[00:00:03]
I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION.
I'LL BE ACTING AS, UH, THE CHAIR TODAY.
AS OUR CHAIR, DANIEL IS JOINING US ONLINE, SO YOU HAVE TO BE PRESENT THERE AS HOPE YOU GUYS ARE DOING WELL.
WE, UH, IT'S JUNE 12TH, IT'S 3 0 8, AND I'M OFFICIALLY CALLING THE MEETING OF THE TOURISM AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION TO ORDER AND, UH, WITH OUR FIRST, UH, ORDER OF BUSINESS, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? WE DO NOT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WILL MOVE ON THEN TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MAY, THE MAY 8TH MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION.AND DO I HAVE A, CAN I MAKE AN OBSERVATION? YES.
UM, I'M SORRY I WASN'T AT THE MAY MEETING, BUT I DID TRY TO LOOK OVER THE MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL MEETING, AND I'M AFRAID WE MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY APPROVED MINUTES THAT DO NOT REFLECT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY DECIDED AT THE APRIL MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN ADDRESS IT AT TODAY'S MEETING, BUT, UH, IN REVIEWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD ABOUT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, THE AMENDMENT THAT PASSED BASICALLY TOOK OUT SOME OF THE LANGUAGE FROM THE ORIGINAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT REFERRED TO THE MUSIC COMMISSION AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AND THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYBODY, AND THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
SO, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CORRECT THIS, BUT I DID DOUBLE CHECK, WATCH THE VIDEO, MAKE SURE MY MEMORY WAS RIGHT, AND WE PROBABLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO CORRECT THAT AND MAKE SURE WE CORRECT WHATEVER'S POSTED AS OUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
IF WE CAN DO THAT NOW OR LATER.
I, I'M OPEN, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
COMMISSIONER KANATI, I GUESS I AM AT A LOSS OF IT.
IT'S A PROCEDURAL THING THAT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CLARITY ON WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE AT THIS JUNCTURE.
IF WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED, IT DOES ANYONE IT, SINCE IT'S NOT PART OF OUR AGENDA TODAY, HOW, HOW, HOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, THOUGHTS ON THAT EITHER? DANIEL, WHILE YOU'RE LISTENING OR FELICIA, DO YOU HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE? UM, THIS, UH, THIS IS DANIEL.
UM, IF YOU CAN ACKNOWLEDGE ME,
COMMISSIONER CHAIR DANIEL RONAN, PLEASE HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT.
SO, UH, I, UM, I THINK THE, THE WAY FORWARD IS, UM, TO HAVE A BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS IN PARTICULAR.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT COMMISSIONER TI UM, PROPOSE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE NEXT MEETING THAT WE CAN PUT ON THE AGENDA AND SEND THE, UM, ITEMS IN QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE MAIN MINUTES, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY NEEDED CHANGES AND TAKE A VOTE ON THOSE CHANGES AS NECESSARY.
UM, WOULD THAT BE AMENABLE TO COMMISSIONER KANATI? DO I NEED TO REPEAT ALL OF THAT AND, AND THEN ASK THAT OF, UM, THAT'S A, OR I THINK YOU JUST ASK, I THINK COMMISSIONER KANATI PROBABLY HEARD THAT YES, HE DID.
NOT A MOTION COMMISSIONER KANATI.
HOW, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER RONAN ON THIS IF WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING? THAT'S FINE.
I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT WE DECIDED, AND I ASSUME IT WILL BE A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD EXERCISE OF CORRECTING THE RECORD, BUT IF WE NEED TO WAIT A MONTH, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF, I GUESS I THINK THAT, OH, I WAS GONNA SAY, FELICIA IS GOING TO LOOK INTO WHETHER THERE'S SOME OTHER CORRECTION PROCEDURE THAT IS PART OF THE MAGICAL CITY PROCESS AND SHE'LL LET US KNOW.
AND I ACKNOWLEDGE FELICIA WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, SO I'M GONNA SEND AN EMAIL TO THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AND SEE WHAT OUR STEPS CAN BE SINCE THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND POSTED.
UM, ONCE I HEAR FROM THAT, WE CAN, UM, DECIDE HOW TO WORK WITH OUR JULY AGENDA.
AND TO, TO THAT, TO THAT POINT, IS THERE A TIME THEN YOU'LL REPORT BACK SO THAT COMMISSIONER TI KNOWS IF HE NEEDS TO SUBMIT SOMETHING IN WRITING REGARDING THIS.
SHOULD HE JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT PARALLEL TO YOUR INQUIRY INTO THE OFFICE AND, AND THAT WAY YOU'RE READY TO ROLL? IF WE DO, I WILL SUBMIT SOMETHING.
SO, UM, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, GREG CHANIN HAS ARRIVED, AND, UH, STEPHANIE MATHIS, COMMISSIONER STEPHANIE MATHIS, HAVE BOTH JOINED THE MEETING.
SO, UH, GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL HERE.
UH, AS WE WERE JUST REVIEWING AS A RECAP FOR THE COMMISSIONERS JUST JOINED US, UH, COMMISSIONER KANATI NOTED THAT THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY THAT HE NOTED HE WAS NOT IN THE LAST MEETING.
WE VOTED THE APRIL MINUTES THROUGH, UH,
[00:05:01]
IN OUR LAST MEETING IN MAY.HE WAS REVIEWING THAT MEETING ONLINE AS WELL AS, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD ABOUT THE CULTURAL ARTS RECOMMENDATION AND THE FUNDING HE'S REQUESTED THAT WE REVISE AND LOOK INTO BECAUSE HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT WE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BODY AGREED TO AND VOTED ON IN THAT MEETING.
AND SINCE HE WASN'T IN THE MEETING IN MAY TO VOTE ON THE MEETING, WE ALL UN UNANIMOUSLY VOTED THROUGH THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL MEETING, AND HE WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA CHECK TO SEE HOW WE CAN CLAR CLARIFY WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE AND CORRECT THE ACTION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS TOPIC? NO.
SO THEN I GUESS WE KNOW MOTIONS REQUIRED HERE.
SO WE STILL CAN TALK ABOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY MEETING.
SO DO, DO I HAVE A, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 8TH MEETING? COMMISSIONER CHAN HAS MADE A MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER REEDY.
ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MINUTES, UH, BY ANYONE SEEING AS THERE'S NO DISCUSSION ON THE, THE MAY 8TH MEETING MINUTES, THEN I ASK FOR A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 8TH MEETING OF THE TOURISM COMMISSION? SAY AYE.
SO LET THE RECORDS REFLECT THAT COMMISSIONER KANATI HAS ABSTAINED BECAUSE HE WAS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE MAY 8TH MEETING.
EVERYONE ELSE HAS APPROVED THE, UH, THE MOTION OR, UH, I, I DIDN'T LOOK ONLINE.
FELICIA, I THINK I SAW DANIEL'S HAND, BUT EILEEN AS WELL? YES.
I MEAN, SO IT WAS UNANIMOUS WITH, WITH COMMISSIONER KANATI ABSTAINING.
WE HAVE THE EASIEST MEETING EVER TO APPROVE
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Ojeda, regarding the vacancy on the board and upcoming schedule changes for upcoming meetings.]
ALRIGHT, THIS BRINGS US INTO OUR AGENDA UP TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, A STAFF, UH, BRIEFING FROM OUR STAFF LIAISON.FELICIA, DO YOU HAVE, UH, NEWS WE COULD USE
UM, SO JUST A REMINDER, NEXT MONTH WHEN WE MEET IN JULY, WE ARE MEETING THE MONDAY AFTER OUR NORMAL TIME.
SO JULY 15TH IS WHEN WE'RE MEETING, AND WE'RE MET BACK IN THE CHAMBER'S ROOM AT TWO 30.
SO REMEMBER MONDAY, JULY 15TH IS OUR NEXT MEETING.
IT IS ON YOUR AGENDA FOR TODAY AT THE BOTTOM.
UM, DANIEL WANTED ME TO REMIND EVERYONE AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT OUR DISTRICT FOUR POSITION IS NOW VACANT.
UM, COMMISSIONER MCGEE HAS RESIGNED.
AND SO NOW WE ARE LOOKING FOR A DISTRICT FOUR REP.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, TO FINALIZE NEXT MONTH'S, UM, AGENDA, WE NEED TO APPROVE, UM, THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW.
SO TO TODAY'S MORE ABOUT TALKING AND DISCUSSING.
AND THEN, UM, COME JULY, WE'LL NEED TO HAVE THAT APPROVAL AND READY TO POST.
AND YES, COMMISSIONER HANIN, SAME.
WE'RE GOING BACK TO OUR OLD MEETING TIME ON JULY 15TH AT TWO 30.
AND, BUT IT'S GONNA BE ON A MONDAY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAN, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FOR FELICIA? ALL RIGHT.
[3. Presentation by Catherine Whited, Co-Chair of the Austin Museum Partnership, regarding Austin Museum Economy and its impact on Tourism.]
WE WILL MOVE FORWARD ON OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. WHICH ITEM NUMBER THREE, WE'RE PLEASED TO WELCOME CATHERINE WHITEHEAD, THE, UH, CO-CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP, AND SHE'S GOING TO SPEAK WITH US REGARDING THE AUSTIN MUSEUM ECONOMY AND ITS ONGOING IMPACT ON TOURISM IN AUSTIN.WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION, AND, UH, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, MY NAME IS CATHERINE WHITE.
AS MENTIONED, I AM ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS FOR THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT WE DO FOR, UH, NOT ONLY THE MUSEUM COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT THE LARGER, UH, PUBLIC OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO, WHO ARE WE? UH, THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP IS A 5 0 1
[00:10:01]
C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE MANDATES.
PRIMARILY WE PROMOTE AND FACILITATE COLLABORATION WITHIN THE MUSEUM COMMUNITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR MUSEUMS HERE IN AUSTIN AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UM, MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, IN THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA, BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE MUSEUM RELATED SERVICES AND INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN FURTHERING THE PURPOSE OF A MP.
UM, WE HAVE MEMBERS AS FAR OUT AS BASTROP, GEORGETOWN, AND WE EVEN HAVE ONE MUSEUM OUT IN MARBLE FALLS.
WHO'S JOINED? AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO, WE ARE GOVERNED BY A 10 PERSON VOLUNTEER BOARD.
I BELIEVE ALL OF OUR, UM, VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS ARE FULLY EMPLOYED WITH VARIOUS CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS ACROSS, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I, MYSELF AM EMPLOYED, UH, WITH LANDMARKS, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
UM, AND WE DO THIS, UM, THROUGH FUNDING.
WE ARE FUNDED BY MEMBERSHIP DUES, SPONSORSHIPS AND GRANTS, UM, MEMBERSHIPS, DUES FOR INSTITUTIONS.
SO IF A MUSEUM WANTS TO JOIN ARE A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
AND THEN, UM, INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS CAN ALSO JOIN, UH, FOR $25.
AND WHAT DO WE DO? AS I MENTIONED, WE CONNECT WITH THE PUBLIC.
WE DO THAT PRIMARILY THROUGH AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
UM, HAVE ANY OF Y'ALL PARTICIPATED IN AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY BEFORE? HEY, IT'S THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR.
UM, I'LL TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT IT, UM, HERE IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT THAT'S EASILY OUR LARGEST EVENT OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HISTORICALLY ORGANIZED EDUCATOR NIGHTS.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE INVITE TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS FROM THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT MUSEUMS ACROSS, UH, THE CITY SO THAT THEY CAN POTENTIALLY COLLABORATE, UM, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH FIELD TRIPS OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE WEBSITE WHERE WE COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT ALL OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS, AND THEN WE HAVE HAPPY HOUR EVENTS, WHICH ARE, UM, OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
AND WE ALSO CONNECT WITH OUR MEMBERS.
UM, WE HOST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, STAFF MEMBERS OF OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS.
UM, WE MAKE GRANTS AVAILABLE OURSELVES.
WE MAKE, UM, MICRO GRANTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THEN WE DO A LOT OF NETWORKING, NETWORKING AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING.
AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THOSE HAPPY HOURS, UM, WHICH ARE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFESSIONALS TO COME TOGETHER.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, AROUND FOUR GENERAL MEMBER MEETINGS THAT PEOPLE CONNECT OUT, WHICH ARE A LOT OF FUN.
SO, AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY, LIKE I SAID, UM, IT IS OUR EASILY OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN PUTTING IT ON SINCE 1998, AND WE HAVE, UH, IT HAS BEEN COORDINATED BY THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THE ONLY REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS IS THAT THEY OFFER FREE ADMISSION.
UM, SOME OF OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS DON'T EVEN HAVE A, UH, LONG-TERM PHYSICAL LOCATION.
WE JUST ASK THEM, AS LONG AS WHEREVER YOUR'RE SET UP YOUR SATELLITE LOCATION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY, YOU CAN PARTICIPATE.
AND A LOT OF OUR INSTITUTIONS ALSO OFFER SPECIAL PROGRAMMING AS WELL TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, HYPE UP THE DAY.
UM, THERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS ON THE PRESENTATION FOR THE CONTEMPORARY WHERE THEY DID AN INTERACTIVE MURAL.
UM, THE ELIZABETH NA MUSEUM DID PORTRAITURE IN THE PARK, WHICH WAS A LOT OF FUN.
UM, AND AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY IS ALWAYS HELD ON THE PENULTIMATE SUNDAY OF THE MONTH IN SEPTEMBER.
I THINK ORIGINALLY THE HOPE WAS THAT IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT COOLER THAT TIME OF YEAR
UM, BUT IT, IT IS, UH, STILL A REALLY GREAT EVENT.
AND THIS YEAR IT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 22ND.
UM, AND THE MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP.
WE LET OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS DETERMINE WHAT THEIR PROGRAMMING LOOKS LIKE ON AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
WE ARE JUST INTERESTED IN ORGANIZING THEM, GATHERING ALL THAT INFORMATION.
UM, WE SEEK OUT SPONSORSHIP, SPONSORSHIPS, AND FUNDRAISING FOR OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS.
WE PUT FORWARD PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
Y'ALL ARE GETTING A SNEAK PEEK OF OUR POSTER THIS YEAR, UM, WHICH WE JUST GOT ABOUT A WEEK AGO.
UM, WE ALSO VERY INTENTIONALLY WORK WITH LOCAL ARTISTS EVERY YEAR TO CREATE A DIFFERENT, UM, POSTER AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
WE UPDATE OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA SITES WITH INFORMATION ON WHAT EVERY SITE IS DOING ON AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
WE HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE FOR OUR MEMBERS.
AND THEN WE ALSO DO, UM, DOCUMENTATION EVALUATION AT THE END AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THESE ARE SOME OF OUR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS THAT WE, UH, HISTORICALLY HAVE SOUGHT OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO DURING, UH, PEOPLE'S COMMUTES AND GET THEM INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY? SO THAT'S OUR BANNER.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT OVER LAMAR THIS YEAR, AGAIN, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THIS GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE.
THEY PUT TOGETHER A MAP, UM, THAT HIGHLIGHTS EVERY SITE THAT IS PARTICIPATING IN AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
UM, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR THEY PROVIDED
[00:15:01]
SIX PAGES OF CONTENT FOR ALL OF OUR MEMBERS, WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY GENEROUS OF THEM.UM, THEY GIVE INDIVIDUAL BLURBS ABOUT WHAT OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE DOING ON AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
AND THAT MAP IS, UH, IS REALLY HELPFUL.
AND THEN THIS IS SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION AND EVALUATION.
THIS IS FROM 2020, UM, WHERE WE WENT TO A REMOTE MODEL.
WE HAD AN APP THAT WE UTILIZED FOR AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY, WHICH WAS, UM, KIND OF A DIFFERENT, I THINK, REDUCED EXPERIENCE, BUT IT DID ALLOW US TO REALLY TRACK HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN THE DAY AND THE, UH, VIRTUAL OFFERINGS THAT ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS WERE ABLE TO GIVE.
SO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE DO, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE OFFER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS FOR OUR MEMBERS, UH, FOR EMPLOYEES OF THEIR INSTITUTIONS, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, I BELIEVE IN 2023, WE GAVE OUT FOUR GRANTS OF $400, AND THAT ALLOWED OUR, UM, RECIPIENTS TO ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES LIKE GOING TO CONFERENCES, UM, PARTICIPATING IN ONLINE CLASS, UH, COURSEWORK.
AND ALSO, UM, I BELIEVE ONE OF OUR RECIPIENTS, UH, USED HER, UH, GRANT MONEY TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP, WHICH WE WERE REALLY HAPPY TO, UM, MAKE AVAILABLE TO HER.
AND, UH, I ALSO THROW OUT, UM, THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS CONFERENCE.
WE ALSO HOST A, OR EXCUSE ME, WE ALSO OFFER A MICRO GRANT, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO ATTEND THAT, UH, EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY, REALLY INVALUABLE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY.
AND HERE'S JUST A SHORT LIST OF ALL OF OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS FROM LAST YEAR.
I THINK THERE ARE 39 ON THIS LIST.
SO WE HAVE SOME OF THE ONES THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF, LIKE THE LBJ LIBRARY, THE BULLOCK TEXAS, UH, STATE HISTORY MUSEUM, AND ALSO SOME HIDDEN GEMS ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LIKE THE HEZEKIAH HASKELL HOUSE.
UM, WOMEN IN THEIR WORK, THE TEXAS MILITARY FORCES MUSEUM.
WE ARE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, IN, THERE'S PROBABLY A MUSEUM IN AUSTIN THAT CATERS TO THOSE INTERESTS.
AND WE REALLY, UM, ARE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE ALL OF THE, THE REALLY SPECIAL WORK THAT OUR MEMBER INSTITUTIONS DO.
UM, BUT WHY SHOULD Y'ALL CARE? WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN? UM, SO I HAVE A FEW FIGURES HERE, UM, FROM THE, THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS, THAT IS THE NATIONAL MUSEUM ASSOCIATION.
UM, 76% OF ALL US LEISURE TRAVELERS PARTICIPATE IN CULTURAL OR HERITAGE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS VISITING MUSEUMS. AND THE NUMBERS SHOW THAT THESE TRAVELERS SPEND ABOUT 60% MORE MONEY THAN THE, UH, THAN OTHER LEISURE TRAVELERS.
THAT INCLUDES FOLKS WHO TRAVEL, SAY, OR, UM, MUSIC, UH, MUSIC EXPERIENCE OR SPORTING EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
EACH JOB CREATED IN THE MUSEUM SECTOR RESULTS IN OVER $16,000 IN ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE.
UM, AND ALSO MUSEUMS AND OTHER NONPROFIT CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS RETURN MORE THAN $5 IN TAX REVENUES FOR EVERY DOLLAR THEY RECEIVE IN FUNDING FROM ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
AND HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE NUMBERS FROM OUR LOCAL INSTITUTIONS.
UM, SO THE BULLOCK, TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM IS ONE OF OUR LARGER, UM, MEMBER INSTITUTIONS.
AND THEY SEE OVER 400,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, AND THEY, UM, TAKE VERY HARD DATA.
AND SO THEY KNOW THAT 40% OF THOSE VISITORS ARE TOURISTS, NOT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND 38,000 OF THOSE ARE SCHOOL CHILDREN, WHICH IS BANANAS TO ME.
UM, BUT THEY DO A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
UM, WITH THAT, THE LBJ PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY ALSO EMPLOYS A HUNDRED, UH, EMPLOYEES, AND THEY SEE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND ANNUAL VISITORS.
THEY ESTIMATE HALF OF THOSE ARE TOURISTS.
PEOPLE LOVE CHECKING THE PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES OFF THEIR LIST.
ONLY NINE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE FULL-TIME, AND THEY JUST REOPENED IN SEPTEMBER.
SO I THINK THEY'VE BEEN OPEN FOR ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS, AND THEY'VE ALREADY SEEN 50,000 VISITORS, WHICH IS ALSO BANANAS.
AND 60,000 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN, OR EXCUSE ME, 6,000 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN SCHOOL CHILDREN.
AND THEN LANDMARKS, WHICH IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT I'M AFFILIATED WITH, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE THE PUBLIC ART PROGRAM FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UM, BUT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE LOCATED ON CAMPUS ALL AROUND, UM, JUST TO ONE OF OUR ART INSTALLATIONS LAST YEAR, WE SAW 46,000 VISITORS, UM, WHICH WAS AN ENDEAVOR.
UH, WE HAVE FOUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, BUT WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO HOST THAT, UM, ART INSTALLATION.
IT'S THE, THE COLOR INSIDE BY THE ARTIST JAMES DURRELL.
AND SO HERE'S JUST SOME OF THE SPONSORSHIPS AND FUNDRAISING THAT WE RECEIVED TO DO ALL THIS GOOD WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I DON'T THINK OUR GRANT APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, UM, BUT WE ALSO ARE THE VERY LUCKY BENEFICIARIES OF CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP.
NO STORE DOES MORE, WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH HEB AND THE, UH, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY GIVE.
THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE ALSO, AS I MENTIONED, HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT, UM, PARTNER FOR AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY SPECIFICALLY.
AND CAP METRO HAS ALSO SUPPORTED US IN THE PAST.
AND THEN MATH HAPPENS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR,
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UM, MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS.THEY'RE ONE OF THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE A PHYSICAL LOCATION, BUT THEY DO POP UP, UM, EXHIBITS ALL OVER THE CITY PROMOTING MATH IN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND THEY HAVE ALSO, UM, BECOME A SPONSOR, A LARGER SPONSOR OF AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
AND SO THAT IS THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOR Y'ALL.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MAY HAVE, UM, ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP MUSEUM DAY AND SOME OF THE OTHER WORK THEY DO.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION VERY MUCH.
I'M SURE THAT SOME OF OUR COMMISSIONERS HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, SO I'LL PITCH THE, PITCH IT OUT TO Y'ALL.
I THINK YOU SAID THAT YOU HAVE A FUNDRAISING SOURCE OF GRANTS, BUT IT HASN'T REALLY WORKED OUT.
IS THAT RIGHT? KIND OF WHAT'S THE STORY THERE? SO, UM, I KNOW THE, THE PRIMARY GRANT THAT WE USED TO, UM, RECEIVE PRETTY CONSISTENTLY WAS THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVES GRANT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, THAT MODEL CHANGED IN 2020, AS I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE.
AND SO WE HAVE APPLIED FOR THE, I THINK IT'S THE ELEVATE GRANT, UM, IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND SINCE THE GRANT MODEL HAS CHANGED FOR THE CITY, THOSE APPLICATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KANATI.
SO CAN YOU JUST FAMILIARIZE ME WITH WHAT CHANGE THAT MADE YOU NO LONGER QUALIFY FOR THE GRANT FROM THE CITY? I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UM, THE STRUCTURE AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE GRANT.
I ACTUALLY WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THOSE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES LAST YEAR, AND SO I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC, UM, SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF WHY THOSE WERE EFFORTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT IN THE PAST WE RECEIVED ANYWHERE FROM 3000 TO $8,000 FROM THE CITY, UM, WHICH WAS PERFECTLY FINE FOR US.
WE'RE, WE'RE A PRETTY SMALL OPERATION.
OUR EXPENDITURES TEND TO BE AROUND $10,000 A YEAR.
UM, BUT THE ELEVATE GRANT IS, UM, A GREATER AMOUNT THAN THAT.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON THAT THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
UH, DANIEL, YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN I DO ABOUT THAT.
COMMISSIONER RONAN, YOU'VE BEEN, YOU'VE BEEN CALLED IN.
UM, YEAH, NO, I, I THINK, UH, THE GRANT STRATEGY FOR CULTURE ARTS GRANTS HAS CHANGED.
AND I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER REY CAN ALSO SAY A LOT ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
BUT I FIRST OFF WANTED TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO CATHERINE.
UM, I WAS IN HER SHOES AS ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE AUSTIN MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP, UM, I GUESS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UM, BUT WANTED JUST TO COMMEND ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT, UH, THE A MP IS DOING IN TERMS OF ELEVATING MUSEUMS IN AUSTIN, AND ALSO FOCUSING IN PARTICULAR ON, UH, LOOKING AT ECONOMIC IMPACT DATA OF OUR MUSEUM INSTITUTIONS IN AUSTIN, AND HOW WE GO ABOUT REALLY FEEDING THE PIPELINE OF, UH, ROOM NIGHTS TO INCREASE OUR HOT TAX REVENUES.
SO I WANT TO REALLY JUST THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, CATHERINE AND A MP UM, FOLKS, AND I'M SORRY I CANNOT BE THERE TODAY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I COMMUNICATED MY THANKS.
ONE POINT THAT I WANTED TO ALSO CALL OUT WAS, UM, THE FACT THAT CULTURAL TOURISTS AND MUSEUM TOURISTS SPEND MORE MONEY THAN THOSE WHO ARE, UH, UH, VISITING A PLACE FOR MUSIC AND, UH, SPORTING EVENTS.
OF COURSE, THAT'S AN AVERAGE, BUT I JUST WANNA CALL THAT OUT AS, UM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT VISITATION AND TOURISM MORE HOLISTICALLY WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUR BROADER, UH, TOURISM ECOSYSTEM, INCLUDING ARTS CULTURE AND, UH, MUSEUM INSTITUTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR COMING AND, UM, I YIELD BACK.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RONAN, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW YOUR STATEMENT AND SAY FOR THE ALL OF US THAT I THINK IN ONE OF OUR MORE RECENT PRESENTATIONS FROM THE VISIT AUSTIN, UH, TEAM, WE HEARD ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA COLLECTING AND SOME OF THE SYSTEMS THEY'RE USING TO TRACK HOW TOURISTS MOVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT FOLLOW UP OPPORTUNITY THE NEXT TIME WE, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE THEM ON OUR AGENDA FROM TIME TO TIME AS THE LEADING, UH, KIND OF ORG FOR TOURISM.
I'D LOVE TO ASK THEM TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE CONCRETE DATA ABOUT SOME OF THE MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL DESTINATIONS THAT THEY'RE TRACKING, THAT THEY KNOW FROM THE, THESE TOOLS THAT THEY SUBSCRIBE TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW WE BRING ALL THAT DATA TOGETHER.
AND I DO THINK, AGREE WITH YOU THAT ANECDOTALLY THAT THE MUSEUM TRAVELERS
[00:25:01]
ARE, ARE PROBABLY JUST A LITTLE OLDER, UH, AND A LITTLE MORE ESTABLISHED CAREER WISE.AND THEY, THEY DEFINITELY COME TO TOWN TO, TO DIVE INTO MORE THINGS THAN JUST PARTIES.
AND I THINK I'M, I'M INSPIRED PERSONALLY BY SEEING
I WAS, I CAN'T SAY THAT I KNEW THAT THERE WERE 38.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE ALL OF 'EM.
THEY'RE PROBABLY MORE THAN 38.
UM, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAVE, AND I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS IS THAT I'M INTERESTED IN 1998.
YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST MUSEUM DAY, BUT I ALSO SEE THAT AS IF, UNLESS I'M READ, THAT IS WHEN THE ORGANIZATION WAS ESTABLISHED.
SO I'M WONDERING WHETHER IT WAS THE MUSEUM DAY THAT PUSHED ALL THIS FORWARD, THAT THE NOTION THAT, WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS THAT IN 98 THAT THE FORMATION, WAS IT THE EVENT ITSELF OR WAS IT JUST SOME OTHER THING DRIVING WHY WE WERE READY AND MATURE ENOUGH AS A MARKET TO HAVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD HELP RAISE THE BAR AND CREATE INTEGRATION OF ALL THE, THE DIFFERENT OPERATORS? YEAH.
SO ACTUALLY THE FIRST MUSEUM DAY WAS HELD IN 97.
UM, AND THE MUSEUM PARTNERSHIP WAS ESTABLISHED IN 98, I ASSUME, TO MORE, UM, CENTRALLY ORGANIZED AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY AS AN EVENT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL EVENTS THAT LED TO THE FIRST AUSTIN MUSEUM DAY.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
WELL, CLEARLY YOU'RE DOING GOOD WORK.
AND I, I DIDN'T RAISE MY HAND WHEN YOU ASKED THE QUESTION OF HOW MANY PEOPLE I, I ACTUALLY HAVE, I REMEMBER TAKING OUR DAUGHTER, UH, WHEN SHE WAS REALLY YOUNG, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
SO THIS IS A, A DEFINITE ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY AND A SIGN OF A MATURE COMMUNITY THAT HAS THE ABILITY FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO OFFER ALL OF THESE INSTITUTIONS FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
I THINK IT'S A TERRIFIC PROGRAM.
AND THAT IS, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, A PRETTY UNIQUE, UH, SET UP.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS AN ORGANIZATION OR A DAY DEDICATED TO ALL MUSEUMS BEING FREE LIKE THIS.
I BELIEVE THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS A MUSEUM CONSORTIUM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY OFFER A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
UM, I BELIEVE PHILADELPHIA ALSO HAS A CONSORTIUM OF MUSEUMS AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO BRING THIS UNIQUE EXPERIENCE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE IT, A LOT OF OUR MUSEUMS ARE FREE ON DIFFERENT DAYS, BUT THIS REALLY BRINGS THE FOCUS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO THE RICH MUSEUM HERITAGE THAT WE HAVE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK ONE OFF YOUR LIST THAT YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT VISITING.
UM, AGAIN, THEY DO A LOT OF REALLY FUN ACTIVITIES.
OUR FRIENDS OVER AT THE NEIL COCHRAN HOUSE MUSEUM MAKE HAND CHURNED ICE CREAM AND HAVE BANJO BANDS ON SITE.
UM, SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT ON MUSEUM DAY, I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO, DID YOU SAY THE MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM IS ON YOUR LIST? UH, THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY
I'M JUST, I, I, I THINK I WAS KIDDING.
BUT I, I, I REMEMBER I GOT TRAPPED INTO GOING THERE ONE TIME WITH MY DAUGHTER.
SHE SAW IT AND WOULD NOT BE DENIED.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS, UH, WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF SAYING NO TO FOLKS WHO WANNA JOIN, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO BE FREE ON MUSEUM DAY.
AND SO, UH, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT, WHAT KEEPS THEM AWAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR GUEST? ANYONE? ANYONE, ANYONE.
WELL ON THAT THEN I'LL, I'LL JUST PROMPT ALL OF US TO PUT SEPTEMBER 22ND ON OUR CALENDARS.
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL PARTICIPATE AND SEE THE RICHES THAT OUR MUSEUM COMMUNITY ARE PROVIDING.
AND I'LL THANK OUR GUEST, CATHERINE WHITEHEAD, FOR COMING TODAY AND SHARING THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION AND ALL YOU'RE DOING TO HELP LIFT UP THE COMMUNITY AND TOURISM AS WELL.
THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE TIME, MAKE SURE, SURE.
OH, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH TIME SINCE SOMEONE HAS SAID THAT THEY'VE LOST FUNDING BECAUSE OF THE WAY, UM, THAT FUNDING HAS CHANGED.
I'M WANTING, I'M JUST REALLY WONDERING.
SO DO ALL THE MONEY GET USED OR IS IT JUST SITTING OUT THERE? UM, I IT'S JUST, IT'S A TREND NOW.
WELL, I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION DIRECTLY.
I, I KNOW YOU POSSIBLY ASKED IT RHETORICALLY, BUT I WILL COMMENT.
IT DOES GO RIGHT BACK TO COMMISSIONER TY'S CONCERN ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'VE MADE ABOUT FROM THIS BODY TO CULTURAL ARTS AND ABOUT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, THAT WE GET THE MESSAGE RIGHT, AND THAT WE ARE JOINING USING OUR VOICE TO JOIN THAT CONVERSATION.
I KNOW THERE'S MUSIC AND I THINK BALLET ALSO CAME ALSO BALLET.
IT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT CONTINUES.
[00:30:01]
CHAIR, COMMISSIONER REEDY, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS.UM, THE, THE THING THAT MIKE AND I BROUGHT FORWARD AND WAS APPROVED DID TALK ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF AUDIENCE SERVED AS A CONSIDERATION IN CULTURAL FUNDING.
SO THERE'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR YOUR SHOW ANYMORE WHEN YOU APPLY FOR YOUR GRANT.
AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE LIKE AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE, ZILKER THEATER PRODUCTIONS, RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND I THINK IT WAS KATHY HAMRICK DANCE AND THEIR AUSTIN DANCE FESTIVAL CAME TO SAY THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER SERVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF AUDIENCE, WHICH IS HOW IT CORRECTS DIRECTLY TO TOURISM.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL ALONG.
YOU DON'T DISCONNECT IT FROM AUDIENCE SERVED.
UM, THAT'S JUST OUTSIDE OF BEST PRACTICES.
WELL, I CAN JUST SAY THAT I KNOW, BECAUSE I'M A HOTELIER THAT MUSEUMS ARE IMPORTANT, THAT TOURISTS, I TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, AND I HAVE, I SAY, HEY, GO SEE ONE OF OUR BIG MUSEUMS. THEY'RE GREAT.
IF YOU WANT TO FEEL OLD AUSTIN, THAT'S REALLY GREAT.
AND THEN GO EAT AT FONDA SAN MIGUEL BECAUSE IT'S AN EASY SHOT OVER, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S NOT IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMITTEE FOR ME TO SAY MY KIDS GREW UP, GREW UP GOING WITH THOSE SCHOOLS TO THESE MUSEUMS, PARTICULARLY THE ONE THAT WAS CLOSED FOR A WHILE AT UT.
THAT'S WHERE THE DINOSAURS WERE.
IT'S LIKE A REALLY GREAT PLACE.
UM, I ALWAYS VOLUNTEERED AS A MOM TO DO THOSE BECAUSE THAT WAS VERY COOL.
BUT SINCE WE'RE THE TOURISM COMMISSION, I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO SAY THAT THIS IS, UH, THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT CULTURAL DRAWS.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT, UM, MUSEUMS, UM, THEY'RE, THIS IS WHAT PUTS PEOPLE'S HEADS IN OUR BEDS IN, IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS.
SO IT'S REALLY SAD WHEN YOU HEAR THAT FUNDING IS EVAPORATING, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHY REALLY OR WHERE IT'S GOING.
COMMISSIONER RE WE DO KNOW WHY THEY REPRIORITIZE THE IDENTITY OF THE PRODUCER, THE EIGHT RACIAL AND ETHNIC IDENTITY OF THE PRESENTER AND PRODUCER OVER THE AUDIENCE, WHICH AGAIN, IS NOT BEST PRACTICES NATIONALLY OR FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF, UH, ARTS.
UM, AND I THINK WE NOTICED THAT WITH SOME OF THE PRESENTERS WHERE THEY COULD SERVE AS MANY KIDS FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AS THEY DID.
BUT IF THE DIRECTOR IS NOT FROM A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY, THEY WERE DEPRIORITIZED.
AND THAT'S WHERE, WHERE I'VE BEEN UPSET ABOUT IT ALL ALONG BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY CUT SERVICES TO HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
I UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF THE CHANGES.
MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED IN ORDER FOR THE RESULTS TO ACTUALLY MATCH THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE CHANGES WERE MADE.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S ALIGNED.
UH, COMMISSIONER HAN IS, YEAH.
AND I, I MIGHT ADD TO WHAT JOHN SAID.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE CHANGE WAS MADE SUDDENLY THAT THERE WASN'T ANY TIMELINE FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO ADJUST TO THE NEW REQUIREMENTS SO THEY COULD MAINTAIN THEIR FUNDING.
I'LL JUST SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID RECOMMEND, AND MAYBE EVERYONE REMEMBERS THIS, BUT THAT THE APRIL MEETING, WE RECOMMENDED SOME DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO HOW THE CITY ALLOCATES FUNDING.
AND ONE WAS, LET'S HAVE A BUCKET THAT CONTINUES TO SERVE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT RACIAL DISPARITY HISTORY ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO OVERCOME.
BUT THAT'S ONE BUCKET OF MONEY.
AND THEN MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER BUCKET OF MONEY WITH A DIFFERENT SET OF CRITERIA THAT MAYBE DOES A BETTER JOB OF REFLECTING FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS OR EVENTS THAT SERVE A BROAD DIVERSITY OF, OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS.
AND SO WE AT LEAST TOOK A STAB AT YEAH.
ADJUSTING WHAT THE CITY'S DOING WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE MUSEUMS IN AUSTIN IS JUST THE BREADTH OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE TALKING TO TOURISTS ABOUT IT, THAT THERE'S SOME OF 'EM THAT THEY'VE ALL HEARD OF, BUT THEN YOU CAN ALSO, YOU KNOW, RE RECOMMEND ONES THAT THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, ALIGN WITH SOME OTHER, LIKE, MORE INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
I, I JUST, I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.
I WOULD LOVE TO, I JUST WANT IT TO BE FOSTERED AND ADORED.
WELL, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, AND I KNOW, AND ALL THE COMMENTS COMING FROM THE COMMISSION ON THIS TOPIC, I, I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY SHOULD, UH, DIG IN A LITTLE DEEPER.
CLEARLY WE HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT THIS AND WE, AND WE WANNA DO GOOD WORK, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE JOINED US.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEAR THE CLEAR TIME TO, TO HEAR THEM.
AND THEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE AGENDAS, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PASSION TRAVELS FORWARD.
AND I'M GLAD, AGAIN, I'LL SUPPORT THAT.
[00:35:01]
RONAN, HAS PUT TOGETHER A REALLY STRONG, UH, ROADMAP FOR THIS YEAR, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.AND, UM, NO, I DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SO GRACIOUS THEIR TIME TO BE HERE TODAY.
[4. Presentation by Rowena Dasch, Executive Director of the Neill-Cochran House Museum, regarding the Neill-Cochran House Museum and implications for Museum Tourism in Austin.]
ALRIGHT.UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, ROWENA DASH, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEIL COCHRAN HOUSE MUSEUM.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR WORK.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UH, FOR HAVING ME TODAY, DANIEL.
UH, DANIEL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, INVITING ME.
UM, I'M DEFINITELY, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF A MUCH SMALLER INSTITUTION, UM, ON THAT LIST, UH, THAT, THAT CATHERINE SHARED.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT BRITTANY AND CATHERINE ARE, THIS IS A A I'M, I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH THE TWO OF THEM TODAY BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE BOTH REALLY STRONG LEADERS, UM, FOR WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO JUST HAVE YOU ALL, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE NEIL COCHRANE HOUSE MUSEUM? UM, I KNOW DANIEL HAS, UM, BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AS TO WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO, UH, AND THEN I'LL DIVE INTO, UM, THE, THE TOURISM PIECE A BIT.
UM, AND I'VE GOT MY COMPUTER UP HERE JUST BECAUSE IT HELPS ME KNOW WHAT THE NEXT SLIDE IS,
UM, SO WE, AMONG AUSTIN'S 10 OLDEST RESIDENCE, UH, RESIDENCES, WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1855, UM, BY THE HILL FAMILY WHO, UM, CONSTRUCTED AT OUR SITE WITH THE HELP OF ABNER COOK, WHO WAS, UM, THE BEST KNOWN RESIDENTIAL BUILDER IN AUSTIN.
IF, UH, YOU, IF THE FRONT OF OUR HOUSE LOOKS A BIT FAMILIAR, IT SHOULD, IT'S THE SAME DESIGN AS THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION, WHICH COOK ALSO DESIGNED.
WE ARE FAR EASIER TO VISIT THAN THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION.
WE DON'T ASK ANYBODY FOR ID, AND IT CERTAINLY ISN'T A TWO WEEK BACKGROUND CHECK, UM, TO GET IN.
UM, SO WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE ARE PRIVATELY OWNED.
OUR, UM, OUR, OUR PUBLIC FUNDING, WHETHER IT BE CITY, STATE, OR FEDERAL, IS MINIMAL.
UH, AND, UM, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF WEST CAMPUS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, YEAH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OKAY.
UM, WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UM, ON THE SUBJECT OF HOT FUNDING, UM, OVER TIME WHERE WE HAVE BEEN SEEN AS LESS APPEALING FOR HOT FUNDING BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LOCATED WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING WE'VE RUN UP TO IN THE PAST.
UM, NOT OF LATE, BUT, UM, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF TOURISM, IS FAR LARGER THAN THE WALKABLE DOWNTOWN CORE.
UM, SO IF YOU, WE ARE ALSO, SO THOSE ARE THE TWO, UM, STRUCTURES THAT SURVIVE, UM, FROM OUR ORIGINAL SITE PLAN, WHICH WAS 17 AND A HALF ACRES, WE WERE BASICALLY MOST OF WEST CAMPUS, UM, WAS OUR, WAS OUR PROPERTY, UM, THE MAIN HOUSE AND THE TWO STORY SLAVE DWELLING THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.
IT'S THE ONLY INTACT AND ACCESSIBLE SLAVE DWELLING LEFT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT, THERE ARE ANYTHING THAT WAS BUILT PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR WAS BUILT THROUGH THE AID OF ENSLAVED LABOR.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE YOU CAN GO IN AUSTIN WHERE YOU CAN WALK IN THE DOOR AND BE IN A SPACE THAT REMAINS A DWELLING, UM, THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED TO HOUSE, UM, IN ENSLAVED WORKERS.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS, UH, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UH, THAT'S JUST AN 1887 MAP OF AUSTIN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE KIND OF NORTHWEST CORNER OF HABITATION, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE IS SHOAL CREEK.
AND THAT BOX IS, UH, THE NEIL, WHAT IS NOW THE NEIL COCHRANE HOUSE MUSEUM.
WE WERE VERY MUCH ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, UM, AS LATE AS 1887 WHEN THIS MAP, UH, WAS PRODUCED.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO AUSTIN, UM, WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF UT CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF TOWN.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS UT BUILT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE 40 ACRES.
SO HOUSING STARTED TO ESTABLISH IN WHAT IS NOW WEST CAMPUS, AND THAT ULTIMATELY CAUSED PEOPLE TO LOOK OUT TOWARDS THE HILLS.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY AT OUR SITE TO REALLY GIVE YOU A SENSE OF AUSTIN HISTORY FROM ITS EARLY DAYS INTO THE 20TH CENTURY.
AND THEN, SO THIS IS A MAP OF AUSTIN.
WE LIKE TO JOKE THAT IF YOU DROP A GOOGLE PIN ON AUSTIN, GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
YOU MIGHT JUST ACCIDENTALLY HIT US.
THAT'S HOW CLOSE WE ARE, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN TODAY.
UM, WHERE HAVE WE RECEIVED CITY FUNDING? UM, REALLY THE
[00:40:01]
ONLY CITY FUNDING, UM, WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS HAS BEEN, UH, WHO HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUNDING THROUGH THE HERITAGE TOURISM GRANT PROGRAM.UM, THIS, UH, IN 2019, WE, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT BOXWOOD, WHICH IS JUST SO DATED,
UM, WE
UM, AND WE WERE REALLY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY FOR THAT FUNDING.
IT'S MADE US A MUCH MORE WELCOMING SPACE.
IT'S ACTUALLY TURNED US INTO A DOG PARK, WHICH WAS AN UNINTENDED, UM, SIDE EFFECT.
WE'RE THE ONLY GREEN SPACE LEFT IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND, UM, WE'VE HAD STUDENTS NOW COME AND TELL US THAT THEY SIGN THEIR LEASE BECAUSE THEY KNEW THERE WOULD BE A PLACE THAT THEY COULD TAKE THEIR DOG.
AND THE REASON, THE FENCE, AGAIN, UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES WITH THE, WITH THE, UM, WITH THE BOXWOOD THERE, YOU SEE, THERE'S NO GATE.
WELL, THE, THE FENCE HAS A GATE.
WE DON'T LOCK IT, BUT IT ENCLOSES, IT'S LIKE HAVING A TODDLER, RIGHT? SO THE MOMENT YOU HAD THE GATE, ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE WOULD BRING THEIR DOGS THERE 'CAUSE THEY WEREN'T AFRAID OF THEM RUNNING AWAY AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING HIT BY A CAR.
UM, SO
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT, UM, GRANT IN OUR MOST RECENT, WE JUST COMPLETED IT, UM, WAS RELATED TO THE RESTORATION OF THE SLAVE QUARTERS.
UM, THE TITLE OF THAT PROJECT IS RECKONING WITH THE PAST, THE UNTOLD STORY OF RACE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY, UH, SO $77,000 TOWARDS THAT RESTORATION PROJECT.
IT WAS ULTIMATELY A $400,000 PROJECT.
UM, WE, THE CITY NOW HAS A $250,000 CAP ON FUNDING, UM, BUT WILL ONLY FUND EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND MOST OF THE WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE WAS INTERIOR WORK.
AND, UM, SO AS A RESULT, THERE WAS ONLY SO MUCH, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO APPLY FOR.
WE DID ALSO, UM, ALONG WITH THIS GRANT RECEIVE $35,000, UM, TO REPLACE AN A DA LIFT.
UH, AND I THINK I'VE GOT MAYBE ANOTHER, YEAH, GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
SO THIS LARGER PROJECT, UM, HAS REALLY CHANGED, UH, THE TRAJECTORY FOR THE MUSEUM IN TERMS OF OUR RELEVANCE.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE STORIES WE'RE ABLE TO TELL, UH, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF REBALANCING NARRATIVES, UM, AND WORKING WITH UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.
UM, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED, UH, WITH, WITH THIS PROJECT.
NOW, I WILL SAY THE CAVEAT AND THE DOWNSIDE OF, UM, THIS FUNDING, UM, AND THE WAY THE GRANTS PROGRAM WORKS, AND THIS IS NOT TO THROW SHADE ON, UM, MELISSA ALVARADO AND HER STAFF, UM, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THIS IS A BROADER CITY PROBLEM.
UM, IT, WE HAD TO PUT OUR PROJECT ON HOLD FOR NINE MONTHS BECAUSE BETWEEN THE TIME WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD BE AWARDED THE FUNDING AND THE TIME THE CITY ACTUALLY GAVE US THE GREEN LIGHT TO START WAS NINE MONTHS.
AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH LEGAL.
IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH COMPLIANCE.
IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH BEING SET UP IN THEIR SYSTEM FOR, UM, COMPENSATION OR WHATEVER THE WORD IS FOR IT.
UM, BUT I KNOW, I MEAN, I WAS REGULARLY ON THE PHONE WITH MELISSA, UM, ABOUT IT, AND HER HANDS WERE TIED AND THERE WAS NOTHING SHE COULD DO.
UM, THE BIDS WENT UP IN THE INTERIM.
UM, IT BECAME A MORE EXPENSIVE PROJECT TO DO.
WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST DEPLOY YOUR CONTRACTORS TO WORK ON ONE SECTION OF A PROJECT THAT'S NOT EFFICIENT.
AND SO WE COULDN'T DO THE INTERIOR WORK EITHER.
UM, I KNOW FROM OTHER SITES, UH, WHO ARE IN CURRENTLY WAITING ON CITY FUNDING FROM THIS ROUND, THAT, UM, THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR.
UM, THAT FUNDING WAS APPROVED BACK IN JANUARY AND HAS YET TO BE RELEASED YET.
SO, UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE FUNDING.
UM, IT WAS CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO, UM, THE WORK THAT WE DID, UM, WHICH WE COMPLETED, UM, IN APRIL.
UH, SO THIS IS BRAND NEW, JUST GOT DONE.
UM, BUT, UM, THIS, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE ESSENTIALLY A YEAR EARLIER.
AND, UM, IT WAS PURELY CITY FUNDING THAT, THAT HELD THAT UP.
SO WHAT DOES THAT DO TO AN INSTITUTION LIKE OURS? AND WE'RE, WE'RE THREE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE, UM, IT MAKES US HESITANT TO APPLY BECAUSE WITH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, YOU DON'T
[00:45:01]
FACE THAT CHALLENGE.AND, UM, AND WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE WORK DONE AND PROCEED WITH PROJECTS, UM, AT, AT A MORE APPROPRIATE PACE.
UM, WE WILL APPLY TO THE CITY AGAIN AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE AND HOPE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT WHEN THE APPLICATION IS DUE IN NOVEMBER.
UH, YOU FIND OUT IN JANUARY, BUT YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BEGIN WORK FOR 10 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE.
UM, THIS IS, UH, THESE ARE THE INTERPRETIVE PANELS THAT WE JUST INSTALLED, UM, THAT WALK YOU ALONG, UH, TOWARD THE SLAVE QUARTERS BUILDING ITSELF.
IT GOES THROUGH 500 YEARS OF ENSLAVEMENT IN TEXAS, BEGINNING IN THE 16TH CENTURY.
UM, JUST A, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US.
UM, WE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, OUR FISCAL YEAR RUNS JUNE TO MAY.
AND SO OUR LAST FISCAL YEAR, SO ENDING MAY, UH, 2023 FOR THE FIRST TIME WE SAW 10,000 VISITORS.
AS I SAY, WE'RE THREE, THREE FULL-TIME PEOPLE.
UH, AND WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE LARGER.
BUT, UM, AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE OUR FEWER STAFF THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BULLOCK WHO SEEING 400,000 PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE HAVE A HUNDRED AND EMPLOYEES.
SO I DON'T KNOW, DO DOING THE MATH, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DOING TOO POORLY.
UM, SO HOW DO WE, WHEN I TOOK THE JOB, UM, IN 2013, WE WERE SEEING 1500 PEOPLE A YEAR.
SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW IS IT THAT WE'VE MADE, MADE THE, THE, UM, THE SHIFT THAT WE HAVE MADE? AND THAT'S THROUGH PERFORMING ARTS, COLLABORATIONS AS WELL AS MORE RELEVANT NARRATIVES.
THE RELEVANT NARRATIVE, I THINK, UM, I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO WITH THIS RECKONING WITH THE PAST PROJECT.
UM, 6,000 OF THEM ARE FROM CENTRAL TEXAS, 2,500 FROM AROUND TEXAS, ABOUT A THOUSAND FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, WHAT THAT'S TELLING YOU IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR VISITORS ARE LOCALS, 6,000 CENTRAL TEXAS.
I MEAN, THEY ALL LIVE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
SOME ARE COMING IN FOR THE DAY FROM OTHER PLACES, BUT, UM, FOR THE MOST PART THEY'RE LOCAL.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS WE REALIZED WE REALLY HAD TO, TO PIVOT.
UM, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY ADVERTISING.
ANY NONPROFIT WHO IS NOT A ACCESSING THE GOOGLE AD SPACE, UM, IS MISSING A REAL OPPORTUNITY.
THEY GIVE $10,000 A MONTH IN FREE ADVERTISING TO NONPROFITS, UM, WHICH REALLY HELPS PEOPLE FIND US.
UM, EVENT VISTA IS A LOCAL, UM, GROUP THAT BASICALLY PUTS US, UM, ON EVERYONE'S EVENT PAGE, UM, WHICH IS HELPFUL.
POGO PASS IS ONE OF THOSE CITY PASS THINGS.
UM, AND IT'S GROWING IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT GROW FASTER.
UH, TICKETS IS, UM, KIND OF LIKE A, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S ONE OF THOSE CLEARING HOUSES, UH, FOR WAYS TO FIND MUSEUMS. UM, OBVIOUSLY FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.
WE, THIS YEAR, UM, SIGNED ON WITH PRESTIGE MAGAZINE.
UM, IT'S $2,000, I THINK WAS TO GET INTO THEIR MAGAZINE.
IT'S GOING TO ONE HOTEL IN THE ARBORETUM.
SO REMEMBER, WE'RE A STAFF OF THREE AT A SMALL HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM.
OUR ABILITY TO ADVERTISE IS LIMITED, UM, IN TERMS OF REALLY GETTING OUT, UM, OUR MESSAGE BROADLY.
UM, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, THOSE ARE CHEAP.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DRAWING TOURISTS AND BRINGING PEOPLE TO GET THEM IN HOTEL ROOM BEDS, WE NEED HELP.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET.
THAT WAS AGAIN, THAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE.
SO, UM, WHAT COULD THE, UM, TOURISM FISHER, WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO TO HELP US? UM, REALLY ENCOURAGING, UM, HERITAGE TOURISM ADVERTISING WOULD BE HUGE FOR US.
UM, THE BULLOCKS OUT THERE DOING IT, THE BLANTON'S OUT THERE DOING IT, THEY'RE GETTING INTO MARKETS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
THEY'RE IN PRESERVATION MAGAZINE.
THEY'RE PLACES THAT HERITAGE TOURISTS ARE GONNA SEE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO HUGE AND HAVE MASSIVE BUDGETS THAT CAN PUT BEHIND IT.
WHAT YOU SAW FROM CATHERINE'S LIST, UM, WAS THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF US, MANY OF WHICH ARE CITY OWNED MUSEUMS THAT MOF UMLA, UM, BRUSH SQUARE, UM, THE NAY US, UM, ALL KINDS OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO GET INTO PRESERVATION MAGAZINE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE, UM, UP THERE IN TERMS OF DIGITAL ADVERTISING AND VISIT AUSTIN.
[00:50:01]
US.I MEAN, I GOT, I GET A, I GET OPPORTUNITIES FROM THEM ALL THE TIME TO PAY THEM TO GET INTO THEIR GUIDEBOOKS.
UM, THE ONE THAT CAME LAST WEEK, A QUARTER PAGE AD IN THE, THE BOOK, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THAT THEY GIVE TO PEOPLE PLANNING CONFERENCES AND THINGS IS $3,200.
AND, UH, MY ADVERTISING BUDGET FOR A YEAR IS $9,000.
IF WE HAD MORE TOURISTS, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE CAPACITY TO EXPAND OUR ADVERTISING BUDGET.
BUT WE REALLY NEED SOME HELP WITH AMPLIFYING OUR MESSAGE.
UM, HELPING MUSEUMS CONNECT WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
THIS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT.
WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB, IT WAS EASY.
WE ACTUALLY HAD, WE HAD A ROUTE AND WE WOULD GO INTO HOTELS AND WE WOULD HAND OFF RACK CARDS, AND WE WOULD TALK TO THE CONCIERGE AND WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CONVERSATION.
AND THAT PUT KIND OF A FACE AND A NAME OR AN IDENTITY TO OUR MUSEUM.
MOST HOTELS AREN'T DOING RACK CARDS ANYMORE FROM WHAT WE, THEY, THEY JUST WON'T TAKE THEM.
AND SO, UM, AND WE CAN'T GET ANYBODY ON THE PHONE.
SO IT'S JUST BEEN A CHALLENGE.
I MEAN, I LOVE THAT YOU'RE TELLING PEOPLE WHERE TO GO.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US ON KIND OF AN INDIVIDUAL MUSEUM LEVEL TO ACTUALLY GET THAT KIND OF SATURATION OF THE MARKET.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD SAY TO ADVOCATE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS THAT'LL PROTECT THE HISTORIC FABRIC OF THE CITY.
UM, WE ARE LOSING STRUCTURES DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY.
UM, AND WHEN PEOPLE TRAVEL, EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO SPORTING EVENTS AND GOING TO, UM, MUSIC EVENTS, THEY LIKE SEEING A CITY THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE EVERY OTHER URBAN PLACE THEY'VE EVER BEEN.
UM, THINK ABOUT THE HUGE IMPACT WHEN CAMDEN YARDS FIRST OPENED IN BALTIMORE, THAT WAS TRANSFORMATIONAL.
AND IT WAS TRANSFORMATIONAL BECAUSE IT WAS THIS OLD STRUCTURE.
UM, AND, UM, IT WOULD BE REALLY VERY HELPFUL IF THE CITY WERE MORE PRESERVATION MINDED.
UM, ANYTHING, UM, I THINK I'M PROBABLY OUT OF TIME.
UH, BUT, UM, I DID WANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT BEFORE, UM, THE SUMMER LEE FOUNDATION IN 2015 PUT OUT A SUSTAINABILITY OF HISTORY ORGANIZATIONS DOCUMENT.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT, IT SAYS THO THOSE ARE SEVERAL OF THE TAKEAWAYS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, BUT THE STATEMENT, DEPENDABLE SUPPORT FROM A CITY, COUNTY, OR STATE GOVERNMENT IS A HALLMARK OF SUSTAINABLE MUSEUMS. RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE ACCESS TO IS, IS, UM, THE HERITAGE GRANT.
UM, THAT DOESN'T HELP US WITH EVENTS.
IT DOESN'T HELP US WITH OPERATIONS, UM, MARKETING, ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
AND, UM, IT WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL IF THE CITY HAD A PLATFORM FOR SUPPORTING, UM, INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY THE SMALLER ONES, UM, TO HELP US GET OUT OUR MESSAGE.
UM, YEAH, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF IMAGES WE DO PERFORMING ARTS AND VISUAL ARTS, UH, EVENTS AS WELL.
LOTS OF, UM, ART EXHIBITIONS, UH, THE SHOW THAT WE'VE GOT UP RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, IT'S THE WORK OF SARAH BIRD, WHO'S BETTER KNOWN NOW AS A NOVELIST.
YOU'LL PROBABLY KNOW WHO SHE IS.
THESE ARE SEVERAL OF THE IMAGES.
UH, AND IT'S, UH, TIMED TO, UM, THE RELEASE OF A BOOK BY UT PRESS.
UM, AND SO, UM, JUNE 22ND IS WHEN WE WILL BE CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH.
UH, THE OPENING, UH, RECEPTION FOR THAT EXHIBITION WILL BE THAT DAY.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE GIVING GUIDED TOURS OF THE SLAVE QUARTERS.
THERE'S BARBECUE FROM A JAMES BEARD NOMINATED, UH, BARBECUE GUIDE, UH, DAMIAN BROADWAY, WHO'S AMAZING.
THESE ARE THE SORTS OF PUBLIC EVENTS WE DO.
WE PROBABLY DO SIX REALLY BIG, UH, FREE COMMUNITY IMPACT DAYS A YEAR, UM, WHICH DRIVE A LOT OF, UM, VISITORS.
WE DO SEE TOURISTS ON THOSE DAYS.
UM, BUT WE ARE PROUD OF HOW MANY LOCALS COME NOW TO THE, TO THE MUSEUM.
BUT WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BE SEEING MORE PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE STAYING IN HOTELS AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, REAL QUICK, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, I SEE YOU ON VISIT AUSTIN'S WEBSITE.
YOU PROBABLY KNOW YOU'RE THERE, AND IT'S NOT THAT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S NOT, LOOK, I'M A HOTELIER.
AND ALSO IF I WANT THEM TO PUSH ANY MESSAGE OUT ABOUT MY HOTEL, I'D HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT BUDGET.
AND SO I DON'T, I ONLY ADV I AM ABLE TO ADVERTISE LIKE YOU LIKE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, BUT I ALSO PUT, UH, ADS ON OTAS,
[00:55:01]
WHICH ARE THE ONLINE TRAVEL.SO LIKE EXPEDIA AND BOOKING.COM.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE FRANCHISE FEE.
THE HAMPTON BRAND, WE PAY HILTON RIGHT.
FRANCHISE FEES, AND THEY BUY THE BIG ADVERTISING BUYS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T TELL YOU THERE'S A HAMPTON INN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS DOWNTOWN THAT WANTS TO HELP YOU.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT, UM, AUSTIN TOURISM, UM, THERE'S THIS INSIDER PROGRAM WITH THEM WHERE THEY GIVE CLASSES TO HOTELIERS IN THE AREA THAT KIND OF LIKE NEW CONCIERGES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
LIKE, I JUST GOT AN EMAIL TODAY, SIGN UP FOR THE JUNE AUSTIN TOURISM INSIDER CLASS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, THE 'CAUSE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER CHANGING, THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW, UM, WELCOME CENTER.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW WELCOME CENTER.
SO I THINK, I THINK YOU CAN DO RACK CARDS IN THERE, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
YOU WOULD KIND OF NEED TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH HOTELS.
UM, MOST OF THEM DON'T HAVE CONCIERGE ANYMORE.
UM, SO YOU WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AGMS BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MANAGE THE FRONT DESK ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS OR, UM, THE, THE ROOMS MANAGERS.
AND I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT AND YOU CAN EMAIL ME ANYTIME.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT POSITIONS IN THE HOTEL WOULD BE ABLE TO GET YOUR MESSAGE INSIDE A HOTEL, BECAUSE CONCIERGE DOES NOT REALLY, UM, ONLY THE LUXURY HOTELS REALLY HAVE THOSE ANYMORE.
SO I DON'T WANNA WASTE ANYBODY'S TIME WITH THAT.
BUT I DID WANNA TELL YOU I UNDERSTAND, AND, AND IT'S TRUE THIS AUSTIN DOES HAVE A KIND OF A LISTING.
UM, BUT, UM, AND, BUT THEY DO A LOT, THEY DO THE BIG MEDIA ADVICE.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF DRIVE INTO THAT SITE.
THEY DO THE AMOUNT OF CLICKS BECAUSE THEY'LL TELL YOU, HEY, DO A BUY WITH ME BECAUSE LOOK AT HOW MANY CLICKS AND THIS IS ALL THE IMPRESSIONS WE GET, AND WE TARGET LA AND WE TARGET GET, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE ADVERTISING AND IT'S GREAT ADVERTISING.
UM, AND THE SITE IS VERY WELL, YOU KNOW, TRAVELED.
UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS EXPENSIVE TO ADVERTISE WITH THEM.
I, I WOULD JUST ADVOCATE MAYBE IF IT'S PROBABLY REQUIRES ALL KINDS OF LAW CHANGES, BUT
BUT THAT HOT FUNDING, IF A COMPONENT OF IT WERE RESERVED TO ACTUALLY SPEND THE MONEY ON THE MARKETING TO ACTUALLY DO THAT KIND OF SUPPORT, I RECOGNIZE IT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT SAME POT THAT THE GRANTS, BUT THE GRANTS GO TO A FEW ORGANIZATIONS A YEAR.
WHEREAS IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE POTENTIALLY TO SUPPORT HERITAGE TOURISM BY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT WAS, $50,000, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER WAS TO BE JUST SET ASIDE TO ACTUALLY BE PUT INTO THAT.
BUT AS I SAY, THAT'S PROBABLY LAW CHANGES THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I THINK THE TPI WOULD BE ADVERTISING, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT LEISURE TRAVELER MONEY FOR THAT, BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO FILL THE GAP OF NOT HAVING THE CONVENTION CENTER TO BRING PEOPLE HERE.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN WITH THE TA THAT, THAT MARKETING TO THAT SORT OF CUSTOMER.
COMMISSIONER TI DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED? WELL, I, I DO THINK THAT HOTEL TAXES CAN BE USED TO PROMOTE MARKETING.
AND I THINK THE VISIT AUSTIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT, PROMOTING THINGS THAT BRING PEOPLE TO TOWN.
AND I, I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT I, I, I JUST FOUND A THING WHERE THEY HAVE A LITTLE ARTICLE ABOUT NEIL COCHRANE ON THEIR WEBSITE, AND I, I MAY NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT DID SOMEBODY HAVE TO PAY TO PUT THAT UP? OR THAT'S JUST, THEY JUST, THEY DO HAVE KIND OF A, THIS IS AUSTIN ON THEIR WEBSITE.
BUT IF YOU WANNA BE IN THE GUIDE OF, THESE ARE THE THINGS TO DO IN AUSTIN, AH, THEN, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS BARTON SPRINGS, IT'S THE BULLET, IT'S THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER THING.
IT'S A, IT'S SIGNIFICANT COST ATTACHED TO THAT.
HAVE EMAIL CAMPAIGNS THAT GO OUT TO COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
THE COST USUALLY CAN BE QUITE HIGH, UM, TO GET IN SOME OF THEIR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS THAT GO OUT AND THEY'RE ADVERTISING IT IN OTHER MARKETS.
BUT, UM, THEY DEFINITELY ARE ON THE WEBSITE.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER REY.
AND, UM, I WANNA SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE LEANED INTO HOSTING ARTS EVENTS.
I COME FROM THE ARTS AND THERE IS, UH, THE CONTINUAL DECLINE IN PLACES TO PER PERFORM OR EXHIBIT.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WAS A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL THING.
WE ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF COVID STRONGER.
UM, AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS, UM, AND VISUAL ARTS, BUT REALLY THE PERFORMING ARTS, WE WERE ABLE TO BE OPEN WHEN MOST WEREN'T BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO HOST PERFORMANCES OUTSIDE.
AND IT CREATED COLLABORATIONS, UM, AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE CONTINUING TO BE REALLY SIGNIFICANT TODAY.
[01:00:01]
WANNA BE A COMMUNITY SPACE.I MEAN, WE KNOW WE'RE A HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM.
WE KNOW THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT, UM, BUT THERE'S A, A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THAT.
AND WE REALLY WANNA BE A PLACE THAT EVERYONE IN AUSTIN FEELS WELCOME.
WELL, I JUST, YEAH, I'VE HEARD FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT THEY'VE HAD GOOD EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH YOU GUYS, SO I WANTED TO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND ALSO APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK YOU BROUGHT TO THE HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM.
I ACTUALLY WORKED ON THAT BACK IN 2017, UM, IN TERMS OF ESTABLISHING AN A 15% PRESERVATION FUND AND THEN FIGURING OUT HOW TO DIRECT THE MONEY.
AND, UM, I MEAN, IT HASN'T MET, JUST SO YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE OF US WHO WORKED ON THIS SEVEN YEARS AGO, IT'S NOT QUITE WHAT WE ENVISIONED.
UM, AND THIS FEEDBACK'S IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S SOME TALK ABOUT REVISITING IT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S BEEN MOVED TO PARKS.
MELISSA'S NOW IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, JUST FYI.
THEY, YEAH, THEY MOVED THAT GRANT PROGRAM FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND I'M CURIOUS THOUGH, YOUR GRANT THROUGH MELISSA'S PROGRAM, DID IT ALSO FUNNEL THROUGH THE LONG CENTER? YES.
THE, WELL, THE MOST RECENT ONE DID.
UH, THE ONE BACK IN 2019, UH, WHICH ACTUALLY WAS WAY SIMPLER.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH THE CERTIFICATE APPROPRIATE.
WE HAD TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, LANDMARKS COMMISSION, OBVIOUSLY.
UH, BUT WE DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WAS DONE BEFORE WE EVEN, YOU KNOW, GOT THE YES ON THE GRANT.
AND, UM, GOSH, IT WAS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS FROM BEING TOLD IN JANUARY, UM, THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE AWARDED THE GRANT TO BEING TOLD, YES, YOU CAN, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO WHATEVER'S BEEN GOING ON WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE MANAGEMENT, UM, HAS DRAMATICALLY SLOWED DOWN, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION.
I, AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHY OR WHAT, BUT, UM, IT'S DEFINITELY PROVING CHALLENGING.
AND WE HEAR, I MEAN, I HEAR THAT A LOT FROM BOTH ARTS RECIPIENTS AND PRESERVATION AND LIVE MUSIC FUND PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO, AND I'M NOT THROWING THE LONG STUDENT UNDER THE BUS.
I JUST, I THINK THERE HAS BEEN CHANGING, THEY'VE ACTUALLY GOTTEN US FUNDING WITHIN THREE WEEKS.
SO THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT IS NOT THE ISSUE.
THERE'S A DISCONNECT IN THE ADMINISTRATION YEAH.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S, SO IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT.
AND, WELL, I JUST HAVE A SERIES OF MEETINGS COMING UP ON THIS TOPIC, SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU.
'CAUSE WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY IS GONNA HELP INFORM WHAT I BRING TO THOSE MEETINGS.
COMMISSIONER REY THERE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FOR OUR GUESTS? NO, I HAVE ONE.
OH, I, SORRY, DANIEL, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU TO TURN YOUR, SEE, GET YOUR, UH, UH, VISUAL BACKUP SO YOUR TIMING'S PERFECT.
UM, WELL FIRST OFF, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, ROWENA FOR COMING THIS AFTERNOON.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, NOT ONLY IN THE MUSEUM SPACE, BUT UH, IN INTERPRETING AND ELEVATING HISTORY IN AUSTIN AS, UM, AS REALLY MORE THAN AN ATTRACTION.
I THINK A LOT OF, A LOT OF TOWNS ARE, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE ONE-OFF PLACES THAT YOU'LL GO, YOU KNOW, NOT TO KNOCK ON FORT WORTH, BUT, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE STOCKYARDS AND, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HAVE DEEPER EXPERIENCES THAT ARE MORE MEANINGFUL, UM, THAT CAN FEED INTO A BROADER HERITAGE.
TOURISM, UH, ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN, I THINK IS, UM, REALLY UNTAPPED AND REALLY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, FURTHER FUND AND EXPLORE THIS IMPORTANT, UH, SECTOR OF OUR, OUR TOURISM ECONOMY.
SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO RELAY MY THANKS AND APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR NOT, UH, BEING ABLE TO BE THERE IN PERSON.
UM, BUT, UH, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, RITA, FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UM, UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHAIR RONAN.
AND, UH, I'LL JUST SECOND WHAT HE JUST SAID.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING US THINK DEEPER.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE A REASON TO REVISIT SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT YOU RAISED TODAY AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS COMMISSION.
WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND YOUR TIME, SO THANK YOU.
AND I'M JUST REALIZING I HAD A CLICKER
[5. Presentation by Brittany Petrilli, Executive Director of the Texas Association of Museums, regarding the Texas Museum Economy in Texas and implications for Austin, Texas Tourism Economy.]
UH, WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, AND THAT'S A PRESENTATION FROM BRITTANY PETRI.I MET YOU, BUT EXCUSE ME, MR. BAILEY, MAY I, UH, YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER RONAN, PLEASE JUMP IN.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH BRITTANY PET FOR COMING TODAY AS WELL.
UM, I AM ON THE HILL LOBBYING TODAY, AND I HAVE TO GO TO OUR RECEPTION, BUT I JUST, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AS WELL FOR, UH, BRITTANY WITH THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION
[01:05:01]
OF MUSEUMS, UH, BEING THERE.SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING THIS PROGRAM, UH, THIS MEETING ONLINE AFTER THE MEETING.
UM, AND PLEASE BRING ALL YOUR GREAT QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW BRITTANY CAN HANDLE THEM.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, A A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT THE, UM, ANNUAL REPORT THAT YOU ALSO SEE ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I WON'T BE THERE TO SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENT POINTS OR QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, BUT PLEASE HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION FOR THE RECORD.
SO I MAY REVIEW THE COMMENTS AND, UM, HELP UPDATE THE DOCUMENT ACCORDING TO THE COMMISSION'S WISHES.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, SEEING YOU ALL ON JULY 15TH, OUR NEXT, UH, TOURISM COMMISSION MEETING.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER RONAN, AND THANK YOU FOR, UH, THE SLATE OF FINE PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
SORRY THAT YOU CAN'T BE WITH US, BUT GO DO THE GOOD WORK ON THE HILL AND WE WILL, UH, SEE YOU WHEN YOU'RE BACK IN JULY.
THANKS SO MUCH, BYEBYE, EVERYONE.
UH, SO BACK TO YOU, UH, YOU ARE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION MUSEUMS, AND WE ARE LEANING IN TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE WITH US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UH, FOR INVITING THE MUSEUM PEOPLE TO YOUR MEETING.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS. AND TODAY I WILL JUST KIND OF STEP YOU THROUGH TAM AS WE'RE CALLED FOR SHORT.
UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT IN GENERAL ABOUT MUSEUMS AS, UH, CULTURAL SITES AND THE TYPE OF TOURISM THAT THEY BRING BOTH NATIONALLY AND IN OUR STATE.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CONFERENCE THAT WE THROW EVERY YEAR AND HOW OUR CONFERENCE IS HAPPENING NEXT YEAR IN AUSTIN
SO THE ORIGINS OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS CAN BE TRACED ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1939 WHEN WE HAVE OUR FIRST GATHERING OF MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE STATE.
WE OPERATED AS THE TEXAS MUSEUM ASSOCIATION FOR SEVERAL DECADES UNTIL WE WERE OFFICIALLY NAMED THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, TAM, I THINK THEY LIKED THE ACRONYM IN 1974.
AND WE HAD OUR FIRST CONFERENCE AS TAM IN 1975.
SO WE ARE HERE NEARLY 50 YEARS LATER, UM, WORKING TO STRENGTHEN THE TEXAS MUSEUM COMMUNITY THROUGH COLLABORATIONS, CONNECTIONS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY.
WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST STATE MUSEUM ASSOCIATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
WE REPRESENT OVER 2000 MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS IN THE STATE, OVER 400 MUSEUMS. AND THOSE REALLY SPAN AND FOCUS FROM ART TO CHILDREN'S SPECIALIZED.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME VIRTUAL MUSEUMS, AND WE ALSO REPRESENT 30 BUSINESSES THAT WORK CLOSELY WITH MUSEUMS AND FIVE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE MUSEUM STUDIES PROGRAMS AT THEIR SCHOOL.
OUR WORK CAN REALLY BE GROUPED INTO THESE PILLARS.
SO ONE, WE ADVOCATE FOR THE VALUE OF MUSEUMS ON A LOCAL LEVEL, STATE LEVEL, AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE PROMOTE EXCELLENCE IN THE FIELD THROUGH OUR AWARDS PROGRAMS. WE HOST A NUMBER OF NETWORKING EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.
WE RUN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING FOR MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS, AND WE HOST AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE STATE AND BEYOND.
SO THE POINTS IN BLUE, IF YOU CAN SEE THE DISTINCTION HERE, UM, MY COLLEAGUE AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBER, CATHERINE, COVERED THOSE POINTS.
UM, SO I'LL JUST BE EXPANDING ON HER.
TALK ABOUT MUSEUMS AS ECONOMIC ENGINES WITH DATA FROM THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS. SO NATIONALLY, MUSEUM SUPPORT, 726,000 JOBS.
SO TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S JUST UNDER THE AUTO MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, ON PAR WITH THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY IN THE COUNTRY AND THE US AIRLINES INDUSTRY.
AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, MUSEUMS CONTRIBUTE 50 BILLION TO THE US ECONOMY ANNUALLY, AS WELL AS 12 BILLION IN TAX REVENUE WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT GOING TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
NOW, IN TEXAS ALONE, WE CONTRIBUTE 3.9 BILLION TO THE ECONOMY.
NOW, AGAIN, I LIKE TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE, SO THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE THE STATE'S MUSIC INDUSTRY, FILM AND TV INDUSTRY, AND JUST ABOUT DOUBLE THE STATE'S FISHING AND HUNTING INDUSTRY, WINE INDUSTRY AND CRAFT BEER INDUSTRY.
SO TO GET A SENSE OF HOW ALL OF THAT IS POSSIBLE,
[01:10:01]
UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PREVALENCE OF MUSEUMS IN OUR STATE.IF YOU GO TO GOOGLE AND ASK GOOGLE HOW MANY MUSEUMS ARE THERE IN TEXAS, IT WILL TELL YOU THERE ARE ABOUT 700.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO RESEARCH DONE BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY, AS WELL AS RECORDS FROM OUR STATE'S HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THAT NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 2000.
SO 2000 MUSEUMS IN TEXAS, AGAIN, I SWEAR THIS IS MAYBE YOUR LAST PERSPECTIVE.
ONE, IN OUR STATE, WE HAVE ABOUT 150 ZOOS, LESS THAN 50 AQUARIUMS, A LITTLE MORE THAN 50 BOTANICAL GARDENS, A THOUSAND PUBLIC LIBRARIES, 1200 MCDONALD'S, 2000 SUBWAY SANDWICH SHOPS, AND 2000 POLICE AND FIRE STATIONS.
SO THAT IS GOING TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THESE 62,000 JOBS THAT THE STATE HAS THROUGH THE SUPPORTIVE MUSEUMS, AS WELL AS THE 2.7 BILLION IN INCOME THAT THESE JOBS PROVIDE TO STATE RESIDENTS.
AND EVEN THOUGH MANY MUSEUMS ARE NONPROFITS, THEY STILL GENERATE 900 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND ONE OF THE MORE FUN STATISTICS IS THAT REGARDLESS OF PEOPLE'S POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS, 89% OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT MUSEUMS SUPPORT IMPORTANT ECONOMIC IMPACTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO, GIVEN THESE STATISTICS FROM OUR FRIENDS AT A A M, WE KNOW THAT MUSEUMS ARE VITAL TO TOURISM.
THEY ENHANCE TOURIST SPENDING.
AS DANIEL MENTIONED, TOURIST MUSEUM TOURISTS SPEND MORE THAN OTHER TOURISTS.
UM, THEY CREATE JOBS, THEY HAVE AN ECONOMIC MULTIPLIER EFFECT, THEY BOOST TAX REVENUE, UM, AND AS WELL AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND MY FAVORITE, OF COURSE, THEY HAVE CULTURAL APPEAL BECAUSE MUSEUMS CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SENSE OF CULTURAL RICHNESS.
SO THESE MUSEUMS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO IN OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WORK TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN.
AT TAM, ONE OF OUR MOST IMPACTFUL INITIATIVES THAT WE DO IS WE RUN OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, UM, AND EVERY YEAR WE HOST THE LARGEST GATHERING OF MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS IN THE STATE.
IT'S SOMETHING OUR MEMBERS EXPRESS THAT THEY RECEIVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST BENEFITS FROM.
AND WE MOVE FROM CITY TO CITY THROUGHOUT TEXAS EVERY YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHETHER WE HOST IN A MAJOR METRO AREA OR A REGIONAL CITY, WE SEE BETWEEN 350 TO 550 ATTENDEES.
ACCORDING TO 2019 DATA BY THE DESTINATION MARKETING ASSOCIATION'S INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CALCULATOR.
OUR CONFERENCE YIELDS A MINIMUM DIRECT IMPACT OF 270,000 FOR THE HOST CITY.
UM, WE ARE DUE FOR AN UPDATED NUMBER BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, PRICES AND HOTELS HAVE INCREASED SINCE 2019.
UM, AND OUR CONFERENCE TYPICALLY TAKES PLACE DURING THE WEEK.
SO THERE'S THAT HIGHER NEED FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, AND SHOPPING.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAS AN EFFECT ON OUR HOST CITY'S HOT TAX.
UM, AS WE TYPICALLY BRING IN AROUND 500 HOTEL NIGHTS IN OUR ROOM BLOCK ALONE, THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE MANY PEOPLE WHO BOOK ELSEWHERE.
SO HERE'S A LIST OF OUR LAST 50 YEARS OF CONFERENCE DATES AND LOCATIONS.
AGAIN, WE REALLY TRY TO REPRESENT BOTH MAJOR METRO AREAS AND REGIONAL CITIES WHO CAN SUPPORT US TO EXPAND TOURISM AND ECONOMIC IMPACT AROUND THE STATE AT LARGE.
SO HOST CITIES ARE DETERMINED AFTER A CALL FOR PROPOSALS PROCESS.
WE USUALLY WORK WITH THE LOCAL CBB AND BY THE STRENGTH AND COLLABORATORY NETWORK OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL VENUES IN THE CITY.
SO OUR FIRST CONFERENCE HELD AS TAM HAPPENED IN 1975, MAKING NEXT YEAR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
UM, AND WE ARE BETTER TO HOST OUR 50TH THAN IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE, THE STATE CAPITOL.
I'M NOT SURE IF VIDEOS ARE, IF WE CAN PLAY IT, BUT THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
HELLO, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS. I'M JOHN CARLOS ESTRADA WITH CVS AUSTIN.
I'M THRILLED TO INVITE YOU TO AUSTIN FOR TAN'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL MEETING ON APRIL 6TH THROUGH THE NINTH.
LET'S GO CHECK OUT THE CAPITAL CITY.
IMAGINE A DYNAMIC CELEBRATION OF ARTS, CULTURE, AND INNOVATION ALL CONVERGING IN THE HEART OF TEXAS.
THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A CONFERENCE, IT'S A MILESTONE, A TESTAMENT TO HALF A CENTURY OF FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND PRESERVING OUR RICH HISTORY.
[01:15:01]
GREETINGS EVERYONE.I'M MAYOR KIRK WATSON OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND I'M HERE TO EXTEND A WARM AND HEARTFELT INVITATION TO JOIN US IN AUSTIN FOR THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUM'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2025.
AUSTIN IS MORE THAN JUST THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
WE'RE A RICH TAPESTRY OF CREATIVITY, DIVERSITY, AND OF COURSE HISTORY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE A BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE BEAUTY, INSPIRATION, RELEVANCY, AND INNOVATION IN THE MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OF TEXAS THAN BY HOSTING TAM NEXT YEAR.
AUSTIN, A CITY, PAUL CITY, WITH CREATIVITY IS THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR THIS MONUMENTAL EVENT.
OUR MUSEUMS ARE NOT JUST REPOSITORIES FOR ARTIFACTS, THEY'RE GUARDIANS OF STORIES, KEEPERS OF TRADITION AND CATALYSTS FOR THE FUTURE.
HEAD TO AUSTIN WHERE YOU'LL GATHER TO EXCHANGE IDEAS, INSPIRE ONE ANOTHER, AND EXPLORE THE BALANCED POSSIBILITIES THAT THE NEXT 50 YEARS HOLD FOR TEXAS MUSEUMS. AFTER ALL, MUSEUMS ARE THE SOUL OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN.
EACH EXHIBIT AND EACH PROGRAM IS A CHAPTER IN OUR COLLECTIVE STORY.
JOIN US TO SHARE WITH AND LEARN FROM THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE ASSEMBLING IN 2025 FROM ACROSS THIS GREAT STATE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
WE'LL SEE YOU IN AUSTIN WHERE THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TEXAS MUSEUMS CONVERGE.
A 50TH BIRTHDAY MILESTONE ONLY COMES AROUND ONCE, SO HELP MAKE THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY UNFORGETTABLE BY CELEBRATING CAM'S LEGACY AND FUTURE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU HERE.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE CLEARLY VERY EXCITED.
UM, AND WE ARE IN THE, DO YOU STILL THINK STOCKS, REAL ESTATE THE BEST
WE ARE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR 2025.
UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'VE MOBILIZED OUR LOCAL HOST COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF CULTURAL AND ARTS LEADERS IN THE CITY.
UM, WE'VE OPENED A CALL FOR PROPOSALS, FOR SESSIONS AND KEYNOTES.
UM, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING VENUES AND HOTELS.
UH, ONE THING THAT MAKES US UNIQUE IS THAT WE TRY TO HOST THE MAJORITY OF CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING INSIDE OUR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AS OPPOSED TO CONVENTION CENTERS.
UM, AND WE ARE STRIVING TO STILL DO THAT IN AUSTIN.
WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN COMING HERE, SO WE'LL HAVE THE ISSUE OF SPACE.
UM, BUT WE'RE EXCITED AUSTIN, OUR 50TH.
UM, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HEARING US OUT ABOUT TAM, OUR UPCOMING CONFERENCE AND UPCOMING INITIATIVES IN GENERAL.
UM, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR GUEST? NO, I FEEL LIKE I'VE TALKED SO MUCH TODAY.
I HAD AN ICED COFFEE BEFORE I CAME.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, MATHIS FOR, WE'VE BEEN A DELIGHT AND OH YEAH.
UM, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UH, MS. PETRELL WITH THIS HAS BEEN, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT TO GET THE, THE STATE AND THE LOCAL.
I, I REALLY APPRECIATE OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT, MIKE, ROW AND MACRO AND FOR YOU TO BRING THAT INFORMATION TO US AND THE EXPERTISE.
AND I CERTAINLY, IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME TO HOST.
YEAH, I HEAR THAT FROM PEOPLE.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING YOU HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, YOUR CONFERENCE NEXT YEAR.
AND, UH, I HAVE A FEELING THAT SOME OF US WILL SEE YOU THERE,
[6. Discussion of the Annual Internal Review for the Tourism Commission Board.]
SO WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.WE HAVE 30 MINUTES LEFT OF THIS MEETING, AND WE HAVE SOME WORKING GROUP REPORTS WE WANNA GET THROUGH.
SO I'M NOT SURE THE ENTIRE PROCESS AND, UH, I'LL LOOK FOR FELICIA TO COLOR IN AROUND THE EDGES ON THIS NEXT ITEM.
BUT WE ARE, WE NEED TO REVIEW THIS ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, UH, DOCUMENT.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS, WAS THIS PREPARED BY, UH, DANIEL? AND THIS IS A, THIS WOULD BE, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL A PROPOSED, UH, REVIEW REPORT.
IS THIS TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT WE HAD BEFORE? WELL, THIS IS THE NEW YEAR WE HAVE, THIS IS OUR NEW, YES.
IT'S AN UPDATE FOR OUR NEW EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO PROVIDE MM-HMM,
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PROPOSED REPORT FOR OUR REVIEW AS A COMMISSION.AND I'LL JUST REMIND YOU THAT DANIEL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING.
UH, I'LL JUST REMIND YOU, AS DANIEL MENTIONED, AND I THINK FELICIA UNDERSCORED IN OUR BRIEFING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON THIS AT THE NEXT, NO, THE NEXT MEETING.
VOTE ON THIS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND SO GOAL IS TO REVIEW AND, UH, I GUESS ADD ANYTHING THAT WE THINK MIGHT NEED TO BE ADDED.
DO WE, IS THAT THE GOAL IN THIS PART OF THIS MEETING IS FOR US TO ADD, TO SUBTRACT OR, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS, DISCUSS IN GENERAL? COULD YOU SEND US, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, WOULD YOU, UM, COULD WE, I BOTHER YOU TO SEE THE PREVIOUS ONE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT CHANGE THE CHANGES ARE.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT TO, SHE'S RE REQUESTING THAT WE REVIEW THE PREVIOUS DOCUMENT, WHICH I THINK IS ACTUALLY A, A GREAT IDEA.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PULL, PULLING IT UP RIGHT NOW TO, TO COMPARE? IF SHE DOES, IF SHE CAN'T NOW, SHE COULD SEND IT.
JUST SO I CAN SEE IT BEFORE WE VOTE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ON WHAT CHANGES.
I APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT.
SO, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AT THE MOMENT, I GUESS WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT HERE AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRACKING AND, AND WE'RE IDENTIFYING WITH THE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORTH HERE BY CHAIR RONAN.
COMMISSION, CAN I SEND THIS TO ME? IT'S ON THE, ARE WE THINKING ABOUT READING THIS OUT LOUD? DO YOU THINK THIS SHOULD BE READ OUT LOUD, FELICIA, FOR US TO REVIEW IT OR JUST READ PERUSE AND, AND ALLOW COMMISSIONER TO COMMENT ON ANY PARTICULAR ITEM? OKAY, SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA READ IT FOR THE RECORD, I JUST JUMPED ONLINE AND NOTICED IT'S FAIRLY SIMILAR TO THE 2022.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE OUTLINING GENERAL AREAS OF FOCUS.
SO I SEE THAT THE TEPI WAS, WAS ADDED.
PARDON? LOOKS LIKE TE I WAS ADDED SHORT TERM RENTALS WERE ADDED.
WELL, NO, TP WAS ON THE OLD ONE.
POSSIBLY HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING SERVICES.
THAT LANGUAGE WAS REMOVED, MORE LANGUAGE ADDED TO THE TPI PORTION.
ONE THING, COMMISSIONER MATT, MATT, I'M SORRY.
SHOULD I RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER MATHIS OR EACH OKAY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M DOING THAT.
ONE THING THAT I AM WONDERING IS, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT TO ELEVATE TOURISM IN AUSTIN BY MAXIMIZING HOTEL NIGHTS TO MAXIMIZE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX REVENUES FOR EXISTING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL USES.
I MEAN, I'M SURE THAT Y'ALL KNOW THAT.
I SURE DON'T WANNA SEE THAT GO, BUT DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO ADD, TO CHANGE OR I TWEAK THAT JUST MAYBE NOT HAVE IT REMOVED.
OH, I THINK SHE'S READING FROM THE PREVIOUS, OH, YOU'RE READING FROM THE LAST INTERIM.
SORRY, I'M NOT, I WASN'T TRACKING THAT RIGHT.
WELL, I, THAT I BELIEVE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION OF YOU TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADD THAT TO THIS CURRENT, UH, CONSIDERATE FOR CONSIDERATION IN OUR CURRENT REPORT TO REPRISE THAT COMMISSIONER TI WELL ARE WE JUST PROVIDING INPUT OR SO THAT WE'LL HAVE A VOTE NEXT TIME? IS THAT OR DO WE NEED TO I THINK THAT'S ALL.
I THINK, I THINK FELICIA'S CAPTURING OUR CONVERSATION.
IF WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONS TO THIS REPORT, WE WILL.
AND I'M JUST ENGAGING WITH YOU, NOT NECESSARILY I'M NOT WANTING TO BE COMBATIVE OR I NEED TO SEE THIS IN HERE.
I'M JUST SAYING WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? AND IF NO ONE AGREES AND NO
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ONE AGREES, WHICH WAS THE LANGUAGE, LOOK TO ELEVATE TOURISM IN AUSTIN BY MAXIMIZING HOTEL NIGHTS TO MAXIMIZE HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX REVENUES FOR EXISTING AND POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL USES.I MEAN, MAXIMIZING HOTEL NIGHTS, I'M SURE YOU LOVE THAT.
SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO VOTE OR MAKE A MOTION IF, IF, IF, UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN ADDITION TO.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON ADDING THAT OR JUST, I JUST WISH THAT THE HOTEL COURSE WE ADD, WE ADD THIS TO THE DOCUMENT THAT WE REVIEW AND VOTE ON THE NEXT MEETING.
SO MEETING THE POINT OF THIS IS WHAT EXACTLY WORK DID THE COMMISSION BOARD DO THIS YEAR? SO IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT DID YOU LIKE FROM LAST YEAR KEEPING IT ON HERE.
UHHUH
SO IF THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DONE, THEN YOU CAN DEFINITELY KEEP IT ON THERE.
BUT, BUT I THINK COMMISSIONER TI I BELIEVE SHE'S REPORTING TO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES PORTION, WHICH IS LOOKING FORWARD.
AND SO I THINK, AND I AGREE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE USED TO HAVE THAT AS A GOAL IN OUR LAST REPORT AND I'M HAPPY WITH CONTINUING TO HAVE THAT BE A GOAL GOING FORWARD.
YEAH, I I THINK THAT'S BEEN AN OVERALL THEME OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH, YOU KNOW, WELL THAT'S WHY I'M HERE MAXIMIZE, YOU KNOW, HOTEL USE, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, WHATNOT.
I MEAN WE, THAT'S THE WHOLE PUR THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES OF WHAT WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE.
SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M HEARING AND I THINK I'VE LOUDLY IS THAT THERE'S A, A PHRASE FROM OUR PREVIOUS YEAR'S REPORT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE CARRIED FORWARD AS PART OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND SO, UM, DO WE NEED TO FORMALLY SPEAK THAT INTO THE MEETING OR JUST NOTE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PULL THAT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S REPORT AND ADD IT TO THE GOALS? YEAH, I'LL JUST KEEP A NOTE FOR YOU.
COMMISSIONER KTI ANOTHER IDEA, WELL I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ON ITEM C, WHICH I GUESS IS CHARACTERIZING WHAT WE'VE DONE THE PAST YEAR, UM, THAT SEEMS TO BE CHARACTERIZING PART OF WHAT WAS OUR LAST RECOMMENDATION.
UM, WHICH DID TALK ABOUT THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
I THINK IT'S THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT.
BUT I THINK IF THAT ITEM C WAS TRYING TO CAPTURE OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE IT CAPTURE THE REST OF THAT RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, CULTURAL ARTS GROUPS THAT SERVE THE PUBLIC WITH FREE.
I FORGET THE LANGUAGE WE HAD, BUT RIGHT.
CAN WE KIND OF COME BACK IF, IF ITEM C WAS TO DO THAT? LET'S CUT FOR THAT TOO.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF THERE WAS, COULD BE LANGU IN HERE THAT STATES THAT ONE OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IS TO ACTUALLY INCREASE TOURISM RATHER THAN JUST TALK ABOUT HOW TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT THE TOURISM BRINGS.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
THE SPIRIT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS, YOU KNOW, BULLET POINT AFTER BULLET POINT, AFTER BULLET POINT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY FROM THE HOT TAX? I MEAN, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I JOINED OR ASKED TO JOIN THE COMMISSION IS BECAUSE WE NEED MORE HOT TAX AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, GETTING MORE PEOPLE HERE.
SO I, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
YOU SHOULD BE REALLY LARGELY AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, HALF OF THE TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW TO GET MORE PEOPLE HERE.
SO INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING INCREASING HOT TAX REVENUE, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY FOR USES PERTAINING TO TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES, THAT ISN'T REALLY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN THAT CAN MEAN JUST LIKE TRYING TO INCREASE THE HOT TAX PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? NOT SO MUCH LIKE TRYING TO INCREASE OCCUPANCY.
SO I'M LOOKING AT, SORRY, NOW WE HAVE THESE RULES, BUT MAYBE ADD THAT, MAYBE JUST A THOUGHT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
I, I'M, MY COMMENT MIGHT BE, I'M LOOKING AT THE INTRO STATEMENT AT THE TOP WHERE A QUOTE COMES FROM THE TOURISM COMMISSION MISSION STATEMENT.
I'M WONDERING IF WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS, IS AN ADD-ON IN THAT SECTION? I MEAN WE'RE, THIS IS DEFINITELY CATERING TO HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX REVENUE
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COLLECTED AND IT DOESN'T, THERE'S MORE TO OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND FOR THE, THE DOCUMENT THAT BROUGHT THIS COMMISSION INTO BEING BEYOND THAT.SO IT MIGHT BE EXPANDING BEYOND THAT IN THE OPENING PARAGRAPH.
WHAT YOU SO I MEAN, AGAIN, IIII DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA WRITE THE WHOLE THING.
UH, C I'M GONNA GO WITH COMMISSIONER TI AND THEN COMMISSIONER REEDY.
ONE THING THAT MIGHT ADDRESS THE DESIRE IS IN ITEM A OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE AS A GOAL AND OBJECTIVE.
IT SAYS INCREASING HOT TAX REVENUE.
MAYBE WE SAY INCREASING TOURISM AND HOT TAX REVENUE.
UH, OR I DUNNO IF THAT'S CLOSER TO JUST WANNA THAT'S CLOSER.
I WANTED TO SAY I APPRECIATE THAT DISTINCTION BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T THINK ABOUT RAISING THE HOT TAX.
AND ALSO I HAVE TO LEAVE TO PICK UP A CHILD, SO I'M GONNA STEP OUT.
I SEE EVERYBODY DOES, DOES DOES THIS STILL, IS EILEEN STILL ON? SHE'S GONE.
SO WITH I COMMISSIONER REED LEAVING, WE KILLED THE QUORUM.
SHOULD, SHOULD, SHOULD WE UH, ADJOURN THIS? WELL I'M SO SORRY GUYS.
I'M LITERALLY GONNA BE FINE BY HIS SUMMER CAMP SO I DON'T MAKE KNOW HOW IT IS THAT DON'T YOU NEED TO PROPOSE? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SAY ADJOURN? LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD MOVE TO ADJOURN.
I'M SO SORRY THAT I'LL SECTION YOU.
I DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS GONNA, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO PAY THE SUMMER CAMP MORE THAN AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TODAY.
UM, I'M SORRY Y'ALL, UH, FELIC.
SO WHATEVER WE'RE NOT CAPTURING TODAY, YOU'RE WELCOME.
UM, PLEASE JUST EMAIL ME AND UM, DANIEL AND THEN WE CAN GET THIS TOGETHER.
SO THEN COME J JULY, WE CAN HAVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PAPER AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
DANIEL SURE DID A GOOD JOB ON THIS THOUGH.
UM, I GUESS THAT'S MY TO OFFICIALLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE OUT.
SO LOOK, I KNOW, I'M SORRY I WAS OBNOXIOUS TODAY.
I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA, UH, COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR SPIRIT OF INVOLVEMENT AND THANK YOU.
I, I LIKED SEEING YOU FULLY, FULLY POWER AND ENGAGED.
HAVE MORE COFFEE WHEN YOU COME TO THESE THAT I RECOMMEND IT.