08-08-18 Tourism Business Improvement District MinutesBoard of Directors Meeting
Kalispell Tourism Business Improvement District
August 8, 2018
3:00 pm — 5:00 pm
Location: Hilton Garden Inn
Minutes
Board Members Present: Dawn Hendrickson, Zac Ford, Emily Schroeder, Sean Morris, Janet Clark
Board Members Absent: Dan Moderie, Shawn Campbell
Staff Present: Joe Unterreiner, Diane Medler, Dawn Jackson, Vonnie Day
Guests: Vanessa Moderie, Super 8
Meeting was called to order by Chair Zac Ford at 3:04 PM.
1. Hear from the Public— none
2. Board Action Items
a. Approval of minutes from July 11, 2018:
Motion was made by Emily Schroeder to approve the minutes. Motion was seconded by Sean
Morris. Discussion: none. Board approved unanimously.
b. Approval of TBID financial statements for June, 2018:
Motion was made by Dawn Hendrickson to approve the financial statements. Motion was seconded
by Emily Schroeder. Discussion: None. Board approved unanimously.
3. Board Discussion
a. Event updates:
i. Dragon Boat — 2018 event plus potential transfer of ownership
The Bigfork Chamber has agreed to take over the festival starting in 2019. Representatives will be
shadowing CVB staff as the event is being carried out this year. Diane is working with Partners
Creative to put together an announcement of the transition. TBID 2019 sponsorship consists of
letting Bigfork use event assets the first year with CVB retaining ownership. If Bigfork decides to
go forward with the event after 2019, a valuation of the assets will be worked out in preparation
for a transfer. Bigfork is planning to hold the 2019 event the same weekend in September.
ii. Flathead Celtic Festival — organizers were forced to cancel the 2017 festival due to wildfire smoke
so returned the TBID cash grant of $1,000. The funds were earmarked for 2018 Flathead Celtic
Festival. Organizers provided an update of additions for this year's event including a second day to
the event schedule, twice the vendors, more musicians, pipers and kids' games. The number of clans
attending is increasing from 6 last year to 10.
iii. Pond Hockey — After researching venue options, Scott Crowder determined that it was too
financially risky for him to continue the event in Montana. He's drafted a press release which will be
distributed to his hockey database in September. Diane is working with Partners Creative to convey
to the public the reasons for the discontinuation of the Dragon Boat Festival and the Pond Hockey
Tournament. Since the CVB's strategic direction and market focus are in transition, Diane
recommends a strategic planning session to update and refocus. Pond Hockey funds that have been
freed up could be directed to hire a strategic planning consult. The timing is good since the TBID
renewal is approaching. The board agreed the strategic planning session should be top priority.
Diane will research consultants and scope of work.
Event Grants — Skye Bassett at the Hockaday provided an answer to Janet Clark's question about how
the Hockaday is using the event grant funds since the board awarded $500 when the grant request
was for $3,600. Skye said the $500 will be used to provide travel honorariums to the two artists who
are traveling the furthest to attend their event. Information about use of funds will be requested
from future grant recipients who are awarded amounts different from what they apply for.
b. Marketing Updates:
• Flathead Beacon is working on site plans for the new website. Design plans will be shared
with the board when available.
• Flathead Beacon is analyzing ad words, SEO, SEM, campaigns, strategies and fleshing out
concepts as they transition into taking over creative services for Discover Kalispell and
develop marketing strategy for FY2019. New photos and video assets are being gathered to
use in FY19 campaigns and on the redesigned website.
• Travel show schedule: Diane has committed to attend the Travel & Adventure Show in LA,
February 16 — 17, the Spokane Great Outdoor and Bike Expo, Feb 23-24, and the Calgary
Outdoor Show in March, 2019. Partners are needed to attend the shows.
• Diane attended the DMA Leadership Summit for similar size destinations in the western US.
Many comparable -sized communities share the same issues: the evolving role of DMO
marketing and management (for example meeting the increasing demand for trail networks,
keeping museums solvent, wayfinding) and the need to create content. The conference
provided education and resources along with a good network of comparable DMO's.
c. Group, M&C Updates:
• Proposals were sent for Montana National Guard for 6/19 and PNWER 11/191 Conference
• Site inspections of two conference facilities in Kalispell, one in Whitefish.
• Lodging packages requested from TBID hotels for the August 24 Jewel Concert at Abayance
Bay near Eureka due to bus service from Kalispell being provided by the event organizers. The
organizer is hoping to bring a concert series here next summer.
• Emily received word that the HAAS Conference in July, 2019 is going forward. Organizers
may submit a KCVB event grant application.
• Work is underway on a proposal for a POMA Conference in June, 2020.
• Dawn is working with organizers of The International Bear Conference for a September
meeting between 2021— 2023.
• Work is underway on a Bring It Home lead for a USS St. Paul Reunion in August, 2020.
• Working with Kim and Dorothy from MWED on a spring or fall conference for MEDA.
• FY19 M&C Show Schedule: Dawn will attending Small Market Meetings in September instead
of Connect. She will also attend IMEX in October with Glacier Country, Whitefish, Missoula,
Bozeman, Great Falls, Big Sky. Dawn is also planning to attend IPW in Anaheim, June 2019
which will provide important connections and marketing opportunities to International tour
operators.
• FY18 M&C Campaign Report: Campaign ran between April 1-June 3, 2018 in the markets of
Tri-Cities and Seattle, Minneapolis and Portland. Targeted meeting planners who hold job
positions as a company's meeting and conventions location decision maker. Media used was
content amplification articles titled "Retreat to Northwest Montana" and "Finding Zen in
Montana". 2.9M Impressions; 0.57% CTR; 16.9k Clicks to website; 10.5k website sessions;
00:01:04 time spent on site; 1.29 pages/session.
d. Website redesign — booking engine: One new feature being explored for the website redesign is an
online platform that allows for booking directly from the Discover Kalispell site. Dawn has collected
the OTA's that every hotel is working with. Initial cost will be $5,000 - $10,000. The majority of
Kalispell hotels are already connected to the GDS system and 25% have the option of the extranet
system. Other small CVB's are being contacted for references. Diane recommends pursuing the
online booking platform as an effective way to make the website more engaging and contemporary.
e. Publicity
Kalispell has been featured in three great articles:
• Sunset Magazine, Mountain and Southwest Issue
• 7X7 Online lifestyle magazine in the Bay Area
• Rave and Review, a Seattle -based family -travel blogger
f. Community updates:
• The Brew Bus accommodates up to 14 people for brewery tours
• Snowline Event Center is being constructed from lumber reclaimed from Wright's Kalispell
Lumber.
• More than $15,000,000 has been raised for the performing arts center at FVCC, $2,500,000 is
needed to meet the goal of $18,000,000.
• Airport traffic is up 16% this summer
Janet Clark informed the board that Diane and Dawn both reached their annual goals and were awarded a
20% bonus.
Meeting adjourned at 4:10pm
Respectfully Submitted: Diane Medler
For Further Information, please contact:
Diane Medler, CVB Director, diane@discoverkalispell.com or 406-758-2808