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MOMENTS CALL THIS MEETING TO[1. CALL TO ORDER]
ORDER AT 2:02 PM ON JANUARY 28TH.WELCOME EVERYBODY, AND PLEASE, UH, SILENCE YOUR PHONES AND TODAY, UH OH.
[3.a. Discussion/consideration and possible action regarding the employment, assignment, and appointment of Tourism Advisory Board applicants including interview of the following applicants.]
WE HAVE SPECIAL BUSINESS DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION THREE.A POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD APPLICANT'S, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS OF THE FOLLOWING APPLICANT'S.
TRACY RANDALL, JULIE RICHARD, BRETT T LARS ROIC, AND GREGORY STEIN.
IS THIS THING ON? BE CLOSE LIKE THIS? OKAY.
YOU CAN MOVE IT CLOSER TO YOU, I THINK.
AND, UH, EACH, EACH ONE OF US WILL ASK A SEPARATE QUESTION.
SO PETE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? OH, THANK YOU THERE.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.
THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE HAVE ON OUR LIST IS, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU USE FROM THE DESTINATION YOU'RE VISITING AND THINK COULD BE IMPLEMENTED HERE? UH, INTERESTING QUESTION.
JIM AND I ARE RIGHT NOW PLANNING A TRIP TO NORWAY THIS SUMMER, AND I USE CHAT GPT,
AND SO I WOULD SAY LARGELY I USE, UM, THE INTERNET AND SEARCHING AND RESOURCES.
UM, HOW COULD THAT BE BENEFICIAL HERE? UM, I AM LESS KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HOW MUCH THE CITY IS PUTTING OUT CONTENT BEYOND SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, I DO THINK THE USAGE I HAVE OF THE WEBSITE HASN'T BEEN AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
AND I'M THINKING BACK TO IF SOMEONE'S GONNA USE TECHNOLOGY, THE TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA USE THE INFORMATION THAT THAT PARTICULAR CITY OR ORGANIZATION HAS PUT OUT SO IT COULD FIND IT.
SO I WOULD PROBABLY SAY MORE INVESTMENT IN APPROPRIATE CONTENT THAT YOU ARE HOPING THAT THE VISITORS WILL FIND AND USE DURING THEIR TIME HERE.
TRACY, I'M CURIOUS, ARE YOU THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT WOULD USE A VISITOR'S CENTER WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT DESTINATION? I WOULD NOT.
I THINK THIS QUESTION WAS ALSO INTENDED TO SEE IF YOU HAVE SEEN THINGS IN YOUR TRAVELS THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR SEDONA THAT YOU COULD BRING BACK TO SEDONA.
I THINK YOU ALREADY DID ONE FROM YOUR TRAVEL TO, UM, OH, TO REMIND ME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MOST OF YOU GUYS HAVE MET ME, SO, YOU KNOW, OUR, MY INTEREST IS VERY ALIGNED WITH GOING TO TRAILS.
MY HUSBAND AND I JUST FINISHED A GOAL OF MOUNTAIN BIKING IN ALL 50 STATES.
AND SO I GOT TO SEE THE TRAIL SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BIKING IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM, I THINK SEDONA IS AS GOOD, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE A STEP UP FROM WHAT I'M SEEING IN OTHER AREAS JUST AS FAR AS AMENITIES AT THE TRAILHEAD INFORMATION, UM, BUSINESSES THAT KIND OF CATER TO, AGAIN, I'M A MOUNTAIN BIKER, SO CATER TO MOUNTAIN BIKING AND FOLKS WHO ARE COMING OFF THE TRAIL.
UM, SO THOSE WOULD PROBABLY BE HIGH ON MY LIST.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ELSE.
UM, WE ALSO TEND TO BIKE A LOT WHEN WE'RE IN THESE PLACES JUST TO GET AROUND.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY IS PUTTING INTO THE SHARED USE PATHS.
UM, I USE THEM PERSONALLY AND DEFINITELY
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RATED HIGHLY THE, THE PLACES THAT I WENT TO THAT MADE IT EASY FOR US TO GET AROUND WITHOUT GETTING IN OUR CAR.UM, I LOVE, UM, BREVARD AWESOME PLACE TO GET AROUND, UM, AND GO RIDING AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS BREVARD, NORTH CAROLINA, THAT PGA AND DUPONT ARE IN INCREDIBLE RIDING AREAS IN THE CITY AS VERY SET UP FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO THERE AND ENJOY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO HERE.
THEIR BEAUTY IS NOT THE RED ROCKS, BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THERE, THEY HAVE LOTS OF WATERFALLS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST FOLKS WHO ARE JUST COMING TO HIKE.
THEY ALSO WANNA SEE THE, THE SITES, UM, THAT ARE AROUND THE, THE TRAILS HEAVY.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE SEDONAS BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND FOR VISITORS? UM, THE THING THAT I USE THE MOST IS OUR TRAILS.
SO I THINK IT'S AN INCREDIBLE ASSET HERE TO EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY.
UM, I ALSO THINK, UM, LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, YOUR STRENGTHS SOMETIMES CAN THEN NEED MORE THAN SOMETIMES YOU GIVE IT 'CAUSE IT'S YOUR STRENGTH.
UM, THE TRAILS NEED A LOT OF WORK.
UM, AS SOMEONE WHO'S OUT THERE PRETTY MUCH EVERY WEEK HELPING TO, UM, MAINTAIN THEM, UM, I WOULD SAY SOME VISITORS ARE GONNA HAVE BETTER EXPERIENCES THAN OTHERS DEPENDING UPON THE TRAILS THEY GO EXPERIENCE.
AND I THINK WE AS A COMMUNITY COULD DO A BETTER JOB CONTINUING TO INVEST IN TRAILS TO KIND OF DISPERSE OUT THAT TRAFFIC.
SO CERTAIN TRAILS ARE JUST MORE EXCITING TO FOLKS 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A BIT MORE MAINTENANCE.
THAT USED TO BE AN AWESOME TRAIL WHEN I CAME HERE IN KIND OF THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
AND THAT GETS VERY LITTLE USE NOW 'CAUSE IT'S, IT NEEDS WORK.
LET ME, UH, EXPAND ON THAT THOUGH.
SO AGAIN, THE QUESTION YOU FEEL SEDONAS BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, ARE THEY THE SAME THAT THE BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS? ARE THOSE THE BEST ASSETS FOR VISITORS? I MEAN, DEFINITELY IN THE CIRCLES THAT I AM IN, MOST OF THE PEOPLE SPEND A GOOD PORTION OF THE TIME ON THE TRAILS.
AND SO I SEE THE VISITORS OUT ON THE TRAILS TODAY.
I WENT ON A RIDE THIS MORNING AND I WAS SHOCKED HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HIKING CHUCKWAGON.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A SAFE TIME TO GO OUT.
IT WAS VERY COLD, 8, 8 30 IN THE MORNING.
SO I HAD TO LEAVE EARLY TO GET HERE.
UM, THAT TRAIL NEEDS A LOT OF THOUGHT.
I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE KIND OF PUSHING THE FOREST SERVICE TO HAVE A HIKING ONLY TRAIL.
UM, SO IT WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO STAY OFF A CHUCK WAGON.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT IS A HUGE ASSET THAT PEOPLE COME HERE FOR.
I MEAN, IT'S WHY I MOVED HERE.
BRIAN, THANK YOU MAYOR TRACY, THANKS FOR COMING IN TODAY.
BRIAN, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING? UH, DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING? I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE AN EXACT, I MEAN, I, TO ME, EVERY DESTINATION HAS A BRAND, LIKE A ORGANIZATION OR A COMPANY WOULD HAVE A BRAND.
SO I WOULD THINK ANY PLACE THAT HAS A DESTINATION, THE FIRST THING IS JUST CLEARLY DEFINING YOUR BRAND AND THEN FINDING THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT OUT TO FOLKS THAT YOU WANT TO COME HERE JUST LIKE A BUSINESS HAS CUSTOMERS.
SO, SO THAT KIND OF COVERS THE MARKETING PART, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT? OH, OKAY.
I GUESS IN FAIRNESS, IT, THIS IS SORT OF A INDUSTRY SPEAK SORT OF QUESTION.
'CAUSE YOU HEAR ABOUT A-D-M-M-O-A DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF ASKING YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THE CITY IS THE DMMO.
SO WHAT, WHAT'S THAT MEAN TO YOU? YOU KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE NOW.
HOW ABOUT FROM A DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE? YEAH, AND I MEAN, I'M GONNA SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT IT PROBABLY GOES BACK TO THE, TO THE TRAILS.
TO ME, AGAIN, I, I MEAN I FEEL STRONGLY A BIG REASON PEOPLE COME HERE IS THE TRAILS.
SO, AND THE BEAUTY OF THE RED ROCKS, MY PERCEPTION IS THE MARKETING IS TRYING TO PUSH THAT.
I THINK THE CITY SHOULD TAKE MORE,
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UM, OF A PARTICIPATORY ROLE IN HOW THE TIFF TRAILS ARE DEVELOPED AND WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.'CAUSE THAT IS A LARGE REASON THAT THE VISITORS ARE HERE.
WHAT OTHER AREAS? I DO THINK, UM, BACK TO KIND OF THE SEPS, I THINK FOLKS CONTINUING TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DEVELOP THE SEPS TO GET PEOPLE TO THE VARIOUS AREAS THAT DRAW SEDONA IN BEYOND THE TRAILS.
O OBVIOUSLY TILAK IS A BIG REASON FOLKS COME HERE AND SPEND TIME HERE IN THE VARIOUS ART AREAS, WHETHER IT BE UPTOWN OR TILAK.
SO CONTINUING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO MAKE IT EASY FOR FOLKS TO GET AROUND AND, AND, UH, VISIT AND USE THOSE ASSETS THAT THE CITY HAS.
IN YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE, UH, WHAT INVOLVEMENT DID YOU HAVE AT ALL IN THE BRAND OF THE BUSINESS THAT YOU WERE ASSOCIATED WITH? UM, I MADE A TON 'CAUSE I'D STARTED THE COMPANY, SO THE MARKETING FUNCTION WOULD'VE BEEN UNDERNEATH ME.
UM, WE ENDED UP EXPANDING, UM, WHAT WE DID AS AN ORGANIZATION.
SO WE ENDED UP, UM, RUNNING WEBSITES FOR LARGE ORGANIZATIONS TOO.
STARBUCKS, UM, CALON, VARIOUS THINGS.
SO SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH BRANDING WITH THEM AS WELL.
AND WE WERE CONVEYING THEIR BRAND, UM, ONLINE.
ALRIGHT, LEMME JUST SWITCH WRITING.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA MODIFY THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE TOURISM BUREAU IS NO LONGER NEW.
UM, SO DO YOU FEEL THAT THE CITY'S TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD BE SOLELY FOCUSED ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT OR SHOULD MARKETING CONTINUE TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WORK? WHY OR WHY NOT? I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR, WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW, UM, THE TOURISM BUREAU IS, IS TASKED WITH BOTH DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND DESTINATION MARKETING.
WE KNOW THEY'VE DONE QUITE A LOT OF WORK ON DESTINATION MARKETING.
SO BASICALLY THIS QUESTION IS SAYING, SHOULD IT BE SOLELY FOCUSED NOW ON THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT OR SHOULD IT ALSO CONTINUE TO MAKE MARKETING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WORK? I MEAN, THEY SEEM COMBINED TO ME.
TO ME, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TRYING TO DRAW PEOPLE IN HERE AND HAVE THEM HAVE AN EXPERIENCE, YOU NEED TO BE DOING BOTH.
UM, YOU MAY WAIT, UM, PUSH INTO ONE MORE THAN THE OTHER BASED ON WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE.
IF YOU'RE TRYING, IF YOU FEEL LIKE, HEY, I'M GETTING A STEADY GOOD GROUP OF VISITORS IN THAT FITS OUR GOALS, YOU CAN PROBABLY BACK OFF OF THE MARKETING A LITTLE BIT.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, THROTTLE IT HIGHER.
UM, BUT THEY SEEM LIKE THE MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT NEED TO BE HAND IN HAND AND THAT YOU'RE DELIVERING AND, AND MANAGING WHAT YOU'RE MARKETING TO PEOPLE.
PLEASE GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING OR CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
GROUP MEETING WHERE, UH, I GUESS, UM, GUY, THE BIKE CLUB JUST WENT THROUGH A VERY EXTENSIVE EXERCISE TO, UM, GET OUR MEMBERSHIP TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT WE WANT THE FOREST SERVICE TO DO NEXT.
SO AFTER TURKEY CREEK IS FINISHED, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE PLANS FOR WHAT'S NEXT.
I THINK THEY'VE ASKED THE CITY TO DO A SIMILAR THING.
AND I THINK IN THE PAST THE BIKE CLUB HAD TAKEN THE APPROACH OF THE BOARD KIND OF JUST DECIDED, AND THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE FOREST SERVICE.
AND IT WAS PROBABLY A BIT CONTROVERSIAL WITH THE BOARD AND THAT I SAID WE'RE A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION SO WE SHOULD TRY TO SOLICIT THE MEMBERSHIP IN WHAT THEY WANT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I RECRUITED IN FOLKS THAT WANTED TO BE HEAVILY INVOLVED AND WE, I DON'T KNOW, CAME UP WITH 80 IDEAS.
UM, I CAME UP WITH A RANKING SYSTEM THAT THE, THE GROUP OF EIGHT WEIGHED IN ON AND THEN WE MOVED THAT DOWN TO 30 IDEAS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN.
BRIAN'S SHAKING HIS HEAD 'CAUSE HE WAS AT THE HOLIDAY PARTY.
I WAS LIKE, HOW CAN WE GET THE MEMBERSHIP TO WEIGH IN? BECAUSE I'M SURE, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, TRYING TO DO STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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AND EMAIL, YOU GET LESS THAN UM, THE RESPONSE RATE YOU'RE HOPING AND THE FEEDBACK YOU WANT.SO WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IT INTO THE HOLIDAY PARTY AND GOT GOT, I WOULD SAY OVER 60% OF OUR MEMBERSHIP AT THE PARTY COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THE BOARD WAS HA THE BOARD'S HAPPY WITH IT NOW, BUT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONTROVERSIAL THING IN THAT IT WAS NOT A, HEY, WE'RE GONNA DECIDE AS, AS OPPOSED TO LET THE MEMBERSHIP DECIDE.
IF YOU COULD HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THE RESIDENTS MORE INVOLVED.
DO YOU BE, DO YOU BELIEVE TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY? I DO.
I WOULD NOT LIVE HERE IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE TOURISM.
UM, THE AMENITIES THAT ARE IN A TOWN OF THE SIZE, UM, ARE LARGE
UM, HAVE YOU READ THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PLAN AND ITS RE RELEVANT RELEVANCE TO THE CREATION OF THE CITY TOURISM BUREAU? WELL, SO AGAIN, IT'S CHANGED A BIT.
SO I GUESS WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ACTUAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN OR IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT THEN, UM, A POTENTIAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN AND HOW IT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE TOURISM BUREAU.
IF I HAVE READ IT, I DO NOT REMEMBER.
UM, I DID FOLLOW THE TAB AS IT WAS STARTED BECAUSE I PUT MY NAME INTO THE HAT BACK THEN.
SO I MAY HAVE READ IT BACK IN THE BEGINNING, BUT I DON'T RECALL.
IT WAS FROM PRIOR TO THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD CREATION.
SO I MAY HAVE READ IT, BUT I DON'T, I DO NOT RECALL.
UM, IF YOU GIVE ME KIND OF A THOUSAND FOOT THING, I CAN RESPOND TO IT.
SO I GUESS, DO YOU FEEL LIKE A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN IS, UH, NECESSARY OR WOULD BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE CURRENT ITERATION OF OUR TOURISM BUREAU? OR DO YOU FEEL THAT INTEGRATING, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABILITY KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD IS, IS MORE OF AN APPROPRIATE DIRECTION? HMM.
AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE SURE I ANSWER ANSWER YOU APPROPRIATELY.
I MEAN, I, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING IT CORRECTLY, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS SEDONA MARKETS ITSELF, SUSTAINABILITY IS A THEME THAT GOES THROUGH EVERYTHING.
'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD ME A BIT, MY MY BELIEF IS THAT MOST PEOPLE COME HERE FOR THE TRAILS AND THE BEAUTY.
AND SO IF IT GETS TRASHED, PEOPLE ARE GONNA STOP COMING.
UM, SO YEAH, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF THE TOURISM.
I I THINK I WOULD NOT LIVE HERE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TOURISM ECONOMY.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY SMART AND THOUGHTFUL ABOUT AS WE SEE THINGS GO AWRY, LIKE I SAW TODAY AND WE ALL KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING OUT AT CHUCKWAGON, THAT WE'RE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW DO WE AS A GROUP, EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN OUR JURISDICTION, 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT, IT'S IN THE FOREST SERVICE.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF CHUCKWAGON IS IN CITY LIMITS, BUT IT IS PART OF HOW PEOPLE VIEW SEDONA.
AND SO I THINK YES, THE CITY SHOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN FIGURING OUT HOW TO SOLVE ISSUES THAT ARE CREATING BAD RESONANT PROBLEMS AS WELL AS TOURIST PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, SOME TOURISTS ARE PROBABLY FINE WITH IT, BUT I THINK SOME WALK AWAY AND SAY, OOH, UM, 'CAUSE STEPH HAS GOTTEN TOO BUSY AND TOO OVERUSED.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY DON'T COME TO SEDONA ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S TOO CROWDED, WHICH GOES TO THE MANAGEMENT PIECE.
SO IS THERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL US WHY YOU APPLIED FOR THIS ROLE? WELL, SOMEONE SITTING UP THERE MIGHT HAVE HAD AN INFLUENCE ON IT.
UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE TRAILS.
UM, I'VE GOTTEN VERY INVOLVED PERSONALLY, YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME AS WELL.
I DO THINK THE TRAILS ARE A BIG PART OF TOURISM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED LIKE ANOTHER AREA THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR ME TO ENGAGE IN IF IT MADE SENSE FOR
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THE GROUP THAT, UM,DO YOU THINK THAT WE ADEQUATELY MARKET THE TRAILS? UM, I THINK THE LANDSCAPE IS MARKETED, BUT AS FAR AS TRYING TO MAKE CERTAIN AREAS MAYBE MORE ATTRACTIVE.
I MEAN, I THINK ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIL FUND PUT A BIG INVESTMENT IN IS DOUGH.
UM, I KNOW THE FOREST SERVICE IS WANTING TO PUT MORE PARKING THERE, HOPING THAT THEY CAN GET MORE PEOPLE OVER THERE SO THEY DON'T ALL FEEL A NEED TO GO TO THE SUBWAY CAVE.
UM, I THINK WE COULD, I DON'T SEE A LOT FROM THE CITY.
I MEAN, I KNOW, UM, THE TRAIL FUND IS PUSHING THAT AS WELL.
UM, BUT I THINK TRYING TO PROMOTE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT INVESTMENTS HAVE GONE INTO MIGHT BE, UM, A WAY TO SPREAD OUT THE TRAFFIC.
DID, DO YOU RECALL THE CHAMBER'S SEVEN SECRET, WHATEVER IT WAS CALLED? SEVEN SECRET? SEVEN SECRET SEVEN.
I MEAN, I'VE SEEN IT AND HEARD OF IT.
UM, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE I STARTED GETTING SO INVOLVED IN, IN THE MARKETING FOR THE, THE BIKE CLUB AND FOR THE TRAIL FUND IT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DO JUST THAT.
TO PROMOTE TRAILS THAT PEOPLE MAY NOT BE AWARE OF AND TO KIND OF SPREAD OUT THE TRAFFIC OUT.
I'M SURE IT'S CHALLENGING 'CAUSE THIS IS A ADVISORY BOARD IN THE CITY.
I DO SEE A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE HOTELS IN THE AREA PROMOTE PLACES WE'D PROBABLY
O OTHER THAN THE TRAILS, DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE SPECIFIC, UM, ASPECTS OF SEDONA THAT SHOULD BE MARKETED? HMM.
I MEAN THERE'S, TO ME, THERE'S UNIQUE THINGS HERE.
A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA GO BACK NECESSARILY NECESSARILY TO THE TRAILS, BUT EXPERIENCING THE LANDSCAPE.
SO YOU DEFINITELY GET A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE WITH THE HOT AIR BALLOONS HERE.
UM, I ALSO THINK THERE'S FOLKS THAT, THIS IS GONNA GO BACK TO THE TRAILS, BUT IT IS UNIQUE HERE.
UM, YOU CAN GET, YOU KNOW, MOUNTAIN BIKE LESSONS HERE.
YOU CAN GET TOURED AROUND BY VARIOUS FOLKS WHO TAKE FOLKS OUT ON HIKING.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE TALL HOCKEY AND VARIOUS ART AREAS ARE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO COME AND DO WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THEIR TRIP.
TRACY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, UH, TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL FAIRLY RECENTLY, UH, AND, UH, COUNCIL DID, UM, AGREE AND UH, AND MOVE FORWARD ON, WAS TO SEGMENT PART OF THE MARKETING SPEND ON A HIGHER VALUE, PERCEIVED HIGHER VALUE CUSTOMER FOR SEDONA.
ONE THAT MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTED IN SPENDING MORE DAYS, MORE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON ART, FOR INSTANCE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
CAN YOU SHARE, YOU KNOW, YOUR THOUGHTS ON, DOES, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE EXPRESSED A LOT OF, UM, AFFINITY TOWARDS THE TRAILS AND THAT ASPECT OF, YOU KNOW, VISITING HERE.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW DOES THAT, UH, MARKETING SEGMENTATION ON A HIGHER, UH, NET WORTH TYPE OF TRAVELER, DOES THAT TRANSLATE IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY TO YOU AS YOU LOOK AT VISITORS THAT COME HERE? UH, YEAH.
I MEAN, I'M, I AM PROBABLY, YOU CAN TELL I'M VERY BIASED.
I THINK PEOPLE PREDOMINANTLY COME HERE FOR THE RED ROCKS AND THE TRAILS, GET 'EM OUT THERE.
THAT BEING SAID, THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA COME UP QUICKLY AND THEN FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO STAY A FEW NIGHTS AND SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY.
SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, WRAPPING IN THE GOOD RESTAURANTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE SHOPPING THAT WE HAVE IN WITH THE TRAILS TO GET FOLKS INTERESTED IN STAYING A FEW MORE NIGHTS AND EXPERIENCING, YOU KNOW, MORE OF WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER, WOULD MY, IN MY MIND MAKE SENSE FROM A STANDPOINT OF TRYING TO GET MORE SPENDING OUT OF THE PERSON? UM, YOU KNOW, BACK TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO ALL THESE AREAS BECAUSE OF THE TRAILS,
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BUT WE ALSO SPENT MONEY THERE, RIGHT.I'M STAYING IN LOCATIONS, WE'RE GOING TO RESTAURANTS, WE'RE BUYING THINGS.
SO I DON'T THINK THEY'RE MUTUALLY EX EXCLUSIVE.
I THINK THE TRAILS ARE THE DRAW.
AND HOW DO YOU GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN WANTING TO STAY A FEW MORE NIGHTS? PART OF IT IS, UM, CONVEYING THE BROAD TRAIL SYSTEM.
THERE IS, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT OVER 400 MILES OF TRAIL, SO THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT PLACES TO GO TO BEYOND JUST DEVIL'S BRIDGE.
UM, AND THEN THERE VARIOUS RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING THAT YOU CAN DO WHILE YOU'RE HERE.
SPAS, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE AS A VISITOR LIKE I'M SURE MOST OF YOU DID BEFORE I MOVED HERE FULL TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT TO THE SPAS AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF VARI THE VARIOUS, UM, SERVICES THAT, THAT SEDONA HAS.
LET ME SPIN THE QUESTION A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
ONE OF THE CRITIQUES THAT WE HEAR IS THAT THE CUSTOMER OF SEDONA HAS CHANGED AND IT USED TO BE THIS HIGH END ART BUYER AND NOW IT'S MOUNTAIN BIKERS AND TRAIL USERS AND THEY'RE A LOWER VALUE CUSTOMER TO SEDONA.
WE HEAR THAT NOT INFREQUENTLY.
UM, I SUSPECT YOU'LL GRAPPLE WITH THAT ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THAT, UH, GIVEN THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD REPRESENT LODGING, RETAIL, EX TRAIL EXPERIENCES, UM, AND OTHER FORM? GEES WHAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY TRAIL EXPERIENCES, UM, UH, ET CETERA.
HOW, HOW, HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH THAT? UM, WELL, I MEAN, I TEND TO BE SOMEONE WHO ALSO LIKES DATA.
I KNOW YOU GUYS LIKE A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO I PROBABLY WOULD INQUIRE WHAT INFORMATION THEY HAVE THAT MAKES THEM THINK THAT.
UM, JUST FROM A CONCEPTUAL STANDPOINT.
I MEAN, I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE, I MEAN, THIS IS JUST SOME HISTORY.
I, I LIVED IN PHOENIX AT A YOUNG AGE.
I THINK I WAS IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE AND WE USED TO COME UP TO SEDONA A LOT.
UM, SO IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I CAME UP HERE.
UM, BUT A BIG REASON, IT'S SO DIFFERENT.
I LOOKED UP 'CAUSE I WAS VERY CURIOUS.
PHOENIX'S POPULATION WAS 750,000.
I THINK WHAT NOW? IT'S 5 MILLION.
SO I DO THINK PART OF THE FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IS NOT SO MUCH WHAT SEDONA HAS DONE, IT'S JUST THE CITY HAS GROWN, UM, A LOT.
AND SO WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF DAY TRIPPERS FROM PHOENIX, I'M GUESSING.
UM, SO IT'S HOW DO WE GET MORE FOLKS? 'CAUSE I WAS NOT ALONE.
MANY OF MY FRIENDS FROM LA CAME TO SEDONA, A TON TO BIKE.
I MEAN, THIS WAS A REGULAR TRIP WE MADE PROBABLY ONCE A YEAR BEFORE WE MOVED HERE WITH GROUPS OF FRIENDS.
UM, AND SO I WOULDN'T KNOW IF THAT'S SLOWING DOWN.
UM, BUT IF IT'S A, IF IT IS, HOW DO YOU RETRACT THAT, UM, COHORT THAT IS WITHIN A DRIVING DISTANCE AND CAN GET HERE AND STAY MORE NIGHTS.
I TRACY, I'D LIKE TO JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT A LITTLE BIT FROM YOUR POSITION IN THE VVCC.
DO YOU KNOW WHETHER DAY TRIPPERS ARE USING THE TRAILS? AND DO, I THINK YOU JUST SAID, BUT I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT, THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE TRAIL VISITATION HAS FROM LA AND OTHER, OTHER PLACES.
IS IT GROWING, DECREASING? I, I, I WOULD NOT KNOW THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANNA ASK US, TRACY? UM, SURE.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR? WHAT ARE, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF POSITIONS OPEN ON THE TAB.
WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ADD TO TACKLE THAT, JOHN? SURE.
WE'RE WE, DID YOU HEAR ZERO MICROPHONE? YEAH, JOHN, OH, SORRY, SORRY.
UH, WE WENT FROM ZERO, LIKE NOT HAVING ANYTHING TO BUILDING A MARKETING ORGANIZATION FOR THE CITY WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE, THE CITY RANKS HERE.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO HAVING THE BOARD DEVELOP, FIGURE OUT THE STRATEGY OF HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT AND BALANCE IT.
I THINK THINK THE BIG THING FOR US IS THE, IS WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP THE BALANCE OF ALL BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE YOU GOT THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF BUSINESSES, YOU ALSO HAVE THE RESIDENTS WE NEED TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A FINE BALANCING ACT TO TRY TO BALANCE THAT.
AND WE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.
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IT'S NOT JUST THAT WHEN THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HERE, WE REALLY FOCUSED A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS SAYING, OKAY, WHEN YOU'RE HERE, HERE'S HOW WE WANT YOU TO BEHAVE.HERE'S WHERE THOSE THINGS ARE THAT WE GO TO THOSE OTHER OUTLYING PLACES LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO TO US, I THINK IT'S KEEPING THAT BALANCE ACROSS THE GROUP THAT WE'VE HAD FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND MAKING SURE WE, WE KEEP ALL THOSE SAME THINGS ALIGNED AND, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS WE'VE HAVE, WE NEED TO PICK UP ANOTHER COUPLE RESIDENTS PIECE OF IT TOO.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTATIVE.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES, NOT CHALLENGES, BUT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GO LOOK AT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
UH, HOW DO WE GET ENGAGED MORE WITH THE COMMUNITY? LIKE WHAT, UH, MAYOR PLU SAID, IT'S HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE GET THEM ENGAGED WITH US.
COULD YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL MEETING? SO A TYPICAL MEETING, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IS ANDREW, WHO'S A HE, HE COMES IN AND TELLS US, UM, WHAT'S GONE ON IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO, WHAT, WHAT THE BUSINESS LAST MONTH OR TWO WE USUALLY MEET, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING ONCE A MONTH AND NOW WE'RE KIND OF GOING BED EVERY OTHER, WE'RE MEETING EIGHT TIMES A YEAR, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET.
WHAT ARE THE OUTLOOKS GOING FORWARD? THEY'LL BRING MARKETING DESTINATION PLANS, LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE GOT SOME, WE'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK AT THE SUMMERTIME.
WHAT'S THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S OUR OPINION FOR THAT PIECE? AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE DIALOGUE WITH THE MARKETING TEAM HERE OF THE CITY AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE ALL STAY ALIGNED AND GIVE OUR INPUT TO WHAT WE THINK OF WHAT WE SAW.
SO, AND UM, LIKE WE SAID, WE TRY TO KEEP THAT BA I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ALL CAME TO GRIPS WITH ON THIS IS HOW DO YOU NOT JUST GET 'EM HERE NOW WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF, LIKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY BEHAVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A, THAT'S BEEN A INTERESTING CHALLENGE FOR US AS A, AS A GROUP BECAUSE WE'RE ALL, A LOT OF US WE'RE BUSINESS PEOPLE.
AND THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE SITTING THERE SAYING, OKAY, NOW HOW WE WANT 'EM HERE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BEHAVE A CERTAIN WAY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'VE LEARNED? IT'S A TOUGH CHALLENGE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT IT'S A TOUGH CHALLENGE TO, TO DO THAT.
BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S WORKED.
I MEAN, WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT SOME KIOSK GOING IN UPTOWN WHEN THE PARKING DECK GOES IN.
WE'VE GOT STUFF ON THE SHUTTLE BUSES TO GET PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO THE DIFFERENT TRAIL HEADS NOW.
SO WE'VE USED THOSE TOOLS THAT ARE IN OUR TOOLBOX WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WE'VE PUSHED STUFF OUT TO THE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THE SAME WAY.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN HELP US TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THE TRAFFIC OFF IT.
LIKE IF THEY'RE HERE AND THEY GET ON THAT SHUTTLE, IT SAVES THOSE CARS BEING OUT THERE THE SAME WAY.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN AN EDUCATION FOR ALL OF US AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH IT.
WELL, LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT OUR PROCESS.
OKAY? SO THERE'S FOUR SEATS OPEN RIGHT NOW AND WE HAVE FIVE APPLICANTS AND WE'RE GONNA INTERVIEW EVERYBODY TODAY AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE DECISIONS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY.
YOU COULD COME BACK OR WE'LL ADVISE YOU.
SO THE LAST INTERVIEW IS AT FIVE O'CLOCK, SO WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T MAKE A DECISION TILL SIX.
AND SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK THEN, OR AS I SAID, WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.
I PROBABLY WILL NOT STAY AND LISTEN TO ALL THE INTERVIEWS.
IS THIS THE ONLY THING ON THE AGENDA TODAY OR ARE YOU GUYS IT IS, YES.
MERCIFULLY
SO FOR MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HEARD SOMETHING ON THE, UH, I READ SOMETHING THIS MORNING THAT SAID THE PHOENIX CITY COUNCIL MEETING WENT TILL MIDNIGHT.
SO I THOUGHT, HUH, THAT'S INTERESTING.
I WONDER HOW LONG THEIR MEETINGS LASTS.
SO I ASKED MY BEST FRIEND CHAT, GBT,
THEY START AT TWO 30 AND THEY MOSTLY GET OUT AROUND SIX, BUT OCCASIONALLY THEY STAYED TILL EIGHT.
SO THIS MUST HAVE BEEN SOME, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA THAT KEPT HIM UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
I SAID, UH, OKAY, SO HOW ABOUT SEDONA? WHAT ARE SEDONAS MEETINGS LIKE? AND CHACHI PT SAID SEDONAS MEETINGS ARE LONGER THAN ANY OTHER MEETINGS.
[00:35:01]
YOU GET, YOU NEED BETTER FRIENDS.
I MEAN THERE ARE CITY OF MANY MORE MILLION AND MANY MORE COMPLICATIONS PERHAPS THAN THE CITY OF SEDONA.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE QUESTION THAT I ASKED IF I'M ASKING THAT AGAIN.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT SHIFTED? YOU MAY NOT BE BECAUSE WE TEND TO ROTATE.
YEAH, WE ROTATE THE PEOPLE, BUT, BUT EVEN JUST IN GENERAL, BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST NOT AS APPLICABLE AS IT WAS OBVIOUSLY TWO YEARS AGO.
SO JUST HOW YOU WANNA CHANGE, SHIFT THAT FOR THE NEXT ROUND.
I THINK THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE REVIEWED FOR THE NEXT TIME.
'CAUSE THEY WERE RELEVANT AT ONE POINT.
SO YOU GUYS CAN TAKE THAT ON LAUREN.
AND, AND ANDREW ALSO NOTICED ON THE APPLICATION AS WELL, IT KEPT REFERRING TO THE NEW TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
YOU GUYS ARE, YOU'RE OLD HAT NOW,
MAYOR, DO YOU JUST WANNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK TILL THE NEXT ONE? SHE, YEAH.
UH, OKAY, SO WHICH WAS YOUR QUESTION? I ASKED ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN, WHICH FELT A LITTLE OH, AWKWARD.
'CAUSE I I THINK IT'S STILL RELEVANT.
WHOEVER SAYS IT NEXT, JUST, YOU KNOW, WORD IT IN A WAY THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.
YOU MADE A VALIANT ATTEMPT TO ADD.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY? IN REGARDING TOURISM? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON A BREAK, SO RIGHT.
[00:42:31]
HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.UH, JULIE WEIR GOING TO BE ASKING YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
WE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, WE'RE INTERVIEWING FIVE PEOPLE.
WE HAVE FOUR SLOTS, AND THE LAST INTERVIEW IS AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
AND THEN WE WILL MEET AND GO OVER THE, THE INTERVIEW E QUESTIONS AND DECIDE ON WHO'S GETTING APPOINTED.
JOHN AND ALTHEA ARE THE PER THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
SO YOU CAN COME BACK AROUND SIX O'CLOCK OR WE'LL LET YOU KNOW.
WE DON'T EXPECT YOU TO COME BACK
SO KATHY, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
SO JULIE, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU USE FOR THE DESTINATION THAT YOU'RE VISITING? AND HAVE YOU PICKED UP ANYTHING YOU THINK SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED HERE? I ALWAYS GO TO THE INTERNET LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO, UM, BUT QUITE OFTEN I MIGHT SEE THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL.
WHEN I LAST ACTUALLY WENT ON A VACATION OF A NEW PLACE THAT I HADN'T BEEN BEFORE.
UM, IT WAS PROBABLY NANTUCKET A FEW YEARS AGO.
UM, AND SO YEAH, I, I USED THE INTERNET.
I USED THE TRAVEL SITES, YOU KNOW, FOR LODGING AND ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT, UM, USUALLY IT'S THE TOURISM SITE THAT I GO TO TO FIND OUT WHAT I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANNA PRIORITI, PRIORITIZE AND, UM, WHERE I WANNA GO.
AND THEN ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN I GET THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, YOU RUN INTO, PEOPLE THEY RECOMMEND THINGS.
YOU, UM, TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND DECIDE WHERE YOU WANNA GO.
JULIE, IF I MIGHT, DO YOU, WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO NEW LOCATIONS LIKE NANTUCKET RECENTLY, DO YOU AVAIL YOURSELF OF VISITOR
[00:45:01]
CENTERS? YES.IF IT'S AVAILABLE AND IF IT'S CONVENIENT, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THAT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.
AND ACTUALLY WHEN I STARTED TRAVELING TO SEDONA HERE, UH, TWO, IN 2004, I THINK THE VISITOR CENTER IN UPTOWN WAS LIKE THE FIRST PLACE WE WENT.
AND EVERY TIME WE WOULD COME TO SEDONA, THE VISITOR CENTER IN UPTOWN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WE STOPPED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING NEW OR JUST TO GET ADVICE ON, UM, TRAILS, WHAT WAS OPEN, WHAT WASN'T OPEN.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, TRAILS ARE CLOSED AND TRAILS THAT WE MIGHT WANNA TRAIL, UM, WOULD BE CLOSED.
JULIE, JUST FOLLOWING ON, WHETHER IN NANTUCKET OR ELSEWHERE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT IS PARTICULARLY INNOVATIVE THAT, OH, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO OUR VISITORS IN SEDONA? I THINK A BETTER WEBSITE WOULD BE REALLY, IN FACT, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT SOME WEBSITES BEFORE I CAME OVER HERE.
JUST, UM, SOME OF THE PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
I LIVED IN GREENVILLE FOR A WHILE AND I WAS THERE WHEN IT WAS JUST STARTING TO EXPLODE.
AND I ACTUALLY LOOKED UP CHARLESTON BECAUSE CHARLESTON HAS HAD SOME OVER TOURISM ISSUES.
UM, BUT GREENVILLE POPPED UP, WHICH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING AND, UH, I, SO I CLICKED ON THEIR WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE DOING, AND, UH, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.
UM, THEY HAVE A LOT MORE ON THE WEBSITE FOR YOU TO CLICK ON AND TO SEE AND TO RECOMMEND.
AND I WENT ONTO OUR WEBSITE, THE CITY'S WEBSITE IN PARTICULAR, AND ALL IT WAS WAS PICTURES OF PHOTOS OF RED ROCKS, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE TO SEDONA
UM, SO THAT WAS A LITTLE TELLING I THOUGHT.
AND GREENVILLE HAS NOT REALLY BEEN A DESTINATION FOR VERY LONG.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY JUST KIND OF COME OF AGE IN THE LAST, I'D SAY 10 YEARS.
SO IT WORKED HARD TO BECOME WHAT IT WAS.
IT WAS AN OLD MILLTOWN THAT NOBODY WANTED TO GO TO.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
AND I WOULD DEFINITELY USE GREENVILLE'S WEBSITE AS A, AS A MODEL.
ACTUALLY, UH, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A, UH, BUSINESS LOCATION IN GREENVILLE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
YOU WERE, SO YEAH, IT GOES BACK A WAYS
SO NEXT OFFICIAL QUESTION HERE IS, WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE SEDONAS BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS? WELL, I THINK THE NONPROFIT ARTS COMMUNITY, OF COURSE
UM, BUT I THINK PEOPLE WHO ENJOY THE ARTS AND CULTURE ALSO QUITE OFTEN, LIKE THE OUTDOORS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE THE RIGHT KINDA TOURIST THAT WE WANNA DRAW.
UM, CULTURAL TOURISTS ARE THE RIGHT KIND OF TOURISTS.
THEY'RE THE, THEY'RE THE KIND OF TOURISTS WHO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY.
IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, AND SEDONA CAN DRAW THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE.
UM, WE AT THE ART CENTER, UH, ARE VERY MUCH, UH, TOURISM ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE DRIVEN BY TOURISM IN A LOT OF WAYS.
NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, BUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO.
AND SO WE, WE SEE AND FEEL THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF TOURISTS.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA ASPIRE TO HERE.
WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, REALLY HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE POSITIVE THINGS LIKE ARTS AND CULTURE, LIKE THE GALLERIES THAT WE HAVE, UM, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, FESTIVALS, EVENTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA DRAW PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA STAY LONGER AND, UM, AND REALLY AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THOSE KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE GREENVILLE WEBSITE THAT I WAS IMPRESSED BY TOO.
THEY HIGHLIGHTED THE SIX TOP EVENTS IN THE CITY AND HAD, UM, HAD THEM IN BIG SQUARES AND YOU COULD CLICK ON 'EM AND DIG, YOU KNOW, DIG DOWN DEEP MORE DEEPLY ON THE DATES AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW, GET INVOLVED WITH IT OR ATTENDED OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY COOL.
AND SEVERAL OF THOSE WERE ARTS EVENTS, BY THE WAY.
NO
I JUST HAD SOMEBODY THAT'S A TRAIL ADVOCATE, SO.
WELL,
ANY FOLLOW UPS? I'M JUST CURIOUS, DO YOU THINK THAT, YOU SAY ARTS AND CULTURES,
[00:50:01]
SO ON THE CULTURE SIDE MM-HMMUH, DO YOU DO THE, DOES THE SYMPHONY SEND PEOPLE YOUR WAY? DO YOU SEND PEOPLE THEIR WAY? YEAH.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? ACTUALLY, WE DO.
AND QUITE OFTEN, UM, LIKE EMERSON THEATER, UM, HAS SENT THINGS TO US THAT THEN WE, WE, UM, BLAST OUT TO OUR, 'CAUSE I THINK I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE GOT THE LARGEST EMAIL LIST OF ALL THE ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE, IF THEY ASK US TO, WE SEND IT OUT AND WE NOW HAVE A COMMUNITY BASED NEWSLETTER THAT WE, WHERE WE COLLECT CALLS TO ARTISTS OR, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPEN STUDIOS TOURS AND OPEN INFORMATION ABOUT THE POTTERY FESTIVAL.
AND, UM, IF THE CITY HAS SOMETHING, UH, LIKE A CALL FOR PUBLIC ART, WE'LL SEND THAT OUT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PEOPLE SEND OUR WAY, WE SEND OUT.
SO YEAH, THE, AND THE SYMPHONY IS ACTUALLY PERFORMED AT, UM, THEY HAD A QUARTET AT ONE OF OUR CELEBRATE SEDONAS, AND THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROMOTE THEM TO THE PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED PLUS US TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THEM.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S VICE VERSA.
WE ALSO TRY TO SWAP ADS WITH THE FILM FESTIVAL AND THE OTHERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT YOU THINK WOULD ADD TO THE VIBRANCY OF OUR ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE, UM, MORE DEDICATED FESTIVALS.
I, AND WE'VE, WE JUST, THIS MORNING WERE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF, OF IDEAS THAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF BANDYING ABOUT FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEXT AFTER THIS KIND OF THING.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS, MAYBE EXTENDING THE POTTERY FESTIVAL, UM, TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MORE OF A SYMPOSIUM AND RUN A LOT OF WORKSHOPS IN CONJUNCTION WITH IT AND EXTEND IT BEYOND THE WEEKEND OF THE, JUST THE SALE, THAT KIND OF THING.
YOU KNOW, TRYING TO LOOK AT THE TIMES OF THE YEAR WHEN THINGS ARE SLOW.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING OUR WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES REALLY PICKING UP THIS YEAR, WHICH IS KIND OF AMAZING, LIKE BY A THIRD MORE.
AND SO THE MORE I THINK WE CAN DO AROUND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING WELL.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO BANDING ABOUT A COUPLE OF OTHER IDEAS FOR FESTIVALS, UM, THAT I'M NOT GONNA SHARE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW,
DO YOU EVER, UH, DO YOU EVER PARTNER WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS? I MEAN, DO YOU, LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A PACKAGE WITH A HOTEL WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU PUT IN LIKE THE, ANY, ANY, UH, FEST LIKE PLIN AIR OR MM-HMM
SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE DOING, A SYMPOSIUM THAT YOU'RE DOING AND TRY TO PACKAGE THAT? WE HAVE, YEAH, WE'VE DONE THAT.
UM, WITH AMTE, WE'VE GIVEN THEM A WHOLE HOST OF ART ON DEMAND THINGS THAT THEY CAN PUT ON THEIR WEBSITE.
UM, WE'VE DONE THAT WITH THE HOTEL NEXT DOOR, THE BEST WESTERN.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE DONE THAT, BUT WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO PARTNER WITH AS MANY ORGANIZATIONS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, WE'VE PARTNERED ON, UH, AN EXHIBIT WITH THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET AS MUCH BANG FOR OUR BUCK AS WE CAN.
WE ALSO PARTNER WITH A LOT OF CITIES DOWN IN THE VALLEY ON OUR VISION AND SOUND PROGRAM, AND THAT ALSO HELPS DRIVE PEOPLE UP HERE AS WELL, AND HOPEFULLY SEDONA RESIDENTS DOWN TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING DOWN THERE.
SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD TOO, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY BROADENED OUR BASE A LOT.
UM, CAN YOU PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU WOULD DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND DESTINATION MARKETING? WELL, I, I SEE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AS, UM, HOW WHAT YOU PROVIDE TOURISTS OR VISITORS ONCE THEY'RE ON SITE.
AND DESTINATION MARKETING IS MARKETING TO THE COMMUNITIES, CITIES, COUNTRIES, UM, WHEREVER THAT YOU'RE MARKETING TO, TO DRAW PEOPLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU FEEL THE CITY'S NEW, NEW, IN QUOTES, TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD WORK SOLELY FOCUS ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT,
[00:55:01]
OR SHOULD MARKETING ALSO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT WORK? WHY OR WHY NOT? MARKETING SHOULD DEFINITELY BE PART OF THAT.AND BY, BY TARGETING MARKETING AROUND SPECIFIC THINGS LIKE CULTURAL TOURISM, LIKE ARTS AND CULTURE, YOU ARE THEN VERY SPECIFICALLY DRAWING THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE, UM, THOSE VALUES AND LIFESTYLES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS GONNA RAISE THE LEVEL OF TOURIST THAT WE GET HERE.
UM, THOSE PEOPLE, AGAIN, ARE GOING TO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY.
THEY'RE THE KIND, THEY'RE THE RIGHT KIND OF TOURISTS THAT, THAT RIGHT KIND OF TOURIST THAT WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT WE WANNA HAVE HERE THAT'S GOING TO SHOP IN THE, IN OUR, UM, IN OUR SHOP, IN OUR SHOPS, IN OUR GALLERIES, AND, UH, AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
JULIE, DO YOU GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT, HOW, HOW YOU THINK ABOUT MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM AND WHETHER THE TAB HAS A ROLE IN THAT EFFORT? HMM.
PROBABLY, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IT, IT'S AN ADVISORY GROUP, SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADVISE, BUT IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING, IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU DON'T MARKET TO THE, TO THE ENTITIES THAT YOU WANT TO REACH, THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THOSE PEOPLE.
AND SO THE TAB, I WOULD SAY CAN ADVISE THE CITY TO FOCUS ON THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE GONNA DRAW THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT, THAT'S NOT THE ADVISORY BOARD'S ROLE.
UH, IT'S UP TO THE CITY STAFF AND, UM, THE CITY ITSELF TO DO THAT WORK.
SO THEY'VE GOTTA WANNA DO THAT.
AND, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD COULD HELP DIRECT THEM IN THAT, IN THAT DIRECTION.
IT WOULD LEAD THEM IN THAT DIRECTION.
UH, YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING, CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT ISSUE.
I WAS JUST ON THE PHONE WITH SOMEONE ABOUT SOMETHING, OH, I'M SORRY.
PLEASE GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING WHERE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING OR CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
SO I'M INVOLVED WITH A, A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION THAT IS, UM, COLLABORATING WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, AND THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT, UM, TRYING TO HELP, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU NEED TO GO IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU HAVE AND, UM, WHEN TO STEP BACK AND WHEN TO LET GO.
YOU KNOW, IT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN TO PUSH AND WHEN TO, WHEN TO LAY BACK AND LET PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, UM, WHILE STILL, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
UM, AND SOMETIMES IT'S SUCCESSFUL AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT.
SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO KIND OF BE ABLE TO READ THE ROOM AND READ THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE WITH, AND THEN ALSO TRY TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW, IF THERE'S SOMEBODY SPECIFICALLY THAT IS STANDING IN THE WAY, UM, MAYBE HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION WITH THEM TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE, IN THE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IN A BETTER WAY OR MORE EFFICIENT WAY.
DO YOU BELIEVE TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE SOME EXAMPLES.
I MEAN, WITHOUT TOURISM AND THE TAXES THAT, THAT THE TOURISTS PROVIDE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE HALF OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN SEDONA.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL, THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF IT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW IT, BY BRINGING ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE FROM ALL SEDONA, PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME TO SEDONA NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE SEDONA IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, AND IT'S A WORLD CLASS DESTINATION BE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE.
SO IT'S UP TO US TO MAKE THAT AS DYNAMIC
[01:00:01]
AND AS PLEASANT AND AS WONDERFUL AS IT POSSIBLY CAN BE.AND, UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT,
JULIE, HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU READ THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN AND DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS OF IT RELATIVE IN ITS RELEVANCE TO THE, THIS ONE TOURISM BUREAU IS THIS ONE? LOOK AT THAT.
UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST OR POLITICAL?
AND DON'T TELL US WHICH IS WHICH.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY MEASURED
UM, AND IT'S, IT DOESN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, IT, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR, UM, VISION AND, UM, BROADENING THE BASE OF THIS PLAN.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR SENDING A MESSAGE TO TOURISTS TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE LAND AND ALL OF THAT.
YES, THAT'S ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, BY MARKETING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT'S GONNA HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
SO THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HELP ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT IT, IT JUST NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED UPON.
BOTH DIRECTLY BACK TO WHAT'S COME OUT OF YOUR, YOUR MOUTH.
UM, WHAT YOU SAID WAS THAT THE PLAN DOESN'T ADDRESS WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE.
WHAT DO WE WANNA DO HERE? WELL, I THINK WE WANNA FOCUS ON CULTURAL TOURISM.
WE WANT, WE REALLY WANNA SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS THAT EXIST HERE.
AND BY DOING THAT, THAT IS GOING TO NOT ONLY HELP THE NONPROFIT ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY HERE, BUT ALSO THE GALLERIES AND THE SHOPS AND THE RETAIL AND THE HOTELS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO IF THAT ALSO ELEVATES THE COMMUNITY, SO IT, IT BECOMES, UM, IT BECOMES A MORE DESIRABLE, DESIRABLE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT.
AND LIKE, I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME FOR OUR WORKSHOPS, THEY COME FROM ABOUT 80% OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME FOR OUR WORKSHOPS.
WE HAVE WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES.
CLASSES ARE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND SO THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY HERE, OR WITHIN A DRIVING DISTANCE.
THE PEOPLE WHO COME FOR OUR WORKSHOPS, ABOUT 80% OF THEM COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THEY FLY IN, THEY STAY FOR THE WEEK, THEY, THEY STAY IN AN AIRBNB OR A HOTEL THEY'VE EAT IN OUR RESTAURANTS.
THEY SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE WORKSHOP.
THEY SHOP IN OUR SHOPS AND THEY GO HIKING.
THEY GET UP EARLY BEFORE THE WORKSHOP.
IF IT'S THE SUMMER AND THEY GO HIKING, AND THEY MIGHT GO TO THE SPA AT NIGHT AND THEY'LL TAKE A TROLLEY TOUR OR A PINK JEEP TOUR.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ADD ALL OF THOSE THINGS ON TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE WANT.
AND WHEN THEY COME TO THE FILM FESTIVAL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT JUST COMING FOR THE FILMS. THEY'LL GO FOR A HIKE, THEY'LL GO TO THE RESTAURANTS, THEY'LL GO, THEY DEFINITELY COME SHOPPING BECAUSE WE SEE A HUGE SPIKE IN OUR GALLERY SALES THE WEEK OF THE FILM FESTIVAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.
AND ANOTHER COMMENT THAT YOU MADE IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS, AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES TALKED ABOUT, UM, IDENTIFYING THE, THE TARGET, UM, VISITOR THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ATTRACT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE MARKETED TO ATTRACT THE TYPE OF VISITOR THAT IS IN YOUR MIND? SO THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT ACTUALLY DO THAT RESEARCH AND, UM, I, I THINK THAT I, AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVER BEEN DONE HERE.
IT PROBABLY HAS AT SOME POINT, BUT THEY ACTUALLY, UM, DO A, A DEEP DIVE ON THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY COME HERE AND ON THE KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO WE WANNA ATTRACT, WHOEVER THAT IS.
UM, AND MOSTLY, YOU KNOW, AND YOU COULD TALK TO US ABOUT THE
[01:05:01]
DATABASE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE THAT COME HERE FOR OUR WORKSHOPS.YOU CAN TALK TO PAT TWICE ABOUT THE DATABASE OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE FILM FESTIVAL.
THOSE PEOPLE CAN BE SURVEYED, AND THEN THOSE, THOSE MARKETING COMPANIES CAN THEN DISTILL THAT DOWN AND CREATE A MARKETING PROGRAM AROUND THE KIND OF TOURISTS THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR BASED ON VALUES AND LIFESTYLES.
I'M GONNA TWIST MY QUESTION A LITTLE BIT.
BUT DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS A ASPECT OF SEDONA THAT SHOULD BE MARKETED OTHER THAN THE ARTS? A PARTICULAR ASPECT OTHER THAN THE ARTS? MM-HMM
PROBABLY THE OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE OUTDOOR EVENTS, THE OUTDOOR, UH, THE OUTDOOR THINGS THAT DRAW PEOPLE HERE FOR A, A LENGTH OF TIME.
UM, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
THE, THE SCENERY IS ALWAYS GONNA BE PART OF WHAT WE ARE AND WHO WE ARE, AND THAT SHOULD, SHOULD AND CAN ALWAYS BE ADDED ON, EXCUSE ME, TO WHATEVER WE DO.
BUT I THINK THE SCENERY AND HIKING, EXCUSE ME, AND THE OUTDOOR, UM, ASPECTS OF WHAT WE DO ARE, ARE, WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE, ARE KIND OF INTERWOVEN INTO WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED AS WELL.
YOU HAD SAID ONE THING THAT PICKED MY CURIOSITY.
UH, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOPS, MULTI-DAY, PEOPLE ARE FLYING IN, STAYING DOING THOSE THINGS MM-HMM
GENERALLY, THAT OUR VISITOR DATA TELLS US.
WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM PHOENIX.
I'M WONDERING IF PHOENIX IS ALSO PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN YOUR WORKSHOP POPULATION.
THEY PLAY SOME ROLE, NOT, NOT, NOT A MAJORITY.
WELL, AREN'T THE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE COME TO THE WORKSHOPS FOLLOWING THE ARTIST? IN SOME CASES? NOT ALWAYS, BUT IN SOME CASES, YES.
SO IF THE ARTIST COMES FROM MISSOURI OR THE ARTIST, OR SOME OF THESE ARTISTS ARE KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY AND THEY COME FROM INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT ARTIST AND ADMIRE THEIR WORK.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHILE THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE ARTIST, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY COMING FROM EXACTLY WHERE THAT ARTIST LIVES OR COMING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
TO BE WITH THEM AND TO LEARN FROM THEM 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A FOLLOWING.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT OR ADD ABOUT YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING ON THE TAP? SO WHY DID YOU APPLY? I KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO ASK THAT.
BASICALLY, UM, ARTS AND CULTURE
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY THAT, AND I DON'T SEE MYSELF JUST FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO MARKET THE ARTS CENTER.
UM, I REALLY SEE MYSELF AS REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE NONPROFIT ARTS COMMUNITY HERE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH ALL OF THEM BEFORE.
WE SUPPORT THEM AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, WE SUPPORT ALL THE ARTISTS WE HAVE.
WE ACTUALLY DIRECTLY SUPPORT ABOUT 1600 ARTISTS ANNUALLY.
UM, SO IT'S THEM AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
THAT'S REALLY THE REASON WHY I'M ON THE, I I'M INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE TAB MORE THAN ANYTHING.
AND I HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH WORKING WITH STATEWIDE, UM, TOURISM MAY IN MAINE.
I SERVE ON THE A ZLT, A NORTHERN ARIZONA COMMITTEE HERE.
UM, SO, AND I'M BEEN INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY AT THE STATEWIDE LEVEL FOR ARTS AS WELL.
SO I SEE THAT AS BEING PART OF THIS AS WELL.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHY, JUST TO GIVE US A VOICE MORE THAN ANYTHING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD A QUESTION.
SO YOU, THIS 1600 ARTISTS, IS THAT LOCALS OR IS THAT PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN? LIKE HOW MUCH IS IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE AND HOW MANY ARE, ARE COMING IN NOW? IT'S EVERYWHERE.
[01:10:01]
A LOT OF ARIZONA ARTISTS, A LOT OF REGIONAL ARTISTS, A LOT OF NATIONAL ARTISTS.'CAUSE WE, SOME OF THE, UH, EXHIBITS THAT WE DO DRAW ARTISTS NATIONALLY, BUT THEY COME HERE AND WHEN IF WE DO A, A NATIONAL CALL, QUITE OFTEN THEY'LL TRAVEL TO SEDONA TO BE PART OF THE OPENING, WHICH IS ALSO PRETTY COOL TO SEE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, JULIE? I DON'T THINK SO.
YOU HAVE A HARD, HARD JOB ON SO MANY LEVELS.
SO JOHN, MAYBE YOU COULD JUST GIVE A LITTLE.
SO THE WAY OUR, THE FORMAT WORKS, WE, UH, FINA AND I MEET WITH ANDREW THE WEEK BEFORE.
WE KIND OF BUILD OUR AGENDA FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
AND THEN IT'S PRETTY MUCH A STANDARD, HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENED THE LAST, IT'S THE LAST TIME WE MET, GOING OVER DATA, LOOKING AT WHAT'S THE, UM, INCOME LEVELS, THE REVPAR AND MM-HMM
OCCUPANCY ACROSS BOTH HOTELS AND, UH, AIRBNB SIDE.
THEN WE KIND OF GO THROUGH, UM, LOOKING AT THE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
LIKE, DID THIS HA LIKE IF IT JUST HAPPENED LIKE THE WINTER CAMPAIGN, LIKE WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT LIKE WHAT HAPPENED LAST FALL AND SAYING, OKAY, HERE'S KIND OF WHAT, WHERE WE WERE AT ON SPEND, HERE'S KIND OF WHERE WE WERE GETTING THE PEOPLE FROM.
DID IT WORK, NOT WORK? THEN WE'D START LOOKING AT THE FUTURE AND SAYING, OKAY, HERE'S THE NEW CAMPAIGN MM-HMM
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE SUMMER, AND THEN WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT'S THE CONTENT LOOK LIKE? AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS, OKAY, WHAT'S THE SPEND AGAINST THAT? AND ARE WE HITTING THE TARGET? AND THEN AT THAT POINT, THE STAFF TAKES IT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL IF THAT OKAY.
WE'VE HAD IT OVER THE TIMES WHERE WE'VE HAD TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
AND IT'S A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON WHAT THE MARKETING, UM, OUTSIDE COUNSEL, UH, CUS UH, THE OUTSIDE, UM, AGENCY TELLS US, YOU KNOW, LIKE, HERE'S WHERE WE THINK YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR TAB MEETING.
UM, AND THEN THAT'S REALLY ABOUT IT.
AND DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL INTERESTS THAT ARE HAPPENING, WE, UH, FIRST CAME ON BOARD AND HELPED WITH CREATING THE BRAND FOR SEDONA AND, UM, HELPED TO, UH, GUIDE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND THEN CONTINUED TO DO SO.
UH, WE DID A LOT OF VISITOR SERVICES, UM, MEETINGS, TALKING ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE VISITOR CENTER OR NOT.
AND, AND, UH, WE AS A T ENCOURAGED THE COUNCIL TO, TO KEEP FUNDING THAT.
UM, BUT MOVING FORWARD, WE ARE HOPING TO BECOME MORE OF A LIAISON BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND THE CITY AS WELL.
PLANNING TOWN HALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL BE EXPECTED TO HELP TO FACILITATE IN SOME WAY, UM, WITH ANDREW AS THE LEADER.
SO KIND OF MOVING FORWARD, GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE HANDS-ON OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE LIAISONS.
SO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE MM-HMM
CAN BE DISSEMINATED TO THOSE THAT REALLY NEED THE FACTS.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING TOO IS THAT EVERYBODY GOES TO DIFFERENT, AROUND DIFFERENT, 'CAUSE WE ARE VERY GOOD DIVERSE GROUP.
YOU GOT DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS TYPES.
YOU GOT THE RESIDENTS, YOU GOT SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE MAY NEED TO PICK UP THE ART PIECE HERE, LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT'S ALL, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD BROAD SPECTRUM TO HELP US KEEP US ALL BALANCED AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
BUT BACK TO THOSE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND THE MARKETING PIECE.
WE, I TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE MARKETING PIECE, BUT THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PIECE TOO IS HOW DO WE USE THE RESOURCES ONCE THEY GET 'EM HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A SHIFT THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE WHEN IT WAS WITH THE CHAMBER IS, OKAY, NOW THAT WE GOT 'EM HERE, HOW DO WE USE THE RESOURCES OF THE SHUTTLES, THE TRAILHEAD STUFF? THE, WE'RE LOOKING AT KIOSKS UP OF TOWN.
FOR THE PARKING AREA TO HELP PUSH PEOPLE AROUND TO SHOW PEOPLE THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE HAVE HERE.
AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A SHIFT.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I THINK MOST PEOPLE, WHEN WE FIRST F FIRST FORMED THE TAB, WE WERE THINKING A LOT OF IT WAS MARKETING, BUT IT ENDED UP REVOLVING TO HOW DO WE MANAGE IT ONCE THEY GOT HERE? AND HOW WE WANT PEOPLE TO BEHAVE ONCE THEY GOT HERE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR ADVERTISING, IT'S NOT AN IN YOUR FACE MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
IT'S MORE, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM THE SUBTLE, HERE'S HOW WE WANT YOU TO BE HERE WHEN YOU HEAR HOW WE WANT YOU TO BEHAVE TOO.
WE HAVE FIVE OPEN, FOUR OPENINGS AND FIVE CANDIDATES.
AND WE'RE INTERVIEWING EVERYBODY TODAY.
AND AFTER WE FINISH THE FINAL INTERVIEW, WE'LL GO INTO A EVALUATION AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE WHO GETS THE SLOTS
[01:15:01]
SO WE CAN LET YOU KNOW.OR YOU CAN COME BACK AROUND SIX O'CLOCK, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY EXPECT YOU TO DO, BUT YOU COULD IF YOU WANTED TO.
AND THEY ARE FOUR YEAR TERMS? UH, TWO OF THEM ARE TWO YEAR, YEAH, TWO OF THEM ARE TWO YEAR TERMS. UM, WELL ACTUALLY, LEMME LOOK AT IT FOR A SECOND.
TWO OF THEM ARE FOUR YEAR TERMS. TWO OF THEM ARE ONE YEAR TERMS. 'CAUSE THEY'RE FINISHING OUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S TERM WHO LEFT BEFORE THEIR TERM ENDED.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, MAGICAL NUMBER OF TERMS. NOT THAT NECESSARILY WANT TO BE, I THINK I'LL BE GOOD ON ANY NUMBER IF I'M SELECTED.
SO WE HAVE A SET OF QUESTIONS WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY AND WE'RE ROTATING SO PEOPLE ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION EACH TIME.
SO FIRST QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU USE FROM THE DESTINATION YOU'RE VISITING AND WHICH OF THOSE DO YOU THINK MIGHT BE VALUABLE IF IMPLEMENTED IN SEDONA? WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS JUST RESEARCH ON GOOGLE.
UH, NOW STARTING TO USE AI, UM, GEMINI OF COURSE.
I THINK THAT'S HEATING UP QUITE A BIT.
IF I COULD FOLLOW UP, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY TO NEW DESTINATIONS, DO YOU USE VISITOR CENTERS? HONESTLY, NOT FREQUENTLY.
I THINK I JUST GET RIGHT ON MY MOBILE, UM, USING AI AND, AND GOOGLE, AND THEN DOING RESEARCH FROM THERE.
IF A VISITOR CENTER COMES UP, I DO LIKE TO BROWSE.
SO IF THEY'RE RANKING, UH, IN THE TOP, WHICH OFTENTIMES THEY MIGHT, THAT MIGHT BE A SOURCE.
AND BRETT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN ANY OF THE DESTINATIONS YOU VISITED THAT YOU'RE LIKE, OH, THAT'S INNOVATIVE, THAT WOULD BE COOL IF SEDONA DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT HELPS THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN SOME MANNER? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I CAN'T SAY THAT ANYTHING REALLY STRIKES ME AT THIS TIME, UM, AS INNOVATIVE, BUT I ALSO HAVEN'T BEEN TRAVELING A WHOLE LOT LATELY.
SO AGAIN, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PAYING ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT IS PUTTING THINGS READILY AVAILABLE IN FRONT OF US.
UM, I DEFINITELY WILL KEEP AN EYE OUT AS I TRAVEL, UH, HERE IN THE FUTURE AND SEE IF THAT QUESTION MIGHT CHANGE FOR ME AND THE ANSWER MIGHT CHANGE.
UM, SO WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE SEDONAS BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ASSETS? WELL, WE HAVE NATURAL BEAUTY AND INSPIRATION.
I THINK BOTH RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS ENJOY THAT.
AND PRESERVING THAT WOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, TILAK IS A GREAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I'M A LITTLE BIT BIASED HAVING TWO SHOPS IN TEAK, BUT IF I DIDN'T, I STILL WOULD PROMOTE THAT AS A GREAT ASSET AND ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BROWSE.
UM, I THINK WE'RE YOUNG AND GROWING AND, AND MORE ARE EMERGING.
BUT, UH, THE WINE TASTING, THE RESTAURANTS, UH, THE EXPERIENCES, THE JEEP TOURS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE ASSETS THAT I HIGHLIGHT TO FRIENDS WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO TOWN.
UH, PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING.
WELL, THAT'D BE A NEW TERM FOR ME.
UH, ALL OF THIS WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT NEW FOR ME, BUT I WOULD SAY IF I WERE TO TAKE A STAB DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, THERE ARE MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER, UH, IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, TAX BASE AND BUDGET FOR THE CITY.
UH, ECONOMIC WELLBEING FOR BUSINESS, UH, ECONOMIC WELLBEING FOR LABOR FORCE.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS MARKETING, I THINK WE'RE A VERY WELCOMING AND OPEN DESTINATION,
[01:20:02]
BUT MARKETING SHOULD BE A VERY SPECIFIC EFFORT, UH, TIP OF THE SPEAR EFFORT TO GET THE BIGGEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN THE AREAS THAT MATTER MOST.SO A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S VERY WELL DIRECTED AND AIMED, UM, EARLY IN, IN, IN PHASES, UH, TO ATTRACT THE RIGHT VISITOR, UH, TO SATISFY ALL THOSE, UH, AREAS OF MANAGEMENT THAT I MENTIONED.
IF, IF I MAY, DOES MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM FALL INTO THE MANAGEMENT ELEMENT? HOW DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? UH, I DO THINK IT FALLS INTO THAT.
I, I DON'T THINK WE JUST OPEN THE DOORS TO MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE.
UH, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT ON THE ROADS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE TRAILS, UH, THE NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO HOW DO WE CREATE WELLBEING ECONOMICALLY AND CULTURALLY WHILE ALSO, UM, MITIGATING RISK AND LOSS.
IN YOUR TWO BUSINESSES, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF, UH, YOUR BUSINESS THAT GOES TO VISITORS VERSUS LOCALS? I WOULD SAY 85% PLUS.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE HIGHER THAN THAT.
DO YOU DO ANY OF YOUR OWN MARKETING OR IS IT ALL THROUGH TO LOCK? UH, WE LIKE TO GET BEHIND TO LOCK, BUT I'VE ACTUALLY RECENTLY LAUNCHED, UM, A COLLECTIVE MARKETING EFFORT WITH SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESSES.
UH, I'VE GOT 15 LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE AGREED TO CO-OP DOLLARS TO MARKET.
UM, I'M HEADING THAT EFFORT UP PROBABLY A LITTLE EARLY TO DISCLOSE SOME OF THE DETAILS SURE.
OF WHERE THAT MIGHT BE HOUSED.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'LL BE HOUSED IN A VERY FAVORABLE ENTITY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.
THIS WOULD BE A PILOT PROGRAM WE'RE LAUNCHING.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO TARGET SCOTTSDALE SURPRISE VALLEY, UH, DURING THE SHOULDER SEASON, SO DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
AND THEN, UM, LIGHTLY IN THE SUMMER.
UH, WE WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY DURING THAT TIME, BUT ALSO, UM, IN, UH, THE FALL AGAIN.
ARE THERE A DIVERSITY OF BUSINESSES IN YOUR COLLECTIVE? OR YOU ALL SIMILAR? THERE IS, AND THERE WILL BE MORE IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE CAN CREATE ROI FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT I'VE, UM, PUT TOGETHER SO FAR, UH, SO THAT THEY'LL CONTINUE TO PLAY AND AS WE CAN PROVE THE CONCEPT, THEN WE'LL BE MUCH MORE INCLUSIVE TO, TO BROADEN THAT, UH, ROSTER OF BUSINESSES.
THEY RANGE FROM, UH, RESTAURANT, UH, TRAVEL.
YEAH, IT'D BE EXCITING TO SEE HOW THAT GOES.
UH, DO YOU FEEL THE CITY TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD BE SOLELY FOCUSED ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, OR SHOULD MARKETING ALSO BE INTEGRATED PART OF THE WORK? CAN YOU DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE SO THAT I MAKE SURE I ANSWER? SURE.
THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS MARKETING IS GETTING 'EM HERE.
DESTINATION MARKETING IS WHEN THEY'RE HERE.
HOW DO YOU, WHAT'S THAT? SORRY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH.
SO DESTINATION MARKETING IS, ONCE THEY'RE HERE, HOW DO YOU WORK WITH THEM WITHOUT, HERE MARKETING IS GETTING THEM HERE.
SO THAT TO BE, THAT'S THE WAY WE DEFINE THE TWO RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME THEN.
DO YOU FEEL THE CITY'S TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD SOLELY FOCUS ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, OR SHOULD THE MARKETING ALSO BE AN INTEGRAL PART? BOTH, ABSOLUTELY BOTH.
I BELIEVE THAT PART OF MARKETING IS THE EXPERIENCE PEOPLE HAVE WHEN THEY'RE HERE.
UM, AS A BUSINESS OWNER THAT, AND MANY OF US LIKE TO ASK FOR MORE MARKETING DOLLARS,
I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO COMPEL MY COLLEAGUES THAT THE BEST FORM OF MARKETING IS WORD OF MOUTH.
AND IF WE'RE NOT DELIVERING AN EXPERIENCE WORTH COMING BACK FOR, UH, WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THE MARKETING CONVERSATION YET.
I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN REAL QUICK.
UM, I WAS GONNA ASK IT LATER, BUT IT JUST SORT OF KEEPS COMING UP.
SO, BRETT, HOW DOES YOUR, UH, SCOTTSDALE GALLERY OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE, HOW DOES
[01:25:01]
THAT INFORM YOUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING HERE? UH, I'M A BIG FAN OF SCOTTSDALE AND I, I'VE HAD A LOCATION IN THE FASHION SQUARE, WHICH WAS THE NUMBER TWO PERFORMING MALL IN THE US FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.PRIOR TO COVID, I ALSO HAD A LOCATION ON MAIN STREET IN THE ART DISTRICT.
I WAS ASKED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE GALLERY ASSOCIATION THERE.
UM, I DECLINED WHEN I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THE GALLERIES THERE AND THE OWNERS THERE WERE PRETTY SET AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE.
SO I, WHAT I HEARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN FROM SCOTTSDALE CLIENTELE IS THEY LOVE SEDONA, BUT PARKING AND TRAFFIC HAS KEPT THEM AWAY.
SO WHAT I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IS BRING THEM HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, NOW WHILE IT'S SEASONED IN SCOTTSDALE AND IT'S, WE, WE NO LONGER AND ON MY TEAM CALL IT SLOW, BUT WHILE IT'S PEACEFUL TIME HERE,
SO I THINK SCOTTSDALE MAYBE FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, AT LEAST ART.
UH, THEY'VE PUT ON SOME GREAT, UH, EVENTS AND THAT DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
UH, I THINK WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT AS WELL.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THIS THE FASHION SQUARE MALL, DO YOU STILL HAVE A PLACE THERE? I DO NOT.
IT'S CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND I JUST WAS GONNA ASK YOU, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN'T ANSWER IT.
IF THE UPSCALING OF FASHION MALL, WHICH ALWAYS WAS UPSCALED, BUT THEY REALLY UPSCALED IT YEAH.
HAS DRIVEN MORE BUSINESS TO THE GALLERIES.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I KEEP MY EYE ON IT, UH, PRETTY CLOSELY.
I, WE, WE ACTUALLY WERE NEXT DOOR TO NEIMAN MARCUS IN THE LUXURY WING, AND WE WERE, UM, OUR GRAND OPENING WAS THE FIRST COVID LOCKDOWN
SO I'M WRITING A BOOK ON BAD TIMING.
UH, SO SHORTLY AFTER WE OPENED BACK UP IN THE LUXURY WING, UH, RIOTING OCCURRED AND ABOUT $150 MILLION IN DAMAGE THAT WAS RIGHT BELOW OUR GALLERY.
SO AT THE THIRD STRIKE WAS THREE NEW PROPERTY MANAGERS IN OUR TIME THERE.
AND THE MALL REALLY HAD NO IDEA HOW TO RESPOND TO THE CRISIS.
SO THEY LOST A LOT OF TRACTION.
BUT I WILL SAY DESPITE ALL OF THAT, OUR BIGGEST CLIENTS IN HISTORY CAME FROM THAT LOCATION, AND I STILL WORK WITH THEM TODAY.
UH, FORMER PROSECUTING ATTORNEY OF SCOTTSDALE, UH, JUST INSTALLED A NEW PIECE FOR HIM.
I'VE SOLD WELL INTO THE SIX FIGURES OF ART FROM HERE TO, TO MANY OF THOSE CLIENTELES, UH, CLIENTELE.
AS YOU WERE AT THE TEAK MEETING THAT MANY OF US WERE AT WITH THE MERCHANTS OF TEAK TO TALK ABOUT TO INCREASING OR, OR, UH, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING A HIGHER INCOME TOURIST.
HIGH IMPACT, UH, HIGH INCOME AND LOW IMPACT.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO A LOT MORE, UM, WITH THE HIGHER INCOME CLIENT FOR, I GUESS JUST TO MAKE IT VISUALLY PRACTICAL WHEN THE PARKING LOT IS HALF EMPTY AND TO LOCK OUR SALES ARE UP, IT'S WHEN PEOPLE ARE CIRCLING AROUND THAT IT'S, IT'S HARDLY PACED TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
I'VE BEEN OBSERVING THIS FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS.
AND, UM, WE ACTUALLY, LESS DONE BETTER IS MORE, WE ACTUALLY DO, DO BETTER WHEN IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PEACEFUL AROUND.
AND THAT AFFLUENT CLIENTELE, THEY, THEY CAN PARK AND GET, GET INTO RESTAURANTS AND LODGING AND THOSE THINGS.
SO YEAH, I DO THINK THIS, UH, HAS A HIGHER IMPACT.
IT HAS A HIGHER IMPACT ON THE TAX THAT'S COLLECTED, AND I THINK, I'M SURE THE CITY COULD USE THE BUDGET, SO.
UM, PLEASE GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING, WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING OR CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
WELL, I JUST HOSTED THIS, LET ME MAKE SURE I, I SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE QUESTION, BUT TELL ME
[01:30:01]
IF I'M OFF TRACK.BUT IN HOSTING THIS, UH, COLLECTIVE GROUP, UM, EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION ON WHO SEDONA IS FOR MM-HMM
AND I'VE TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THE GROUP TO, TO NOT JUST HAVE PERCEPTION, BUT PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THOSE DIFFERENT OPINIONS FROM THE HUMAN STANDPOINT.
WE ALL WANT TO BE INCLUSIVE, BUT IF YOU REALLY ORGANICALLY UNEARTH EARTH, THE ECONOMICS THAT WORK FOR LOW IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO ME IS NOT JUST HOUSING THAT'S LESS EXPENSIVE, IT'S ACTUALLY EMPLOYEES THAT CAN AFFORD IT.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEIR INCOME IS GENERATED BY, UH, PROSPERITY IN THE BUSINESS.
SO, UH, TO GET THE GROUP TO ACTUALLY SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN JUST THEIR PERCEPTION.
I DON'T CLAIM TO HAVE ALL THE RIGHT ANSWERS OR FACTS, BUT TO GET ALL THE DATA OUT, UH, IN THE OPEN WHERE WE CAN COLLABORATE TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGY.
BRETT, DO YOU BELIEVE TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY? IN WHAT WAYS? I DO.
UH, WELL, IT HELPS PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, IT SEEMS THAT 78% OF THE TAX BASE, IF I'M CORRECT OR CLOSE TO ACCURATE, COMES FROM TOURISM, UH, FOR RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED.
UM, WHICH I WON'T BEGIN TO GUESS WHAT ALL OF THOSE ARE, BUT I, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, I THINK SIMULTANEOUSLY, UH, IF DONE PROPERLY, UH, IT WILL, UH, STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY, UH, CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITY, UH, GIVE US CHANCES OR OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, BUILD INTO OUR FUTURE AND, UM, PROVIDE MORE RESOURCE FOR, UH, THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, UM, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YEAH, I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IT'S, UH, CRUCIAL TO SEDONAS WELLBEING.
IF DONE PROPERLY, WHAT IS PROPERLY? I DON'T THINK IN GENERAL, I DON'T THINK MORE TOURISM IS THE ANSWER.
I THINK VERY TARGETED, SPECIFIC.
OF COURSE, SEDONA IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO BE HERE AND TRAVEL HERE AND, AND ENJOY SEDONA BY ALL MEANS COME.
BUT FROM A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, TO TARGET THE RIGHT TOURISM, UH, FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOR THE CITY, FOR THE BUSINESSES, FOR THE RESIDENTS, FOR THE LABOR FORCE AND THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE GUEST.
WHAT ARE THE ASSETS OF SEDONA TO BE MARKETED SPECIFICALLY? SO YOU HAVE GALLERIES, RETAIL SHOPS, SO ARE OTHER THAN THAT, ARE OTHER THAN YOUR SPECIFIC INTERESTS THAT DRIVE YOU HERE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE MARKETED? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH MY COLLEAGUES IF I'M SELECTED ON, WOULD BE THE IDENTITY OF SEDONA, WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE'RE FOR, FOR ME PERSONALLY, THE ASSETS ARE, UH, THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL LANDSCAPES.
I, I FEEL THE WORD THAT COMES TO MIND FOR ME IS INSPIRATION.
I THINK, UH, UH, COUNSELOR DUNN ACTUALLY INSPIRED ME TO USE THAT WORD,
UH, IN A VISIT WE HAD, UH, INSPIRATION, NATURAL BEAUTY, BUT ART, HISTORY, CULTURE, EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE NOT A BIG GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, BUT WE PROVIDE A BIG BANG FOR THE BUCK WITH THE BEAUTY AND THE MAGIC THAT'S HERE.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE SERENITY IN THAT AND REJUVENATION.
AND, AND HAVE YOU READ THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE ROLE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM? I WOULD HAVE TO SAY I MAY HAVE BROWSED IT.
[01:35:01]
AS FAR AS THE, THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD, I THINK IT'S A CRITICAL PIECE.AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT LESS DONE BETTER IS MORE SO RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON MORE TOURISM, UH, BEING VERY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE SPEND DOLLARS TO BRING THE RIGHT TOURISM TO HAVE A LOWER IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND MORE SUSTAINABILITY.
WHO IS THAT, IN YOUR MIND? MATURE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT, NOT ALWAYS, BUT SOMETIMES HAVE HIGHER INCOME AND SEE SEDONA AS A SISTER, BROTHER CITY RATHER THAN SOMETHING TRANSIENT THEY SAW ONCE AND, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFF AND NEVER COMING BACK.
SO, ALTHOUGH IT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, I THINK SCOTTSDALE SURPRISE, UH, PARADISE VALLEY, I THINK THE PHOENIX AREA COULD CONSIDER US PART OF THEM AND A LITTLE MORE MINDFUL TO PRESERVE AND TAKE CARE OF US.
SO WHY DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD? I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO
UM, I WANT TO DO MY PART SELFISHLY.
I HAVE BUSINESSES HERE THAT I THINK WILL BENEFIT FROM MY INVOLVEMENT, AND I ALSO AM SOLVING PROBLEMS SOMETIMES WAY INTO THE WEE HOURS, EVEN IF I DON'T NEED TO.
I'M VERY STRATEGIC, CONTEMPLATIVE AND A BIT OF A CONTRARIAN AT TIMES, NOT ARGUMENTATIVE, BUT A BIT, I, I LOOK AT THE OTHER, I LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS WHEN SOLVING PROBLEMS. AND I, I JUST FEEL I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL STRATEGY AND EXECUTION.
I THINK AS WE, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW MY COLLECTIVE, UH, GATHERING GOES, BUT IF WE DID, YOU WOULD SEE THAT I'M ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE INTO A CAUSE PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, THAT'S A BIT OF MY SUPERPOWER IS I CAN RALLY THE TROOPS AND GET THEM TO ACT.
AND SO I THINK I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND I, I, I'M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON TO SIT AROUND AND COMPLAIN THAT THINGS AREN'T THE WAY I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING.
SO IF I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID, UM, YOU HAVE AN ABILITY TO SWAY PEOPLE AND THINK IT'S A SUPERPOWER, HOW ARE YOU AS A LISTENER? WELL, OBVIOUSLY I WAS LISTENING TO YOU
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M A GOOD LISTENER, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A MATURE PRACTICE AND PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE GOOD LISTENERS.
UM, AND THEY MIGHT HEAR WHAT SOMEONE SAYS, BUT THEY, THEY DON'T REALLY LISTEN WITH CURIOSITY TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE WORKED ON FOR MANY YEARS.
SO I WOULD SAY I'M, I'M A GOOD LISTENER, BUT I'LL, I'LL HAVE TO LET ALL OF YOU BE THE JUDGE OF THAT.
I'VE GOT A DIFFERENT QUESTION FOR YOU, BRETT.
UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PAINTING A PICTURE, NO PUN INTENDED ON THE ART SCENE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS LESS DONE BETTER IS MORE TYPE OF AFFLUENT TRAVELER VISITOR THAT'S GOING TO BUY ART.
I'VE HEARD VETERAN SEDONA BUSINESS OWNERS SAY, SEDONA CAN'T COMPETE WITH SCOTTSDALE'S ART SCENE.
SEDONA CAN'T COMPETE WITH SANTA FE'S ART SCENE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT? AND IF YOU, IF IF YOU DISAGREE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE SHARE WHY.
BUT IF YOU AGREE, WHAT IS IT THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE SO THAT YOU COULD AGREE WITH OR SO YOU'D BE ABLE TO SAY, YEAH, SEDONA IS RIGHT UP THERE.
LET'S GET THOSE FOLKS IN A ROOM.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THEM.
I, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T, I'M NOT A BIG COMPETE TYPE OF PERSON, BUT SANTA FE AND SCOTTSDALE ARE GREAT MODELS.
I BELIEVE SEDONA ABSOLUTELY HAS A CHANCE TO BE KNOWN FOR ART.
UM, BUT NOT JUST THE ART OFFERING, BUT ART HISTORY AND CULTURE.
THERE, THERE ARE SOME GREAT STORIES HERE THAT ONLY THROUGH A FEW RELATIONSHIPS I'VE HAD, I'VE BEEN PRIVY TO, I REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE HISTORY THAT'S HERE.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT IF COMPETE IS THE RIGHT WORD, THAT WE CERTAINLY COULD COMPETE WITH AN ASPEN OR A VAIL OR SANTA FE, OR A SCOTTSDALE
[01:40:01]
SCOTTSDALE'S ART DISTRICT IS, IS TROUBLED.UM, I CAN JUST, THE PEOPLE I HAVE HERE BUYING ART, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE REASON I NO LONGER HAVE SCOTTSDALE LOCATIONS IS THAT IT WASN'T EVEN A CLOSE COMPARISON.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
AND THAT WORK IS LARGELY IN THE AREA OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND IN TOURISM, AGAIN, THIS IS A WELCOMING PLACE AND, AND ALL ARE INVITED.
BUT AS FAR AS MARKETING TO AN AFFLUENT DEMOGRAPHIC, WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS HOLD THE BAR ON THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT WE OFFER.
IF NOT, WE CHASE THE BUYER INCOME DOWN AND WE BECOME MORE GIFT SHOP RETAIL.
I'VE HAD TO DO THAT IN ONE OF MY LOCATIONS, AND IT'S, IT'S A 54-YEAR-OLD LOCATION THAT STARTED WITH HIGH-END GLASS ART.
AND NOW WE HAVE PIECES THAT ARE OFFERED IN THE $3,200 RANGE.
WHY? BECAUSE THAT'S WHO'S COMING THROUGH THE DOORS.
SO, WHICH IS FINE, AND WE HAD TO DO THAT INTELLIGENTLY AS A BUSINESS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HOLD THE BAR ON FINE ART SO THAT WE CAN BE KNOWN AS AN ART DESTINATION.
BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT BUYERS FOR THAT TYPE OF ART.
SO THAT'S WHY I LIKE THE IDEA OF LESS DONE BETTER IS MORE TO THE AFFLUENT, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE PHOENIX AREA.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE CALIBER OF LO LOCAL ARTIST AFFECTS HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT A PARTICULAR CITY'S ART SCENE? SO HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE, THE CURRENT, UH, SEDONA ART SCENE FROM AN ARTIST'S PERSPECTIVE? WE HAVE SOME WORLD CLASS LOCAL ARTIST HERE, AND SOME OF YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT I ACQUIRED KEN ROWE, UH, FINE ART.
KEN ROWE IS A, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
UM, WITHOUT SHARING TOO MUCH, HE, HE OUTPERFORMS MOST, UH, I'VE WORKED WITH OVER 200 ARTISTS.
HE OUTPERFORMS ALL, UH, EVERY ONE OF 'EM BY THREEFOLD.
UM, HIS RECOGNITION, THE, THE DRAW THAT HE IS, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET THIS WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UH, COWBOY MUSEUM THAT IS ACTUALLY COMING TO INTERVIEW HIM IN APRIL.
IT WILL BE NATIONALLY TELEVISED.
UM, HE'S AN INCREDIBLE DRAW AND THERE ARE MANY ARTISTS LIKE HIM.
SO I THINK WE HAVE ALL THE MAKINGS OF A GREAT ART DESTINATION.
BUT I AM, OF COURSE, I OWN ART GALLERIES, BUT I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN EXPERIENTIAL, UH, CULINARY, UH, SEDONA AS A WHOLE.
SO I LIKE TO LOOK A BIT MORE GLOBAL, UH, TO SOLVE MY SELF-INTEREST THAT ARE A BIT MORE MICRO.
SO I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING, THE STORY ABOUT THE GLASS SHOP, WHICH I FREQUENTED AND BOUGHT THINGS THERE.
AND DO YOU THINK THAT THE, BECAUSE HOTELIERS TELL US, AND OTHER FOLKS TELL US THAT THE DEMOGRAPHIC HAS CHANGED SINCE COVID, THEY HAVE LESS FOLKS WHO ARE BABY BOOMERS AND MORE FOLKS WHO ARE MILLENNIALS, AND THE MILLENNIALS DON'T WANNA BUY STUFF.
AND I, AND WHEN I SAY MILLENNIAL, I DON'T, I KNOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE AGING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
UH, DID, IS THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU HAVE ADJUSTED YOUR PRICE POINT BECAUSE OF THE, OF THE CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE VISITOR? I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY IN THE BRONZE BUSINESS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUYER OF BRONZE, UH, AND THE BRONZE ARTISTS WILL, WILL, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE KIND OF EDUCATED ME ON THE ISSUE.
THEIR BUYING DEMOGRAPHIC IS WHAT THEY WOULD CALL AGING OUT.
SO THEY'VE COLLECTED ALL THEY WANT AND, AND THEY'RE NOT, THERE ISN'T, THE, THE NEXT GENERATION ISN'T REALLY PICKING THAT UP RIGHT NOW.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING OKAY.
SO I THINK THAT WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND MINDSET, YOU JUST REDEFINE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE FOR THE WHOLE ART SCENE, BUT NOT JUST ART.
UH, EVERY PART OF SEDONA, I, FOR EXAMPLE, I'M GOING TO REMODEL ROW FINE ART TO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING AS A MODERN LOCATION WITH TIMELESS ART
[01:45:01]
SO THAT A YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC CAN SEE AND VISUALIZE THAT IN A MODERN HOME.SO I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE IN BUSINESS, WE NEED TO EVOLVE WITH THE TIMES A LITTLE BIT AND NOT STAY STUCK IN WHAT WAS WORKING 30 YEARS AGO.
BUT AGAIN, I, WE ASSESSED THE DATA.
I COUNTED, UH, ALL OF THE BODIES THAT CAME THROUGH THE DOOR.
UH, WERE THEY SINGLE? WERE THEY MARRIED? UM, I RECORDED AS MUCH DATA AS I COULD IN THE CUDO LOCATION FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THE CONVERSION RATE, AND OUR CONVERSION RATE WAS 3%.
NATIONAL RETAIL IN A DESTINATION LIKE A MACY'S IS 30.
BUT A HEALTHY ART GALLERY MIGHT BE 10 TO 15.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE THAT BY MATCHING PRODUCT TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WAS THERE TO LOCK.
AK AS YOU KNOW, IS LIKE A BIG SHIP.
SO, AND SEDONA, UH, SIMILARLY, SO OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY WAS TO MATCH THE PRODUCT TO, TO THE INCOME DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WAS COMING THROUGH THE DOORS.
WE DID THAT AND WE, WE WENT OVER 10% CONVERSION.
SO STRATEGICALLY TO PRESERVE SEDONA AS AN ART AT, PARTLY AS AN ART DESTINATION.
I BELIEVE THAT IF WE TARGET THE RIGHT INCOME DEMOGRAPHIC FOR FINE ART, WE CAN HOLD THE BAR AND STILL HAVE THE ECONOMICS WE NEED.
I, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I WAS IN JACKSON A FEW YEARS AGO, HOW MANY SEDONA ARTISTS WERE IN GALLERIES THERE.
I, I KNOW GALLERISTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND WE CARRY THE SAME ARTISTS.
THEY LOOK LIKE A, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GALLERY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYTHING YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE TAB? YEAH.
I ALWAYS FORGET THAT I THINK I'M LOUD MOUTH.
THEY TELL ME I GOT A BIG MOUTH SOMETIMES, BUT GUESS NOT.
ANYWAY, UM, JUST THE WAY OUR, OUR, OUR MEETINGS FLOW.
WE MEET WITH ANDREW ATHENA AND I MEET WITH HER THE WEEK BEFORE, KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT THE AGENDA'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, UM, ANY BIG HOT TOPICS THAT WE NEED TO COVER.
THEN IN THE MEETINGS, WE KINDA RECAP WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE OUR LAST MEETING IN THE, IN INSIDE THE, UH, TOWN WITH THE BUSINESSES, AND ALSO THE, UH, HOTEL SIDE OF IT AND AIRBNB SIDE OF IT.
KINDA SHOW WHERE ADRS ARE AND OCCUPANCIES AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
KIND OF LOOK AT SOME FUTURES TOO, SAYING, HERE'S WHAT THE HOTEL LEADERS ARE TELLING US THAT'S COMING IN.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN PRETTY ACCURATE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WHAT WE GOT COMING UP.
HERE'S THE NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE SUMMER.
WE'LL LOOK AT SPENDS FURTHER IN THAT SAME TIMEFRAME.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FLOW OF THE MEETINGS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED TWO YEARS AGO WITH NOTHING.
UM, WE DIDN'T, WE WERE BUILDING THE SHIP AS WE WERE AS WE WERE FLYING IT OR BUILDING, DEPLOYING AS WE WERE FLYING IT.
UM, AND IT WAS BEEN IN, IT'S BEEN, IT IS BEEN INTERESTING.
NOW WE'RE IN THAT EVOLUTION TIME.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, I THINK A LOT OF US, WHEN WE FIRST JOINED THE TAB, WE DIDN'T REALIZE, OH YEAH, WE GOTTA DO THAT PIECE TOO.
AND SO IT REALLY HAS EVOLVED AS A GROUP AND WE'RE TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
UM, I THINK THE NEXT TWO YEARS ARE GONNA BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE SAW THE, THESE FIRST TWO YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS GETTING 'EM HERE AND MAKING SURE WE'RE UTILIZING ALL THOSE ASSETS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE, THE COMMUNITY AS A VOTE INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND MAKING SURE THEY, THEY, THEY AGREE WITH SOME OF THAT STUFF.
THEY DON'T WANT THE KIND OF, WE WENT THAT WITH EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, GOING LESS IS MORE GO TO THE HIGHER END STUFF.
AND SO IT'S, THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE FOR US AS WE STARTED TO SHIFT SOME OF THE, THE THINKING OF THE, OF THE TAB AND AS WE GET GOING FORWARD.
UM, DID WE ASK, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT JOINING TAB OR, WELL, NOT REALLY.
I'M REALLY CURIOUS AND WANNA LEARN MORE.
UH, I, I'LL TELL YOU, I WOULD NOT COME IN, YOU KNOW, GUNS BLAZING THROUGH THIS, THIS, AND THIS.
UH, IN MY OPINION, I REALLY WANT TO ASSESS AND DISCOVER AND UNDERSTAND.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT BY DESTINATION MANAGEMENT.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT NEW FOR ME.
I'M, I'M A PRIVATE BUSINESS GUY, SO I DON'T REALLY USUALLY CONSIDER MY,
[01:50:01]
UH, CONSIDER THOSE THINGS MM-HMMBUT, UM, MY STYLE IS TO LISTEN AND LEARN AND UNDERSTAND AND THEN I WILL INSERT STRATEGY.
UH, AND I HAVE, I HAVE A, A BACKGROUND THAT HAS, I, I'VE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DONE SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS WITH STRATEGY FOR PEOPLE.
I'VE CHICK-FIL-A, UM, I'VE DONE THINGS FOR THEM.
THEY COULDN'T SPEND ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DO SO.
UM, I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN BEING ABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ONCE I CAN IDENTIFY WHAT THEY ARE.
AND I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE IN THAT WAY.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS JUST TO ABOUT WHAT THE TAB, YOU KNOW, HAS ITERATION.
WE STARTED WITH HELPING TO CREATE THE BRAND.
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOME OF THE IDENTITY OF SEDONA IS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON HELPING WITH MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVING ADVICE BASED ON THE COLLECTIVE OF WHO WE HAVE.
UM, AND JOHN AND I HAVE BOTH SAID TO THE CITY AND OVER TIME, WE REALLY WANNA KEEP A BALANCE TO THE GROUP.
UM, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOR THE RESIDENTS, WE'RE FOR THE BUSINESSES, ABSOLUTELY WE'RE FOR THE TOURISTS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK BALANCE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MOVING FORWARD.
AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT WE ARE REALLY MEANT TO BE LIAISONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANSWERING QUESTIONS WITH FACTS AND PUTTING OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY VALID AND IS, UM, HELPING THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE TOURISM BUREAU AND WHAT THAT MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TOO, THIS COMING YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE HOSTING TOWN HALLS, UH, WHICH THE TAB IS MEANT TO, TO BE A PART OF UNDER ANDREW'S LEADERSHIP.
THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER THING AND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE AND LIAISE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, UH, WHAT I'M HEARING IS IT'S A, IT'S A BIG TASK AHEAD.
BUT I, I BELIEVE ONE THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT ATTENTION IS BEING PUT TOWARD, SO, OKAY.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, HAVE YOU DONE ANY CO-BRANDING, WELL, NOT REALLY BRANDING, CO-MARKETING WITH, LET'S SAY AMBI, WHO HAS THE CLIENTELE THAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO HAVE COME TO YOUR GALLERIES WHERE YOU ACTUALLY REFER EACH OTHER OR ANY, I JUST USE THEM AS AN EXAMPLE.
NOT AT THEM SPECIFICALLY, BUT THE HOTELS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHER END HOTELS AROUND HERE LOCALLY, UH, NOT AS MUCH, BUT, UH, MY NATURE IS VERY COLLABORATIVE, SO I DO PROMOTE A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES.
UM, THERE WAS A RESTAURANT BUSINESS HERE IN TOWN.
MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS ABOUT ME, BUT WHEN I GOT TO TOWN, I, UM, I CREATED, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WHEREVER WE WENT, WE FILLED THE PLACE.
UH, I DID THIS PRIOR IN IDAHO AS WELL.
UH, THAT IS MY STRENGTH IS GETTING BUSINESSES TO COLLABORATE FOR THE GREATER GOOD AND THEIR, THEIR SELF-INTEREST AS WELL.
SO THIS NEW COLLECTIVE EFFORT IS JUST THAT.
AND I WILL BE, UM, RIGHT NOW I WANT TO GET TRACTION WITH THIS COLLECTIVE OFFERING AND THEN BE ABLE TO GO TO AMBI, BEYONCE AND SOME OF THE OTHERS AND SAY, OKAY, YOU'RE NOT COMING INTO THEORY HERE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE THIS WORK.
AND, UH, SO, SO WE'LL BE DOING MORE OF THAT.
OH, AND I, I WANNA CORRECT ONE THING.
I SAID IT WAS ONE YEAR, 'CAUSE IT, IT'S NOW 26 AND IT ENDS IN 27, BUT IT'S JANUARY OF 26.
WHAT AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE STAYED IN HOTEL.
WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU A SERIES OF QUESTIONS.
WE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS OF EVERYONE.
SO EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT QUESTION.
TWO OF THE OPENINGS ARE FILLING TERMS THAT UH, WHERE PEOPLE LEFT.
MM-HMM
UM, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU USE FROM THE DESTINATION YOU'RE VISITING AND WHAT DO YOU THINK
[01:55:01]
OF THINGS YOU'VE SEEN COULD BE IMPLEMENTED HERE? MY TRAVELS ALWAYS, ALMOST ALWAYS CONSISTS OF RECREATION.CAN YOU PULL THE MICROPHONE CLOSER? SO MOST OF ALL OF MY TRAVELING ALMOST ALWAYS IS IN REGARD TO RECREATION.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S KIND OF HITS HOME HERE FOR US AS WELL 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO MOST OF MY TIME OFF HERE AND INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING OF IT.
BUT IT'S TRAILS ALMOST ALL TRAILS BASED FOR ME WHEN I GO SOMEWHERE AS TO HOW EASILY I CAN GET OUT INTO THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE AND USUALLY CHASING PUBLIC LANDS EXPERIENCE, WHETHER THAT'S HIKE, BIKE, CLIMB, LIKE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET OUT THERE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I SEE OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH US TO TRY TO LIKE MAKE THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT SEDONA HAS.
'CAUSE THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF THEM, WHETHER IT'S BY FOOT OR BY BIKE OR BY VEHICLE OR ALL DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE GETTING OUT ONTO THE ROCKS.
SO I FEEL LIKE I CAN BRING A PRETTY GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THAT WORKS BECAUSE I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN PLANNING A LOT OF THE TRAILS HERE.
I'VE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THIS FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GIVES ME A PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO LIKE COMMUNICATE WITH BUSINESS OWNERS AND WITH RESIDENTS HOW THAT QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL RELY UPON.
WHETHER IT'S US HERE LOCALLY OR IT'S SOMEBODY COMING, HOW THOSE THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTED AND HOW THEY TIE TO LOCAL BUSINESSES TO GIVE LIKE KEEP US PROSPEROUS AND EVERYBODY ENJOY THEIR DAYS HERE.
SO, UM, WHEN YOU GO TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY, UH, TO DO YOU MOUNTAIN BIKING OR TRY HIKING, WHATEVER IT IS, DO YOU EVER STOP AT THE VISITOR CENTER OR ANY OF THOSE SORTS OF PLACES TO GET INFORMATION OR DO YOU USE SOME OTHER MEANS? I, I DON'T TYPICALLY USE THE VISITOR CENTER OF A LOT OF LOCATIONS.
USUALLY I'M KIND OF ON A TRACK 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT EITHER I RACE BIKES AND UH, WE'VE KIND OF GOT THAT EITHER GOING ON OR IT'S VERY MUCH FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO THOSE SPECIFIC TRAILS AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
SO OCCASIONALLY WE'VE, I'VE GONE, I SHOULDN'T SAY NEVER, BUT I TYPICALLY DON'T.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE LIKE WHERE YOU'RE GOING? LIKE WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR RESEARCH, LIKE ARE YOU USING, WHAT PLATFORM ARE YOU USING? IS IT SOMETHING WITH THE BIKING SIDE OR WHAT'S SO IT GETS KIND OF A MIXTURE OF STUFF.
SO LIKE I'LL SEE A LOT OF STUFF FROM FRIENDS THAT I RACE WITH.
I'LL SEE SOME OF THEIR CONTENT OF THE STUFF THAT THEY'RE GOING AND DOING.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA AND I'LL SEE LIKE MY FRIEND DRIP DOWN TO OAXACA, MEXICO RECENTLY.
AND SO I KIND OF SEE THAT INFORMATION THERE AND THEN I'LL DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
AND FOR TRAILS I MIGHT LOOK AT LIKE TRAIL FORKS OR MTB PROJECT TO LOOK AT THE LOCAL TRAILS THAT ARE THERE AND KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF THAT.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT RIDING.
I WANNA SEE WHAT THAT PLACE HAS TO OFFER IN TERMS OF LIKE OTHER STUFF TO DO.
'CAUSE THE TWO TO FOUR HOUR RIDE THE DAY IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION.
SO THEN I'M GONNA KIND OF LOOK AT LIKE RESTAURANTS AND WHAT ELSE THERE IS THERE AND WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO WHILE THE OTHER TIME OF LIKE KIND OF GET AFTER IT A BIT AND THEN KIND OF HAVE THE CELEBRATORY SIDE OF IT AND HOW THAT GOES.
AND THEN THAT STUFF IS JUST LOOKING AT LIKE LOCAL REVIEWS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH GOOGLE OR YELP OR, UM, NO IT'S PERFECT.
WHEN YOU'VE GONE TO THESE OTHER PLACES, HAVE YOU SEEN INNOVATIVE THINGS THAT YOU THINK COULD BE WELL ADAPT, USEFUL TO ADAPT HERE? YEAH, ON THIS ONE PETE IS A KIND OF A THICK ONE.
IT KIND OF TOUCHES A LOT OF STUFF.
UM, BUT LIKE I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN COLORADO AND I SEE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES THERE, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE SUMMIT COUNTY AREA OR LIKE DILLON, BRECKENRIDGE AREA.
UM, THOSE PLACES HAVE LIKE REALLY, REALLY GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONNECT EVERYTHING.
AND I KNOW THAT THE, THE TAB IS NOT THE PLACE TO LIKE MAKE THAT CHANGE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A PIECES OF THAT COMMUNITY UP THERE THAT I FEEL LIKE WOULD REALLY HELP HERE TO THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND EDUCATING ALL THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT AND WHETHER THAT'S LIKE THE CITY, THE FOREST SERVICE, THE BUSINESSES, HOW TO KIND OF GET ON BOARD WITH THE COMMON VISION ON SOME OF THAT STUFF IS HOW THAT WOULD REALLY HELP CREATE THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT WE KIND OF LACK.
UM, AND IT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO KIND OF SEE THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES AND HOW THEY CONNECT.
SO, BUT ANYWAYS, YEAH UP THAT, THAT ZONE HAS GOT AMAZING PUBLIC TRANSIT ALONG WITH REALLY GOOD CONNECTIVITY FROM EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY TO LIKE, AND THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR.
I MEAN WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY COMPARED OURSELVES TO THAT VOLPI REPORT.
THIS IS THE WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST.
SO IT'S A GATEWAY COMMUNITY MUCH LIKE US.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE C'S BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS? THE, THE RECREATION.
NOT, NOT JUST, I SHOULDN'T SAY RECREATION IN GEN, THAT IT'S ACCESS TO THE ROCKS AND WHETHER THAT'S IN A MANNER THAT YOU'RE HIKING OR YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND PAINT AND PLAIN AIR ART,
[02:00:01]
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET IN THE CAR THAT MUCH.YOU CAN LITERALLY ACCESS ALL OF THE ROCKS TRAILS FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET IN THE CAR THAT MUCH.
THE ONLY REASON I END UP GETTING IN THE CAR IS IF I'M LIKE STRAPPED ON TIME AND I WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE AND THAT'S REALLY ENTICING TO THE VISITORS AS WELL BECAUSE YOU CAN COME HERE AND HAVE A VERY EFFICIENT USE OF YOUR TIME AND EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING YOU WANNA SEE.
PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING.
SO IN SEDONA, THIS IS VERY SPECIFIC.
I THINK, SO DESTINATION MANAGING MARKETING HERE IS WE'RE DEALING WITH ULS OF STAKEHOLDERS BETWEEN THE CITY HERE, THE FOREST SERVICE AND THE COUNTIES.
AND WE'RE A BIT GETTING INTO LAND MANAGEMENT AND THE MANAGEMENT OF KEEPING THE BUSINESS SEEN PROSPEROUS AND THE MOVEMENT, ALL THESE PEOPLE IS REALLY DICTATED BY A LOT OF THAT.
SO I SEE THAT GETTING THAT EXPERIENCE TO BE HIGHLY EFFICIENT AND WHETHER THAT'S LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ROADS WE HAVE AND THE GETTING THE BUSINESSES LIKE VISIBLE TO THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME AND RESEARCH THIS AREA.
IT'S A REALLY COMPLEX THING 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DESTINATION THERE.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT WORKING WITH THESE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SEEKING.
WHEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE 2.2 MILLION TRAIL USERS OF THE YEAR HERE AND THAT'S OUT OF OUR 3.3 MILLION VISITORS ROUGHLY.
SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT PIECE OF HOW THAT WORKS AND I BRING A PRETTY BIG UM, VIEW ON THAT WHERE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF IT.
SO I CAN KIND OF HELP EDUCATE THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS AS TO THE WHAT AND WHY CERTAIN PIECES AND THE EFFECTS OF THEM.
WHAT ABOUT THE MARKETING SIDE? SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE MARKETING SIDE? THE MARKETING SIDE I THINK IS UH, TAKES A LOT OF THOUGHT.
I MEAN I'VE BEEN INVOLVED HEAVILY WITH THE OLD CHAMBER.
I WAS GOOD FRIENDS WITH JENNIFER WESOFF AND I DID THE SEDONA SECRET SEVEN CAMPAIGN WITH THEM.
SOME OTHER STUFF WITH UH, THE TRAVEL CHANNEL BEFORE.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO MARKET EXPERIENCES THAT ARE GENUINE AND REAL.
LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, THEY'LL LIKE IT.
YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT LIKE WHEN YOUR FRIEND COMES TO TOWN AND THEY ASK YOU WHAT DO I DO WHEN I COME TO SEDONA? WE CAN'T BE, WE WANT TO GIVE THEM WHAT WE WOULD GIVE OUR FRIENDS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LIKE MANAGE FOR ALL THESE OTHER SOCIAL INFLUENCES IN SEDONA.
SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO REPRESENT THOSE EXPERIENCES WELL AND THEN ALSO REALLY REPRESENT THE, ALL THE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF SEDONA AND RESTAURANTS, THE DIFFERENT HOTELS AND HOW YOU CAN GET ALL THESE LITTLE PIECES TO PUT YOUR WHOLE TRIP TOGETHER.
TO WHOM DO YOU THINK SEDONA SHOULD BE MARKETED? WHO'S YOUR IDEAL VISITOR? THAT'S KIND OF A QUESTION I ALWAYS WANT TO ASK TOO.
THE IDEAL VISITOR IS SOMEBODY THAT RESPECTS THE LAND HEAVILY.
UM, I DO THINK WE HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH USER DISPLACEMENT HERE.
I THINK THE EXPERIENCE OF SEDONA IS DEGRADED A LITTLE BIT OVER MY TIME BEING HERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT I'VE WATCHED SOME OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS THAT WOULD COME AND RIDE HERE AND COME AND RECREATE HERE.
THEY DON'T COME ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT'S HAPPENED WITH SOME OF THE CONGESTION, SOME OF THE PIECES.
SO I THINK THE, RESTATE THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME KATHY.
SO WHO'S YOUR IDEAL VISITOR? WHO DO YOU MARKET TO? SO BACK TO THE IDEAL VISITOR, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET INTIMATE WITH THE LANDSCAPE MORE SO.
AND WHETHER THAT'S, I MEAN RESPECT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
LIKE WHEN YOU GO OUT YOU SEE PEOPLE GETTING OUT THERE, THEY'RE NOT LEAVING THEIR TRASH, THEY'RE NOT LEAVING THEIR DOG POOP BAGS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THEY REALLY GENUINELY RESPECT IT AND THEY WANT TO SEE IT IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THEY LEFT IT FOR THE NEXT PERSON.
SO THEY CAN STILL HAVE THAT SAME EXPLORATORY LIKE GENUINE HAPPINESS FEELING OF BEING OUT THERE.
AND I SEE YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE PEOPLE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE OUT ON THE TRAILS YOU CAN SEE SOME PEOPLE THAT DO AND SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE THROUGH SELECTIVE MARKETING AND THEN YOU CAN DISPLACE IF YOU HIT IN THE RIGHT AREAS, THE THOSE ROOM NIGHTS CAN BE DISPLACED OUT BY THE PEOPLE WE WANT.
IT'S LIKE, I ALWAYS USE THE ANALOGY OF LIKE, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A HOUSE PARTY, YOU WANT TO INVITE WHO'S GONNA COME, YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST LEAVE IT UP TO CHANCE.
SO I THINK THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT HOW WE DO THAT.
DOES THAT FULLY ANSWER IT? I MEAN IT'S PRETTY, I WAS A PRETTY BROAD PERSON.
I THINK AS LONG AS IN AN IT'S YOUR, IT'S YOUR ANSWER.
THERE'S NO RIGHT OR WRONG PAST I GUESS I WOULD SAY WOULD SAY PAST THAT.
OBVIOUSLY LIKE WE DO HAVE TO CONSIDER, LIKE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE RESPECT SIDE OF IT, WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER LIKE HOW WELL DALLAS PEOPLE WILL SUPPORT THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF IT.
SO DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE RESEARCH OF LIKE WHERE WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE
[02:05:01]
THAT WE WANT TO SEE.YOU'VE UM, DEFINITELY ALREADY TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT JUST TO OFFICIALLY ASK THE QUESTION.
DO YOU FEEL THE CITY'S TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD BE SOLELY FOCUSED ON DESTINATION MARKETING OR SHOULD, EXCUSE ME, DO YOU FEEL THE CITY'S TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD BE SOLELY FOCUSED ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT OR SHOULD MARKETING ALSO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT WORK? WHY OR WHY NOT? I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A MIX OF THAT, UM, THE MANAGEMENT PIECE BECAUSE WE ARE LIKE GETTING WE, IF YOU HAD A VENN DIAGRAM, WE OVERLAP LAND MANAGEMENT A BIT AND OBVIOUSLY LIKE THE FOREST SERVICES GOT THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT, BUT WE HAVE HUGE INFLUENCE ON IT.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING, WE DO HAVE TO LIKE THINK ABOUT HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO THE MORE COORDINATION WITH THOSE DIFFERENT PLAYERS WITH THE COUNTY, WITH BOTH COUNTIES AND WITH THE FOREST SERVICE, WE CAN GET A BETTER PRODUCT FOR THAT IN TERMS OF THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF IT AND THEN ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY KIND OF MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT WE DO HAVE THE INPUT FROM OUR GROUP TO BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME ADVICE ON SOME OF THOSE PRIMARY CHANGES THAT WOULD REALLY HELP THE MANAGEMENT SIDE OF IT.
AND THAT WAY WHEN WE DO MARKET STUFF, WE'RE MARKETING SOMETHING THAT IS COMPLETE AND WHEN THE PEOPLE COME AND TOUCH IT, IT'S NOT LIKE, OH, THAT THEY KIND OF, I, I FELT LIKE THIS A BIT WITH SECRET SEVEN LIKE WE DID MADE IT LOOK REALLY GOOD.
BUT THEN LIKE WHEN I GO HIKE SOME OF THOSE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE, THEY'RE NOT GREAT.
AND SO I JUST WANNA SEE THAT STUFF LIKE WHEN WE MARKET SOMETHING THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE REALLY GENUINELY WILL WANT AND STICK WITH.
IF WE'RE GONNA KIND OF BREAK UP SOME OF THE LIKE REALLY LONGSTANDING LIKE ENTRENCHED RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE, WHEN WE WANT TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF DISPERSION OR LIKE REDUCE THE CONGESTION AT SOME OF THESE AREAS, IT'S WHERE WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE IN SOME OTHER AREAS.
THAT'S I THINK WHERE THAT COMES IN.
LARS, UH, IT'S OFTEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AND IS THERE A ROLE FOR THE TOURISM BOARD TO PLAY IN THAT SPACE? I KIND OF WE'RE OVERLAPPING A LITTLE BIT WITH THE PREVIOUS QUESTION.
I THINK THERE IS, I THINK THAT THE MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF TOURISM IS HUGE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE, ALL OF US THAT LIVE HERE DEAL WITH IT.
I DEAL WITH THE TIME I LIVE BY THE CHAPEL AND IF I DON'T PLAN MY DAY CORRECTLY, I'M STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
UM, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY CHANGES THAT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY COULD MAKE TO WOULD BENEFIT THAT.
AND I THINK THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD LIKE CAN LOOK AT IN THE LENS OF LIKE HOW COULD WE RECOMMEND TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY TO FIX CERTAIN PROBLEMS THAT WOULD ENHANCE BOTH VISITOR AND RESIDENT PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF HOW THOSE LITTLE PIECES IMPACT US ON DATA PROBLEMS LIKE TRAFFIC OR CONGESTED EXPERIENCES, DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, THAT'S THE BIGGEST PART THAT THAT OVERLAPS.
I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE YOU ASK YOUR NEXT QUESTION PETE.
UH, DID YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ROLE WITH THE CHAMBER? WERE YOU ON ONE OF THEIR SUBCOMMITTEES? UM, NO.
I JUST ENDED UP BEING TALENT AND A LOCATION GUIDE FOR NUMEROUS DIFFERENT CAMPAIGNS.
UM, WE DID ONE WITH THE TRAVEL CHANNEL I DID WITH THE SECRET SEVEN PIECE.
I'VE DONE NUMEROUS TALENT THINGS WITH THEM FOR DIFFERENT BIKE VIDEOS.
ALL RIGHT LARS, NEXT QUESTION.
PLEASE GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING OR CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
MOST RECENTLY, UH, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE, I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE SEDONA RHETORIC TRAIL FUND AS WELL AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE DIRECTION OF THAT CLUB IN TERMS OF HOW SOME OF THE MISSION IS.
AND IT'S KIND OF CONTROVERSIAL BETWEEN ALL THE MEMBERS ON THAT BOARD AS TO WHAT THAT MISSION WILL BE IN TERMS OF HOW WE SUPPORT STUFF FINANCIALLY AND TRYING TO LOOK AT ALL ANGLES OF HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT THAT IS 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF OUR OWN INTERNAL PIECE ON THAT, BUT REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT ORGANIZATION'S FORWARD MOTION IS GONNA BE AND WHAT THE MISSION ULTIMATELY IS, BUT THEN HOW TO REALLY AFFECT THE PROBLEM THAT YOU'RE FACED WITH.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE THINGS DON'T OVERLAP EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT AND THEN YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF MISSION CREEP AND CHANGE ON THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING I'M STILL NAVIGATING HOW TO COME FORWARD WITH IT 'CAUSE WE'RE IN THE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING THAT DECISION.
CAN YOU ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR ROLE OR CONTRIBUTION THERE? UM, WE HAVE TO, WE ALL KIND OF HAVE
[02:10:01]
TO COME FORTH AND HAVE A CONSENSUS JUST LIKE YOU GUYS DO WITH OUR BOARD AND THINK ABOUT HOW, HOW I GIVE MY VOTE AND GIVE WHAT I THINK SHOULD HAPPEN WILL INFLUENCE THAT.AND WHETHER THAT'S LIKE GOING ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER IS REALLY GONNA MAKE THE DIFFERENCE THAT I WANT TO SEE OR IF THERE'S GONNA BE ILL EFFECTS OF ME MAKING A DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
OR DO YOU THINK THAT TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY AND IF SO, HOW? I I DEFINITELY THINK TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY.
IT ALSO OBVIOUSLY HAS HUGE IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS WE'VE KIND OF DISCUSSED.
UM, I BENEFITED FROM IT GREATLY.
I'VE WORKED IN THE RESORT INDUSTRY PRIOR TO WORKING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I WORKED AT LA'S, WORKED IN ENCHANT.
IT WAS MY, LIKE IT WAS MY SOLE SUPPORT FOR, FOR THE YOUNGER YEARS OF MY LIFE.
AND I SEE THE NUMEROUS PEOPLE HERE THAT LIVE IN TOWN AND TRAVEL FROM COTTONWOOD IN THE AREA AND ARE SUPPORTED BY BY THAT.
OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT AMAZING AMENITIES THAT WE HAVE YET.
WE STILL HAVE THE IMPACTS OF THE CONGESTION AND ALL PEOPLE VISITING.
SO IT'S, I MEAN, A PASSION FOR ME TO FEEL LIKE I CAN GIVE THE INSIGHT THAT I HAVE BETWEEN WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SEEING THE EFFECTS OF IT IN TERMS OF RESCUE AND PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE WITH ALL THE TOURISM OUT THERE.
AND THEN JUST LIVING IT NOW AND SEEING ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THE CONGESTION MYSELF JUST AS A RESIDENT THAT WE NEED TO FOSTER THE BEST USE WE CAN OF THE TOURISM SO THAT WE CAN ALL STILL LIVE HERE AND ENJOY OURSELVES AND KEEP THE BUSINESSES HAPPY.
'CAUSE THAT'S, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER OPTION REALLY FOR SEDONA TO FLOURISH.
THANK YOU MAYOR LARS, HAVE YOU READ THE SEDONA SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN? NOT IT'S AN ENTIRETY, BUT I'VE OPENED IT UP AND FLIPPED THROUGH IT A BUNCH.
AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT IT AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE, UH, CITY'S TOURISM BUREAU AND JUST HOW IT MIGHT INFLUENCE YOUR THINKING AS A TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER? I THINK IT, UH, IT TOUCHES A LOT ON THAT EXACT BALANCE OF HOW DO WE BALANCE THE LIVELIHOOD OF OUR BUSINESSES WITH THE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE AND STILL HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE.
I THINK IT KIND OF GOES INTO DETAIL ON ALL THOSE PIECES THAT INTERCONNECT IT.
AND THAT'S THE LENS THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THIS STUFF FROM.
LIKE, WE TOURISM'S NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A FOR SURE AND I DON'T THINK I WANT IT TO, I MEAN, IT KIND OF LIKE KEEPS THIS PLACE VIBRANT.
ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT I LOVE GOING OUT TO EAT AT.
AND I MEAN THE ARTS CULTURE THAT'S HERE, I MEAN, BOTH MY PARENTS ARE ARTISTS AND I LOVE KIND OF SEEING THAT, THAT INDUSTRY HERE.
SO THAT STUFF, THAT STUFF DOESN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT THE TOURISM AND THAT'S KIND OF ADDS TO THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE OF ME BEING HERE.
AND THAT ADDS TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT HERE.
SO AGAIN, BACK TO WHEN IT COMES TO DECISION POINT AND STUFF ON THE TAB, LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT LENS OF LIKE, HOW DO WE DO THAT? BUT IS THIS GONNA MAKE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT FOR THE ALL OF US THAT DO LIVE HERE? AND THAT'S THE GOAL OF THIS THING.
DO YOU THINK WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SEDONA AND ALL THE ACTIVITIES YOU COULD ENGAGE IN WHEN YOU COME HERE, DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE PRIORITY AMONGST ANY OF THEM WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW WE MARKET THE CITY? SO, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE BE MORE FOCUSED ON JUST COME AND STAY IN OUR HOTELS OR HOW ABOUT OUR RESTAURANTS OR HOW ABOUT OUR ARTS OR OUR TRAILS OR THE OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN HAVE LIKE A JEEP TOUR? WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? MY THOUGHTS ON THAT IS WE HAVE LIKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND SO IF YOU'RE A VISITOR THAT'S COMING HERE OR A POTENTIAL RESIDENT, THESE ARE ALL DIFFERENT BENEFITS TO ALL OF THEM.
IT'S NOT LIKE THIS ONE OR THIS ONE OR THIS ONE.
LIKE MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE OVERLAP IN WHAT THEY DO.
AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S THE WAY YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IT MORE IS LIKE THEY CAN ALL INDULGE IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES AND HOW DO WE KIND OF MARKET THAT YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF SMORGASBORD OF STUFF THAT YOU CAN DO BACK TO MY THING OR A RIDE.
FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT MIGHT BE LIKE THREE OR FOUR HOURS, BUT THEN I STILL HAVE TO FILL MY DAY WITH THE REST OF THAT STUFF.
AND I THINK THAT FOR SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE INTERESTED IN ARTS, THEY STILL WANT TO GO HIKE, THEY STILL WANNA GO EXPERIENCE, LIKE THE INFLUENCE THAT GIVES THE ARTS CULTURE THEIR, THEIR INSPIRATION.
AND SO ONCE THEY GO AND HIT THE GALLERIES AND DO SOME OF THAT STUFF, THEY'RE STILL GONNA GO OUT AND DO THAT.
SO WE KIND OF HAVE TO SHOW HOW THAT STUFF OVERLAPS AND HOW THOSE COMMUNITIES INTERCONNECT.
UM, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION IN THIS REALM THAT I'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IS
[02:15:01]
WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRAIL USE OF NON-MOTORIZED TRAIL USE, HAVE WE EVER REALLY DEFINED LIKE WHAT WE THINK IS THE IDEAL MIXTURE OF THAT USE AND HOW DOES THAT BEST DISPERSE PEOPLE INTO A MANNER THAT GIVES A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO, WE DON'T GET AREAS LIKE, SO LET'S SAY LIKE CATHEDRAL OR BOYTON RIGHT NOW.DEVIL'S BRIDGE HAS KIND OF LONG BEEN ABANDONED BY LOCALS, BUT BOYTON AND CATHEDRAL ARE MORE RECENT AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE MORE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO GO JUST BE CROWDED OUT TO THE REST OF US LOCALS.
AND SO WE, THE WAY WE DECIDE WHO TO MARKET TO AND WHO TO DRIVE TO COME HERE HAS EFFECTS ON HOW OUR EXPERIENCES GET AFFECTED BY THE PEOPLE MOVING ABOUT.
SO WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR INTEREST IN JOINING THIS BOARD? MY INTEREST IN JOINING THIS BOARD, IT KIND OF TIES BACK TO A LOT OF THIS STUFF.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU SEE THAT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS STUFF A FAIR BIT, UM, IS THAT I THINK THAT I CAN HELP PRESERVE SOME OF THESE EXPERIENCES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE AND FOR PEOPLE THAT COME HERE.
'CAUSE IT'S, I I WANT TO KEEP IT PRISTINE FOR MYSELF, BUT I ALSO ENJOY SHARING.
SO TO SEE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO COME HERE AND ENJOY IT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND KIND OF HIT THAT RIGHT BALANCE IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD INSIGHT ON HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, OR HOW TO GIVE GOOD ADVICE TO OTHER PEOPLE AND, AND WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE OTHER PIECES THAT I MAY NOT KNOW AS INLY AS I DO.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK I CAN CONTRIBUTE WELL TO IT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? I DON'T THINK SO.
I MEAN, I THINK HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF SEEN MY BREADTH OF IDEA ON THIS STUFF.
AND HA HAVE YOU BEEN TO A TAB MEETING? MM-HMM
UM, YOU'RE STILL SERVING ON THE TRANSIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WHAT ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE INFORMS YOU IN ANY PARTICULAR WAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU THINK ABOUT TOURISM AND MAYBE WHAT YOUR ROLE COULD BE CONTRIBUTING AT THE ADVISOR TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD? OH, YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I WEAR A LOT OF HATS, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, I'M ON THE TAB, I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE TRAIL FUND.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE CYCLING COALITION, UM, HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH TRAIL PLANNING WITH THE FOREST SERVICE HERE.
AND THAT FOR ME, ENDS UP BEING LIKE A LIAISON POSITION A BIT TO HELP INFORM THOSE SAME THING, INFORM DECISIONS THAT OTHER I, FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S IDEAS, HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT THOSE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. AND SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR QUESTION ON THE, ON THE TRANSIT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LIKE THAT THING HAS HUGE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE HOW ALL OF US, WHETHER IT'S RESIDENTS OR VISITORS, MOVE AROUND AND EXPERIENCE THE WHOLE AREA, THE WHOLE SEDONA EXPERIENCE.
AND SO I'VE HAD THAT, I'VE BEEN ON THAT SINCE ITS INCEPTION WITH ROBERT AND CAN CONTINUE TO WITH AMBER.
AND SO AGAIN, I THINK I CAN BRING A PRETTY GOOD EYE AS TO THE EFFECTS OF THE SMALL CHANGES THAT HAPPEN AND HOW THE EXPERIENCES COULD BE EXPANDED WITH THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UH, WE'RE AT AFTER YOU'RE OUR SECOND TO LAST INTERVIEW.
AFTER THE LAST INTERVIEW, WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANNA DO.
YOU COULD COME BACK HERE AT SIX O'CLOCK OR WE CAN LET YOU KNOW.
WE DON'T EXPECT YOU TO COME BACK, BUT IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN MM-HMM
AND OTHERWISE MARCY WILL BE SENDING MARCY RIGHT HERE.
WE'LL BE INFORMING YOU OF OUR DECISION.
HE TOOK CITY FROM WHICH HOUSE?
[02:22:50]
OKAY.WHAT'S THAT? BRIAN? KNOW? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WHAT'S, DID YOU START THE LAST TIME, MELISSA? I DID INDEED TAKE BREAK.
MY STANDARD OPENING, WHICH IS WE HAVE FIVE APPLICANTS FOR FOUR SEATS, AND YOU'RE THE LAST INTERVIEW.
SO WHEN, UH, WE'RE COMPLETED WITH THIS INTERVIEW, WE WILL DELIBERATE AND WE WILL MAKE SOME DECISIONS, AND MARCY WILL LET YOU KNOW.
UH, AND WE HAVE, TWO OF THE SEATS ARE FOUR YEAR TERMS, AND TWO OF THE SEATS ARE TWO YEAR TERMS, BECAUSE THEY'RE SERVING THE REMAINING TERMS OF A PERSON WHO HAS RESIGNED.
WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY THE SAME QUESTIONS.
AND WE'RE ALTERNATING WHO BEGINS.
SO EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE TO ASK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OR CLOSE TO IT.
UH, WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION, WILL YOU BE, UM, ASKING FOR THE TOUR OR THE FOUR YEAR AT THAT TIME, OR WHEN YOU WELL, IF YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE, YOU CAN STATE IT.
SO YES, WE WILL DECIDE THAT, BUT TAKE ANYBODY'S INPUT ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE.
UH, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU USE FROM THE DESTINATION YOU'RE
[02:25:01]
VISITING AND THINK COULD BE IMPLEMENTED HERE? UM, USUALLY WE DO SOME ONLINE TRAVELING, DEPENDING, OR DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE DOING.IF WE'RE GOING CAMPING, FOR INSTANCE, WE'LL GO ONLINE, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITES.
SO OCCASIONALLY WHEN WE DO OUR TIMESHARE, WE'LL GO AND REVIEW THE INFORMATION FROM THE LOCAL CHAMBERS TO SEE WHAT'S MIGHT BE THERE FOR US TO USE.
UM, OCCASIONALLY WE WILL GO ONLINE AND CHECK OUT THE, UM, ENTERTAINMENT IN THE AREA.
USUALLY WHEN WE TRAVEL, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND SO WE TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN INTERFACE THAT WITH MAYBE, UH, IF WE'RE HIKING ALL DAY, AND THEN HAVE SOME KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT AT NIGHT.
GREG, DO YOU STOP IN VISITOR CENTERS WHEN YOU GO TO YEAH, WE DO.
I'M A BIG MAP PERSON, SO
UM, USUALLY THE VISITOR CENTERS CAN GIVE YOU SOME, UM, INSIGHTS INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR DAYS, AND THAT'S USUALLY EASIER TO FIND THAN GOING ONLINE.
USUALLY ONLINE YOU HAVE TO KIND OF DIG DOWN INTO IT AND FIND OUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT, FOR INSTANCE.
AND THESE ARE CENTERS I THINK ARE VERY, UH, USEFUL FOR THAT, FOR THAT INFORMATION.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE COME ACROSS THAT YOU JUST FIND PARTICULARLY INNOVATIVE? LIKE, OH, WOW, WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT IN SEDONA? UM, NOT REALLY.
I, I, I ACTUALLY THINK SEDONA HAS A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON, YOU KNOW, THINGS, UM, HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THE TOURISM.
UM, THEY SEEM TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
UM, I THINK OBVIOUSLY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS ONE THAT'S THERE TO HELP, HELP, UM, IMPROVE THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE VISITORS.
UM, ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S OTHER ACTIVITIES HERE AS A MUSEUM AND SO FORTH THAT YOU CAN TAP INTO.
AND I, I, I DON'T THINK WE FOUND ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR IN OUR TRAVELS.
WE ONLY TRAVEL DOMESTICALLY, SO WE HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING PARTICULAR THAT WOULD, I WOULD SAY, OH, YEAH, WE SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THESE TOO.
UM, WHAT DO YOU FEEL SEDONA IS SEDONAS BEST ASSETS FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS? UM, OBVIOUSLY MAINLY THE VISITORS HERE ARE LOOKING FOR HIKING AND BIKING.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY THE, THE TWO BIGGEST DRAWS.
I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, JUST VISITING FOR THE DAY, UM, JUST PASSING THROUGH, THEY JUST LOOKING FOR THE SCENERY.
AND SO THE THINGS THEY LOOK FOR WHEN THEY'RE COMING IN TOWN IS, YOU KNOW, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRAILS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE A BIKER, A HIKER OR A HORSE HORSEBACK RIDER, YOU WANNA KNOW WHETHER YOU KNOW WHICH TRAILS YOU CAN TAKE AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I THINK THE CHAMBER OFFERS GOOD OP OPPORTUNITIES THERE FOR THAT INFORMATION.
THEY HAVE NICE MAPS, BUT I THINK ALSO THE RANGER STATION, UM, IS REALLY A GOOD CATCH.
AND IT CATCHES 'EM ON 1 79 WHEN THEY'RE FIRST COMING IN, IF THEY TAKE THE TIME TO STOP.
UM, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE BUSES, FOR INSTANCE, WE GET A LOT OF THE, UM, THE TOUR BUSES THAT COME THROUGH, 35 OR 40 PEOPLE IN THERE.
UM, THE INFORMATION UPTOWN IS USEFUL, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE MAPS AND SO FORTH ALONG THE, THE ROAD.
I THINK THE MAPS ARE A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE THEY, NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MAP, IT'S THE SAME MAP.
SO YOU HAVE TO ORIENT YOURSELF TO THE, BUT I THINK THAT I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL STOP AND LOOK MAINLY FOR BATHROOMS, UM, BUT ALSO, UM, TO GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT THE DISTANCE IS.
UM, THE ONE THING I THINK IS, MIGHT BE MISSING IS THE, THE FEEL FOR, UM, THE, THE AREA AS OPPOSED TO THE CITY.
UM, UM, I THINK THE TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT WE'VE STARTED WAS VERY GOOD IDEA.
AND WE, I KNOW I PROMOTED FROM UPTOWN, IF, IF SOMEBODY'S IN ON THE BUS FOR THE DAY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO THE GRAND CANYON AND THEY HAVE FOUR HOURS AND THEY NEED TO GO TO SEE, UH, GROCERIES OR NEED TO GO TO A PHARMACY.
THE TRANSIT WORKS REALLY WELL FOR THAT.
IT'S TWO FOR TWO BUCKS, YOU GET TO GO AND GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN AND SO FORTH.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PROBABLY DISSEMINATE A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE FOR, UM, FOR THE VISITORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO DO IS, I THINK A LITTLE BIT STRONGER IS TO MAKE MORE OF AN INTER INTERFACE BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS AND THE VISITORS.
UM, I, I REMEMBER WHEN THE, UM, TOURISM BOARD KIND OF GOT ESTABLISHED AND THERE WAS THAT BIG THING ABOUT WE HAVE A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WHY WE, WE DON'T WANT ANY MORE VISITORS COMING HERE ANYWAY.
UM, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT I SEE THE CHAMBER'S, UH, RESPONSIBILITY IS BRING THE PEOPLE IN AND SPEND THE MONEY.
UM, I THINK FOR, UH, THE ADVISORY BOARD, WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE OF A, BRING THE PEOPLE IN AND HAVE THEM INTERFACE WITH THE CITY RESIDENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S JUST TOO, TOO ISOLATED NOW.
PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE COMING HERE AND THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE RESIDENTS.
THE RESIDENTS DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE VISITORS.
AND SO WE NEED TO PROBABLY DO A LITTLE
[02:30:01]
MORE ACTIVITY WHERE WE'RE PROMOTING THE RESIDENT ACTIVITIES TO THE VISITORS AND THE VISITOR ACTIVITIES TO THE RESIDENTS.WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST ASSET FOR THE RESIDENTS? UM, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SAY, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS, SO, SO THERE'S THE SCENE.
THERE'S ALSO THE SEDONA, UM, MAGAZINE THAT COMES OUT THAT THEY OFFER OUT AT THE CHAMBER OF CONVERSE.
THEY CAN PICK THAT UP AND SEE PLACES TO EAT AND SO FORTH.
UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY ALSO A GOOD THING BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU GET THOSE BOOKS AND YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT, WHERE CAN I GO TO EAT? YOU GO TO THE SAME PLACES ALL THE TIME.
AND I THINK THAT BOTH THE, THE SCENE NEWSPAPER, UM, SECTION AND THAT MONTHLY MAGAZINE IS A GOOD RESOURCE FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE LOOKING TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE MISSING IN THE CITY AS OPPOSED TO WHAT'S HERE.
I THINK, UH, MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE VISITED HERE, WE DID, WE CAME HERE VACATION FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AND YOU GET INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO HERE, WE HAVE TO GO AHEAD TO GO THERE.
UM, WHERE ACTUALLY WHAT WE WANNA TRY TO DO IS, IS SHOW MORE THAT THERE'S THINGS FOR THE RESIDENTS HERE, BUT ALSO FROM THE TOURISTY SIDE OF IT.
IT'S, UM, THINGS THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE DOING THAT WE CAN USE, GET THE TOURIST INVOLVED WITH.
AND SO WE NEEDED, FOR INSTANCE, THE FALL FESTIVAL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SPRING FESTIVAL THAT THEY HAVE AT THE PARKS AND IN RECREATION.
THOSE THINGS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO GET OUT TO THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS TO THE VISITORS.
UM, PLEASE SHARE HOW YOU DEFINE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT AND DESTINATION MARKETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I DEFINED EITHER ONE.
I WOULD THINK THAT, UM, YOU, YOU WANNA TARGET A CERTAIN POPULATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE POPULATION THAT COMES HERE, OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH ON THE WAY TO GRAND CANYON.
UH, PEOPLE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SEE, OH, YOU GOT 15 MINUTES, WE'LL DRIVE THROUGH SEDONA.
UM, THOUGH THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY A DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, I DON'T THINK.
YOU DON'T WANT, IF YOU'RE COMING INTO THIS, INTO THE AIRPORT AND YOU'RE PICKING UP A BROCHURE THAT SAYS, HERE'S A NICE PLACE TO STOP ON THE WAY UP, UM, IT'S NOT A DESTINATION.
DESTINATION MANAGEMENT WOULD BE MORE, MORE LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER THIS POPULATION.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOUR DESTINATION MANAGEMENT IS TOWARDS THE BIKERS, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DO WE OFFER HERE TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO MOUNTAIN BIKE? UH, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO, UM, DESTINATION MANAGEMENT? WHAT CAN WE OFFER THESE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME AND HIKE AND DON'T WANT TO BE HIKING ON A TRAIL WITH 4,000 OTHER PEOPLE ON DEVIL'S BRIDGE? UM, AND SO THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THAT'S THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, I WOULD THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT MIGHT BE IMPLYING, WHAT WAS THE OTHER, I'M SORRY.
THE OTHER PART VERSUS MARKETING.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE A CHAMBER, YOUR DESTINATION MARKETING IS, UM, HERE'S, HERE'S THE BUSINESSES WE HAVE IN TOWN.
UM, HERE'S THINGS YOU CAN COME AND EXPERIENCE, SPEND YOUR MONEY.
UM, AND SO YOUR MARKETING, UM, BASICALLY, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND MONEY.
UM, IF YOU'RE MARKETING FOR, UM, A POPULATION, AGAIN, YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING IF YOU'RE OFFERING, IF YOU WANT TO GET DESTINATION MANAGEMENT, YOU WANNA MARKET IT TO A HIGH INCOME POPULATION, FOR INSTANCE.
YOU CAN'T JUST SIMPLY SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE.
I, I, THIS IS MY OPINION, UH, THE PEOPLE IN HIGH END, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A, A, A TRIP, A TOUR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, COME AND SPEND A WEEK, AND THESE ARE ALL THE EXCITING THINGS YOU'LL DO WHILE YOU'RE HERE.
NOT THINGS THAT WE OFFER YOU WHILE YOU'RE HERE, BUT THESE ARE THINGS WE WILL PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU AND, AND MARKET TO YOU.
AND SAY, YOU, YOU COME HERE, UM, YOU, YOU STAY AT THE RESORT, YOU GET THE SPA AND SO FORTH.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UM, A LIMO, CHAMPAGNE LIMO THAT TAKES YOU UP TO THE GRAND CANYON.
THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, A PACKAGE ITSELF.
THAT WOULD BE A MARKETING END OF IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE MARKETING BOTH THE BUSINESS END OF IT, AS WELL AS THE ENTERTAINMENT END OF IT.
JUST A FOLLOW UP ON THE MARKETING END, BECAUSE IN YOUR APPLICATION, UM, QUESTION EIGHT, YOU HAD WRITTEN, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE KNOWN, WE'RE DESIRABLE.
HOW THE CITY NEEDS TO PUT MORE EFFORT INTO DEBUNKING SOME OF THE MISINFORMATION ON THE WEB.
WHAT KIND OF MISINFORMATION ARE YOU SEEING? UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, AS, AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, I AM A RANGER, AND WE HAVE, WE GET A LOT OF INFORMATION OF PEOPLE COMING INTO TOWN AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THIS, WE READ, WE READ
[02:35:01]
THIS, OR WE SAW THIS ON THE WEB.YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE GONE TO THE WEB AND I FOUND A PICTURE OF DEVIL'S BRIDGE WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY STRUCTURED A BRIDGE AND PEOPLE DRIVING UNDERNEATH IT.
AND THEY SAID, THAT WAS THE DEVIL'S BRIDGE,
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THE MARKETING IS THAT THE DEVIL'S BRIDGE TRAIL IS A MILE AND A QUARTER.
IT IS, IF YOU TAKE THE TWO MILE HIKE TO GET THERE,
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S THE DI THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE WEB, UM, IS THAT ONE PERSON EXPERIENCES SOMETHING AND THEY THROW SOMETHING ON THERE, AND THEN SUDDENLY THAT'S THE THING TO DO.
I DUNNO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, UH, UH, WHAT THEY CALL THE WHITE LINE, UM, BICYCLE.
TRIP, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS, YOU KNOW, AND SO SOMEBODY COMES UP HERE AND THEY SAY, OH, THIS IS ON MY BUCKET LIST TO DO THE WHITE LINE, AND, YOU KNOW, COME UP TO US AND THEY'LL SAY, UM, I, HOW DO TO GET TO THE WHITE LINE? AND YOU LOOK AT 'EM AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE IS GO IN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY ON TUNE.
UM, I, AS YOU'RE AWARE, UH, THE ROUTE 12 FROM POSSE GROUNDS TO DEVIL'S BRIDGE, UH, HASN'T BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE THE PANDEMIC, AND YET IT'S STILL OUT THERE IN SOME PLACES.
AND SO WE HAD TO GO BACK THROUGH AND DIG THROUGH MAYBE FIVE DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEAN THAT ALL UP BEFORE THE NEXT GROUP OF PEOPLE COMING IN.
OR THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING.
THEY SHOW UP AND THEY PARK AT POSSE GROUNDS.
THEY EXPECT TO GO TO DEVIL'S BRIDGE.
GREG, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TERM MITIGATING THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF TOURISM? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND THEN DO YOU, YEAH, LET ME JUST MITIGATING IN, IN MY, UM, I GUESS APPROACH WOULD BE THAT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT PLEASANT FOR EVERY PERSON LIVING AND VISITING.
AND SO IF IT, IF IT'S A MITIGATION, FOR INSTANCE, I THINK ACTUALLY THE, THE TRAIL HEADS WHERE WE GOT THE SHUTTLE RUNNING NOW IS A MITIGATION FACTOR.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE RESIDENTS WERE IRRITATED.
THEY'RE PARKING THERE AND SO FORTH, AND THEY, THEY'RE UPSET ABOUT IT.
AND SO THE CITY MITIGATES IT BY NOW HAVING THE SHUTTLE SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING THAT I WOULD LOOK AS FOR MITIGATION.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S PARKING IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A PROBLEM FOREVER AND EVER.
AND, UH, PEOPLE COME IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD PROVIDE MORE PARKING.
AND WE TELL 'EM, BASICALLY, WE COULD PROBABLY PAVE OVER THE ENTIRE FOREST AND YOU STILL WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING HERE.
IS THERE? SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, THE MITIGATION WOULD BE, UM, IN, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEAR PLAN, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, TRY TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE MITIGATE THE TRAFFIC COMING IN AND THE PARKING PROBLEM, AND THEN MITIGATE THAT WITH THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE TO DEAL, UH, WITH THAT FIVE HOUR OR ONE HOUR TRIP FROM, FROM THE VOC UP TO HERE.
IS THERE A ROLE FOR THE TOURISM BOARD IN THAT THINKING ACTIVITY? I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD ROLE FOR A TOURISM BOARD, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS THEY'RE TRYING TO FOCUS, UM, THE POPULATION THAT LIVES HERE IN THE POPULATION THAT'S VISITING, TRY TO FOCUS THEM TO WORK TOGETHER AS OPPOSED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO DO THIS PORTION OF IT, THIS PORTION OF IT.
I THINK WHEN, WHEN THEY FIRST, UH, AGAIN, WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED THE TOURISM BOARD, IT WAS LIKE, WHY DO WE NEED MORE TOURISTS? WHY, WHY DO WE NEED A BOARD TO BRING MORE TOURISTS HERE? THEY'RE COMING TOO MANY ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE MITIGATION IS HOW, HOW CAN WE GET THE RESIDENTS TO GIVE US THE INPUT WE NEED SO THAT WE CAN THEN MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS? UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO ALWAYS COME DOWN TO WE'RE, WE'RE UPSET ABOUT ALL THE PARKING AND THEREFORE GIVE US SOME PARKING.
UM, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT A RESIDENT HAS IN MIND THAT THEY COULD BRING TO US.
YOU KNOW, WE GET, I, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT TOWN MEETINGS, AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UM, I THINK MITIGATION ALSO HAS TO BE EXTENDED OUT TO THE, THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, THE VILLAGE OF OAK CREEK, THE, UH, COTTONWOOD, WE SHOULD MITIGATE WITH THEM SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY A BIG PORTION OF OUR TOURIST BUSINESS HERE.
UM, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN SEDONA AND YOU, SO YOU'RE USING COTTONWOOD AS AN OUTLYING AREA.
THERE'S GONNA BE SOME MITIGATION INTO HOW DO WE GET THAT TO WORK WELL FOR US AS WELL AS YOU, IF EVERYBODY HAS TO STAY IN COTTONWOOD AND THEN DRIVE UP HERE FOR THE DAY, THEN YOU GOT A PROBLEM.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THE, THE SEDONA SHUTTLES, UM, AND THE, UM, CAT OR WHAT YOU, I DUNNO WHAT THEY CALL IT NOW, SEDONA, SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, TRANSIT SYSTEM ARE GOOD MITIGATIONS, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THEM WORKING MORE IN SYNC.
NEXT QUESTION THERE, DO YOU THINK YOU COVERED NO, THAT'S, I HAVEN'T ASKED THE NEXT QUESTION.
NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS COVERED
YOU'VE COVERED A LOT OF THIS ALREADY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT, DO YOU FEEL THAT TOURISM BUREAU SHOULD FOCUS ON DESTINATION MANAGEMENT OR MARKETING, OR BOTH, OR NEITHER?
[02:40:01]
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, MANAGEMENT IS PROBABLY WHERE THE TOURIST BOARD NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED.AND IT'S BECAUSE I, I, I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE VISITORS, UM, TOGETHER, UH, MARKETING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT REALLY GONNA MARKET THE CITY DESTINATION MARKETING TO THE RESIDENTS.
AND SO THE TOURISM BOARD, I THINK, REALLY SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON, UM, HOW, HOW DO WE INTEGRATE ALL THESE THINGS WE WANT TO DO UNDER MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT? HOW DO WE INTEGRATE 'EM SO THAT THEY'RE ACCEPTABLE BOTH BY THE RESIDENTS AND BY THE VISITORS? THANK YOU.
UH, PLEASE GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CONTRIBUTED TO A RECENT GROUP MEETING, WHERE THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING WAS TO TACKLE A CHALLENGING, CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
UH, DON'T GET TOO MUCH
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD SITUATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE APPROACH THE NEW RE RENOVATED, UM, RANGER STATION BEHIND THEBA? YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WAS A BIG PROBLEM FOR US BECAUSE, UM, AS RANGERS, WE REALLY KINDA WANTED TO KEEP THAT AS, AS A ALMOST LIKE A MUSEUM.
YOU KNOW, AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS TO JUSTIFY THE COST OF THE OTHER, UH, OF RENOVATING.
THEY HAVE TO JUSTIFY THE COST OF MAINTAINING IT AND SO FORTH.
AND JUST AS A MUSEUM, IT PROBABLY WASN'T GOING TO TO WORK.
AND, AND SO WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS LOOK AT THE, THE RENOVATION AS BEING A, UM, FUTURE WITHIN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
WE WANNA DEVELOP IT MORE AND MORE AS A, AN ATTRACTION FOR THE TOURISTS TO COME AND SEE AN OLD RANGER STATION AND HAVE DISPLAYS AND SO, SO FORTH FOR 'EM.
BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE ROOMS AS COUNCIL, UM, UH, UH, UM, COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND SO FORTH.
AND SO, UM, I GUESS THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONLY THING I'VE REALLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH IN THE LAST, UM, 10 YEARS SINCE I RETIRED.
UM, PRIOR TO THAT, OF COURSE, UM, THERE WERE, UH, I WAS A MEDICAL RESEARCHER AND SO, UM, MY, MY JOB IN THE LAST 10 YEARS AS AN AUDITOR WAS TO DEAL WITH, UM, FDA, THE, UM, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND THE DOCTORS DOING CLINICAL TRIALS.
AND SO AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALWAYS A CONFLICT BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DO THE DOCTORS WANT? WHAT DO THE PHARMACEUTICALS WANT? AND WHAT DOES FDA WANT? AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY, UM, RESERVATIONS ABOUT PUTTING, BEING PUT INTO A SITUATION.
UM, I, UM, HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DONE ANY TOWN HALL MEETINGS AS SUCH, BUT WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS WHERE WE'VE HAD TO MEET WITH, UM, UH, UH, CLINICAL TRIAL RESEARCH CENTER, FOR INSTANCE, TO DISCUSS THE, UM, UM, FUTURE OF THE, OF THE FINANCIAL END OF IT.
SO THOSE, AGAIN, WE HAD THE FINANCIAL PEOPLE ON ONE SIDE AND THE PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTED TO DO THE CLINICAL TRIALS AND THE PEOPLE WHO JUST DIDN'T REALLY WANT 'EM.
AND SO IT, IT, I THINK I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
ALRIGHT, GREG, I'VE GOT THE NEXT ONE.
DO YOU BELIEVE TOURISM BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY OF SEDONA? YEAH.
I, I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE VALUE OF THE TOURISM DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CITY WOULD BE LIKE OTHERWISE.
I I THINK THAT TOURISM PROVIDES A, A REVENUE STREAM FOR ONE THING THAT, UM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE IN THE CITY.
UM, AND THAT THERE'S ALWAYS A DISCUSSION.
WE, HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, ARE WE OVERSPENDING FOR THIS AND OVERSPENDING FOR THAT AND SO FORTH.
BUT THAT MONEY'S THERE BECAUSE OF THE TOUR TOURISM, UH, TOURISM.
UM, AND I THINK THAT ACTUALLY, UM, IF YOU'VE EVER, ONE OF THE SITUATIONS I GET INTO, OBVIOUSLY AS A RANGERS, I'M UPTOWN, I'M VISITING WITH A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THAT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS AND THE, UM, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND SOME OF THE VISITORS IS ACTUALLY A VERY BENEFICIAL THING.
WE FIND OUT THINGS FROM THE FOREIGNERS PEOPLE THAT, FOREIGNERS MEANING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT DOMESTIC.
UM, WE FIND OUT THINGS FROM THEM THAT WE PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, INTERFACE BEFORE.
I, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE FROM CANADIAN ABOUT HOW AMERICA TREATS THE INDI UH, INDIGENOUS NATIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE, UM, IT DOES, IT ADDS VALUE TO US.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING.
AT LEAST THOSE OF US WHO ARE TALKING TO THEM HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE SEE US.
AND I, SO I THINK THAT THE CITIES, UM, IS BENEFITING FROM THE FACT THAT, THAT TOURISM ARE COME, TOURISTS ARE COMING HERE AND PROVIDING
[02:45:01]
US WITH OTHER INSIGHTS THAT WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE.UH, THEY PROVIDE US WITH A FINANCIAL STREAM THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE.
UM, THEY HAD ARTHRITIS US ALSO WITH, UM, UH, I HATE TO SAY IT, A POPULATION BASE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVERSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, I I THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD AGREE SEDONA IS A, AS A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, UM, WE'RE OLDER, WE'RE GROUCHY, WE DON'T ALWAYS PUT UP EVERYTHING.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I'M WORKING DOWNTOWN OR WORKING WITH THE TRAILHEAD AND I'M TALKING TO A FAMILY OF FOUR OR FIVE, AND, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS ARE THERE AND IT'S DIFFERENT AND THEY'RE HERE FOR A DIFFERENT REASON ALTOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT HELPS US TO LOOK AT THE POPULATION BASE AS NOT JUST RETIRED RE RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO AS PEOPLE THAT NEED OTHER RES OTHER THINGS TO DO WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
CAN I FOLLOW UP TO THAT IN THE, YOUR APPLICATION? UH, QUESTION NINE, YOU WROTE, WITHOUT PRIVATE BUSINESSES, THE CITY CANNOT SURVIVE.
THE CITY'S ROLE IS TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT OF SUPPORT AND GROWTH WITHOUT APPEARING TO BE ONLY INTERESTED IN FINANCIAL REVENUES.
DO YOU THINK THAT THAT'S BEING ACHIEVED? I, I THINK IT IS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE, THE, UM, CITY, UM, I DON'T WANNA PUT PUT THE ONUS ON THE CITY, BUT THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY, UM, DOESN'T DO ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE IF WE DIDN'T, IF WE DID NOT HAVE THE, THE VISITORS.
UM, I, I KNOW SOME OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION PEOPLE, IT'S PROBABLY A LOT OF THE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS GO TO OTHER CITIES AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE LIKE AND SO FORTH.
YOU KNOW, I'M FROM WISCONSIN, WE HAVE THE WISCONSIN DELLS, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, DOOR COUNTY, AND WE HAVE THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, A WELL-MANAGED CITY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND THE DELLS FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A MADHOUSE.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GO THERE AND IT'S NOT EVEN PLEASANT.
IT'S NOT PLEASANT, IT'S NOT COMFORTABLE.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THAT IN GENERAL, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE NEED TO GET MORE INFORMATION TO THE RESIDENTS ABOUT HOW WELL WE ARE MANAGING VISITORS AND NOT JUST CONSTANTLY HEARING ABOUT THERE'S NO, THERE'S A PARKING PROBLEM, THERE'S A TRAFFIC PROBLEM, THERE'S THIS PROBLEM, THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE DOING AS A CITY TO TRY TO AGAIN, MITIGATE THAT, UM, TO TRY TO CHANGE THAT, UM, TO THE BETTER.
BUT WE'RE OPEN TO RESPONSES FROM THE, FROM THE RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HAS TO BE DISSEMINATED BETTER, IS THAT WE ARE, WE ARE OPEN TO RESIDENT INPUT.
AND THAT'S, IT'S, I I I, WE MENTIONED THE TOWN TOWN MEETINGS.
I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED WITH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT.
UM, HAVE YOU READ THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLAN? AND IF YOU HAVE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PLAN AND ITS RELEVANCE TO, UH, TOURISM? I READ IT SOME TIME AGO, BUT I, I REALLY, UM, HAVEN'T PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT.
UM, UM, I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IS A, IS A CONCEPT THAT'S NOT TOO WELL ACCEPTED BY THE RESIDENTS HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY THINK OF THE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AS WE HAVE TO KEEP THE MONEY COMING IN.
UM, AND I LOOK AT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AS BEING MORE OF A MATTER OF, UM, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE COME BACK AND WE WANT THEM TO GO OUT THERE AND TELL PEOPLE WHAT A GOOD TIME THEY HAD AND WHAT THEY EXPERIENCED HERE AND HAVE THEM BRING IN.
SO IT'S MORE OF A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IS NOT REALLY THAT YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY GO OUT AND BEAT THE DRUMS AND SAY, COME, COME, COME.
BUT YOU HAVE TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME ACTUALLY CREATE THAT, UM, DESIRE TO GET HERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO AS RANGERS, AND THAT'S, WE GO THROUGH THIS A LOT 'CAUSE AMAZING IN US, SOME OF THE RANGERS ARE NOT VERY, UM, OUTGOING
UM, BUT WE, WHAT WE WANNA DO IS WE, WE SAY THAT THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A, UM, AN ACTOR'S, UM, POSITION.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME HERE AND YOU GO UP TO A RANGER AND YOU ASK HIM A QUESTION AND THEY'RE GRUFF WITH YOU, OR THEY'RE, UM, THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A GOOD ANSWER, THEY GIVE YOU A BAD ANSWER.
UM, YOUR RESPONSE WHEN YOU GO HOME IS, YEAH, WELL, ONE OF THE RANGERS WAS THERE AND WE TALKED TO HIM.
HE WAS A JERK, YOU KNOW, SO YOU, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS YOU WANT THEM TO GO HOME AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE AT THE DOWNTOWN, WE GOT LOST, WE GOT THIS, OR WHATEVER.
WE WERE AT A TRAILHEAD, AND HE, HE GAVE US SOME OPTIONS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T USE THAT TRAIL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF, UM, PRESENTATION.
ANY, SO TELL US WHY YOU WANNA BE ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD? UM, I, BELIEVE ME,
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WITH ALL OF US WHEN WE RETIRE, WE THINK, HOW
[02:50:01]
MUCH MORE DO YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED AND SO FORTH.UM, I I FELT THAT, UM, I MIGHT OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO THE ADVISORY BOARD THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN JUST THE RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT A RESIDENT AND I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT, UM, MY APPLICATION IS THAT I'M, I'M LOOKING TO SAY, WELL, UM, IF, IF SOMEONE WAS LOOKING AT THE TOURISM BOARD AND THEY SAID, WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF THE TOURISM BOARD? AND THEY'RE ALL, UM, BUSINESS PEOPLE, UM, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, OH, IT'S JUST ANOTHER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UM, IF THEY LOOK AT IT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MAKEUP IS, I THINK INFLUENCES THEIR OPINION OF WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'LL LISTEN TO FROM THE, THE TOURISM BOARD.
AND SO I THINK THE TOURISM BOARD SHOULD HAVE A PRESENTATION OF A MIXED APPROACH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT ON A PANEL WHEN EVERYBODY DOESN'T AGREE ON WHAT HAS TO BE DONE.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, IN, IN GENERAL, BY HAVING MORE DIVERSITY ON THE PANEL, WE HAVE A BETTER PRESENTATION TO THE, TO THE RESIDENTS AND TO THE CITY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, IS TRYING TO HELP OUT.
SO YOU ASKED WHY I WANTED TO BE ON IT.
I THOUGHT, UM, I, I GUESS I FELT THAT MY POSITION AS A, AS A LEAD RANGER BEING IN PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT ALSO BEING A NON-RESIDENT WOULD, UM, IMPROVE THE IMAGE IMAGE OF THE, OF THE BOARD.
SO IN YOUR APPLICATION, YOU SAID YOUR, I, I CAN'T SEE THE EXACT ADDRESS, BUT IT SAYS SEDONA.
IT'S, IT'S NOT HARDLY, IT'S THE SIGN OFF OF, UH, JACKS CANYON, UM, RIGHT THERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? NO, I DON'T.
HAVE YOU BEEN TO A TAB MEETING? PARDON ME? HAVE YOU BEEN TO A TAB MEETING BEFORE? NO, BUT I'VE WATCHED THEM ONLINE JUST AGAIN, JUST TO TRY TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AND IF I COULD HELP OUT IN SOME WAY.
UH, WE'VE OFFERED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AS THE RANGERS AND AS PARKS AND RECREATION THAT HAVE COME OFF OF THOSE MEETINGS.
NOT DIRECTLY, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING THIS.
CAN WE HELP THEM OUT IN SOME WAY? DIFFERENT QUESTION, PETE.
REALLY, GREG, I THINK I'VE RUN ACROSS YOU ONCE OR MAYBE TWICE RIDING AROUND, BUT NEVER REALLY SPOKE TO YOU.
YOU BRING A LOT OF, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A GREAT ASSET FOR THE CITY AS A RANGER, I CAN SEE THAT, UH, CLEARLY.
SO JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE DWINDLING A LITTLE BIT.
UH, I THINK WHEN I JOINED WITH, UH, UNDER BOB HUGGINS, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN I JOINED, WE HAD 15 RANGERS.
UH, WE'RE DOWN TO FIVE NOW, SO OH MY GOODNESS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TRIED SOME DIFFERENT WAYS TO RECRUIT FOR THE RANGERS.
UM, IT JUST, UM, IT, IT'S JUST NOT, UM, I GUESS IN VOGUE, GET THE MOMENT TAKE TO DO THAT SORT OF THING.
SO HOW DOES ONE BECOME A RANGER? YOU JUST GO ONLINE AND YOU SAY, I WANNA BE A RANGER AND YOU'RE A RANGER.
YEAH, WE, WE ASK FOR 20 HOURS A MONTH, WHICH IS NOT A LOT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE DO PROVIDE QUITE A BIT, QUITE AN EXTENSIVE UNIFORM.
UM, AND WE, UM, WE USED TO JUST BE UPTOWN AMBASSADORS, BUT NOW WE'RE DOING MORE.
WE DO PARK PATROLS, WE DO, UM, TRAIL HEAD MANAGEMENT AND SO FORTH.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE SET A DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND, AND THEY ALL LIKE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I LIKE TO DO A LITTLE HORSE TRAIL HEAD.
UM, BETH, ONE OF OUR RANGERS, UH, TRIXIE LIKE TO DO PARK PATROL AND POSSE GROUNDS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS INTEGRATE, UM, WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY WANNA DO AS A VOLUNTEER, UH, IN ORDER JUST TO TRY TO GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, I USED TO ALWAYS ASSIGN IT THE, THE SHIFTS.
AND WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY JUST LET US KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND THEN WORK AROUND THE TEAM THAT WAY.
YOU WORK FOR THE FOREST SERVICE? NO, WE WORK FOR PARKS AND RECREATION.
OH, WE'RE VOLUNTEERS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, REALIZE THAT WE'RE IN THEIR BUDGET.
WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON, ON JUNIOR RANGER BADGES.
UH, WE HAVE A LITTLE BADGE THAT WE HIT, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT, IT'S A GOOD ICE BREAKER, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WALK UP TO PEOPLE AND, AND SAY, OH, WOULD YOUR CHILD LIKE TO BE A JUNIOR RANGER FOR THE DAY? AND THEN IT'S AMAZING ONCE YOU BREAK THAT ICE THAT THEY DO START ASKING QUESTIONS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, I, I LIKE TO GO OUT ON THE CANYON BREEZE PATIO AND TALK ABOUT THE GEOLOGY AND SO FORTH.
SO I'LL GET A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SNOOPY ROCK AND THEN GO FROM THERE AND, UM, THE ANIMALS AND SO FORTH.
UH, SO, SO THOSE ARE THINGS, UM, WHEN WE'RE ON THE TRAIL HEADS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE 25 PEOPLE SITTING THERE WAITING FOR THE BUS AND THEY'RE
[02:55:01]
JUST, YOU KNOW, LINED UP WAITING FOR THE BUS.AND SO IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME INFORMATION TOO, ABOUT THIS IS WHAT THE TRAIL'S GONNA BE LIKE.
UH, THIS IS THE GEOLOGY WE SEE, THESE ARE THE ANIMALS.
YOU MIGHT SEE THAT SORT OF THING.
SO AS A RANGER, IT, IT REALLY, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY FULFILLING TO 'CAUSE PEOPLE, I, IT'S AMAZING.
I WAS GIVING THE TALK, I USED TO RIDE THE BUS FROM, UM, THE HIGH HIGH SCHOOL OVER THE DEVIL'S BRIDGE, UH, WHEN WE WERE STILL DOING THE TRAILHEAD THERE.
AND I WOULD GIVE THE GEOLOGY AND THE ANIMAL TALKS AND EVERYTHING AND TELL SOME JOKES.
AND THEN, UM, ONE DAY I WAS DOING THE SAME THING AT CANYON BREEZE AND THE PEOPLE CAME UP AND SAID, YEAH, WE HAD YOU ON OUR BUS.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY ENJOYED IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I THINK THAT THE RANGERS, AGAIN, OF THE PRESENTATION AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, IS I WANT PEOPLE TO GO HOME AND SAY, WOW, WE WERE JUST HAVING LUNCH AND THE RANGER CAME OUT AND TOLD US ABOUT GEOLOGY.
HOW DO YOU WANNA DO THIS? UM, I THINK SINCE THIS IS A PERSONNEL MATTER AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE VARIOUS PEOPLE THAT WE'VE INTERVIEWED THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER PERSONNEL.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO PROBABLY A, A QUESTION WE WANT TO DISCUSS, UM, THAT WE MIGHT NEED SOME LEGAL ANALYSIS ON ABOUT, UM, HOW TO FILL THE POSITIONS AND WHAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED IN THAT IN TERMS OF FILLING THEM ALL, FILLING SOME OR WHATEVER.
[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.ANY COMMENTS READY TO VOTE? DO WE HAVE LEGAL STANDBY? HMM.
I'M GONNA READ THE, WELL I NEED YOU TO VOTE AND THEN I'LL READ IT.
UPON A PUBLIC MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS CONSTITUTING A QUORUM, THE COUNCIL MAY HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL FOR ADVICE REGARDING MATTERS LISTED ON THIS AGENDA PER A RS 36 DASH 4, 31 0.03 A THREE AND A RS 38 44, 31 0.03.
ARE YOU GUYS COMING INTO EXEC WITH US? YES.
I DIDN'T, I THOUGHT SOMEONE SAID THANK YOU HOLLY.
HOLLY, IS IT JUST THE SIX OF US VOTING, OR, OR THE TAB MEMBERS? THE TOWN MEMBERS ARE NON-VOTING.
OH, NO, HE'S ASKING IF THE MEMBERS ARE VOTING OR NON VOTING.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT ON THE CHART.
OKAY, SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GONNA VOTE AND WE'RE GONNA VOTE BY RAISING OUR HANDS AS EACH CANDIDATE IS CALLED.
AND THEN WHOEVER GETS THE HIGHEST VOTES WILL BE SELECTED.
SO WE'LL START IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THE INTERVIEWS WERE CONDUCTED.
IS THAT EVERYBODY OKAY? OH, COME ON.
[03:00:01]
YOU VOTE? YES.DID YOU NOT VOTE FOR GREGORY? HOW CAN YOU VOTE FOR FIVE PEOPLE? WELL, YOU CAN BECAUSE THEN THE HIGHEST TOTAL, RIGHT? RANK, CHOICE.
YOU WANNA CHANGE ANY OF YOUR VOTES? NOPE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS FOUR VOTES AS WELL.
EACH VOTE, BECAUSE EACH VOTE'S A VOTE.
YOU ONLY VOTED FOR FOUR PEOPLE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, CHANGE MY VOTE.
I THINK I WOULD CHANGE MY VOTE AND, UH, REMOVE.
COULD YOU GO ON THE MIC PLEASE? YES.
I SAID IF I WOULD ONLY VOTE FOR FOUR, FOUR, THEN I WOULD REMOVE LARS AND VOTE FOR JASON.
AND I VOTED FOR FIVE, SO GEEZ, I WOULD REMOVE LARS.
SO I KNOW EVERYBODY VOTED FOR ONLY FOUR, CORRECT? MM-HMM
UH, SO THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT ARE SELECTED ARE JULIE, BRETT, LARS, AND GREGORY.
AND WE HAVE TWO FOUR YEAR TERMS AND TWO TWO YEAR TERMS. I WOULD GO AHEAD.
YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? YEAH.
I MOVED TO, UH, APPOINT JULIE, RICHARD AND BRETT LABBE TO FOUR YEAR TERMS ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD AND LARS ROIG AND GREGORY STEIN TO TWO YEAR TERMS ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
AND THAT IS TO SERVE, WE HAVE TO PUT THE WHOLE SERVING UNTIL THING.
SO ON THE, ON THE FOUR YEAR TERMS, WOULD YOU TAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MAKE THAT, THOSE WOULD END IN DECEMBER 31ST, 2029.
AND ON THE TWO YEAR TERMS WOULD END ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2027.
I WOULD ACCEPT THOSE FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US ADJOURNED.
HAVING, ARE WE ADJOURNED? THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
[5. ADJOURNMENT]
YOU.