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OKAY, CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
EVERYONE WILL STAND FOR THE P OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE.
ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
JOHN FITZGIBBONS, VICE CHAIR ALIYA JOHNSON.
[2. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF]
OKAY, SO ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE BOARD.ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANNA SHARE? I WILL, UH, I'LL JUST SHARE THAT IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD.
IT MIGHT NOT BE THE ONLY ONE, BUT, UH, A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, INCREDIBLE STAFF.
UM, HARD TO IMAGINE WHERE WE WERE TWO YEARS AGO COMPARED TODAY.
HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY, EVERYONE
AND, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING GUIDE US IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS, SINCE THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF ANYTHING IS THE HARDEST TO GET THINGS SET UP.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR WISDOM ALONG THE WAY.
REALLY JUST TO ASK MORE CLARIFYING, HAS ANYONE BEEN TO A MEETING OR ANYTHING THAT THEY HAVE ANY, UM, INSIGHT ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT HAVE COME UP THAT YOU WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD? I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT I'LL SHARE IS THAT I DID GO TO NOT THE MOST RECENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, BUT THERE WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEETING APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH GOT UP AND SPOKE.
UM, THERE WAS A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION BY THESE TWO.
AND, UM, MAYOR HOLLY CAME, SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAME AND WE HAD IT AT OCK.
IT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT IT WAS REALLY JUST EXPLAINING WHAT THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD IS UP TO, TO ALL THE BUSINESS OWNERS AT TILAK.
UM, AND THE CITY SAID WHAT THEY NEEDED FROM US, AND HOLLY'S BIGGEST PLUG WAS THEY'RE VERY OPEN TO INCREASING OUR BUDGET AND DOING SOME OTHER THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM US.
THEY'RE GOING INTO THEIR SESSIONS NOW TO SET THEIR BUDGET.
THEY SAID, PLEASE DON'T RELY ON THE CONTINGENCY FUNDS.
PLEASE ASK FOR THE MONEY THAT YOU NEED AND COME AND SAY SOMETHING.
SO, SO IBIT AND I BOTH CAME AND SPOKE AT ONE OF THE RECENT COUNCIL MEETINGS, JUST ENCOURAGING THEM AGAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SIMILAR CITIES TO OURS, THEY HAVE 10, $14 MILLION BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE SPENDING THE SMALL AMOUNT.
AND SO WE DID ASK THEM TO REALLY BE OPEN TO THE ADVISEMENT OF THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD AND FROM LAUREN AND ANDREW WHEN THEY COME TO THEM WITH THESE REQUESTS THAT THEY REALLY TAKE THEM INTO CONSIDERATION.
I GOT A NUMBER OF EMAILS BACK FROM THEM THANKING US FOR GETTING UP AND SPEAKING.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TRY TO GO TO SOME OF THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS AS WELL, NOT JUST GIVE OUR VOICE THROUGH TAB.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, THE S UH, STON HIGH SCHOOL HAS BROUGHT BACK THEIR, UM, UH, DRAMATIC ARTS PROGRAM AND THEY'RE PUTTING ON THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
IT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME THERE'S BEEN ANY SORT OF SCHOOL RELATED PERFORMANCE THERE, WHICH WOULD, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING TO NOTE THAT THAT IS HAPPENING.
UM, AND THEN THE SEDONA DANCE ACADEMY AND DANCE PROJECT AND THE COMMUNITY WITH OUR YOUTH ORCHESTRA ARE PUTTING THE NUTCRACKER ON ON DECEMBER 20TH.
SO JUST SOME ARTS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING FOR YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY STAFF.
I WAS GONNA SAY, OH, PLEASE, SORRY.
THE, UM, MODEL MONTESSORI MODEL UN GROUP, UM, FROM SEDONA IS LEAVING THIS SATURDAY, RENEE, AND I'LL BE WITH THAT GROUP.
AND, UM, IT'S AT LEAST EIGHT STUDENTS.
I FORGET HOW MANY IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AROUND THAT.
MAYBE NINE, SO MAYBE 17 IN TOTAL.
BUT WE'LL BE TRAVELING TO THAILAND, UM, FOR 11 DAYS.
SO THERE'LL BE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SEDONA COMMUNITY AND, UM, LEARNING ABOUT CITIZEN DIPLOMACY AND LEADERSHIP.
SO JUST ONE UPDATE AND AGAS ACTION ITEM IS THAT, UH, THE NEXT TAB MEETING IS FEBRUARY 4TH.
SO WE WILL NOT BE CONDUCTING A JANUARY TAB MEETING AS PER THE CALENDAR THAT WE SET UP.
UM, ONE QUESTION WE HAVE TODAY IS RELATED TO WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN MOVE THE APRIL TAB MEETING TO MARCH 4TH, 2026.
UH, THE RATIONALE IS THAT, UM, WHEN LAUREN AND I MET WITH DVA ABOUT OUR SUMMER CAMPAIGN PLANNING, UH, WE IDENTIFIED THAT APRIL WOULD BE
[00:05:01]
TOO LATE TO BRING YOU KIND OF THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN STRATEGY.SO BRINGING IT TO YOU ALL IN MARCH WORKS BETTER FOR OUR TIMELINE TO GET THAT IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, JUST KIND OF, I GUESS QUICK SHOW OF HANDS, IF MARCH FOUR WORKS FOR FOLKS, I'LL BE IN EGYPT.
I ALREADY WAS NOT GOING TO ATTEND THE MARCH MEETING SINCE I'M GONNA BE TRAVELING.
AND THEN RANDY, BUT WE'VE GOT, WAIT, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE TWO THAT WE'RE WAITING TO GET APPOINTED.
WELL THAT'S JUST GOOD FOR US TO KNOW.
UM, AT THE MOMENT LET'S TENTATIVELY PLAN FOR THAT, BUT IF NOT, WE CAN MOVE IT TO A, I GUESS RICHARD AND FRANCIS, ARE YOU OUT FOR WEEKS IN MARCH? FIRST TWO WEEKS? FIRST TWO WEEKS.
I'M OUT MO I'M OUT MOST OF THE MONTH.
UM, SPEAKING OF TAB MEMBER APPOINTMENTS,
UM, WE'VE BEEN INFORMED BY THE CITY CLERK VIA STUFF THAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THEIR RULES OF PROCEDURE AND POLICIES IN OCTOBER.
UM, AS A RESULT OF THOSE CHANGES, NOW THE FULL CITY COUNCIL CONDUCTS ALL THE INTERVIEWS FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, MORE THAN JUST THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD FOR ALL OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
SO WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT ON DECEMBER 9TH, SO HERE IN ABOUT SIX DAYS, CITY COUNCIL WILL DISCUSS CANDIDATE SELECTION AND INTERVIEW DATES FOR PLANNING AND ZONING, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COM COMMISSION, AND THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE DIRECTION ON THAT PROCESS AFTER THE NINTH.
BUT AGAIN, OUR NEXT MEETING WOULD BE FEBRUARY 4TH.
SO, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME TIME FOR THAT PROCESS TO BE CONDUCTED.
SHOULD WE PLAN ANY OF US PLAN ON BEING ARE, ARE THOSE PUB THEY'RE PUBLIC INTERVIEWS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY TALKED ABOUT REVEALING THE QUESTIONS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SHOULD ANY OF US PLAN ON, WE WOULD ALWAYS ENCOURAGE TAB MEMBERS TO ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN IT.
NO, I DON'T THINK WE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD CERTAINLY GIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT'S NOT LIKE A, I DON'T, I GUESS YOU GUYS ALL WENT THROUGH IT, BUT DIFFERENT RULES.
BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I WAS ON A COMMISSION, IT WAS LIKE A INTIMATE MEETING WITH, AND IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE RECORDED, SO, OH, OKAY.
BUT MAYBE YOU ALL TELL ME, WHEN YOU ALL WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH COUNSEL TO CHOOSE YOU, WAS IT, THERE WASN'T A TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WAS THERE? NO, I DON'T, I DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE NO OPEN INTERVIEWS.
I THOUGHT, I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE JUST CAME IN.
IT WAS JUST US AND THEN THEM ALL SITTING ON THAT LEVEL.
SAME, NOT UP HERE, BUT ON THAT, ON OUR LEVEL.
BUT AGAIN, UH, WE'LL UPDATE AS SOON AS I HEAR, UM, KIND OF WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
SO JUST AS WE GET TO THE END OF THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, I WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY UPDATE ON OUR FAMILIARIZATION AKA FAM TOUR AND PRESS TRIP FOR THE FIRST, I GUESS FIVE MONTHS OUT OF THE SIX.
SO SINCE JULY ONE, OUR TEAM HAS CONDUCTED 21 FAMS AND PRESS TRIPS FOR A TOTAL OF 96 TOURISM INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.
UM, WE HAVE EIGHT MORE OF THESE SCHEDULED THROUGH APRIL OF 26.
AND AGAIN, WE JUST KIND OF KEEP FILLING UP THE CALENDAR AS THINGS COME UP.
UH, JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY PAUSE FOR A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS AGAIN.
ONE WAS THE, UH, MEXICAN ACTRESS SLASH LIFESTYLE INFLUENCER THAT WE PARTNERED WITH A OT ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM AND SEVERAL OTHER DESTINATIONS ON, UM, AS I MENTIONED, ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM IS MOVING MORE INTO THE CONTENT CREATOR SPACE.
SO IT'S NICE TO JUST BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS WITH THEM.
AND, UM, I THINK SHE'S GOT LIKE 1.5 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM.
SO, YOU KNOW, NICE, NICE MOVEMENT THERE.
UM, A RECENT WIN THAT JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE WORK WITH TRAVEL TRADE, AND I'VE GOT A FEW OF THESE IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES, BUT, UM, DIMER AND I WILL NOT TRY TO TO PRONOUNCE THAT NEXT WORD, BUT THEY ARE A GERMAN TRAVEL AGENT, UH, THAT WAS HERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, A OT AND THEIR GERMAN REPRESENTATION AGENCY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WORK WITH TRAVEL AGENTS, WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPES OF PACKAGES ARE YOU SELLING? WHO ARE YOU PURCHASING YOUR HOTELS THROUGH SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST BRINGING THEM HERE TO SEDONA, THAT WE'RE REALLY SHOWING THEM PROPERTIES OR EXPERIENCES THAT THEY CAN THEN TURN AROUND AND BEGIN TO BOOK DIRECTLY TO THEIR, TO THEIR CLIENTS.
UH, WE LEARNED THAT, UH, DIMERS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN CALLING THEM INTERNALLY.
UM, WORKS WITH KIND OF THEIR, THEY WORK WITH THE RECEPTIVE TOUR OPERATORS, WHICH ARE THE BASICALLY THE WHOLESALERS OR THOSE THAT HAVE CONTRACTS WITH HOTELS AND THEN THE TRAVEL AGENTS PURCHASE ROOMS FROM THOSE LIKE KIND OF THIRD PARTIES THAT ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE US.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR KIND OF SMALL INDEPENDENT BOUTIQUES.
UH, SO WE HAD THEM, UH, WORK WITH INTECH HOSPITALITY, WHICH WE KNOW WORKS WITH THE RECEPTIVES OPERATORS, SORT OF A GOOD, A GOOD FIT FOR THE EUROPEAN MARKET.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN I, WE HAD MET WITH A SUNSET CHATEAU, UM, UP THERE BY THE AIRPORT AND THEY HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN GETTING MORE IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET.
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SO WE ENDED UP CONNECTING, UH, THE GM AT A SUNSET CHATEAU WITH ROCKY MOUNTAIN, ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY TOURS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RECEPTIVE TOUR OPERATORS.THEY NOW HAVE A CONTRACT WITH ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY TOURS AND HAVE THEIR ROOMS AVAILABLE TO BOOK THROUGH THAT RECEPTIVE.
AND THEN JUST MONDAY, I HAD THE DIMER TRAVEL AGENTS MEET WITH THE GM AND ME FOR A SITE TOUR AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND SAID, YOU COULD SELL THIS PRODUCT, YOU COULD SELL THIS PROPERTY TOMORROW.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS, CONNECT THE TRAVEL AGENTS DIRECTLY TO THE PRODUCT THAT THEY CAN INCLUDE IN THEIR PACKAGES.
AND TO ME IT'S A NICE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUED MATURATION OF OUR PROGRAM THAT NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THE RECEPTIVES AND GETTING THE HOTELS WITH THE RECEPTIVES TO GET THE PRODUCT ONLINE.
UM, AND MAY I ASK A QUESTION? AND WE'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT, UH, FOCUSING ON OFF SEASON KIND OF, UH, TOURISM WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO FOLKS YEAH.
MOST OF WESTERN EUROPE TOURS ARE SOLD DURING THE SUMMER, DURING HOLIDAY SEASON.
UM, THAT'S WHY, AGAIN, I THINK THE IMPACTS TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL THAT WE'VE SEEN HAVE BEEN UNFORTUNATE.
'CAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S REALLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST GROWTH AREAS IS REALLY CAPTURING THAT WESTERN EUROPEAN MARKET THAT'S FLYING INTO LA FLYING INTO VEGAS, DOING A NATIONAL PARK TOUR AND REALLY WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL AGENTS TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT'S GONNA SOUND ODD WHEN I SAY THIS 'CAUSE WE, 'CAUSE WE LIVE HERE, RIGHT? BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WESTERN EUROPEAN IS COMING TO THE US THEY WANT TO DO A NATIONAL PARK TOUR.
SO SEDONA IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY ON THAT LIST, EVEN THOUGH I WOULD SAY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THAT NATIONAL PARK EXPERIENCE WITH THE BEST LODGING IN NORTHERN ARIZONA AND FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANT PROPERTIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY GETTING THESE TRAVEL AGENTS TO COME HERE.
I MEAN, IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE SAW THEM AT SUNSET CHATEAU, THEY SAID, THIS IS THE TOP FIVE PLACE I'VE BEEN TO IN THE US AND IF WE BRING CLIENTS HERE, THEY HAVE TO SPEND AT LEAST TWO NIGHTS, BUT THEY HAVE TO COME HERE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO YEAH, DEFINITELY A SUMMER, SUMMER SEASON PLAY.
UM, THEY BOOK WELL IN ADVANCE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY THE FOCUS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY WITH, UH, PURE LUXURY MAGAZINE.
I KNOW I'VE CHATTED WITH YOU BEFORE ABOUT THIS, BUT WE DID GET THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED.
THIS WAS CORBIN HU PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAND USA.
UM, I DO NOT HAVE THE PRINTED MAGAZINE, BUT I GUESS LAUREN, IF YOU WANNA HAND ME THOSE TWO.
UM, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT I SHARED BEFORE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WAS A DIFFERENT VERSION OF IT, BUT, UM, NICE PRINTED MAGAZINE, A VERY HIGH NET WORTH, UH, CHINESE LANGUAGE CANADIANS IN TORONTO AND VANCOUVER AS WELL AS IN TAIPEI.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO GOT THE SEDONA STORY IN THE DISHING JACKSON HOLE IN PARK CITY ARTICLE, WHICH I DID SEND TO YOU AND I SENT OUT THE MEETING MATERIALS.
SO, UM, REALLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT THIS ARTICLE TURNED OUT FROM, FROM DISHING.
I THINK IT KIND OF TELLS THE STORY AND THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL IT HERE, UM, AT THE CITY'S DMO.
AND THEN YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE SOME OF THESE PHOTOS SPECIFICALLY MAYBE OUR VICE CHAIR.
BUT, UM, THIS WAS A TOUR OPERATOR THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH IN GERMANY.
AND AGAIN, ANOTHER WAY WE'RE WORKING WITH THE WESTERN EUROPEAN TRAVEL TRADE, BUT JUST SHOWS YOU THAT WE ARE REALLY INFLUENCING THE INFORMATION AND THE VISUALIZATION OF HOW THESE PACKAGES ARE BEING PRESENTED AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S INCLUDED IN THEM.
UM, YOU MIGHT BE AWARE THAT THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM IS WORKING ON A NEW, UH, STATEWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEY'RE DOING IT WITH THE GIO GROUP WHO WE WORKED WITH ON KIND OF OUR PLAN.
SO NICE, NICE COMMONALITY THERE.
UM, OUR TEAM, SPECIFICALLY ME, HAS BEEN REPRESENTING SEDONA IN THOSE MEETINGS AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE ONE COOL OUTPUT WHERE, UH, THEY HAVE A NEW CONSUMER REGIONAL MAP THAT THEY SHARE.
AND IT USED TO BE WE WERE IN LIKE CENTRAL ARIZONA AND ACTUALLY COCONINO COUNTY WAS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA AND YAVAPAI WAS IN CENTRAL ARIZONA, BUT NOW WE ARE SEDONA AND THE VERDE VALLEY AND THE ENTIRETY OF OUR DESTINATION IS IN THAT MAP.
SO, UM, NICE TO SEE THAT THAT'S KIND OF A NEW CHANGE.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE REPRESENTED MORE PROMINENTLY IN THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM CONSUMER MAP.
UM, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING WE DID PUBLISH THE TRANSPARENCY HUB.
UM, IT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UM, AND THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A DIRECT DATA FEED, UM, RELATED TO UM, JUST KIND OF THE HIGH LEVEL RESEARCH THAT WE THINK RESIDENTS WOULD WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE PEOPLE COMING FROM PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF ORIGIN MARKETS AND THEN WHAT DOES LODGING PERFORMANCE LOOK LIKE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE MOST RECENT MONTH, YEAR TO DATE.
AND THEN SOME CHARTS WITH KIND OF A GLOSSARY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE REFLECTED ON AS WELL IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT COMES TO TRANSPARENCY HUB TWO.
UH, OUR MONTHLY TOURISM BUSINESS NEWSLETTER I THINK IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE EXECUTING ON A TRANSPARENT PRESENTATION OF THE TOURISM PROGRAM AND THE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THIS ONE IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE RESIDENTS WHERE THE TOURISM BUSINESS NEWSLETTER IS OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED ON THE INDUSTRY.
SO, AND THEN IF I CAN GET BACK IN THERE, I COULD GO HERE.
UM, AND THEN WE DID ON OCTOBER 28TH, HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE, UM, CHAIR FITZGIBBONS, VICE CHAIR JOHNSON AND MYSELF PRESENTED AN UPDATE ON THE TAB, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL.
THE PRIMARY ONUS WAS, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS
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GIVE KIND OF AN ANNUAL UPDATE AND WE WERE OVERDUE NOW THAT WE'RE KIND OF TWO YEARS IN.BUT THEN ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING TO FILL THE VACANT, UH, TAB MEMBER SEATS, UM, THEY WANTED TO JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHAT SORT OF TAB MEMBERS ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I'LL LET MAYBE VICE CHAIR JOHNSON TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE AND I'LL, YEAH.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT I WENT INTO IT THINKING MAYBE JUST 20, 30 MINUTES, A QUICK KIND OF TURNAROUND UPDATE ON THINGS.
IT TURNED INTO QUITE A BIT MORE THAN THAT.
THEY DID HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AND A PRETTY ROBUST DISCUSSION, UM, THAT W WENT BEYOND SORT OF THE SCOPE I THINK THAT ANY OF US THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GOING TO.
BUT I DID JUST MAKE A QUICK LITTLE LIST OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE AMONGST US AS TAB MEMBERS, BUT ALSO BETWEEN BUSINESS AND RESIDENTS.
AND THEY REALLY WERE PUSHING TOWARDS WANTING TO HEAR MORE FROM THE RESIDENTS, UM, POTENTIALLY, UH, PLACING NEW TAB MEMBERS AS MORE RESIDENT AT LARGE AND NOT AS MUCH WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S APPLIED.
SO YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HAVE A CERTAIN SELECTION OF PEOPLE TO CHOOSE FROM.
AND THEN IN GENERAL, WANTING MORE RESIDENT INTERACTION WITH US, WHICH I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING AND IT'S ALWAYS SORT OF BEEN ON THE BACK BURNER THAT WE WOULD HAVE THESE TOWN HALLS.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S A DISCUSSION FOR LATER IN THE AGENDA TODAY.
UM, BUT THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
UM, THEY ALSO SAID SORT OF LIKE IN THE BEGINNING WE WERE A FOCUS GROUP, SO I THINK THAT WAS, UM, SPEAKING TO THE FACT THAT EVERYBODY HAD SOME SORT OF TOURISM CONNECTION, BUT NOW THEY WANT TO BROADEN THE SCOPE AND CREATE SORT OF A NEW CHARTER FOR THE TAB.
SO ONE THING SPECIFICALLY ACID WAS A DRAFT ADJUSTED SCOPE OF WHAT THE TAB IS TASKED, TASKED WITH.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S HAPPENING OR WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING WITH THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY ANDREW WILL, WILL FILL US IN.
BUT, UM, THEY ALSO ASKED ABOUT FLOW OF INFORMATION.
SO I THINK THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING ENOUGH INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEN WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE FELT THAT THEY WERE GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION FROM US AND THAT THEN WE WERE GETTING THE RIGHT INFORMATION BACK FROM THEM.
WHICH I THINK THE STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF FACILITATING BETWEEN US AND COUNCIL.
BUT THEY EVEN SPOKE ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE MORE DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE OPEN MEETING LAW RESTRAINTS.
SO AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THAT LOOKS WITH COUNCIL AND US, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS, WAS BROUGHT UP MANY TIMES.
UM, ALSO ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
UM, COUNCILMAN FOLTZ REALLY WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT HOW WE WERE BEING INNOVATIVE AND WHAT WE RECOMMENDED AND HOW WE CAN BE MORE INNOVATIVE.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT SPECIFICALLY, BUT HE WAS FOCUSED ON THAT QUITE A BIT AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS COMMENTS.
UM, OH, AND THEN I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY FROM MY OWN PERSPECTIVE IN TERMS OF RESIDENT INPUT THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF US LIVE IN SEDONA OR VERY CLOSE IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE STAFF, BRING BOTH HATS, BRING THAT RESIDENT HAT AND AS WELL AS YOUR, UM, BUSINESS HAT.
UM, AT LEAST THAT WAY WE CAN SAY AS A TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD, WE ARE REALLY REPRESENTING RESIDENTS IN ADDITION TO JUST OUR BUSINESSES.
UH, LET'S SEE, UM, THE OH PRODUCT.
THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER SEDONA IS A A PRODUCT AND HIRA HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE BEING A PRODUCT, UM, MANAGER.
UM, BUT ALSO ABOUT PRODUCT VERSUS PLACE AND THEM WANTING TO HAVE US FOCUS MORE ON EXPERIENCE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT, BUT THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT KEPT COMING UP, THIS IDEA OF PRODUCT VERSUS PLACE AND EXPERIMENT EXPERIENCE, UM, HOLISTIC APPROACH, SEDONA AS A LIFESTYLE.
UM, OH, AND THEN ALSO JUST THAT THEY ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE AND THAT SEE OUR EFFORTS AS A, AS A BOARD AND THEN ALSO THE RELATIONSHIP WE'VE CREATED WITH STAFF AS A SUCCESS.
UM, BUT THEY JUST WANT MORE FROM US NOW.
AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
BUT ANNETTE TRIED TO UM, KIND OF PUT A BOW ON IT AND SAID, COUNCIL IS ASKING TAB TO GIVE ADVICE OF WHERE THEY ARE SEEING GAPS IN VISITOR AND RESIDENT EXPERIENCE.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE OVERALL, THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TAB TO DO.
AND MAYOR PLU SPECIFICALLY WANTED US TO HAVE MORE OF A PROACTIVE VERSUS A REACTIVE, UM, APPROACH.
SO I DID GO BACK AND WATCH THE VIDEO 'CAUSE IN THE MOMENT YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, I'M TRYING, LIKE I'M TAKING NOTES AND NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT.
UM, SO IN WATCHING IT AGAIN WAS WHERE I KIND OF FORMULATED THAT LIST.
BUT YEAH, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR ME TIMING FOR THAT CONVERSATION WAS GREAT.
I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR AGENDA TODAY IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT IN RESPONSE TO THAT MEETING 'CAUSE WE WERE GONNA DO THIS ANYWAY TODAY.
BUT I THINK IT'S JUST WITH THROUGH THAT LENS, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE AT THE TAIL END OF OUR TOURISM PLAN, SO WE SHOULD BE DOING RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT BEFORE WE RELEASE A NEW TOURISM PLAN.
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AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT TODAY.WE ALREADY HAD TOWN HALLS IN THE WORK PLAN.
THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT DELAYED AND I'LL EXPLAIN KIND OF THE STRATEGY FOR, WELL, THE RATIONALE FOR WHY THEY'RE DELAYED, BUT THEN WHY WE'RE GONNA GET THEM GOING NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN REALLY I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE TOWN HALLS TO ME IS SORT OF THE OUTPUT OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I KIND OF CHUCKLED WHEN WE HAD THE COUNCIL MEETING 'CAUSE I KNEW WE WERE GONNA DO TOWN HALLS.
I KNEW I WAS GONNA PRESENT THE TOURISM RESEARCH AND KIND OF MAKE THE CASE FOR THE VALUE OF TOURISM.
THEN I HAD A BIG EMPTY HOLE OF WHAT THE AGENDA WOULD BE AND NOW WE HAVE AN AGENDA.
SO I THINK HONESTLY THE OUTPUT'S REALLY POSITIVE THAT WE HAVE COUNCIL DIRECTED AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE TOWN HALLS.
WE SHOULD BE GETTING RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT BEFORE WE RELEASE A NEW PLAN AND WE'RE GONNA DO TOWN HALLS ANYWAY.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, AND MAYBE LAUREN CAN CHIME IN IF SHE DISAGREES, BUT I THINK AS RELATES TO CHANGING TO THE RULES AND PROCEDURES OR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF THE TAB, I THINK OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE, THERE IS A LANGUAGE, THERE IS A CLAUSE THAT SAYS IN OTHER DUTIES AS DESCRIBED BY COUNSEL.
SO WE'RE SORT OF LOOKING AT THIS NEW REQUEST THROUGH THAT LENS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, THAT MAY CHANGE OVER TIME, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THIS AS ANOTHER DUTY AS DE AS DESCRIBED BY COUNSEL AND THEN GETTING THEM WHAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR AS A RESULT OF THAT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING ELSE.
JUST, UM, I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES NEEDED TO BE UPDATED SINCE THERE WAS KIND OF THAT AND ANYTHING ELSE, UM, CLAUSE THAT WAS ADDED IN THERE.
BUT I AM CHECKING, UM, IT'S ON MY LIST TO TALK ABOUT WITH ANNETTE TO SEE, UM, DID I INTERPRET THAT CORRECTLY? IS IT OKAY IF WE GO THAT ROUTE OR DO WE NEED TO REALLY GO TO COUNCIL AND FORMALIZE SOMETHING LIKE A BULLET POINT THAT GETS ADDED IN THERE? UM, SO MORE, MORE TO COME ON THAT, BUT AT LEAST MY INTERPRETATION, WHEN I WENT BACK AND READ EVERYTHING, I WAS LIKE, AH, THERE'S THAT LITTLE SECTION IN THERE THAT BASICALLY SAYS THAT THEY CAN ASSIGN YOU ALL WITH WHATEVER, UM, TOPIC THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION ON.
SO, SO JUST TO CLARIFY ON THAT, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT JUST ONE, OR I GUESS VICE MANNER, HE JUST HAD ONE DIRECTIVE, BUT THEN IN THE END IT DIDN'T COME BACK AROUND AND SAY THEY WANTED THE, YOU KNOW, A PHYSICAL THING.
SO AT THIS POINT YOU'RE FEELING THAT WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED MEETS EVERYTHING THAT THEY ASKED FOR.
I JUST WONDER IF THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU AND THEN BY PROXY US AND SAY, HEY, WHERE'S THAT, WHERE'S THAT SHIFT OR WHERE'S THAT? SO, SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, PART OF TODAY'S AGENDA IS TO GET A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TAB ON THE TOWN HALL STRATEGY.
AND THAT'S, AND TO ME THAT IS THE RESPONSE.
AT LEAST A, THE RESPONSE THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE.
AND IF WE NEED TO GIVE A MORE DETAILED RESPONSE, THEN I THINK THAT'S WHAT LAUREN'S GONNA, AND THEY'LL LET US KNOW THAT'S WHAT LAUREN'S GONNA LOOK TO UNDERSTAND.
NOW, UM, EVERY OTHER YEAR, I THINK IT'S CALLED THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY SURVEY.
UM, WHEN WAS THE LAST DONE AND WHEN IS THE NEXT TWO BE DONE? YEP.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS ASSUMING THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO FUND IT, I I SAY EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT DECIDE THAT THEY DON'T WANNA SPEND THAT 20,000 THAT YEAR.
THEY MIGHT WANNA PUSH IT OFF FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
UM, BUT WE WILL BE PITCHING IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, UM, TO DO THE SURVEY IN ME.
HOW ABOUT THIS ONE?
THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS AT THE END OF 2024.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT'S A SUR UM, A A IT'S A NATIONAL SURVEY BUT WITH A LARGE ENOUGH SAMPLE SIZE FOR SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES THAT DECIDE TO JOIN IN.
AND THERE ARE STANDARDIZED QUESTIONS, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO SOME, UH, CUSTOM QUESTIONS THAT A PARTICULAR MUNICIPALITY CAN ASK.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT, IT SHOWS HOW THE, THE RESIDENTS, UH, FEEL ABOUT VARIOUS ISSUES VERSUS THE PAST FOR THAT COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO VERSUS SIMILAR COMMUNITIES.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LAST ONE WAS STILL WHEN WE WERE AT THE HEIGHT OF OVER TOURISM AND SO A LOT OF REALLY NEGATIVE STUFF WAS IN IT.
AND, UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE END OF NEXT YEAR, BUT I THINK WE'D FIND VERY DIFFERENT, UM, REALITY TODAY THAN THEN.
UH, BUT IF THAT'S NOT UNTIL THE END OF NEXT YEAR, UH, WE DID SOME OTHER SURVEYS EARLY, YOU KNOW, EARLY ON IN THE TABS EXISTENCE, AND I WONDER IF ANY OF THOSE WE MIGHT WANNA RE YOU KNOW, DO AGAIN AND SEE HOW ATTITUDES MAY HAVE SHIFTED
[00:25:01]
FROM WHAT, ALMOST, ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO ON OUR OWN, BECAUSE THAT COULD GIVE US SOME OF THAT FEEL OF WHAT THE RESIDENTS ARE THINKING.WE DID A RESIDENT SENTIMENT SURVEY, UM, AS PART OF OUR BRANDING EXERCISE WITH DBA.
UM, AND WE DID INCLUDE, GET TO BOB'S POINT, WE INCLUDED QUESTIONS ABOUT TOURISM IN THE MOST RECENT ONE.
I THINK DIRECTIONALLY THE RESPONSES WERE MORE AMENABLE TO TOURISM IN THE MOST RECENT ONE THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT WAS DONE, IF I RECALL.
YEAH, YOU COULD STILL BE ACCURATE.
IT MIGHT BE WORTH PULLING THAT BACK UP AND YEAH.
IF IT LOOKS RELEVANT, MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE CAN DO TOWARD RESIDENT INPUT.
BUT I I, I DO THINK, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT AN UPDATE ON THE PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY RESIDENT SENTIMENT IS GREEN IS 'CAUSE WE DID INCLUDE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT TOURISM RIGHT.
UM, I DO HAVE PROPOSALS FROM FOLKS TO REDO A RESIDENT SENTIMENT SURVEY.
AND THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR BUDGET, WE'VE GOT SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUCKET THAT IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, I USE TO HIRE CONTRACTORS THAT HELP ME WITH STRATEGY AND THINGS LIKE THIS.
SO IF THAT IS A, A PRIORITY, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT GETS CONSIDERED.
'CAUSE I THINK QUANTITATIVE RESULTS ARE ALWAYS MORE VALID THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, HEARSAY OR, YOU KNOW, QUALITATIVE.
AND THEN JUST REAL QUICK, UM, IT'S NOT UP HERE, BUT, UH, SPEAKING TO CITY COUNCIL, I WILL JUST BE PRESENTING TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE 17TH ON A TOURISM PERFORMANCE UPDATE AND FORECAST.
JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'LL BE UP THERE.
UM, THAT'S PART OF THE BUDGET RETREAT THAT'S GOING ON FROM THE 16TH TO THE 18TH.
WHAT IS IT? TOURISM FORECAST THEN? TOURISM LIKE PERFORMANCE, A KIND OF YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE AND THEN A FORECAST.
SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME OF DAY? UM, MORNING.
I'VE HEARD NINE 30 OR 10 AND IT'LL BE AN HOUR.
OH, UM, THAT'S, OH WAIT, CAN I SAY THANKS FOR REPRESENTING US SO WELL.
IT WAS, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT NERVE WRACKING WHEN IT KEPT GOING SO BROADLY ENDED UP, BUT IT WAS FUN TO BE THERE.
[3.a. Minutes from Wednesday, October 1, 2025 meeting]
OKAY.CONSENT ITEMS. SO THE MINUTES FROM THE WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 1ST MEETING, UM, I DID LOOK AT THEM AND NOTICE THAT ONE OF THE DATES SAID 2 0 5 INSTEAD OF 2005.
I DUNNO HOW IMPORTANT THOSE MINUTE DETAILS ARE DOWN.
IT SAYS CAN, UH, UNDER C FIVE C IT SAYS 2024 SLASH 2 0 5 OH, OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW SPECIFIC THAT MATTERED, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY THING.
MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
ASSUMING THE 2029 NEXT WITH CHANGE A SECOND
NEXT IS REGULAR OR NO PUBLIC FORUM.
THERE ARE NO CARDS AND NOBODY HERE.
[5.a. Winter 2025/2026 destination marketing campaign update]
BUSINESS.SO I WANNA KICK THINGS OFF WITH, UH, QUICK WINNER 25 26 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH UPDATE.
UM, WE DID LAUNCH THE CAMPAIGN ON OCTOBER 15TH, WHICH WAS, UM, AFTER OUR MOST RECENT MEETING.
SO YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE VIDEO OR THE CREATIVE, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT TO REPORT ON OTHER THAN I'VE GOT A QUICK UPDATE ON SOME OF LIKE THE MORE MARKETING, UH, METRICS.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE ATTRIBUTION YET.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN TO REPORT ON THAT.
BUT, UM, IN THE MEANTIME WE'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU.
AND AS A REMINDER, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS TRYING TO GO AFTER, UH, WITH THIS CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY WAS TO TRY AND COMPETE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION.
SO, UM, WE HAD A LITTLE INTERNAL JOKE OF, UM, DON'T GO TO THE DOLOMITES.
UM, AND SO THAT, UM, TRANSLATED IN ALL OF OUR IMAGERY AS WELL.
WHEN I WAS TALKING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER ABOUT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GO FOR, UM, THAT'S WHAT I TOLD HER WAS, I WANT EPIC IMAGERY THAT MAKES PEOPLE THINK I DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE DOLOMITES 'CAUSE I CAN GET THE SAME EXPERIENCE IN SEDONA.
WELL, AND I WOULD SAY DON'T GO TO TUSCANY TO DRINK WINE, DRINK IT IN THE VERDE VALLEY, ESPECIALLY IN SEDONA.
BUT THAT'S NOT IN THE CAMPAIGN VIDEO.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST PART OF MY CAMERA
YOU DON'T HAVE TO FLY ACROSS THE WORLD TO DISCOVER SOMETHING OTHER WORLDLY HERE.
BEAUTY IS ON DISPLAY IN EVERY DIRECTION.
IT'S ALL AROUND YOU WITH BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCES THAT AREN'T ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE, BUT RIGHT HERE WAITING FOR YOU, REDEFINE YOUR WINTER PLAN, YOUR TRIP@SCENICSEDONA.COM.
YOU DON'T HAVE GREAT, UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY WONDERFUL TO
[00:30:01]
SEE AGAIN, JUST THE SOPHISTICATION THAT CONTINUES TO COME.I MEAN, I'VE BEEN LOOKING BACK AT THE, THE, OUR LAST WINTER CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS WHEN WE LAUNCHED THE REDEFINED CONCEPT AND I WAS SUPER STOKED.
AND THEN I KIND OF LOOK AT THE NEW ONE AND I'M LIKE, THIS ONE JUST LOOKS CLEANER AND KIND OF FRESH.
I THINK WE, WE JUST CONTINUE TO IMPROVE UPON OUR APPROACH TO THE CREATIVE.
I THINK THE INTENTIONALITY THAT WE'RE BRINGING BEHIND KIND OF THE BRIEFS THAT WE GIVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DBA AND AND THE TEAM THERE TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE TRENDS, WE'RE SEEING THAT INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS BEING IMPACTED, WHICH THEN TYPICALLY MEANS THAT DOMESTIC TRAVEL MIGHT BE GOING UP.
HOW DO WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN OUR CAMPAIGN AND USE OUR CAMPAIGN MESSAGING TO REALLY MAYBE PULL ON A LITTLE BIT OF THAT SENTIMENT.
SO, AND ONE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, BEFORE WE HAD LAUNCHED THE CAMPAIGN, WE MET WITH, UM, DAVID AND CHERYL FROM THE CHAMBER AND THEY TOLD US THAT, UM, AT LEAST A, A GOAL OF THEIRS WAS TO TRY AND ELEVATE THE ARTS, UM, AND THAT ASPECT OF SEDONA.
AND SO, UM, WE DID TRY AND BE INTENTIONAL IN OUR IMAGERY AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOT.
UM, WE WENT TO TWO GALLERIES IN THIS PHOTO SHOOT.
WE WENT TO, UM, THE SED ARTS CENTER AND THEN WE WENT TO EXPOSURES.
UM, AND THAT WAS REALLY TO TRY AND, UM, MATCH OUR EFFORTS IN THAT.
SO I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD, UM, EXAMPLE OF US PARTNERING WITH THEM, KEEPING AN OPEN DIALOGUE AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WHERE WE DO HAVE ALIGNED GOALS THAT WE BOTH KIND OF LIFT EACH OTHER UP IN THAT, UH, CAN I TALK ABOUT SEDONA ART CENTER FOR A SECOND SINCE YOU MENTIONED IT? UH, BECAUSE THEY ARE LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN, UH, TO MAKE A MAJOR INVESTMENT IN THAT FACILITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTS OF SEDONA TO, TO UM, SEEK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND IF YOU LIKE IT, SUPPORT IT.
IT'S A HEAVY LIFT, UH, A HEAVY LIFT TO GET THROUGH THE CITY FROM AN APPROVAL POINT OF VIEW.
AND IT'S A HEAVY LIFT FOR, UH, THE CAPITAL.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A NOT-FOR-PROFIT THAT'S BEEN HERE LIKE 90 YEARS.
IT IS A VERY, VERY VALUABLE ASSET.
AND UM, SO I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THIS GROUP TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
JUST MORE EXAMPLES OF THE CREATIVE THAT WE LANDED ON.
UM, AGAIN, REALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, LEAD WITH THAT SORT OF OTHER WORLDLY IMAGERY, BUT ALSO LAND US BACK TO SHOWCASING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY IN THIS CASE KIND OF THE ARTS AND THEN RETAIL, BUT ALSO, UM, ACCOMMODATION PRODUCT AS WELL.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE ME WANT TO COME HERE,
IT SORT OF WOULD GET TUCKED IN THE BACK OF MY MIND YEAH.
IT'S JUST FUNNY, I GAVE A, I GAVE A WEBINAR WITH FLAGSTAFF TO LIKE 80 GERMAN TRAVEL AGENTS LAST MONTH AND I WAS LIKE, I'M, I'M GONNA SHOW 'EM THE VIDEO, BUT THEN IT'S LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE WORLD.
I WAS LIKE, I GOTTA SHOW THE SUMMER VIDEO
BUT IT'S NICE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THESE THAT I CAN KIND OF PULL FROM, PULL FROM THE ARCHIVE FOR THEM.
SO, UM, AND THEN JUST QUICK UPDATES FROM DVA.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, JUST SO I HAVE SOME COMPARISON FOR YOU, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THE COMPARISONS I'M GIVING ARE NOT APPLES TO APPLES.
I'M PULLING FROM A DECEMBER 24 REPORT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT AN OCTOBER 17TH TO NOVEMBER 24 REPORT.
SO, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, JUST SO THERE'S SOME COMPARISON, BUT, UM, SO FAR IN THE CAMPAIGN WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 6.9 MILLION IMPRESSIONS ACROSS ALL CHANNELS.
UH, WE'VE GENERATED 61,000, UH, USERS ON WEBSITE TRAFFIC.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST THE META GOOGLE PROGRAMMATIC, THEY'RE ALL OVER BENCHMARK, WHICH IS JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE FOR US WITH THESE CAMPAIGNS.
I DID WANNA PAUSE QUICKLY ON THE DATA FI CREATIVE PERFORMANCE.
THAT'S IS ONE THAT I KIND OF HAD THE CLOSEST APPLES TO APPLES ON.
SO, UM, IN DECEMBER 24 WE HAD, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY 1.9 MILLION IMPRESSIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT 4.4 MILLION IMPRESSIONS WITH THIS CAMPAIGN.
SO THERE'S A SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF IMPRESSIONS.
AGAIN, NOT QUITE APPLES TO APPLES, BUT WE'RE SEEING MUCH STRONGER THERE CLICKS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD 3,126 IN DECEMBER 24.
WE'RE ALREADY AT 12,000 CLICKS NOW.
UM, CLICK THROUGH RATE IN DECEMBER 24 WAS 16.
WELL POINT 16% WE'RE LOOKING AT 0.36%.
UM, AND THEN THEIR COMMENT TO US AS WELL IS JUST THAT THE 25 26 CAMPAIGN COMPARED TO THE 24 25 IS PACING SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER ACROSS ALL CHANNELS, PARTICULARLY IN SEARCH, WHICH HAS BEEN, UM, UNDERPERFORMING AND PROGRAMMATIC DISPLAY.
SO, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU, I THINK WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LIKE USING THESE METRICS DIRECTIONALLY, UM, AND THEN LOOKING TO SEE HOW THAT APPLIES TO ATTRIBUTION.
SO I THINK DIRECTIONALLY WE'RE PLEASED WITH THE CURRENT RESULTS FROM THE FIRST MONTH OR SO OF IMPLEMENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CAMPAIGN BEFORE I JUMP OVER TO THE NEXT TOPIC? I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I CURIOUS ABOUT THE LIKE SLEEP USE OF SLEEPLESS IN THE WINTER CAMPAIGN.
DID YOU THINK ABOUT LIKE WHETHER THAT IMPLIES THAT IT'S WARMER HERE THAN IT IS OR
[00:35:01]
MEAN THIS IS SUCH A SMALL LITTLE THING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK AND GET YOUR, UM, SO SHE HAD A JACKET WITH HER, UM, BUT THE SHIRT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.IT IS PRETTY, YEAH, THAT I DECIDED TO TAKE THE RISK ON SLEEVELESS.
UM, IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A NICE DAY AND IT'S 60 DEGREES, I'M IN SLEEVELESS AND PANTS, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS BELIEVABLE ENOUGH.
UM, BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE WERE, UM, I WAS REALLY TRYING TO SKATE THE LINE ON UM, LIKE THE 65 DEGREE MARK AND YOU COULD REALLY, YOU COULD BE WEARING SHORTS, YOU COULD BE WEARING, UM, PANTS OR ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, LONG SLEEVES JACKET, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, I WAS TRYING TO BE A LITTLE BIT EVERGREEN WITH, WITH THE IMAGERY SO THAT I DIDN'T PIGEONHOLE US INTO ONLY BEING ABLE TO USE IT AT ONE TIME OF YEAR.
BUT, UM, MOSTLY IT WAS BECAUSE I LOVED THAT SHIRT
AND THEN AS A REMINDER, THIS CAMPAIGN RUNS THROUGH FEBRUARY 15.
[5.b. Sedona Tourism Plan 2024-2025 update]
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE.I THINK THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT IT WAS IN FEBRUARY.
UM, SO JUST EXCITED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU AN UPDATE ON THE SEDONA TOURISM PLAN.
I CALL IT THE SEDONA TOURISM PLAN 24 25, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE STP IS WHAT I ALSO LIKE TO CALL IT.
UM, BUT AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE FOUR IMPERATIVES, 17 INITIATIVES, 60 ACTION STEPS AND 46 KEY MEASURES.
UH, THE FOUR IMPERATIVES THAT WE WORKED WITH YOU ALL ON.
I ALWAYS CALL THIS THE KIND OF THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE PLUS CONCEPT, OR YOU'VE GOT MANAGE AND STEWARD.
THE DESTINATION IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL PILLAR.
OPTIMIZE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS THE ECONOMIC PILLAR.
ENHANCED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH TOURISM IS THE SOCIAL PILLAR.
AND THEN BECAUSE WE WERE BUILDING AN ORGANIZATION, UM, WE PUT IN THE STRENGTH IN THE ORGANIZATION PILLAR.
UM, I WILL NOT BURY THE LEAD ON THIS AND JUST KIND OF BUILD ON WHAT ALTHEA WAS SAYING ABOUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON EXPERIENCE WHEN WE TALKED TO CITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 28TH.
AND AS WE LOOK AT WHAT THE NEXT ITERATION OF THIS TOURISM PLAN COULD BE, I COULD EASILY SEE US REPLACING THE STRENGTH IN THE ORGANIZATION PILLAR WITH AN ENHANCED THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE PILLAR AND SORT OF USE THAT AS A PUBLIC WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, MATURATION OF THE PROGRAM AND THE REQUEST THAT WE GOT.
WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT PER SE, BUT THAT WAS JUST ONE THING I REFLECTED ON AFTER THE 28TH.
UM, THERE ARE STILL SOME IMPORTANT INITIATIVES AND STRENGTHEN THE ORGANIZATION.
I WOULD JUST MOVE THOSE INTO OTHER PILLARS ESSENTIALLY.
UM, BUT THAT WAY WE WOULD BE PUBLICLY SAYING THAT THE TOURISM PROGRAM HAS A ROLE IN ENHANCING THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ONE DOOR THAT I'M NOT WALKING THROUGH AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT I DO SEE AS AVAILABLE TO US.
SO JUST FOR TODAY, WITH THE TIME WE HAVE, I WANNA PROVIDE A PROGRESS UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 24 25 PLAN, CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF KEY MILESTONES, TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
UM, I THINK MY PROMISE TO MYSELF, WHICH I HOPE I SHARED EXTERNALLY, BUT KNOW THAT IT WAS MY PROMISE THAT I SHARED INTERNALLY WAS THAT BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE END OF 2025, SO IN, YOU KNOW, 27 DAYS OR SO, THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO REPORT ON A PLAN THAT WAS MOSTLY GREEN OR YELLOW AND IF IT WAS RED, I HAD AN ABSOLUTE REASON FOR WHY IT WAS RED AND HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THAT FIXED SOON.
UM, AND THEN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2026 AS A CHANCE TO GET A NEW PLAN UNDERWAY SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE A NEW PLAN IN PLACE BY THE START OF FY 27 ON JULY ONE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE TIMELINE THAT I'M LOOKING AT AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AFTER I WALK THROUGH WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE PLAN, UH, THIS IS THE ONE PAGER THAT WE ALL WORKED WITH YOU ON.
I'M NOT GONNA READ IT PER SE 'CAUSE WE'LL GO THROUGH IT, BUT JUST WANT TO JUST SHOW YOU, UH, AS A REMINDER OF I THINK THE GREAT WORK, SOME OF THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO WITH YOU WHEN I GOT HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL REALLY PROUD OF THIS.
I'M EXCITED TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WALK THROUGH IT.
UM, SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN, WHICH IS NICE.
HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THE EXHIBIT THAT WE HAVE.
THERE IS ONE SECTION THAT'S PRETTY RED, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE WE'LL TALK TODAY.
UM, I WILL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT MARKETING TOOLKIT THAT'S WELL UNDERWAY.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, OUR NEW TRANSIT ADMINISTRATOR, AMBER WAGNER.
UM, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A S SHUTTLE NEWSLETTER THAT ROB ON THE TEAM PUSHES OUT.
WE'RE WORKING IN LOCKSTEP WITH THEM.
WE HAVE OUR GETTING AROUND PAGE, WHICH TO ME IS A REALLY STRONG KIND OF CAR-FREE ITINERARY ASPECT.
AND TRULY ANY TIME WE'RE TALKING TO MEDIA, I'M GETTING SEDONA SHUTTLE REFERENCE, WHETHER IT BE THE 36 HOURS IN SEDONA ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, OR THE MOST RECENT, UM, DISHING NEW YORK, SORRY, DISHING JACKSON HOLE AND DISHING PARK CITY ARTICLE.
SO REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING THAT CONCEPT TO A BASELINE.
UM, THE KEY WORD IN THIS BOTTOM ONE IS EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO AMPLIFY REALTIME INFORMATION ABOUT CAPACITY OF PARKING LOTS AND TRAVEL TIMES TO KEY AREAS.
UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY MORE UNDER THE REALM OF AMBER AND THE NEW PARKING MANAGER THAT WE HAVE, BUT AGAIN, THE EXPLORATION IS UNDERWAY SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE CALLING IT YELLOW.
UM, AND PART OF THAT'S RELATED TO SOME OF THE, UM, KIND OF PAID PARKING
[00:40:01]
THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SET UP AND LOOKING AT THE PARKING LOTS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE GARAGE, FOR EXAMPLE.SO THAT'S STRATEGY IS AT LEAST IN PROGRESS.
UM, LOOKING AT THIS SORT OF PRIORITIZED MARKETING INVESTMENTS DURING OFF PEAKS TIMES OF THE WEEK AND YEAR, WE'VE ABSOLUTELY BEEN ABLE TO DEFINE PEAKS AND VALLEYS IN VISITATION TO UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND NEED TIMES FOR DRIVING DEMAND.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT OUR CONSUMER MARKETING CAMPAIGNS WINTER AND SUMMER.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGNS.
UH, I THINK A COOL OUTPUT OF THAT IS WE NOW HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT THAT WE SHARE AS WE LAUNCH EACH CAMPAIGN.
WE SENT THAT OUT IN OCTOBER ALREADY TO EVERYBODY IN ADDITION TO THE, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL OFFERS THAT WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO SUBMIT TO US.
AND THEN, UM, BOLSTER CAMPAIGN REPORTING THAT FOCUSES ON ATTRIBUTION.
YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT THAT AD NAUSEUM AT THIS POINT.
SO, UM, ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE AND RESPECTFUL USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, WE'VE DONE THE FOCUS GROUP TO VALIDATE PRIORITY BEHAVIORS.
WE'VE GOT THE STRATEGIC MESSAGES DRAFTED INTERNALLY.
WE'VE GOT THE LIST OF NONPROFITS.
WE'VE BEEN CONDUCTING AN ALWAYS ON EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN WITH DVA THAT'S NOW GOING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THROUGH PAID SEARCH.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF IT, UM, THROUGH THE A OT RURAL CO-OP.
UM, THE REASON THESE TWO ARE YELLOW IS THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LAUNCHING APPRECIATE SEDONA, WHICH IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM.
WE HAVE THE PAGE LIVE, WE'RE GETTING IT TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THAT'S LIVE, THAT'S THEN THE INVITATION TO THE INDUSTRY TO KIND OF JOIN US IN THAT.
AND THEN THAT MOVES US INTO, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT LEVERAGING VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, KNOW TO ME IT'S ONCE APPRECIATE SEDONAS LAUNCHED, ALL THIS IS GREEN ESSENTIALLY, AND WE'RE ON AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
UM, DETERMINE A NEW VISITOR SERVICES STRATEGY.
I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE US A RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT ONE IS, THAT ONE IS GREEN.
UM, EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW VISITOR GUIDE.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PUBLISH THAT IN JULY AND THEN COMPILE A LIST OF LOCAL ENTITIES THAT MANAGE VOLUNTEERS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S COMPREHENSIVE.
THERE'S ALWAYS WAYS TO ADD TO IT, BUT THAT'S WHY THAT ONE IS YELLOW.
UM, PARTNER WITH SEDONA PUBLIC WORKS TO ASSIST WITH MOVING SEDONA IN MOTION PROJECTS FORWARD TO EDUCATE VISITORS AND REG RESIDENTS ABOUT COMPLETED MILESTONES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS TOURISM PROGRAM AND KIND OF COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IN TANDEM.
I HOPE YOU ALL REMEMBER ROB'S FANTASTIC VIDEO THAT HE MADE ABOUT SIM TO ME, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF, OF AN OUTPUT IN THIS ONE.
AND THEN JUST GENERAL, UM, EDUCATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SIM PROJECTS, UM, PARTNER WITH CITY OF SEDONA SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT.
WE DID HAVE A REALLY FANTASTIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM LAST SUMMER WITH HEAT AWARENESS SAFETY.
THAT WAS REALLY A STRONG COLLABORATION FOR US.
BUT I DO THINK THERE'S ROOM TO GROW WITHIN THE WAY THAT WE COLLABORATE WITH THAT DEPARTMENT.
BUT CERTAINLY UNDERWAY, CERTAINLY RELATIONSHIPS BEING BUILT, UM, EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT DIFFERENT CITY PROGRAMS, SAME THING.
WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT THAT IN PLACE SPECIFICALLY WITH TRANSIT USE FOR SURE.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THERE'S WAYS TO KIND OF BROADEN THE TENT WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN EXPLORE WHAT ROLE THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT CAN PLAY IN ADVANCING LARGER CITY GOALS.
UM, I'M ESSENTIALLY SERVING AS AN EXTENSION OF THE FINANCE TEAM NOW WHEN WE LOOK AT CITY SALES AND BED TECHS.
AND THAT TO ME REALLY SPEAKS TO A GREAT WAY THAT THE TOURISM PROGRAM IS COLLABORATING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND BRINGING THAT LENS OF TOURISM TO THE TABLE TO HELP US KIND OF UNDERSTAND, AT LEAST IN THE EXAMPLE I PROVIDED, UM, WHY CITY SALES AND BED TECHS MIGHT LOOK THE WAY THAT IT DOES EACH, EACH, EACH, EACH MONTH.
UM, THIS WAS ABOUT SORT OF OUR BRAND AND THEN INTEGRATING IT.
SO WE DID THE BRANDING INITIATIVE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR GETTING US OUR NEW LOGO, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS ON THE BOTTLES.
UM, WE AUDITED CURRENT BRAND EXECUTION AND UPDATED UTILIZATION TO THE NEW BRAND.
AND WE HAVE A STYLE GUIDE AVAILABLE THAT TO ME IS, YOU KNOW, RELATED GUIDELINES AT ALL TOURISM ACTIVITIES.
SO, UM, DEVELOP AN ANNUAL EDITORIAL CALENDAR.
UM, WE'VE GOT A CONSULTANT THAT'S KIND OF WORKING WITH US BEHIND THE SCENES TO DO QUARTERLY AND MONTHLY CONTENT PLANNING ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, WEBSITE MARKETING, NEWSLETTER MARKETING, AND THEN ME, UM, DOING KIND OF LIKE THE, THE MEDIA STUFF.
UM, THAT'S BEEN A REALLY NICE THING FOR US.
UH, I THINK JUST TO QUICKLY KIND OF DIVE INTO THAT, I'M SEEING A FUTURE, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE START DOING THEMES EACH MONTH BASED ON DIFFERENT EXPERIENTIAL THINGS OR CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES.
SO WE BASICALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, 12 MONTHS.
SO WE'VE GOT 12 THEMES EACH, EACH MONTH FOR EDITORIAL CALENDAR.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH WELLNESS MONTH BEING JANUARY, UH, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, START YOUR YEAR ANEW BY REDEFINING YOUR 2026 IN SEDONA WOULD SORT OF BE LIKE A LITTLE MINI MINI CAMPAIGN THEME THAT YOU'LL SEE IN OUR CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS FOR THAT MONTH.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I JUST HEARD FROM DAVID AND HIS TEAM THAT THEY'LL ALSO BE DOING SOME WELLNESS ACTIVITY STUFF IN THEIR PROMOTIONS IN JANUARY AS WELL.
SO A NICE WAY THAT WE ARE EXPLORING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CHAMBER TO MARKET BETTER TOGETHER, BUT REALLY LETTING OUR EDITORIAL CONTENT CALENDAR THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING SORT OF DRIVE THE DRIVE THE CART.
UM, REALLY QUICK WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW,
[00:45:01]
WELLNESS MONTH, YOU COULD HAVE ARTS CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT MONTH.YOU COULD HAVE HIKING MONTH, YOU COULD HAVE BIKING MONTH, YOU COULD HAVE DURING HIGH SEASON, HERE'S HOW YOU GET AROUND ON THE SHUTTLE MONTH.
YOU COULD DO STARGAZING MONTH, YOU COULD DO WINE MONTH, YOU COULD DO CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS EDITORIAL CALENDAR.
BUT THEN LETTING ANYTHING WE DO FROM NEWSLETTER CONTENT TO SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT, ALL WORK WITHIN WORK IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT AND THEN SHARING THAT OUT WITH OUR KEY PARTNERS LIKE THE CHAMBER.
UM, AND THEN NOW WOULD THAT ALSO BE, UM, WOULD, WOULD YOU ADD A BLOG COMPONENT TO THE WEBSITE THAT WE STORE EACH OF THESE SO THAT IT BUILDS SEO IN THE FUTURE? YEP.
UH, WE DO HAVE WHAT WE CALL ACTIVITY PAGES OR LANDING PAGES, WHICH I THINK I'VE SHOWED YOU LIKE THE HIKING PAGE OR THE GETTING AROUND PAGE BEFORE MM-HMM
UM, THAT'S UNDER THE PLAY SECTION.
WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD OUT EIGHT, AT LEAST EIGHT TILES ON THAT PAGE.
WHICH WOULD AGAIN BE FOR, YOU KNOW, VERDE VALLEY WINE TRAIL, STARGAZING ARTS CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT WELLNESS.
UM, EACH OF THOSE PAGES WILL HAVE A CORRESPONDING BLOG.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE ALREADY DO.
AND THEN THE IDEA WOULD BE IF WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE RELEASE THE CONSUMER NEWSLETTER IN JANUARY FOR WELLNESS, THAT WILL LIKELY DRIVE TO THE BLOG.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS LIKE, THAT'S A TIMELY CALL TO ACTION THAT'S SAYING START YOUR YEAR NEW IN SEDONA BY REDEFINING 2026.
UM, IF YOU WANT DEEPER INFORMATION JUST ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WELLNESS AND THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODALITIES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND THE PRACTITIONERS AND KIND OF HOW WE BECAME A DESTINATION FOR WELLNESS, THAT WOULD BE MORE ON THE ACTIVITY PAGE.
SO THEY'RE KIND OF WORKING IN TANDEM WITH EACH OTHER.
AND THEN WITH OUR VISITOR GUIDE, YOU KNOW, WHEN APPROPRIATE, WE WOULD ADD ANOTHER ONE PAGE ABOUT THAT EXPERIENTIAL THEME.
COULD YOU SHOW US WHAT YOU MEAN? BUT LIKE, I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL YEAH.
SO WE DON'T HAVE JUST LIKE YEAH, YEAH.
I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT REAL QUICK.
SO WE ARE WORKING, THIS IS PART OF OUR AIR A OT CO-OP STRATEGY.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH MADDEN MEDIA TO GET THE FIRST WELLNESS PAGE UP.
WE ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED, UH, RICHARD AND DEBORAH AS PART OF OUR KIND OF FACT FINDING ON THAT.
BUT YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THESE FOUR, THESE WOULD END UP BEING EIGHT DIFFERENT TILES.
SO YOU'D HAVE A WELLNESS ARTS CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT, HIKING, BIKING, STARGAZING, YOU KNOW, VERDE VALLEY WINE TRAIL AND KIND OF GO, GO FROM THERE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE BLOG HERE.
UM, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THIS CURVE WHERE WE'VE GOT A WINE TRAIL BLOG THAT WE RELEASED LAST MONTH AND THEN WE DID A STARGAZING POST IN AUGUST.
SO WE HAVE MORE BLOGS AND NOW WE'RE WAITING FOR MADDEN TO GIVE US AN ACTIVITY PAGE.
SO WE'LL LET KIND OF THE EXPERTS HELP US.
AND A LOT OF IT'S GOING THROUGH HOW DO YOU BUILD A NEW ACTIVITY PAGE WITH GEO AND, AND LIKE AI LANGUAGE MODEL SEARCHING.
SO WE'RE LETTING THEM SORT OF DRIVE, UH, THE APPROACH TO THE STRUCTURE SO ROB AND I AREN'T SPINNING OUR WHEELS.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT UPDATED, ESSENTIALLY TEMPLATE FOR HOW TO CREATE A WEBPAGE THAT THE SEARCH LANGUAGE MODELS GO INTO, THEN WE'RE GONNA BUILD OUT THE REST OF OUR PAGES ON OUR OWN.
AND THAT'S REALLY BEEN, I'D SAY ONE OF OUR STRATEGIES WITH THE A OT CO-OP IS LET'S HIRE EXPERTS, GIVE THEM, HEY, WE'RE STARTING A NEW PROJECT, HOW WOULD YOU DO THIS? THANKS.
YOU KNOW, UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE MORE WAY THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, AND THAT'S ONE MORE REASON WHY YOU SEE THE BLOGS UP MORE THAN YOU SEE THE ACTIVITY PAGES.
BUT, UM, WE ARE GETTING THREE LONG FORM CONTENT PIECES FROM MADDEN.
THEY'RE GONNA BE DONE QUARTERLY.
SO THE FIRST ONE WILL GET THIS MONTH, HOPEFULLY PUBLISHED BY THE END OF THE MONTH, AND THEN WE'LL DO THE NEXT ONES IN KIND APRIL AND JUNE IT SOUNDS LIKE.
SO WHERE ARE THE TARGETS FOR THOSE LONG FORM PIECES FROM A TIMELINE PERSPECTIVE? UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE THE WELLNESS ONE UP BY THE END OF, BUT I MEAN, WHICH, WHICH PUBLICATIONS? WHAT I MEAN BY OH, NO, NO.
YOU KNOW, TO DATE WE'VE GOT REALLY GOOD BUSINESS LISTINGS.
I FEEL REALLY STRONG ABOUT THOSE.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DEEPER PLANNING CONTENT AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S WHAT MY GOAL FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR HAS BEEN, IS BUILD OUT THE EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION, TELL THE STORY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, EXPERIENCE IS THE WORD OF THE DAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO, RIGHT.
SO I'M, I'M FULLY PREPARED TO TAKE THAT CHALLENGE ON, AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORK PLAN.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE JUST KIND OF WAITING FOR THE FIRST DELIVERABLE AND THEN DIGESTING IT AND THEN BACK FILLING A COUPLE OF THESE BACK INTO IT.
SO, OH, I DIDN'T SEE, UM, A SITE MAP AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS HIDDEN.
UM, UM, FOR AI IN PARTICULAR, UH, NOW INSTEAD OF THE TRADITIONAL, HERE'S LIKE AN OUTLINE OF THE CONTENT, THE SITE MAP IS ACTUALLY LINKS FOR A BRO, UH, FOR A, UM, CRAWLER MM-HMM
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT AI'S BEEN USING.
UM, SO IS THERE ONE HERE THAT'S JUST NOT VISIBLE OR, I THINK WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR WEB DEVELOPER.
YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT WANNA EXPLORE THAT IS, IS
[00:50:01]
HOW TO DO, UM, LINKS THAT SPECIFICALLY ARE USEFUL TO AI MM-HMMWE WERE LOOKING INTO, I BELIEVE THE WORD IS LIKE SCHEMA, SO IT'S LIKE SCHEMA DESIGN ON THE BACK END OF OUR PAGES.
UHHUH
I THINK IT'S, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO GET THAT ACTIVATED ON OKAY.
THAT THAT IS, YEAH, YOU GOT IT.
UM, IMPLEMENT REGULAR BLOG AND NEWSLETTER CONTENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN MONTHLY TOURISM BUSINESS NEWSLETTER AND THEN DURING CAMPAIGNS WE DO MONTHLY CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS.
AND I THINK MOVING INTO NEXT YEAR AS WE BUILD OUT SOME OF MORE OF THIS FOUNDATIONAL CONTENT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SEE US INCREASE TO MORE REGULAR CONSUMER NEWSLETTERS, BUT, UM, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, UP AND RUNNING AND THEN OPTIMIZE WEBSITE DIGITAL MARKETING CHANNELS AS NEW IMAGES AND CREATIVE ARE DEVELOPED.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU DO A CAMPAIGN CREATIVE, UH, SHOOT, UH, YOU END UP SEEING THAT ON THE WEBSITE, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO
IT'S NOT QUITE IN THIS LIST, BUT WE DO NOW HAVE, UH, THE PR PLATFORM MUCKRACK THAT KAITLYN AND I ARE VERY DEEP IN.
UM, WE'VE GOT MEDIA LISTS IN THERE, WE'VE GOT MEDIA MONITORING THERE.
WE DID OUR FIRST PROACTIVE PITCHING IN THERE LAST MONTH.
UM, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY UP AND RUNNING WITH OUR MEDIA PROGRAM, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT TO HAVE THAT UP.
UM, ALSO OF GETTING MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED WITH OUR WORK WITH TRAVEL TRADE.
UH, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF THE EXAMPLE I GAVE WITH THE DIMER FOLKS AND HOW WE ARE WORKING WITH THE RECEPTIVES, UNDERSTANDING HOW BEST TO CURATE THE FAMILIARIZATION TOURS TO REALLY MATCH THE NEEDS OF THE TOUR OPERATORS.
UM, WE DO, SO THAT'S KINDA THE FIRST TOP ROWS.
AND THEN THE SEC, A THIRD ROW WE'VE BEEN CONVENING A SEDONA SALES MANAGER MEETING.
UH, I THINK THE LAST TIME I PRESENTED THIS, IT WAS YELLOW, BUT IT'S NOW GREEN.
WE DO THIS EVERY SIX MONTHS WHERE WE JUST BRING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, INSIDE THE CITY, OUTSIDE THE CITY SALES MANAGERS, WE CONVENE THEM AT THE CITY HALL AND WE GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE TOURISM PROGRAM, LET THEM SHARE WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT WORKING BETWEEN EACH OTHER, AND TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO ALIGN ON STRATEGIES.
SO TO ME, THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE LEANING INTO BEING A TRUSTED CONVENER, WHICH IS, I THINK ONE OF THE PILLARS OF A-D-M-M-O IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO MANAGE THE REPUTATION, WE DO PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, BUT WE ALSO CONVENE.
SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT STRATEGY FOR US.
UM, WE'RE DOING OUTREACH WITH EARNED MEDIA AND TRAVEL TRADE AGAIN, UM, WHETHER THAT BE THE WORK THAT I'M DOING BY GOING TO CONFERENCES AND EVENTS.
I'VE GOT A PRETTY BUSY TRAVEL SCHEDULE IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO DOING PROACTIVE PITCHING HERE VIRTUALLY VIA CITY HALL.
AND THEN, UM, VERY CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH A OT.
THAT'S BEEN REALLY NICE TO SEE OUR RELATIONSHIP COME TOGETHER WITH THEM.
UM, ASSET INVENTORY, UH, PART OF MY THING I DID WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE WAS WHENEVER I HAD TALKED TO BUSINESSES, I GOT THE LIST.
SO THAT'S BEEN GREEN FOR A WHILE.
UM, WE DO HAVE ALL OF OUR ASSETS ORGANIZED WITHIN SHAREPOINT.
WE NOW ON OUR LANDING PAGES FOR MEDIA AND TRAVEL TRADE, WE'VE GOT AN PUBLIC IMAGE GALLERY THAT YOU CAN GET TO.
HENCE THOSE TRAVEL AGENTS GOT THAT PICTURE OF YOU.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE LOOKING AT TRANSFERRING TO CROWDRIFF FOR THIS, BUT THAT WOULDN'T MAKE THIS LESS GREEN.
UM, AND THEN WE DID EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL COOPERATIVE MARKETING PROGRAMS. UM, I WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THAT.
I DO THINK WE HAVE THEM, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE CAMPAIGN, UH, SHOOTS THAT WE DO.
UM, ONE THING I FOUND WHEN I DID THE RESEARCH WAS THAT MOST OF THE EXAMPLES AT THE JURISDICTIONAL LEVEL ARE PAY TO PLAY, UM, WHICH IS JUST NOT THE PHILOSOPHY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, SO WE TRY TO PROVIDE THEM FOR FREE, WHICH SORT OF CHANGES THE SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE COOPERATIVE MARKETING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE.
THE EXAMPLES I SAW AREN'T THE RIGHT FIT FOR US BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE, WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THEM BE REVENUE GENERATING FOR US AS CODE OF THE PHILOSOPHY.
UM, AND THEN REGULARLY MEET WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UH, I CONTINUE TO DO THAT, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
UH, I KEEP MEETING WITH NEW RESTAURANTS.
I ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH LISA DAHL, UM, FROM DOLL RESTAURANTS YESTERDAY.
AND YOU JUST KIND OF BUILD A RELATIONSHIP THERE.
UM, REALLY, REALLY PHENOMENAL MEETINGS.
GREAT TO FINALLY SIT DOWN WITH HER.
UM, WE'VE HAD BOOK DIRECT ON SCENIC SEDONA FOR A WHILE, AND THEN THIS ONE'S RED AND I WILL CALL IT OUT THAT WE PUT IT IN THE PLAN.
I SAY THAT I TOLD LAUREN I WANTED TO PUT THIS IN THE PLAN.
UM, THE REASON WHY I GUESS I'M KEEPING IT RED IS THAT, UM, WHEN I TALK TO THE CHAMBER, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA LEAD ON.
UM, THE, THE, THE CHAMBER'S GONNA LEAD ON THIS STRATEGY.
SO, UM, I THINK AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE A SUPPORTIVE PARTNER TO THEM IN THIS SPACE, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO DUPLICATE EFFORTS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOOK TO THEM ON THE LEAD FOR KIND OF HOW WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH THEM ON THIS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE DID GO DOWN THE PATHWAY.
SO, UM, COMPILE LIST OF PRIORITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, UH, PARTNER WITH, I'M NOW ON THE VERDE VALLEY REGIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION BOARD, I THINK WOULD BE AN UPDATE FOR YOU WITH THIS ROW.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITIES.
UM, WE REGULARLY MEET WITH ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE TOURISM VALUE CHAIN.
I PRESENTED AT THE VV RIO REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM, UH, IN OCTOBER, FOR EXAMPLE.
[00:55:01]
A GREAT JOB THERE.I'M NOW MEETING SOMEWHAT REGULARLY WITH THE COTTONWOOD TOURISM FOLKS TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHARED STRATEGIES ACROSS THE VERDE VALLEY WHEN APPROPRIATE.
SO, UM, MAKING GOOD PROGRESS THERE.
AND THEN I'VE GOT A STANDING AGENDA ITEM AT THE SEDONA LOGIC COUNCIL, UH, EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY MEET, WHICH IS REALLY WONDERFUL.
AND THEN, UM, WE DO MEET REGULARLY.
I MEET REGULARLY WITH DAVID NOW, UM, AGAIN, TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE HOW TO ALIGN AROUND AN EDITORIAL CONTENT CALENDAR.
SO THE ONE THAT'S RED, I'M JUST GONNA JUMP INTO THIS ONE.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THERE IS A DOMINO EFFECT ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, AND WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO, UM, ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO WAS WE NEED TO GET UPDATED ANNUAL VISITATION NUMBERS AND UPDATED ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBERS.
SO A NEW KINLEY HORN REPORT AND A SECOND DEAN RUNYON ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT, SO THAT WE HAVE UP TO DATE NUMBERS BEFORE WE MOVE DOWN THE DOMINO LIST.
SO WE HAVE, UM, WORK IS PROBABLY IN THE THREE QUARTER TO COMPLETION PHASE WITH KINLEY HORN ON A NEW 2324 ANNUAL VISITATION REPORT.
AND THEN, UM, SIMILAR WITH DEAN RUNYON FROM AN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT.
UM, WE DID GET THE DEAN RUNYAN ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT, UM, AND WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO RUN IT AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FELT GOOD ABOUT THE NUMBERS FOR 23 AND 24 BEFORE WE WENT PUBLIC WITH THEM.
SO THAT WAS A DECISION THAT ESSENTIALLY WE MADE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT.
UM, BUT BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, MY HOPE IS THAT WE HAVE THOSE REPORTS IN PLACE, UM, THIS YEAR.
WHICH AGAIN, IS FUNDAMENTAL TO I THINK, PART OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE TOURISM AND TOWN HALLS, RIGHT? I, I DON'T WANNA WALK INTO TOWN HALLS WITH NUMBERS FROM 22
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AS PRODUCTIVE AS IT COULD BE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SORT OF ESSENTIALLY WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE AT WITH THIS, WITH THIS SLIDE.
BUT, UM, ONCE WE GET THIS RESEARCH ON HOW STATE, COUNTY AND CITY TAXES AND VISITORS PAY INTO AND DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY'RE INVESTED BACK IN THE COMMUNITY VALUES, THAT REALLY IS THE DEAN RUNYAN REPORT.
UM, SO THAT IS SORT OF THE LINCHPIN FOR HOW WE MOVE THAT FORWARD.
AND THEN THAT GETS US INTO, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE BROUGHT TO YOU BY TOURISM CAMPAIGN THAT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE VISITOR AND RESIDENT CONTRIBUTION TO THE TAX BASE.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THE SALES AND TAX REVENUE SALES AND BED TAX REVENUE REALLY CONTRIBUTE TO QUALITY OF LIFE IN SEDONA? UM, AND THEN WE WOULD SORT OF PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
UM, AND AGAIN, PART OF THIS IS WITH THE TOWN HALLS, BUT LET YOU GIVE INPUT ON THAT AND THEN, UM, DEVELOP THAT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AS WELL.
SO ALL THESE ARE SORT OF TIED TO GETTING THE UPDATED NUMBERS.
UM, SO RED BUT ON TRACK FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF JUNE FOR SURE.
UM, TRANSPARENCY HUB I JUST SHOWED YOU, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN PUBLISHED.
UM, IT IS A REAL TIME FEED AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BUILD AWARENESS OF IT.
UM, TOURISM TOWN HALLS I DO HAVE IS YELLOW.
UH, IT'S FUNNY, WHEN YOU WRITE A PLAN, THINGS KIND OF CHANGE MENTALLY OF WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA DO.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS MEANT RESIDENT TOWN HALL.
UM, THE TILAK BUSINESS TENANT LISTENING SESSION THAT WE DID IS 100% OF TOWN HALL.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE DONE ONE OF THEM.
AND NOW AS WE MOVE INTO 2026, WE'RE GONNA DO THE TOWN HALLS THAT ARE RESIDENT AND BUSINESS FOCUSED, BUT SORT OF MORE IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT I THINK WE INITIALLY PUT INTO THE PLAN.
AND THEN TO BOB'S POINT, EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE QUESTIONS RELATED TO RESIDENT SENTIMENT AND CITY SURVEYS, WHICH WAS KIND OF THE NATIONAL, THE NATIONAL SURVEY THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UM, ASSESS THE CURRENT TOURISM RELATED RESEARCH.
YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE OUR RESEARCH STRATEGY, BUT I THINK IT'S RATHER ROBUST AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND I THINK ONE REASON WHY I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL ON THE 17TH IS THAT WE DO HAVE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD KIND OF GRASP ON OUR TOURISM RESEARCH, UM, REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE INDUSTRY TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE YOU WANT.
I SEE SPECIFICALLY LODGING PERFORMANCE SUMMARIES AND NEWSLETTERS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE FEBRUARY THROUGH THE TOURISM BUSINESS NEWSLETTER.
THIS ONE, I CHUCKLE THAT WHEN I READ IT 'CAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATE KEY FINDINGS FROM RESEARCH INTO ALL ASPECTS OF TOURISM OPERATIONS AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS THAT CAN FORECAST THE NEED FOR INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM MANAGEMENT OR MARKETING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I DO BELIEVE WE DID THIS IN JULY WHEN WE WENT TO COUNCIL UNDER A SPECIAL SESSION AND SAID, THROUGH THE DATA THAT WE'RE SEEING AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING, WE ARE RECOMMENDING AN INCREASE TO THE SUMMER CAMP CAMPAIGN SPEND.
SO, UM, WHEN I DID THIS ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE PLAN, I DID SAY, OH, WE ACTUALLY DID THAT TO A T.
SO, UM, WE HAVE ONBOARDED ME MYSELF, UM, WE HAVE HIRED, UM, CAITLIN AS A DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR.
AND THEN THESE TWO, WELL THIS NEXT ONE'S YELLOW 'CAUSE WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT TODAY.
AND TO ME, THIS ONE GETS DONE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT IT'S DEFINED THAT NEXT STRUCTURE FOR THE NEXT SEDONA TOURISM PLAN.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE ENCOURAGING TEAM BUILDING
[01:00:01]
IN A POSITIVE CULTURE, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS KIND OF DO BETTER, UM, AT THAT AS WELL.AND THEN WE'VE GOT A HUGE LIST OF CONFERENCES THAT WE ATTEND.
I'LL BE ATTENDING SIX IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, I THINK IS WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO, UH, THAT ONE'S 70 MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN, UM, I'VE ATTENDED AND LED SESSIONS AT GO SO THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS I WENT THROUGH ALL THAT.
I FIGURED WE MIGHT AS WELL DO IT TOGETHER.
UM, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF PAUSE FOR ANY COMMENTS OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THE PLAN.
THE BIG REMAINING LIFT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS THE ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT RELATED TO THE, UM, RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY AROUND THE TOURISM RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATING THE VALUE OF TOURISM AND THE VALUE OF RESIDENTS TOO.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD, WE WANT TO HAVE A NEW PLAN IN PLACE BY JULY 1 26.
THAT WILL CURRENT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, REPLICATES THE STRUCTURE, BUT WE MIGHT TWEAK SOME OF THE IMPERATIVES AND WE'LL UPDATE THE INITIATIVES TO WHAT WE MAYBE HEAR OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WHAT WE THINK SHOULD BE IN THERE AND MAYBE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE TOWN HALLS.
WILL IT BE A ONE YEAR OR TWO YEAR LENGTH PLAN LIKE THIS? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT IT WOULD BE A TWO TO FOUR YEAR PLAN.
TWO TO FOUR IS SORT OF WHAT I WOULD PUT DOWN THERE.
I THINK WE WANTED A TWO YEAR PLAN TO SAY HOW ARE WE GROWING IN THE TWO YEARS? HOW DO WE SET MILESTONES TO GET TO A BASELINE OF, I THINK, OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS? UM, YOU KNOW, DO WE STILL WANT TO DO A TWO YEAR PLAN OR A FOUR YEAR PLAN? I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE TAP'S GOT ANY IMMEDIATE INPUT ON THAT, BUT I'D SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO BE LESS THAN TWO.
I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO BE MORE THAN FOUR, IS SORT OF WHERE I'M AT.
I LIKE, UH, JUST WHAT YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, ABOUT POTENTIALLY CHANGING THE STRENGTH IN THE ORGANIZATION TOO.
MORE OF AN ENHANCE THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE.
I GOING BACK THROUGH ALL OF THIS, I THINK THAT THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD THE ACTION STEPS BE? WHAT WOULD THE KEY MEASURES BE EXACTLY.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHERE THAT NEW HEADING GUIDES THE PLAN AND WHETHER THAT STRENGTHEN THE ORGANIZATION IS PETERED IN, IN OTHER WAYS.
SO I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE SHIFT IN, IN MOVING FORWARD SINCE THIS WAS MORE OF THE ESTABLISH AND NOW WE'RE MORE INTO THE NEXT PHASE.
I THINK ONE THING THAT I FEEL LIKE WE INTENTIONALLY LEFT OUT OF THIS ITERATION OF THE PLAN WAS THIS FOCUS ON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IS MY INDUSTRY TERM.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST EXPERIENCE ENHANCEMENT IS REALLY, I THINK THE EXTERNAL FACING TERM.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE JUST WALKED THROUGH WITH THE EXPERIENTIAL LANDING PAGES AND KIND OF THAT EDITORIAL CALENDAR STRATEGY, I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN IN FRONT OF THAT ONE MM-HMM
BUT WE NEVER REALLY, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY THAT MENTIONS THAT MM.
IN THIS PLAN THAT WE WALKED THROUGH.
SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING IT.
I I WAS GONNA DO IT REGARDLESS OF WHAT, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST ONE OF MY PASSIONS IN TOURISM.
BUT I THINK MORE PROMINENTLY COMMUNICATING THE WAY THAT WE ARE DEVELOPING, ENHANCING, AND MANAGING EXPERIENCE IN SEDONA SHOULD BE CALLED OUT ON THE NEXT PLAN FOR SURE.
ANOTHER THING THAT THE COUNCIL MENTIONED, UM, I THINK IT WAS COUNCILMAN FURMAN WAS ASKING FOR MORE FOCUS ON MARKETING, OR EXCUSE ME, UM, MORE FOCUS ON MANAGEMENT VERSUS MARKETING, WHICH I THINK WE'RE VERY MUCH DOING.
BUT AGAIN, IF THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY IN THE PLAN MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT CAN, CAN BE LOST IN TRANSLATION.
I'M JUST GONNA COMMENT AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, BOLTING ONTO WHAT BOB IS TALKING ABOUT.
AND I HEARD, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT HOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT AI AND HOW THAT IS OUR VISITORS TOOL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO.
SO, UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT REMAINS A VERY HIGH PRIORITY ISSUE.
AND WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE I WOULD BE BUYING EXPERTISE.
'CAUSE THESE ARE VERY DIFFICULT, LIKE SEOS CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO DESIGN A SITE SO THAT YOUR CRAWLERS GET IN THERE AND WOULD WE BE BOLTING ON AN AI COMPANION OR WEBSITE, LIKE, OH, LET US HELP YOUR TRIP AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M PLANNING A TRIP RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE US AND WHEN WE TALK, TALK ABOUT INNOVATION.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MARKETING, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COMMUNICATE, WE'RE NOT JUST MARKETING, LET'S GET PEOPLE, WE ARE MARKETING TO GET THE MAXIMUM ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM OUR VISITORS.
AND THAT'S LENGTH OF STAY TYPE OF VISITORS EXPERIENCES AND ALL THAT.
SO I, I WOULD NOT DISCOURAGE THE MARKETING.
UH, THE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN HURTING THE PAST 18 MONTHS HERE.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL IN THE COMMUNICATION TO DESCRIBE WHAT OUR PURPOSE BEHIND MARKETING IS.
[01:05:01]
INTENTION TO HAVE SOME SORT OF AI CHAT? I KNOW AT ONE POINT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS A TAB ABOUT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL OR BENEFIT TO DOING THAT.WHAT, WHERE IS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON THAT NOW? UM, WE'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL FOLKS, YOU KNOW, TRUE OMNI'S ONE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH IT, WITH THE KIOSK.
UM, THEY'RE NOT CHEAP TO SOME EXTENT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, I'VE PERSONALLY BEEN WAITING TO SEE THEM COME ONLINE.
UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, VISIT COLORADO SPRINGS JUST LAUNCHED ONE.
UH, MY FORMER PEER IS NOW WITH VISIT KEY WEST AND THE FLORIDA KEYS.
AND THEY WORKED WITH ACTUALLY MATADOR TO BUILD THEIR ENTIRE WEBSITE.
SO THEY'VE GOT AN ENTIRE AI WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M SORT OF JUST WATCHING MY PEERS GO THROUGH MAYBE THE, UH, THE PAINFUL ASPECT OF THIS MORE THAN ANYTHING.
BUT THEN, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT'S, I THINK WHAT I FEEL NICE ABOUT IS THAT I CAN, I COULD CALL KARA AND ASK HER FOR HER EXPERIENCE.
SO I THINK ME BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THE INDUSTRY PEERS TO SEE WHAT'S WORKING AND NOT RATHER THAN FEELING ALONE, BUT I JUST KIND OF WAITING TO SEE HOW THE FIRST WAVE OF THESE GO DOWN.
LIKE, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BUY THE SECOND MODEL YEAR OF THE CAR, RIGHT? NOT THE FIRST, THE FIRST MODEL YEAR FASTER.
BUT AGAIN, IN THE MEANTIME IT'S STRUCTURING OUR WEBSITE CONTENT IS SORT OF THE PRIMARY GOAL HERE.
SO THAT, UM, AND I THINK, I MEAN, THIS HAS JUST BEEN THE, THE STORY IS THAT DMO WEBSITES ARE DOWN 20 ISH PERCENT JUST STANDARD.
UM, AND OURS CONTINUES TO GROW MM-HMM
AND, UM, THE REASON WHY IS THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR OUR CLICKS.
UM, BUT IN GENERAL, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE THE ORGANIC WEBSITE TRAFFIC TO DMO WEBSITES IS REALLY GOING DOWN.
AND OURS HAS ALWAYS BEEN PAID TRAFFIC.
UM, SO HOW CAN WE THEN STRUCTURE OUR CONTENT? 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY GONNA MISS THE TRAFFIC IF THEY DON'T COME TO US 'CAUSE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE IT.
AND THEN ONE THING I THINK ABOUT TOO, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, AGAIN, I MENTIONED WHAT ARE THE KIND OF THE THREE ROLES OF A-D-M-M-O.
IT'S MANAGE THE REPUTATION, PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION, AND BE A TRUSTED CONVENER.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THREE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE CORE.
IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THAT AND MANAGE THE REPUTATION LINE OF IT, YOU KNOW, I'M LESS CONCERNED IF THEY COME TO SCENIC SEDONA.COM TO GET THE INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT THEM TO GET THE INFORMATION.
SO IF WE CAN BE A SOURCE THAT AI IS LOOKING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL MENTION THE SHUTTLE, IT'LL TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AVOIDING, YOU KNOW, STAYING ON TRAIL ESSENTIALLY WHEN YOU'RE ON PUBLIC LANDS, YOU KNOW, I'M LESS CONCERNED IF THEY GENERATE ANOTHER USER ON SCENIC SED DONOR OR THAT'S THERE.
SO IT'S KIND OF RETHINKING THE ROLE OF WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
AND I THINK IT'S NICE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT OUR GOAL AS MANAGING THE REPUTATION, AND THAT'S ACROSS CHANNELS.
WE OWN A FEW, BUT HOW IS THAT BEING PROVIDED IN OTHER CHANNELS AS WELL? MM-HMM
SO THE REASON THAT DDMO WEBSITES ARE DOWN IS THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO AI AND SAYING, PLAN THIS TRIP FOR ME OR GIVE ME, THEY NEVER MAKE IT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TYPING IN WHAT IS IT TO DO IN SEDONA? YEAH.
AND IT JUST BRINGS UP A LIST AND THEN, THEN THEY GO ON.
AND THEY USED TO LAND ON A DMO WEBSITE.
BUT IN GENERAL, THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE.
BUT THEN AGAIN, FOR US, THROUGH OUR CAMPAIGNS, OUR PAID SEARCH, OUR WORK WITH A OT CO-OP, I MEAN, WE'RE DRIVING PEOPLE TO THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY OUR TRAFFIC CONTINUES TO GO UP YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE NEW, SO I'M HOPING IT'S STILL GOING UP.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEL FOR, UM, THE CHAMBER'S WEBSITE, VISIT SEDONA.COM? I WOULD, I WOULD TALK TO THEM, BUT, UM, I WANT TO ASK 'EM TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE BECAUSE I, I, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M VERY IMPRESSED THAT AFTER TWO YEARS, UH, WE COME UP FIRST ON GOOGLE SEARCH MM-HMM
UH, AND THEY HAD AN ESTABLISHED WEBSITE THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR 10 YEARS.
AND, UH, AND WE COME UP FIRST NOW, SO THAT THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
SO THAT'S WHY WELL, YEAH, THAT YEAH, DEFINITELY HELPS, BUT STILL DEFINITELY DOES.
IT IS AMAZING HOW AI JUST TAKES OVER.
I MEAN, YOU ASK A QUESTION AND WHY WOULD YOU SCROLL DOWN WHEN THE ANSWER'S RIGHT THERE? YEAH.
UM, ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE GROCERY STORES AT ALL? I KNOW JUST OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT IN GENERAL, I LOVE, I MEAN, AS A RESIDENT, I'M ALWAYS DOING NATURAL GROCERIES, WHOLE FOODS, SAFEWAY.
I MEAN, IT'S, I'M GOING TO MULTIPLE PLACES AND I WAS SO INTERESTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE HOLIDAY GROUP, JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN AND KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR, YOU COULD KIND OF TELL WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING IN FROM, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I SEE SHUTTLE INFORMATION OR, UM, I ALWAYS
[01:10:01]
LOVE LISTENING TO, I ALWAYS GET IN THE LINES.I LOVE HEARING PEOPLE GIVE FEEDBACK ON WHAT HIKES TO DO AND WHATNOT.
LIKE, ARE YOU INTERFACING WITH ANY OF THE GROCERY STORES AS LIKE A TOURISM CONNECTION OR HUB FOR YEAH, NOT DIRECTLY YET.
I THINK IT'S GOOD FEEDBACK FOR US TO KIND OF INGEST.
UM, WE'RE DOING A BIT OF JUST KIND OF A LOOK FORWARD WITH TRANSIT MARKETING TOMORROW, ACTUALLY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING I CAN MAYBE BRING UP AND JUST TALK ABOUT AGAIN, HOW DO WE BUILD MORE AWARENESS? UM, I MEAN, I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH WHOLE FOODS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT AGAIN, UM, THAT THEIR RETURNS, LIKE THEIR AMAZON RETURNS.
SO JUST NOW GETTING INTO LIKE CHRISTMAS ORDERING MM-HMM
SO EVEN AS, AGAIN, IF YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, VISITING AND HAD ORDERED SOMETHING, IT HAD NOT BEEN CORRECT, YOU KNOW, HOW AMAZON OR HOW WHOLE FOODS IS SUCH A HUB, LIKE THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF JUST YOUR MAIN HUBS WHILE STAYING IN SEDONA.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE, ESPECIALLY WHOLE FOODS, BUT NATURAL GROCERIES AS WELL, JUST WHAT A GREAT RESOURCE.
NO, I DEFINITELY SAY, I MEAN, TO BUILD ON THAT, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THE EGG SUPPLY IS A BAROMETER OF VISITATION SOMETIMES TOO.
YOU CAN TELL WHEN THERE'S PEOPLE IN TOWN BUY, WE SHOULD GO TO NATURAL GROCERIES FOR X, THEIR PRICES ARE WAY BETTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK THERE'S, AND THE, I GUESS THE OTHER THING I'M THINKING ABOUT TOO, WHEN YOU MENTIONED IS LIKE PART OF THE RESIDENT STRATEGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND THIS IS THE FLIP SIDE OF IT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I WAS AT WHOLE FOODS ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING AND INSANE.
I WAS KIND OF JUST TALKING TO THE CASHIER FOR A LITTLE BIT WHEN I WAS AT THE SELF CHECKOUT AND YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE COMING IN AND ASKING WHY THINGS ARE BUSY AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT IT'S THANKSGIVING.
AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THIS IDEA OF LIKE BUSY SEASON FORECASTING WITH RESIDENTS AND YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN WE MIGHT GET BUSY, WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT THAT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE COMING UP TO A BUSY SEASON.
LIKE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO NOT PLAN TO GET GROCERIES ON A THURSDAY OR TRY TO GET YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS ON A SATURDAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
AND LIKE, JUST BE MORE PROACTIVE.
AND THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN, AS WE GET FURTHER DOWN THAT RED LIST THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE WOULD EXECUTE ON THAT, BUT MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH RESIDENTS? AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, GROCERY STORES ARE CERTAINLY A CHANNEL MM-HMM
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY AN, AN ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE CATEGORY.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS, THE EXPERIENCE IS NOT JUST FOR TOURISTS, BUT IT'S THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVING HERE AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT WAS VERY CLEAR FROM THE, UM, COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
SO I'M GONNA JUMP OVER TO BUDGET AND THEN WE GOT TOWN HALLS AFTER THIS.
SO I KNOW I SENT YOU THE STAFF REPORT YESTERDAY, BUT I HOPE YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO, UM, AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK ABOUT IT.
UM, JUST SOME CONTEXT FOR YOU.
UH, WE SORT OF BEGAN HERE AT THE CITY BUDGETING FOR FY 27 LAST MONTH.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE BUDGET KICKOFF YESTERDAY AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND THEN ON OUR END, LIKE DRAFT BUDGETS ARE DUE INTERNALLY HERE AT THE CITY BY THE END OF JANUARY.
AND THEN, UH, THOSE WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL DURING SESSIONS THAT OCCUR IN APRIL.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL WILL ESSENTIALLY ADOPT A BUDGET IN JUNE BEFORE JULY ONE.
UM, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY PROPOSING A TOURISM BUDGET THAT IS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS, EXCEPT, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONTINGENCY BUDGET THAT IS DEDICATED TO THE TOURISM PROGRAM THAT CAN BE ACCESSED TO INCREASED PAID ADVERTISING DURING STRATEGIC TIMES OF YEAR.
UM, WE HAVE ACCESS CONTINGENCY FUNDS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
UH, WE DID GET THE $50,000 IN PAID ADVERTISING FOR THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN, AND WE DID SUCCESSFULLY GET THE EXTRA GIVE OR TAKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE ACTIVE WINTER CAMPAIGN.
THOSE FUNDS WERE PULLED FROM THE CITY'S CONTINGENCY FUND THAT WAS NOT A CONTINGENCY FUND FOR TOURISM.
SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE NUANCE THAT I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF PAUSE ON.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ALSO CURRENTLY PROPOSING A PURCHASE OF A THIRD DIGITAL KIOSK THAT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH A DECISION PACKAGE.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LOCATING AT THE PARKING GARAGE.
UM, WE WOULD DO A DECISION PACKAGE REGARDLESS, BUT THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE WE DID LAST TIME TO USE, UM, BUDGET SAVINGS IN FY 26 TO PAY FOR IT.
UM, BUT EITHER WAY, THE PROPOSITION IS TO SUBMIT A DECISION PACKAGE LIKE WE DID LAST TIME.
UM, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT ALL THREE OF THOSE.
[5.c. FY27 Tourism Program budget planning]
AND THEN JUST TO START HERE WITH THE FY 27 TOURISM PROGRAM AND BUDGET, I WANTED TO PULL TOGETHER A LITTLE PIE CHART FOR US.UM, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU HOW I
[01:15:01]
THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF REALLY BALANCING OUR SPEND, UM, AS A, AS A DEPARTMENT.SO PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS IS, YOU KNOW, SALARIES, WAGES, BENEFITS, BUT ALSO SOFTWARE THROUGH IT, KIND OF ANY OPERATIONAL EXPENSES IN IS IN THAT BUCKET.
UM, PAID ADVERTISING, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE THREE 50 WITH OUR CAMPAIGNS.
AND THEN THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF OTHER PAID ADVERTISING THAT WE DO WITH THINGS LIKE THE SEDONA NOW VIDEOS, THE VISITOR BEHAVIOR MESSAGING CAMPAIGNS, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA BUDGET, UM, NON DVA RELATED SOCIAL MEDIA BUDGET, UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, YOU KNOW, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE DVA CONTRACT PRIMARILY.
BUT THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR TRANSIT MARKETING.
YOU'VE GOT SOME A OT CO-OP FUNDS IN THERE.
UM, WE'VE GOT B2B INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS OUR, UM, TOURISM INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIPS, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT WE DO WITH TRAVEL TRADE AT CONFERENCES AND MEDIA CONFERENCES, UM, FAM AND PRESS TRIPS, AND ALSO OUR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
AND THEN THIS IS THE, UH, ESTABLISHED PRICE FOR THE VISITOR CENTER NEXT FISCAL YEAR IN THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAD WITH THEM.
SO, UM, I KNOW I ALLUDED TO IT IN THE STAFF REPORT, BUT TECHNICALLY THIS TOTAL BUDGET IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN FY 26.
NO CHANGES TO TOURISM PROGRAM SPEND OTHER THAN, UM, WE ARE BEING RESTRUCTURED INTO OUR OWN DEPARTMENT ESSENTIALLY NEXT YEAR.
SO, UM, CURRENTLY AS I'M SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY, I'M WITHIN THE COMMUNICATIONS, TOURISM AND ECONOMIC INITIATIVES, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, STARTING JULY ONE, I WILL BE IN THE TOURISM AND ECONOMIC INITIATIVES DEPARTMENT.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE SPLIT EMPLOYEES ACROSS COMMUNICATIONS AND TOURISM.
AND LAUREN RECENTLY GOT A PROMOTION, SO WE'VE JUST KIND OF RESTRUCTURED STAFFING ON THAT.
SO THE ONLY CHANGE HASN'T BEEN, WE STILL HAVE THE SAME CAPACITY, BUT SALARIES AND WAGES ARE BEING PAID FOR BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR THOSE STAFF.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU'RE SEEING IT DECREASE YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THEN RESEARCH GOES UNDER, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
RESEARCH GOES UNDER, SO OUR RESEARCH PLATFORMS ARE UNDER PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS.
THAT'S IN THE, UH, THAT'S IN PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONS.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN WE DO LIKE THE KIMLEY HORN STUDY, UM, MY RESEARCH, UH, BUDDY THAT I LIKE TO CALL HIM, BUT OUR SORT OF LIKE, UM, RESEARCH STRATEGIST, UH, THAT'S COMING OUTTA PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
WHAT IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR SEDONA SHUTTLE MARKETING? THAT JUST SEEMED ODD.
UM, SO THE TRANSIT MARKETING IS UNDERNEATH, UM, THE COMMUNICATIONS BUDGET OR THE TOURISM BUDGET BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHY, I DON'T REMEMBER WHY IT GOT PUT THERE.
UM, BUT IT IS, AND SO AMBER OVERSEES THE, THE TRANSIT PROGRAM AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, MYSELF AND ROB AND KEEGAN ALL HELP WITH THE MARKETING, UM, AND WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT, A LOT OF THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS SPENT ON PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
SO ALL THE PRINTING, EVERY TIME WE DO A SCHEDULED CHANGE, WE GOTTA DO A RERUN OF ALL THE PRINTING AND THEN WE TAKE 'EM ALL TO ALL THE CONCIERGES AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE THING.
BUT THAT, UM, THE REST OF IT PAYS FOR A CONSULTANT, UM, TO DO THE WEBSITE, UM, AND THEN CREATE ALL OF THOSE, UM, MARKETING MATERIALS WHEN WE DO HAVE CHANGES.
BUT THAT'S TOURIST AIMED SHUTTLE SERVICE, NOT NECESSARILY LOCALS? NO, IT'S BOTH.
SO WHAT'S THEN, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE CURRENTLY FOR LOCALS VERSUS TOURISTS? YOU MEAN THE AMOUNT? UH, IT'S, SO IT'S THE SAME.
USUALLY THE MATERIALS ARE THE SAME AND WE'RE DOING LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO FACEBOOK POSTS AIMED AT LOCALS VERSUS FACEBOOK POSTS AIMED AT VISITORS.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT BREAKDOWN.
UM, BUT IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE VISITORS GET A LOT OF THOSE PRINTED MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING, UM, SENT TO ALL THE HOTELS.
NOW WE DO, UM, LET'S SEE, LAST YEAR WE DID AT LEAST TWO UM, FULL CITY MAILERS.
UM, WHICH ARE EACH, YOU KNOW, $6,000 AT LEAST.
UM, SO WELL FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HELPFUL IF IN A TOWN MEETING YOU TALK ABOUT THESE TOURIST RELATED STUFF ALSO, OR FOR LOCALS.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE SHUTTLES, THERE'S KIND OF A DUAL PURPOSE HERE.
SO I CAN ARGUE PART OF THAT CERTAINLY IS TOURIST ONLY.
BUT IF YOU'RE SEEING $2 RIDES FOR LOCALS BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA DEAL WITH ALL THE TRAFFIC OF TOURISM, THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING.
SO HOW DO YOU, WE, WE HAVE DEFINITELY BROKEN, UM, THE WAYS THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING DOWN INTO THAT, THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE JUST BROUGHT, UM, THE CHAPEL NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT.
UM, ON TO SEDONA SHUTTLE CONNECT.
WELL WE DID, UM, EXPERIMENTS OVER, RIGHT? OR YOU'RE STILL TESTING THAT IN SHAFT? YEAH, WE ONLY LAUNCHED IT A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO, RIGHT.
[01:20:01]
SO, SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS TO CHECK IT OUT TO GET TO DEMAND.BUT, BUT THAT'S INTENTIONAL IN THE SENSE OF YOU WOULD EXPECT THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL USE TO INCREASE, AS YOU SAY, WELL THIS WORKING HERE, IT'S WORKING THERE 'CAUSE YOU'RE TAKING A WALK NOT RUN APPROACH, WHICH I THINK IS VERY PRUDENT.
SO, SO I THINK AS TIME GOES ON A TOWN HALL THAT TALKS ABOUT WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR HERE BASED UPON WHAT THE MONEY WE'RE GETTING FROM TOURISTS IS A VERY STRONG POINT.
IS KIND OF MY POSITION HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANNA SAY TOO, YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS, UM, HAVING TO REPRINT AND TAKE THOSE TO THE CONCIERGE AND EVERYTHING, BUT THAT'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO GET CAPTURE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL QR CODES.
WELL THAT TOO, BUT THERE'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY.
WE DO THAT AT THE GROCERY STORE.
YEAH, WE DO DO THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
UM, WE HAVE THERESA, UM, WORK WITH PUTTING THOSE MATERIALS INSIDE OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS FOR THE OWNERS THAT WANT THEM.
UM, AND WE DO EMAIL PUSHES TO THEM TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA NECESSARILY DRIVE AROUND TO EVERY SHORT-TERM RENTAL, BUT WE WILL, WE DO HAVE IT HERE SO THAT ALL THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OWNERS CAN COME AND GET THE MATERIALS, HOWEVER MANY THEY WANT.
UM, AND MOSTLY THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES ARE, ARE GREAT WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE MANAGING.
SO THE, FOR THOSE THAT ARE, I'M SORRY, I MEANT TO RAISE MY VOICE AGAIN.
YOU HAVE ONE CARD PER UNIT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESTOCK ANYTHING.
WHY ARE WE USING PAPER HERE? THIS IS, I'M SORRY, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A WASTE OF OUR TIME AND MONEY.
IF YOU HAVE ONE CARD, YOU SIMPLY IN THE BACK END CHANGE IT ELECTRONICALLY, GET AN EMAIL NOTICE WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT FOR YOU GUYS.
AND ALL THE CONCIERGES ARE ON THE EMAIL.
SIMPLE TO DO A LOT LESS HAS HASSLE.
AND WELL RICHARD, IF THERE WAS A QR CARD RIGHT, WE EACH HOTEL OR EACH BUSINESS COULD HAVE A VERY NICE, IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME.
YOU'RE JUST BUILDING OUT BEHIND IT.
IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE MEDIEVAL.
WHEN I WAS TRAVELING IN EUROPE FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAD QR CODES FOR EXACTLY THAT AND FOR THE LOCAL STUFF.
AND I WOULD CLICK IT, I WOULD GET IT AND SAY, OH, ENGLISH PLEASE VERSUS GERMAN OR ITALIAN.
AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION TO ME ON A TIMELY BASIS.
AND IF UPDATED TOMORROW BEAUTIFUL, I PICK IT TOMORROW AND I LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
SO AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE THAT PUSH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO USE PAPER NO MORE.
IS THERE AN ADVANTAGE TO, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THAT OUT THERE IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW, A TRANSITION PHASE FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.
BUT THEN ANOTHER QUESTION IS IF YOU HAVE THE QR CODE, THEN CAN YOU TRACK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THE SITE AND GET TRACKING DATA THAT WAY? YEAH, BECAUSE YES, BECAUSE IF YOUR MOBILE PHONE ALLOWS TRACKING, THEN YOU TRACK THAT.
NOT EVERYBODY DOES AS WE KNOW.
SO YOU STILL WOULDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY PHONE DEPENDING ON, FOR THE SMALLER VERSION OF PEOPLE I'LL TRACK ANYMORE.
BUT STILL THE, THE GROCERY STORE, FIVE PEOPLE IN TOWN.
BUT IT'D BE A LOT EASIER TO GET A QR CODE IN AN AIRBNB OR SHORT TERM RENTAL THAN IT WOULD BE TO REPEAT.
AND YOU JUST, I KNOW BECAUSE I RUN HOTELS, YOU'RE ALSO, YOU GIVE 'EM PAPER.
NOW WE HAVE STAFF THAT HAS TO DEAL WITH IT AND GET IT IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND KNOW IT'S THERE AND GIVE THE NEW ONE.
YOU JUST ADDED A LOT OF BE AIR, THE HARDBOARD STUFF THAT LAST MORE THAN A COUPLE WEEKS.
I DO GET THE EMAILS FROM THERESA, BUT I DON'T RECALL, THIS IS WHY I WAS ASKING IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T RECALL ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT COMING IN AND GETTING THE YEAH, WE'VE DEF I MEAN WE DID.
YEAH, NO, I MEAN I'M SURE IT'S THERE, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS I GOT THE EMAIL, I KNOW THAT I SKIMMED IT, BUT I STILL, AND AND AGAIN, I'M NOT MANAGING MANY AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT THE TARGET FOR THAT.
BUT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE DOING A FEW OR THEIR OWN AND SO THEN THEY COULD BE MISSED AND THEN THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GROCERY STORE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE KIND OF A LOOK FORWARD WITH KIND OF TRANSIT MARKETING.
AGAIN, I JUST SEE THE TOURISM PROGRAM BEING MORE INVOLVED JUST 'CAUSE OF THE OVERLAP ON IT.
UM, AS AN ASIDE, I DID MEET A WOMAN THAT REPRESENTS LIKE 900 SHORT TERM RENTALS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA AND ROBIN AND I ARE GONNA MEET WITH HER NEXT WEEK AND JUST AGAIN, JUST EXPLORE WAYS 'CAUSE I'M WITH YOU TO SOME EXTENT, RIGHT? LIKE SENDING A NEWSLETTER DOESN'T MEAN IT GOT RECEIVED.
AND I KNOW SHE DOES AND WE STILL NEED TO DO IT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO REACH THEM? UH, ABSOLUTELY.
ESPECIALLY I THINK WITH THE CONCENTRATION OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT ARE IN THE CHAPEL NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE NEW SERVICE THAT'S THERE.
I MEAN THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN WANTED THE SHUTTLE INFORMATION PROBABLY THE LAST TIME WE SENT THE NEWSLETTER OUT.
SO HOW ARE WE GETTING BACK, BACK IN FRONT OF THEM? WHAT WAS THE LOGIC IN REDUCING THE, UH, BEHAVIOR MESSAGING CAMPAIGN? UM, SO THERE'S TWOFOLD TO IT.
UH, ONE IS THAT WE HAVE SOME HARD COSTS THAT CONTINUE TO GO UP RELATED TO THINGS LIKE INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIPS, UM, THE IT FUND.
UM, SO JUST TRYING TO BALANCE THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE DIRECTIVES, I DON'T KNOW IF LAUREN, YOU WANT TO ELABORATE ON IT, BUT IF JUST NOT TRYING TO PRESENT A BUDGET THAT'S HIGHER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR IS SORT OF SORT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
[01:25:01]
IN TO VISITOR BEHAVIOR MESSAGING THIS FISCAL YEAR.UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT INVESTMENT WAS SORT OF A ONE YEAR INVESTMENT.
SO IF I HAD TO PULL IT, IF I HAD TO MOVE MONEY, UM, FROM ONE BUCKET TO ANOTHER, WE STILL WANT TO DO IT.
BUT THEN GETTING TO IT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO STILL STILL BEING ABLE TO DO IT NEXT FISCAL YEAR, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY MADE THAT UPFRONT INVESTMENT IN IT THIS YEAR.
WELL, WE'LL COME BACK PROBABLY WHEN THE SUSTAINABILITY TOPIC COMES BACK TOO, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THOSE ARE KIND OF HAND IN GLOVE ALSO, I THINK AFTER TOWN HALLS WHEN YOU SEE WHAT, WHAT THE FEEDBACK IS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND I THINK AGAIN, FOR US IT WAS LAUNCHING APPRECIATE SEDONA THIS YEAR AS BEING KIND OF THE LIFT AND THEN HOPEFULLY THAT'S DOESN'T NEED AS MUCH EACH YEAR MOVING FORWARD.
BUT, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA PARAPHRASE.
SO I'M HEARING IS, UH, TO GET THIS OUT, A LOT OF IT HAS A VALUE BEYOND THE FIRST YEAR AND, AND YOU HAVE INCREMENTAL INVESTMENTS EACH YEAR.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE BUDGET? UM, AFTER THE TOWN HALL THAT WE HAD AT TILLOCK, AND THIS IS ME WEARING MY BUSINESS HAT AND MY RESIDENT HAT, UM, WHEN I CAME AND TALKED TO COUNCIL, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I KNOW YOUR GUYS' RESEARCH IS WAY BEYOND ANYTHING THAT I'VE COME UP WITH.
AND SAME WITH DVA, BUT WE'RE COMPETING WITH SCOTTSDALE SANTA FE, PARK CITY, JACKSON HOLE.
THEY HAVE TOTAL TOURISM BUDGETS THAT RANGE BETWEEN FOUR AND $15 MILLION.
OURS IS TWO AND THEY SPEND NEARLY HALF OR MORE OF THAT JUST ON PAID ADVERTISING, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE SPENDING BETWEEN TWO AND $7 MILLION AND WE'RE SPENDING 435,000.
WE'RE NOT GONNA COMPETE WITH THEM IF WE'RE NOT ON THAT LEVEL, WE NEED TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE.
UM, MAYOR PLU DID MENTION THEY'RE OPEN TO THESE, YOU KNOW, TO AN INCREASE IN THE BUDGET.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MORE.
'CAUSE I, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR MORE AND WE NEED MORE TARGETED SPECIFIC ADVERTISING SO THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT HIGH VALUE DISCERNING TRAVELER THAT'S GONNA STAY LONGER.
WE DON'T NEED, IT'S WHAT IS, UM, BRETT BRETT'S LITTLE SAYING MORE DONE BETTER IS LESS OR LESS DONE.
BETTER IS MORE SOMETHING ABOUT HOW IF WE REALLY TARGET THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SPEND LONGER TIME, THEY'RE GONNA SPREAD THEIR MONEY AROUND THE ACADEMIC IMPACT THAT YOU, YOU REFER TO EARLIER.
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE HERE.
SO FROM A RESIDENT STANDPOINT, WE'RE NOT CONGESTED, WE'RE NOT OVERCROWDED, WE'RE NOT OVERRUN AND WE HAVE FEWER PEOPLE, BUT WE'VE GOT A BIGGER ECONOMIC IMPACT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY WE'RE STILL ONLY ASKING FOR WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? HOW, HOW MUCH IS THE CHAMBER SPEND IN THEIR BUDGET FOR PROMOTING SEDONA BUSINESSES? UH, THEY'RE NOT SPENDING THAT MUCH RIGHT NOW.
HOW, HOW MUCH DO I, I DON'T KNOW.
I WOULD HAVE TO CALL MY HUSBAND AND ASK HIM 'CAUSE HE'S ON THE BOARD.
'CAUSE I, IT'S, IT'S NOT SUBSTANTIAL.
I LOOK AT, IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY, THE CHAMBER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY FOR BUSINESSES, WHICH I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF FOR 23 YEARS.
THEY ARE NOT DOING IT ANYMORE.
SO I THINK THERE'S A TWO SIDED ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, NOT A ONE SIDED.
THE REASON WHY I'M BRINGING THAT UP, IT, IT'S NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL AT THIS POINT.
AND ANDREW, YOU MIGHT HAVE A BETTER INSIGHT INTO IT.
I KNOW THE LODGING, UM, THE NEW BID HAS ITS OWN KIND OF SEPARATE THING.
AND I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT'S AT A MILLION IF I'M CORRECT.
I IT WAS, THEY'RE NOT SHARING PUBLICLY WHAT THEIR BUDGET IS.
I DON'T, I'M NOT EVEN FOR SURE WHAT THAT IS.
THEY'RE NOT THE TRAP OF THE PUBLIC HAVING TO WEIGH ALL THE BUDGET FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO AVOID BY SAYING WE SHOULD LOOK AT ALL THE INFORMATION FIRST.
THEY'RE JUST, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'M SUGGESTING HERE.
I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING THAT MUCH AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
I THINK PAID ADVERTISING, I JUST WANNA REINFORCE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY BEFORE WHEN YOU HEARD COUNCIL TALK IS ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
SO I'M WONDERING WHERE THE DIRECTIVE IS.
LET'S KEEP OUR BUDGET THE SAME HOME RULE.
WE RISK, UM, THE COMMUNITY SHOOTING DOWN THE ENTIRE BUDGET IF WE AREN'T VERY STRATEGIC IN WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
UM, SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T, I MEAN, ANDREW'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CONTINGENCY THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, UM, THIS COMING YEAR.
IT IS PROBABLY, I IMAGINE ALLIE, YOU'RE GONNA SAY ASK FOR MORE.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE BOARD IF WE HAVE A, UH, A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT OR NOT.
UM, BUT IT, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL FROM A STRATEGY STANDPOINT, UM, OF WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
[01:30:02]
UM, OR I GUESS WHAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVES, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE WEIGHING WHAT THEY THINK THE COMMUNITY APPETITE IS FOR OUR BUDGET.WELL, I I THINK IT'S AN ALLOCATION OF THE BED TAX.
WHAT PERCENTAGES COMING BACK TO THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE PERCENTAGE? HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OTHER, IT ISN'T JUST RAW DOLLARS, RIGHT? SO I, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT MESA RIGHT NOW AND THEY SPEND THREE TIMES AS MUCH ON MARKETING WITH A FRACTION OF THE BED TAX.
UM, SO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.
UM, I DID SOME RESEARCH ABOUT OTHER DMO THAT I THINK ARE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS AS US.
UM, I THINK AGAIN, I I LOOK AT A LOT OF THE COLORADO DESTINATIONS I USED TO WORK WITH BEING PRETTY SIMILAR.
I CONNECTED WITH BIG SKY MONTANA, I CONNECTED WITH BEND OREGON.
UM, PAID ADVERTISING BUDGET IN BIG SKY MONTANA IS $600,000.
UM, PAID ADVERTISING BUDGET IN BEND IS PROBABLY CLOSER TO $700,000.
UM, FLAGSTAFF ABOVE US, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS STARTS AROUND A $600,000 BUDGET AND THEN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THEY GET CLOSER TO MAYBE A MILLION DOLLARS IN PAID ADVERTISING.
UM, HOW MANY TOURISTS GO TO THOSE PLACES FOR THOSE BUDGETS? I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
YEAH, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT'S A KIND OF A TRADE OFF FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, A BUDGET COULD BE $10 IF YOU'RE GETTING 50 PEOPLE, IT COULD BE A REALLY GOOD DEAL.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE NUMBER.
ANOTHER THING TOO RIGHT, IS THAT I DO THINK THAT AS YOU BECOME A MORE ESTABLISHED DESTINATION, WHICH WE ARE CERTAINLY MM-HMM
I THINK TO YOUR POINT AROUND WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF BED TECHS, TO ME IT'S LOOKING AT DESTINATIONS THAT ARE COMPARABLE TO US THAT ARE LOOKING AT SIMILAR MANAGEMENT THINGS LIKE OUR SHUTTLE SYSTEM IS AMAZING.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR GENERAL FUND IS CONTRIBUTING TO, WHICH IS WHAT OUR SALES AND BED TAX CONTRIBUTES TO.
UM, BUT I THINK REALLY WHERE WE'VE LOOKED AT IT STRATEGICALLY GIVEN, YOU KNOW, MOVING INTO A HOME RULE VOTE, THIS CONTINGENCY FUND IS, I GUESS WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FIND A COMPROMISE ON ALLIE AND BE ABLE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET AN EXTRA $300,000 IN TOURISM CONTINGENCY FUNDS THAT NEED TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY JUST TO EXECUTE ON THEM LIKE WE DO WITH THE OTHER DOLLARS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD TAKE, UM, 435 AND MAKE IT 7 35 THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PAID ADVERTISING NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE A BUDGETED AMOUNT OF 4 35, BUT THEN RATHER THAN ASKING FOR CITY CONTINGENCY FUNDS, WHICH WE GOT CRITIQUED, I THINK RIGHTFULLY SO, 'CAUSE WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDS THAT COULD GO TO ANYTHING.
UM, AND IT WAS SORT OF WHAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF TAKING FUNDING OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE CITY'S CONTINGENCY FUND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING SETTING UP A CONTINGENCY FUND FOR THE TOURISM PROGRAM TO DO THINGS SUCH AS, UM, WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE, WHICH WAS MAKE THE CASE TO EXPAND THE REACH OF SUMMER AND WINTER CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, SHOULD BUSINESS PERFORMANCE BE DOWN YEAR OVER YEAR, SORT OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
UM, THE OTHER ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PROPOSE TO THEM IS EXPLORING YEAR ROUND MARKETING TO HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR FLIGHT MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, SO STILL NOT DOING YEAR-ROUND MARKETING AND DRIVE, BUT MAINTAINING A, A, A YEAR ROUND PRESENCE WITH THE HIGH NET WORTH FOLKS IN OUR FLIGHT MARKETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST PROPOSE, UM, AS PART OF OUR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IN, IN CONTINGENCY.
AND THEN WE DID HERE AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, OF HAVING THIS STRATEGIC EVENT FUND.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WNBA WAS IN PHOENIX IN SEPTEMBER AND THERE WAS THIS PUSH TO SAY, HEY, WOULD YOU WANT TO MARKET THERE TO PRESENT SEDONA AS AN OVERNIGHT DESTINATION DURING A HIGH IMPACT EVENT IN THE VALLEY? UM, HAVING FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
SO THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES OF HOW WE GOT TO KIND OF WANTING TO HAVE A $300,000 IN CONTINGENCY FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO I'M NOT SAYING EACH OF THESE IS EXACTLY WHERE IT WOULD BE.
UM, ONE INTERESTING EXERCISE THAT I WENT THROUGH AS PART OF JUST GETTING THE BUDGET READY WAS OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE 70% OF THE YEAR.
UM, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT IF YOU WANTED TO PUT MONEY INTO JUST THE STANDARD CAMPAIGN FOR THE REMAINING 30, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S I THINK A TESTAMENT TO OUR ABILITY TO MAKE THE CASE FOR BOOKING WINDOWS AND MOVING CAMPAIGN FLIGHT LAUNCHES UP.
BUT JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SHARE AS PART OF THIS THAT WE'RE NOT JUST MARKETING
[01:35:01]
50% OF THE YEAR AT THIS POINT.OUR CAMPAIGNS ARE IN FLIGHT FOR 70% OF THE YEAR AND THEY'RE JUST NOT FOR 30.
BUT I THINK THAT SECOND BULLET LOOKS AT MORE, YOU KNOW, AN AVENUE FOR US TO DO MORE YEAR ROUND MARKETING, CONTINUE TO REALLY, UM, ATTRACT THAT HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUAL AND MAINTAIN A PRESENCE IN AREAS THAT ARE FLIGHT AND NOT DRIVE.
YES, RICHARD? YEAH, A QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE MARKETING 70%.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECT, WE HAVE BASICALLY A SUMMER AND A WINTER OR SPRING.
SO WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT MARKETS.
YOU'RE SAYING THE FOUR DIFFERENT SEASONS THEN? NO, I MEAN, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE STARTING, YOU KNOW, MAY 15TH AND RUNNING THROUGH AUGUST 30TH, AND THEN WE START OCTOBER 15TH AND RUN THROUGH FEBRUARY 15TH.
IT'S NINE MONTHS OF MARKETING, NOT SIX MONTHS OF MARKETING.
SO YOU JUST, THERE'S THE GAPS IN BETWEEN YOU'S THE GAPS DURING ESSENTIALLY MARCH, APRIL, MAY, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
I, AND I WANNA, I MEAN, I'M, MARKETING IS AN EMPHASIS, BUT THE FIRST THING I ASKED ABOUT IS BEHAVIOR MESSAGING.
SO IF WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE BUDGET, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO TARGET THE VISITORSHIP THAT WILL MEET THE OBJECTIVE OF HIGHEST ECONOMIC IMPACT ON LOWEST, THOSE ARE GOOD DOLLARS TO INVEST.
AND WE SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR THEM BECAUSE WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE PUBLIC'S GONNA KILL THE WHOLE BUDGET.
I'M A BELIEVER IN ASK USE GOOD OBJECTIVE RATIONALE FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
SO I THINK THIS BUDGET IS FOR BOTH MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S JUST ABOUT MARKETING, BUT IT IS, UH, IT DOESN'T COMPARE WELL, I MEAN I WAS JUST LIKE BIG, SAY MONTANA GETS 250,000 PEOPLE A YEAR, WE GET 3 MILLION.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO HAVE A HIGHER MANAGEMENT SIDE.
I WANT TO, THE MORE WE DO THAT, THE MORE WE CAN ATTRACT VISITORS LEADERSHIP AND MAINTAIN A QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO MY SENSE THOUGH IS THAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT HAPPY YET.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT MAYBE RETAIL, THERE'S A PROBLEM IN TERMS OF TOURISM.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT THINGS ARE GOING WELL.
I THINK THERE'S STILL A LOT OF HESITATION.
I HEAR THAT ON NEXTDOOR, WHICH OF COURSE IS A CERTAIN CATEGORY OF CERTAIN SLICE, BUT NONETHELESS, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BEING STRATEGIC AND SHOWING THAT MARKETING IS MANAGING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? AND ONCE WE START TO COMMUNICATE TO PEOPLE WHAT, I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A TOURIST LOCATION, THESE ARE THE BENEFITS WE'RE GETTING FROM TOURISM AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE MANAGING IT.
I THINK THEN INCREASING BECAUSE WE CAN SHOW THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING MAKES SENSE AND IS EFFECTIVE.
I DO FEEL IF YOU UP, IF YOU INCREASED IT OVERTLY, NOT THE CONTINGENCY PIECE, OVERTLY THAT IN A WAY THAT LOOKS DRAMATIC, PEOPLE ARE, THERE'S GONNA BE A BIG PUSHBACK.
AND COUNCIL RIGHT NOW IS IN SERIOUS FLUX.
WE JUST HAD THE MAYOR STEP DOWN, WE HAVE A NEW MAYOR, WE HAVE CONCERNS.
I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE HERE.
AND SO I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE SUPER VIGILANT ON THE WAYS THAT, AND ESPECIALLY COMING OFF OF THANKSGIVING AND THE TRAFFIC DURING THE LAST WEEKEND.
I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S STILL, WE STILL HAVE TO DO A LOT OF MASSAGING.
UM, LAUREN, YOU DID SHARE, AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE HERE FROM THE CITIZENS ACADEMY ABOUT HOW THE, UM, WHAT DID YOU SAY THAT WHEN, WHEN THE CITIZENS WHO ARE CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE CITIZENS ACADEMY WERE ASKED, TOURISM WAS NOT ONE OF THEIR MAIN CONCERNS FOR THIS PARTICULAR TIME, WHICH CERTAINLY IS A SMALL, WHAT, 25 PEOPLE MAYBE OR LESS A SMALL GROUP.
BUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, AND I TOOK THE CITIZENS ACADEMY TWO YEARS AGO, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE WAS TOURISM ISSUES AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT.
AND SO AGAIN, VERY ANECDOTAL AND YOU KNOW, HEARSAY FROM LEARN TO ME.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT THERE IS A, A SHIFT IN SOME WAY.
SO CERTAINLY THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE ON NEXTDOOR THAT WILL NEVER BE MADE HAPPY NO MATTER WHAT WE DO OR HOW MANY TIMES WE COMMUNICATE WITH THEM OR WHATEVER.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS STILL SOME, YOU KNOW, TREPIDATION BASED ON THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE OVERBURDENED.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE IS CERTAINLY A SHIFT AMONG SOME THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT AS BIG OF AN, OF AN ISSUE AND THAT THE CITY IS DOING A LOT OF OTHER MITIGATION EFFORTS WITH TRAFFIC, WITH SIM, WITH TRANSIT TO REMEDY GOING BACK ALSO AT THE SAME TIME THE COUNCIL IS IN AN INTERESTING PLACE.
SO YOU HAVE TO ADD THAT IN, I THINK AS WELL TO THE POT.
THE, I MEAN, I, I WANNA MAKE, ARE WE MISSING A PIECE? 'CAUSE YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT A 300,000 CONTINGENCY, WHICH I'M NOT SEEING HERE.
NO, IT'S ACTUALLY WRITTEN ON THIS.
IT'S NOT ON, IT'S NOT ON, IT'S NOT ON THIS.
THAT'S, YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT, THAT IS A MATERIAL INCREASE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET.
WHEN, WHEN WILL YOU HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO READ THE EXTRA MONEY? THE IMPACT OF THE EXTRA MONEY WE'RE SPENDING THIS YEAR ON THE HIGH VALUE TOURISTS.
[01:40:02]
YEAH.THAT'S WHY YOU NEED THE MONEY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TAKE THESE INITIATIVES.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO FIND OUT IF THEY WORK.
SO, AND, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A POT OF BED TAX MONEY, RIGHT.
AND THE BETTER WE DO ON THE MARKETING SIDE, THE BED TAX MONEY GOES UP.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I VERY INTENTIONALLY POSITIONED MY PROPERTY WHEN I'M REPOSITIONING IT TO VERY HIGH END BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD THAT'S WHAT THE CITY NEEDS.
SO I'M KIND OF COUNTING ON US BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT THOSE VISITORS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE INTERSECTIONALITY BETWEEN THE WANTS.
BUT, SO, BUT DON'T WE HAVE ROAS OVER SEVEN, IF I REMEMBER SOME OF THE CAMPAIGNS, SEND HER SOME FACTUAL EVIDENCE TO PUTTING MORE FUEL ON THAT FIRE IS GONNA GAIN US MORE IMPACT.
AND THEN THE QUESTION IS DEMOGRAPHICS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING NOW IN TERMS OF HIGH END MM-HMM
SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE WE'VE ALREADY PROVEN THAT IT'S HELPING US, IT'S JUST HOW BETTER IT CAN BE.
IS IT, IS THAT, DO I HAVE IT WRONG HERE? NO, NO, I THINK'S IT, I DON'T THINK SO.
AND THEN, THEN THE ISSUE THEN BECOMES, ARE WE GONNA PUT MORE OF THE INVESTMENT INTO THE, UM, MANAGEMENT SIDE OF THE DMMO VERSUS THE MARKETING SIDE TO THEN OFFSETTING ANY POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES THAT MORE TOURISTS MIGHT PROVIDE? RIGHT.
THAT'S KIND OF THE BALANCING ACT WE'RE DOING THAT I THINK, RIGHT? MM-HMM
IF I UNDERSTAND THAT PROPERLY.
I WOULD SAY IN TRYING TO THINK IN THE RESIDENT SPACE OR COMING FROM THE RESIDENT SIDE, NOT THE THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SIDE, UM, I JUST WOULD ALSO, I THINK YOU SAID MASSAGE AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, IT'S LIKE HOW THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO THE COMMUNICATION OF, OF COURSE WE ALL WANT, UM, KIND OF QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY OR WE WANNA, WE WANNA REALLY BRING IN PEOPLE THAT LOVE SEDONA.
WE'LL TAKE GOOD CARE OF SEDONA AND WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE A LOT BACK.
UM, BUT THE PIECE I WANTED TO SAY WAS LIKE TALKING ABOUT THE SEDONA ART CENTER, TALKING ABOUT LIKE, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RECYCLING CENTER.
UM, I WAS JUST AT THE LIBRARY AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THESE PLACES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO SEDONA.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD AGAIN, SOMEHOW CONNECT TO THAT PIECE OF, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT TOURISM, BUT CONNECTING INTO LIKE NEEDING MONEY LIKE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HARDEST PART.
AND SEDONA IS LIKE REALLY HAVING MONEY FOR GREAT, YOU KNOW, FILM FESTIVALS, GREAT ART, GREAT EVENTS, ET CETERA.
SO I DO THINK, AGAIN, LIKE REALLY KEEPING IT CONNECTED AND, AND JUST, I DON'T KNOW, CONNECTING IT TO WHAT I THINK RESIDENTS WOULD WANT, LIKE TO SEE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, BE SUPPORTED BY THIS TOURISM.
BUT, UH, ONE OTHER THING I'M GONNA SAY IS JUST THE, THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE'VE SEEN LATELY HAS BEEN AMAZING.
LIKE THE FALL FESTIVAL WAS EXCELLENT.
UM, THE, THE, UM, AKA P**I EVENT ALL OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD AND JUST, UM, IT'S THE TRAFFIC WAS THE BEST LIKE WE'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO NAVIGATE.
WE WERE ABLE TO CIRCUMVENT, UM, BY USING THE NEW ROAD.
UM, WE SAW A LOT OF AMAZING, AGAIN, LIKE IMPROVEMENTS BETTER THAN I'VE EVER SEEN IN 13 YEARS.
SO, UM, I DO THINK WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IS JUST REALLY WORKING.
BUT I, I DO THINK WE HAVE TO WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.
THE ROADS ARE SIM WHICH IS A, YEAH, IT'S NOT A TOURISM THING, BUT IT IS AN ARTIFACT OF HAVING MONEY FROM TOURISM THOUGH.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, I'M JUST, I WAS LOOKING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THIS IS, BUT YEAH, BED TAX WENT FROM 8.6 IN FISCAL YEAR 23 TO 9.4 IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
SO SHOULDN'T THE TOURISM BUDGET BE GOING UP AT LEAST AS MUCH AS WE ARE INCREASING THE BED TAX AT A MINIMUM? I DON'T, YEAH, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR JOHN 'CAUSE HE'S NOT HERE.
BUT AT THE TAB PREP MEETING, UM, HE DID MENTION ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK TO, UH, THE LAST YEAR THAT THE, UM, COUNCIL HAD A, A BUDGET AND WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
AND THEN, UM, USING, I GUESS THE INDUSTRY, NOT NECESSARILY STANDARD, BUT INDUSTRY PRACTICE MAYBE OF GOING UP BY 3% EACH YEAR, THEN BY GETTING TO NOW YOU WOULD BE AT 400 INSTEAD OF THREE 50.
AND HOW, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF THESE NUMBERS ARE, ARE GOING UP THIS INCREMENTAL AMOUNT AND IF OTHER DESTINATIONS ARE GOING UP AN INCREMENTAL AMOUNT, WHY ARE WE STAYING HERE? MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF HOME RULE AND OTHER IN UM, CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FROM THREE 50 TO 400 OR THREE 50 TO SOME OTHER SLIGHTLY LARGER NUMBER JUST IN THE BUDGET
[01:45:01]
ITSELF AND NOT SOLELY RELYING ON THE CONTINGENCY THAT THEN HAS TO GO THROUGH, UM, COUNCIL.BUT ANYWAY, AGAIN, HE'S NOT HERE.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR HIM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT HE PROBABLY WOULD'VE SAID THAT.
SO I WANTED TO SAY IT TO ALL OF YOU.
HE DEFINITELY WOULD'VE SAID THAT.
I GUESS, I GUESS ONE OF THE ISSUES IS WHAT IS MEDIA INFLATION RIGHT NOW? SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO THE BUDGET WE STARTED WITH? AND THAT SHOULD IN FACT BE FACTORED INTO AT LEAST THE MEDIA PORTION ON OUR BASE PLAN.
'CAUSE ALL THAT'S DOING IS KEEPING US FLAT.
IT MAY LOOK HIGHER, BUT IT'S KEEPING US FLAT.
AND, UM, THE OTHER THING, A QUESTION IS, UM, ON HOME RULE IS THAT UP FOR A VOTE IN 26? MM-HMM
NOW, IS THE COUNCIL PLANNING ON GOING FOR A PERMANENT ADJUSTMENT OR JUST A RENEWAL OF THE HOME RULE? NOT HOME RULE.
THEY'LL HAVE TO DECIDE THAT PROBABLY IN JANUARY.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE PART OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER ASKED FOR A PERMANENT ADJUSTMENT.
UM, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY IN COUNCIL WOULD PROBABLY PREFER.
UM, BUT THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A VERY, UH, UH, CONTROVERSIAL THING.
UM, AND JUST GETTING HOME RULE IS OFTEN DIFFICULT.
UH, SO I MEAN, WE'D BE DEVASTATED IF WE DON'T KEEP HOME RULE.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT, WHAT OUR BUDGET WOULD GO FROM A HUNDRED MILLION TO 20 MILLION.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ABSURD.
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW ABOUT VOTERS, WHICH DOES MAKE LAUREN'S POINT VALID.
THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THE SENSITIVITY OF STAYING FLAT IS SUCH THAT YOU, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU MIGHT LOSE THE BATTLE, BUT YOU MIGHT WIN THE WAR.
MAY WE MAY HAVE TAKEN YOU TOO FAR OFF TRACK HERE.
WELL, I, AND I THINK JUST, BUT 13 MORE MINUTES OF HIM AND YOU'RE DONE.
JUST I GUESS, 'CAUSE I THINK YOU CALLED SOMETHING OUT.
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE TOURISM PROGRAM BUDGET THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WALKED INTO HERE TODAY WITH IS THAT ONE THAT'S JUST SHY OF 2 MILLION.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WOULD BE A $300,000 CONTINGENCY AND THEN A MODEST, YOU KNOW, $30,000 DECISION PACKAGE.
SO THAT WOULD BRING YOU TO 2.33.
WOULD BE, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT.
BUT THE COUNCIL DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY NO TO ANY OF THAT.
THEY CAN SAY NO TO THE WHOLE THING.
BUT I MEAN, LIKE, LET'S SAY THAT THEY APPROVE THE BUDGET AS, AS, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, AS IS HERE.
AND THEN THEY APPROVE THE IDEA OF THE CONTINGENCY, BUT THEN THEY NEVER SAY YES TO ANY OF THAT.
WHEREAS IF YOU PULLED A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO THE MAIN BUDGET, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THAT NO MATTER WHAT, ASSUMING THEY APPROVED IT BASED ON INFLATION AND INCREMENTAL INTELLIGENT INCREASES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE BRING THIS, BROUGHT THIS TO YOU IN JANUARY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING.
AND SO WE WERE KIND OF FORCING OURSELVES TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT EARLY, UM, KNOWING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING ON THIS THE NEXT 45 DAYS OR SO, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S ANOTHER 300,000 OR $330,000, UH, AND THAT THE, THERE'S A STRATEGY BEHIND HOW YOU'RE PRESENTING THAT I COULD GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE BUDGET YOU'VE LAID OUT.
I AGREE WITH WHAT ALTHEA HAD TO SAY THOUGH, THAT I WOULD, I WOULD PUSH TO HAVE SOME OF THAT CONTINGENCY IN THE ACTUAL BUDGET BECAUSE THE CONTINGENCY IS STILL UP FOR GRABS OR UP FOR VOTE.
AND SO MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT WOULD BE, UM, WHICH ONE, WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER MORE? UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT GETS US TO YEAR-ROUND MARKETING? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GET OVER THE HURDLE WITH? THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
I LIKE THE, THE OVERNIGHT DESTINATION AS WELL.
WITH SOME OF THE EVENTS IN PHOENIX.
I, I REALIZE THAT WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE, BUT THAT IS DRIVE TRAFFIC.
UM, WHEREAS WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO HIGH NET WORTH AND GOING WITH THE FLIGHT MARKETS, THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING.
I MEAN, ALL THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE WITH ED ROSE ABOUT WHO'S COMING INTO THAT AIRPORT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S MY, MY PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD GO MY CLIENTS IS LOAD THE BOAT ON THE HIGH VALUE ONES.
IF YOU'RE GONNA EDIT, LOAD THE BOAT THERE, KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE THE SAME, YOU WILL GET SEVEN 10 TO ONE.
AT LEAST THAT ACROSS THE BOARD.
DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS ON THAT? YES.
SO JUST FROM THAT SAYING, ADDING THE A HUNDRED TO, BUT PUTTING IN THE BASE BUDGET A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR HIGH NET WORTH.
I'M, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A GO, I'M STILL HAVE A LOT OF RESERVATIONS ON THE PART OF, I JUST FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT.
BUT MY SENSE IS THAT WE'RE, PEOPLE ARE NOT TOTALLY SEEING
[01:50:01]
THE, THE, THE RESULTS OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT HAD ALL OF THE TOWN HALL CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE JUST HAD.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IT'S SUGGEST WHAT HE SUGGESTED WE DO THAT.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, WHAT DIRECTION YOU WANT TO, I THINK WE SHOULD ACCEPT WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU SUGGESTED WITHOUT ANY CHANGE EXCEPT FOR THE ADDITION WHAT I WOULD 300,000 IN CONTINGENCY I WHAT YOU HAVE COME TO WITH.
I DISAGREE, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S A VERY SUBTLE DIFFERENCE.
FRANCINE, I KNOW IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IDENTIFIED IN THE CONTINGENCY, OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET.
UH, I THINK THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SPEAKS TO THE CONCERNS THAT THE RESIDENTS VOICED TWO YEARS AGO.
THIS IS THE EXACT TYPE OF THING THAT, THAT THIS TOURISM BOARD HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN BRINGING FORWARD AS AN INITIATIVE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM MOVING THAT A HUNDRED INTO THE BUDGET.
I THINK IT, I THINK IT WITHSTANDS THE SCRUTINY OF THE RESIDENTS.
IT'S GOOD FOR, I THINK OUR COLLECTIVE PTSD FROM COVID IS OVER NOW, I THINK FROM TOURISM.
SO I MEAN, FOR ME IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF A DIFF IT'S A DIFFERENT PLACE.
AND LOOKING AT THE SURVEYS, IF WE REDID THEM, I THINK WE'D SEE THAT.
BUT SO FOR ME AND THE ISSUE, IF YOU LOOK AT, FOR INSTANCE, THE HIGH NET WORTH, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
AND ISN'T THAT GONNA BE A MUCH LOWER DENSITY OF TRAFFIC AND LI IN THIS CASE, MAYBE LIMOUSINES ON THE ROAD, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT WORLD NOT GONNA NOTICE IT.
WE'RE NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA JACK UP THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ALL FEARED THAT WE SAW BACK IN 2022.
PLUS THE TIMING OF IT IS MORE FOR OFF SEASONS.
AND YOU HAVE THAT YEAR ROUND, AND SO YOU GET SOME, SOME FEEDBACK LOOP ON ADVERTISING YEAR.
THE THOUGHT IS TO DO THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND TO THE HIGH INCOME EARNERS YEAR ROUND.
BUT THE REASON THAT THEIR PLANNING CYCLES ARE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE AVERAGE TRAVELER.
AND THEN YOU'RE GETTING SIX TO NINE MONTHS AHEAD, WHICH IS PART OF THE MOTIVATION ON THAT IS I WOULD LIKE TO, I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THAT SECTION OPEN SO THAT I CAN TRACK HOW LONG IS IT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TURNING OFF OUR ATTRIBUTION, UM, AT THE END OF FEBRUARY CAMPAIGN.
AND WE, WE, WE WENT AFTER A HIGH DOLLAR PERSON.
AND SO IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO TRULY UNDERSTAND IF WE GOT THAT PERSON, IF THEY COME UP IN OCTOBER, BECAUSE WE SHOWED THEM AN AD IN DECEMBER AND THEY PLAN NINE MONTHS OUT.
BUT I CAN'T TRACK THEM ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT.
SO IF I CAN HAVE A YEAR ROUND CAMPAIGN FOR THAT HIGH DOLLAR VISITOR, THE THOUGHT IS, IS THAT I CAN ACTUALLY TRACK IF THEY COME IN MARKET.
AND NOT ONLY DO THEY PLAN SIX TO NINE MONTHS OUT, BUT THEY ALSO CAN PLAN SIX TO NINE HOURS OUT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT THAT'S NOT TYPICAL.
WELL, NO, BUT I MEAN IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE IN FRONT GONNA
THEY'VE GOT BUCKET LIST OF ITEMS. THIS IS WHAT I SEE FOR THIS TYPE OF CLIENT.
I TOTALLY, LIKE, YOU'VE CERTAINLY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE ON THAT.
BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO UP AND DECIDE THEY WANNA GO SOMEWHERE.
AND IF WE'VE PUT SEDONA IN FRONT OF THEM MULTIPLE TIMES, THEN WHEN THEY DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A TRIP, THAT MIGHT BE THE PLACE THEY THINK OF INSTEAD OF SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I MEAN, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT TOO.
JUST KEEPING IT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE INSTEAD OF HAVING IT ON AND THEN OFF AND THEN ON AND THEN OFF HAVING SEDONA SHOW UP ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES.
WHETHER IT'S SIX MONTHS OR WHETHER IT'S NEXT WEEKEND.
BUT I THINK YOUR POINT, IS IT AN ADDITIONAL REASON WHY WE WANNA DO THIS? MM-HMM
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THESE THREE THINGS.
I THINK THE TOP TWO ARE THE ONES THAT I GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE MOST AS EXAMPLES.
WE'VE HEARD CITY COUNCIL TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC EVENT FUND FOR, UM, THE VALLEY.
BUT I THINK THAT, I FORGET WHO SAID IT, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS YOU ALLIE, WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY JUST DOING A SPRAY AND PRAY IN THE VALLEY DURING A HIGH IMPACT EVENT'S DIFFERENT THAN A MORE INTENTIONAL YEAR ROUND STRATEGY TO HIGH NET WORTH FOR SURE.
SO I WANNA BE CLEAR, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANY OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE PROBLEMATIC.
I'M SAYING THAT KEEPING IT IN A CONTINGENCY LOOKS BETTER THAT BRINGING IT OUT INTO THE BUDGET JUST AS ONE MORE RED LIGHT FOR RESIDENTS TO SAY, WOO, THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH.
I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT WOULD BE AN EASIER SELL.
BUT THEN ALSO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHO HAS BEEN EXPRESSING AND WHO WE'VE HAD THE TOWN HALL WITH, IS ASKING FOR MORE BECAUSE THEY'VE STRUGGLED.
SO IT IS JUST, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB AS THE BOARD IS TO HELP TO BALANCE THE, OUR RECOMMENDATION ON, ON ALL OF THAT.
IF YOU ADDED THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, SO THAT'S BASICALLY A 5% INCREASE IN THE BUDGET AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN AWAY RIGHT.
HALF OR MORE, OR ALL OF IT JUST MEDIA INFLATION.
AND YOU'RE IMPROVING YOUR MARKET REACH BY ADDING A NEW MARKET CLASS.
SO IT'S BOATS WILL RISE AT THE SAME TIME THAT MANY OF US, NOT
[01:55:01]
ME, BUT MANY OF US REPRESENT BUSINESS.WE JUST HEARD FROM COUNCIL THAT WE NEED TO KEEP COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY, UH, PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN MIND.
BUT THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING APPEARANCES FEEL BETTER TO ME HAVING IT AS CONTINGENT.
BUT FRANCIS, THAT IS ALSO, AGAIN, I THINK THE EDUCATION PIECE.
ALL OF THE PIECES YOU SAID THE, WE, I THINK, I THINK WE DO NEED TO GET OUT OF ANY FEAR BASED OR TRAUMA BASED OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND, AND EDUCATE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT GROUP OF LOCALS.
AND I THINK, I DO THINK THAT YOU, YOU PRESENT IT SO WELL, YOU EXPLAIN IT SO WELL.
I THINK THAT'S THE TASK IS REALLY EXPLAINING WHY IT IS THAT, THAT THE BOARD IS MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION AND FOR WHAT GOOD REASON AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE.
SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT PART OF IT.
BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND THAT, NOT TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD, BUT TO EXPLAIN WHY, TO GIVE A PROPER EXPLANATION.
SO LAUREN DID, DO YOU NEED US TO VOTE ON SOMETHING
I THINK I HAVE A YES FROM EVERYBODY BUT FRANCIS.
YOU COULD SAY CLOSE TO CONSENSUS.
HOWEVER YOU WANNA BRING THAT CLOSE TO CONSENSUS.
STILL WANNA BE THE ONLY GUY THIS VOTE.
SHOULD WE JUST FORMALLY ASK THE QUESTION? WE PROBABLY SHOULD.
UM,
SO NOT TO EXCEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
WE CAN PUT THAT IN THERE TOO IF YOU WANT.
SO A HUNDRED THOUSAND TARGETING HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS FOR A YEAR ROUND CAMPAIGN AS PART OF THE BUDGET YEAR ROUND WITH THE REMAINDER OF IT BEING A CONTINGENCY BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
UM, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA TIME.
I DO WANNA GO THROUGH TOURISM TOWN HALLS AFTER THIS, BUT JUST IS THERE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE THIRD KIOSK DECISION PACKAGE? NO.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN, HOPEFULLY THIS CAN GO QUICKLY.
UM, JUST WANT TO HAVE A QUICK TALK ABOUT IT.
I DID PROMISE COUNCIL THAT WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT AT THIS MEETING, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I CAN EXECUTE ON THAT.
UM, BUT AS MENTIONED, CITY COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED THAT TAB MEMBERS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AND SUPPORT THE 2026 TOURISM TOWN HALLS THAT WE HAD IN THE WORK PLAN.
UM, ULTIMATELY HOW WE'VE ASSESSED THAT IN THIS MOMENT IS THAT YOU WILL ATTEND THE MEETINGS, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO ATTEND, AND WE HOPE THAT WE GET, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 50% OF TAB ATTENDANCE AT EACH OF THEM.
SO AS WE SCHEDULE THEM, WE WILL WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE AN OPEN MEETING DECLARATION THEN.
THIS, THESE WILL BE PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR TILAK.
THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A PUBLIC MEETING THAT WE HAD POSTED.
WE HAD, WE HAD A, WE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ARE YOU THINKING OF HAVING THEM HERE OR UNCLEAR.
I THINK THERE'S, WE HAVE OPTIONS.
THEY'VE GOT THE RECORDING EQUIPMENT SPACE.
WE DON'T NEED A RECORDING EQUIPMENT IF IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING THAT'S NOT COUNCIL MEETING.
'CAUSE LIKE, LIKE WE DIDN'T DO THAT TO LOCK NO.
'CAUSE THEN WOULDN'T THAT BE AN OPEN MEETING IF THREE OR MORE OF US GO THEN WE GOT A PROBLEM.
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE THE MEETING IN CASE THERE'S ENOUGH OF US, BUT IT'S NOT CONSIDERED A SPECIFIC OPENING.
THIS WOULD NOT BE AN OFFICIAL COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A QUORUM OF INDIVIDUALS AT JUST TO SHARE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE.
WHICH STILL IS THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO YOU CAN'T SAY YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT SPEAK INTO THAT.
UM, SO WE WOULD ATTEND THE SESSIONS, WE'D MAKE THEM OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, WE'D WORK WITH YOU ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY, YOU'D BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AT THE START OF THE MEETING, SET SOME CONTEXT.
WE CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE FLOW OF THAT WOULD BE.
[5.d. Group discussion: Tourism Town Halls]
WE WILL HAVE KIND OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS AT TABLES.I WOULD LOVE TAB SUPPORT ON FACILITATING THOSE, UH, THOSE GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
AND THEN TO ALTHEA'S POINT, UM, COUNCIL DID ASK FOR A JOINT SESSION WITH THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL AT THE END OF THIS TO BASICALLY REPORT OUT ON THE FINDINGS.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THAT FEEDBACK LOOP THAT, THAT ALTHEA REFERENCED.
SO THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY WHEN THEN MM-HMM
UM, AFTER WE COMPLETE THE TOWN HALLS,
[02:00:01]
WHICH WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY WHEN, UM, WELL THE TOWN HALLS IN THE NEXT YEAR.I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS I'VE GOT A PRETTY HECTIC TRAVEL SCHEDULE, BUT I WOULD SAY WE'RE GONNA MEET AND TALK ABOUT IT IN FEBRUARY.
UM, I'LL KIND OF COME BACK TO THAT IN A SECOND.
SO BETWEEN KIND OF MARCH AND JUNE IS WHEN I WOULD WANT TO HOST THE TOWN HALLS.
AND DID YOU SAY HOW MANY NEXT SLIDE.
THERE WAS SLIDE AFTER THIS STILL CONTEXT SETTING.
TRY TO PLAN MY BEING HERE FOR TOURISM ACTIVITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT TO ME IS I THINK THE CONTEXT.
WHAT'S THE PURPOSE? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? UM, HOW WE'VE INGESTED, WHAT I THINK ALTHEA SAID REALLY WELL FROM LIKE THE SMATTERING OF FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT IS TO REALLY INVITE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO COME AND HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF TOURISM IN SEDONA THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S GONNA BE PRETTY BROAD RANGING.
I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU MENTIONED WITH LIKE THE RECYCLING PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF MY JOB DESCRIPTION.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT TIED TO THE EXPERIENCE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU SAYING MY RESIDENT HAD IS TALKING ABOUT THESE TOPICS.
OUR JOB IS TO DIVE INTO THAT DEEPER WITH THIS GROUP.
BUT I THINK HAVING A MIXTURE OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WILL GIVE US A MORE ROUNDED, ROUNDED, UM, ANSWER.
AND THEN REALLY, AND I THINK, UM, COUNCILOR FURMAN SAID THIS REALLY WELL, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT THROUGH THE LENS OF A WIN-WIN FOR RESIDENTS FIRST AND THEN VISITORS, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DESIGN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A REALLY HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS, THAT MAKES US A MORE DESIRABLE VISITOR DESTINATION.
UM, AND, AND, AND I DO BELIEVE IN THAT.
UM, WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF THIS? WE WILL PROVIDE, WE WILL GATHER PUBLIC INPUT AND SHARE IT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL.
TRULY THAT WAS WHERE THE FEEDBACK LOOP ENDS.
UM, TO JUST GIVE THEM INFORMATION, ESSENTIALLY PUBLIC INPUT, UM, AROUND THE FUTURE OF TOURISM RELATED INVESTMENTS AT THE CITY OR DECISIONS.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD KIND OF PRIMORDIAL SOUP OF IDEAS AS WE COME INTO THE NEXT SEDONA TOURISM PLAN AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, WE WOULD BE DOING THIS ANYWAY, UM, PROPOSED STRUCTURE BACK TO YOU FRANCIS.
SO I'M LOOKING AT TWO TOWN HALLS SOMETIME BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE.
UH, WE DO NOT NEED TO DECIDE THAT TODAY AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO ALL BE THERE, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO PLAN THEM AROUND EVERYBODY'S TRAVEL SCHEDULES THEN THEY PROBABLY NEVER HAPPEN.
UM, UH, CURRENTLY LOOKING AT SORT OF A TWO HOUR BLOCK OF TIME WITH SORT OF NETWORKING ON THE FRONT AND BACK, BUT THEN LIKE A 90 MINUTE, UM, AGENDA OR A 90 MINUTE STRUCTURED AGENDA, WHICH WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE WELCOMING GROUP INTRODUCTIONS, TYPICALLY.
LIKE WHO ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHO ARE YOU REPRESENTING? AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GIMME ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE.
JUST KIND OF GET THINGS MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
UM, THEN I'D BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE TOURISM PROGRAM, KEY MILESTONES AND LONG TERM GOALS.
ONE THING WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT WAS THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY PLAN WORK WAS DONE THROUGH PUBLIC INPUT TO SET DIRECTION IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN.
WE DON'T WANNA CREATE ANOTHER MANDATE FOR THE CITY THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
WE WANNA STAY FOCUSED ON THIS CONCEPT AROUND ENHANCING THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE, BUT SET IT THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF THE IM THE INPUT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY THE GOAL OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE COMMUNITY PLAN, PULLING OUT KEY FINDINGS FROM IT.
AND THEN THESE FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AT THE TABLES AROUND, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ENHANCE THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I CHUCKLED TO MYSELF BECAUSE I SPENT, YOU KNOW, THREE PLUS YEARS IN COLORADO DOING 50 WORKSHOPS EXACTLY LIKE THIS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE DOING COVID RECOVERY FOR THE EXACT SAME REASON.
SO I'M PROBABLY GONNA PULL A LITTLE, A LITTLE IDEAS FROM THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY PUT IT IN THE SEDONA CONTEXT.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT TO FILL IN THE GAPS HERE.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE GENERAL PROPOSAL.
AND I THINK TO ALTHEA'S POINT, UM, WE WERE REQUESTED TO COME BACK TO THEM WITH A RESPONSE TO THEIR DIRECTION ON THE 28TH.
AND I THINK MY NEXT SLIDE IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, DO YOU APPROVE THIS DIRECTION FOR THE TOURISM TOWN HALLS AS KIND OF PROPOSED INDIRECTLY AND DIRECTLY BY CITY COUNCIL ON THE 28TH, BUT THROUGH THE LENS OF OUR WORK PLAN AND WHERE WE THINK WE CAN PROVIDE THE BEST FIT.
AND THEN IF SO, WE'LL BEGIN TO EXPLORE DATES IN 2026.
AND I WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE AN AGENDA ITEM IN OUR FEBRUARY MEETING WHERE WE GO THROUGH THE EXERCISE OF TALKING ABOUT AS A TAB, WHAT IS THE SEDONA EXPERIENCE? WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEE IT ENHANCED? I THINK PRODUCTIVE MEETINGS LIKE THE ONES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE DONE WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE SOME EXAMPLES ON THE WALL, RIGHT? YOU'RE SORT OF GUIDING PEOPLE TOWARDS THE TYPES OF RESPONSES.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS GROUP'S HERE BECAUSE YOU DO REPRESENT A COLLECTION OF THE RESIDENT AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY, OFTEN BOTH AS WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, TO BEING ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, HERE'S SOME WAYS THAT WE'VE ALREADY GATHERED INPUT.
'CAUSE THAT'LL JUST SET US UP FOR MORE SUCCESS.
AND I THINK REALLY, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I TOOK AWAY FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN COLORADO AFTER DOING 50 COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF TOURISM, I NEVER GOT ONE NEGATIVE COMMENT ABOUT TOURISM.
NOW I'M NOT, I MIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE JUST JINXED MYSELF.
[02:05:01]
KNOCK KNOCK HARD.I KNOW WE'RE NOT SEDONA, BUT I JUST THINK YEAH.
AND I'M NOT GONNA SET THAT AS THE, AS THE, AS THE GOAL.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS TO STRUCTURE MEETINGS THAT DO REMAIN FORWARD THINKING, DO REMAIN SOLUTIONS ORIENTED, UM, BUT BE PREPARED FOR THE INPUT THAT WE GET.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY I THINK IT'S EXCITING THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO BROADEN THE TENT BY CITY COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT IT'S NICE TO GET SORT OF PUT MORE FUEL IN THE TANK FOR THIS CONVERSATION AROUND EXPERIENCE ENHANCEMENT.
THAT'S BEEN A GOAL FOR US ANYWAY.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT TIME WE GET IN FRONT OF THE RESIDENTS AND REALLY PUT SUNLIGHT ON WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, TRULY THE MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY THAT WE HAVE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE GET TO FEBRUARY AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO TELL THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE ARE HAPPENING, BE MORE, UM, SPECIFIC AT THAT POINT.
BUT I WOULD JUST, UM, SAYING NOW, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GET INFORMATION OR TRYING TO GET FEEDBACK ON PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY, SOMETIMES THOSE ARE VERY LOW ATTENDANCE.
AND IF WE REALLY WANNA HAVE THESE BE ROBUST, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HAPPENING LIKE NEXT DOOR MAYBE AS AN OPTION.
YOU KNOW, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY LIKE BAITING THE LINE THERE.
WELL THAT VARIOUS CLUBS, I THINK WE'VE GOTTA ENGAGE THE CLUBS, YOU KNOW, THE WESTERNERS.
I MEAN DEFINITELY THERE'S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE TO PROMOTE IT.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.
SO JUST CAN I QUICKLY GET A THUMBS UP IF YOU ALL AGREE WITH THIS DIRECTION? SO MUCH FUN.
HONESTLY, I KNOW WE WERE KIND OF GETTING IN THE RED OF LIKE A MARKETING NEXT AND NEXT AND NOW WE'RE DOING BUDGET AND TOWN HALLS AND THINGS ARE REVVING UP AGAIN.
UH, JUST KNOW THAT I, I KNOW WE'RE AT TIME,
[5.e. State of Sedona Tourism Research]
SO THERE IS THE RESEARCH IN HERE.UH, THE NEXT TAB MEETING IS FEBRUARY 4TH, 2026.
AND THANK YOU RANDY FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE TAB.
SO CAN I ASK ONE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE RESEARCH? 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN ON MY MIND.
UM, JUST BEFORE I DO THE GAVEL.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, A DR, IT'S ALWAYS BASED ON THE FULL PROPERTY.
AND SO I'M ALWAYS LIKE, I KIND OF JUST BRUSH IT OFF IN A COMPARISON TO THE A DR FOR THE HOTEL ROOMS BECAUSE THOSE, UH, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO SIX BEDROOMS MM-HMM
AND SO I, I'M ALWAYS SORT OF WONDERING HOW WE, YOU KNOW, TRUST THAT COMPARISON BETWEEN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL AND THE HOTEL A DR AND HOW MUCH EMPHASIS OR SPECIFICS ARE PUT ON THAT INFORMATION JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S VERY SKEWED I GUESS IT'S INTERESTING YOU SHARE THAT.
I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, ONE, AS I MENTIONED, THEY STARTED PUTTING THE CLEANING FEES INTO THE AIRBNB AND VRBO FEEDS THAT KEYDATA GETS BACK IN MAY I BELIEVE.
SO WE'VE SEEN AN ARTIFICIALLY INFLATED YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON IN ADRS AT THOSE TWO CHANNELS.
UM, I DID LEARN THAT YESTERDAY OR YEAH, YESTERDAY.
UM, KEY DATA'S BACKFILLED THAT INFLATED A DR THROUGH 24.
SO WE'LL START TO SEE SOME OF THIS STUFF GO DOWN 'CAUSE IT'S BEEN ARTIFICIALLY INFLATED BECAUSE I REALLY NEVER, I LOOK AT THEM AS CHANNEL SPECIFIC DIRECTIONALITY.
RATHER THAN CROSS TYPE DIRECTIONALITY AS JUST ME LOOKING AT THIS RESEARCH.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY WOULD SEE SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE A HIGHER A DR BECAUSE THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE IN THEM TYPICALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S JUST PART OF MY LENS THAT I LOOK THROUGH ON IT.
SO IT'S REALLY MORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A CHANGE THAT INFLATED THE A DR BACK IN MAY.
I LOOK AT IT AS DIRECTIONALLY AND I WOULD ALWAYS EXPECT SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO HAVE A HIGHER A DR.
I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT IT THOUGH, EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID THOUGH, LOOK AT THE OCTOBER REPORT.
A DR AT THE HOTELS WAS 4 46 MM-HMM
AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I'M SEEING, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M, I, I GET THE WEEKLY REPORTS THAT I SHARE WITH THE LODGING COUNCIL AND, AND, AND I LOOK AT IT.
UM, DEMAND HAS REMAINED THROUGH OCTOBER AND I DID JUST GET THE REPORT FOR THIS WEEK, SORRY, FOR THIS WEEK, WHICH WAS SORT OF THE PRE LIKE THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
UM, DEMANDS REMAIN DOWN IN THIS STUDY AREA.
BUT A DR HAS BEEN UP 13% AND REVPAR HAS BEEN UP AS A RESULT 'CAUSE THE SUPPLY'S BEEN DONE A LITTLE BIT WITHOUT POCO BEING, BEING IN THE INVENTORY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, REVENUES HAVE REMAINED RELATIVELY FINE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE LOOKING AT A DROP IN DEMAND THAT'S, THAT'S AS BIG.
UM, I REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST HAPPY ABOUT, ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN A HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR
[02:10:01]
ME, BUT, UM, WORKING WITH THE FINANCE TEAM TO REALLY SHORE UP THE BED TAX NUMBERS MM-HMMUM, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THROUGH A FULL CALENDAR YEAR OF ME DOING THE SALES AND BED TAX WITH THE FINANCE TEAM, WORKING WITH OUR RESEARCH ANALYST, AKA, THE RESEARCH BUDDY TO REALLY LOOK AT THESE REPORTS AND UNDERSTAND THEIR LIMITED STUDY SIZE OR WE KNOW ENCHANTMENTS IN THAT TOP ROW, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? BUT HOW IS CITY BED TAX COLLECTION AGREEING WITH OR SHOWING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN WHAT SMITH TRAVEL SHOWS? AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE'S GOOD OR ONE'S BAD, BUT IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND HOW TO ARTICULATE THIS BETTER BY SAYING, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY LIKE 56.9% UP IN VRBO IN REVENUE, UM, PART OF THAT'S THE A DR INCREASES, BUT THOSE COULD JUST BE, YOU KNOW, THOSE BLACKED OUT ROOMS. MM-HMM
UM, YOU KNOW, WE NOW SEE SHORT TERM RENTAL REVENUE IN THE BED TAX.
I DON'T HAVE IT FOR OCTOBER MM-HMM
UM, BUT UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE REALITY OF THE BED TAX RECEIPTS VERSUS WHAT WE SEE FROM KEY DATA AND THEN HOW DO I THEN LOOK AT THE KEY DATA DATA AND SAY THAT MIGHT SAY 56, BUT IT REALLY MEANS A DIFFERENT NUMBER ESSENTIALLY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF THE NEXT STEP FOR US, UM, IS, IS KIND OF GETTING THERE.
UM, WHICH AGAIN POINTS TO WHY I WOULD LOOK AT THIS DIRECTIONALLY MM-HMM
SO FROM A YEAR OVER YEAR DATA PERSPECTIVE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF AIRBNBS AND DBO? ARE WE LESS EQUAL OR MORE NOW THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR? AND IF SO, TO WHAT EXTENT? WE ARE NOT LESS.
UM, WE HAVE SLOWLY BEEN IT'S, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS, BUT WE HAVE NOT SEEN A DIP.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, IS IT LIKE ZERO TO 3%, SIX FIVE? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY YEAH, I CAN PULL UP THE LATEST, UM, REPORT.
I DON'T HAVE THE PERCENTAGE, I WON'T BE ABLE TO CALCULATE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I'M JUST WONDERING HOW THAT IMPACTS AS WELL, SOME OF THE NUMBERS AND THE TRENDS AND SUCH AS WELL.
WELL I THINK IT'S WHY YOU SEE OCCUPANCY LOWER THAN REVENUE GAINS ON THAT ONE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST SEE THE INCREASE FROM A SUPPLY SEDONA OCCUPANCY VOTER PERSPECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SEDONA DUE TO THIS AND WE USED TO BE ABOVE 10,000 PEOPLE HERE A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE SB 1350.
HIT AND SS STRS TOOK OVER SOME OF THE HOUSING STOCK.
SO I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO US WHEN LOOKING AT HOW DO WE HELP OUR COMMUNITY, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO LIVE IN AS A WAY OF MEASURING THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THESE QUESTIONS.
HAVE YOU SEPARATED, I MEAN THIS PROBABLY A HUGE TASK AND MAYBE NOT IN THE PURVIEW, BUT HAVE YOU SEPARATED THOSE THAT ARE FULL HOUSE VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE PART HOME? BUT IT DOES THOUGH BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE MY QUESTION IS PART WHO ARE, WHO HAVE PART OF THEIR HOME ARE LIVING THERE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE I CAN THINK OF RIGHT NOW THAT ARE DOING THAT EXACT THING TO HELP WITH THEIR ABILITY TO LIVE HERE BY, YOU KNOW, INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY, BUT WHO LIVE HERE, I DON'T THINK I CAN WITH KEY DATA TELL YOU IF THERE'S, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE LISTING TYPE IS.
SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH EVERY LISTING AND DETERMINE IF IT WAS FULL HOUSE.
AND THAT'S, AND I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RELATED TO ANALYZING THE SHORT TERM RENTAL DATA.
THEN THAT ONE, UM, YEAH, THAT ONE, IT'S NOT A BAD THING TO HAVE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S BIGGER KEY FINDINGS THAT I'M, THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
RIGHTLY CURIOUS IN THAT, BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES IT'S WELL THEN THAT, THAT TAKES THAT HOUSE OFF THE, OFF THE AVAILABILITY, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE FOR ALL.
I WOULD SAY THAT'S, THAT TYPE OF THING IS MORE UNDER THE REALM OF OUR PERMIT PROGRAM PROBABLY, WHICH IS LOOKING, I MEAN, I DON'T TECHNICALLY KNOW THE LOCATIONS OF ANY OF THE LISTINGS THAT ARE IN KEY DATA.
I KNOW GENERALLY WHERE THEY ARE, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S THIS HOUSE, IT, THIS HOUSE IT, THIS HOUSE.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOT A PHENOMENAL LICENSE PROGRAM NOW.
SO IT'S JUST THAT PROPERTY CAN LIST ON SHORT-TERM RENTAL PLATFORMS AND CAN LIST FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES ESSENTIALLY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING DEEPER THAN THAT THAT'S BEING REPORTED.
I MEAN SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY PERMIT AND EVERY LISTING AND THEN CROSS AND, YOU KNOW.
EVEN IF IT'S ONE HOU OR ONE ROOM, IT'S STILL SOMEBODY WHO COULD BE HAVING A 30 OR YEAR LONG LEASE VERSUS A DAY-TO-DAY LEASE.
SO I MEAN THAT STILL DOES COUNT.
BUT AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES WOULDN'T DO THAT.
AND THEY, THEY WOULDN'T BE LIVING HERE IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SUPPLEMENT.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE IN FACT MANAGEMENT CORPORATIONS WHO I THINK THAT'S GOOD.
YOU KNOW, EVEN VERDE VALLEY REAL ESTATE SAID OVER SIX, ALMOST 60% THEY CAN ACCOUNT FOR ARE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIVE IN SEDONA YET OWN THESE PROPERTIES.
SO I I THINK THERE'S A GOOD DISTINCTION HERE TO MAKE YOU'RE MAKING SO THAT DIFFICULT TO FIND IN THE DATA.
IT'S DIFFERENT AND, AND I'M ASKING QUESTIONS THEY CAN'T ANSWER.
BUT FOR ME, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SEDONAS, WHICH I AGREE IS ESSENTIAL THING, THIS IS AN ISSUE WE HAVE TO KIND OF SORT THROUGH AND DATA HELPS.
UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 1,267
[02:15:01]
PERMITTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, UM, IN SEDONA.THAT WAS A 1% INCREASE BETWEEN OCTOBER, BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER.
WE HAVE JUST THREE MONTHS, RICHARD.
WELL, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF SHARE TOO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A PROPERTY THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT IS ONE LICENSE, BUT IT'S FIVE LISTINGS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S HOW YOU JUST KNOW THAT ONE LICENSE IS NOT EQUAL TO ONE LISTING, I THINK IS WHAT YOU MIGHT BE ANALOGY, I THINK FROM THE NUMBERS I SAW, 2 2475 LISTINGS, WE ARE REQUIRING EACH LISTING TO HAVE A LICENSE THOUGH.
THERESA IS GOING THROUGH AND TRYING TO, THAT'S PART OF THE NEXT STEP WHEN YOU SEE A 2,500 NUMBER YEAH.
THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF HOTELS AND TIMESHARES THAT ARE LISTING ON THE PLATFORM.
SO THEY'RE NOT INCLUSIVE OF THE, WHEN WE SAY, I MEAN IT'S STUFF, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTAL LISTING PERFORMANCE AND NOW TALKING ABOUT KEY DATA MM-HMM
BUT WHEN WE SAY SHORT-TERM RENTAL COLLOQUIALLY, WE REFER TO RESIDENTIALLY ZONED SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WHICH IS WHY, YOU KNOW, WE PRESENT OUR DATA FOR THE RESIDENTIALLY ZONED LAYERS THAT WE'VE CREATED.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID A DE-DUPING, AND AGAIN, MY JOB IS TO REPORT ON WHAT WE SEE IN PERFORMANCE RATHER THAN LISTINGS.
YOU KNOW, THERESA REALLY MANAGES THE INVENTORY SIDE OF IT, BUT I SEE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1700 AND 1800 UNIQUE LISTINGS ACROSS THE PLATFORM.
SO MORE THAN OUR LICENSE PROGRAM, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE 2,500 THAT GETS, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT THE TIMESHARES AND OTHER THINGS.
IN OUR, IN OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL MAP ON SEDONA EASY.GOV/STR, UM, THAT DOES TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF LISTING IT IS, IF IT'S A WHOLE HOUSE OR A ROOM OR WHATNOT.
BUT WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CROSS REFERENCE THAT WITH THE DATA THAT WE HAVE.
BUT I RENT OUT MY WHOLE HOUSE WHEN I TRAVEL, BUT I LIVE IN IT AND I LIVE IN IT FULL TIME, SO THAT WOULD CONFUSE PEOPLE LIKE ME AS WELL.
IT'S A, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT, OF THAT BARREL, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND I THINK PART OF WHAT, UM, I'LL START TO PRESENT SOME NEW INFORMATION TO COUNCIL ON THE 17TH ABOUT THIS.
AND SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE THAT KIND OF ISSUE, RIGHT? THEY SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND THEY DESTROY COMMUNITY.
AND SO THINKING ABOUT HOW, HOW TO MANAGE THEM.
THEY'RE NOT INHERENTLY GOOD OR BAD.
IT JUST, WE DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS TO MANAGE THEM.
UH, JUST THAT MEANT THAT MEETING ON THE 17TH IS AN OPEN MEETING, PUBLIC MEETING OR A CLOSED MEETING.
JUST, IT'S JUST COME FOR ME IT'S JUST FULL DAYS.
I WOULD JUST THE NINE 30 TO 10 O'CLOCK TIMEFRAME ON THE 17TH.
WHATEVER TIME IT'S GO CAMP OUT.
WELL THANKS FOR OUR TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVERYBODY.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN 2026.