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Approved November 18, 2015 MINUTES Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Board of Directors Meeting October 21, 2015 The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau met at The Friday Center, Chapel Hill Board Members Present: Anthony Carey, Libbie Hough, Lee Storrow, Debbie Hepp, Karen DeHart, Lee Pavao, Michelle Johnson, Mike Gering, Rosemary Waldorf, Mark Sherburne, Nitin Khanna, Penny Rich Not Present: Jill McCullough, Aaron Bachenheimer, Meg McGurk, Annette Stone Staff attendance: Laurie Paolicelli, Marlene Barbera, Tina Fuller, Allison Chambers Also present: Robert Bruce, Director, The Friday Center; Stephanie Perri and Tom Hickey, Clean Design; Andrew Strickland, GM Residence Inn; and Shannon Campbell, Economic Development Planner for Town of Hillsborough. Call to Order Chairman Anthony Carey called the meeting to order at 8:15 am. Introductions were given by all. Approval of Minutes Mr. Cary requested a motion to approve the September 16, 2015 minutes. Penny Rich so moved, Mike Gering seconded. With all members in favor, the minutes were approved as submitted. Guest/host speakers Chairman Carey recognized Robert Bruce, Director of the Friday Center. Mr. Bruce thanked Laurie Paolicelli and the board for inviting him to speak this morning. He called to the board’s attention the group meeting in the lobby when we arrived to highlight the Friday Centers programs to promote global Education. He noted that the Friday Center is approaching its 25th Anniversary as an educational conference center which receives 80,000 visitors a year. Over the next two to three years they will expand the Center into the outside space encompassing the open two acres to the east of the building to provide outdoor reception and meeting place. They are working with the NC Botanical Garden to include native plants from all over NC. They are also meeting with university architects to expand and make renovations to the center, possibly to accommodate as many as 700 to 800 people. He reminded the board that the Friday Center is self-sustaining and does not receive state money. Chairman Carey asked if the center’s capital campaign is part of the university’s and Mr. Bruce said that it is. Laurie Paolicelli stated that she and Mr. Bruce have been talking about partnering in the study to gauge level of meeting space being offered now with possible projects in the pipeline and what kind of market penetration we could expect with expansion of the Friday Center and elsewhere. She asked Mr. Bruce if this was a competition and is the Friday Center subject to the Umstead Act. He noted that the center is subject to the Umstead Act which limits them from engaging in unfair competition as a public entity. They are limited to activities related to education in purpose or intent. The study should take their limited competition status into consideration. The Chair recognized Mr. Nitin Khanna. He stated that his property has 16,000 ft. of flexible space and has seen a decrease in social events with a small increase in group meetings. He feels the decrease is due to the increase in venues over the past five years. Ms. Laurie Paolicelli suggested moving forward with the feasibility study recognizing that there might be concerns within the private sector.