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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Lodging Tax Advisory Committee - 08/29/2013 Lodging Tax Advisory Committee August 29, 2013 Start Time 4:00 pm Centennial Conference Room #402 Committee Members Present: Jamie Perry, David Kwok, Andrew Hutchison, Barbara Smith, John Casey, Blane Webber Others present: Ben Wolters, Julie Pulliam, and Ryan Hart Chair Jamie Perry called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm, Introductions were done. No minutes were approved New Business Vacant position left by Beth Sylves Ryan Hart represented Tim Higgins requested to be considered for the empty committee position. He has submitted his request in writing. Barbara Smith moved the committee recommend Tim Higgins be appointed to the vacant position left by Beth Sylves. John Casey seconded. Motion passes. Branding & Marketing debrief Ben Wolters updated the committee on the reviewing of 2 different proposals which were done by several members of the LTAC for a combination of marketing and branding of Kent in order to support tourism. We had Genesis by Mary Kae Repp and the other one was by Tripp Muldrow, ArnettMuldrow. Ben Wolters thoughts from a staff perspective are "both tried from their own set of straightens, show where do we go from here since we are starting from scratch". Genesis gave us the nuts and bolts basic things we could do to increase Kent's profile quickly for a relatively small amount of money, starting the set up for a more detailed marketing campaign down the road. Mary Kae went with Made in Kent, because she was introducing to that in a couple of interviews, she was suggesting it was one way to look at a brand for Kent. Mary Kae spoke to the same basic concepts that ArmettMuldrow and Associates did. It was basically creating a common presence. She focused on how to get up and running on marketing and increasing our presence quickly ArnettMuldrow &Associates presented to us a proposal of a process of how Kent, as a greater community can go through and create our own branding identify. They could move on and support a marketing campaign, but their focus is taking a community through a branding, marketing identity, and messaging exercise. Wolters impression was "we as a community would benefit from going through a process like this, we have been struggling as a community to find how we would create an inclusive effort to hopefully build consensus on how we would coordinate such an undertaking". Wolters did ask ArnettMuldrow in the presentation to give an example of some of their failures. ArnettMuldrow gave an example of a community that was told to do it, without being part of the process. In telling them what to do they found no success but in bringing everyone to the table to be part of the success, that is what makes it work. That is the success of this process, listening and hearing what the community thinks they are from those who live, work and have business there. Wolters staff recommendation; are we doing contracts with both, Genesis and ArnettMldrow. The process that ArnettMuldrow provides will take a little bit of time to set up, get folks rally around to participate and scheduled, but there is value and the work is necessary. In the mean time Wolters view is we have things we need to try and start do now on the ground to try and increase or profile and lay the ground work, which is primarily web base from looking at the Genesis proposal. Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Minutes of August 29, 2013 Page: 2 Barbara Smith stated that won't happen overnight either, Wolters felt it would happen pretty quickly. Wolters said he feel Mary Kae can make that happen pretty quickly, in a couple of months if not weeks. One thing we will learn is the extent of which ShoWare, KDP, the City, Chamber of Commerce is able to work with Mary Kae on doing some basic. But basically the measure of success is the extent in which Mary Kae can increase the rating of Kent websites in terms of how frequently they get connected in order to get the information. That was for approximately $10,000 to $12,000 even if that is not wildly successful we will learn a lot going through the exercise of the nuts and bolts. Mean while at the same time we set up for going through the community exercise. There is a part of buy in that needs to happen with the organizations in the community. There is an opportunity from a Council perspective to draw some more members from the broader community that has an interest in this and make it a community event. Thinking about Kent as a community and how we want to represent Kent to the rest of the world and attracting different audiences. Barbara Smith stated she doesn't understand what the Chamber's goal is for tourism. She thought the goal was to make sure the business as a whole had a say in what was happening to them and for them, and being a collective voice, as well as a resource as a visitor center where they can contact someone and get information on Kent and what is happening. Smith is excited to sit down at the table and try to do something that complements each other. Perry questioned why spend the money to go out and do the marketing when we would redo it based on the brand 3 or 4 months later. Wolters senses it is more than just the brand. Maybe out of all this we don't use the Made in Kent. The reason I bring up the different audience, because we do have different audiences. For Economic Development there is a world of investors and business we are trying to communicate with, so the Made in Kent sort of work for us. We are thinking of shaping it as a common theme, but shape different messages around it. Do we continue to wait? That is the question Wolters asked the Hoteliers, in the back of Wolters mind there is pressure, Seattle Southside presence is going away and how you have in your hotel business benefited from support from Seattle Southside. That is another question that we don't need to take time on today, I can do it through email. What additional services do you want me to try to seek to purchase from Seattle Southside going forward. Barbara Smith agrees this will confuse our discussion today if we try to make that decision on top of this. Smith feels we should leave Made in Kent there as an option, but leave it open to them (the consultants) coming up with their own thing. Perry said she feels there might be a more elegant way of branding Kent. When I look at the scope of work they show they have made logos designs for different events, partners, districts, Perry feels that if we hire them we say we need a specific thing that will target business, tourists, shoppers and we get that out of this. Wolters feels the opportunity for us to get basic nuts and bolts things going with Genesis allow us to get something going and get some traction. They showed us other things that we can do to optimize or web presents among all other Kent web presence already out there. Perry is fine with doing the web optimization but doesn't want to do a whole ad campaign. Wolters said they would not do that for $10,000. Perry stated there were a lot of other things like Face book ads, etc. Wolters stated some of the things Genesis had in the proposal other Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Minutes of August 29, 2013 Page: 3 than the web optimization would have to wait for the branding exercise. Wolters feels we need to get going on fundamental stuff, which is some of the things Seattle Southside did. But we learned over time we did not get much attention because we were only 8% if Seattle Southside's budget. Wolters stated this is generally the Staff Recommendation. Perry said she like the recommendation. She wants to know what it would cost to do the basic web optimization tools to determine what we would have left to do the other stuff. The budget for branding is $20,000 and the other $60,000 went to ShoWare. There is some remaining plus reserves Perry asked why don't we do the marketing piece from ShoWare and take the $20,000 for the branding portion. Budget clarification - There is $25,000 for ShoWare that has not been spent for this year (2013) and $20 which was put into branding. So a total $45,000. So we need to go back to Tim Higgins to see if there is anything else that he is looking at using the $25,000. Wolters said you have the $20,000 and the reserves of approximately $90,000. Next year in 2014 we do not have to pay Seattle Southside the $60,000. Wolters said he feels we will end up with a contract with them for less than $60,000. Wolters still will need to know what the pieces the hoteliers will want to purchase. Smith asked if Wolters could put it in a document things wanted from Seattle Southside we can use as a check list. Wolters responded that the email he already sent from Katherine from Seattle Southside was identified block by block. Smith wanted to know if there was a value on each one of those. Wolters said no don't worry about that it would take him a lot of time to get that kind of a break down. Wolters needs to know from a use perspective what is important regardless of the cost. Smith asked is that what you want from the Hoteliers. Wolters said yes primarily the Hoteliers. Perry stated the Hoteliers need to tell us want works for them. Wolters stated baring the Hoteliers letting him know, and he will be bugging them via telephone. Wolters feels it will serve us to stay with Seattle Southside. But Wolters has not heard anything from the Hoteliers on staying with Seattle Southside. Perry called on David Kwok for his comments David stated Mary Kae and Genesis Marketing will try to tie ShoWare, Downtown; City and Chamber together, plus you need a face book present to draw in more people. If you look at it what they are asking for is not even 10% of what we are paying Southside. From a branding side of it we try to brand for the tourism side of it but at the same time the business development side is critical. The part that Kwok thinks branding will focus on the local but also draw out to the target market and see what the perception out there is. What is the larger reality? Looking at the money side of it this is peanuts. The branding firm is a semi PR firm but has a different twist so Kwok thinks it will fit us well. Kwok thinks we are heading in the right direction. Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Minutes of August 29, 2013 Page: 4 Blane Webber stated his hotel is along the Tukwila boarder and he can pull some business from the RFP's one of the benefits from Seattle Southside, he is disappointed with the loss of Seattle Southside because his hotel does benefit from those RFP's. Andrew Hutchison said the Best Western is a more leisure hotel and doesn't get a lot of RPF business. Perry asked who all saw the presentation. Did everyone see at least 1? Yes. Barbara Smith requested the staff recommendation be clarified. Wolters stated the Staff recommendation motion is the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee approves signing 2 contracts, 1 with Genesis Marketing to do work to optimize or web present for Kent and that would be defined in the work program which would be shared with the LTAC. Develop some basic strategy that could be deployed once a broader marketing branding campaign can be set up. A budget not to exceed $15,000. As well as a contract with ArnettMuldrow &Associates not to exceed $20,000 to lead us through a community branding exercise to generate a branding package and strategy. Discussion Perry would like to include branding and doing district logos for the neighborhood districts. Wolters thinks about the limitations of the use of the Lodging Tax Dollars. Andrew Hutchison asked does the website exist now, Genesis spoke about optimize the sites we have now, that would be City, ShoWare, KDP and Chambers all are tied together. Wolters stated as we gain experience and confidence going forward with all this I can image us and the community at large having a bigger and broader conversation of a much bigger marketing campaign. Perry asked for any other questions.... Hutchison had a concern that we would spend this money and not get an agreement on the Brand. Smith stated that it has happened. ArnettMuldrow shared it has happened in a couple of communities and the go back in and worked with the community again. ArnettMuldrow wants to leave the community with something they are happy with and they are willing to come back, at least one more time to make that happen. They have done 300 plus communities and 5 or 6 of those in the state of Washington. They have a long success rate. Perry likes the process that ArnettMuldrow has where they spend a couple of days taking input from everyone and then they work and come up with the Brand. It is their work and not by a committee. Perry thinks that is what we need; Kent is too big of a community to have 20 people around a table arguing and making the decisions. If we hate it we will ask them to re- do it but it sounds like they hit it on the mark judging from the presentations of the other communities they have worked with. Smith added they come highly recommended through the Main Street Program. Hutchison agreed it is important that people find us on the web. That is critical. Hutchison said in tourism people are coming here to go to Seattle, people are coming to Kent because they are coming here for a reason not tourism. Hutchison said he is willing to support on Lodging Tax Advisory Committee Minutes of August 29, 2013 Page: 5 attracting businesses and people finding us on the web. He feels that the branding is not that important. Wolters said branding is more important to attracting business. Perry stated it is a focus and a unified message we have never had. Smith stated she feels it is very important and she feels the websites need to do a better job complementing each other. And who does what, and then we can link together. Smith hopes that Genesis can spend some time with all of us on this. John Casey asked if there is any concern of using Lodging Tax dollars for this kind of project which benefits more than just hoteliers. Blane Webber stated he does have some concerns. John re-asked the question does anyone fell concerned that Lodging Tax dollars being spent on these kinds of exercises. Kwok stated that if we do not feed the businesses community we will not be able to get heads in beds. His hotel benefits from business traffic more than tourism travel. Casey is there any other group in town be contributing money to this effort. Wolters stated Casey's question represents the community buy in. Smith volunteer to work with Wolters to get the community groups together and evolved. Perry asked to do some lunches with Wolters for planning. David Kwok moved to approve the motion, Andrew Hutchison seconded, Motion Passed. Perry asked David to talk to Andrea. We need to set up a list and Perry will find out when the meetings are. A lodging tax letter needs to be drafted to send out to people that need to be contacted to participate in this. The list needs to be a good mix of all to include businesses, residents, historical community, youth, and a wide spread sampling of the community. Kent Downtown Report - Nothing Chamber Report — Nothing Good of the order — Nothing Assignments for next meetina - None Next Regular Meeting Date — (Committee will meet every other month on the 3rd Thursday of the month 4 pm.) Ad'ournment - he meeti w djourned by Chair Perry at 5:09 pm I Submitted Pulliam, i Lodging Ta cretary