Going Away party for Cassandra has been scheduled for Noon at December 18, 2006. KCVB's Board and the Kenai Chamber's team are invited. Hired Charles "Chip" Spangler to replace Cassandra. He will be working two /three days a week and comes to us from University of Maryland University College's IT department. He is highly recommended for his work ethic and his ability to work within budget constraints. We are working with Jackie Garcia at the Job Center on our volunteer program and have one new volunteer, Carmen. As you can see from the Minutes, I took notes and taped the October 30, 2006 meeting and Cassandra prepared the Minutes. After Cassandra's departure, we will have 4.5 FTE staff, including me, staffing a facility that will be open in December as early as 6:45 a.m. and as late as 10:30 p.m. from Monday through Saturday because of scheduled events /meetings. KCVB o Destination Marketing Completed paperwork for on -line and bingo response card presence in Frommer's Budget Travel, Sunset Magazine, and Outdoors. Spoke with Donna Claus on Governor Palin's transition team for the Department of Commerce and Community Economic Development about tourism issues in our area. Working with Bernholz and Graham on two media outreach opportunities. In October we provided images to be included in the book, "Best Outdoor Towns of America" .travel A new domain for use by qualified travel industry businesses. KCVB owns www.visitkenai.travel, www.kenai.travel and www.kenairiver.travel Western Association of CVB's is hosting a teleconference on December 14 to answer questions about the domain category. o Visitor Center Services Visitation statistics show an increase at the Center for the past year. We continue to have people visiting the community looking for flightseeing and boating experiences. Tina attended Alaska Host Cultural Training train the trainer program in Anchorage We will be training all front line staff and volunteers in the Alaska Host program 1 also am researching the Alaska Certified Expert (ACE) training for all front line employees so they can better assist our visitors. o Cultural Center Programs and Exhibits Sticks and Stones: Structured Alaska Sponsor packets were mailed and sponsorships are beginning to come in the mail. Sponsors reception will be held in February Captain Cook exhibit I have asked Natasha to delay the unveiling of this exhibit to coincide with the 229th anniversary of Cook's visit to the area (May 25 June 7, 1778) o KEDS This change will allow her more time to focus on the exhibit and to allow a tie in that will be of interest to the media. We will be developing a self -drive brochure that will take people to the area's Cook visited while here. I have spoken with Con Jaeger about any tie -ins with Fire and Ice Vacations for the international market and Cook's travels to Hawaii and Alaska ArtScene AK announced nominations for its 2006 Members Choice awards. The Kenai Experience was nominated for best exhibition /installation Natasha was nominated for best administrator. There were many other nominations for the Kenai Peninsula, including Bill Heath and Zirrus VanDevere. Kenai's Saturday Market Will begin again Memorial Day weekend, 2007 Received letter from Alaska Department Natural Resources about how knowledgeable our vendors were about the Alaska Grown programs Have been notified of additional funds up to $750 available for the creation of media and /or educational outreach. Kenai River Marathon Total runners participating in the race numbered 69 September 30, 2007 is the date for next year's race Everyone involved, including runners, had a great time Recommendations for improvements have been solicited and addressed A website will be developed to provide photos, race route, and testimonials about this year's race. o ATIA I was appointed to ATIA's Marketing Committee and attended the Strategic Planning Retreat in Ketchikan December 4 6, 2006. 1 am chairing the Tourism North /Highway subcommittee and s Chair of a subcommittee I also sit on the Planning sub committee. This may be the first time a Kenai Peninsula resident has chaired a subcommittee. Next ATIA Marketing Committee meeting is in January in Juneau. Additional meetings are in April (Juneau), June (TBD) and August/September (TBD) Ron Peck, ATIA's CEO /President, is participating on Senator Palin's DCCED's transition team representing the travel industry. o Peninsula Clarion Visitor Guide 1 provided the Clarion with our membership list to solicit advertisers for the 2007 guide. This is the same action I took when we were working with PrintWorks last year to develop a guide. I sent Evy the story ideas the Visitor Guide Committee had developed during last year's program as well. December 8 was the final closing date for the Guide KCVB had Sara Smith write the articles on the other Peninsula communities for the article, which I edited before sending them on for the Clarion to edit. The Visitor Guide will be our fulfillment piece for all inquiries and it will be located in the Visitor Centers throughout Alaska at no additional charge to us. Here is some of the email correspondence with Evy (my comments are in blue): Also, to confirm you will facilitate the arrangements to have the guide placed in the chambers you have space -share agreements with the mail out of the guides. We have agreements with other destination marketing organizations around Alaska to place our official guide in their visitor center, all we have to do is send them a supply to stock. Anyway, in answer to your question, the inclusion of the Mat -Su and KPTMC's guides in the Alaska State Vacation Planner are paid advertisements. The 2007 planner is printed and now available so the next advertising cycle is for the 2008 guide. The ad deadline for the 2008 should be in April /May. I am open to discussing placing a similar ad provided both of our organizations are willing to share the expense to place such an ad, which I think is around $5,000. I hope this answers your question. Thank you so much Evy. I wanted you to know how much we appreciate all the hard work you and Peninsula Clarion team is putting into revamping this Recreation Guide. If anything else comes up that is hampering sales, please call and we can discuss ideas for a solution. I will give you a call, but a quick heads up here. We realized that we had to back up the date we originally had the guide scheduled under, and will not be doing the publish the beginning of January as expected. Right now, we should be good to go the end of January. The benefit to this, is that it gives us additional time to make certain we are in contact with everyone who wants into the publication. Additionally, this window will be of great benefit towards giving us a better overall product than we would have had with the earlier timeline. I am going to have the composing department revamp the sales pieces and just wanted to let you know we are extending the deadline to December 8 th o Miscellaneous Projects Premier Alaska Tours invites you to their annual holiday celebration on December 12, 2006 from 4:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. at their offices near the Blue Diamond Parking log. RSVP at 907- 279 -0001. Continuing to work with KPTMC to bring Joe Veneto, the Opportunity Guy, to the area to present his Packaging Lab program. This will be a topic of discussion at KPTMC's next meeting on December 14, 2006. Patrons o Incorporation We are now officially a 501(c)(3) The officers of the Patrons of the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center are: President- Sasha Lindgren Secretary- Lori McLennan Treasurer- Ron Malston The officers need to meet to discuss financial business; including establishing a bank account so we can accept our first grant from Museums Alaska. This organization and its role with KCVB will be an important discussion during the strategic planning retreat.