Town of Provincetown

Visitor Services Board

Meeting Minutes from

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Judge Welsh Hearing Room

 

Chairman Lynne Davies convened the meeting at 10:03 AM noting the following attendees:

 

Members Present: Lynne Davies, Chairman; Peter Bez, Vice Chairman, Kathleen Fitzgerald; Laurel Guadazno; Michael Peregon; Mick Rudd and Hersh Schwartz.

 

Excused Absence:  None.

 

Other attendees:  Bill Schneider, Administrative Director of Tourism; David Gardner, Administrative Assistant II.

 

APPROVAL OF GRANT DISBURSEMENT REQUESTS

A discussion around the late submission of promotional grant final reports and requests for disbursement ensued. 

 

·        The final report for HOLLY FOLLY was submitted a month after the report was signed by the PBG’s executive director.  The PBG had been extended leniency when the final report for Meet Your Man was also submitted late.  The VSB Chair and ADT should schedule a meeting with the PBG’s Board to discuss ways in which to foster better collaborative efforts.
  • The final report for the PORTUGUESE FESTIVAL was submitted after the event had transpired, but the request for documentation, which had been addressed following the event in June 2006, was complied with.
  • The final report for FANTASIA FAIR 2006 was also submitted late.  The applicant did communicate mitigating circumstances which led to their late filing and promised to avoid the situation in the future.

 

The grant agreement indicates that failure to comply with the 90-day period will result in a forfeiture of the grant funds.  Although the PTO has allowed some grant applicants, who communicate a hardship to submit final reports beyond the 90-day deadline, the VSB is concerned about establishing a consistent policy when grant applicants fail to meet certain conditions of the grant agreement.

 

The ADT will request the Grant Administrator and Town Counsel to review the current grant agreements and make recommendations as to how the VSB’s policy towards delinquent reporting might be changed.

 

PROVINCETOWN CULTURAL COUNCIL – ART IN PUBLIC PLACES AND AIDS MEMORIAL  

Rob Tosner, the original drafter of the Town Meeting article for Art in Public Places and AIDS Memorial, does not have an issue with combining the two pots of money to fund one project.  Mr. Tosner’s only remaining concern is that the combined project still achieve the intent of placing the Memorial in a place that allows for reflection and proper memorializing.

MARKETING UPDATE

The PTO will draft correspondence to all licensed food establishments inviting them to participate in the prefix lunch component of the Art and History Tour package, to be launched next month.  Next steps include compiling the list of participants who will offer a prefix lunch menu and finalizing the marketing campaign.

 

The PTO continues to market Provincetown as a day-trip destination to conferences, conventions and schools, and four new initiatives are underway: The Boston office of the Chief Medical Examiner will cross-promote Provincetown to the 100 attendees at a conference next month; 200 students, faculty and staff from Boston’s Commonwealth School will visit Provincetown for a day-long excursion on May 23rd to explore the National Seashore and visit our cultural institutions; the International Working Group of Hospice Workers will be convening in Provincetown in October 2008 for their national convention; and the PTO is collaborating with the Provincetown Theater to help in their efforts to secure grant funding from the Sunfield Foundation.  This grant will provide funding for multi-media equipment, which coincides with the VSB’s recommendation to provide promotional grant funding for the new conference center at the theater.

 

Plans to develop 30 new works of art for next winter’s Art in Windows project are underway.  Provincetown art instructor Lisa Fox will be working with classes at both the elementary and high school to produce works that reflect Provincetown’s history and heritage.  The ADT is working with Massport officials in an effort to showcase this art exhibition at Logan International Airport throughout the summer. 

 

Bay State Cruises has offered to provide a cross promotional opportunity to contribute funds to reorder more “beach bags” for future trade shows.  The ADT will approach Boston Harbor Cruises and Cape Air for matching funds.

 

The Provincetown Farmer’s Market in the Ryder Street parking lot was approved by the BOS for 16 consecutive Saturdays beginning on June 30th, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 

 

The CCRTA has announced that the Flex Bus service will continue this season, including a direct bus from Provincetown.  The ADT will request a representative of CCRTA to attend a future VSB meeting to discuss how the various transit services could be marketed.

 

The VSB has been dissatisfied with the current web host for the PTO’s site.  The VSB Chair will investigate alternatives for a hosting service that better meets the VSB’s needs to capture statistical data and reporting.

 

TOURISM DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The PTO’s graphic designer has created two new rack cards that will be distributed at regional transportation centers throughout the Cape by the Best Read Guide.  One of the promotional pieces features eco-tourism activities while the other card showcases a variety of glimpses of Provincetown in a montage. 

 

 

 

MOTION:  Move to approve funding in the amount of $3,000 plus shipping from the FY07 marketing budget for printing 50,000 rack cards.

MOTION: Peter Bez; Seconded: Hersh Schwartz; Yea:  7; Nay:  0; Abstain:  0

 

The website advertising contract with eCape.com expired on March 15, 2007.  The skyscraper banner ad is featured on CapeCodTravel.com, which during the last 13 months resulted in 336,804 hits, producing 1,148 click-throughs to the PTO website (an average of 88 click-throughs each month).  The annual contract with eCape.com remains at $3,000 ($250 per month).  The ADT will renegotiate the contract and try to either get a better price or more exposure on the site.

 

At the annual Traffic Hearing on March 27, 2007, the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the Chamber of Commerce/PTO parking voucher initiative.  A comp of the proposed voucher, which incorporates the changes recommended at the Traffic Hearing and has been approved by the Chief of Police, was distributed.  The cost to print the voucher represents one half of the total printing expense, which is being shared by the Chamber of Commerce.

 

MOTION:  Move to approve funding in the amount of $468 plus shipping from the FY07 marketing budget for printing 5,000 vouchers.  

MOTION: Kathleen Fitzgerald; Seconded: Peter Bez; Yea:  7; Nay:  0; Abstain:  0

 

New York City was the perfect venue to distribute 1,200 infamous Provincetown beach bags.  Thanks to the continued partnership with Bay State Cruise Company, the renewed efforts of Boston Harbor Cruises and the new partnership of Cape Air-JetBlue, our attendance at the 14th Annual Original GLBT Expo was a tremendous success.  Cape Air-JetBlue provided a round-trip ticket for two from New York to Provincetown, Bay State Cruise Company donated 10 round-trip tickets for two, which were selected following the Expo and Boston Harbor Cruises also donated 10 round trips tickets that were given away during the trade show.  The ADT applauds the efforts of our travel partners to promote Provincetown.

 

As a result of the combined efforts of our Administrative Assistant and the Town’s MIS Department, a database has been created to capture all of our lead requests.  This will allow the PTO to better manage statistical data and more accurately determine the ROI on our advertising and marketing efforts.

 

The Provincetown Stars compilation CD project is in production.  Next steps include a press release and approval of the CD cover.  Estimated delivery date of the CDs is May 1st (Election Day).

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

MOTION:  Move to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2007 meeting as submitted.

MOTION: Laurel Guadazno; Seconded: Hersh Schwartz; Yea:  4; Nay:  0; Abstain:  3 PB, MP, MR

 

MOTION:  Move to approve the minutes of the March 20, 2007 meeting as amended

MOTION: Michael Peregon; Seconded: Mick Rudd; Yea:  5; Nay:  0; Abstain:  2  LG, HS

 

VISITOR SERVICES BOARD RULES OF PROCEDURE

Lynne Davies presented board members with a draft Rules of Procedure.  The format was taken directly from the BOS’s procedures. 

 

MOTION:  Move to approve the Visitor Services Board Rules of Procedure as amended.

MOTION: Peter Bez; Seconded: Kathleen Fitzgerald; Yea:  6; Nay:  0; Abstain:  1 MP

 

MOTION:  Move to request an agenda item on the next agenda to discuss changing the regular meeting time for the VSB.

MOTION: Peter Bez; Seconded: Laurel Guadazno; Yea:  7; Nay:  0; Abstain:  0

 

Meeting adjourned at 12:00 PM.