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TDC Minutes 10/16/2023October 16,2023 MINUTES OF THE COLLIER COLiNTY TOTIRIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETING Naples, Florida, October 16,2023 LET IT BE REMEMBERED the Collier County Tourist Development Council, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 9 a.m. in a REGLILAR SESSION in Building F of the Government Complex, Naples, Florida, with the following members present: Chairman: Commissioner Bill McDaniel Jr. Vice Chairman: Clark Hill Susan Becker Councilman Michael McComas Amanda Cox (excused) Councilor Jared Councilor Grifoni Nancy Kems Ed "Ski" Olesky Councilwoman Beth Petrunoff (excused) ALSO PRESENT: Paul Beirnes, Collier County Tourism Director Colleen Greene, Assistant County Attomey Buzzy Ford, Tourism Digital & Social Media Coordinator Marissa Baker, Manager, Paradise Coast Sports Complex Amanda Townsend, County Museums Director I October 16.2023 Anyone who needs a verbatim record ofthe meeling may requesl a video recording from the Collier Counly Communications & Cuslomer Relalions Departmenl or view it online. l. Call to Order Chairman McDaniel called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. Roll Call A quorum ofseven was established by members present in the board room. Mr. Beirnes said Amanda Cox is on vacation and has an excused absence and City Council member Beth Petrunoff has an excused absence. 4, Agenda and Minutes A. Changes and Approval of Today's Agenda (No Changes) Vice Chair Hill made a motion to approve the agenda. Second by Councilor Grifoni. The motion passed unanimously, 7-0, B. Approval of prior TDC Meeting Minutes Regular Meeting September 18, 2023 Councilman McComas made o motion lo approve the Seplember 18, 2023, meeling minutes. Second b1t Vice Chair Hill. The motion possed unanimously, 7-0. 5. Presentations A. Executive Director Update [Paul Beirnes] Mr. Beirnes provided a report on the August numbers:o With the arrival of October, we're eagerly awaiting the travel cadence to kick back in after September. Although he'll provide August numbers, he'll share some September numbers he received yesterday. . Visitors in September were up 9.6%o over the previous year.. Room nights in September were up2.7%", direct spending was up 5.17o and overall occupancy was up 2.77o. None ofthat had to do with Hurricane lan because it hadn't hit yet at that time last year, so the numbers are good news. We'll provide more depth next month.. September performed well, but with the arrival of October, it's going to be an interesting month to measure against for year-over-year activity because Hurricane Ian arrived just before October last year. o We don't have confidence in a lot of last year's performance metrics because simply reaching front desks in the first couple ofweeks after Hurricane lan was difficult a year a3o.o As you start to receive the STR report every Wednesday, you'll start seeing a difference, so we'll look at the prior year, 2021, and continue to look at 2019 to make sure we're on pace.. But by the time we got to the 2022 holiday season, things started normalizing and season was back. o The STR report showed an immediate spike of$28 in average-daily rate last week. lt went through the roof. He believes revenue managers forgot what happened a year ago and saw ) [Mr. Beirnes asked Luisa Laurelli, Paradise Advertising's account director for client ser-tices, to outline lhe Sizzle Dining presentation.l Ms. Laurelli detailed a PowerPoint presentation that showed the creative aspects ofthe three-week Sizzle Dining campaign in which $l for each meal sold was donated to Blessings in a Backpack, and the media, commercials and ads used to promote the campaign. -) October 16,2023 there was an incredible increase in occupancy, which increased the ADR to an astronomically high level, so we'll monitor it closely. . Last week, John Melleky attended the Intemational Festivals & Events Association Conference in McAllen, Texas, and ;Arte Viva!, our year-long Hispanic arts and culture festival, received seven awards competing against global competitors, including three gold awards.o lArte Viva! received gold awards for best event organization e-newsletter; best multimedia component, "Meet the Artists" video series; and most creative and effective news stunt, our press conference. o iArte Viva! received two silver awards for Best New Festival and Best Social Media Campaign. . It received two bronze awards, for Best Media Relations Campaign and Best Single Magazine Display Ad. . Congrats to the arts and culture community and John Melleky, who put a lot ofpassion and interest into it, as well as all the agencies that help make us look good on paper and electronics. o Every year, we celebrate the Tourism Star Awards, our opportunity to recognize the tourism industry for everything they do. Last week, Clark Hill was designated as a Legacy Award winner for his many years of service, commitment and community involvement. IVice Chair Hill thanked him for the honor.l. In recognition of Collier County's centennial, we created another award, the Centennial Award, for someone who has impacted the tourism industry. Clyde and Nikki Butcher were honored for their involvement in promoting the Everglades and eco-tourism in Collier County. . The Tourism Star Awards event was aftended by about 200 people and was a great celebration.o Two weekends ago, we took possession ofthe next four fields at Paradise Coast Sports Complex, a total of nine fields, including the stadium, that are now filled with sports and activities. It allows us to take some upcoming events, such as AYF (American Youth Football), to a new level on one property. o Our focus in September was to push the shoulder seasons for the spring, summer and into September. We knew season did well, but spring, summer and fall were critical, so we focused on our ability to elevate that. It's difficult because students retum to school and parents get back into that routine, so we focused on dining.o The CVB hosted a Garden & Gun magazine destination culinary showcase in September that generated over 8 million impressions.o Paradise Coast Sports Complex hosted a sold-out USA Today Wine & Food Experience festival. It was a little rainy about two hours into it, but a lot of interested people remained.o Starting in August, we concentrated our effort on Sizzle Dining, which has been going on for several years. We saw a great opportunity to elevate our culinary offerings. October 16,2023 Guy Clarke, founder of Siule Dining, told the TDC:o Sizzle dining showcases the vibrant culinary landscape ofFlorida's Paradise Coast and is known for its affordable three-course standards and two-course lunches.. Sizzle Dining is more than a foodie celebration. It helps restaurants during the slowest month ofthe year, and this year it exceeded all expectations. o The support from CVB through marketing and PR efforts greatly expanded the awareness ofthe event outside our normal reach and made a difference for local restaurants.o We signed up a record-breaking 95 participating restaurants. o Using the lure ofour delicious Southwest Florida culinary scene, the efforts not only helped put butts in seats, but restaurants reported stronger numbers this year compared with last year. They included Simit Mediterranean, USS Nemo, Nosh on Naples Bay, and others from Marco Island on up provided positive feedback. One said the event literally saved their September. Others said they were able to hire more stafi increase hours and many others reported seeing lots ofnew faces. . The event tumed the traditionally slow month of September into something that fosters a sense of community pride and identity as we came together, supported restaurants and dined out. o The partnership notonly helped restaurants, but ourcommunity. Sl out ofevery Restaurant Week meal goes to Blessings in a Backpack, which provides nutritionally balanced food packs to food-insecure elementary students every Friday during the school year. This year, participating restaurants donated $48,884, a record-breaking number that makes a profound difference in the lives ofthose in need. . In the past three years, Sizzle Dining has helped over 600 local children have 20,000 hunger-free weekends. Every September, Sizzle Dining injects over $3 million into the Southwest Florida economy and encourages visitors and residents to explore and support our local restaurants, hotels and businesses. . Plans for Sizzle Dining 2024 are already underway, with numerous restaurants already committing to participate. . He hopes to continue to have the TDC's support as we showcase our region's culinary excellence. Mr. Beirnes lold the TDC: o The impact ofthese three-course, fixed-price initiatives can't be underestimated.o In his previous role in Central Florida, where he was the founder of Visit Orlando's Magical Dining, he found that it's not how much business you drive, but the impact you can drive to the community through the charity component.o Last year, Sizzle Dining sold about 22,000 meals during September and this year, it increased to 48,884 meals. That doesn't demonstrate everyhing that's happening because there are probably two or three members in a party who ate away from Sizzle Dining (at non-participating restaurants). o The impact is you have people looking at this as a dining destination and they'll continue that through the year. o We're looking at this as a pillar for us to continue to elevate our destination's dining component. . He looks forward to pa(nering with Mr. Clarke and Sizzle Dining next year. [He congratulated Mr. Clarke and others for their greal work.J 4 9 October 16,2023 6. Consent Agenda All matters listed under this agenda item are routine ond action will be laken by one molion wilhout seporate discussion on each item. If discussion is desired by a member of the TDC, those items will be movedfrom the Consenl Agenda and considered separately under New Business or Old Business. A. Beach Park Facilities (None) B. Tourism Division (None) 7. New Business A. Coastal Zone Management (None) 8. Old Business (None) Marketing Partner Reports These reports (Marketing Partner Reports - Downs & St. Germain Research; Paradise Advertising & Marketing, Inc.; Lou Hammond Group: Convention & Visitors Bureau PRTeam; Collier County Tax Collector - tourisl tax collections; Miles Portnership - Website Analytics, Digital & Social Media: Paradise Coasl Sports Complex, and County Museums) are provided to TDC members on a county website link. The Research Data Seryices report is presenled monthly, and other reports ore presented at TDC meetings on an-as-needed basis. TDC members may request a presentation by the marketing portner representalive or by to rism staff at each TDC meeting. Part 1. Marketing Partner Report A. Downs & St. Germain Research -Joseph St. Germain, president [Mr. St. Germain detailed a PowerPoinl presenlotion on August and YTD numbers.J [There were no questions.] B. Paradise Advertising - Zarsa Laurelli, Account Director, Client Services (See 5.A above.) C. Lou Hammond Group - Mackenzie Comerer, VP PR [Ms. Comerer detailed a PowerPoint presentation, "Services Conducted in September 2023." [There were no questions.J Part 2. Marketing Partner Reports D. Collier County Tourist Tax Collections - Pazl Beirnes, Tourism Director Mr, Beirnes detailed a PowerPoint presentation for September:. Collections year-to-date show us at $42 miltion in collections, still awaiting the actual remittance of collections in Septembero After the hurricane, we mathematically looked at the hotels that were on the sidelines and how long we estimated they'd be down and couldn't have imagined $40 million this year. 5 For us to be at $42 million with one more month is rewarding. It's not just the CVB's drive, but the entire destination's drive. o Occupancy and ADR are solid, so we've got positivity as we go into fall and season, hopefully without hurricanes or borders shut down. o He's extremely bullish on the year ahead and hopes we'll break another record. . Ifyou'd like to see perlormance by month or location, the information is in the packet. ffhere were no queslions.l F. Paradise Coast Sports Complex/Sports Facilities Companies Mari.ssa Baker, Adrictn Moses, J.P. Terosi. Ms, Baker said she has the pleasure of working with the operator daily to ensure they're delivering what Collier County wants them to deliver. September was an amazing month for them. [Mr. Moses and Mr. Terrasi detailed PowerPoint presentations.J Mr. Olesky asked for the reason for cancellations Chairman McDaniel asked what the matrix was that determines the deposit amount. Mr. Moses said they calculate how many fields they want across the boundary and divide it by two, so a 507o deposit. Chairman McDaniel said, So they pay a 507o deposit based upon our calculations on the value of the utilization for those fields and forfeit that ifthey cancel? Mr. Moses said that was correct. [Mr. Moses congratulated Vice Choir Clark Hill on his award.] Mr. Moses said he's a Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) board member and serves on the sports committee. The annual FRLA Golf roumament is on November 2nd. Serving on the 6 October 16,2023 E. Miles Partnership - Erriqueta Balandra [Ms. Balandra delailed a PowerPoint presentation, "Paradise.com September 2023"J Mr. Moses responded that: o We had two cancellations. o The first operator didn't promote their toumament early enough and didn't open registration early enough. . The second cancellation involved a first-time tournament that overestimated how many teams they'd be able to get. They learned their lesson and haven't been scared away. They are committed to us and committed to making the toumament a success.. Ultimately, it comes down to registration. Ilan operator doesn't get the registration of teams that they need, then it's not in their best interest to cancel. . The way this complex was being run before and the reason it got into some financial hot water was because all contracts were offered as a zero-dollar contract. There was no deposit collected and no penalty for anyone, so there were no repercussions for operators ifthey canceled, other than our ability to tell them they won't be having a toumament here again.. Our current contracts give us the ability to retain deposits that we collect, so we at least protect the time we put into putting these tournaments together. October 16, 2023 FRLA is in addition to what we do here. We're helping the business community by taking on that responsibility. The FRLA has positions available for tournament foursomes and sponsorships. Chairman McDaniel asked where the tournament would be held. Mr. Moses said at the J.W. Marriot Hammock Bay Golf Course on Marco Island Mr, Beirnes lold the TDC: o This photo was taken at Snowfest last year, which was a great success, as was July 4th. o Parks & Rec, tourism and the sports complex have been working for four or five months on Snowfest, using what we leamed about our July 4t event and applying that as a unified team to make Snowfest a blowout success with big numbers. o With the addition of the four fields at the sports complex, he realizes some of these after- event leamings and financials are much grander than you'd imagine. The final four fields are pre-painted for football, but each week, there could be field hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse. All require different lines being painted. o Although the four fields are a blank slate, the challenge is they need to scrub, paint and flip each time, which requires a lot of effort, time and money. It's significant overtime. o This gives the balance for Adrian and his team to be able to manage painting and longevity on the fields, which are important for what we do. G. County Musetrns - Amonda Townsend IMs. Townsend detailed a PowerPoint presentation on September visitation.] [There were no questions.] 11. Tourism Staff Reports (None) 12. Council Member Discussion Mr. Olesky thanked tourism's partners for all the work they do. Ms. Becker said in the St. Germain presentation, there were some interesting percentages she wants to keep an eye on. One was that the Central and South America share of visitors was up 54%, which is interesting at a time when we said we were having trouble competing with Miami. There also were twice as many people staying in hotels as in the Airbnbs or vacation rentals. We had thought that more people were staying in the vacation rentals, so that's interesting. And it also said only I% had come here for sporting events, which was a strange percentage considering the wonderful report from Paradise Coast Sports Complex. She said that's worth keeping an eye on. Mr. Beirnes said for sports, you'll probabty see it spike because as Adrian had mentioned, we would have cooked most ofthose athletes in August, so there weren't many field activities then, but there will be other months, such as December, when those numbers will probably be significantly higher. We're also watching Latin America, which had drifted very low, yet compared to Iast y€ar, there was significant growth. We'll continue to monitor it, but we think we're still going to be in the right position focusing on Canadians, which are Iike a rocket ship taking off. Ms. Becker said she's seen the same thing on 3rd Street with Canadians. Ms. Kerns said they missed him on Thursday, and congratulated on the event he was participating in. She commended his staff for the wonderful job they did. It was one ofthe nicest Star Tourism 7 October 16,2023 events that she's attended. It was happy and positive and you could feel the vibrations in the room. [t was ajob well done by all ofyou. Mr. Beirnes said his team handled the event entirely. He had to attend Destination Florida, where he was being elected to its board of directors, which represents all CVBs in Florida. Staff over-delivered because he kept getting texts at the conference about the great news. He congratulated everybody. Chairman McDaniel said the Immokalee football team is holding a fundraiser luncheon today from 10:30 a.m. to I p.m. on the lootball field, $10 a plate for chicken to support our Immokalee football team. He asked Councilor Mccomas about the Stone Crab harvest. Councilman McComas said he doesn't have the data from the mayor yet. Mr. Beirnes noted that the artist of the month for the County Commission Chambers is ;Arte Viva! The exhibit is Faces of Immokalee. 13, Next Scheduled Meeting Date/Location - 9 a.m. Monday, November 20,2023 Collier County Government Center, Administration Building F, 3rd Floor, 3299 East Tamiami Trail, Naples There being no further business for the good ofthe County, the meeting was adjourned by order ofthe chairman at l0:20 a.m. COLLIER COTJNTY TOURIST DE PMENT COUNCIL Bill NIc Chairm an f)'r(ru:ll approved by the Council on or as amended These minutes ryere presented, X tl 3 (choose one) as 8