TOWN OF PROVINCETOWN

VISITOR SERVICES BOARD

 

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13, 2005

JUDGE WELSH MEETING ROOM

 


Chairman Lynne Davies convened the meeting at 11:00 AM noting the following attendees:

 

VSB members: Lynne Davies, Chairman; Peter Bez, Vice Chairman; Laurel Guadazno; Kathleen Fitzgerald; Michael Peregon; Mick Rudd.

 

Absent VSB member:  Hersh Schwartz (excused absences)

 

Other attendees:  Bill Schneider, Administrative Tourism Director

 

Recorder: David Gardner.

 

The following are meeting minutes, in brief:

 

JOINT MARKETING MEETING WITH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PROVINCETOWN BUSINESS GROUP AND OUR TRAVEL PARTNERS

 

The following organizations and individuals were in attendance:

 

Bay State Cruises

Michael Glasfeld, President

Julie Doherty

 

Boston Harbor Cruises

Alison Nolan, General Manager

 

Cape Air

Leslie Duda

Michelle Haynes

 

Provincetown Business Guild

Steve Tait, President

Gabby Hanna, Executive Director

 

Provincetown Chamber of Commerce

Candace Collins-Boden, Executive Director

 

The Graphics Group

Chuck Anzalone, Graphics Designer

 

Bill Schneider conducted a PowerPoint presentation which covered Marketing and Media; Travel and Trade Shows; Promotional Grants; Travel Writers; and Cross Promotional Opportunities.

 

Member comments:

 

LYNNE DAVIES:  Accessibility continues to be a major problem, especially during the shoulder season.  How do we get creative to address the issues and obstacles of getting to Provincetown?  What do you think of the marketing plan? 

 

MICHELLE HAYNES: Should do more to market shoulder season.  Reaching out to media during Carnival Week ( re: Canadian Film Co.) will entice people to come during Carnival Week when marketing is not necessary.  Media should be invited to come during the shoulder season.

 

STEVEN TAIT:  Synergy is great and we do not want to replicate efforts.  Why are we not promoting boaters?

 

LYNNE DAVIES:  Problem of not having facilities /amenities for boating visitors (lockers, showers, marina facilities, charts, boating supplies…etc.).  Opportunities for EDC and possibilities of getting funds for Wharf upgrades and facilities.

 

MICK RUDD:  Provincetown has a reputation of being a commercial port more so than a visitor port – need for more synergy between commercial and visitor boating services.

 

CANDACE COLLLINS-BODEN:  More should be done to market to Day-Trippers.  More marketing to on-Cape residents, via Cape web sites, Cape print media, brochures to other Cape guest houses, hotels etc…

 

MICHELLE HAYNES:  Would love to do coop ads to the gay market.  Cape Air needs to do better to address the perception of accessibility problems.  Second Home Owners is a market that Cape Air has been wanting to address ( re: VSB having second home owners as target marketing group.).

 

MICHAEL PEREGON:  How can someone get to and from Provincetown from NYC? 

 

MICHELLE HAYNES:  Jet Blue to Boston and Cape Air to Provincetown.  Cape Air and Jet Blue have some scheduling problems, and Cape Air does not have e-ticketing capabilities at this time.  Could look at the possibility of a combination ticket.

 

MICHAEL GLASFELD:  The problem of accessibility during the winter and shoulder season.  Bay State cannot physically run the ferry during the shoulder and winter season because of the weather.  Even during the shoulder season (1st half of October) is difficult to maintain a regular Schedule because the weather will often require cancellations which makes finding alternative forms of transportation for stranded passengers very difficult and costly.   

 

MICHAEL GLASFELD:  Very interested in doing Coop ads.   Bay State wants to advertise to the same magazines as the town, the problem is going to be frequency.  It is important to have a constant presence.

 

LYNNE DAVIES:   Could the Ferry systems consider moving base of operations to Plymouth, for example.  This would allow visitors to take commuter train to ferry and then weather will not be such a big problem.  If it is, the P&B bus is available.  Advertise the options of transportation as a means to address the perception of accessibility.

 

GABBY HANNA:  What about marketing to the international travelers? 

 

LYNNE DAVIES:  We have increased our advertising in the Canadian market.  There are other international trade shows we could attend, and we need to reach out to international travel writers!

 

LYNNE DAVIES:  Asked the group how often to meet.  Group agreed to meet twice a year.    April or May, and November.

 

JOINT COMMITTEE ENDED AT 12:40

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

 

MOTION:  Move to approve the minutes of the December 2, 2005 VSB meeting as written.

Motion by:  Laurel Guadazno;  Seconded by:  Peter Bez;  Yea  6  Nay 0 Abstain  0

 

Board of Selectmen letter dated December 13, 2005, the board voted to submit a funding request $1,335.00 for the Bas Relief holiday display. 

 

Discussion amongst the board members, identified 3 primary concerns: 

1.      That it was not within the mission of the VSB, and that it was inappropriate to allocate Tourism funds for the request.

2.      That it would set a bad precedent for giving money for religious purposes.

3.      That the budget had already been set, and money allocated and ear marked and that approving this request would require the adjusting of priorities and open up the budget discussion again.

 

MOTION:  Move to recommend denial of the request for $1,335 from the Tourism Fund to pay for the bas relief holiday display.

Motion by:  Peter Bez;   Seconded by:   Michael Peregon;  Yea  6  Nay 0  Abstain 0

 

SELECTION OF THE PR FIRM

 

MOTION:   Move to hire Focus Communication as the Town of Provincetown pubic relation’s firm with the contract to expire on June 30, 2006 not to exceed $10,000.

Motion by:  Laurel Guadazno;   Seconded by:   Peter Bez;  Yea  6  Nay  0   Abstain  0

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1:14  PM.