Minutes - 04-21-1999 Board Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS Marketing Committee In Mr. Creston Woods' absence, Mr. Blake provided the committee report. He advised the Board that the initial two-year contract period with Sheer Associates would expire on April 30, 1999 requiring renewal. According to the original agreement approved by the Board of Commissioners in 1997, the contract could be renewed for up to two one-year periods with Visitors Bureau Board approval. Board Members indicated that renewing the contract years would be satisfactory. Budget and Finance Committee Mr. Moses Carey, treasurer, reported on the Bureau's financial status. Mr. Carey stated that after his review of the financial statements that the Visitors Bureau was in very good financial shape. He noted that year-to-date expenditures were less than budgeted due primarily to the $50,000 of lapsed salaries. DIRECTORS REPORT Mr. Blake introduced Ms. Linda Ekeland, the Bureau's new Director of Sales, who started employment on April 19 '. A hospitality industry veteran with more than 15 years experience, Ms. Ekeland was most recently the Director of Sales for the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough. Mr. Blake reported that the recent Hospitality Training was successful. The format for the training was a one-day bus tour with 22 participants. A half-day classroom hospitality training will be conducted on May 25 at the Orange County Homestead Center. The highlight of the classroom training will be staff members of the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games presented an overview of the impact on Orange County during the event. The Games are scheduled to occur throughout various Triangle venues June 26 — July 4, 1999. Almost half of the sporting events will be held at UNC-CH. Mr. Blake announced that the Bureau's Happenings publication had recently won an award during a competition sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Newspaper and Advertising Executives Association. The publication garnered third place honors in the category for a niche publication with circulation of 15,000 —40,000. The Chapel Hill Herald, the publisher of Happenings, submitted the entry. It was announced that the summer issue of the Happenings would be an insert in the Herald the third Sunday in May. The issue will include a special focus on the various Special Olympics World Summer Games events that will take place across Orange County. Lastly, Blake referred members to the Orange County market share graph for March 1999 that was included in the board packet. It was noted that occupancies are down Triangle 2