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Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau <br /> Board of Directors Meeting at Sheraton Chapel Hill <br /> September 20, 2023 <br /> Board Members Present: Mark Bell—Chair, Karen DeHart—Vice Chair, Grace Holtkamp, Tanya Moore, <br /> Sharon Hill, Beverly Payne, Heidi Werner Dawson, Spring Council, John Hartman-Brown, Rebecca <br /> Mormino, Shannan Campbell <br /> Not Present: Karen Stegman, Manish Atma, Damon Seils, Jenny Shultz-Thomas, Earl McKee <br /> Staff Attendance: Laurie Paolicelli, Hannah Hemphill <br /> Guests: Camile Berry, Sam Vadgama <br /> Call to Order <br /> Mark Bell, Chair called the meeting to order at 8:14 AM. <br /> Introductions <br /> • Sam Vadgma, general manager at AC Chapel Hill and applicant for a vacant board seat. He has <br /> previously served on the board. <br /> • Councilmember Camile Berry, attending in place of Councilwoman Stegman. <br /> Approval of Minutes <br /> Mark Bell requested a motion to approve the August 23, 2023, minutes. Sharon Hill made a motion to <br /> approve the minutes and Beverley Payne seconded the motion. With all members in favor, the minutes were <br /> approved as submitted. <br /> Executive Director's Report <br /> • Discuss the strengths and challenges that Chapel Hill/Orange County tourism is facing. <br /> • Economic Impact: <br /> o Visitor spending in Orange County contributed 236 million, which was an increase of 2 1% <br /> from 2021-2022. <br /> o Orange County is in the top ten counties for increased spending. <br /> o Rebound was pent up demand for events like weddings, small corporate meetings,university <br /> demands. <br /> • Strengths: <br /> o Brand name—Chapel Hill is internationally known. <br /> o Rich history, vibrant culinary scene, stunning scenery(outdoors), small towns with strong <br /> history, something for everyone with activities (not enough for young children) <br /> • Weaknesses: <br /> o Limited economy lodging and our daily room rates higher than neighboring counties <br /> o Lack of knowledge of community activities outside of the University <br /> o Lack of youth and recreational sports fields and courts. Currently facilities are the number one <br /> challenge. <br /> o Parking continues to pose challenges. <br /> • Opportunities - Develop midweek business. <br />