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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1995-05-16; City Council; 13136; 1994-95 CCVB 2nd quarter reportCIa OF CARLSBAD - AGENU BILL LC i, !: ~ AB# 13: i.3 b TITLE: MTG.5/16/95 DEPT. CARLSBAD CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU FIN SECOND QUARTER REPORT FOR 1994-95 DEPT CITY CITY I I I RECOMMENDED ACTION: z .. 0 6 $ 4 z 3 0 Accept and file report. ITEM EXPLANATION: The Carlsbad Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CCVB) has submitted their second quad report for the period from January 1 through March 31 , 1995. Income during the second quarter totaled approximately $55,600, of which $47,400 86% represented payments from the City. The second largest source of income to ti CCVB came from the hotel co-op program at $4,900 or 9% of total proceeds. Second quarter expenses totaled $53,700, of which $35,500 or 66% were 1 administration. The remaining $18,200 in expenses were for programs, of whi, advertising is the largest single outlay in this category totaling $12,000 or 66%. T’ second largest expense was for hosting fam trips at $3,400, followed by attendance travel shows at $1,600. Included in the attached exhibit is a Visitor Information Summary for the second quarl of 7994-95, as well as one for the previous program year. A comparison of these t\r summaries indicates that the number of visitors to Carisbad’s Visitor’s Information Bure: offices during the second quarter was 7,784, an increase of 2,429 or 46% from tl previous year. FISCAL IMPACT: The City’s agreement with the Chamber of Commerce established $205,000 as the toi I amount of funding for program year 1994-95, with $1 18,000 designated for administrati, 1 costs, and $87,000 designated for programs. Of the program funding, $25,000 requirc ! matching contributions from other sources. These amounts were appropriated within tl : 1994-95 General Fund budget. To date, the CCVB is operating within the allowed budgt ’ EXHIBITS: I I 11. Second quarter report from the Carlsbad Convention and Visitor’s Bureau forfisc; year 1994-95, dated April 25, 1995. I 0 v' e 0 CALIFORNIA April 25, 1995 Helga Stolder Accountant Finance Department City of Carlsbad 1200 Carlsbad Village Dr. Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear Helga, Attached is a synopsis of the major activities of the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bure; from January 1 - March 3 1, 1995. If you need additional information, please let me know. Sincerely, \STEVE LINK Manager Encls. Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau p.0. Box 1246 * Carlsbad, CA 92018-1246 e (619) 434-6093 Division of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce I 0 0 January 1 - March 31, 1995 INCOME City of Carlsbad County of San Diego Co-op program with hotels Sales of items in depot Special promotions Interest on bank account Total Income EXPENSES Administration $47,357.67 2,800.00 4,889.02 454.05 9.00 48.37 $55,558.11 $35,474.86 Programs Advertising Travel Shows Video Hosting Fam Trips Brochures Promoting Special Events Total Expenses 11,938.46 1,644.20 214.00 3,416.13 838.89 200.00 $53,726.54 1 January January January February February February March March March March 0 0 ACTIVITIES Sixteen travel planners from American Automobile Association offices in Los Angeles area toured Carlsbad. Three hotels, Andersen's Inn, Beach View Lodge and Carlsbad Inn hosted their stay. This tour was partially funded by a grant from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. ConVis worked with the In Motion organization to help promote the San Diego Marathon plus helped recruit volunteers and provided photos and narrative for the souvenir book given to each runner. Steve Link, conVis manager and Cleta Wright, ConVis director of public relations, attended the Governor's Conference on Tourism in Sacramento. Officials of the California Office of Tourism led discussions on trends in tourism and other topics. Steve Link, ConVis manager; Kelly Adamson, director of sales, Ramada Suites; and Judy Wheatbread, director of sales, Andersen's Inn; manned t Carlsbad booth at the Orange County Travel Show. A press release about the flower fields including color transparencies was mailed to more than 100 selected newspapers. Mayor Claude "Bud" Lewis and Paul Ecke, Jr., dedicated a street sign in the flower fields to Hue11 Howser producer of the "California Gold" program on PBS. KCET-TV, the PBS station in Los Angeles, featured Carlsbad from 6-8 p.m. March 4. This was during their Pledge Week. The ConVis, a wee: earlier, collected gift certificates and gifts for gift packs that were awarde to the first 50 people who made a substantial donation to PBS. They had then come to Carlsbad to pick up their gift packet. Steve Link, ConVis manager; Bonnie Tekstra, assistant manager, Tamara Beach Resort; and Judy Wheatbread, director of sales, Andersen's Inn; manned the Carlsbad booth at the Tucson Travel Show. Cleta Wright, ConVis director of public relations; Carol DuDeck, directo of sales, Carlsbad Inn; and Kelly Adamson, director of sales, Ramada In1 Suites; manned the Carlsbad booth at the Tucson Travel Show. Steve Link, ConVis manager, and Shirley Barrie, manager of Beach Vie\ Lodge, manned the Carlsbad booth at the Sacramento Travel Show. 2 0 0 March As a result of our travel writer program, articles about Carlsbad appeared numerous publications during this period. For instance: The March issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine listed four "great escape vacation spots. One is Carlsbad. They printed 10,000 extra copies of the magazine and sent one to every travel agency in the United States. The March issue of What's On in Las Vegas had a four-page feature c Carlsbad including 13 color photos. The magazine is placed in every hotel room in Las Vegas. Both Golf World and Sports Illustrated featured Carlsbad in January. The writers came to Carlsbad to report on the Mercedes' Championshi PGA Tournament at LaCosta and stayed on to write about Carlsbad. The Copley newspapers in Los Angeles published a feature about Carlsbad and things to see and do while here. The January issue of Sunset Magazine had an article about Batiquitos Lagoon and the March issue had an article about the flower fields. e Dozens of newspapers published our release and color photos of the flower fields including the Dallas Morning News, The Stars and Stripc newspapers in Asia, and the Japanese, Chinese and Korean language newspapers in Los Angeles. 3 e e 'VISITOR' INFORMATION SUMMARY JANUARY 1 THROUGH MARCH 31, 1995 ~~ CA. resident Out of CA 'Foreiqn Total visitors visitors visitors month January 465 1882 154 2,50 ~~~~ ~ February 632 ~~~ ~~ ~ ~ 1265 127 2,02 ~~- March 1435 ~ 1580 244 3,25 3 month totals 2532 4727 525 7,78 Above figures represent one member of family znd/or group January February March TOTALS Phone inquiries 1722 1791 2843 6,35 Mail outs 559 715 1575 2,84 Travel agent mail outs 150 140 160 4 51 -> 0, .VISITOR IXFOW?TiON STJ"dX3Y . January - March 1994 CX. resident Out of CA For&.gl Total vFs.Ftcrs visitors visitors month January 4 64 996 135 1595 February 503 1098 173 17.7 4 March 663 116 8 155 1986 3 month totals . 1630 3262 463 5355 Above figures represent one member of family ad/or group L JANUARY FEBRUARY March TOT=: Phone incruiries 1560 '. 1600 1925 50 Mail outs 9 8'0 1025 1187 31 Travel agent mail outs 150 130 160 I 0 0 Tekstra to chair ConVis Advisory Boar Bonnie Tekstra has been selected to chair the ConVis Advisory Board for 1995. The ninemember board oversees the tourism promotional activities of the ConVis. She has been a member of the board for three years. Tamarack Beach Resort and has been with the resort for nine years. Prior to that, she was the social and membership director of The Racquet Club of Palm Springs. The Convention and Visitors Bureau was only a few months old when she became involved in ConVis activities. ”I’ve manned the Carlsbad booth at travel trade shows from Dallas to Las Vegas to San Francisco and everywhere in between,” said Tekstra. “Nine years ago few people outside of San Diego Tekstra is the assistant manager of County knew about Carlsbad, now almost everyone we meet at the trade shows knows about us. I’ve also noticed that over the years the caliber of tourists to Carlsbad has become more upscale,” she said. The Tamarack Beach Resort hosts more than Bonnie Tekstra a doZen trave1 -writers and travel planners brought to Carlsbad each year by the ConVis. The Resort is also one of the original sponsors of the Carlsbad 5000 and supports numerous other events in Carlsbad. ConVis honored Tekstra in 1992 with the Host of the Year award. Tekstra replaces Hope Wrisley, who has chaired the Advisory Board for the past three y has been remarkable to 01 the hospitality industry) mark on Carlsbad in the decades,“ said Wrisley. ’ remember when there w few little restaurants in t’ Carlsbad can boast of m( restaurants. “I hope residents realiz than just the hotels and I benefit from the thousan tourists who visit Carlsb year. The money circula town. The hospitality in1 clean, requires few city : generates considerable t and provides enhy level ment opportunities for c people,” Wrisley continl ConVis is the focal poin hospitality industry and pleased to be involved 7’ Bureau.” AAA travel planners visit Sixteen travel planners from American Automobile Association offices in the Los Angeles area toured North County in January. Three hotels; Andersen’s Inn, Beach View Lodge and Carlsbad Inn, divided the group and hosted their first night of the tour. The welcoming reception and Inn. The following morning, the travel planners enjoyed a continen- tal breakfast in the solarium atop Tamarack Beach Resort before beginning their tour. shops in the Village, Aviara Golf Course, La Costa Resort and Spa and Batiquitos Lagoon before moving on to see attractions in nearby communities. On the final night of their North County tour, they were hosted for dinner by the Orchard Cafe at Hadley’s. .. dinner was hosted by Andersen’s .. The tour included Alt Karlsbad, “AAA was only able t this tour during the wet Wright and I were in Sa the Governofs Confere Tourism,” said Steve Li manager. “So, several b volunteers escorted the planners on their visit 1 Tekstra, Car01 DuDeck Wheatbread. “The group was real1 about their tour,“ said ’ ”Rather than take the l- Tamarack Beach Resor Karlsbad to State Stree to walk. That gave the] tunity to peek into Nei Old Depot.” This tour was a proje North County Tourisn Group, partially funde from the San Diego Cc Supervisors. especially want to than .- 0 0 - State conference analvzes tourism trends California’s tourism industry is leading the state out of the reces- sion. Tourism is a $53.7 billion industry in California, employing 681,OOO people and generating more than $3 billion in state and local tax revenues. More than 500 delegates repre- senting all facets of the travel industry met in Sacramento in late January for the 12th annual Governor‘s Conference on Tourism. of topics concerning California’s tourism industry. in tourism, who the visitors are, where they go and other topics. State officials also led discussions of marketing strategies and unveiled their new advertising campaign for California. They were updated on a wide range Delegates were briefed on trends J Representatives of the U.S. Department of Com- merce ... pointed out that the number of interna- tional travelers coming to California is increasing at a slower pace than to the United States as a whole. ~~ ~~ Representatives of the US. De- partment of Commerce were present to conduct several work- shops on international travel.. It was pointed out that for a variety if reasons the number of international travelers coming to California is increasing at a slower pace than to the United States as a whole. California is losing market share to other destinations such as Las Vc and Florida. Last year the State Legislature failed to pass legislation that wo establish a statewide superfund promote California as a destinat Several legislators will sponsor I bill again this year. The superfund would raise $2 million from the state’s hospital industry to enhance the state‘s tourism marketing programs. TI superfund would be similar to t marketing fund established for ’ state’s dairy industry where COI nies within the industry are cha a fee that is earmarked for marl ing programs. Representing Carlsbad at the conference were Steve Link, Co manager, and Cleta Wright, Coi director of public relations. I 1 Carlsbad books business at show The results were almost immediate from participation in the Orange County Travel Show, Feb. 4-5 according to Judy Wheatbread, director of sales at Andersen’s Inn. “I’ve already booked three overnight bus groups from three different tour opera- tors who approached our booth and saw the photos of Carlsbad’s flower fields,” said Wheatbread. She, along with Kelly Adamson, director of sales, Ramada Inn Suites, and Steve Link, ConVis manager, manned the Carlsbad booth at the travel show. More than 200 booths representing such exotic destinations as Singapore, the Virgin Islands and, of course Carlsbad, vied for the attention of the crowd. several hundred travel agents strolled the aisles collecting literature “Everyone who approached our booth was impresd with our photos of the flower fields,” said Link. “Many told us how they enjoyed previous vacations in Carlsbad. We encouraged them to return when the fields are in bloom. I am sure many will. It was a very productive travel show.” During the twoday show, more than 7,500 people including about their favorite destinaiions. i 0 Judy Wheatbread and Bonnie Tekstra talk to travel agents at the travel show in Tucson. Have booth, will travel;: ConVis. hits the road for travel shows As the summer tourist season approaches, the ConVis is touting Carlsbad's charms at travel/trade shows throughout the West. In the month of March, ConVis staff and volunteers distributed thousands of brochures at trade shows in Tucson, Los Angeles and Sacramento. The three shows attracted a total of more than 25,000 people seeking ideas for their summer vacations plus several thousand travel agents collecting information for their clients. "The people strolling the aisles are usually clutching glitzy brochures from cruise lines and pricey overseas destinations,'' said Steve Link, ConVis manager. "But in the coming weeks, when they plan their summer vaca- tion, the Carlsbad brochure will rise to the top. Carlsbad is close, affordable and appealing as a family vacation destination." Manning the booth at the Tucson show were Link; Judy Wheatbread, director of sales at Andersen's Inn; and Bonnie Tekstra, assistant manager at Tamarack Beach Resort. relations, at the LA show were Kelly Adamson, director of sales, Ramada Inn Suites; and Carol DuDeck, director .. .. Working with Cleta Wright, ConVis director of public of sales, Carlsbad Inn. Link and Shirley Banie, manager of Beach View Lodge, worked in the booth at the Sacramento show. "Besides the beach and our charming Village, we touted The Flower Fields, the future LEG0 park and events such as the Carlsbad 5000," said Wright. "I am sure most of the people we talked to will give Carlsbad serious consideration as they plan their vacation." .- PBS host mwser honored witestreet dedic; When Huell Howser focused the Fields at Carlsbad Ranch last April, he couldn't have imagined that within a year, a street sign bearing his name would be on that very spot. Howser produces the popular television program "California Gold" that is aired monthly on PBS stations statewide. While he filmed the fields in April the program didn't air until July, when the fields were no longer in bloom. "Our phones rang like crazy after the program aired," said Lee Lees, information specialist at the Visitor Information Center. "Unfortunately we had to explain that the fields This fall, Steve Link, ConVis manager, contacted Howser and asked if the program could be re- television cameras on The Flower were no longer in bloom" aired in March. Link pked that if would name a street after him. In January, Howser called and face- tiously asked if the street had been named after him yet. Link contacted Paul Ecke Jr., Carlsbad Ranch owner, and sug- gested a road through The Flower Fields be named "Huell Howser Blvd." Ecke had the sign made and on Feb. 23 he and Carlsbad Mayor Claude "Bud" Lewis dedicated the sign. A week later, a very surprised Huell Howser was presented with a photo of the dedication while making a guest appearance on a PBS television program in Los Angeles. program aired again iast month," said Lees. "We are being deluged with phone calls." Howser could do this, the city "We know the "California Gold Mayor Bud Lewis, Ste Paul Ecke Jr. erect the The Flower Fields. More articles about Carlsbad are publishe Carlsbad continues to receive significant coverage in the media due to ConVis efforts. Alaska Airlines Magazine recom- mends four "great escapes" vaca- tion spots. They are: the San Juan Islands; Yakutat, Alaska; Lake Mead and Carlsbad. The three pages devoted to Carlsbad relate the history and cham of the Village as well as recommend several restaurants, hotels and attractions. Color photos of The Rower Fields and Buena Vista Lagoon are included. of Alaska Airlines Magazine are their vacation issues," said Cleta Wright, ConVis director of public relations. 'They print an additional 10,000 copies and send them to every travel agency in the US." The March issue of What's On in Las Vegas has a four-page article on Carlsbad, including 13 color photos. The magazine is placed in every In one example, the March issue of 'The March and September issues hotel room in Las Vegas. "These articles were written by journalists who we invited to visit Carlsbad," said Annie McLhinney- Cochran, who manages the travel writer program for the ConVis. "These positive articles keep Carls- bad in the public's eye at low cost." There are other recent articles as wel1. The January issue of Sunset Magazine has an article about Eatiquitos Lagoon and the March issue has an article ab Flower Fields. In late I Copley newspapers in published a feature at and things to see and 'These articles woul sands of dollars if we chased the space," sai ConVis manager. "AI has more credibility tl About two dozen tri annually are hosted b