HomeMy Public PortalAbout07-25-2017 Minutes TDA Regular Meeting
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Minutes
Tourism Development Authority
6:15 p.m. July 25, 2017
Town Barn, 101 E. Orange St.
Present: Chairperson Mary Catherine McKee and Member Kathleen Ferguson
Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell
Guests: Aaron Freeman and Kelly Cook
Item 1: Call meeting to order
Chairperson McKee called the meeting to order at 6:20 p.m.
Item 2: Consideration of changes or adjustments to the agenda
There were no changes or adjustments to the agenda.
Motion: Member Ferguson moved to approve the agenda as presented.
Second: Chairperson McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 3: Consideration of minutes from June 6, 2017, meeting
Motion: Member Ferguson moved approval of the minutes.
Second: Chairperson McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 4: Reports
a. Occupancy tax revenue report
Member Ferguson said she was surprised to see the decline in occupancy revenue for March
and April. Ms. Campbell said the tax revenue is still up overall and she doesn’t know why there
was a decline this spring compared with last spring. She said that trends are hard to pinpoint
since there are only 2 hotels and they both serve both visitors to town and those making a stop
along the interstate to take a break.
Chairperson McKee and Member Ferguson expressed interest in encouraging Hillsborough
hotels to provide a shuttle to and from events at The Cloth Mill. Ms. Campbell said the owner of
The Cloth Mill currently has a shuttle deal with other hotels that have embraced providing a
shuttle. When Hillsborough hotel owners have been asked about this they have expressed the
opinion that everyone staying with them has a vehicle and would prefer to drive that vehicle
instead of using a shuttle. Hoteliers also indicated that those attending events that would want
private transportation could use a taxi service or an Uber/Lyft.
Ms. Campbell noted that revenue is up overall compared with this point in the last fiscal year
and that June was strong the previous year, so she was hopeful that the tax revenue would be
strong this June as well.
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Ms. Campbell informed the authority that the Historic Speedway Group has cancelled its annual
fall event and is reorganizing and reprioritizing as a nonprofit.
Item 5: New business items
a. Yep Roc 20 UNC-TV Broadcast — Request for special project/partnership funding
Aaron Freeman, chief operating officer of RedEye Worldwide, which owns Yep Roc Records,
addressed the Authority. He reviewed that Yep Roc Records moved to Hillsborough five years
ago and then RedEye Worldwide moved its headquarters to Hillsborough. He reviewed that five
years ago the 15th anniversary celebration for Yep Roc Records was held in Carrboro, with
performances three nights at Cat’s Cradle and one night at Local 506. For the 20th anniversary,
the decision was made to hold two nights of performances at Cat’s Cradle and a free daytime
concert in River Park featuring the group Mandolin Orange as the headliner.
Kelly Cook said Yep Roc Records is partnering with UNC-TV to film the outdoor concert for
broadcasts on the North Carolina channel, which will provide great visibility for the town and
local artists. She said there are hotel blocks booked in Hillsborough at Microtel Inn and Suites by
Wyndham and at Holiday Inn Express in Hillsborough. She added that those hotels are listed on
Yep Roc Records’ website and promotional materials relating to the event. Also, Yep Roc
Records is partnering with Hillsborough restaurants to provide the food at the outdoor festival.
A national publicist from Shore Fire Media in New York is handling the media coverage of this
event, framing this as a national story focusing on Yep Roc Record’s move to Hillsborough.
Mr. Freeman shared a list of musicians who will perform.
Yep Roc Records is asking for $10,000 to fund the UNCTV production costs. Ms. Campbell
reviewed that for special project/partnership funding, the authority had $4,500 left in that
budget line. She suggested the authority could amend the budget to transfer $5,500 from
advertising to fund this project with $10,000 since this both a partnership and an advertising
request with regard to having UNCTV film and rebroadcast that film of Hillsborough on
television and the internet.
Motion: Commissioner Ferguson moved to transfer $5,500 from the advertising budget to the
special project/partnership funding budget to fund this event with $10,000.
Second: Chairperson McKee seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Ms. Campbell noted she will give Kelly the logos for the Tourism Program to include on promotional
materials because both are sponsoring the event. The Tourism Board is sponsoring the actual YepRoc20
concert and the Tourism Development Authority is sponsoring the UNCTV production.
b. Fiscal Year 2018 radio advertising marketing idea
Ms. Campbell reviewed that the authority has had discussions about billboard advertising to attract
visitors from other parts of the state. As a follow-up idea, she had been talking with the Hillsborough
Visitors Center about advertising in the western part of the state. Curtis Media Group connected her
with GoBlueRidge.net, which runs several radio stations in the western part of the state. Nonprofit
agencies and government entities get half-price rates. The authority could run 80 advertisements on the
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station Highway 106.1 and 102.3 and 90 advertisements on the station Classic Hits 100.7 in August for
$1,400. Ms. Campbell played the ad that GoBlueRidge.net had put together as a draft. Chairperson
McKee asked whether August is the best time to run the ads. Ms. Campbell said she was thinking August
to boost fall tourism and April to boost the spring. There was a suggestion to add “stay the weekend.”
The authority members asked what days of the week and what times of the day the ads would run.
Chairperson McKee said as long as all the ads are played equally so that the Hillsborough ads are also
played during prime drive time, it would be fine. Ms. Campbell said that she thought the ads were
played only in prime-time spots throughout the week and that they were spread around from morning,
noon, and lunch hour commute times. She said she would confirm with the radio station and follow-up
via email to board members. She indicated that if the ads wouldn’t be spread around that they could use
the funding elsewhere.
Motion: Chairperson McKee moved to approve if the follow-up information about days and
times is agreeable.
Second: Commissioner Ferguson seconded.
Vote: Unanimous
Item 6: Old business items
a. Tourism Development Authority membership drive and Airbnb information packets
Ms. Campbell shared the list of Airbnb owners in Hillsborough in hopes that Chairperson McKee
or Commissioner Ferguson might know someone on the list and feel comfortable inviting the
owner to join the Tourism Development Authority.
b. Advertising with Orange County Sportsplex (banners)
Ms. Campbell reported that she will order new banners with updated logos to hang at the
Sportsplex.
Item 7: Staff/board comments
Chairperson McKee asked Ms. Campbell to be sure Yep Roc Records includes the Tourism Development
Authority logo on its event materials.
Item 8: Adjourn
Chairperson McKee adjourned the meeting at 6:47 p.m.