07-10-19 Kalispell Tourism Business Improvement District MinutesBoard of Directors Meeting
Kalispell Tourism Business Improvement District
July 10, 2019
3:00 pm
Location: Red Lion Hotel, Ballroom B
Minutes
Board Members Present: Dawn Hendrickson, Lucy Weeder, Emily Schroeder, Janet Clark, Bryce Baker, Zac Ford
Board Members Absent: none
Staff Present: Diane Medler, Dawn Jackson, Joe Unterreiner, Vonnie Day
Guests: Joseph Alexander, Red Lion Hotel, Scott Reike, Best Western PLUS Flathead Lake Inn & Suites; Heidi
Gilmond, Red Lion Hotel
Meeting was called to order by Chair Dawn Hendrickson at 3:06 pm.
1. Hear from the Public — none
2. Board Action Items
a. Approval of minutes from June 5, 2019:
Motion was made by Emily Schroeder to approve the minutes. Motion was seconded by Lucy Weeder.
Discussion: none. Board approved unanimously.
b. Approval of TBID financial statements for May, 2019:
Motion was made by Lucy Weeder to approve the financial statements. Motion was seconded by
Emily Schroeder. Discussion: None. Board approved unanimously.
c. Approval of application for board trustee position —to fill large property seat vacated by Sean
Morris: Motion was made by Bryce Baker to approve the application submitted by Joseph
Alexander. Motion was seconded by Lucy Weeder. Discussion: None. Board approved
unanimously.
3. Board Discussion
a. Event updates:
Spartan Race — total number of racers in 2019 was 7,812, down slightly from 7,946 in 2018. The Beast
had the highest percentage of racers that traveled over 500 miles to attend. The Sprint had the highest
percentage that traveled over 200 miles. 50 states and 5 provinces were represented. Spartan will
bring the Ultra, their most challenging race, to Montana in 2020. The dates for 2020 will be May 2 — 3.
Event survey results have not been received yet.
b. Event grants — the $4,000 cash grant for the Northwest Rodeo Finals was divided between FY19 ($2325)
and FY20 ($1675). Discover Kalispell will work with aRes to create a branded page for the event as a
test case for future events. All hotels will be listed, no discounts or special rates. The event page will
allow DK to track reservations for the event through Google analytics, reduce time spent setting up
packages and more fully utilize aRes capacity.
c. Discover Kalispell Culture and Event Grant (working title) — staff presented proposal to expand the
event grant program to include projects and services that enhance the visitor experience and cultivate
Kalispell's emerging brand as a unique destination. Examples of culture grants include interpretive
signs, water stations, murals and other public art, visitor kiosks, etc. The proposal includes additional
reporting requirements for grant recipients, especially those receiving over $1,000, and a scoring
system to evaluate applications. The revised grant proposal will be on the agenda for the August 7
board meeting.
c. Marketing updates:
Beer Now — Discover Kalispell held a post excursion in Kalispell attended by 30 beer bloggers from
across the U.S. After outdoor activities in Glacier Park, attendees gathered for a beer panel and
mini brewfest featuring local breweries. The event was a good model for future pre -posts excursion
events.
Dallas Press Trip — analytics from the flight campaign will be available at the next meeting. Discover
Kalispell hosted two media influencers from Dallas and one from Chicago in recognition of the new Dallas
flight. The influencers experienced bicycling in Glacier Park, kayaking on Somers Bay, and visits to Purple
Mountain Lavender Farm, the Conrad Mansion and local restaurants. Earned media is being compiled and
will be presented at the next board meeting.
Visitor Guide Requests —1,910 requests for mailed guides have been fulfilled so far in 2019. The total
number of requests for all of 2018 was 1,369. The surge in requests appears to be due to more prominent
place of the guide on the new website and more importantly, due to retargeting adds on social media.
Non -Resident Visitors spent $614 million in Flathead County in 2018, a 15% increase over 2017. The
number of visitors was down but per capita spending was up. Flathead County was second only to
Gallatin County in visitor spending. Outfitters/Guides were the 3rd highest category of expenditures.
Discover Kalispell is working on adding online booking for activities to the website.
d. Group, M&C updates:
IRU — Dawn attended the 2019 IRU Conference in Spearfish, SD hosted by Rocky Mountain
International (RMI). The show brings together international tour operators from seven different
countries and suppliers from a five -state area. It was held in Kalispell in 2018. With Discover
Kalispell's increased focus on tour operators, were looking at ways to engage more closely with
RMI. Tour operators are looking to expand winter/shoulder season inventory. Dawn is providing
the list of IRU contacts from her appointments to TBID members for follow-up, however the list
cannot be added to databases due to strict European spam laws.
IPW — Dawn attended the travel show in Anaheim, CA with a group of other Montana
representatives. There were 6,000 buyers and sellers from seven countries. Dawn had 37
appointments. Montana reps held a total of 130 appointments. Tour operators are looking for
more product in our area. Online booking capacity is essential. The 2020 IPW will be held June
30. Dawn will send contact information from her 37 appointments. Contact Dawn for an
introduction to anyone she met with.
FAM — Discover Kalispell hosted four meeting planners for a day and a half in June in partnership
with Glacier Country plus Whitefish and Missoula CVB's. Going forward, Discover Kalispell will
focus on individual FAMs for tour operators. Dawn hosted a site visit for representatives of the
USS Saint Paul group and obtained a signed contract before they left. A FAM for Rocky Mountain
International Tours will be held in the fall.
Other Group Updates
• The Ghost Town Preservation Society will decide in a couple weeks on their September 2020
meeting
• DECA is finishing up a three-year contract with Fairmont and will consider Kalispell for their
2021 & 2022 conference
• POMA will be returning to Kalispell in 2021
• Dawn distributed RFP for Montana Economic Development Association for Spring/2020
• Outdoor Media Summit — Kalispell was in the top two locations, Estes Park threw out more
incentives. Kalispell is invited to submit a proposal for 2021.
f. Strategic plan discussion — since the plan is an extensive document, 15 minutes of monthly board
meetings will be devoted to discussion.
Item B — Marketing Strategy Integration/Transition
• Whitefish is capturing more room nights with their three new flagship properties. Their
occupancy rate was the same as Kalispell's until the new properties opened in 2018. Our
winter marketing has created room nights for Whitefish. Carl's recommendation is to redirect
winter marketing to tour groups and possibly a new winter event.
• Kalispell has a pricing advantage although Whitefish is competitive with rates. Kalispell has no
resort tax. The pricing advantage is not as favorable as it used to be.
• One of Carl's key recommendations is repositioning Kalispell as a destination rather than a
hub. An understanding our strengths and weaknesses is essential to begin with. The board
discussed that Downtown is what makes Kalispell unique from other parts of the valley, but
while agreeing the draw of Downtown is increasing due to ongoing development, doesn't feel
it's ready to "hang our hat on yet." Some board members encouraged the portrayal of Kalispell
as the heart of the valley rather than the hub.
• Discover Kalispell website is the best vehicle to create awareness and brand positioning. A
survey will be done to find out how people got to the site and how it was used in their travel
planning.
• Projected results for implementing the recommended competitive strategy: an increased
annual growth rate in unique visitors of 10 — 20% over the next five years.
• Professional help is needed to create consistent, compelling brand messages that resonate
with our target market. Diane is putting out an RFP for a PR Agency/Brand Content Strategic
Services contract which will be covered under the PR budget. Proposals are due July 30, 2019.
The contract will be awarded by August 14.
Meeting was adjourned at 4:45pm
Respectfully Submitted: Diane Medler
For Further Information, please contact:
Diane Medler, CVB Director, diane@discoverkalispell.com or 406-758-2808