[00:00:03]
SMITH SEEMS TO, WE DO, UH, HI, WELCOME.
ONE SECOND TO PULL UP THE AGENDA.
I DON'T THINK I HAPPEN TO GENDER.
THE, UM, WHAT FELICIA IS SAYING.
THEY WERE MINUTES AND THE AGENDA LOOKS LIKE IT'S JUST MINUTES TO ME ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK TODAY.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, UH, WITHIN THE JOINING INFORMATION, YOU'LL FIND THE, THE AGENDA FOR IT.
SO THE TITLE BC REMOTE TEMPLATE AGENDA.
RACHEL, IF YOU CAN, YOU, IT'S ALSO ON THE WEBPAGE FOR US.
[CALL TO ORDER]
AS WE JUMPED IN, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START BY CALLING, UH, ROLL NUMBERS.UH, COMMISSIONER ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT VICE CHAIR, MAGEE.
OH, DID YOU HEAR ME, SIR, OR ROGERS? DON'T SEE HIM AS PRESENT MYSELF.
UH, CHAIR WHITTINGTON, PRESENT.
SEE HIM THIS PRESENT COMMISSIONER JOSS LOVE, UH, PRESENT COMMISSIONER RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT AND COMMISSIONER CANADY.
UM, RIGHT, SO IT'S 3:09 PM ON MAY THE 10TH 2021.
THIS IS THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
UM, I GUESS, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION TODAY, FELICIA? WE DO NOT.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS WOULD BE TO REVIEW, UH, THE MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 8TH MEETING.UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION? YOU HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER CANADY.
THE SECOND IS READING A SECOND.
UH, AS, UH, RIGHTFULLY POINTED IT OUT, UH, BEING THAT THIS IS COMMISSIONER SMITH'S FIRST MEETING, UM, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A QUORUM TO, UH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES SINCE HE WAS NOT PRESENT FOR MARCH 8TH.
SO, UM, I GUESS WE WILL TABLE THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UH, UNTIL LATER ON IN THIS MEETING, IF WE GET, UH, ANOTHER MEMBER WHO WAS HERE FOR THE LAST MEETING AND, OR WE'LL, WE'LL PUSH IT UNTIL, UH, UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO, UH, FOR THIS WEEK'S AGENDA, UM,
[Items 2a & 2b]
[2a. Introduction of new members]
[2b. Discussion about expectations and objectives of the Tourism Commission]
ADDED IN, UH, LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE MR. SMITH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NEW TO THE COMMISSION WELCOME.UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU WELCOME, SIR.
UM, IN AUSTIN ABOUT, UH, 13 YEARS, IT WAS, UH, WITH HILTON HOTELS, PREVIOUSLY, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTS HAD A WESTERN HEMISPHERE, ALL BRANDS PUT IN.
I ACTUALLY PUT IN THE AUSTIN HILTON WHEN I WAS A SENIOR VP.
[00:05:01]
SO, UH, THAT'S HOW I GOT FAMILIAR WITH AUSTIN.AND WHEN HILTON GOT BOUGHT OUT AND I GOT MY SIANORA, I DECIDED AT ANY PLACE I WANTED TO LIVE WAS GOING TO BE AWESOME.
SO, AND REALLY ENJOYING IT HERE, BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I WAS ON THE ETHICS COMMISSION FOR AWHILE, FOR AUSTIN, AMONG THE, UH, BOARD, THE WATER DISTRICT BOARD UP IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, ON LAKE TRAVIS, INVOLVED WITH THE LAKE TRAVIS FILM FESTIVAL.
SO LOOKING REALLY FORWARD TO THIS SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN, BUT TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD.
SO IS THAT I, I THINK THAT HOPEFULLY SOME INTRODUCTION OF, OF THE NUMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT HERE AND KIND OF OUR BACKGROUND, AND ALSO I WANTED TO OPEN UP THE DISCUSSION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS IN OUR OBJECTIVES AND WHAT WE WANT TO GET OUT OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION OVER THE NEXT YEAR, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, INTO THE VIEW, THE REST OF THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
UM, I KNOW THAT AS EVERYONE IS AWARE THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT ONE AND TRYING TO FIND TIME FOR US ULTIMATELY, VIRTUALLY, UM, AND ALSO TO REALLY TRY TO OUTLINE KIND OF A DIRECTION FOR, FOR THE COMMISSION BEING THAT EVERYTHING IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND ALL OF OUR BUSINESS HAS NOT BEEN STATIC IN ONE BIT.
SO, UM, I GUESS TO THAT END, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL KICK IT OFF.
UH, MYSELF, MY NAME'S KATLIN WHITTINGTON, I'M THE VP OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS HERE AT THE LONG CENTER, UH, PRIOR I WAS AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FOR, UH, OVER A DECADE.
UM, AND, UH, WORKING IN THE MEETING CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION SIDE OF, UH, OF PLANNING FOR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UM, HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE IN TOWN, UH, AS WELL AS A PROPONENT AND, AND FRIEND OF THE, OF THE PARKS HERE, I SIT ON SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY AND, UM, HAVE LONG BEEN A PROPONENT OF, OF AUSTIN'S PARKS.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING AT THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND WHAT WE COULD LEND OUR VOICE TO, UH, IS REALLY TRYING TO THINK ABOUT RECOVERY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE SECTOR AS A WHOLE AND, AND KIND OF HELPING TO LEND A VOICE TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TOURISM SECTOR LOOK LIKE COMING OUT OF THIS.
UM, I THINK THAT IT'S IT'S AS WITH EVERYTHING AUSTIN, IT'S EASY TO, TO SLIP INTO THE VELVET RUT BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT'S EXPECTED AND IT'S KNOWN, UM, IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO DEFINE WHAT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS AGO, THE HILTON WAS OUR, UH, LARGEST VENUE HERE IN TOWN, OUR LARGEST, UH, OUR LARGEST HOTEL, UH, FOUR SEASONS WAS ARGUABLY THE NICEST HOTEL WE HAD HERE IN TOWN.
AND THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE OPERATING IN RIGHT NOW DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THAT AT ALL.
UM, AND WHILE WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT ASSETS, UH, CULTURAL INSTITUTIONAL, UM, AND STRUCTURAL ASSETS HERE IN TOWN, REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO, UM, DRIVE TOURISM AND THE TYPE OF TOURISM THAT WE LIKE, UH, AND THAT WE WANT TO SEE OUR TOWN BE KNOWN FOR OUR CITY AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE TOWN IS, UH, SOUNDS QUAINT AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, WELL, WHAT WE'D LIKE OUR CITY TO LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF OUR, UM, BROADER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A DESTINATION.
SO, UH, AT THAT, I'LL JUST GO, MR. BAILEY, YOU ARE FRONT AND CENTER ON MY SCREEN, SO I WILL PASS IT TO YOU, SIR.
AND THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT US TO TALK ABOUT OUR VIEW OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION AS WE MOVING FORWARD, OR JUST THE GENERAL GETTING TO KNOW MR. SMITH.
UM, WELL, I'M, I'M, VICE-PRESIDENT BRAND DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.
AND, UH, IN THIS, OVER MY TOUR OF DUTY HERE IN THIS ROLE OF THE LAST 22 YEARS, I WAS INVOLVED WITH STARTING AND LAUNCHING THE ACL MUSIC FESTIVAL AND, UH, WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING THAT ULTIMATELY BECAME THE NEW HOME FOR AUSTIN CITY LIMITS TELEVISION PRODUCTION, WHICH IS ACLI AT THE MOODY THEATER DOWNTOWN AND, UH, HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY FOR ALL THESE YEARS TO HELP THE SHOW, UH, BECOME ALL THAT IT CAN BE AND TO FIGURE OUT HOW, WHAT ITS RESPONSIBILITY AND ROLE IS TO AUSTIN AS A TORCHBEARER, AS A CULTURAL ASSET IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN EXPORTED FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAME TO AUSTIN FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO, WHERE I WAS VERY INVOLVED IN OHIO TOURISM INDUSTRIES FOR MANY YEARS,
[00:10:01]
MOST PRINCIPALLY WITH LAUNCHING THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM IN CLEVELAND, AND ALSO WORKING WITH A VERY, THE LARGEST TOURIST ATTRACTION IN OHIO CALLED CEDAR POINT AMUSEMENT PARK, WHICH IS IN THE, UP ON THE GREAT LAKES.AND SO I, I KIND OF FUSED MY INTEREST IN AND LOVE OF MUSIC AND FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT, AND FLIPPED IT INTO TOOK THE TOURISM BACKGROUND, TOOK MY MUSIC INTERESTS, AND I'VE NOW KIND OF ENDED UP IN THIS NON-PROFIT SPACE WHERE I WORKED FOR A PUBLIC TELEVISION STATION THAT OWNS THIS LANDMARK BRAND THAT HAS NOW BECOME A VERY EXPERIENTIAL, UH, ASSET FOR THE CITY.
AND NOW THAT THE, THAT IT'S MORPHED FROM SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WATCH ON TELEVISION AND ON THEIR COMPUTER SCREENS.
NOW IT'S A FULL LIVE EVENT AND IT HAS ECONOMIC IMPACT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF, ALTHOUGH I DON'T TAKE CREDIT FOR IT WAS C3 DECISION VERY EARLY IN THE GAME TO UTILIZE, UM, ASSET PROCEEDS EACH YEAR TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, UH, OFF THAT EVENT.
AND I THINK ALONG THAT, ALONG WITH THE GENERAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS HAD OVER THE YEARS IN AUSTIN IS, UH, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M HAPPY TO BE ON THIS COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AND I'M TO USE THOSE HOT TAX AS WELL.
AND I'M GLAD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DONE JUST THAT HAVE HELPED THE HOT TAX GROW IN THE CITY SINCE I'VE MOVED HERE.
SO GOOD TO MEET YOU MR. SMITH.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT THREE, UH, THAT ABOUT COVER IT CATLIN AND IN MY SPEECH, IT DOES.
I'M MAKING MY WAY BACK, BUT, UH, YEAH, MY NAME'S JOHN REEDY, UH, UT ALUMNUS AND MOVED HERE IN 1988 TO A 10 UT AND AFTER GRADUATION, I IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
UM, I STAYED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS AN ARTIST MANAGER.
UH, PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS A BOOKING AGENT, WORKED FOR RECORD LABELS, ET CETERA, BUT, UH, I STAYED PRETTY MUCH IN UNTIL ABOUT 2018.
UH, BUT IN THE INTERIM, BETWEEN THE, THAT TIME, I'VE ALSO MOVED INTO THE NONPROFIT ARTS INDUSTRY.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP WEARING NOW.
I'M THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AUSTIN CREATIVE LIONS, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT SPRUNG FROM A COMMUNITY DRIVEN ARTS PLAN CALLED CREATE AUSTIN, WHICH WAS A CHAIR DAUNTED BY CITY KEVIN WITH 2009
I DON'T WANT TO LET Y'ALL KNOW.
WE CAN BARELY HEAR, UM, UH, MR. JOHN ON THIS END.
SO WE WONDERING IF Y'ALL CAN HEAR HIM CAUSE WE'RE ON BROADCAST.
HE'S QUITE, HE'S QUIET THOUGH.
SO, UH, CEO OF BOSTON CREATIVE ALLIANCE, WE HAVE ABOUT 600 ISH MEMBERS AT ANY GIVEN TIME, A TWEET SPLIT BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, ABOUT 25% OF OUR MEMBERSHIP IS MUSICIANS OR MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, ABOUT 47% OF OUR MEMBERSHIP IS NON WHITE OR NON BINARY.
UM, WE PLACE EDI AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MEMBERSHIP.
UM, OUR BOARD IS ALSO MAJORITY NONWHITE.
SO THAT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO US TO REPRESENT THOSE, THOSE CULTURES IN TOWN.
UM, YEAH, MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE ARTS, I MEAN, SORRY, THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, IS THAT AS, AS AUSTIN, AS TOURISM HAS INCREASED THAT, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE AUSTIN AN ATTRACTIVE TEST.
IN MY MIND, THAT'S LESS THAN THE TOTAL INDUSTRY AND MORE THE ARTS AND MUSIC INDUSTRIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE HOMEGROWN.
SO I'M REALLY KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT KIND OF THING, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUELY AUSTIN AND HOW WE CAN, UH, USE HOTEL ACTUALLY TAXES TO SUPPORT AND PRESERVE THOSE THINGS.
UH, I'M MY CANDIDATE WITH DISTRICT 10.
MY BACKGROUND WAS GOT NONE OF THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THESE FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY BEFORE.
[00:15:01]
WHO GOT INVOLVED WITH THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE AS A PUBLIC PARTICIPANT, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW SOME OF THE FUNDS GENERATED FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR COULD BENEFIT AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE.OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY, UH, I HAVE KIND OF A MIXED BACKGROUND IN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, WORK PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORK.
UM, AND THEN I'M A PATENT ATTORNEY BY TRAINING.
SO I'M SORT OF SEEING ALL THE POSITIVES OF GROWTH IN THE CITY, BUT ALSO STARTING TO THINK THAT ALL THIS GROWTH, WHICH IS PARTLY TOURISM DRIVEN, UH, CAN THREATEN, UH, AND SORT OF OVERUSE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT ARE BELOVED TO US.
SO A BIG PART OF WHAT I LIKE TO TRY TO FOCUS ON ON THE COMMISSION IS FINDING WAYS TO LEVERAGE THE GROWTH AND THE ENERGY AND THE, AND THE, THE FUNDS THAT ARE COMING INTO TOWN, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE HOTEL TAXES OR OTHERWISE, AND GETTING THEM SPREAD OUT TO HELP TAKE CARE OF THE CRITICAL PARTS, THE SPECIAL PARTS OF THE UNIQUE PARTS OF AUSTIN THAT WE ALL LOVE WHEN WE CAME HERE.
UM, I CAN, UM, UH, I CONCUR WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT COMMISSIONER CANADY JUST SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE THINGS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, HOLDING ON TO THINGS THAT WE VALUE AND AUSTIN, UM, WHILE TRYING TO ACHIEVE GROWTH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT BALANCE, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN TELL BY MY ACCENT, I'M NOT A NATIVE AUSTINITE, BUT I HAVE BEEN HERE.
UH, SO I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE.
UM, I, UH, AM A STAGEHAND BY OCCUPATION.
MY PRIMARY EMPLOYER IS, UH, AUSTIN OPERA THAT RECEIVES FUNDS THROUGH HOP FUNDING, THROUGH HOP TAX, BEING A NONPROFIT FETA.
I'VE WORKED FOR MANY OF THE THEATERS, OTHER THEATERS AND VENUES THAT RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS AND COMPANIES THAT RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS.
I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S THE LOCAL UNION HERE IN TOWN THAT REPRESENTS, UM, WORKERS WHO WORK IN LIVE ENTERTAINMENT IN AUSTIN.
SO AS WELL AS WORKING FOR VARIOUS NONPROFITS THAT RECEIVE HOT FUNDS, WE ALSO, UM, WORK, UM, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WE'RE FREQUENTLY IN THE CONVENTION CENTER, IF NOT OUR MEMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, COWORKERS IN INDUSTRY.
UM, SO, UM, I REPRESENT A LOT OF FOLKS AND I'M FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, WHICH HELPS ATTRACT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS PART OF TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN, WHICH HELPS ATTRACT TOURISTS HERE.
UM, WE WORK IN AND OUT OF HOTELS AS WELL WHEN THEY HAVE CONVENTIONS OR, UM, TRADE SHOWS OR WHATEVER, UM, OR SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, SO FOR ME, UH, AS, UM, A UNION LEADER, UM, FREQUENTLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COMMISSION AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BALANCED GROWTH FOR THE INDUSTRY, UM, WE OFTEN HEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ADVOCATES FOR OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR VENUES, UM, AND OUR EVENTS.
AND SO I COME AT THIS WITH, UM, LOOKING AT IT FROM A LABOR PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR THE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
UM, UM, I'M ALSO THE SECRETARY TREASURER FOR THE AUSTIN CENTRAL LABOR COUNCIL, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF AUSTIN'S UNIONS COME TOGETHER.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, I GET A LOT OF FACETIME WITH FOLKS, UM, THAT WORK IN OUR HOTELS OR, YOU KNOW, AT THE AIRPORT OR, UH, AT BUS DRIVERS, YOU KNOW, THE LIST GOES ON.
SO ALL OF THE WORKERS, ALL OF THE WORKERS THAT I COME INTO CONTACT WITH, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THEM HAVE, ARE IMPACTED IN SOME WAY BY THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
UM, AND IF THEY'RE NOT IMPACTED BY IT BEING POPPED AT WORK, CERTAINLY THEY'RE IMPACTED BY BEING A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN.
SO I JUST COME AT IT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
COMMITTED VICE-CHAIR MCGEE, UM, COMMISSIONER SMITH.
I WELCOME ANY, UH, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS THAT YOU HAVE ON KIND OF, UH, OBJECTIVES OR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, COME OUT OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION IN THE COMING YEAR?
[00:20:02]
I THINK YOU'RE STILL NEEDED, SIR.SO I HAVE NO PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW THE HOT TAX WAS DOING.
I CAME UP THROUGH THE RANKS BASICALLY WITH HILTON HOTELS.
SO I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AVENUE.
I WAS IN THE UNION WHEN I WAS COMING UP AND, UH, I HAVE A VERY UNIONIZED FAMILY OUT EAST.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND SAME THING WITH THE ARTS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE PARKS AND REC BOARD UP IN FRISCO AND I WAS UP THERE AND I AM A PATRON OF THE ARTS.
I THINK THE, ONE OF THE FASCINATING, GREAT THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES AWESOME.
ONE OF THE BEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY IS THE, THE NATURAL, UH, ENVIRONMENT THAT HAVE FOR ARTS AND MUSIC, ET CETERA.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, I'VE LIVED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW ORLEANS, CHICAGO, TO NEW YORK.
SO I HAVE A VAST EXPERIENCE IN THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MY FRIENDS FOUND OUT I WAS AUSTIN, EVERYBODY KNOWS AUSTIN, AND EVERYBODY SAYS, BOYS, I HEAR IT'S A GREAT CITY.
AND YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THE REPUTATION AT AUSTIN HAS, IS REALLY SPECTACULAR.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S AT THAT POINT REALLY IN MY ESTIMATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN EITHER WIND UP STILL BEING REALLY, REALLY GREAT, OR IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, IT CAN GO THE OTHER WAY TO VERY EASILY, UH, WIND UP, UH, LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE HAD NICE REPUTATIONS AND THEN THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAD, UH, PROBLEMS THAT THEY DIDN'T REALLY RESOLVE.
AND SO I'VE, AND I'M ALSO, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH COMMUNITY PEOPLE AND NO MATTER WHERE I WENT, UH, ALWAYS IN VARIOUS POSITIONS, EITHER WORKING FOR A NON CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH CHILDREN AND DOGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY VENUES.
AND THEN IN, IN, UH, IN THE INDUSTRY ITSELF, WHETHER SHARING THE HOTEL ASSOCIATION UP IN CHICAGO WHEN I WAS UP THERE, OR, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS AND SUNDRY, HE WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AT ONE POINT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I, I LIKE TO PARTICIPATE.
I CARE ABOUT THE PLACES THAT I SAY, I REALLY LIKE AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS MY LAST STOP AFTER PROBABLY TWO DOZEN MOVES IN MY CAREER, YOU KNOW HOW THAT IS WITH THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
SO, AND I'VE, AND I'VE ACTUALLY LIVED IN TEXAS MORE THAN I'VE LIVED ANY PLACE ELSE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
SO I ALWAYS GRAVITATED BACK TO TEXAS.
ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WAS ACTUALLY BORN UP IN DALLAS.
THEY ALL LIVE IN HOUSTON RIGHT NOW AND PETTY GRANDKIDS.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LOOKING FORWARD, TO PARTICIPATE WITH EVERYBODY AND CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS I CAN FOR Y'ALL.
IT'S, UH, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT EVERYONE, UH, ON THE, ON THE COMMISSION REALLY HAS WELL-ROUNDED, UM, EXPECTATIONS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF, OF KIND OF BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION HERE.
SO, UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM ANYONE ON, UH, ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, SO THEN MOVING ON, I WISH I WISH WE HAD MORE OF THE, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS HERE TODAY.
I HAVEN'T, NOBODY ELSE HAS JUMPED IN, BUT, UM, THERE'S, WE'RE KIND OF IN A STATE OF TRANSITION A LITTLE BIT IN SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE MEMBERSHIP.
[2c. Election of Officers]
ALRIGHT.UH, ITEM, QC ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
UM, UH, SO, UH, WE ARE HERE, UM, AND I LEAVE IT OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
HUH? ARE WE ALLOWED TO RENOMINATE KATLYN AND RACHEL, OR WHAT'S THE POSTURE OF THE OFFICER? THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME THING.
SO I'LL JUST PUT IT ON THAT RECORD.
DID I SECOND THE MOTION WE'RE STILL ELIGIBLE FOR ONE MORE YEAR, UM, AS, AS OFFICERS.
I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO RACHEL TO, UH, TO LET US KNOW KIND OF WHAT HER, UH, WHAT HER BANDWIDTH IS ON.
SO IS IT ONE MORE YEAR OR ONE MORE TERM, ONE MORE, ONE YEAR TERM, ONE MORE, ONE YEAR TERM? UH, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONER CANETTI TO CONSIDER THE VICE PRESIDENT VICE CHAIR POSITION.
I, I APPRECIATE IT, BUT, UM, I'M SWAMPED WITH MY OTHER STUFF.
UNDERSTANDING WE'RE ALL SWOLLEN, TALL, EXCEPT OKAY.
[00:25:01]
A MOTION, UH, SEPARATELY OR JOINTLY? IT CAN'T BE JOYCE THERE'S NO OBJECTION.WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A MOTION FOR A GREEN NOMINATION OF THE, OF THE EXISTING LEADERSHIP AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.
YOU'RE STUCK WITH ME FOR ONE MORE YEAR FOR DOING THAT.
[2d. Presentation of recommendations by Commissioner Cannatti of the Parks and Environment working group.]
RIGHT.UH, THEN MOVING ON, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, LONG AWAITED PRESENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY CONDITONER CANADY OF THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP.
MR. CANADY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SIR.
UM, WAS EVERYBODY ABLE TO ACCESS THE DOCUMENT WE CIRCULATED? UM, YEP.
IT'S UP ON THE WEBSITE JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE REVIEW.
UM, WHEN WE WERE LAST, BEFORE THE COMMISSION, I THINK IT WAS IN DECEMBER.
UH, WE REALIZED WE HAD NOT HAD A CHANCE TO INCLUDE MR. JOCELYN'S INPUT ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH HIM AND THEN VIRTUALLY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO THINGS NOW TO UPDATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THE WORKING GROUP FOR THEIR HELP, UH, COMMISSIONER JOBS.
LOU WAS REALLY ESPECIALLY HELPFUL.
HE ACTUALLY HAD TO EXPAND SOME IDEAS OF WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FUND WITH, UM, HOTEL TAX FUNDS AND HE CORRECTED SOME OF OUR MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
UM, BUT I THINK WE APPRECIATE NOT, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING FOOLISH WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHAT I TRY TO SEND, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT IS KIND OF A DOCUMENT IN TWO PARTS.
UM, THE FIRST FEW PAGES JUST TRIED TO BREAK DOWN THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF WHAT IS PERMISSIBLE FUNDING ACTIVITIES WITH HOT TAXES THAT WE THINK COULD FIT INTO VARIOUS PARKS OR ENVIRONMENTAL SPACES AND IN BENEFIT THEM.
AND SO, UM, I DID JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT THAT WAS THE OVERVIEW.
WE KIND OF DESCRIBE EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES, UH, AND WHAT SOME OF THE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS CAME UP WITH AS POSSIBLE PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE WAYS TO USE THE MONEY.
SO, UM, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE'S A CATEGORY UNDER THE STATE LAW FOR TOURISM, PROMOTING ADVERTISEMENTS, SOLICITATIONS, AND PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS, AND, UM, SOME IDEAS THAT WERE PROPOSED AND THAT THE GROUP ADOPTED AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE, UH, WE COULD USE HOT MONEY TO FUND PROMOTIONAL GUIDE TO THE AREA PARKS.
UM, SO MAYBE TOURISM, TOURISTS COMING TO TOWN AND WANT TO GO DOWN THE BARTON CREEK GREENBELT AND SORT OF UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING AND INVITE THEM TO ENJOY THAT PART OF THE AUSTIN AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THERE WOULD ALSO BE AN OPTION.
I THINK THIS CAME FROM COMMISSIONER BUNCH, TRYING TO WEIGHT PAY MUSICIANS.
SO TO ACTUALLY PROMOTE TOURISM, UH, YOU KNOW, PREPARING OUR MUSICAL PERFORMERS, IT'S KIND OF A CULTURAL BENEFIT, AS LONG AS IT'S PROMOTING, MAYBE THEY'RE PERFORMERS AT A CONVENTION CENTER, UH, EVENT.
AND IT KIND OF TIES IN BOTH THIS NOTION OF, OF, OF PAYING THE LOCAL CITIZENS AND THE MUSICIANS, BUT CONNECTING IN THE TUTORS AND PROMOTION.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE IN DETAIL.
UM, BUT I DID WHAT I GAVE IN THIS FIRST FEW PAGES WAS AN OVERVIEW OF THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE TOURISM COMMISSION TO CONSIDER ON FUNDING.
I MEAN, AS YOU'LL RECOGNIZE, WE AS A CITY ALREADY FUND CULTURAL ARTS AND COMMERCIAL MUSIC, AND WE ALSO ALREADY FIND IN RECENT YEARS, UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF AT A GENEROUS LEVEL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A CAP THAT WE FULLY FUND THOSE TO EXTEND A LOUD, BUT SOME OF THESE OTHER CATEGORIES, THE CITY DOES NOT FULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, UH, ONE EXAMPLE THAT WAS, IS GOING TO BE A VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER, WHICH IS A CATEGORY UNDER STATE LAW THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE IN PARKS AND HELP ORIENT PEOPLE TO THE PARKS, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND TO TOURISTS WHO, AGAIN, INFORMED THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND VISITING THAT PART OF TOWN.
UM, AND I WAS JUST GOING TO TRY TO BRIEFLY TOUCH, UH, MOST OF WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING SO FAR WAS HOTEL TAX, UM, USES UNDER CHAPTER THREE 50, ONE OF THE TEXAS STATUTE.
THERE'S ANOTHER VENUE TAX PROVISION, CHAPTER THREE 34, WHICH HAS A MUCH MORE LIMITED ABILITY TO BENEFIT PARKS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS AND WHAT WE I'M AFRAID OF WHAT WE WERE HOPING THAT WAS GOING TO BE SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO FUND MUNICIPAL PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEMS. UM, BUT WHEN WE REALLY LOOKED INTO THE STATE STATUTE, UM, THERE WAS KIND OF A EFFECTIVELY WHAT THE, WHAT THE STATE LAW GAVE WITH ONE HAND, THEY TOOK TAKE IT AWAY WITH THE OTHER.
AND SO WE, WE HAVE A REPORT HERE THAT SAYS, WELL, THERE'S A HYPOTHETICAL POSSIBILITY THAT IF WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS TO GET A CHAPTER THREE 34 PROJECT APPROVED BY THE VOTERS AND, AND PUT OUT THERE, YOU COULD POSSIBLY FUND SOMETHING LIKE
[00:30:01]
A MUNICIPAL PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM OR AN IMPROVEMENT OR ADDITION TO IT, BUT IT CANNOT ALSO BE PART OF THE CLAWBACK PROVISION WHERE THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO USE HOT FUNDS FOR ANY AREA OR FACILITY THAT IS PART OF A MUNICIPAL PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM.IF THIS IS CONDITIONED TO ME, AS I'M SAYING IT TO YOU, AND IT'S, IT JUST KIND OF ENDS UP BEING NOT AS, NOT AS HELPFUL IN AREA UNDER CHAPTER THREE 34 AS WE'D HOPED.
UM, WE DID ATTACH, UH, AS EXHIBIT A, UH, THE FULL REPORT FROM THE WORKING GROUP, WHICH KIND OF GOES INTO DETAILS ABOUT WHAT'S THE STATUTORY BASIS FOR EACH CATEGORY.
ARE THERE ANY GEOGRAPHIC LIMITATIONS ON THAT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THESE PRODUCTS CAN BE USED, UM, IS THERE A STATUTORY CAP THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, UM, AND JUST SOME REAL WORLD EXAMPLES OF HOW FUNDS POT FUNDS ARE ALREADY USED.
AND THEN WE, AGAIN, IN THIS PART, WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF POSSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE.
FOR EXAMPLE, PROJECTS THAT WE THINK ARE APPROPRIATE USES OF THE HOTEL TAX FUNDS.
UM, I WILL CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT THE WORKING GROUP IN THIS VIRTUAL MEETINGS, I THINK WE CAME TO CONSENSUS ON EVERYTHING IN THIS REPORT WITH ONE EXCEPTION, THERE WAS A DISAGREEMENT ON THE SUB CATEGORY OF REGARDING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDING OF IT.
UM, I'M SORRY, I'M SCANNING AND I'M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING IT HERE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS FOR TOURISTS.
AND, UM, WE CAME UP WITH, I THINK MR. BUNCH OF MR. JOSLIN, WE'RE NOT QUITE IN AGREEMENT ON HOW BROADLY THAT COULD BE USED, BUT, UM, BASICALLY THE WORKING GROUP ADOPTED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE IN THIS REPORT, WHICH SAYS THAT YOU COULD USE A HOTEL FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, LIKE A SHUTTLE, A BUS ROUTE, IT'S VERY A GONDOLA IN ANYTHING OR ANY OTHER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT PRIMARILY SERVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
UM, AND THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT MR JOSLIN CAME UP WITH TO, UH, MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T RUNNING A FOUL OF THE STATE LIMITS ON USING HOTEL TAXES IN THIS SPACE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH I SHOULD GO ON AND EXPLAINING THIS.
UM, BUT WE, UM, TENDERING THIS REPORT, UH, FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UH, AS THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE, UH, AS I SAID, UH, I WISH MR. BUNCH WERE HERE.
HE MIGHT QUALIFY THE DISCUSSION OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, BUT I'LL AT LEAST LET YOU KNOW.
I THINK HE WAS NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT ONE PART OF IT, BUT OTHERWISE THE OTHER WORKING GROUP WERE THAT IN COMMISSIONER BUNCH IS HERE.
LET THE RECORD SHOW, OH, GOOD.
HAS JOINED US, UH, COMMISSIONER BUSH.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TRANSPORTATION LANGUAGE? WELL, MY, MY MAIN POINT WAS THAT THE STATUTE AND THE BACKGROUND TO THE STATUTE, DOESN'T NOT SUGGEST THAT IT HAS TO, YOU HAVE TO LIKE COUNT THE PASSENGERS OR TRACK THEM AND SAY, THIS MANY ARE TOURISTS AND THIS MANY ORANGE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOT TAX FUNDING HAS TO BE ONLY PROPORTIONAL TO HOW MANY YOU'RE ACTUALLY TOURISTS, THE WAY I READ THE STATUTE.
IF IT'S DESIGNED TO SERVE THE TOURISTS, THE LOCALS CAN USE IT TOO.
AND THAT'S AS FAR AS YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO.
SO I THINK JUST HAVING THAT ON THE RECORDS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME AT THIS POINT.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WELL, COMMISSIONER CANADY, WHAT WOULD YOUR VISION FOR MOVING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD, UM, TO COUNCIL AND OR STAFF? WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? UH, I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CAN VOTE TO SAY, YES, WE AGREE WITH THESE, BUT IN YOUR MIND, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP, UH, WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? WELL, I, I I'LL CONFESS I'M, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND HOW THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TYPICALLY WORK.
MY ASSUMPTION WAS IF THE COMMISSION ADOPTS THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PASSES THEM ONTO COUNCIL, IT'S SOMEHOW FILTERED INTO THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS, HONESTLY, CATLIN.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO WORK WITH STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THESE.
I ACTUALLY WASN'T THINKING THAT WAS THE CASE.
I JUST FIGURED AS A COMMISSION, WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
AND IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THIS COMMISSION, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD SUBMIT.
I THINK ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT, UM, COUNSEL REVIEW IN WHOLE OR IN PART, AND THEN DIRECT STAFF TO, UH, REVIEW AND IMPLEMENT WHEN, WHEN AND WHERE FEASIBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH,
[00:35:01]
YOU KNOW, AS, AS A, WE ARE AN ADVISORY COMMISSION TO COUNCIL, SO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY GO TO THEM.WE, WE, WE CAN'T REALLY DIRECT STAFF.
UM, BUT I MEAN, I, AND I THINK THAT WE'LL GO INEVITABLY THROUGH SOME, UH, SOME FORM, ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES FROM THE COMMISSION WILL GO THROUGH SOME FORM OF COUNCIL, UH, ASSESSMENT AND ADOPTION, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S, HEY, THIS PIECE FITS INTO THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING, OR AS A WHOLE, WE'RE GOING TO HAND THIS TO STAFF TO SAY, STAFF MOVES FORWARD.
NOW WE CAN RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL HOW THEY RELAY IT TO STAFF.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE TO DRAW THE LINE.
DO WE RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL REVIEW AS A WHOLE OR COUNCIL TAKE THESE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN DISCUSSING ANY ONE OF THESE ELEMENTS? RIGHT.
I GUESS JUST KIND OF AWARE, UH, WHERE WE COULD STAND AS COMMISSIONER SMITH, YOU KNOW, FORGIVE ME FOR BEING SO NEW, BUT DO WE, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET IS? AND DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THESE PROPOSALS COST? CAN I, CAN I TRY TO ANSWER THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SMITH, THESE WERE NOT SPECIFIC BUDGET PROPOSALS TO SAY, GO, GO DO THESE.
THIS WAS MORE A WAY OF, OF, OF EXPLAINING TO COUNCIL.
HERE ARE WAYS IN AREAS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR, UM, HOTEL TAX FUNDS TO BE DEPLOYED IN COMPLIANCE WITH ON THE ONE HAND STATE LAW.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND INPUT FOR THE COMMUNITY ABOUT PARKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS, THAT WOULD BE GOOD WAYS TO DO IT.
IT WAS MORE OF THE MAKE SURE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE FULL RANGE OF OPTIONS, VPN TO DEPLOY HOTEL TAXES, AS OPPOSED TO JUST KIND OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND CULTURAL ARTS.
AND I'M EXPECTING THOSE TO BE FULLY FUNDED GOING ANYWAY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNCIL TO THINK MORE BROADLY.
SO, AND AGAIN, FORGIVE ME FOR MY NEWNESS.
THAT IS HOW DO THEY, UH, I MEAN, WHO COMES UP WITH WHAT THE BUDGET IS AND WHO GETS, WHAT MONEY AND HOW MUCH THEY GET FROM YOU? IS THAT THE COUNCIL, IS THAT A COMMITTEE THAT COUNCIL AS ARE, OR DO WE KNOW, UH, AND ULTIMATELY, UH, KEVIN, I DON'T WANT TO TALK OUT OF TURN HERE, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IN THE PAST IS THE COUNCIL.
WHEN THEY MAKE BUDGET DECISIONS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, THEY WILL MAKE ALLOCATIONS ABOUT WHAT FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED AND IN WHICH ALL THE RANGE OF CATEGORIES AND, YOU KNOW, UP UNTIL NOW, THE THREE BIGGEST DECISIONS THEY'VE MADE ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO A NEW CONVENTION CENTER, PUTTING MONEY INTO HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PUTTING MONEY INTO CULTURAL ARTS.
I GUESS THERE'S A, ANOTHER SUBSET.
I'M JUST, AM I MISSING SOMETHING THERE GUYS, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE FOUR BUCKETS RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU HAVE A CONVENTION CENTER FUNDING, TOURISM MARKETING, UH, AND THEN WE ARE AT OUR STATE TAP STATUTORY OR THE, THE, THE STATE MAXIMUM ALLOWED, UH, PERCENTAGE ALLOCATION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, INCLUDING MUSIC.
UH, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE KEPT BY THE STATE LAW AT 15%.
UM, SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS WITHIN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL BUCKETS.
SO TO SPEAK THAT THE COUNCIL COULD MAKE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WHERE THAT MONEY WOULD COME FROM WOULD NECESSARILY HAVE TO, IT'S A ZERO SUM.
UH, SO SMALLER, SMALLER SIZES OF THE PIE ON ONE END OR THE OTHER IN ORDER TO FIND NEW FUNDING FOR A DIFFERENT USE.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE ONE FROM THE OTHER.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE MARKETING IN HERE, UH, THAT COULD BE A FUNCTION OF VISIT AUSTIN'S MARKETING BUDGET, UH, AND A FUNCTION OF THEIR MARKETING PLAN, WHICH IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
UM, LIKEWISE, UH, CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IN PARKS, UH, COULD BE PART OF THE, UM, CULTURAL ARTS ALLOCATION AND THE PLAN FOR USE AND, AND, AND APPROPRIATION OF CULTURAL ARTS MONIES, UM, FROM THAT 15%.
SO, SO W SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THEN, OR THE, AND I'M JUST, AGAIN, FORGIVE ME FOR ASKING THESE QUESTIONS, BUT, SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE KNOW THAT THERE IS, I THINK YOU SAID 15%, THAT GOES TO THE CULTURAL, HISTORICAL PORTRAIT OF THE HOT TAX.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT LIKE, MOST OF THESE, THE REST OF IT IS GEARED TOWARD HOTEL TOURISM TYPE OF PROMOTION.
AND, UH, I GUESS VISIT AUSTIN IS BASICALLY THE MARKETING ARM.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I MEAN, IS THAT HOW, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SEE IF THERE IS A COMMONALITY BETWEEN THE TWO THAT YOU CAN USE FROM THE 85% TO SUBSEQUENTLY HELP
[00:40:01]
THE OTHER 15%.CAUSE THAT'S A LOT, OBVIOUSLY.
SO I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT, YEAH.
MORE OR LESS I CAN SEND OVER KIND OF A, A BREAKDOWN OF CURRENT ALLOCATIONS.
UH, IT IS, IT, IT IS 15% FOR EACH HISTORIC AND CULTURAL ARTS.
SO A COMBINED 30% RIGHT THERE.
UM, VISIT AUSTIN IS THE MARKETING ARM.
IT'S THE SALES ARM FOR CONVENTION BUSINESS HERE IN TOWN, ET CETERA.
BUT IT'S ALSO THE BROADER MARKETING BODY FOR DESTINATION MARKETING IN AUSTIN.
THEY, THEY ARE THE DMO UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUSHING THE BRAND, UM, AND, AND GETTING THE VISITORS, WHETHER THOSE ARE, WHETHER THOSE ARE LEISURE TOURISTS OR, UM, OR FOR MEETINGS MEETING AND CONVENTION TOO.
WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU GOT A MONDAY TO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY.
SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY NO DARK DAYS.
UM, SO THIS, I THINK THIS IS A VERY WELL-ROUNDED SET OF PROPOSALS IN THAT IT REALLY LOOKS AT EACH BUCKETS AND SAYS, HEY, AS PART OF THIS, WE CAN THINK ABOUT HOW THIS COULD BE USED FOR ARTS PROGRAMMING.
THIS COULD BE USED FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
THIS COULD BE USED IN OUR MARKETING, HOW DO WE REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE ASSET THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARKS AND OPEN SPACES? UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE TO THAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT NOW I GET IT NOW I UNDERSTAND.
AND, UH, I CAN, I CAN JUST SAY YOU ONLY USE QUITE A, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU PUT OUT, BUT NOW I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU SAID IT SOUNDED TO ME, CAITLIN.
WELL, THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR DOING THE WORK AND WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE BROADER, UH, WORKING GROUP ON GETTING CONSENSUS AROUND THESE THINGS AND, AND REALLY TRYING TO, UH, TO FINE TUNE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK THAT THEY ARE, UH, THEY'RE VERY STRONG.
AND I THINK AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, I MEAN, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT AS A COMMISSION, WE RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER, UH, AND DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER HOW THESE COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK OF HOTEL TAX ALLOCATIONS.
UM, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION ON HOW WE CAN PUSH IT, BUT I WELCOME ANY, UH, ANY OTHER LINES OUT HOW TO FRAME IT, BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO FRAME IT CORRECTLY SO THAT WHEN WE PUSH IT UP TO COUNCIL, THEY HAVE, UH, AN ACTIONABLE KIND OF REQUEST WITH THAT.
WHEN YOU SAY CURRENT FRAMEWORK, DOES THAT ENCOMPASS FUTURE YEARS JUST HAVING THIS AVAILABLE TO INFORM THEIR ANALYTICS, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M REALLY THINKING, UH, I MEAN MAYBE, MAYBE NOT EVEN MAYBE THE WORD CURRENT, ISN'T THE CORRECT WORD, BUT IT'S LIKE DIRECT TO HAVE COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AS POTENTIAL USES OF FUNDING WITHIN LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR, UH, ALLOCATION UPON TAX FUNDS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SHOOTING FROM THE HIP HERE.
I WELCOME SOME FORMAL LANGUAGE ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION COULD LOOK LIKE.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION I'M JUST LOOKING AT OUR BYLAWS THAT, UM, BYLAWS STATE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION IS TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE CITY AND ISSUES RELATED TO THAT, AND PR AND PROMOTE TOURISM, UM, WHEN HE SAYS TO REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARKETING, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FRAMING IT, SO IT'S ACTIONABLE, ARE YOU SAYING IT'S IT'S, IS IT NOT JUST ACCEPTABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A MOTION THAT THIS COMMISSION ADOPTS THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN AS A CON, BECAUSE THEY'RE ADOPTED, WE SEND THEM TO CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, HERE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED BY THE TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE USE OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT WE WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER AN IMPLEMENT WHERE POSSIBLE THIS KIND OF, THAT IS THAT NOT ACCEPTABLE, SORT OF LEAVING IT KIND OF BROAD.
UM, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S HOW DIRECT WE WANT TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, HAVING BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THIS SINCE 2016, I KNOW THAT, UH, WITHOUT SOME EXPLICIT DIRECTIVE, UM, SOMETIMES THINGS CAN, CAN BE SHELVED, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE SAY, HEY, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE ACTIONABLE AND IF THEY PUSH IT TO STAFF, THEN IT BECOMES, UH, SOMEWHAT OF A, OF CANON IN STAFF'S DISCUSSION
[00:45:01]
AND KIND OF GIVE STAFF SOME DIRECTION AS WELL.UH, BUT I, I LEAVE IT TO A BROADER COMMISSION ON HOW TO FRAME THE, UH, THE PATH FORWARD.
WELL, MIKE, I GUESS MY COMMENT TWO COMMENTS, ONE IS THIS IS AMAZING WORK, MIKE AND BILL.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU GUYS PUT A LOT OF SWEAT EQUITY INTO THIS AND THE TEAM THAT WAS ON THE COMMISSION, SOLID, SOLID COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION HERE.
I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS A STRONG OF A, OF A, OF A DEVELOPMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THAT.
MY TIME ON THIS COMMISSION IS ANYTHING AND, AND IT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK PUT INTO IT.
AND I DEFINITELY AM BEHIND THIS AND WANT TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, OR IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, WE DON'T END UP SOMEHOW IN A, IN A PROCESS DOWNSTREAM WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO VALUE ENGINEER, ALL OF THESE, SEE LIKE WHICH ONES ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY NOW, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT THIS WHOLE PLATFORM AS PART OF UTILIZATION OF HOT TAX AND FUNDING, MOVING FORWARD, THAT IT'S, DOESN'T SOMEHOW BOUNCE BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE WAYFARING SIZE VERSUS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS MONEY.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE US END UP IN THAT ROLE.
AND I JUST WANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANYBODY THINKING THAT THAT IS A POTENTIAL, BECAUSE THAT WOULD THEN FRAME HOW I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THIS WITHOUT BIAS TOWARDS KAI ORGANIZATION AT THIS TIME.
MIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT TO THAT? I JUST, YOU WROTE THIS, SO I DON'T WANT TO OVERSTEP WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS MIGHT BE ON THAT, YOUR MO MUTED, RIGHT? SORRY.
UM, I DON'T THINK THE, THE INTENTION WAS FOR US TO BE MAKING THESE DECISIONS AND PRIORITIZING.
UM, I THINK THE WAY THE CITY STAFF, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE COUNCIL USUALLY WORKS IS THEY SORT OF LEAVE IT TO THE STAFF TO PRIORITIZE IF THEY HAVE A BUCKET OF MONEY THAT GOES TO PARK, THEY AS PART OF TO PRIORITIZE.
AND I, I THINK TO BE CLEAR, THIS WAS NOT INTENDED TO ADVOCATE FOR ANY OF THESE PROJECTS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER OVER ANY OTHER EXPENDITURES.
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SAY YOU SHOULD TAKE AWAY FROM CULTURAL ARTS.
YOU SHOULD TAKE AWAY FROM STORE PRESERVATION.
IT JUST WAS OPENING UP THE OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL TO FUND THINGS IN A WAY THAT WE THOUGHT COULD BENEFIT THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT, UH, SPACE.
IF I, IF I MIGHT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, ME, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY HAVING BEEN HERE, SO FOR, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WOULD FRAME THE MOTION WOULD DEPENDING ON HOW I WOULD OBVIOUSLY VOTE ON IT OR STAINED FROM IT.
I MEAN, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY SHOULD CONSIDER, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SAY THEY SHOULD IMPLEMENT A TYPE OF THING THAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO ABSTAIN, BECAUSE I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE OTHER RAMIFICATIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH IT.
AND I, AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I'M NOT, I'M ASSUMING RIGHT NOW, EVEN WITHOUT ME, YOU WOULD SPELL FORUM, WHICH MEANS YOU COULD STILL PASS IT IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
WELL, I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM MR. BUDGE.
I'LL JUST SAY, I, I WAS NOT ENVISIONING THIS AS A LIST OF PROJECTS OR TELLING THEM TO GO DO IT WAS A LIST OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT THEY COULD CHOOSE TO DO UNDER THESE ALLOWABLE CATEGORIES.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, MIKE, I'M FINE WITH SAYING GREAT.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL WE'RE SAYING HERE.
AND, UM, AND I WOULD JUST SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT THAT MICHAEL DID ALL THE EXCELLENT HARD WORK ON THIS.
AND I WAS JUST A PAIN IN THE ASS.
HE HAD GOOD IDEAS, EVERYBODY IN THE WORKING GROUP MADE CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHY I KIND OF LIKED THAT ONE'S INITIAL PROPOSAL AS OPPOSED TO WHAT MAGGIE WAS INDICATING.
ALTHOUGH I CAN SEE I WAS LOOKING AT THE BYLAWS AND OBVIOUSLY SHE'S RIGHT ON THAT.
BUT I, I MEAN, AGAIN, IT HA YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO PROBLEM.
AND I THINK YOU STILL HAVE ENOUGH OF A QUORUM THAT IF I DID ABSTAIN, YOU CAN STILL GET IT PASSED.
THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WANTED TO DO.
WELL, I, I WOULD PREFER I'LL JUST BECAUSE I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMISSIONER WINNINGTON THINKING IS THAT HIS APPROACH MIGHT BE A BETTER WAY TO GET A LITTLE ACTION OUT OF THIS.
JUST BEING CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.
UM, I WISH I HAD WRITTEN DOWN WHAT YOU SAID, AND I WISH I'D COME WITH FAIR TO MAKE A MOTION.
WE COULD ALSO MAKE IT SIMPLE BY DIVIDING THE QUESTION.
LIKE WE COULD MOVE THAT THIS COMMISSION ADOPTS THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP FIRST.
AND THEN WE COULD DO A SUBSEQUENT MOTION ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO DIRECT THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THEM.
AND THAT WILL BE EASIER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO KIND OF ADOPT THEM AS A COMMISSION FIRST, DO WE ADOPT THESE, THESE, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WORKING GROUP,
[00:50:01]
GET THAT DONE, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE TO, HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, THEN CONSIDER THE QUESTION, HOW DO WE WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO WHAT ACTION DO WE WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE ON THEM? THAT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER FOR US.I'M TALKING APPROACH, UH, A TWO MOTION APPROACH, AND THEN YOU CAN TO, UH, TO TAKE IT ONE STEP MORE FORWARD, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT, UH, AS A, THAT WE ADOPT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP, UM, A SECOND, SECOND.
SO AS, AS A COMMISSION, WE'RE ADOPTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP AS THIS GOOD BALANCE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? I'M GOING TO LEAVE.
I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FROM THAT THEN, BECAUSE IT'S, FOR ME, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT'S QUALIFIED IN THERE.
UM, CHAIR, CHAIR, CHAIR, WEDDINGTON.
UH, I GOT DROPPED FROM THE MEETING.
I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH OF THAT DISCUSSION AND I JUST REJOINED ON A DIFFERENT DEVICE.
UM, SO I DON'T FEEL I'M REALLY ABLE TO VOTE CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EMOTION IS.
CAN YOU RESTATE THE MOTION? UH, THAT MOTION WOULD BE TO, AS A COMMISSION ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT, WORKING GROUPS, AND WE'LL DECIDE LATER WHAT OR HOW TO MAKE BY WAY OF RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UH, COMMISSIONER MAKE A SUBSEQUENT MOTION IN THIS MEETING OR IN A SUBSEQUENT MEETING ON HOW WE, UH, RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL TO ACT UPON THESE.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'D BE AN ADOPTION BY THE COMMISSION TO OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SIX YESES, UH, WITH COMMISSIONER SMITH AS AN ABSTAINED OF STENT ABSTAINING VOTE.
UM, SO I GUESS A SECOND MOTION, A SUBSEQUENT MOTION TO THAT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THE COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER THESE ADOPTED RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN ASSESSING THE USE OF HOT CHECKS AND ALLOWABLE ASSESSING ALLOWABLE USES OF HOT TAX, UH, MOVING FORWARD, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
CAN I ASK, UH, I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION SHOULD AT SOME POINT, DOES COUNCIL NEEDS TO SORT OF ASSESS THIS ON THEIR OWN TOO, IN TERMS OF WHAT WILL YOU, STAFF'S GOING TO FOLLOW THEIR PARAMETERS OF WHAT'S ALLOWABLE USES OF FUNDS.
I THOUGHT YOUR ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL WILL ASSESS AND THEN DIRECT STAFF TO ASSESS.
SO YEAH, IT'D BE A RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF, BUT WE COULD DO A RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN DIRECTING STAFF FOR USES OF HOT FUNDS OR SOMETHING.
I WELCOME SOME FROM LANGUAGE ON IT.
I'M STILL, I'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS IN FRONT OF ME ON MY NOTEPAD HERE, AND I DON'T POSE ANY, YOU WANT TO EVENTUALLY DO JUSTICE TO WHAT I'M TRYING TO ACHIEVE, BUT, UH, IN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AS A GROUP.
SO LET'S, UH, LET'S TRY TO FIND THE RIGHT LANGUAGE OR, UH, WE CAN TAKE THE, THE, THE, THE MOTION THAT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED THESE, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK TO WHAT THAT, THAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT DIRECTION WE MIGHT DO TO COUNSEL AT A FUTURE DATE.
UM, IF THAT WOULD BE A YES MA'AM, CAN YOU RESTATE YOUR EMOTION? THAT DOES NOT YET HAVE A SECOND.
I JUST WANT TO WRITE IT DOWN AND LOOK AT IT, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT COUNCIL DIRECT STYLE TO CONSIDER THESE IDENTIFIED USES AS POSSIBLE PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES WHEN CONSIDERING THE USE OF HOT FUNDS, WOULD IT BE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO SAY WHEN TO DIRECT COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AND DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER TRYING, I GET COUNSEL TO THINK ABOUT IT TO NOT JUST COMPLETELY PUSH IT OFF TO STAFF FAIR.
SO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AND DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, MIKE, YOU HAD MENTIONED ABOUT, UM, OUR DIRECTOR KENNEDY, THE, UH, QUESTION OF WHETHER IT'S FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
AND YOU COULD JUST INDICATE IN THE MOTION TO CONSIDER THE ANNUAL, UH, HOT TAX FUNDS, YOU KNOW, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YOU WANTED TO GET THE FUTURE IN THERE ALSO YOUR, YOUR
[00:55:01]
CALL I'M OKAY WITH THAT.OTHERWISE YOU'LL BE DOING THE SAME REPORT NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? IT WAS AT TWO 50 AMENDMENTS.
HOW DOES THIS PROCESS WORK? UH, I COULD RESTATE CLARIFY.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS ENROLLMENTS RULES AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BUT THERE'S NO SECOND ON THIS MOTION RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK IT'S QUITE FINE FOR EVERYBODY TO CONTRIBUTE THE WORD, WORKING OUT WHAT THE LANGUAGE OF THE MOTION IS BEFORE IT GETS US UP.
THAT'S WHY I'M NOT AN OFFICER.
UH, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE CHECK HE RESTATING THE MOTION.
SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION IS BEFORE WE GET TO THE SECOND AND THE BAIT AND WRITING.
MIKE ROBERT'S RULES FOR DUMMIES.
SO RESTATING, UM, TO TRY TO CAPTURE THE, THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THERE RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AND DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER THESE IDENTIFIED USES AS POSSIBLE PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES WHEN CONSIDERING THE ANNUAL USE OF HOT TAX I'D LIKE TO, OR THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF HOT TAX ALLOCATION.
SO RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AND DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER THESE IDENTIFIED USES AS POSSIBLE PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES WHEN CONSIDERING THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF HOT TEXTS, ASIDE FROM A LOT OF CONSIDERATION IN THERE.
I THINK THAT WE'VE PRETTY MUCH SUMMED UP WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
SO, UH, I'M WILL RESTATE AND MAKE THE MOTION FORMALLY THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AND DIRECT STAFF TO CONSIDER THESE IDENTIFIED USERS AS POSSIBLE PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES WHEN CONSIDERING THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF HOT TAX THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING I WAS GOING TO HAVE.
A MOTION FROM CHAIR WHITTINGTON SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BAILEY, ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
ANY OPPOSED ANY ABSTENTIONS DURING NONE, WE HAVE, UH, SEVEN IN FAVOR OF, UH, OF THAT RECOMMENDATION.
SO, UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THAT COMMISSIONER CANADY, FURTHER CONVERSATION ON THIS, UM, ON THIS TOPIC AT THIS TIME, HEARING NONE, UH, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE OF OUR GUEST SPEAKERS.
[2e. Presentation and overview of Visit Austin Marketing Plan presented by Tiffany Kerr.]
ARE GOING TO JUMP INTO TWO E, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION OF OVERVIEW OF THE VISIT AUSTIN MARKETING PLAN PRESENTED BY TIFFANY CUR, UH, MS. CARR.THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WORKED THROUGH THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OKAY? NOPE, THAT'S FINE.
UM, IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME? YOU'D LIKE ME TO GET THROUGH EVERYTHING, BUT AS WE ARE RUNNING, UH, UP INTO THE SECOND HOUR AND WE WERE HAVING A THINKER, SO MAYBE IF WE COULD GET, UH, 15 MINUTES OF PRESENTATION AND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, THAT'D BE EXCELLENT.
UM, WELL THE TIMER IS SET AND WE'LL BE OFF TO THE RACES AS SOON AS, UM, IF CITY HALL AB IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE PRESENTATION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, ALL COMMISSIONERS SHOULD HAVE A LINK TO IT OR WE'LL BE RECEIVING, UM, TO, TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH IT SINCE I'LL GO THROUGH EVERYTHING PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, AB IS THAT YOUR FULL SCREEN VIEW? YEAH.
WELL, I'M, I'M GOING TO SHARE THIS AFTERNOON, THE DRAFT VISIT AUSTIN MARKETING PLAN.
UM, THIS IS A, THE VERSION, THE LATEST VERSION OF THE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE VISIT AUSTIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, AND IT'S STILL IN DRAFT FORM AS IT IS SUBMITTED TO CITY COUNCIL BY JUNE 15TH.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HISTORICALLY WE WAIT UNTIL RIGHT UP UNTIL SUBMISSION, ESPECIALLY IN
[01:00:01]
THIS VERY, UM, FLUID AND CONSTANTLY EVOLVING LANDSCAPE THAT WE'RE IN.WE WAIT ON THINGS LIKE THERE'S A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOM NOONAN THAT OPENS THE BOOK THAT TYPICALLY IS WRITTEN RIGHT BEFORE SUBMISSION.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THIRD-PARTY DATA THAT WE INCLUDE FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS THAT ARE UPDATED ON A WEEKLY OR BI-WEEKLY BASIS.
AND SO WE WAIT UNTIL THE LATEST WAVE TO GET THOSE FINAL, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD SENSE OF THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT IS REPORTED.
AND THEN, UM, THE SAME GOES FOR, UM, OUR DEPARTMENTAL GOALS.
UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ALL IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS IS A BUILD ON FOR ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO SAW LAST YEAR'S PLAN.
UM, WE REALLY, UH, TOOK A NEW, FRESH LOOK AT THE MARKETING PLAN AND BUILT IT AROUND A THREE PHASE APPROACH.
UM, AND SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE WITH, UM, WITH THIS VERSION AND YOU'LL SEE THAT PLAY OUT.
SO IF WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE FIRST PAGE, UM, THIS AGAIN, IS THAT LETTER THAT I TOLD YOU WAS PLACEHOLDER RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, HERE WE DO A QUICK SUMMARY AND REFRESHER ON VISIT AUSTIN'S MISSION AND BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES.
I THINK THAT EVERYONE HERE IS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE, BUT AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE A COPY OF THIS REVIEW IN MORE DETAIL, IF WE WANT TO KEEP GOING SAME FOR AN UPDATE, OR EXCUSE ME, A RECAP OF THE VISIT AUSTIN DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN ONE MORE PAGE, AND I'VE PROMISED WE'RE GETTING INTO THE MEAT.
SO HERE'S WHERE WE START WITH OUR TOURISM IMPACT AND FORECAST.
AND SO WE START OUT THIS PLAN WITH A KIND OF HIGH LEVEL LOOK OF WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, UM, IN THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.
AND THEN AS WE GET THROUGH THE PLAN, WE DRILL IT DOWN TO BE MORE DESTINATION SPECIFIC.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS THAT SECTION THAT I TOLD YOU, IT WILL BE UPDATED BEFORE SUBMISSION, BUT IT GIVES YOU A GOOD SENSE OF THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT'S INCLUDED.
SO, UM, THIS FIRST CHART THAT YOU SEE IN THE TOP LEFT, THIS IS REALLY DEMONSTRATING HOW, AS OF MARCH OF 2021, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN PEOPLE WITH PLANS TO TRAVEL OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS HAS RETURNED TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
AND SO THAT IS REALLY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT TREND CONTINUE TO TICK UP JUST BELOW THAT ALSO ON THE LEFT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY STILL TOPS TRAVELER CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DECIDING WHICH DESTINATION TO VISIT ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE WAS MAKING SURE THAT A DESTINATION WAS PERCEIVED AS WELCOMING ON THE NEXT PAGE.
THIS IS JUST A REMINDER OF AROUND CAPTURING OUR SHARE OF THAT DRIVE MARKET AUDIENCE.
I WAS JUST ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THAT PAGE.
UM, AS MOST TRAVELERS WHO ARE READY TO GET OUT, GET OUT THERE AND MOST COMFORTABLE WITH DRIVE MARKET TRIPS.
UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR MEDIA ATTENTION IS FOCUSED.
AND THEN FINALLY AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THAT PAGE, UM, WE'RE SEEING REALLY STRONG TRAVEL DEMAND WITH 70% OF RESPONDENTS SAYING THAT THEY WILL TRAVEL AS MUCH AS, OR MORE THAN THEY DID BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING A REALLY DRASTIC LOOK AT THE INCREASE IN TRAVELER SPENDING, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR, UM, FOR US, IF YOU SEE IN THE DARK BLUE, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT PIE CHART.
THOSE ARE THOSE WHO EXPECT TO SPEND MORE ON LEISURE TRAVEL IN THE COMING YEAR, THE SLIGHTLY LIGHTER BLUE TO SPEND ABOUT THE SAME.
AND THEN THAT SMALLER SECTION REPRESENTING 17% ARE THOSE WHO PLAN TO SPEND LESS.
UM, WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT THIS PENT-UP TRAVEL DEMAND.
AND A LOT OF THE DATA THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM OUR, UM, FROM OUR INDUSTRY IS REALLY SUPPORTING THAT, UM, ON THE, ON THE TOP OF THAT PAGE, UH, WITH A BAR GRAPH TO THE SIDE CITIES AND METROPOLITAN AREAS ARE STARTING TO SEE A TURNAROUND OVER THE PANDEMIC, AS YOU PROBABLY EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY, EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FOR THOSE WIDE OPEN SPACES, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MORE RURAL AREAS, NOUNS AND TOWNS, UH, BEACHES, ET CETERA, DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE.
ON THE LEFT, WE START TO LOOK AT CONVENTION AND MEETING FORECAST AND THAT LEFT BAR CHART.
WHAT THAT'S DEMONSTRATING IS AROUND Q3 OF 2021.
THAT'S WHEN WE START TO SEE THAT REBOUND TO RETURNED BACK TO 2019 LEVELS.
UM, AND THE PAGE RIGHT NEXT TO THAT IS JUST SHOWING THE NUMBER OF THAT 54% 54.4%, EXCUSE ME, REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF TRAVELERS WHO IS HAPPILY JUMP ON A PLANE FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL.
IF THEIR EMPLOYER REQUESTED ON STAYING ON THE SAME PAGE.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WE LOOK AT, UH, INFORMATION AROUND TRAVELER SENTIMENT THAT ALSO KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE TYPES OF MARKETING TACTICS AND CHANNELS WHERE POTENTIAL TRAVELERS ARE MOST RECEPTIVE TO HEARING TRAVEL MESSAGING.
UM, WHEN YOU SEE THAT 63.7% IS MADE UP OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING, AND THIS WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD TO MAKE THE VERY NECESSARY AND DIFFICULT
[01:05:01]
DECISION TO REALLY GO DARK AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR AND PULL OUR PAID MEDIA OUT OF THE MARKET AND RESERVE THOSE RESOURCES, IT'S THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND THE SEARCH CAMPAIGNS.THAT'S WHAT REALLY KEPT THE LIGHT ON FOR US.
SO IT'S ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT.
YEAH, I'M JUST BELOW ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THAT PAGE, YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES THERE FOR THE FOLLOWING.
YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE? OKAY.
SO HERE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF, UM, A FEW RECOVERY, UH, BRIGHT SPOTS, SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, THAT ARE KIND OF GIVING US A LITTLE BIT OF MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT THIS WAS DRAFTED.
SO YOU KIND OF GET A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN AT SOME OF OUR PLACEHOLDER COPY, BUT AT THE TOP OF THIS, YOU SEE THAT WE PROGRESSED TO THE, UM, STABILIZE PHASE.
AND SO WE'LL GET MORE INTO THOSE PHASES AND GET INTO MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR IS CONSISTENT, CONSISTENT TWO MONTH OR FULL QUARTER LOOK AT, UM, CITYWIDE HOTEL OCCUPANCY ABOVE 46% TO VALIDATE THAT WE'VE MADE IT OUT OF THAT RECOVERY PHASE AND WE'RE HEALTHY AND MOVING INTO THE STABILIZE PHASE.
AND IT'S LOOKING LIKE THAT WILL CERTAINLY BE THE CASE, BUT AGAIN, PLACEHOLDER UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE WE SUBMIT, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, FOR US.
AND SO EVEN WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF PAID MEDIA THROUGHOUT THE, THE BULK OF 2020 AND INTO 21, UM, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS EXCEEDED 36 MILLION WEBSITE PAGE VIEWS AT NEARLY 7 MILLION.
AND THE ONE THAT WE WERE REALLY PROUD OF IS THIS DIRECT REFERRALS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AT 642,000.
THIS MEANS THAT SOMEONE, UM, LANDED ON THE VISIT AUSTIN WEBSITE AND THEN CLICKED OUT AND VISITED A LOCAL BUSINESSES WEBSITE OR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL.
UM, AND SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT, UH, PERFORMANCE INDICATOR FOR US OVER THE PAST YEAR IS HOW ARE WE DRIVING SUPPORT AND VISITATION TO LOCAL BUSINESSES ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THIS PAGE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE CONVENTION SALES TEAM.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REBOOKED CUSTOMER, SO DMO IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, YOU KNOW, SAW ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS FALL OFF AND ALL OF THOSE CANCELLATIONS, IN MANY CASES, THEY HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO RENEGOTIATE WITH THESE MEETING GROUPS, UM, TO GET THEM BACK ON THE BOOKS.
AND SO THE TEAM, THIS WOULD BE THROUGH MARCH 31ST OF THIS YEAR, UM, REBOOKED 171 CUSTOMERS.
UM, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THAT TRANSLATES TO IN TERMS OF, UH, ROOM NIGHTS, SALVAGE AT THE ONE 81 47 MILLION IN ESTIMATED HOTEL TAX REVENUE RETAINED AND 166 MILLION IN TOTAL ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UM, SO IT JUST REALLY CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF THAT CONVENTION BUSINESS TO DRIVE THAT HOT COLLECTION UP.
FINALLY, UM, LEAD VOLUME IS REALLY ENCOURAGING RIGHT NOW ABOUT 73% COMPARED TO THIS TIMEFRAME IN 2020, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS, BUT HERE JUST SOME REAL CLIENT FEEDBACK AND TESTIMONIALS, YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES, UM, OF HOW WE KIND OF BROUGHT THE AUSTIN EXPERIENCE TO OUR CUSTOMERS TO STAY TOP OF MIND AND ENGAGE WITH THEM.
THINGS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE ANSANELLI IS CHEESE, I'M A BLACK PUMAS VIEWING EVENT WITH AUSTIN CITY LIMITS.
UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, GETTING, GET YOU PROMOTING THE DESTINATION THROUGH MUSIC FOR VIRTUAL CONFERENCES NEXT PAGE, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO TO THE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THESE ARE A SURPRISE TO ANYONE IN THE GROUP, BUT, YOU KNOW, EXISTING FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN RESTORED.
YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NEW FLIGHTS, LIKE THE VERY EXCITING, YOU KNOW, HAWAIIAN AIRLINES, UM, THAT JUST STARTED HERE.
WE CAN ADD TO THIS LIST AEROMEXICO, WHICH WE'LL BE RETURNING, UM, IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S EXCITING TO HAVE ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT COMING BACK, NEW VENUES, SO EXCITED TO WELCOME THE BEAUTIFUL WATERLOO MOODY, UM, PARK WATERLOO PARK, WHO THE AMPHITHEATER, UM, AUSTIN FCQ TO STADIUM IN 2022, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOODY CENTER UT ARENA.
UM, AND THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, YOU'LL SEE THE HOPE NEW HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS AND OPENINGS.
UM, AND AUSTIN JUST REALLY CONTINUES TO AFFIRM ITS REPUTATION AS A LEADING DESTINATION WITH ALL OF THESE DESTINATIONS THAT ARE, EXCUSE ME, ALL OF THESE HOTEL DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE WELCOMING GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE'LL BE, WE'LL ADD 2,600 NEW ROOMS INTO THE MARKET BETWEEN 2021 AND 2022 NEXT PAGE.
SO I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH OUR, UM, INDUSTRY AND DESTINATION OBJECTIVES.
UM, THE FIRST AND MOST CRITICAL, NO SURPRISE IS TO AID MARKET RECOVERY AND WELCOME VISITORS BACK TO AUSTIN.
[01:10:01]
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE POSITIONED TO INCREASE LEISURE AND MEETINGS TRAVEL AND THEREBY AID, THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THE CITY THROUGH INCREASED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS, VISITOR SPENDING THAT SPREAD OUT CITYWIDE.UM, AND SO REALLY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR TRAVELERS WHO ARE RESEARCHING AND PLANNING THOSE TRIPS, OUR MARKETING PROGRAMS ARE REALLY DESIGNED TO CONVERT THEM INTO AUSTIN, BOOKERS AND VISITORS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS REALLY TOP OF MIND FOR US, AND WE'LL GET MORE TO THE TACTICAL PLAN AND HOW THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, UH, LATER ON IN THE PRESENTATION, THE SECOND HERE IS TO PROTECT AND EVOLVE THE AUSTIN BRAND.
AND SO IT'S MAINTAINING THAT TOP OF MIND AWARENESS THAT HE DESTINATION PILLARS.
UM, SO WE USE OUR CAMPAIGNS, WE USE OUR MEDIA PLACEMENTS THEMSELVES REALLY TO KEEP OUR LEISURE AUDIENCE AND OUR MEETING'S AUDIENCE THINKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, DESTINATION EXPERIENCES LIKE LIVE MUSIC, OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, OUR CULTURE DINING, YOU KNOW, VISITING THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE THE DESTINATION SO SPECIAL.
UM, AND SO FOR, FROM THERE, WE LOOK AT THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND THIS IS AGAIN, PART OF THAT PROTECTING AND EVOLVING AUSTIN BRAND.
SO WHILE ALL OF US KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO AUSTIN THAN LIVE MUSIC, OUR LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR EQUITY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO STAND THE STAND ON THAT AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS WAS TO HELP ADDRESS THE URGENT AND ONGOING NEEDS THAT THE AUSTIN MUSIC COMMUNITY BROUGHT ON BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
AND SO AT THE REQUEST OF COUNCIL MEMBER, TOVO, WE TEAMED UP WITH THE CITY'S MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION TO DEVELOP AN INTEGRATED MARKETING PROGRAM.
SO WHAT THE ROLE OF VISIT AUSTIN IS THE PROMOTIONAL ARM OF THAT PROGRAM, WHICH IS PART OF A LARGER RECOVERY ECOSYSTEM, BUT IT IS PROMOTING MUSIC EXPERIENCES, MUSICIANS, VENUES, UM, AND AGAIN, WITH THAT END GOAL OF DIRECT REFERRALS BACK TO THE MUSICIAN SITES, VENUE SITES, UM, SOCIAL HANDLES, BUT ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL WAS TO USE MUSIC AS A WAY TO PROMOTE THE DESTINATION AND GET VISITORS IN MARKET, EXPERIENCING THIS LIVE ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE.
UM, ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES IS PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WE CALL LOCAL BUSINESSES, THE SECRET SAUCE OF AUSTIN.
IT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES US SO SPECIAL.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGH A NUMBER OF OUR EXAMPLES IT'S IN OUR DAY TO DAY IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE PROMOTING THE DESTINATION, WHAT FEATURES WE'RE CALLING OUT, UM, THROUGH ALL OF OUR, OUR OWNED CONTENT, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THEN FOURTH HERE IS EQUITY AND DIVERSITY REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
UM, AND SO WE WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY ALL OF OUR WORK IS REPRESENTATIVE OF, UM, THE DIVERSE, UH, PEOPLE AND EXPERIENCES IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO REPRESENTATIVE OF THOSE DIVERSE AUDIENCES THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO WELCOME INTO THE DESTINATION ON THE NEXT SPREAD IS WHERE YOU WILL SEE WHERE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS.
UM, THOSE HAVE BEEN, THE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN UPDATED THROUGH MARCH.
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, THROUGH MARCH OF 2021, UM, THE TH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES TO OUR GOALS FROM THE GOAL CATEGORIES, EXCUSE ME, SINCE THE 20, 20, 2021 PLAN.
UM, BUT WE JUST WORKING ON THOSE PROJECTIONS GOING INTO 2122, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
THIS IS SO TO GET INTO THE TACTICAL PLAN.
UM, AND SO REALLY THIS WAS DESIGNED LAST YEAR TO BOTH ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS, BUT ALSO KNOWING THAT RECOVERY WOULD NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
AND WE WERE LOOKING AT A MULTI-YEAR, UM, A MULTI-YEAR KIND OF ADVENTURE THROUGH COVID RECOVERY.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLAN DIDN'T STOP AT THAT ONE FISCAL YEAR, BUT KIND OF GAVE US ENOUGH FORESIGHT TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING NOW TO ENSURE A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR OUR LOCAL INDUSTRY IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO REALLY THIS PLAN IS BACKED THE CITY-WIDE HOTEL OCCUPANCY AS OUR MAIN INDICATOR AND BENCHMARK THAT INDICATES WE WANTED SOMETHING FUN APPLIABLE THAT INDICATES THAT WE'VE GONE FROM ONE PHASE TO THE NEXT.
SO, IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT THAT, WE ALSO ARE LOOKING AT INCREASED HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION, INCREASE VISITOR ARRIVALS AND SPENDING OUR SALES BOOKING AND LEAD VOLUME.
AND THEN ALSO JUST THE RETURN OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND, UM, OUR AUSTIN AIRPORT OPERATING AS SUSTAINABLE LEVELS.
SO THIS FIRST PHASE IS THE REBUILD AND RESTORE PHASE.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN SINCE THIS TIME, LAST YEAR AT THE CITY-WIDE OCCUPANCY, LESS THAN 45%.
UM, AND SO REALLY THE FOCUS THERE HAS BEEN GETTING THAT DRIVE MARKET VISITOR INTO THE MARKET, PROMOTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND MUSICIANS IN WAYS WHERE
[01:15:01]
CONSUMERS CAN ENGAGE WITHIN VIRTUALLY WHAT, BEFORE THEY COULD TRAVEL.UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO SHOW THAT THAT'S WHERE WE WERE, UM, AND WHERE WE ARE NOW ON THE NEXT PAGE, UM, IS FOR BASE TWO, BUT IT CAN GET US TO THE NEXT PAGE.
SO PHASE TWO, WHERE WE ARE, AND THIS IS THAT, UM, CITYWIDE OCCUPANCY, WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS AT A SUSTAINABLE LEVEL.
SO, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE LOOKING AT EITHER A TWO MONTH OR A QUARTER LONG OF, UM, CITYWIDE OCCUPANCY ABOVE 46% BETWEEN 46 AND 64.
SO IN THIS PHASE IS WHEN WE REALLY START TO LEVERAGE THOSE TRIED AND TRUE SALES AND MARKETING TACTICS.
UM, WE STILL WANT TO BE OF COURSE, REALLY GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR DOLLARS.
AND SO WE GO IMMEDIATELY TO WHAT WORKS.
WE ARE STARTING TO DO MORE REACH IN OUR FLY MARKETS, UM, BUT KEEPING OUR PRIORITY, FOCUS ON THE DRIVE MARKETS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE DATA IS TELLING US THE OPPORTUNITY IS.
UM, AND THEN WITH OUR CONVENTION CENTER, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE TURN THOSE GROUPS FROM VIRTUAL TO IN-PERSON, UM, AND JUST MAINTAINING AS MUCH OF THAT GROUP BUSINESS AS WE CAN FINALLY, THERE'S PHASE THREE, WHICH IS NORMALIZED.
AND THAT'S WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE BACK TO GETTING TO A HEALTHY TOURISM INDUSTRY HERE LOCALLY AT 65 PLUS PERCENT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS WILL START TO EXPAND BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
AND I KNOW I'M AT MY TIME, SO WE CAN KEEP GOING QUICKLY.
I'M GOING TO JUST SHARE A COUPLE OF THE, UM, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS WITH YOU.
ONE THING THAT I WANT TO CALL OUT BEFORE I GET INTO THEM, UM, IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW AS TRAVEL SENTIMENT IMPROVES AS WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE BOOKING.
UM, THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF COMPETITION IN THE MARKETPLACE RIGHT NOW FOR THE SHARE OF VISITORS.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PEERS IN THE STATE, THEY'RE SEEING THE SAME DATA VR, THEY KNOW THAT THAT DRIVE MARKET TRAVELER IS THE PRIMARY AUDIENCE THAT LOW-HANGING FRUIT, WE'RE ALL GOING AFTER THAT SAME TRAVELER.
AND SO IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN KNOW A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THEM.
IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE PREVIEW OF OUR CAMPAIGN, WHICH JUST WENT LIVE LAST WEEK.
UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE BACK IN MARKET WITH VISIT AUSTIN IT'S WAY BETTER LIVE.
AND THIS WAS SUCH A NICE TRANSITION FROM THE PAST YEAR OF SAYING, VISIT AUSTIN FROM HOME.
AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING EVERYONE EXPERIENCE THE DESTINATION ON THE OTHER END OF THEIR COMPUTER SCREEN, BUT REALLY THE CONCEPT OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS JUST LIKE OUR MUSIC.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, IF YOU LOVE MUSIC, YOU KNOW, IT'S WAY BETTER LIVE, JUST LIKE OUR MUSIC, OUR OUTDOOR SPACES, OUR FOOD, UM, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE, ALL OF THAT IS BEST EXPERIENCED LIVE.
AND SO THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS SPREAD.
YOU SEE A COUPLE OF THE CREATIVE EXAMPLES, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THIS THAT ARE VERY PHOTOGRAPHY DRIVEN.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME THAT HAVE KIND OF THAT HOOK TO DRAW YOU IN TO SOME OF OUR BLOG CONTENT, BUT WE'RE REALLY PLEASED AND REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS COME TO LIFE AND GET IT OUT INTO MARKET AND SEE HOW IT PERFORMS. GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE.
WE, OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE ALSO DONE A COUPLE OF NICHE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS THAT SAW SOME, UM, REALLY CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE, WE WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE THESE INTO THE COMING YEAR.
UM, THE FIRST ONE HERE IS CALLED VIBRANT CITY, AND THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT WE DID IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL PRODUCTION COMPANY ARTS AND LABOR, UM, TO FEATURE AND CELEBRATE THE STREET ART SCENE IN THE CITY.
AND SO WE SPOTLIGHT FOUR DIFFERENT STREET ARTISTS, UM, AND HAVE A MINI DOCUMENTARY TELLING THEIR STORY, THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THEIR WORK, HOW AUSTIN INSPIRES THEIR WORK.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAD KIND OF A FULL USER EXPERIENCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM THE, FROM ENJOYING THE CONTENT.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE CREATED, UM, INSTAGRAM, AUGMENTED REALITY FILTERS, SO THAT WHEN VISITORS ARE IN MARKET, WE'RE TARGETING THEM TO GO AND VISIT THIS ART, UM, AND ENJOY IT AND BRING IT TO LIFE THROUGH THOSE FILTERS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS ONE THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND ON, BUT WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH HOW ALL OF THAT TURNED OUT.
DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE? SO ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IS SMALL BUSINESS SEASON, AND THIS IDEA WAS REALLY SIMPLE.
YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY, WHICH HAS GAINED A LOT OF TRACTION OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO.
WE WANTED TO AMPLIFY THAT DURING A TIME WHEN AUSTIN'S LOCAL BUSINESSES REALLY NEEDED, AND WE WANTED TO CREATE AN ENTIRE SEASON OUT OF IT.
AND SO SMALL BUSINESS SEASON REALLY WAS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MAKE LOCAL BUSINESSES
[01:20:01]
THEIR FIRST STOP FOR ANY HOLIDAY, UM, SHOPPING.AND SO THIS WAS TARGETED OUT TO VISITORS, OUR DRIVE MARKETS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL GOODS EITHER THROUGH ONLINE PURCHASES OR IF THEY WERE IN THE DESTINATION TO DO CURBSIDE OR IN STORE WERE AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT JUST IN TWENTY-FIVE DAYS, THIS CAMPAIGN GARNERED 40,000 DIRECT REFERRALS TO LOCAL AUSTIN BUSINESSES.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY PLEASED WITH THAT AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT PHASE TWO LOOKS LIKE IN THIS COMING YEAR.
ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE, YOU SEE A COUPLE OF OUR INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING IN THE RESEARCH IS MORE THAN EVER.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO LOCAL EXPERTS AND LOOKING TO INFLUENCERS FOR INSPIRATION AND IDEAS AROUND WHERE TO TRAVEL.
UM, AND WE KNEW THAT WE HAD SO MANY GEMS IN OUR CITY THAT COULD HELP US TELL THIS STORY.
SO ONE OF THEM WAS JAVIER WALLACE OF BLACK AUSTIN TOURS WHO TOOK OVER, UM, OUR, UH, TOOK OVER OUR CHANNELS EVERY FRIDAY IN FEBRUARY, UM, SHARING LOCAL BLACK BUSINESSES, THE HISTORY OF BLACK MUSIC IN AUSTIN AND SO ON.
AND THEN BELOW THAT YOU SEE HASHTAG TRUER AUSTIN TAKEOVER.
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE WE HAD A WIDE RANGE OF LOCAL INFLUENCERS TAKING OVER OUR CHANNELS.
AND, UM, AGAIN, THIS WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, UH, RESULTING IN, UH, 54 LOCAL BUSINESSES WERE FEATURED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND SAW NEARLY 630,000 ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS THROUGH THE PLAN.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE WORK WHERE THE GROUNDWORK IS DONE.
WE'VE SEEN SOME PROVEN SUCCESS BEHIND IT, AND WE'D LOVE TO CONTINUE IT, ESPECIALLY GETTING PEOPLE INTO THE MARKET AND EXPERIENCING ALL OF THIS LIFE.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE KIND OF YOUR ADMIN.
UM, IF YOU WILL, IN THE BACK UP, I'VE MISSED ONE, ONE SECTION THIS, UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, THIS IS A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE, UM, INTEGRATED DIGITAL MARKETING PROGRAM THAT I SPOKE OF EARLIER.
WE ARE JUST ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, WE'VE GOT THE CITY OF AUSTIN MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION ACTING AS COMMUNITY LIAISON, THE MUSIC COMMUNITY, BEING A SOURCE OF CONTENT, UM, THAT WE CAN SHARE AND VISIT AUSTIN AS THE PROMOTIONAL LEAD.
AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW THAT, UM, STARTS TO BEHAVE IN THE MARKET WHERE YOU'VE GOT YOUR TRAFFIC DRIVERS ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT.
SO THAT'S OUR AD CAMPAIGN, EMAIL MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA, THEN DRIVING TO OUR HUB, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE AN INTERACTIVE VENUE MAP, WHICH IS A GREAT TOOL, BOTH IN PLANNING YOUR AUSTIN TRIP.
AND ALSO WHEN YOU'RE IN MARKET, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE KIND OF GENRE I LOVE, WHERE CAN I GO CATCH THIS MUSIC TONIGHT? UM, AND THEN ALL OF THAT, THE END GOAL FOR ALL OF THIS AS A DIRECT REFERRAL TO THE ARTIST'S WEBSITE AND SOCIAL CHANNELS.
UM, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ARRIVING IN AUSTIN TO EXPERIENCE LIVE MUSIC.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT.
I DO WANT TO JUST BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME AND OUR OTHER PRESENTER, BUT ALSO, UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT THE COMMISSION MIGHT HAVE, UM, TO BRING THEM FORWARD AND TO CONFIRM, UH, YOU'LL BE SHARING THIS WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE COMMISSION AFTER THIS MEETING, OR IS IT POSTED ON THE WEBSITE? I DON'T KNOW IF CITY OF AUSTIN CAN SPEAK FOR THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, IT WAS SHARED TO BE POSTED EITHER AND THE PORTAL OR SHARED SEPARATELY.
I DID LOOK ON THE WEBSITE ALREADY.
IT CAN BE, UM, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO KIND OF DIVE MORE IN JEFF.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW FOR MS. CURSE BEFORE WE, UH, BEFORE WE JUMP ON, UH, TO STATE OF THE INDUSTRY FOR THE MUSIC COMMITTED MUSIC SECTOR? I JUST SAY THAT IT'S, IT WAS AN AMAZING PRESENTATION.
I LOVE IT'S BETTER LIVE TO WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THAT CATCH.
UH, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE, AND I DON'T WANT TO, I HOPEFULLY, IF IT'S NOT A SIMPLE QUESTION, THEN WE'LL PARK IT FOR ANOTHER TIME.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN BUDGET THAT WE NEED TO KNOW THAT GERDS OR BACKS THIS PLAN UP? IS THERE ANECDOTALLY, IS IT FLAT FROM LAST YEAR? IS IT DOWN 2%? IS IT UP 2% OR IS THERE ANYTHING MATERIAL THAT WE WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS DRIVE ALL THIS GREAT THINKING? YES.
SO, UM, BUDGET IS, UH, CERTAINLY DOWN CONSIDERABLY.
UM, THAT IS THE CASE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR FINISHING OUT THIS, UM, FISCAL YEAR.
I BELIEVE IN NUMBERS, ACTUALLY, I DON'T WANT TO QUOTE ANY NUMBERS, BUT WE CAN DO THAT AS A FOLLOW-UP, UM, FOR SURE.
BUT YES, BUDGET IS DOWN CONSIDERABLY.
AND SO WE'RE JUST DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN
[01:25:01]
TO MAXIMIZE EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES INTO THE MARKET.BUT I CAN DEFINITELY GET BACK WITH A FOLLOW-UP ON ACTUAL PERCENTAGES, IF THAT'S HELPFUL FOR THE COMMISSION, I THINK IT'S RELEVANT.
AND, AND CAUSE YES, I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT.
WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, HOT TAX GROWTH AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A PRIME DRIVER, SO JUST ANYTHING YOU CAN PROVIDE US AS GOOD.
WE DON'T NEED TO GO ANY DEEPER ON THIS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, EVERYONE.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, AGE TRAVEL AND KIND OF THE DRIVE MARKET, BUT I, I WILL FRAME THOSE IN AN EMAIL AND SEND THOSE OVER TO, UH, FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION, SO, OKAY.
ALL BRUNO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND IT DIDN'T, IT LOOKS GREAT.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE GET INTO PHASE, UH, YOUR PHASES ARE KIND OF BE IN BURST OF BOSTON SPACES.
THEN, AS I SAID, I JUST NOTICED THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN PHASE TWO TERRITORY RIGHT NOW IN THE TERMS OF COVID.
I HOPE THAT WE'RE RAMPING UP TO PHASE TWO AND THREE IN TERMS OF, UH, OCCUPANCY.
SO IN INVERSE CURVES IN VERSE CURVES.
[3b. Discussion and Presentation from Red River Cultural District on the state of the music industry presented by Cody Cowan.]
I'M GOING TO JUMP TO THE, UH, THE LAST, UH, AGENDA ITEM HERE, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME.UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THREE B DISCUSSION IN PRESENTATION FROM MR. CODY CALLAN, UH, OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S KIND OF A, UH, STATE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN AND KIND OF WHAT TRENDS WE'RE SEEING AND WHERE THINGS ARE AT CODY.
CODY, ARE YOU STILL THERE? YES, IT JUST LET ME IN.
AND THANKS TO TIFFANY FOR SORT OF SETTING UP, UH, THE WORK, WHAT I'LL BE PRESENTING TO YOU ALL TODAY AND HOPEFULLY, UH, ELUCIDATING A BIT MORE.
AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SOME OF MY MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY IN THAT AND THAT PORTFOLIO.
I'M ALSO A LOW KEY MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER, BUT I'M CODY COWAN.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
UM, I HAVE A 25 YEAR, TOP TO BOTTOM LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY CAREER.
I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN A, NOT A MUSIC NONPROFIT, UH, THAT INCLUDES FOR-PROFIT NON-PROFIT LABOR MANAGEMENT AND INDIVIDUAL MUSIC ADVOCACY PERSPECTIVES.
UH, ALSO IF I'M DOING GRAVITAS AS I CHAIRED THE LOCALS COMMITTEE FOR THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT VENUE ASSOCIATION.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF RECAP OF THE PAST YEAR, UH, A QUICK FORECAST AND THEN MAYBE LOOK AT SOME ACTION ITEMS FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER A BRIEF RECAP AGAIN, THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, MAYBE JUST TO CENTER US, ANCHOR US IN WHAT IS THAT, UH, INCLUDES THE VISIT AUSTIN.
IT RUNS NORTH TO SOUTH, TO NORTH FROM FOURTH STREET TO 15TH STREET AND EAST TO WEST FROM
SO IT'S KIND OF GROUND ZERO FOR FUN AND FOR CULTURAL TOURISM ECONOMY.
UH, MY 50 PERSON MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, NONPROFITS, AND PARKS ORGANIZATIONS, AND ALSO THE SINGLE LARGEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE CLUSTER IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE OVER 12 LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
WE'RE BASICALLY WHO HOSTS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST EVERY YEAR.
BUT IF THAT KIND OF HELPS THINGS, UH, SO, AND QUICK RECAP, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED LAST MARCH WITH COVID.
WE WERE THE FIRST TO CLOSE AND HAVE BEEN AMONGST THE LAST TO REOPEN AS AN INDUSTRY WITH LIVE MUSIC VENUES.
UM, WE'VE HAD A ASYNCHRONOUS SUCCESS IN TERMS OF PIVOTING IN THE PAST YEAR BETWEEN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND MUSIC VENUES.
IF WE USE THOSE AS SORT OF LIKE A ANCHORS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU KIND OF HEARD FROM TIFFANY, UH, HOTELS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING AND I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, MY HOTELS ARE TELLING ME THEY WERE, THEY HAD TO LET GO.
WHAT, LIKE 98% OF STAFF, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF LAST YEAR ARE NOW RAMPING UP.
SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT WE'RE IN A PHASE TO CLIMB THERE.
UM, PROBABLY NEXT IN LINE WILL BE RESTAURANTS.
AND THEY DO THAT THROUGH CUTTING A AT DAY RATES AND THROUGH A VARIETY OF MARKETING TECHNIQUES, JUST KIND OF TAKING WHAT THEY CAN GET.
IT WAS A ROUGH TIME OF IT FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL IN HOTEL HOTELS.
NOW THIS FOR RESTAURANTS, FOLKS WENT TO A DELIVERY TAKEOUT AND A VARIETY OF SORT OF SCHEMES WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND IN PERSON.
UH, BUT WITH LIVE MUSIC VENUES, THERE WAS NO WAY TO DELIVER CURBSIDE MUSIC, RIGHT? SO WHILE THERE WAS STREAMING THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE, BUSINESS PLAN IS A 98% COST MODEL, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S BASICALLY A LABOR OF LOVE.
IF YOU'RE DOING A GREAT TIME AT BUSINESS AND YOU'RE PROFITABLE, YOU'RE STILL WITHIN KIND OF A TWO TO 5%
[01:30:01]
MARGIN, A BREAKEVEN RANGE IN 2019.SO THINGS LIKE STREAMING OR FEEL GOOD, BUT STILL WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM VENUES WITHIN THE 20%, UM, OF RED.
SO HERE WE ARE, UH, IN MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN THAT ORGANIZATION I DESCRIBED EARLIER LAST YEAR WAS ABLE TO BRING TO THE TABLE OVER $12 MILLION IN DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING.
UH, ABOUT SEVEN OF THAT WENT TO MUSICIANS AND CREATIVE WORKERS, UH, IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE PAY RENT AND EAT.
UH, AGAIN, EVERYONE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS LARGELY BEEN UNEMPLOYED THIS WHOLE TIME.
AND THEN THE, UH, OTHER 5.5 MILLION WENT TO LIVE MUSIC VENUES TO PAY RENT BECAUSE LIVE MUSIC VENUES FEWER THAN 10% OF LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN AUSTIN OWNED THEIR PROPERTY.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THEY'VE BEEN ON THE HOOK FOR COMMERCIAL LEASES AND IN MY CASE, DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL LEASES FOR OVER 15 MONTHS NOW WITHOUT ANY INCOME.
SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE SLOWLY GOING OUT AND WE'LL HOPE WE HOPE THOSE ARE HITTING BANK ACCOUNTS.
SIMILARLY, WITH NEEVA, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, I DESCRIBED, WE GOT $16.5 BILLION THROUGH ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING THROUGH THE FEDERAL STIMULUS.
AND THAT JUST OPENED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
AND WE'RE HEARING IT MAY OR MAY NOT GO INTO RECIPIENT'S HANDS BY THE END OF THIS MONTH AND EARLY JUNE.
SO THIS ALL KIND OF FALLS INTO THIS PHASE TWO APPROACH THAT TIFFANY WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS NOW UNTIL THE NEXT SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE IF I, IF I DO A LITTLE FORECASTING ON TOP OF WHAT SHE SHARED, THERE'S GOING TO BE HARD CLIMB OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS INTO THE FALL.
AGAIN, LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND THE EMPLOYERS OF MUSICIANS AND CREATIVES ARE LARGELY DEPENDENT UPON TOURISM FESTIVALS.
SO, UH, LOCAL SHOWS ARE, ARE A SEEN CREATOR CULTURE CREATOR, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, ULTIMATELY A LOSS IN TERMS OF, OF INCOME AND REVENUE, BUT THEY'RE REALLY WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE CURRENTLY, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND 2022, IT'S GOING TO BE GANGBUSTERS IN A FALL SIMPLY BECAUSE EVERYONE'S PLAYING OCEANS 11 WITH THEIR GLOBAL FESTIVALS, AND EVERYONE WANTS TO MAKE A RUN FOR THAT.
UM, I THINK WE ALL WISH EVERYONE LUCK WITH THAT, BUT I THINK MANY OF US HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
NEVERTHELESS, THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO BE TRANSPIRING AROUND THAT TIME.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE EXCITING FOR REINFORCING STAFF AND GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, BUT, YOU KNOW, 20, 22 PROBABLY Q1 Q2 IS TIFFANY OUTLINED IS THE REAL, UH, HALCYON DAYS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARDS.
SO IT'S LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO BETWEEN NOW? AND THEN? WELL, MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN HAS SUBMITTED SOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL AND STAFF THAT LOOKS AT REDEPLOYING SIMILAR BUCKETS OF MONEY AS LAST YEAR THAT CAME FROM KERAS AND DISASTER RELIEF.
BUT PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW DO WE DEPLOY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, RIGHT? THE LIVE MUSIC FUND THAT, THAT Y'ALL HELPED BRING AND HELP HELPED CREATE HAS SAT DORMANT.
WE HAVE ABOUT 2.2 MILLION SITTING IN THE KITTY ON THAT.
AND EVEN IF HOT SHARES WERE DOWN OVER THE PAST 15 MONTHS, THAT'S DRY POWDER, JUST WAITING TO GET USED TO REEMPLOY PEOPLE.
UM, THE CHALLENGE IS, IS THAT THE BALL'S GOTTEN KICKED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN COUNCIL STAFF AND MUSIC ARTS COMMISSIONS AND THIS COMMISSION, AND THAT THERE IS NO PROGRAMMING OR PLANNING TO DATE THAT'S BEEN ACCEPTED OR DIRECTED BY AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS.
SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, WHO HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH CITY ADVOCACY AND INSIDE OF GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, THIS IS A REAL CHALLENGE BECAUSE TIME IS OUR ENEMY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A CHANCE NOW TO REEMPLOY PEOPLE AND PUT THEM BACK TO WORK.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY AS WE REBUILD CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AND, AND, AND THOSE OF US THAT ARE VACCINATED, UM, BUT IF IT'S SITS WITHOUT BEING USED, I'M NOT, I'M NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL BE USED THIS YEAR, NEVERMIND BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
SO I THINK THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT AS LOW HANGING FRUIT THAT I WOULD LOVE TO, UH, I'D LOVE TO ENJOY Y'ALL TO ENGAGE WITH ONCE, ONCE AGAIN, THEN HERE WE ARE BACK AT HEART.
UM, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF HOW WE BOUGHT BACKFILL HOT FUNDS LOSS FOR CULTURAL ARTS AND MUSIC, HOW DO WE USE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DOLLARS TO BACKFILL THAT AGAIN, JUST TO REDEPLOY WORKFORCE TO RESTART THAT, THAT ENGINE, THAT MUSIC ENGINE TO GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, TO GET THE CULTURAL TOURISM ECONOMY CHUGGING AGAIN.
SO, YEAH, I THINK IN, IN, IN BRIEF THERE, THINGS WE CAN DO BETTER BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR, BUT THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS TO PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE FIVE SOLD-OUT NIGHTS OF HOT POT OF A BLACK PUMAS SHOWS AT STUBBS.
BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, SHERIFF CHARLIE'S WILL BE REOPENING.
[01:35:01]
INTO THE 75% TO 100% CAPACITY RANGE.WE HAVE ABOUT 50% OF LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN AUSTIN ARE OPEN.
AND I THINK THE NEXT 50% ARE GOING TO BE COMING ONLINE IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS.
UM, AND OF COURSE THE DISTRICT PLANS ON HOLDING A LOCAL, A LOCAL LIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR CALLED HOT SUMMER NIGHTS AT THE END OF AUGUST TO ALSO SORT OF KICK START THAT UP, UM, FREE SHOWS, EMPLOYING LOCAL MUSICIANS AND LOCAL WORKERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO STOP THERE, ANY THOUGHTS, OUR COMMENTS AND ALL THAT THE NEXT SIX TO NINE MONTHS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THOUGH.
UM, AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A MISSED OPPORTUNITY IF WE CAN'T CREATE THOSE NUMBERS UP FOR HOTELS, FOR RESTAURANTS AND FOR MUSIC SPACES, MUSIC VENUES, AND REALLY PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, GET DOLLARS BACK IN POCKETS.
I DO WANT TO SHARE FOR ALL FULL TRANSPARENCY THAT I DO SIT ON THE BOARD OF MUSIC MAKES AUSTIN, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CODY IS HERE TODAY BECAUSE HE REALLY GIVES US A GOOD PERSPECTIVE ABOUT LIVE MUSIC, UH, IN AUSTIN.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, I'VE BEEN A CHAMPION IN THE CREATION OF THE, THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT LIVE MUSIC IS KIND OF BE THE BACKBONE OF OUR, IF, IF LIVE MUSIC IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR MARKETING AND OUR BRAND, UH, THEN THOSE VENUES AND MUSICIANS ARE THE VERTEBRAE THEMSELVES, I GUESS, SOME SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE WHOLE THING.
UH, I TOTALLY BUTCHERED THAT ANALOGY, BUT, UH, PLEASE, UH, I OPEN THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY FOR US.
AND THAT'S THE COMMISSION I'LL JUST ASK STRAIGHT AND DIRECT.
WHAT IS IT? IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU THINK THAT THE COMMISSION CAN DO OR AS INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE US TO HIGHLIGHT DIRECTLY TO HEIGHTEN OUR ATTENTION ON? I MEAN, YOU COVERED A LOT OF GROUND THERE, SO I'M LOOKING FOR REAL TACTICAL DIRECTIVE.
I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S TWO KEY ITEMS. ONE OF COURSE IS GETTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE GONE FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION THROUGH THE MUSIC COMMISSION, TO STAFF BACK UP TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO THAT CITY COUNCIL CAN MAKE A DECISION PROGRAMMATIC COMPLETELY ABOUT HOW TO DEPLOY THE LIVE MUSIC FUND.
BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE HAVE OVER 2 MILLION SITTING IN THE BANK, THEN LET'S START PAYING PEOPLE TO GET BACK TO WORK AND THAT WON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT, UH, SOME SORT OF, UH, PRESSURE.
THE NEXT IS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN STANDS TO RECEIVE OVER $180 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE COUNTY, UH, IT'S SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO 240 MILLION.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, THE COUNTY HAS NOT SEEN ITS FUNDING OR ITS NEEDS INSIDE OF CITY LIMITS, BUT IT WA THAT WAS WHY IT RECEIVED THE LARGER AMOUNT THAT YOU HEARD ME STATE.
SO ANY, ANY PRESSURE OR DISCUSSION FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION THAT CAN DIRECT THE CITY COUNCIL TO KEEP IN MIND MUSIC AND MUSIC WORKERS WITH THAT MONEY.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S, WE'RE INSIDE A DEEP BUCKET OF NEED WITH OTHER INDUSTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY CONSIDERING SOME OF OUR HOT TICKET CONSIDERATIONS IN AUSTIN LIKE HOMELESSNESS, BUT IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, AND IF WE DON'T COMMUNICATE THAT NEED, WE WILL BE LEFT OUT IT'S I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, BUT FOR THE WORK THAT, THAT WE DID LAST YEAR, THERE WOULD BE $0 FOR ANYONE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WORKER, OR, OR LANDLORD OF MUSIC AND MANAGEMENT SPACE.
UM, SO I'D SAY AGAIN, JUST PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP PRESSURE UP BECAUSE THOSE, THE FISCAL FRAMEWORKS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THOSE ARE GOING TO START TO BE MORE HEAVILY CONSIDERED STARTING NEXT THURSDAY, THE 20TH.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE AT THE TIME THAT MONEY IS GOING TO GET DULLED UP AND, UH, WITH THE ERP AND I'M AFRAID.
MY FEAR IS, IS THAT, UM, IF WE CAN'T DISCUSS LIVE MUSIC, FIND INSIDE OF THAT AND HOW TO, AGAIN, BACKFILL THAT FOR BOTH ARTS AND MUSIC AND PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK THAT THAT'LL GET PUNTED TO NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER, BECAUSE AIR P FUNDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SPREAD ACROSS THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER IT WON'T BE ONE BIG PUNCH, LIKE A, THE CRF CARES DOLLARS WERE, I WILL SAY TO THE COMMISSION, UH, FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, I DO HAVE, UH, EDD AND, UH, OTHERS COMING IN FOR BUDGET PRESENTATIONS.
SO PERHAPS THINKING ABOUT WHAT, UH, WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE AS PART OF THOSE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, UM, FOR JUNE COULD BE, UH, COULD BE, OH, COOL.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SLIDE SOMETHING CODY SAID
[01:40:01]
THAT MAYBE ALLUDED US, BUT NEXT THURSDAY COUNCIL MEETING, THERE WILL BE AN ITEM FROM COUNCIL BACKFILL, THE ARTS LIVE MUSIC FUND BUDGETS FROM AMERICAN RESCUE PLANNING.SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
AND WE TALKED TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IF WE CAN, UH, FOR SUPPORT.
AND I CAN SHARE THAT PERHAPS WITH THE ALLOWABLE.
UH, COMMISSIONER READY? YOU WERE BREAKING UP A LITTLE BIT THERE, BUT I THINK NO, YOU'RE JUST BREAKING UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK WE GOT THE JUSTIN AND CORRECT ME IF I'M TO PARAPHRASE HERE, BUT, UH, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING OR THIS COMING THURSDAY, THERE'S AN ITEM TO BACKFILL CULTURAL ARTS AND, UM, FROM, UH, AND OTHER HOT FUNDS FROM AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.
AND YOU CAN SEND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ITEM, UH, TO THE COUNTY, TO THE COMMISSION.
IT'S NOT THIS THURSDAY, BUT NEXT THURSDAY, MAY 20TH.
IF YOU HAVE SOME DOCUMENTATION AROUND THAT, THAT YOU CAN SEND OUT, UH, YOU CAN SEND IT TO FELICIA AND SHE CAN SHARE OUT WITH THE COMMISSION.
UH, WE, UH, WE'D ALL GREATLY APPRECIATE SEEING THAT.
OH, ANOTHER IF I MAY ANOTHER THING, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SOME MUSIC WORKER, ADVOCACY GROUPS, WE NEED TO START A DISCUSSION.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS STARTS HERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE IT.
AND THE ARTS AND MUSIC COMMISSIONS ABOUT A WORKER PAY IN ABOUT WHAT THE AVERAGE SHOW PRICES AT DOORS ARE, RIGHT? AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN AUSTIN, AND HE'S BEEN GOING TO SHOWS SINCE 1989, UH, THIS IDEA OF HAVING $5, $3, $0 SHOWS HAS BEEN THE ONGOING DIALOGUE.
UH, AT LEAST SINCE, SINCE THEN.
THE RATE OF INFLATION FOR COST OF LIVING HERE, THAT'S BECOME AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION IN TERMS OF WORKERS WORKING TWO, THREE OR FOUR JOBS, EVEN BEING ABLE TO COVER NUT OF FRIEND.
UM, WE'VE GOT TO START CHARGING 10, 15, $20 FOR LOCAL SHOWS.
AND WE GOT TO SORT OF, RE-EXAMINE WHAT OUR COST OF GOODS LOOK LIKE AND WHETHER WE'RE PROMOTERS OR WHETHER WE'RE SMALL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE, AND WE, BY THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP IN AUSTIN ARE NO LONGER THE AUDIENCE FOR SHOWS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE USED TO HAVE A LARGELY WORKING CLASS AUDIENCE, AND THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.
UM, IF YOU'VE SEEN, IF YOU'VE SEEN COST OF LIVING HERE AND WE JUST HAVE TO CHANGE THE PARADIGM AND SHIFT THE MENTALITY IN A DIRECTION, THAT'LL KEEP OUR, OUR AUTHENTIC LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESSES OPEN AND TO KEEP OUR, OUR WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE ALIVE IN THE CITY.
I MEAN, WHEN I WAS AT GM OF MOHAWK FOR 10 YEARS, I AUDITED AND FOUND THAT WE HAD OVER 500 YEARS, 500 YEARS OF COMBINED WORKER EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRY.
AND THAT'S AT ONE, 1000 CAB VENUE WITH LIKE 30 STAFF.
SO THESE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING AND IT'S PROBABLY NO SURPRISE IF YOU'VE BEEN READING JOB REPORTS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT COMING BACK HERE OR NATIONALLY TALKING TO OUR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, 50% OF LESS OF WORKERS ARE COMING BACK TO WORK.
AND OF THOSE 50%, 80% OF THEM ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR FIVE, 10, 20, 40 YEARS.
SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT WORK AT THERE, BUT IT LARGELY HAS TO DO WITH COST OF LIVING SURVIVAL AND JUST THE TENUOUSNESS FOR THE CULTURAL TOURISM INDUSTRY AND PRODUCTION WORK IN GENERAL.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A SERIOUS AND SOBER CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT REAL COSTS ARE NOT BECAUSE WE CAN AFFECT OR INFLUENCE MARKET AS COMMISSIONS AND INDIVIDUALS, BUT BECAUSE WE JUST NEED, WE NEED AWARENESS AROUND THIS.
WE NEED AWARENESS AROUND THIS.
YOU MEAN FOR PAINT COVERS? EXACTLY.
GO GUESS ANYONE NO MORE, I GUESS, LESS KID, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT THE, THE INVERSE TO THAT IS, IS, UH, RESPECTABLE AND INDUSTRY, UM, AND GUARANTEES THAT ACTUALLY VALUE THE VALUE OF MUSIC FOR WHAT IT BRINGS TO THE, UH, TO THE ACTIVITY AND THE EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN, UH, AN ARTIST GUARANTEED CAN GO A LONG WAYS TO MAKING SURE THAT THE ARTIST FEELS LIKE THEY'RE PART OF YOUR EVENT, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, JUST THE, JUST THE HELP.
AND TH WE ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE MUSIC FINE BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
AND, UM, THE MUSICIANS I TALKED TO ALSO, AREN'T REALLY SURE WHERE TO PROCEED WITH THAT, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE STANDARDS SET WITH THE PUBLIC USE OF THIS MONEY, BUT I THINK Y'ALL COULD BE INCREDIBLY HELPFUL WITH, UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS Y'ALL, AND AT THE RISK
[01:45:01]
OF VOLUNTEERING CODY'S TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE HIM AS BEING A REGULAR FIXTURE IN OUR MEETINGS AND PUTTING THAT OUT THERE AS HE DOES BRING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE CONVERSATION.UM, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, UH, AND UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, COMMISSION, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
GOT REALLY AS A SECOND TO NAUGHTY AS A THIRD, ANYBODY, A OPPOSED TO A JOURNEY HEARING NONE.
SO BE IT, WE WILL SEE YOU ALL JUNE, UH, THE SECOND MONDAY OF JUNE 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM.
AND, UH, LOOK FOR AN EMAIL FROM FELICIA SOLICITING INPUT IDEAS, AS WELL AS, UH, GIVING SOME, UH, DRAFT PREPARATION FOR WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH.
UH, HAVE A GREAT DAY AND A GREAT WEEK.