HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019/07/25 MASON COUNTY LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes
Commissioners' Chambers
411 North 5t" Street, Shelton, WA 98584
Thursday, July 25, 2019 9 : 00 a . m .
Members in Attendance : Chair Sharon Trask, Nathan Welch, Duane Wilson , Stephanie Rowland , Deidre
Peterson for Heidi McCutcheon . Also in attendance were Rachel Hansen and Will Tygart . Absent : Shaun
Tucker.
Chair Trask called the meeting to order at 9 : 08 a . m .
Approval of Minutes
Duane/Stephanie moved and seconded to approve the April 17, 2019 meeting minutes as corrected.
Motion carried.
2nd Quarter Reports
Stephanie presented the 2019 2nd Quarter report from the North Mason Chamber of Commerce .
Accomplishments include providing free customer service training classes to the community; padded map
has been updated that is provided to visitors ; Union visitor information center hours have been increased .
The Chamber publishes a map for Union visitors . Visitor counts have increased .
Deidre presented the 2nd Quarter report from the Shelton Mason Chamber of Commerce . Included in the
report is Facebook usage, visitor counts and website traffic . Visitor traffic has increased at the Hoodsport
VIC and phone calls asking about events have increased . The events page on the Chamber's website is
the most visited page . The Chamber publishes a " Business Matters" publication that includes visitor
information . Enhanced visitor services are in progress ; the Chamber has funded an interior paint job at
Hoodsport; partnering with the Skokomish Tribe for signage at bottom of Lake Cushman road that would
include information if the boat launch area is full ; working with Hood Canal for a WiFi hotspot at the
Hoodsport VIC; there is a Parks Service Ranger at the Hoodsport VIC on the weekends . The Hoodsport
VIC website update should be done in September .
Rachel presented the 2nd Quarter report from Northwest Event Organizers for tourism development.
Website traffic has been steady and increased over 2018 . Rachel talked about how one paid ad in Scenic
WA regarding the Bluegrass Festival led to great free coverage of Hood Canal in other publications .
Lodging trends show a 28 % increase for Q2 2019 over Q2 2018 . Rachel 's presentation included a pie
chart showing the expenditures for her services contract . Rachel attends the Olympic Peninsula Tourism
meetings and coverage for Mason County has increased . 2nd Quarter events attended include Hama
Hama Oyster Rama, Matlock Old Timbers Historical Fair, Bluegrass from the Forest, and Forest Festival .
Rachel intends to continue to attend travel adventure shows and will work towards providing experience
information to tour organizers that focus on the shoulder seasons . Rachel plans to attend the Outdoor
Adventure and Travel Show in Vancouver in 2020 with Scenic WA and she is encouraging local businesses
to partner. She will also attend a travel show in London . Attending these events has increased contact
information that Rachel can then target for various events . Rachel continues to work on developing
itineraries and packages that focus on mid -week and off season .
Visitor Information Center Services
One proposal was received from the North Mason Chamber of Commerce to provide Visitor Information
Center services in 2020 . The request is for $40 , 600 which is the same as 2019 and this includes the
Union VIC which is open Friday — Sunday, May through October from noon to 5 p . m . Belfair VIC is open
Monday — Friday, 9 a . m . to 5 p . m . and Saturdays, for 6 months a year, 9 a . m . to 1 p . m .
LTAC July 25 , 2019 meeting minutes
There was a discussion on the cost per visitor that comes in the door of the VIC's . Tourism promotion
brings the visitors to the county and the VIC provides the service once they are physically here . Will
Tygart volunteered to come up with a matrix to help determine the cost per visitor and how many visitors
are reached .
Stephanie suggested the VIC's improve their branding to coordinate with the Explore Hood Canal brand .
Rachel stated she sees a need to inform the providers and businesses about visitor information , i . e . a
standardized concierge book that is kept current . Hoodsport VIC has ordered some apparel .
Deidre believes it is an incomplete number on the number of visitors that are reached when you are only
counting visitors coming through the doors .
Duane/Nate moved and seconded to award $'40, 600 to the North Mason Chamber of Commerce for one
year with the option to extend the contract through 2021. The 2021 award for VIC 's will be up to 30916
of2019 revenue. Motion carried, Stephanie abstained,
Duane/Nate moved and seconded to go out again for proposals for 2020 Visitor Information Center
services and support of tourism related facilities and other tourism activities. Motion carried.
There was no public comment .
Diane will schedule an October LTAC meeting for quarterly reports and to consider proposals .
After review of calendars, the first week of November is better for a meeting .
The meeting adjourned 10 : 50 a . m .
LODGING TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON
ATTEST :
LTAC Clerk Chair