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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-04-18; City Council; 15697; Convention And Visitor's Bureau ReportP 9 8 fh a . . p 2 d Y z - CITY OF CARLSBAD -AGENDA BILL AB# /q 697 ,=: CARLSBAD CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU MTG. 4-18-2000 REPORT FOR THE PERIOD ENDING JANUARY 31,200O. DEPT. ED CITY ATTY. ds ClTYMGR* RECOMMENDED ACTION: Accept the Report ITEM EXPLANATION: On October 26 1999, the City Council authorized the Mayor to execute a one (1) year agreement with the Carlsbad Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CCVB) for community promotion purposes. The contract is for the period November 1, 1999 and will run through October 31,200O. The total authorized contract amount for 1999-2000 is $357,000, including $123,000 for operation of the Visitor’s Center. Services CCVB will provide to the City, and that are specified in the contract, are as follows: A. Manage and coordinate a marketing program that positions Carlsbad as a prime destination in Southern California B. Generate awareness of Carlsbad in those geographic regions of the United States which provide the largest number of visitors to Carlsbad each year. C. Operate the Visitor’s Information Center. D. Provide familiarization tours/travel writer program. E. Promote local community events, including the San Diego Marathon, the Carlsbad 5000, the Carlsbad Triathlon, and the La Costa Golf and Tennis events. F. Develop private funding for advertising co-op programs, central reservations fees, and other participatory fees to support a full-time, aggressive tourism marketing program. G. Establish a corporate/group sales incentive program. Each quarter, CCVB is required to provide the City with a report of its activity and expenses. CCVB has submitted their latest report summarizing their activities for the period November 1, 1999 through January 31,2000(EXHIBIT 1). CCVB Report Highlights: 1. The number of visitors served at the Carlsbad Visitor’s Information Bureau offices was down by 14% (6,493 down to 5,587) from the same period last year. 2. The number of telephone inquiries were up by 6%( 6,188 to 6,566) from the same period last year. 3. CCVB processed a total of 46 qualified leads through its internet web site, totaling approximately 2,073 room nights. 4. CCVB’s volunteer program provided an additional 1,022 hours of service during the period. - PAGE 2 OF AGENDA BILL NO. FISCAL IMPACT: The City’s Agreement with the Carlsbad Convention and Visitor’s Bureau established $357,000 as the total amount of funding for the twelve (12) month period from November I, 1999 to October 31, 2000. The contract includes $123,000 for operation of the Visitor’s Center, and $234,000 for programs. Payments from the City for programs during this period totaled $108,506. The CCVB also raised an additional $7,495 from other sources that include hotel co-op ($5,731) marketing partnership ($1,240), and miscellaneous sales ($524). Expenditures for the period totaled $110,677. Visitor Center operations totaled $30,750 or 27.7% of the expenditures. Other CCVB expenditures included $30,261 for Advertising, $28,300 for Brochures, $11,143 for Trade Shows and the Travel Writer’s Program, $7,318 for Video/CD ROM, and $2,905 for consulting services. EXHIBITS: 1. Report from the Carlsbad Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for the period of November I,1999 through January 31,2000, dated February 28,200O. /I- - February 28,200O Cynthia Haas Economic Development City of Carlsbad 1635 Faraday Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear Cynthia: Attached is the financial report and a synopsis of major activities of the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau for the period November 1,1999 -January 31,200O. If you have any questions, please call me. Please notify us when this will be placed on the Council Agenda so we can be present to answer questions. Sincerely, Ex&utive Director Enclosure Carlsbad Convention 81 Visitors Bureau P.O. Box1246*Carlsbad,California 92018-1246 TEL (760)434.6093* FAX (760)434.6056 www.carlsbadca.org/ City of Carlsbad County of San Diego Regional Partners Hotel Co-op Marketing Partnership Depot Sales Misc. Promotions Total Personnel: Management Staff Salaries Benefits Payroll Taxes Total Personnel 14,300 14,300 1,090 1,090 5,408 5,408 $ 23,598 $ 23,598 Overhead: Utilities Outside Services Maim/Rental Equipment Allocation Office Supplies Postage Travel Insurance Conferences Memberships Telephone Items for Resale Misc. Fees 596 596 370 370 444 444 623 623 784 784 93 93 132 132 1,824 1,824 988 988 550 550 402 402 346 346 Total Overhead $ 7,152 $ 7,152 Equipment Purchases: Items Cost Total Equipment Carlsbad Convention & Visitors Bureau Accounting of Funds For the Quarter Ended January 31,200O Income For the Quarter Contract to Date $ 108,506.52 $ 108,506.52 5731.23 5,731.23 1,240.OO 1,240.OO 523.60 523.60 $ 116,001.35 $ 116,001.35 Visitor Center Operations For the Quarter Contract to Date $ 2,800 $ 2,800 Total Vlsltor Center Operations: $ 30,750 E:\ConVis\Financial Reports\Quarterly Report\Convis Accounting of Funds Jan 31- 00 $ 30,750 .’ . Advertising/Promoting Events: Management Allocation Equipment Allocation Ads Production Costs Promotion Telephone/Postage Supplies Subtotal Trade ShowslFAM trips: Management Allocation Booth Fees Travel Costs FAM Expenses Equipment Allocation Telephone/Postage Supplies Subtotal Brochures: Management Allocation Equipment Allocation Design & Printing Subtotal Video/CD-ROM: Management Allocation Production Costs Subtotal Consultant: Management Allocation Fees Subtotal Marketing Partnership Subtotal Total Program Expenditures: Total Period Expenditures: Program Expenditures Accounting of Funds For the Quarter Ended January 31,200O TOTAL EXPENSES For the Quarter Contract to Date 8,650 18,811 2,251 6,782 385 37 4,500 23,800 $ 3,000 4,318 - $ $ 30,261 $ $ 28,300 $ 7,318 $ 79,927 $ 79,927 $ 110,677 $ 110,677 8,650 18,811 2,500 300 $ 2,251 6,782 385 37 1,588 100 $ 4,500 23,800 $ 3,000 4,318 $ - 2,905 $ 30,261 11,143 28,300 7,318 2.905 E:\ConVis\Financial Reports\Quarterly Report\Convis Accounting of Funds Jant 31-2000 . . Visitor Information Summary November 1,1999 - January 3 1,200O November 805 1,015 748 908 308 180 1,861 2,103 December 716 1,034 January 838 1,004 3 months total 2,359 3,053 686 926 261 199 1,663 2,159 958 1,013 I 267 214 2,392 2,847 836 593 Above figures represent one member of family and/or group. November Phone inquires This Last Year Year 2,283 1,968 Mail outs This Last Year Year 1,238 I,1 78 Travel Agent Mail outs This Last Year Year 262 200 I December I 1,999 1,978 I 1,233 876 I 211 222 I January 2,284 2,242 1,499 1,010 3 months total 6,566 6,188 3,970 3,064 ConVidtinancial reports/quarterly report/activities/Visitor Information Summary-chart Nov99-Jan00 149 255 622 677 ADVERTISERS INOUIRES 1 Nov 99 1 Dee 99 1 Jan 00 1 Arizona Dailv Star 1 4 8 88 Calif State Visitors Guide 1 279 I 134 I 82 1 Internet 70 1 57 1 253 1 Los Angeles Magazine 30 14 8 Meetings in the West 12 1 No Recollection/voice mail 140 85 217 Orange Coast Magazine 2 1 San Diegan 1 SD Visitors Guide 2 3 10 Sunset Magazine 6 1 Travel & Leisure 55 I Travel 50 & Beyond 89 26 21 Travel Agent Magazine 49 115 1 Travel America 221 228 4 Travel Holiday 5 Travel Weeklv 103 36 98 Tucson Lifestyle Magazine 3 82 Vacations Magazine 212 44 37 Via 1 62 Where to Retire 1 I Activities Nov 1 - Jan 31,200O Nov Nov I Nov 2 Nov 3 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 7 Nov 15 Nov 17 Nov 17 Nov 18 Nov 18 Nov 19 Nov 22 Nov 29 Dee 1 Dee 3 Dee 13 Dee 14 Dee 15 Dee 20 Dee 30 Jan Carlsbad was featured in the November issue of TM VELAA4ERIcA magazine. T.J. Stroben joined the staff as the Group Sales Coordinator. Frankie Laney arranged for a travel writer with Phoenix Home & Garden magazine to stay two nights at La Costa Resort and spa and two nights at Four Seasons Resort, Aviara. Carlsbad Ranch donated ranunculus bulbs for ConVis volunteers to plant in front of the Old Depot. A volunteer training session was held in the depot. The volunteers took a bus trip to San Diego, hosted by the Center city Corporation, to learn more about the Gaslamp District. The staff worked at the Village Faire. The Old Depot served as the Faire Headquarters as well as the Carlsbad Police Dept. Command Post. Frankie Laney attended the first meeting of the Visitors Center Network Group. The new organization is composed of representatives of 12 visitors centers in the region. Rebecca Reoh, LEGOLAND Sales and Marketing, was the featured speaker at the November Hotel/Hospitality Committee meeting. LEGOLAND California hosted the luncheon. The Board of Directors met. Frankie Laney met with representatives of NAMM to develop a ConVis role with their new museum. Steve Link escorted a Carlsbad High School student for the chamber’s Shadow Day. ConVis staff attended the Open House for the Carlsbad-by-the-Sea Retirement facility. Frankie Laney attended the Travel Industry Sales, sub-committee meeting in San Diego. Sent a beta copy of our Carlsbad video to an agency in Kansas City that planned to incorporate scenes of Carlsbad into a video they were doing for a local company. Key staff attended a Grand Opening reception for Windmill Banquet and Catering. They are the banquet and catering component to TGI Friday’s at Holiday Inn. Staff, board members and special guests, numbering more than 40, attended the Chairman’s Holiday Party hosted by Norine Sigafoose at the home of her sister, Carline Bryan. Frankie Laney attended a meeting of the Visitors Center Network Group. Frankie Laney attended the San Diego ConVis Quarterly Breakfast. Frankie Laney attended the San Diego Marathon Sponsors Breakfast. Frankie Laney attended a meeting at the San Diego ConVis dealing with the upcoming Sales Mission to Canada. Steve Link gave a tour of Carlsbad to the editor of R VJournal. The January issue of Sunset magazine contains an article about the North county beach communities, including Carlsbad and recommends two hotels, Four Seasons Aviara and Beach Terrace Inn to their readers. Steve Link was interviewed for the article. Jan Jan 4 Jan 4 Jan 7 Jan 7 Jan 9-13 Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 14 Jan 14 Jan 14-16 Jan 18 Jan 18 Jan 19 Jan 20 Jan 25 Jan 26 Jan 27 Jan 31 The winter issue of Where to Retire contains a six-page feature on Carlsbad including the cover photo. Staff has worked with the editor for many months to achieve this. T.J. Stroben met with the CEO of Event Corp to discuss group leads. Steve Link attended a meeting at SANDAG on ways to promote the upcoming IMAX film “Wild California”. The volunteers accompanied by several staff and board members boarded the Coaster to Old Town for a luncheon party at Casa de Bandini. Coaster tickets were donated by North County Transit District. ConVis took delivery of the first Meeting Planners Guide. Ten thousand copies of the colorful booklet were printed. An initial mass mailing of 6,600 were mailed to selected travel professionals worldwide. Steve Link participated in the San Diego ConVis Sales Mission to Canada. The group spent one day meeting with tour operators in Vancouver. This was followed by mini travel shows featuring the San Diego region in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. Frankie Laney attended a meeting of the Visitor Center Network Group. Frankie Laney met with Tom Morrow of the North County Times about current ConVis activities. Frankie Laney worked with a producer of Fox Network who was preparing a program on La Costa Resort and Spa. Staff attended the San Diego Marathon sponsors dinner at Grand Pacific Palisades. Steve Link attended a San Diego ConVis meeting at Grand Pacific Palisades. ConVis staff and volunteers manned the Information booth next to the registration area at the San Diego Marathon. T.J. Stroben attended a meeting of the San Diego Bridal Consultants and distributed 30 of our Meeting Planners Guides. Steve Link attended a meeting at the San Diego ConVis dealing with the upcoming California Travel Market travel show. Rich “Mr. Pos” Wilkins was the featured speaker at the January Hotel/Hospitality meeting. He spoke about maintaining a positive attitude in our daily lives. The luncheon was hosted by Tamarack Beach Resort. Several staff members attended the Grand Opening of lub Sevilla. Several staff members attended the Chamber’s State of the Chamber breakfast at Four Seasons Resort, Aviara. Steve Link and Norine Sigafoose attended the reception at LEGOLAND to welcome the new CEO, Mark Germyn. Steve Link gave a tour of Carlsbad, including LEGOLAND and the hotel properties to a travel agent he met in Vancouver during the Canadian Sales Mission. She plans to market Carlsbad to her clients. T.J. Stroben gave a tour of nine Carlsbad hotels and restaurants to an event planner. Programs to Attract Groups During this period, we advertised in four publications aimed specifically at travel professionals. These were: Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine Travel Agent Magazine Travel Weekly Steve Link participated in the Canadian Sales Mission (January 9-13) sponsored by the San Diego ConVis. LEGOLAND and Beach Terrace Inn sent representatives as well. The group spent one day meeting with tour operators in Vancouver. This was followed by mini-travel shows, featuring the San Diego region, in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. The shows were open to travel professionals only. On January 27, one of the Canadian travel agents came to Carlsbad for a tour of LEGOLAND and local hotels. She said that up until two weeks earlier, she was unfamiliar with Carlsbad. During this period, we took delivery of 10,000 copies of our new Meeting Planners Guide. The guide gives travel professionals a handy reference of meeting facilities and hotel amenities in Carlsbad. Staff did a mass mailing of 6,600 of the Guides to travel professionals worldwide. T. J. Stroben joined the staff as the Group Sales Coordinator. She works with groups to determine their needs for meeting facilities and accommodations, puts them in contact with the appropriate hotel or restaurant and maintains contact to insure the group is taken care of Her activities report is attached. Through our Internet web page and in response to our advertisements, we provided 46 viable leads to hotels for meetings and conventions, totaling 4,623 people seeking 2,073 hotel room nights. The staff, during this time, helped promote the San Diego Marathon. Volunteers and staff manned the Information booth next to the registration area throughout the weekend event. GROUP LEADS NOV/DEC 99/JAN 00 *Y=yes;*N=no;*P=pending l/l1 Leads Club 300 300 31,500 Natl. Convention Y l/l0 Matsumoto 200 30 10,000 Weddinq and rooms N l/l2 Healy 120 20 3100 Wedding N l/l2 Beebe 30 0 500 Anniversary Y Business meeting Jan total 2627 1010 $106,340 GRAND TOTAL 4623 2073 $231,180 4 - -- )I _ Carisbad Susiness Jouma/ December I999 ConVis completes visitor survey T he Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau has completed its annual sur- vey of local hotels to learn who their guests are and where they come from. Eighteen ho- tels responded to the survey. While the ConVis is respecting the con- fidentiality of each hotel’s responses, the surveys were tabulated into groupings of hotels and the data is available upon request. Some of the findings are: l The percentage of guests from South- ern California ranged from 35 to 59 percent. From Northern Cali- fornia, the range was from 21 to 34 percent. l Besides California, the top states repre- sented by domestic visitors were: Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Colorado and Utah. l The percentage of international guests ranged from 6 to 18.8 percent. l The top three countries represented by international guests were: Germany, Great Britain and Canada. Other questions dealt with the percent- age of business generated by travel agents and tour operators as well as the importance of corporate business, bus groups, etc. “We use the data to insure that our mar- keting programs target the right markets,” said Steve Link, ConVis executive director. “Because of price ranges, number of rooms and location in Carlsbad, the customer de- mographics for each hotel is unique. But there are enough similarities that we can help them all when promoting the destina- tion,” Link explained. A fascinating but potentially misleading document is the Visitor’s Information Cen- ter guest book in the Old Depot. Take Mon- day, Nov. 8, for example. Tourists signed the book who were from Canada, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Japan, Swit- zerland, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Il- linois, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jer- sey, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wash- ington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Only a dozen from California signed the book. Why this disparity? This is because many of the Californians staying in Carls- bad have been here previously and do not need to ask where to shop and eat. UAny- time you analyze data, you have to question its validity,” Link said. . WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, zoo0 NOKIH COUNTY Ts,, -----csr?‘Con-Vis staff members work DULY HONORED L The ’ Carlsbad Convention & Visitors i each week at the VisitofQnter Bureau is honorine: the volun- 1 in the Old Train Depot assisting tourists with accommodations. shopping and dining informa: tion. “This is one way Con-&&i let them know how we appreci- ate those volunteer hours,“‘says Steve Link, executive director. teer staff with a &day noon f luncheonin-~l~-‘To;wn San Diego. The volunteers, along with members of the Con-Vis board of directors and staff, will travel via the NCTD Coaster to Old Town for lunch at Cafe de Bandini. After a bit of shopping, L;Eeon the Coaster for the mp The more than 36 volunteer NORTH COUNTY TUNES SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, KOO ConVis promotes Carlsbad but is part of county With reference to the Jan. 10 Roses and Raspberry editorial, please! As one of the 36 volun- teers at the Carlsbad Conven- tion and Visitor Center I cannot believe anyone would criticize our trip on the Coaster and hmch at OId Town. It was such a generous, genuine gesture of appreciation extended to us by the ConVis board of directors. Carlsbad is what ConVis pro- motes, but we are also a big part of the San Diego County area. Perhaps it would have been more acceptable to the North County Times had we boarded the Coaster in the village, rid- den only as far as the Poinsettia Station -spent 2 112 hours there munching on a provided sack lunch, then returned on the next available Coaster at 3:Ol p.m. GENE HANSEN Carl&ad A sweet raspberry - the “Shop at Home” award - to the Carlsbad Convention and Visi- tors Bureau, for honoring its 36 volunteer staff members with a lunch and shopping outing - in Old Town San Diego! The volunteers, along with members of the Con-% board of directors and staff, hopped on the Coaster on Friday afternoon for lunch at Cafe de Bandini. Then, after a bit of shopping, back on the Coaster for the trip home. Taking the time to recognize the volunteers with a lunch outing is a mag- nanimous gesture, but what sort of message does it send about Carlsbad when the very group created to tout its attractions to the outside world deems it necessary to journey to San Diego for its own shindigs? FRIDAY, IANUMY 14,2CCO NORTH COUNTY TIMES Carlsbad visitors bureau doesn’t deserve raspberry Regarding the sweet rasp- berry in the Jan. 10 North County Times in reference to the Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau for recognizing its volunteers by a trip via the Coaster for a day of shopping and lunch in Old Town. What a wonderful way to say thank you to its many caring, devoted vol- unteers. But such audacity to suggest unloyalty for a day - spent in San Diego as opposed to their hometown of Carlsbad. Shame on the NCT for giving them a raspberry! CANDIS JIRON Oceanside . -c. Curlsbad Business Journal l Ja, -w 2004 ConVis to visit 7 maior travel shows T he Carlsbad Convention and Visitors Bureau has registered for seven travel shows this spring. Several others are under consideration. Travel shows provide an excellent op- portunity to promote Carlsbad directly to the travel professionals and the general public. The shows usually last two or three days and when open to the public, as many as 10,000 or more people will attend, seeking information to help with their vacation plans. The exception is the travel show in Berlin, Germany where 2,500 booths are besieged by a crowd of more than 125,000 eager travelers. The ConVis has published a brochure in German for distribution at the show, as welI as a special German language section on the Con\‘is Internet web page to assist Germans wishing to visit Carlsbad. “&lost of the shows occur prior to the blooming of the Flower Fields. So by display- CONVIS TRADE SNOW/SALES MISSIONS Jan 9-13 - Canadian Sales Mission, ing pictures of ranunculus or having bouquets Vancouver, Edmonton & Calgary of the flowers really attracts attention” said Feb 5-6 - Orange County Travel Show Steve link, ConVis executive director. The Feb 8-1 1 - California Travel Mart, San volunteers from the ConVis Hotel/Hospital- Jose Mar 3-5 --Denver Travel Festival itv Committee stand for 8 to 10 hours each Mar 11-l 5 - ITB, Berlin, Germany day exuberantly touting Carlsbad’s charms and Apr 29-30 - LA Travel Show distributing brochures. May 13-l 7 - POW-WOW, Dallas “‘--DAY, JANUARY 26,2oco NomCou~~~Tbiis- Busy<aibfiii store for Carlsbad visitors bureau It’s going to be a busy spring for the staff at Carlsbad Con- Berlin, March 11 to 15; the Los vention & Visitors Bureau. The Angeles Travel Show, April 29 Carlsbad Con-Vis will to 30; and the Pow Wow Travel have a booth and pres. Show in Dallas, May ence at six of the top 13 to 17. travel shows. Execu. In addition to pro. tive Director Steve moting Carlsbad’s Link, who just re- hotel, motel and re- turned from a sales sort industry, Link of- tour in the Canadian ten provides infor- cities of Vancouver, mation to the various Edmonton and Cal. travel shows on other gary, says the upcom- North County desti- ing travel shows in- nations as welL elude Orange County All of the shows, TOM Travel Show, Feb. 5 to MORROW except Berlin, are 6; California Travel open to the public, Mart in San Jose, Feb. with as many as 8 to 11; the Denver Travel Fe&- 10,000 attending val, March 3 to 5; the Interna- each venue. In Germany, Link tional ITB Travel Show in &tributes brochures on Carls- bad in German. “Most of these shows occur prior to the blooming of the Flower Fields,” says Link. “SO by displaying pictures of ramm- &uses or having bouquets of the ~~WH-S redly attracts atten- tion.”