Mendocino County Lodging Association
Transcription
Mendocino County Lodging Association
Mendocino County Lodging Association Spring 2012 Available online: mcla.info Printed on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper MCLA Board of Directors North Coast: * Pamela Amante (Beachcomber Motel) * Roger Martin (Agate Cove Inn) * John Dixon (Glendeven Inn) * Jo Bradley (Dennen's Victorian Farmhouse) * Cally Dym (Little River Inn) * Chris Knoerdel (Atrium Bed & Breakfast) * Christina Affinito (North Cliff Hotel) * Sue Callahan (Blue Door Group) South Coast: * Pauline Zamboni (Victorian Gardens) * Mike Bradbrook (Gualala Country Inn) * Kevin Gallagher (Coast Guard House) Inland Corridor: * Stuart Marcus (Shambhala Ranch) * Robert Pinoli (Pinoli Country Inn) * Jitu Ishwar (Holiday Inn Express) * Raakesh Patel (Super 8 Motel) * Jan Rodriguez (Baechtel Creek Inn) BID Changes. 2%, Really? This is a year of change and opportunity for the lodging industry in Mendocino County. As owners and managers of lodging establishments, we have all experienced, and in many instances suffered, over the past few years from the downturn in the economy which hit the lodging and tourism businesses hard. As a result, we have had to work harder and spend more to keep business alive and to put as many “heads in beds” as possible. This has been true, not only for us as individual owners of lodging establishments and vacation rental properties, but also for our organization, the Mendocino County Lodging Association (MCLA). We, working as a team with Visit Mendocino County, Inc. (VMC), have had to take a long and hard look at just how to better address the issue of competing with our neighbors in successfully attracting and keeping those lodging and tourism dollars within our County. The most obvious and effective means for doing this is to increase our efforts toward marketing and promotion, which also means increasing our current budget dedicated to those activities. Discussion of just how to achieve this began in earnest last year, and it was decided that one potential we had for increasing our marketing and promotional budget was to increase the existing assessment, which we receive from the Business Improvement District (BID) from 1% to 2%. Just this change alone could result in a budget of $1,200,000, in addition to our County match of approximately $300,000 annually. This increase would continue to keep us below or on par with what other counties and cities are charging their overnight Promotional guests so no business would be lost as a result. County TOT % BID % Budget $ MCLA Advisory Board Coastal: * Jim Hurst, Fort Bragg * Susie Plocher, Mendocino Inland: * Anil Bhula, Ukiah * Anne Everett, Ukiah MCLA: * Jo Bradley, Little River Visit Mendocino County, Inc President & CEO: * Scott Schneider Director of Tourism Development: * Richard Strom Operations Manager: * Erin Placido Director of Marketing: * Betsy Wildberger Website Manager & IT Specialist: * Brendan McGuigan Event Coordinator: * Alison De Grassi Administrative Assistant: * Susan Peakall Sales Associate: * Colby Bowans Inside this issue: In the News / Annual Mtg 2 /3 Arts Council of Mendocino County Update 3 Events/Coastal Nat’l Monument 4 BID Ordinance continued 5 Why a BID Increase? 6 Jack Rabbit Systems/Sales Update 7 Message from the President 8 While contemplating the efforts required to increase BID revenues, it seemed to also be the right time to take the opportunity to examine the possibility of changing our existing 1989 BID Ordinance Law to the 1994 Law. The advantages to our MCLA membership would include increased transparency and control via MCLA due to mandatory compliance with the Brown Act and the Public Records Act, more stability by being afforded a renewal period of up to 5 years in place of annually, and allowing for the possibility for future restructuring of our current three board organizations, MCLA, VMC and the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance (MCPA), leading to a more streamlined system of conducting the business of marketing and promoting our county’s lodging and tourism businesses. Mendocino County Humboldt County Sonoma County $ 872,000 10 1 10 2 9 2 Lake County 10 0 Marin County 10 2 Napa County Del Norte County Monterey County 12 2 8 0 12 n/a $ 1,500,000 $ 4,800,000 Unknown $ 600,000 $ 4,000,000 $ 350,000 $ 4,600,000 That was the thinking behind the MCLA Board’s decision to move forward in making these changes. In order to undertake a process which would allow for all points of view to be heard and considered, MCLA established a steering committee, the BID Ordinance Committee, whose members were selected from both MCLA and MCPA. The task of this committee was to focus on and assess four areas of potential change for consideration. They were: one, to change the BID Law from the existing 1989 to the 1994 Law; two, to increase the existing BID tax assessment from 1% to 2%; three, to establish and/or assist in the establishment of new BID’s for other businesses/entities in order to enhance programs and budgets; and four, to change the flow of BID monies from MCLA/ MCPA to VMC directly, with MCLA’s continued oversight and approval of the Marketing Plan; and to increase the VMC’s Board of Directors by the appointment of additional lodging representatives. Continued on page 5... Page 2 Mendocino County Lodging Association Public Relations Update—Mendocino County In The News! We share our personal stories and experiences with friends, neighbors and family every day, and often, these powerful exchanges help to shape and shift our lives and thoughts. A large part of these shared messages revolve around travel and places visited far and wide. Through the efforts of VMC, Mendocino County is in the collective conversation like never before, and this means more visitors to the County, generating more dollars for lodging properties, restaurants, retail shops and more! For the Public Relations team, part of these efforts include getting the travel and tourism editorial world engaged with Mendocino County as a destination, and we have had great success with this over the past quarter. From features on CBS News with Peter Greenberg, to coverage in the official in-flight magazine of United Airlines, to extensive promotion of all of our annual and inaugural festivals, we have generated more than 60 million consumer impressions this quarter, and expanded our reach on a global level. Local personalities were highlighted in video vignettes, running on the Virgin Airlines in-flight TV network, and Mendocino County was featured in double page spread in the New Zealand Herald (which has a circulation of over half a million). We love hearing firsthand from happy innkeepers that they’ve booked a visitor as a result of a media placement that was generated through our efforts. Wherever you turn, the Mendocino County message is growing and catching on, and that is something we can all benefit from! SAVE THE DATE! MCLA ANNUAL MEETING The Mendocino County Lodging Association will be hosting their annual meeting once again. Enjoy lunch, guest speakers and lots more!!! Please mark your calendars: When: Thursday, September 13th Where: Rivino Winery, 4101 Cox Schrader Rd, Ukiah Sampling of Mendocino County Media Coverage from January—March 2012: CBS This Morning with Peter Greenberg – March 3, 2012 “One Tank Getaways” Daily viewers: 3,000,000 This quarter also marked a new level of media outreach for Visit Mendocino County. Together, we literally transported the bounty of the County to New York City, where we conducted showcase events and met with more than 70 editors from publications such as Martha Stewart Living, O, The Oprah Magazine, Saveur, National Geographic Traveler, Reuters News, Travel + Virgin Airlines Australia – January 2012 Leisure, Ladies’ Home Journal, Every Day with Rachael Ray and “Food Wine Dine” in-flight video featuring mushroom foraging more. At each showcase, we poured wine, served crab cakes and in Mendocino County mushroom profiteroles, and shared the Mendocino County message. Each editor also received a gift bag full of Mendocino County goodies, such as wine, mustard, olive oil, salts, solar fans, cookbooks and more. We have many editor and producer visits in the works in the months to come and we are forecasting a very busy, successful summer for all, as we continue to keep the Mendocino County message in conversation and on the radar of editors, producers and visitors from far and wide! Destination Weddings & Honeymoons – March/April 2012 “California Dreamin’” Circulation: 350,000 Page 3 Mendocino County Lodging Association More Great PR! Arts Council Update An Spring 2012 Update from the Arts Council of Mendocino County Today’s Diet & Nutrition – March 22, 2012 “Eat, Play, Love” Unique Visitors per Month: 5,578 San Jose Mercury News – March 21, 2012 “Pairing Dungeness Crab with Wine” Circulation: 527,568 The Arts Council is proud to announce that the 3rd Annual Sculpture Gallery at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is scheduled to open June 9, 2012. ACMC has also formed a new partnership with the City of Point Arena for the purposes of commissioning a work of public art for installation along Highway 1 in Point Arena this summer. The Arts Council is facilitating the call to artists, exhibition of entries, and panel decision. Artists who are interested in submitting a design should visit www.ArtsMendocino.org for guidelines and an application (available soon). About.com – March 21, 2012 “Coast Botanical Gardens” Unique Visitors per Month: 46,336,600 A second Art in Public Places project is in the works: County roundabouts located just south of Fort Bragg, east of Hopland, and (planned) in Willits are ripe for sculpture! The ACMC is endeavoring to secure funding for public art in each of the County roundabouts. The ACMC and VMC have again partnered to produce an updated “Guide to Artful Living” brochure. Please contact the ACMC or VMC if you would like a stock of these guides (listing galleries, music venues, annual arts events, and arts organizations). Spenser Magazine – January/February 2012 “Mystical Allure of Mushrooms” Circulation: 11,000 The campaign slogan of the ACMC 101 FRIENDS of the Arts Council membership campaign is Let's Grow the Arts! The Arts Council is proud to partner with the Mendocino County Lodging Association and Visit Mendocino County. The Arts Council of Mendocino County promotes the arts and cultivates creativity to benefit and enrich the lives of residents and visitors. Please "friend" the ACMC on Facebook! Also now on Twitter: @ArtsMendo ARE YOU BENEFITING ALL YOU CAN FROM THE LODGING BID? Military Officer – February 2012 "Wild and Free on the Mendocino Coast" Circulation: 337,991 ** Generated nearly 40 media placements in print, broadcast and internet media, resulting in more than 62 million consumer impressions and $2 million dollars in comparable advertising value. If you are not already receiving regular e-mails from MCLA and/or VMC, let us know. Take advantage of visiting travel writers Participate in trade shows, packages and more Become an active part of the Mendocino County story! Call 707-964-9010 for more information Page 4 Mendocino County Lodging Association Festivals & Events Where the Earth IS First The Crab & Wine Festival, January 20-29, 2012, was a huge success. The signature event, the Crab Cake Cook-off, drew visitors from 9 states and 22 California counties and raised approximately $60,000 for the Mendocino Coast Clinics. Mark your calendars! The Wine & Mushroom Festival will be held November 2-11, 2012. This year, the Wine & Mushroom Train signature event will partner with the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco to benefit Camp Mendocino. All funds raised will stay in Mendocino County. Email [email protected] for information or to enter the 2012 Crab & Wine Festival. This year marks the inaugural year for the Where the Earth IS First Festival, a nine-day celebration of Earth Day events that took place around the County. Some of the event highlights include: a family Earth Day festival at Barra of Mendocino; a celebration of inland Mendocino County at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland ; a Fort Bragg-style Earth Day at the Noyo Food Forest's Learning Garden; the Big River launch of Redwood Blue--a sail and solar powered 33-foot outrigger canoe; beach, trail, and invasive species cleanups; a sold-out fundraiser to Keep Hendy Woods Open hosted by Navarro Wines; workshops at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens; historical and organic farm and ranch tours in Potter and Redwood Valleys; and even a one-day Ukulele Festival! CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT 2012-2013 Official County Visitor Guide Many of us “locals” take for granted the gorgeous rocks and the waves splashing off our Mendocino Coast. These spectacular off -shore rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles are part of the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) which was proclaimed by President Clinton in 2000. DON’T MISS OUT!! This National Monument is one of 100 Monuments in the U.S. and it is for us all to enjoy. It extends from the Oregon border to Mexico along 1100 miles of California Coastline and it’s estimated that there are 20,000 rocks comprising the Monument. When chatting with your Lodging guests, please let them know about our unique and extensive coastal monument. You and they can Google “ccnmblm” for more information. Those shoreline rocks really are our own, local, breathtaking California Coastal National Monument. An exciting event recently happened! The Fort Bragg City Council voted to become a Collaborative Partner of the CCNM and to be the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Gateway Community. They join with Gateways Point Arena, Trinidad, Pigeon Point, PiedrasBlancas-San Simeon and Palos Verdes in outreach efforts and commitment. Many area organizations are Collaborative Partners, including Visit Mendocino County and the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. All agree to recognize and promote our rocks. CALL 707.964.9010 NOW TO RECEIVE YOUR “ROCK WALK” MAPS. Planning is now underway for the 2012-2013 Official Mendocino County Visitor Guide. Publishing of the visitor’s guide is now LOCAL AND IN-HOUSE!! High quality guide will continue with improved photography and content! Lower advertising rates from previous years! Call the office today to receive a rate card and information. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to get your business name in the hands of 50,000 visitors! Someone should also be calling you shortly to ensure that your lodging establishment is listed properly in the Accommodation Section. Mendocino County Lodging Association Page 5 BID Ordinance Update, Continued from Page 1 Numerous meetings of the BID Committee which began last July were routinely held and the results reported back to the respective Board organizations for further discussion, comment and direction. Efforts to reach MCLA’s lodging membership resulted in conducting two open forums held in October, 2011, one coastal and the other inland; in preparing and circulating a Questionnaire and Informational packet which was mailed and available online to all of our lodging members for their input; and in the establishment of a Focus Group comprised of respondents to the Questionnaire who wanted to meet for further discussion regarding the proposed changes. In addition, early in the process a meeting was held with Mendocino County representatives, Carmel Angelo and Steve Dunnicliff from the Executive Office, to discuss their views of and position on the potential of the changes as being proposed, to be supported by the Board of Supervisors. Discussions to assess the viability of moving forward with the proposed changes were also held with John Lambeth of Civitas, the attorney who both assisted MCLA in its first efforts in 2006 to establish what is now our BID and the author of the 1994 BID Law revised and rewritten from the 1989 Law. The results of approximately nine months of work came to fruition at the MCLA Board of Directors April meeting, where they considered and approved a motion from the BID Ordinance Committee to move forward in making the following changes: one, increasing our BID assessment to 2%; two, changing to the 1994 BID Law; and three, increasing the VMC Board of Directors from 10 to 11 members by the addition of one lodging representative appointed by MCLA. Now the work begins. We have secured the services of Civitas to assist us in this process. With the approval by the MCLA Board of Directors to move forward with these changes to the BID, the appropriate documents for doing so are now being drafted as a first step, the preparation of a Management District Plan and Petition. Between now and the end of this process, estimated to be completed in October, we will be on a schedule to undertake the following steps: to circulate and finalize the Management District Plan and Petition; to begin the petition drive toward the end of June; to begin and complete the public hearing process during August and September with the four incorporated cities within the County - Point Arena, Fort Bragg, Willits and Ukiah; and with the County’s Board of Supervisors; and to put into place the Resolution of Formation of the new BID in late October. With the Petition drive proving fruitful, and with the County’s Board of Supervisors approval, it is anticipated that collection by lodging establishments of the new 2% BID tax will begin January, 2013. There will be monthly updates on the process and progress of these activities, given routinely at the MCLA Board of Directors meetings which are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. (for postings of location and the Agenda, please go to MCLA’s website at MCLA.info). All lodging members are not only invited but encouraged to attend and to participate in these meetings; we would appreciate your ongoing interest, support, and input. Should there be questions and/or requests for additional information regarding these efforts, please contact Pauline Zamboni, Chair of the BID Ordinance Committee, at: email address: [email protected]; or by telephone: (707) 882-2718. Issue: Spring 2012 Page 6 WHAT IS A TOURISM BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (TBID)? A tourism business improvement district (TBID) is a stable source of funding for marketing efforts designed to increase occupancy and room rates for lodging businesses. Funds raised through a small assessment on lodging stays are used to provide services desired by and directly benefitting the businesses in the district. WHAT DOES A TBID DO? TBIDs can have many functions, all of which are aimed at increasing tourism. A TBID’s operations are determined by the businesses funding the TBID. TBID activities can include print and internet advertising, visitor center operations, sales lead generation and many other marketing efforts. WHO MANAGES A TBID? A new non-profit corporation can be formed to manage district funds, or an existing corporation (i.e. a Conference and Visitor’s Bureau) can fill this role. The businesses forming the TBID decide how the corporation will be structured and who will manage it. HOW IS A TBID FUNDED? TBIDs are funded through an assessment on certain lodging stays. The amount of the assessment is determined by business owners at the formation of the district, within particular legal guidelines. Certain types of stays can be exempt from the assessment if they are not procured as a result of district activities. Funds raised through the assessment must be spent for the benefit of the businesses paying the assessment. Funds raised through a TBID cannot be diverted to government programs. WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT FORMING A TBID? As the economy struggles, marketing efforts are an increasingly important aspect of maintaining a popular destination. TBIDs provide stable funding for the necessary marketing to keep a destination competitive in a difficult economy. As cities and counties are forced to sacrifice tourism promotion funds, TBIDs provide funding to supplement or replace those monies. Because TBID funds are not controlled by a government entity, they cannot be subjected to the budget cuts municipalities have been forced to make. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A TBID? They provide a stable funding source for tourism promotion They are designed and created by those who pay the assessment They are governed by those who pay the assessment Funds cannot be diverted for government programs WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE MONEY??? Our job is to keep Mendocino Count in the conversation! Some initial plans are: Increased advertising online, in print, on radio and outdoor throughout Northern California spreading to Southern CA Improved website to incorporate social media channels, increased content encouraging more conversation between businesses and potential visitors Congratulations to MCLA Board Member Raakesh Patel and his team at Super 8—Ukiah The Wyndham Hotel Group recently presented Raakesh with the following awards at their Annual Convention in Las Vegas: “Spirit of Super 8” Award & “Green Hotel” Issue: Spring 2012 LOW COST ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM Free online booking system (if you don’t already have one) Compatible with your existing system (if you have one) Only $10 per room per year! No commissions Increase your online bookings After searching for an online booking system that EVERY lodging property could use, we are pleased to offer Jack Rabbit Systems. All bookings are linked through your property’s existing booking system if one exists. If you do not have an existing system, Jack Rabbit will install one for you at NO COST! Jack Rabbit Systems BookDirect Engine provides visitors to VisitMendocino.com with similar functionality as a traditional Online Travel Agent (OTA) or Metasearch booking engine, allowing visitors to enter their desired travel dates and receive immediate lodging search results listings of availability and pricing. Unlike OTA or GDS lodging solutions, Book Direct redirects site visitors to your property. Reservations are then booked DIRECTLY with you, guaranteeing the best value that consumers can only get through a direct reservation. Page 7 SALES UPDATE It is with great pleasure that we report an increase in the number of inquiries from tour groups, both international and domestic. Currently, there are 9 groups from the UK that are coming to the County this Spring and Fall. We recently returned from POWWOW in Los Angeles which is our largest trade show of the year. We partnered with San Francisco Travel and the North Coast Tourism Council. Over 80 appointments with International representatives took place over the course of the event. CalTrans was recently awarded $1.2 Million for Confusion Hill areas which will allow for a visitor service facility. VMC will be working closely over the next few months with the County and others in its development. In other signage news, all permits have been obtained for a visitor kiosk in Anderson Valley. The goal is to have this in place in the coming months. We also continue to explore a location for a gateway sign on Highway 20 coming from Lake County. Our current sign continues to get rave reviews ! Please email [email protected] for more information on any of our sales programs These direct bookings keep all the lodging revenue (and taxes) in market, and save members the increasing fees typically associated with traditional OTA and GDS booking solutions. In addition, this direct distribution gives pricing and service control back to lodging partners, allowing you to “own” the customer booking experience. For more information, please call the office at 707.964.9010 Meeting with editors at New York City media event WHAT IS A TOURISM BID? BID ORDIANCE—2%? LOW COST ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM (866) 637-MCLA Www.mcla.info [email protected] Post Office Box 300 Fort Bragg, Ca 95437 Message from MCLA President Cally Dym The 2012-2013 Marketing Plan and Budget were recently approved by all three BoardsMCLA, MCPA and VMC - and will be posted soon on www.mcla.info. It has been exciting to watch over the years how our marketing plan has gone from larger brush strokes to a very precise and thorough plan with measurable goals. It is also evidence of how well VMC staff and committees have honed in on what works best for marketing Mendocino County. There are so many ways for individual lodging properties to participate in the County-wide marketing efforts. Some examples are: responding to requests for stories or promotions from Hype House, our public relations firm, participating in co-op advertising; or joining us at a travel trade show. The best way to find out about these opportunities is to sign up for the VMC and/or MCLA list serve. You can do this by calling the Fort Bragg office—707-964-9010 and/or by emailing [email protected]. It is only through partnership and participation that we can all benefit from the efforts we all make to increase visitation and visitor spending throughout Mendocino County. It is my hope that with an increase in BID funds VMC will be able to create even more benefits and marketing opportunities for our members. Feel free to contact me anytime with questions, ideas or concerns you may have about our promotional efforts. Your feedback only helps make our programs even more successful! I wish you all a very prosperous summer season.