[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT IS 2 35 AND, UH, IT IS APRIL 9TH, AND I AM CALLING THE OFFICER TOURISM COMMISSION, UH, BOARD TO, UH, ACTIVE AND WANNA CHECK, FIRST OF ALL, UM, IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
Y'ALL, UH, WE HAVE A VERY FULL AGENDA TODAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT SPEAKERS, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF COOL INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GONNA WANT TO DIGEST.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
GONNA TRY TO MOVE THROUGH, UH, LET'S JUST START.CAN I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE, UH, THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THIS PAST MARCH I MOTION? I'M SORRY, WHO? UH, I GOT COM.
I, I DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM THE SITE.
WHO WAS A MOTION? I HEARD IT, ANNA.
SO, UM, ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO THE MINUTES? NOPE, NO DISCUSSION THEN.
ALL IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE MARCH MINUTES, PLEASE.
I NOT SURE IF YOU WERE NOT IN THE LAST MEETING, WHETHER YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO VOTE 'CAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR THE MEETING, BUT THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD OPT, OPT IN OR OPT OUT, BUT UNANIMOUS.
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Burleson, regarding commission board resources and updates for commission board.]
MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.DO WE HAVE ANY STAFF BREEDING IS FELICIA
AS I SAID, DANIEL, DANIEL GAVE ME COUNSEL SINCE WE HAD SUCH AN AGENDA THAT I SHOULD TRY TO KEEP OUR ENGAGEMENT GOING SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS MEETING.
SO I DO JUST WANNA ADD THAT, UM, I ADDED A NEW UPDATED, UM, THE, THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD LISTING AND THEIR RESPECTFUL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, SINCE WE DO HAVE TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE JOINED US TODAY.
UM, WE DO HAVE IT, UM, LATER ON IN THE AGENDA TO INTRODUCE THEM.
AND THEN I ALSO ADDED FOR THOSE, UM, NEW MEMBERS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE REMAINING YEAR.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, WE STILL HAVE A VACANCY FOR, UM, DISTRICT FOUR.
[3. Presentation by Brian Gannon, Senior Director, Visit Austin Film Commission, on the impact of the film industry on Austin tourism.]
ALRIGHT, WE'RE MOVING ON TO DISCUSSION ITEMS, STARTING WITH NUMBER THREE.UM, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY BRIAN GANNON, THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF VISIT AUSTIN FILM COMMISSION, AND HE'S GONNA SHARE WITH US WHAT HE SEES FROM HIS PERCH ON HOW OUR FILM INDUSTRIES ARE SUPPORTING TOURISM.
UM, SO MY PRESENTATION, I WILL GO THROUGH IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
TELL ME TO SKIP OVER ANYTHING IF YOU'RE, UH, FEELING LIKE IT'S, IT'S INFORMATION YOU DON'T NEED.
BUT, UM, UH, DANIEL ASKED ME TO COVER A VARIETY OF TOPICS, SO I'M, I'M JUST GONNA START WITH OUR OFFICE.
SO, UM, THERE'S BEEN FILMING IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, OUR OFFICE WAS FOUNDED IN 1986, WHERE ASSOCIATION OF FILM COMMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITED, WHICH IS THE, THE BODY THAT OVERSEES ALL FILM COMMISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, AND THEN MYSELF AND, AND MY COLLEAGUE KIM LEBLANC, ARE BOTH CERTIFIED FILM COMMISSIONERS.
SO WE'RE PART OF VISIT AUSTIN, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE STANDARD MOST FILM COMMISSIONS WITHIN THE CITY LEVEL ARE AT A, A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
SO WE MARKET AND SELL AUSTIN AS A FILMING DESTINATION TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTIONS, UH, TO FEATURE FILMS, TO TELEVISION SERIES.
AND WE WORK TO BRING THESE PRODUCTIONS TO THE REGION.
AND I SAY REGION, UM, ALL PRODUCTIONS USED USE AUSTIN RESOURCES, BUT WE ALSO MARKET KIND OF SURROUNDING AUSTIN BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, REALLY COOL AMERICANA FARMLAND TO THE EAST.
YOU'VE GOT RUGGED TERRAIN TO THE WEST AND THEN DOWNTOWN ITSELF.
AND, AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ALL DIFFERENT AESTHETICS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MARKET, UH, WHEN WE'RE SHOWING PRODUCTIONS WHAT KIND OF LOOKS THEY CAN ACHIEVE IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE ADVOCATE FOR PRODUCTION THAT'S ON THE GROUND.
SO WE DON'T FINANCE OR REGULATE, BUT WE POINT PRODUCTIONS TO PERMITTING OFFICES AROUND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A CITY OF AUSTIN, IT COULD BE OUT IN MAINOR.
UM, WE HELP THEM WORK WITH DPS AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, JURISDICTIONS IF THEY WANT TO FILM ON BIGGER ROADWAYS, UH, COUNTY PARKS, ALL, ALL THE INTERESTING PLACES THEY WOULD WANT TO FILM TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION.
UM, SO SINCE OUR OFFICE WAS FOUNDED, WE'VE WORKED WITH OVER 300 FEATURE FILMS, UH, TWO DOZEN TV SHOWS, UH, AND 2,500 COMMERCIALS.
COMMERCIALS ARE, UH, KIND OF THE BREAD AND BUTTER.
THEY, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT THE STATE INCENTIVE IS, THERE'S ALWAYS COMMERCIAL WORK.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH AUSTIN BEING A DESTINATION THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANNA ASSOCIATE WITH, OR I SHOULD SAY BRANDS WANNA ASSOCIATE WITH.
YOU KNOW, YOU'LL HAVE A, A NIKE COMMERCIAL ON THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILER.
[00:05:01]
IS CAR COMMERCIALS, BECAUSE YOU CAN FILM YOUR RURAL IN THE MORNING AND THEN COST EFFECTIVELY COME DOWNTOWN AND SHOOT, YOU KNOW, DRIVING SCENES ON, ON CITY STREETS IN THE EVENING.UM, SO OUR OFFICE WORKS TO DEVELOP, UH, RELATIONSHIPS.
I GUESS I'LL USE THIS CLICK OR, UM, THERE WE GO.
UH, WE WORK TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH DECISION MAKERS.
SO MOST PRODUCTIONS COME OUT OF LA LIKE 85% OF PRODUCTION.
SO WE KEEP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH AD AGENCIES, WITH, UH, FILMMAKERS, UH, WITH STUDIO HEADS AND, AND, AND EXECUTIVES THAT OVERSEE PRODUCTION.
UH, WE HOST PRE-PRODUCTION SCOUTS.
SO WHEN A PRODUCTION'S TRYING TO DECIDE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GO, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL COMPARE AND CONTRAST DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
SO THAT MIGHT BE BETWEEN AUSTIN AND ALBUQUERQUE AND, UH, NEW ORLEANS.
AND SO, WE'LL, WE KEEP A DATABASE OF LOCATIONS THAT WE SEND THEM.
HERE'S THE BEST LOCATIONS WE HAVE IN OUR REGION THAT MATCH YOUR SCRIPT.
AND THEN IF THEY DECIDE, HEY, AUSTIN MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL COME IN AND SCOUT AROUND AND SEE THOSE LOCATIONS IN REAL TIME.
SO WE'LL HOST THEM, WE'LL DRIVE THEM AROUND, WE'LL INTRODUCE THEM TO KEY CREW MEMBERS THAT THEY MIGHT HIRE WHEN THEY COME IN, SPECIFICALLY DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UM, AND THEN KIND OF, I, I MAY HAVE COVERED THIS A LITTLE BIT ALREADY.
WE, WE ACT AS THAT INTERMEDIATE INTRODUCING THEM TO, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE MAIN STREET MANAGER IN TAYLOR.
IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE OVER DOWNTOWN TAYLOR, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS PERSON.
UH, AND, UH, WE ALSO MARKET THE DESTINATION AT, UH, EVENTS.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF INDUSTRY TRADE SHOWS, THERE'S A LOT OF FILM FESTIVALS.
WE'RE WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE 25 PLUS FILM FESTIVALS HERE IN AUSTIN ALONE.
BUT THERE'S ALSO FILM FESTIVALS, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE INTERNATIONALLY.
UM, BUT SPEAKING TO THE FILM FESTIVALS IN TOWN, WE, WE HAVE JUST WORLD CLASS FESTIVALS THAT WE MARKET TO VISITORS AND, AND LOCALS ALIKE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S JUST A GREAT CITY TO BE A FILM LOVER AND HAVE THAT KIND OF ACCESS.
UM, SO THE NEXT SLIDE'S JUST KIND OF A, UH, HERE'S SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN.
SO WE, WE, ON OUR WEBSITE, WE KEEP A FILMOGRAPHY, A PRODUCTION DIRECTORY.
SO IF YOU'RE A LOCAL VENDOR THAT SUPPLIES TO PRODUCTION, WE WANT YOU IN OUR, OUR DIRECTORY.
IT'S A FREE DIRECTORY FOR ANYONE TO LIST IN.
WE LIST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM PAS TO, TO PRODUCERS.
UH, WHEN A PRODUCTION COMES TO TOWN, WE WANT THEM TO BE USING AS MUCH LOCAL AS POSSIBLE, UH, HOTELS, UH, LOCAL FACILITIES.
UM, AND, AND WE WANT THEM TO BE PARTICIPATING WITH INCENTIVES TOO.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG SELLING POINT.
I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE THOUGH.
UM, SO AUSTIN'S BEEN A HUB SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
UH, THERE WERE, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE IS PROBABLY THE FIRST BIG PRODUCTION THAT, THAT GAVE US A NAME.
THERE WAS ANOTHER SMALL FILM MADE A COUPLE YEARS LATER IN AUSTIN.
CITY LIMITS, UH, LONGEST RUNNING MUSICAL TV SHOW.
UH, THERE'S A, A MOVIE CALLED THE WHOLE SHOOT AND MATCH THAT SHOT HERE IN THE LATE SEVENTIES.
AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SEEN IT.
UH, IT'S ABOUT TWO GUYS DRIVING AROUND IN A PICKUP TRUCK KIND OF HANGING OUT.
UH, IT ECHOES A LOT OF MOVIES THAT WERE MADE IN AUSTIN AFTER THAT YOU WERE EITHER A HORROR MOVIE OR KIND OF A, AN INDIE HANGOUT MOVIE.
UM, BUT ROBERT REDFORD SAW THE WHOLE SHOOT AND MATCH AND HE SAID, WE NEED A PLACE FOR REGIONAL STORYTELLING TO BE SEEN.
AND IT INSPIRED 'EM TO FOUND SUNDANCE.
AND SO, I, I ALWAYS MENTION THOSE 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE THING FOR AUSTIN.
UM, SO YEAH, WE'VE HAD PRODUCTION HERE SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
IT KIND OF BUILT UP IN THE EIGHTIES WITH MADE FOR TV, MOVIES, MOVIES OF THE WEEK, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT KIND OF MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE.
AND THEN MEDIUM LEVEL HOLLYWOOD MOVIES KIND OF TOOK OVER MID EIGHTIES ON.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHEN YOU NOTICE ON THAT FIRST SLIDE, THERE WAS A, A PICTURE OF TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE TOO.
WE HAD ENOUGH KIND OF MEDIUM LEVEL MOVIES LIKE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, 20 TO ACTUALLY ABOUT 10, 10 MILLION TO $30 MILLION BUDGET THAT THE CITY SAID, WHY, WHY ARE WE NOT GOING AFTER MORE OF THESE MOVIES AND TRYING TO BRING 'EM TO TOWN? THEY'RE ECONOMIC DRIVERS.
UH, THEY CREATE JOBS, CREATE SPENDING, ORGANIC PROMOTION.
'CAUSE PEOPLE WATCH MOVIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF THE, THE IMPETUS FOR OUR OFFICE BEING FOUNDED.
UM, BUT OUR CREW CAN HANDLE PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU THROW AT 'EM FROM A COMMERCIAL TO A, A FEATURE.
UH, IT'S PART OF WHY OUR REPUTATION IS AS GOOD AS IT IS.
WE'VE HAD PRODUCTION HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
WE HAVEN'T JUST BOUGHT PRODUCTION TO BE AN INDUSTRY LIKE A LOT OF OUR, UH, COMPETITIVE STATES.
UM, SO RENTAL HOUSES BUILT UP OVER THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY SAW, HEY, THERE'S A LOT OF PRODUCTION GOING TO AUSTIN.
A LOT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES SAID, HEY, WE CAN EXPAND AND GO INTO, YOU KNOW, SUPPLYING LIGHTS AND CAMERAS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHEN A PRODUCTION COMES IN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHIP THAT STUFF.
IT'S ALL AVAILABLE TO THEM AS A RESOURCE.
IN AUSTIN, THIS IS GONNA BE A WEIRD ONE, BUT HAVING 300 DAYS OF SUNSHINE IS, IS A, A PERK.
[00:10:01]
UH, WE HAVE ALLERGY COMMERCIALS THAT SHOOT IN JANUARY 'CAUSE THIS IS A PLACE THAT YOU CAN STILL DO THAT AND NOT REALLY HAVE TO WORRY, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE ODD SNOW DAY.BUT, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S A, IT'S AN EASY PLACE TO FAKE, UH, ANY TIME OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN AUSTIN IS A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE.
UM, IF A PRODUCTION HAS A CHOICE OF, I, I, I'LL, I'LL CHOOSE NOT TO MENTION ANOTHER DESTINATION AS A, A COUNTERPOINT, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BRING IN TALENT AND YOU WANT TO GET A MOVIE OFF THE GROUND OR A TV SHOW AND YOU TELL 'EM, HEY, WE'RE LIKELY GONNA FILM IN AUSTIN, THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, THERE'S GOOD HOTELS THERE, THERE'S GOOD FOOD, THERE'S LIVE MUSIC.
I KIND OF WANT TO GO HANG OUT THERE.
UM, I TOUCHED ON THIS ALREADY, BUT YOU KNOW, BACK IN, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL THINGS THAT WE SOLD AUSTIN ON WERE THE CREW AND OUR, OUR DIVERSE LOCATIONS.
SO LOCATIONS, WE KEEP A A DATABASE.
WE ALLOW ANY LOCAL BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO HAVE FILMING TO LIST AS A POTENTIAL FILMING LOCATION.
YOU, YOU SEE A LOT OF STUFF THAT FILMS IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THIS IS REVENUE THAT GOES BACK TO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE A BUSINESS AND NOT HAVE, UH, ENOUGH TO DO AN UPGRADE OF YOUR SHOP FRONT AND YOU COULD HAVE A PRODUCTION COME THROUGH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU CAN PAY FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE KEEP THIS DATABASE, WE USE IT TO SEND OUT TO POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT AUSTIN.
UH, IT'S A REAL HUGE MARKETING TOOL.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE FACILITIES.
SO WE'VE GOT OVER 20 FACILITIES IN TOWN.
A LOT OF THE STUFF SHOOTS ON LOCATION, BUT NINE TIMES OUTTA 10 YOU NEED TO BUILD A, A, YOU KNOW, A FAKE LIVING ROOM OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT YOU CAN GET CAMERA ANGLES ON OR LOOKS THAT ARE ONLY ACHIEVABLE ON A STAGE, THAT IT GIVES YOU A LEVEL OF CONTROL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE WEATHER.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE AMAZING INVESTMENTS THE CITY OF AUSTIN MADE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OTHER CITY HAS IS THEY, THEY PARTNERED WITH THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD, TO RETROFIT, UH, THE OLD MUELLER AIRPORT AND TURN IT INTO A FILM STUDIO ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.
AND BEFORE THAT, IT WAS JUST KIND OF, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO KNOCK ON DOORS OF WAREHOUSES AND, AND KIND OF, UH, BEG THAT THEY WOULD DO SHORT TERM RENTAL FOR, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MOVIE.
AND NOW WE HAVE THESE FACILITIES THAT WE CAN OFFER UP.
AND IN THE YEAR SINCE, UH, A TX FILM STUDIOS OPENED IN SOUTH AUSTIN, IT WAS A CONVERSION OF AN OLD US FOODS DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
UH, GREAT THING ABOUT, UH, A PLACE LIKE THAT.
THEY HAVE FREEZER WALLS, SO THEY'RE INSULATED AND IT MAKES IT REALLY PERFECT FOR PRODUCTION.
UH, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY ROBERT RODRIGUEZ FOUNDED TROUBLEMAKER STUDIOS NEXT DOOR TO AUSTIN STUDIOS.
HE WENT TO THE STATE AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOT ALL THESE AIRPORT HANGERS, HOW ABOUT THE NATIONAL GUARD WING? CAN WE TURN THAT INTO A STUDIO? AND, AND SO THEY DID.
UM, SO THE CITY OFFERS ADDITIONAL SAVINGS.
THERE'S AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, IT'S BASED ON WAGES PAID TO LOCALS WITHIN THE GREATER METRO.
THE STATE OFFERS, UH, THROUGH THE COMPTROLLER SHEET, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OFF THEIR WEBSITE.
ANY PRODUCTION DOESN'T HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR A STATE INCENTIVE, CAN GET A TAX EXEMPTION, UH, OF 0.8 0.25%.
SO MATERIALS YOU'RE USING FOR, UH, BUILDS LIKE PAINT, LUMBER, YOU DON'T PAY TAX ON IT.
AND THEN, UM, A REALLY UNIQUE SAVINGS THAT THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, A COUNCIL, I THINK IN 20 OH 2009, PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT IF YOU'RE SPENDING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS A COMMERCIAL OR OVER A MILLION DOLLARS AS A FEATURE OR TV SERIES, YOU CAN QUALIFY TO GET USE OF TWO AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS FREE OF CHARGE FOR 14 DAYS.
SO A LOT OF PRODUCTIONS THAT COME IN NEED TO DO ROAD WORK.
THEY MIGHT NEED SECURITY 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A HIGH PROFILE CELEBRITY.
IT'S JUST A REALLY NICE BONUS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRODUCTION FEELS WELCOME IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A CITY THAT HAS BEEN VERY OPEN TO, UH, I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M A COUPLE SLIDES BEHIND.
I, I, I APOLOGIZE, CATCH Y'ALL UP.
UH, WE HAVE A CITY THAT'S OPEN TO IMPROVING PERMITTING PROCESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT PRODUCTION CAN SUCCEED.
UM, AND A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TOOK OVER ALL STREETS AND SIDEWALK PERMITTING FOR FILM TELEVISION PRODUCTION.
AND THAT'S ALLOWED TURNAROUND TIMES THAT MATCH WHAT PRODUCTION NEEDS.
SO PRODUCTION MOVES VERY FAST.
UH, USUALLY THEY NEED A THREE TO FIVE DAYS TURNAROUND.
AND THE CITY SAID, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE CAN GIVE YOU A DEDICATED STAFFER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL IN WHAT YOU DO.
UH, THEY ARE VERY COMMUNICATIVE.
SO ALL OF THIS IS, IS A, A PRODUCTION KIND OF ROLLS INTO TOWN.
IT'S LIKE A, A BIG MILITARY DRILL.
UM, YOU NEED, AS YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SEE ON ON CAMERA IS USUALLY 10 TIMES AS LARGE BEHIND IT, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES, THEY NEED PARKING, ALL OF THAT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE A REALLY GOOD HOME FOR FILM FRIENDLY PRODUCTION.
[00:15:01]
OF WHAT OUR OFFICE DOES, IN ADDITION TO WHAT I JUST TOUCHED ON, UH, WE DO COORDINATE SALES MISSIONS TO LA TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS, PITCH AUSTIN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE RADAR WHEN COMPANIES ARE, UH, DEVELOPING THEIR SLATE OF PRODUCTIONS AND WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA LAND THOSE PRODUCTIONS.SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF LAST SUMMER WE WENT TO LA AND WE MET WITH ALL OF THESE STUDIOS.
WE HOSTED A PANEL AT, UH, THE ASSOCIATION OF FILM COMMISSIONS INTERNATIONAL, A FCI WEEK, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY A NUMBER OF, UH, ABOUT A 200, UH, EXECUTIVES.
UM, SO WE GOT TO PITCH WHY THEY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WELCOME HERE AND WHY THEY SHOULD BRING THEIR PRODUCTION TO AUSTIN.
AND WE GOT TO BRING LUMINARIES LIKE, UM, JOHN PATTERSON HERE, WHO IS, WHO'S PRODUCED IN AUSTIN THAT CAN FIRSTHAND TELL THEM THIS IS WHY THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS.
UM, SIMILARLY, WE, WE SPONSOR THE LOCATION MANAGERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL AWARDS LOCATION MANAGERS OUTSIDE OF PRODUCERS ARE THE NEXT KIND OF BIGGEST DECIDERS AS FAR AS WHERE PRODUCTION GOES.
SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY VALUABLE PLACE TO, TO PITCH THEM.
WHEN THEY GET A SCRIPT, THEY CAN SAY, HEY, I MET THE FOLKS FROM AUSTIN.
UM, WE DO PR AND ADVERTISING, UM, AND, AND ALSO SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTION, UH, PROMOTION.
UM, SO WE PITCH JOURNALISTS WITH TRADE MAGAZINES ABOUT AUSTIN.
UH, WE RUN CAMPAIGNS, PROMOTING OUR FILM FESTIVALS, OUR FEATURES THAT, THAT ARE PLAYING THE FESTIVAL CIRCUITS.
UM, AND THEN JUST GENERAL AUSTIN, UH, PRODUCTIONS THAT ARE PREMIERING.
IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A COMMERCIAL.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT STUFF IS MADE HERE.
UM, AND SIMILARLY WE DO DIGITAL AND, AND PRINT AD BUYS TO, TO PROMOTE THE DESTINATION.
ALL RIGHT, SO ONE OF THE REALLY UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT FILM, TELEVISION AND COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION IS IT ORGANICALLY BRINGS PROMOTION OF THE DESTINATION INTO HOUSEHOLDS AND THEATERS AROUND THE WORLD.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON NETFLIX, SOMEONE COULD BE WATCHING IT IN INDIA, THEY COULD BE WATCHING IT IN SCOTLAND, THEY COULD BE WATCHING IT IN MAINOR.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD A NUMBER OF ICONIC PRODUCTIONS HERE IN AUSTIN OVER THE YEARS.
SO WE CREATED A FILM TOURISM GUIDE, UH, WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT BUSINESSES.
WE DON'T DO RESIDENTS 'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT SOMEONE STANDING IN YOUR FRONT YARD JUST KIND OF GAWING AT YOUR HOUSE.
BUT WE PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN FEATURED IN ICONIC PRODUCTION.
SO WE, WE'VE INCLUDED 25 DIFFERENT PRODUCTIONS AND THERE'S THREE TO FIVE LOCATIONS PER PRODUCTION.
WE MAP THEM OUT, LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE, UH, ALSO PROMOTE THE, THE FEATURES WHEREVER THEY MIGHT BE STREAMING.
UM, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO DRIVE PEOPLE TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, TOP NOTCH AND, AND TAKE PICTURES AND, AND EAT FOOD AND REENACT MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY'S SCREEN DEBUT AND DAZED IT CONFUSED.
UM, W WE ALSO WORK TO GENERATE ROOM NIGHTS.
SO WE WORK WITH HOTELIERS, UH, WHEN PRODUCTIONS ARE COMING IN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE CONNECTED WITH THE TRAVEL COORDINATORS THAT ARE BOOKING THE ROOM NIGHTS FOR THE TA, THE TALENT AND THE CREW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA GENERATE HOT TECHS.
WE WANT THAT HOT TECHS TO GO BACK TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT IT'S USED FOR.
UH, WE ALSO ASSIST WITH THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION FOR, UH, TID AND, UH, WE WANT PRODUCTIONS TO USE THOSE HOTEL NIGHTS.
UH, AND, AND AGAIN, BACK TO THAT ORGANIC PROMOTION, UM, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL TRAVELER CONVERSION THAT IF YOU SEE A SHOW, YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, I'M, I'M, I, I KIND OF WANT TO GO TO A FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHT SHOT AND DO LIKE A, A LITTLE TRIP OR, YOU KNOW, MIGHT JUST BE AN ADD-ON.
I'M IN TOWN FOR A BUSINESS TRIP.
UM, LET'S GO SEE WHERE OFFICE SPACE FILMED.
UM, SO A COUPLE PRODUCTION IMPACT EXAMPLES I WANTED TO SHARE.
UM, SO A SHOW LIKE WALKER, UM, GENERATED, THIS IS AVERAGE PER SEASON, ABOUT 1,700 ROOM NIGHTS.
UM, AND THAT'S AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SPENDING ON EVERY KIND OF THING FROM CATERING TO BUYING LUMBER.
UM, SEASON RAN FOR THE SERIES, RAN FOR FOUR SEASONS AND ACCRUED AND, UH, EMPLOYED ABOUT 150 PERSON CREW, UH, EACH SEASON.
SIMILARLY, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD 8,500 ROOM NIGHTS PER SEASON, $55 MILLION LOCAL IMPACT.
UH, RAN FROM SEASONS FOUR TO SEVEN HERE AND HAD ABOUT A 250 PERSON CREW.
IT COULD BE SOME, THERE'S LOCALS AND, AND SPECIALISTS THAT THEY BRING IN.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE ROOM NIGHTS, YOU KNOW, GUEST STARS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, 1923, WHICH FILMED LAST SUMMER, HAD A $38 MILLION, UH, LOCAL IMPACT.
UH, AND IT HAD 26,000 ROOM NIGHTS.
THEY BROUGHT IN A LITTLE MORE CREW THAN SOME OF THE OTHER SHOWS.
YEAH, THEY ALSO FILMED, UH, IT WAS KIND OF MORE OF A ROAD SHOW.
THEY WERE BASED IN AUSTIN, BUT THEY FILMED IN GALVESTON, UH, FILMED DOWN IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, ALL THROUGHOUT THE HILL COUNTRY.
UM, AND THEY PLAYED ABOUT 200 AUSTIN NIGHTS.
SO TAYLOR SHERIDAN DOES THINGS AT, AT A, AT A FAIRLY EPIC LEVEL ON TV.
[00:20:01]
UM, WHAT'S WAITING FOR THIS? HERE WE GO.UM, SO 1923, WHICH I, I JUST MENTIONED, UH, BAD THOUGHTS, WHICH IS THE NEW TOM UR AND NETFLIX SERIES OF FILMED LAST SUMMER.
UM, THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS IS A DOCUMENTARY THAT'S BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, UM, ABOUT THE UNFORTUNATE, UH, TRUE CRIME IN THE NINETIES HERE IN AUSTIN.
BUT, UH, THEY, THEY PREMIERED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, LAUDED AT, AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, JUST A MONTH AGO.
UH, WALKER, WHICH WRAPPED UP LAST YEAR, UH, DID FOUR SEASONS HERE.
WE DO REALITY TV TOO, KITCHEN NIGHTMARES.
AND THEN BROTHERS, WHICH IS MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND WOODY HARRELSON SERIES.
UH, JUST STARTED FILMING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UH, IT'S A COMEDY FROM THE, THE CREATOR OF SCHITT'S CREEK.
SO I THINK IT'S GOT SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE HAD A, A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT FILMS SHOOT THROUGHOUT THE PAST 12 MONTHS.
AND THEN COMMERCIALS, LIKE I SAID, COMMERCIALS ARE HUGE.
BRANDS WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AUSTIN.
AND, AND WE GET A LOT OF REALLY GREAT COMMERCIAL SHOOTS.
THEY USUALLY LAST, YOU KNOW, THREE TO SEVEN DAYS AND, UH, SPEND A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, SO STATE INCENTIVES ARE A HUGE PART OF LANDING BUSINESS.
I KIND OF MENTIONED BEFORE, LOCATIONS AND TALENTED CREW.
UH, TEXAS MEDIA PRODUCTION ALLIANCE, WHICH I'M ON THE BOARD OF THIS ORGANIZATION, HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AND WE ADVOCATE FOR COMPETITIVE INCENTIVES AT THE STATE LEVEL, BECAUSE THAT IS, IS WHAT LANDS SHOWS.
UH, IT IS, IT IS THE BIGGEST TOOL THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THE STATE OF TEXAS OFFERS UP TO 22.5% BACK VIA CASH GRANT.
UM, AND THIS IS BASED ON A PROJECT'S PROJECTED TE TEXAS SPEND, AS WELL AS, UH, WAGES PAID TO TEXAS RESIDENTS.
DURING THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE PROGRAM WAS GIVEN HISTORIC FUNDING AT ABOUT 200 MILLION IN BUDGET.
AND THIS IS KIND OF A LITTLE OVERVIEW HERE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TEXAS IS A, UH, STATE THAT DOES NOT HAVE STATE INCOME TAX.
SO WHEN WE'RE COMPETING WITH GEORGIA AND, AND OTHER, UH, STATES, THEY HAVE A TAX CREDIT THAT THEY CAN OFFER UP.
OURS COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO CONSTITUTIONALLY, TEXAS HAS TO, UH, BALANCE THE BOOKS EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THAT GRAPH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE EBBED AND FLOWED AT DIFFERENT FUNDING LEVELS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM.
AND THAT DICTATES HOW MUCH WORK IS ON THE GROUND HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, A LITTLE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO THERE WERE LABOR NEGOTIATIONS IN HOLLYWOOD.
UH, IT, IT REALLY SLOWED THINGS DOWN QUITE A BIT AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION OUTPUT.
UH, THERE WAS ABOUT 18 MONTHS WHERE THERE WAS VERY LITTLE BEING PRODUCED.
UM, THE OUTLOOK AFTERWARDS HAS BEEN FAIRLY MUTED.
UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, EVERYONE WAS AT HOME WATCHING CONTENT AND THE STREAMERS WERE COMPETING, UH, AT A KIND OF RECORD LEVEL.
SO THERE WAS A PRODUCTION WAS, WAS HAD AN OUTPUT THAT WAS KIND OF NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
UM, SO IT'S ONLY FITTING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAS TO BALANCE OUT.
IT'S UNFORTUNATELY BALANCED OUT A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT, SLATES POST-STRIKE ARE A LOT SMALLER AND SLOWER TO MOVE.
UH, PRODUCTION COSTS ARE HIGHER THAN EVER WITH INFLATION.
UM, AND THERE ARE FEWER GREEN LIGHTS.
UM, AND THERE'S UNFORTUNATELY BEEN A, AN EXPORTING OF, OF, YOU KNOW, THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
IT'S A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE TO DO BUSINESS IN EUROPE WITH LABOR COSTS, CURRENCY EXCHANGE, UM, AND OTHER COUNTRIES KIND OF HAVING A, A NATIONAL INCENTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STATE INCENTIVES, THEY CAN DO, UH, NATIONAL AND THEN REGIONAL AND THEN CITIES, SO THEY CAN OFFER UP, YOU KNOW, UP TO 40% PLUS IN SOME PLACES LIKE IRELAND.
UM, BUT THERE'S A POSITIVE OUTLOOK.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE PROBABLY SEEN MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY AND WOODY HARRELSON'S, PSA, UM, THEY ARE DEFINITELY PUSHING HARD FOR, UH, MORE ROBUST INCENTIVES.
THEY WANT TO WORK AT HOME WHERE THEY LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, WE'VE SEEN TAYLOR SHERIDAN SHOOT PROJECTS, UH, ALL AROUND THE STATE.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GET OFF, UH, TOPIC OF AUSTIN, BUT HAVING WORK SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE STATE KIND OF GETS, GETS DIFFERENT REGIONS MORE INVOLVED IN WANTING TO HAVE ROBUST INCENTIVES.
THEY CAN SEE THE IMPACT LIA NETWORK, THEY, THE SILOS IN, UH, WACO ARE THE NUMBER ONE TOURIST ATTRACTION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THEY HAVE MORE BUSLOADS OF PEOPLE ARRIVE PER DAY THAN THE ALAMO, WHICH IS PRETTY, PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, TELLING HOW, HOW, HOW IMPACTFUL OUR INDUSTRY IS.
UH, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS SET OUT TO MAKE TEXAS THE MOVIE CAPITAL OF AMERICA.
UH, HIS BILL BEING RUN BY, UH, SENATOR HUFFMAN IS SB 22.
[00:25:01]
HOUSE COUNTERPART IS HB 45 68 WITH REPRESENTATIVE HUNTER CARRYING IT.AND THESE BILLS ARE PROPOSING 500 MILLION EVERY TWO YEARS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS FOR AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
AND IT WOULD OFFER AT A BASE LEVEL, 25% BACK AND UP TO 31% WHEN YOU MIX IN POTENTIAL UPLIFTS.
SO HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WE CAN SAY THIS BILL HAS PASSED.
AND, AND I THINK THERE'LL BE A BEFORE AND AFTER.
THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IF THIS BILL PASSES IS, IS GONNA BE FAIRLY HISTORIC.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS? SORRY IF I WAS, UH, A LITTLE LONG
NO, YOU'VE, YOU'VE PROVIDED A, A TON OF INFORMATION AND IT'S JUST EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.
SO I'M GONNA KICK IT TO, UH, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HERE.
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. GANNON? HI BRIAN.
HI, STEPHANIE MATHIS, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU'RE ALWAYS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU'RE ALWAYS SO, UM, QUICK TO RESPOND TO ME WHENEVER I'VE SENT YOU EMAILS.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, OTHER CITIES, UM, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU MENTIONED, UH, WHAT YOUR COMP SET IS.
YOU KNOW, A HOTEL, OF COURSE, HAS A SET OF HOTELS.
WE HAVE DECIDED ARE OUR MAIN COMPETITORS.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, VISIT AUSTIN HAS A SET OF OTHER CONVENTION CENTERS THAT ARE THEIR MAIN CON, MAIN COMPETITORS WHO ARE, WHAT CITIES DO WE TYPICALLY COMPETE WITH THE MOST FOR FILM? YEAH.
SO GE, GEORGIA, UH, ATLANTA, SAVANNAH, OUR, OUR GEORGIA HAS THE BEST INCENTIVE IN THE, IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE ALTERNATE HOLLYWOOD.
MORE STUFF IS FILMED IN GEORGIA.
AND WHEN IT'S FILMED IN GEORGIA, IT'S FILMED IN ATLANTA.
SO THEY ARE OUR MAIN COMPETITOR.
UM, NEW ORLEANS TO A POINT THOUGH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ALSO SAY, UH, OKLAHOMA HAS A GREAT INCENTIVE.
SO TULSA AND OKLAHOMA CITY, UH, ALBUQUERQUE IS, IS, IS HUGE.
NEW MEXICO HAS A, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE CITIES, I I SAY THESE ARE OUR, OUR, THESE CITIES ARE OUR COMPETITORS.
IT'S, IT'S ALL BASED ON WHICH STATES HAVE THE BETTER INCENTIVE AND WHICH IS THE BIG INDUSTRY HUB WITHIN THOSE STATES.
I, I'D SAY ALBUQUERQUE AND, AND, AND ATLANTA, IF YOU HAD TO PICK TWO.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, CHICAGO MAKES A GREAT PLAY ALSO AS DOES NEW YORK CITY.
AND YOU ANSWERED, UM, YOU STARTED TO ANSWER, WAIT, WHAT? MY SECOND QUESTION WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THOSE CITIES, WHAT IS IT THAT SETS THEM APART? AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS INCENTIVES, MAYBE.
IS THAT WHAT ATLANTA INCENTIVES IS A BIG THING? YEAH, IT'S THE, THE STATE INCENTIVE.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE CITIES DEVELOP BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT FAC, THEY'VE GOT ATLANTA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A MAJOR SHIPPING HUB, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO CONVERT A LOT OF THOSE WAREHOUSE SPACES INTO STUDIOS.
THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, LOCATED RIGHT ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND IN THE GULF, THEY WERE ABLE TO CONVERT A LOT OF THOSE SPACES INTO, UH, WAREHOUSE, INTO STUDIO.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, A LOT OF THEM HAVE, WE'VE HAD CREW HERE FOR 50 YEARS.
A LOT OF THEM HAD TO BUILD CREW BASE WITH OFFERING THOSE COMPETITIVE INCENTIVES.
THEY DID NOT HAVE PRODUCTION THIS TIME 20 YEARS AGO.
UM, AND WHAT WE HAVE THAT'S SUPER UNIQUE IS THAT THE DIVERSITY OF LOOKS, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT ATLANTA, YOU CAN'T REALLY GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT LOOKS AROUND ATLANTA.
THE INCENTIVES RACE STARTED, UH, ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO WHEN CANADA INTRODUCED INCENTIVES.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, IF YOU WATCH A LOT OF MOVIES FROM AROUND 2000, IT'S PINEY WOODS BECAUSE THEY ALL FILMED IN VANCOUVER, BC.
UM, AND SO IT, IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY INCENTIVE BASED.
WE HAVE THINGS WE CAN OFFER OUTSIDE OF THAT, WHICH I THINK ARE, ARE HIGHLY UNIQUE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT IT'LL BE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD
COULD YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE AS FAR AS WHAT WE HA UH, THE LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED? HAS IT PASSED OR, YEAH.
UM, IS IT GETTING THE SUPPORT NEEDED? SO, SO THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HAS BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE.
UM, HE'S, HE, LIKE I SAID, HE'S DECIDED TO GET BEHIND THIS BILL AND, AND HE WANTS TO MAKE TEXAS THE MOVIE CAPITAL OF AMERICA.
UH, SB 22 LAST WEEK, UH, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN MCCONAUGHEY ON THE NEWS AND WOODY HARRELSON MM-HMM
THEY WERE TESTIFYING IN FRONT OF THE, THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, THAT BILL MADE IT OUTTA THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, 11 ZERO, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
IT, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA GO TO THE SENATE FLOOR FOR DEBATE NEXT WEEK.
UH, WE EXPECT IT TO BE DEBATED IN THE HOUSE SOMETIME AROUND THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND THEN, UH, WHATEVER THEY END UP WITH IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE WILL THEN GO TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A MUCH SMALLER COMMITTEE.
THEY'LL DECIDE, UH, WHAT THE BILL'S GONNA LOOK LIKE IN ITS FINAL FORM.
AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE GOVERNOR'S, UH, DESK FOR SIGNATURE, HOPEFULLY BY ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY.
AND THEN IF THE BILL OBVIOUSLY
[00:30:01]
MAKES IT ALL THAT WAY, UH, IT, IT GOES INTO PLAY FISCAL YEAR.SO IT WOULD BE SEPTEMBER ONE THAT THE BILL WOULD BE ACTIVE.
UM, AND WE WOULD LIKELY SEE IT, HOPEFULLY A HUGE SPIKE IN PRODUCTION.
YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO I REACHED OUT TO YOU AND SAID, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH PRODUCTION IN AUSTIN? I'M NOT SEEING AS MUCH.
AND YOU HAD SAID, WELL, BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE OUT OF MONEY NOW.
SO, AND WE'RE WAITING NOW TO GO BACK TO AND HAVE ANOTHER SESSION.
AND SINCE THEY'RE NOT EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR YEAH.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT US HAVING ENOUGH MONEY NOW THAT'S BEING ASKED FOR, TO KINDA SUSTAIN US UNTIL THE NEXT SESSION? YEAH, THAT'S BEEN, THAT GRAPH I SHOWED REALLY ILLUSTRATES KIND OF THE, THE EBB AND FLOW OF, OF FUNDING.
AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH THIS BILL IS HOPEFULLY HAVE A MORE EVERGREEN PIECE OF FUNDING THAT IT WOULD BE A, A 10 YEAR PROGRAM THAT MM-HMM
WOULD, WOULD BE, UM, ALLOCATED 500 MILLION EVERY TWO YEARS FOR 10 YEARS.
AND I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO IN AND, AND, AND STOP IT, UH, FOR IT TO NOT CONTINUE TO, UH, GIVE THAT 500.
WHEREAS RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE PROGRAM IS SET UP, THEY DO HAVE TO ZERO IT OUT EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE A, A MUCH MORE EVERGREEN, UH, PROGRAM THAT WOULD CREATE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO, IF YOU'RE AN EXECUTIVE TRYING TO LAND A TV SHOW, IT'S REALLY HARD TO LAND IT IN A DESTINATION OR IN A STATE THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, EVERY TWO YEARS A RESET.
'CAUSE YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT AM I GONNA DO ON SEASON THREE? I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO MOVE MY SHOW.
UM, SO THAT EVERGREEN COMPONENT IS, IS HUGE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
I DO FOR THIS, BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE HOTELS, EVEN THOUGH OBVIOUSLY THE, THE HEADS IN THE BEDS ARE SO APPRECIATED, SO IMPORTANT WHAT IT DOES FOR RESTAURANTS, BUT ALSO THE JOBS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD MENTIONED OUR COMMUNITY OF THE ARTS HAS SOME OF THE GREATEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, AND, UM, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP GETTING EMPLOYED.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
I'M SO DELIGHTED TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME FOR KIND WORDS.
AND, AND YEAH, IT IS, IF YOU GO ON A MOVIE, JOHN WILL ATTEST THIS MORE.
THERE, THERE ARE MUSICIANS THAT THEIR DAY JOB IS, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN A TECHNICAL PROFESSION ON SET, AND THEN THEY CAN AFFORD TO, YOU KNOW, LIVE AND, AND, AND GIG AT NIGHT.
UM, AND BACK TO THE EVERGREEN THING TOO, WITH HOTELS, IT'S, IT'S THE GREAT THING TOO.
IF YOU HAVE SEASONAL TWO TV SHOWS, YOU'RE GUARANTEED, YOU KNOW, FIVE TO NINE MONTHS OF, OF HOTEL NIGHTS.
AND IF YOU'RE A FREELANCE CREW MEMBER THAT'S AS CLOSE TO FULL-TIME WORK AS YOU CAN GET.
UM, OR IF YOU OWN A, A STUDIO FACILITY, HAVING A, A ALMOST A, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A PERMANENT TENANT AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE SHOW GETS RENEWED, THEY'RE GONNA BE BACK SEASON AFTER SEASON.
AND, AND THIS FUNDING WOULD DEFINITELY HELP WITH THAT.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS, UM, IS FOR THE SAKE OF, UM, THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS WE HAVE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, IF ANYONE HAS A IMPORTANT QUESTION, CERTAINLY WE'LL ASK IT MR. GANNON, BUT IF NOT TO KEEP, TO GET EVERYBODY THROUGH TODAY, WE MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
I'M SORRY, IS ANYBODY BISHOP? OKAY.
UM, I GREW UP IN SALT LAKE CITY.
TALK TO ME ABOUT SUNDANCE AND WHAT ARE YOUR EFFORTS TO GET THAT FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTIN? WELL, THEY, THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALREADY LANDED, UH, IN, IN, IN BOULDER.
THEY, THEY DECIDED ON BOULDERS OR FINAL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT AMOUNT OF IT.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A FESTIVAL WE CHASED.
WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT FESTIVALS HERE ALREADY.
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, A TX TV FESTIVAL, INDIE MEME, WHICH IS THIS WEEKEND.
UM, WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A, A REALLY, YOU KNOW, A SLATE FULL DIVERSE OF FESTIVALS.
IT'S, IT'S, IF YOU WANT TO GO SEE A MOVIE, THERE'S ALMOST A FILM FESTIVAL EVERY WEEKEND.
WE HAVE A GREAT AND NO FESTIVAL OVERLAPS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN FOR TREAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL, LET'S CHANGE GEARS REAL QUICKLY.
SHOUT OUT BAKER STREET BAR AND GRILL.
SO YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT MOST PRODUCTION COMING FROM LOS ANGELES, AND WHEN I KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT THE FILMS THAT ARE BEING FILMED RIGHT IN THE AREA, THEY'RE INDEPENDENT MM-HMM
AND IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE CAPTURE THOSE BIGGER FILMS AND THOSE LOW BLOCKBUSTER FILMS? AND THEN ALSO IF WE WANT TO BE, UH, TEXAS KNOWN FOR, IT'S, IT'S FILM MYSTERY.
HOW DO WE FUNNEL FUNDING INTO PLACES LIKE THE DOUGHERTY ARTS CENTER THAT CAN TRAIN AND ELEVATE THE LOCAL TALENT AND KIND OF GET THAT BACKEND LOCAL SUPPORT? AND IT SEEMS LIKE IF WE'RE CHASING INCENTIVES AND IF THE US CAN'T COMPETE AGAINST EUROPE, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER AVENUES THAT YOU SEE KIND OF FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW YOU WOULD HELP, LIKE, ENABLE OTHER QUALITY MEASURES, UM, RATHER THAN CHASING INCENTIVES, WHICH ARE GREAT.
BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A ONE DIRECTION ROAD.
SO WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN MAYBE BUILD AN ECOSYSTEM AROUND? WELL, I THINK ONE
[00:35:01]
OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE THE EBB AND FLOW ON THE LARGER PRODUCTIONS DUE TO INCENTIVES, IS WE, WE FOCUS A LOT ON, ON COMMERCIALS BECAUSE COMMERCIALS ALLOW, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES TO, TO THRIVE.WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO DOZEN BOUTIQUE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION COMPANIES THAT JUST FOCUS ON, ON, ON COMMERCIALS ALONE.
NO, I THINK I'M ASKING LIKE, RIGHT, SO THERE'S A GAP, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT GETTING THOSE BIG FEATURE FILMS. YEAH.
WHAT COULD THE CITY DO TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? AND SO IF WE'RE HAVING THESE FUND, A LOT OF THIS FUNDING IS HOW COULD WE PINPOINT AND BE MAYBE MORE INTENTIONAL AND WHERE WE'RE USING THOSE FUNDS LOCALLY TO FILL THAT GAP VERSUS AN INCENTIVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE COME AND FILL THAT GAP.
YOU TALKED ABOUT STUDIO SPACE.
IS IT, IS THERE A LACK OF STUDIO SPACE? WOULD WE NEED MORE STUDIO SPACES? YOU KNOW, MORE STUDIO SPACE IS HELPFUL, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRODUCT TO PUT IN THE STUDIO SPACE YEAH.
THEN, THEN IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WORTH HAVING.
UM, I THINK THE CITY'S DONE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS LIKE THAT PERMIT MOVE THAT I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT WHERE THEY MOVED PERMITING FROM, RIGHT.
BUT I MEAN, YOU'RE APPRECIATE IT.
IF YOU'RE NOT FILM FRIENDLY AS A PERMITTING DESTINATION, YOUR REPUTATION'S IN THE, IN THE DUMPSTER AND, AND PRODUCTION WON'T COME.
SO I THINK THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK WE FOCUS IN ON THOSE AREAS.
I THINK I'M JUST TRYING TO CHALLENGE YOU ON LIKE, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER AREAS THAT AREN'T INCENTIVE FOCUSED THAT ALONG WITH THE DIFFERENTIATING LIKE CHARACTERISTICS AND THE NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AUSTIN.
HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR, OUR LOCAL TALENT? HOW DO WE GET LOCAL PRODUCTION HERE? YEAH.
I THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE LOCAL PRODUCTION.
I THINK TO KEEP IT, YOU, YOU DO ECOSYSTEM WISE, YOU DO NEED THOSE BIGGER PRODUCTIONS.
OTHERWISE, IT, IT WILL DRAIN OUT BECAUSE THE BIGGER PRODUCTIONS PROVIDE ON THE JOB TRAINING, THEY PROVIDE PAYMENT THAT THEN YOU CAN GO AND USE THAT FUNDING TO DO YOUR PASSION PROJECT ON THE SIDE.
LIKE IT'S A WAY TO TRAIN AND, AND BE ABLE TO GO AND, AND MAKE YOUR OWN PRODUCT ON TOP OF THAT.
I THINK THERE IS A CITY INCENTIVE THAT THEIR AIM IS TO TRY AND HELP WITH, WITH THOSE PRODUCTIONS.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT RENEWING THAT PROGRAM SO THAT IT, IT IS, I MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE DOING FOCUS GROUPS RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY'S NOT ALL GOING TO LARGER PRODUCTIONS.
THAT IT'S KIND OF A, A MORE EQUITABLE, UH, FUNDING.
UM, BUT I, I THINK ECOSYSTEM WISE, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO HAVE INDEPENDENT FILM WITHOUT HAVING THE BIG STUFF BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, WELL, NO, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
LIKE, I'M NOT SEEING THE BIG STUFF.
I'M ONLY SEEING INDEPENDENT STUFF.
I'M ONLY SEEING SERIES ON THE FEATURE SIDE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S INDICATIVE OF THE INDUSTRY.
A LOT OF, AND LIKE DAZED AND CONFUSED, NO DISRESPECT TO ANY OF THESE FILMS. YEAH.
SO WHEREAS THERE'S LIKE CURRENT THINGS AND KIND OF, AND SO THE WAY THE INDUSTRY HAS GONE IS, IS WE'RE, IT'S NOT A FEATURE HEAVY INDUSTRY IN THE WAY THAT IT ONCE WAS.
UH, MOST, MOST SCREENWRITERS NOW, IF, IF THEY HAVE A FEATURE, THEY'RE TOLD, HEY, CAN YOU TURN THIS INTO A FOUR PART LIMITED SERIES? OR CAN YOU TURN THIS INTO A, A STREAMING SERIES? SO MORE ABOUT LIKE, HOW THINGS ARE BEING CONSUMED VERSUS RIGHT.
I, I THINK FEATURES, IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE BEING CONSUMED AT THIS POINT.
IT'S, IT'S, THE MAJORITY OF IT IS STREAMING.
THE THEATRICAL IS FAIRLY LIMITED IN THE STUFF THAT IS GETTING THEATRICAL RELEASES IS EITHER EXTREMELY HUGE.
AND THOSE ARE THE KIND OF LIKE A MARVEL THAT, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY GO TO EUROPE FOR THOSE, THOSE FUNDS.
UH, THE, THE, THE SMALLER THINGS THAT DO MAKE IT TWO THE OR ARE THE THINGS THAT DO MAKE IT THEATRICAL.
LIKE YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIND THEM PLAYING FILM FESTIVALS.
YOU'LL FIND THEM PLAYING, YOU KNOW, A FS CINEMA, UH, HYPER REAL CINEMA, LIKE IT, SMALLER PRODUCTIONS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE KIND OF GETTING THAT THEATRICAL IF THERE'S NO MIDDLE GROUND, I GUESS, ANYMORE.
NO, AND THANK YOU FOR KIND OF THAT CLARIFICATION.
SORRY FOR MY, MY NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION.
BUT I THINK YOU KIND OF EBBED AND FLOWED THROUGH KIND OF WHAT I WAS GOING TOWARDS.
LIKE WHY WE AREN'T CAPTURING THOSE BLOCKBUSTERS.
WHY WE AREN'T LIKE MARVEL CENTER, LIKE MAR MARVEL HAS EVEN MOVED OUT OF A, GEORGIA DOESN'T HAVE A COMPETITIVE ENOUGH INCENTIVE FOR MARVEL NOW THEY'VE MOVED TO THE UK.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT IS A, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, I I HATE THAT IT'S SUCH AN ARMS RACE, HONESTLY.
LIKE, IT, IT'S, IT'S A, WELL, NO, THAT'S THE THING, RIGHT? IF WE COULD ELIMINATE RIGHT.
THE INCENTIVE SIDE OF THINGS AND THEN WHAT OTHER ANGLES WOULD YOU LOOK AT? THAT WOULD BE THE DREAM.
IF THERE WERE NO INCENTIVES AROUND, WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE THING, YOU KNOW, BACK, BACK HISTORIC.
NO, WE'RE SAYING IN ADDITION TO INCENTIVES, RIGHT? AS YOU'RE SELLING THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WHAT OTHER THINGS COULD WE OFFER? I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING ACCESS TO LOCATIONS, UM, A LOT OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING ROADWAYS, HAVING DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE WHEN, WHEN A SHOW COMES IN, YOU'RE WATCHING A TV SHOW, THEY, IT'S SET IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
I THINK MAKING IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA FILM AT A UNIVERSITY, WE'RE GONNA FILM AT AN ATHLETICS FIELD, WE'RE GONNA FILM AT A LABORATORY.
LIKE HAVING THAT KIND OF, THAT CAPTURE THAT EFFICIENCY OF AUTHENTICITY.
AND, AND MAKING IT SO THAT IT'S SOMETHING
[00:40:01]
THEY CAN ACT ON QUICK.LIKE, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LIKE, THANK YOU COMMERCIALS WILL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BID ON A PROJECT AND, AND BE FILMING THE NEXT WEEK.
IT'S ALL AD AD AGENCY, YOU KNOW, BUDGET CYCLES, FEATURE TV.
THEY MAY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A MONTH OF PREP IF, IF THINGS ARE REALLY GOOD.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S HAVING THAT SPEED THAT THEY CAN ACCESS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A DESTINATION FOR PRODUCTION.
YOU KNOW, BEFORE INCENTIVES WAS, 'CAUSE YOU COULD, WITHIN 45 MINUTES, YOU HAVE THIS PALLET THAT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND, AND EFFICIENT AS FAR AS COST SAVINGS.
UM, AND THEN HAVING THIS CREW BASE AND THE VENDORS.
I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS LIKE, WE HAVE A LOT HERE.
IF YOU TAKE THE INCENTIVES AWAY, WE'RE, WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A PRETTY GREAT PLACE.
AND I, AND I, THAT COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, WE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, BRIAN.
I HATE TO RUSH YOU OFF, BUT WE HAVE THREE MORE SPEAKERS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET UP AND WE DOUBLED THE ALLOTMENT FOR THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD SCHEDULED.
[4. Presentation by Barbara Morgan, Executive Director of the Austin Film Festival, on the impact of film and the Austin Film Festival on Austin tourism.]
SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE BARBARA MORGAN, WHO IS THE, UH, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL, AND SHE'S GONNA TALK TO HER ABOUT THEIR FESTIVAL AND THEIR IMPACT ON AUSTIN AND TOURISM.I HAVE TO ASK A REALLY STUPID QUESTION.
AM I CONTROLLING THAT THING? HUH?
CLICK LIKE, CLICK IT UP TO THE, UH, IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE RIGHT BUTTON, RIGHT BUTTON.
IS IT NOT WORKING? UH, YEAH, YOU'LL HAVE TO SAY NEXT SLIDE.
WELL, I'LL STICK TO THIS ONE FIRST.
UM, SO, HI, I'M BARBARA MORGAN.
I'M THE CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL.
UM, THANKS FOR INVITING ME HERE TO SPEAK AND, UH, AND BE WILLING TO HEAR ABOUT HOW OUR EVENT AFFECTS TOURISM IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EVENT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ON US.
WE, UM, AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL FURTHERS THE ART AND CRAFT OF STORYTELLING BY INSPIRING AND CHAMPIONING THE WORK OF WRITERS, FILMMAKERS, AND ALL ARTISTS USE WRITTEN AND VISUAL LANGUAGE TO TELL A STORY.
AND WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANS, UM, IS THAT WE'VE CREATED AN EVENT THAT, UH, RECOGNIZES NEW AND TALENTED VOICES IN FILM AND TELEVISION THROUGH OUR COMPETITIONS.
AND THEY'RE KIND OF A STEALTH PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
MOST PEOPLE IN AUSTIN DON'T EVEN REALLY KNOW THEY EXIST.
UM, BUT THEY'RE KNOWN TO THE INDUSTRY AS BEING AN INCUBATOR FOR NEW TALENT AND HAVE ATTRACTED, UM, TO OUR EVENT MANY PRODUCTION COMPANIES AND STUDIOS LOOKING TO BRING THAT TALENT IN HOUSE.
UM, THE JOKE IN LA AMONGST OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS IS THAT THEY HAVE TO COME ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN TO MEET PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
AND THAT'S
UM, BUT THE TOURISM COMES FROM ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WHO COME THROUGH THOSE COMPETITIONS ONCE THEY REACH A CERTAIN LEVEL, COMING TO AUSTIN TO KIND OF HAVE A BIG COMING OUT PARTY HERE, UM, FOR THEIR WORK.
AND THAT WORK IS SHARED AT THE EVENT.
UM, WE STARTED, OH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE STARTED IN 1993 PLANNING THAT AND ORGANIZING THE COMPETITIONS.
UM, AND WHAT WE ALSO DID SO LONG AGO IN SETTING UP THE FRAMEWORK OF THE EVENT, WAS TO TAKE INSPIRATION FROM THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN.
IT'S EMBRACING THE UNIQUE AND CREATIVE TALENT, IT'S INCLUSIVENESS AND ITS MAVERICK ATTITUDE.
AND WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY LEGENDARY AUSTIN LOCAL WRITERS AND FILMMAKERS LIKE BILL WHITLOW, WHO DID LONESOME DOVE AND PERFECT STORM AND BUD SHRIE WHO WERE INDIVIDUALISTS.
AND THAT THEY RECOGNIZED THEY COULD STAY IN AUSTIN AND STILL HAVE A CAREER IN LA.
AND, UH, WE RECOGNIZED THAT, UM, AS IT'S POSSIBLE TO CREATE AN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EVENT IN AUSTIN WHERE THE ALLURE OF AUSTIN WOULD ALIGN WITH OUR MISSION.
SO THE HEART OF OUR EVENT, UH, IS OUR SCREENPLAY COMPETITION, AND IT'S BECOME A GLOBAL STANDARD FOR EMERGING TALENT.
SO IT'S THE LARGEST SCREENPLAY COMPETITION IN THE WORLD, AND IT'S BECOME THE INDUSTRY GO-TO SOURCE FOR DISCOVERING NEW TALENT.
IF YOU WIN OR PLACE IN OUR COMPETITION, IT'S NOT REALLY JUST AN ACCOLADE, IT'S A CAREER DEFINING MOMENT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, MANY UN UNKNOWN WRITERS THAT WE'VE TAKEN FROM CRAFT TO CAREER FILMS WRITTEN BY OUR COMPETITION.
ALUMNI HAVE GENERATED OVER $5.2 BILLION AT THE GLOBAL BOX OFFICE.
AND OUR ALUMNI WORK FOR ANY MAJOR STUDIO AND STREAMER YOU CAN THINK OF.
UM, WE WORK WITH MOST OF THEM AND THEY JUDGE OUR COMPETITIONS.
SO THEY FIND THAT TALENT DIRECTLY THROUGH.
UM, IN YEAR ONE, FOR INSTANCE, THE WINNING SCRIPT SOLD AT THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION TO COLUMBIA PICTURES AND GOT MADE RIGHT AWAY.
SO THAT SORT OF SET US ON THE MAP, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW THINGS ARE NOW.
[00:45:01]
THE INDUSTRY ALSO SEES AUSTIN AS SYNONYMOUS, SYNONYMOUS WITH THE FRESH, HIGH QUALITY STORYTELLING.AND THE WAY THAT AFFECTS TOURISM IS THAT ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING THROUGH OUR MANY, MANY COMPETITIONS, UM, ARE COMING IN HERE.
AND THEN THIS INDUSTRY IS COMING IN HERE AS WELL TO, UM, TO ACTUALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MEETING THOSE PEOPLE IN A VERY FREE, AN OPEN EVENT.
WE DON'T HAVE VELVET ROPES THERE.
UM, THEY'RE ALL IN THE POOL TOGETHER, SO TO SPEAK.
SO BY THE NUMBERS, UM, THE BIG THINGS WERE EIGHT DAYS OF FILM AND PANELS, FOUR DAYS OF PANELS, UM, 37,000 PLUS ATTENDEES.
UM, THE REASON WE PUT THE SCRIPTS AND FILM SUBMITTED HERE IS WE HAVE TO CALL ALL THAT DOWN TO THE TOP THOUSANDS, A COUPLE THOUSAND, AND THAT'S WHO LARGELY ATTENDS.
UM, THIS IS, GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHO OUR AUDIENCE IS.
UH, THE OVERALL AUDIENCE IS QUITE BROAD.
IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE, AND THEY'RE HIGHLY EDUCATED AND THEY CLEARLY LIKE POSSESS DISPOSABLE INCOME, WHICH WE HOPE THEY WILL SPEND WHEN THEY COME HERE.
UM, WE WORKED WITH BAIN CONSULTING RECENTLY ON STRATEGIES FOR OUR FUTURE AND DIGGING INTO OUR DATA, WE FOUND WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE CITY.
UM, THIS INCLUDES A $13 MILLION IMPACT, UM, THAT WE BOOK.
WE CAN, UH, TRACK AT LEAST 5,400 ROOM NIGHTS THAT WE'RE BOOKING.
AND WE HAVE 18 HOTEL PARTNERS WE'RE CONTRACTED WITH EACH YEAR.
58% OF OUR ATTENDEES TRAVEL FROM OUT FROM OUTSIDE OF TEXAS.
AND ROUGHLY 75% ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OUR METROPOLITAN AREA.
WE'RE NOT JUST A LOCAL FILM FESTIVAL.
WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, TRULY A TOURISM EVENT.
SO, UM, PROGRAMMING NEXT, OR SORRY, SPONSORS.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM HERE, I MEAN THIS IS A VERY TINY LIST OF PEOPLE WE WORK WITH AND WE HAVE MANY NATIONAL SPONSORS AND MANY SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY PARTNERS.
UM, SO WAY BEYOND THOSE, UH, NEXT SLIDE, OUR PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OUR PROGRAMS. THERE'S TWO SLIDES OF THIS, BUT THE COUPLE THAT I'M GONNA FOCUS ON ARE OUR CONFERENCE AND, UM, ON STORY, OUR TELEVISION SHOW, AS BOTH OF THESE ARE ACTUALLY THE THINGS THAT DRIVE, UH, THE TOURISM.
SO REGARDING OUR WRITER'S CONFERENCE, THERE'S FOUR DAYS OF PANELS ON ALL ASPECTS OF CRAFT AND BUSINESS WITH SCREEN AND TELEVISION WRITING.
UM, WE REALLY ARE THE ONLY EVENT IN THE COUNTRY THAT DOES ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE 170 PLUS PANELS IN ADDITION TO SCREENING 180 FILMS ROUGHLY EACH YEAR, LARGELY FROM INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS.
UM, WE'RE A DRIVING FORCE FOR TOURISM.
WE BRING INDUSTRY TITANS IN, LIKE KATHLEEN KENNEDY, HEAD OF LUCAS FILMS, RYAN JOHNSON, KNIVES OUT, CRAIG MASON, THE LAST OF US, AND CHERNOBYL.
AND HIGHLIGHT THE JOURNEY FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN, UM, SHOWS, WE HIGHLIGHT SHOWS LIKE SHOGUN AND LAMAN BASS REEVES AND TALK ABOUT HOW THEY RE REACHED DEVELOPMENT, ALL THE WAY TO WHAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN.
AND THE REASON FOR OUR SUCCESS IN GETTING NEW TALENT INTO THE SYSTEM IS THAT WE'RE AN INCREDIBLY ACCESSIBLE EVENT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE VERY TINY NICOLE PERLMAN WHO WROTE, UM, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY QUOTE UP THERE, UM, THAT SUMMING IT UP.
WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS WE'RE AN INCREDIBLY EGALITARIAN EVENT THAT GIVES EVEN THE BIG NAMES, THE OPPORTUNITY TO MELD WITH EACH OTHER OUTSIDE OF LOS ANGELES, WHICH PROMOTES A WHOLE NOTHER LAYER OF BUSINESS THAT WE USUALLY DON'T GET CREDIT FOR.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT HAPPENS AT A FILM FESTIVAL.
UM, SO ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM IS OUR NATIONALLY DISTRIBUTED PBS SHOW ON STORY.
WE'RE NOW IN OUR 15TH SEASON, UM, WHICH HAS A COM.
IT ALSO HAS A PODCAST AND RADIO SHOW, UM, THAT ARE COMPANION TO IT.
WE ARE REALLY FORTUNATE THIS YEAR TO BENEFIT FROM THE STATE'S FILM, UM, INCENTIVE, UH, TO CONTINUE TO INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCE THAT SHOW.
IT ALLOWS US TO HIRE FILMMAKERS, ANIMATORS, EDITORS, AND OTHER PRODUCTION CREW, ALL LOCAL ARTISTS WHO WOULD LEAVE HERE IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK, WHICH WE CONSIDER IT TO BE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE ON PBS NATIONALLY AND 87% OF THE MARKETS, AND LIKE OTHER SHOWS SUCH AS AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, OUR NATIONAL REACH AND REPUTATION, ALLOW US TO ORGANICALLY PROMOTE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A VIBRANT CENTER OF CULTURE.
UM, OUR SHOW IS SO ASSOCIATED CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN AND IT'S RECOGNIZED BY UP AND COMING WRITERS AS A RESOURCE TO LEARN HOW TO APPROACH THEIR CRAFT.
UH, AND FOR INSTANCE, EACH YEAR WE DO A KICKOFF SHOW AT KLRU, UM, THIS YEAR IN THE NEW STUDIOS.
ON APRIL 22ND, WE'LL BE HOSTING OUR ANNUAL FREE TO THE PUBLIC LAUNCH PARTY
[00:50:01]
FOR THE SEASON WITH THE CO-CREATOR OF HBO'S HACKS PROVIDING AUSTIN WITH FREE PROGRAMMING.UM, SO WE CAN SKIP TO THE NEXT ONE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE.
WE HAVE, THESE ARE OUR LOCAL, LARGELY OUR LOCAL, UM, PROGRAMS THAT, UH, ENCOURAGE OUR LOCAL CONSTITUENTS, STORYTELLERS, UM, BY INSPIRING AND EDUCATING AND CONNECTING THEM TO THE INDUSTRY.
UM, I'M GOING THROUGH THIS LIKE NEW YORK STYLE REALLY FAST.
I'M ASSUMING YOU ALL HAVE THIS DECK IN SOME PACKET, RIGHT? YES.
SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, UM, THAT'S, IS THAT THE END OF OUR DECK? COULD WE TRY THE NEXT PAGE? I CAN'T REMEMBER.
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT, 'CAUSE WE ARE QUITE GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL.
UM, WE'VE BEEN LUCKY TO BE AMID THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN OUR, OUR ORGANIZATION'S LIFETIME.
AND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF NEW CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED LARGELY BECAUSE OF THAT GROWTH.
UM, AND RECENTLY WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH THIS PREMIER CONSULTING FIRM, UM, TALKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE.
BUT AS AN ARTIST SERVING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A LONG HISTORY, IT'S ALSO OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOOK AT WHAT AVENUES ALLOW US TO CONTINUE OUR MISSION.
AND WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF EXPLORING MANY OPTIONS FROM SCALING THE EVENT BACK TO POSSIBLE RELOCATION FROM AUSTIN, EVEN THOUGH OUR AUDIENCE IS CONTINUING TO GROW.
AND THOSE CHALLENGES THOUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, SOME OF THEM ARE THINGS THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE IN THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY TO HELP US WITH.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IS, IS JUST FUNDING, UM, CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, WHICH WE NO LONGER REALLY QUALIFY FOR, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SHOWING HOTEL, MOTEL, BED TAX, UM, NUMBERS, HIGH NUMBERS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO JUST THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS SORT OF ONE SIZE FITS ALL MODEL THAT THE CITY HAS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, UM, STREET CLOSURES, PARKING PERMITTING, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS AN EVENT, RIGHT? BUT OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY HAS TO, TO WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR ATTENDEES, UM, WE FACE OTHER FACTORS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THE CITY CAN'T CONTROL.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN THE MIDST AND WE CAN'T MOVE.
UM, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF LONGHORN FOOTBALL AND A NEW COACH AND SEC AND, UM, A VERY BUSY TIME FOR HOTELS AND F1.
SO WE'RE IN OC OCTOBER WHERE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCOUNTED HOTEL ROOMS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF WANTED TO THROW OUT SOME THOUGHTS FOR, FOR WAYS WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
FILM IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTIN AS A TOURISM, UM, DRIVER.
AND THAT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE AUSTIN RECOGNIZING WHAT THAT FUTURE COULD BE, LOOKING AT A STUDY OF HOW IT MIGHT HELP, UM, INSTIGATING A STUDY OF HOW IT MIGHT HELP.
AND, AND REALLY AT THIS TIME WHEN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IS PROPOSING AN INCENTIVE PACKAGE THAT, UM, BRIAN WAS TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, POSSIBLY OF $5 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS, I THINK IT'S $5 BILLION OVER 10 YEARS THAT, UM, THAT, AND AT THE SAME TIME THAT HOLLYWOOD IS HAVING A TREMENDOUS PRODUCTION RECESSION WHERE A FILM IS NOT BEING, UM, SHOT THERE AS ARTICLES LEFT AND RIGHT ABOUT THAT, THAT, UM, AUSTIN'S REALLY A LIKELY CITY TO BE POISED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
IT CAN ONLY ENHANCE TOURISM, RIGHT? SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE BROUGHT UP A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE WE'D LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEIZED RIGHT NOW TO BUILD AN INDUSTRY, HELP BUILD AN INDUSTRY HERE, UH, FOR, FROM CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRODUCTION, NOT JUST TO TRY TO GET PRODUCTION.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S IT, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRO FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
LIKE, YOU GUYS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS? OH, I, I HOPE WE DO.
I KNOW I DO, BUT I'M GONNA KICK, I'M GONNA KICK IT TO OUR, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FIRST TO GET FIRST CRACK AT IT.
UH, C COMMISSIONER MATHIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO? YEAH.
AND, UM, I ACTUALLY, I'M A DIRECTOR OF SALES AT A HOTEL DOWNTOWN.
AND I'VE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM FOR ABOUT A DECADE, AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE SOMETHING, UM, SPECIAL ABOUT, UH, THE BARBARA'S TEAM AND THAT, UM, I'VE DEALT WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE ALMOST EVERY YEAR WAS SPEAKING TO THEM
[00:55:01]
AND THEIR INTERNS AND SHE, THEY ALL REALLY, UH, HAVE GREAT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT HER.AND SHE'S VERY GENEROUS AS FAR AS TEACHING PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THIS INDUSTRY.
AND I ALSO, UM, UH, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, POINT OUT THAT THE LENGTH OF THIS FESTIVAL IS UNIQUE TO MOST FESTIVALS.
IT HAS LIKE EIGHT, EIGHT DAYS, WHEREAS LIKE RIGHT AFTER, THERE'S ALWAYS LIKE THE BOOK FESTIVAL, WHICH I LOVE ALL FESTIVALS 'CAUSE THEY'RE JUST GREAT FOR AUSTIN.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH FUN TO MAKE OUR CITY.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO, UM, FOR AUSTIN AND, AND THE ARTS COMMUNITY.
YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOU, YOUR FESTIVAL IS UNIQUELY CHALLENGED BY WHEN IT IS MM-HMM
AND YOU HAD SAID, WE CAN'T MOVE MM-HMM
UM, BUT YOU ARE ACTUALLY ALWAYS LIKE, I'M END OF OCTOBER, LIKE IN THE WORST WEEK OF THE WHOLE YEAR.
WHY? LIKE, YOU KNOW, F ONE'S NOT MOVING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WHEN WE WERE IN, WHEN WE CHOSE OUR DATES, NO ONE INCLUDING ACL WAS ANYWHERE IN OUR WINDOW.
THERE WAS NO F1, THERE WAS NO ACL.
SO WE WERE KIND OF IN A, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S GROWN AND THIS IS THE CHALLENGE, RIGHT? SO.
WELL, UM, I I, I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY THERE TO EMBRACE YOUR EVENT.
AND I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT, UM, THAT THE HEADWINDS THAT YOU'RE FACING, YOU KNOW, CALM, UM, AND CREATIVE WAYS FROM THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO HELP BUOY, YOU KNOW, THE FESTIVAL ARE FOUND.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
I WANNA NOTE FOR, UH, EVERYONE AT HOME WATCHING THAT, UH, OUR CHAIR, DANIEL RONAN, HAS JOINED US.
UM, I'M GONNA CONTINUE LEADING THE MEETING TODAY, BUT, UM, WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE HIS PRESENCE AND WE WELCOME HIS PARTICIPATION.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER FROM THE REST OF THE COMMISSION? ANYONE QUESTION? UH, DAN, SORRY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M STRUGGLING.
APOLOGIES TO ALL, UH, BARBARA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU KNOW, I'M CURIOUS, YOU, YOU OUTLINED SOME OF THE, THE HARD ECONOMIC NUMBERS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR DRIVERS OF TOURISM TO AUSTIN IS OUR PORTRAYAL IN CULTURE AND THIS MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, SO THAT SOFT ROI, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO, TO QUANTIFY, OR DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES YOU CAN POINT TO HOW THE FILM FESTIVAL HAS HELPED DRIVE THE PORTRAYAL OF AUSTIN AND CULTURE, OR WAYS THAT HAVE DRIVEN INTEREST IN THE CITY? YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WELL, I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING THAT, THAT WE WORK WITH A FILM COMMISSION, LOCAL AND STATEWIDE, THAT WHEN THE FESTIVAL IS OCCURRING, MANY PEOPLE ARE MAKING MEETINGS AT THE CITY.
I MEAN, AT THE BOTH, UH, WITH CITY FOLKS AND WITH THE STATE TO CONSIDER SHOOTING HERE, LOOKING AT LOCATIONS, LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEIR NEXT, NEXT PROJECT HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, AND MANY SHOWS HAVE, WE'VE BROUGHT IN THE PEOPLE FROM THE SHOW, AND THEN, UH, THE SHOW RUNNER MIGHT BE LOOKING AT IT FOR HIS NEXT PROJECT AND GO DOWN AND MEET WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW, OR THE CITY.
SO I, THERE'S, THERE'S, BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER WAYS, AND I THINK KIND OF AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER TO BRIAN, IS THAT WE ARE HELPING FEED THIS INDEPENDENT FILM, UM, CULTURE HERE THAT IF WE'RE NOT DOING MORE IN, IF WE'RE ALWAYS JUST CHASING THE NEXT BIG MARVEL PRODUCTION, AND BY THE WAY, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT AUSTIN, THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR BOTTOM LINE.
SO WHATEVER THAT BOTTOM LINE NUMBER IS, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CHASING ONE CITY OR ONE COUNTRY OVER ANOTHER.
AND WE CAN'T REALLY DANCE WELL ENOUGH FOR THAT.
BUT THE INDIE FILM COMMUNITY HERE, IF WE DON'T CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE AND EVEN ACTUALLY START INCUBATING, WE'LL LOSE THEM TOO, BECAUSE IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE.
AND SO THEY HAVE TO DO ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS LIKE THE COMMERCIALS BRIAN WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND THINGS LIKE OUR SHOW, BECAUSE WE KEEP THEM, UM, WORKING SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THEIR OWN PROJECTS, WHICH IS THEIR DRIVER.
SO THE INDEPENDENT FILM BUSINESS IS SOMETHING WE COULD INCUBATE MORE HERE AND REALLY BECOME A TOWN OF LITERALLY THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR IDEA TO PRODUCTION.
THE PRODUCTION EXISTS, BUT IF WE HELP INCUBATE IT, LIKE WE DID TECH IN SOME WAY, DO I HAVE THE WAY TO DO THAT? NO, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO BE PART OF A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK THAT IS, IS WHAT HELPS IT TOO.
THOSE INDIE FILMS FEED THAT CULTURE CYCLICALLY, YOU KNOW? SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UH, YEAH, I, I THINK SO.
I, I I'M JUST CURIOUS AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR CASE TO THE CITY AND OTHERS AND OUR CONSTITUENTS, UH, THE HARD ROI IS ONE THING, BUT JUST I FIND THE ANECDOTES OF, IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF WHERE THE FILM FESTIVALS HELPED DRIVE PORTRAYAL
[01:00:01]
OF AUSTIN IN WAYS THAT HAVE REALLY KIND OF PEAKED BROADER CULTURAL INTEREST IN AUSTIN.I THINK THAT COULD BE POWERFUL TO UNDERSTAND.
WELL, I MEAN, JUST THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME HERE AND SIGNED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A BIDDING WAR LAST YEAR OVER THE SCRIPT THAT WON THE TV PILOT.
IT WAS A BIDDING WAR BETWEEN WARNER BROTHERS AND NETFLIX, AND THAT, THAT'S HOW PE BUT PEOPLE PERCEIVE THAT OCCURRING HERE, RIGHT? THE BIDDING WAR DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE, BUT BECAUSE THAT SCRIPT WAS, WAS JUDGED BY, UM, A MC AND A MC, ACTUALLY, THEY WERE PART OF THE BIDDING WAR.
THEY WERE, THEY WANTED THE SCRIPT, BUT THE GUY WON THE COMPETITION.
SO WE GOT AN AGENT AND IT TURNED INTO, BUT PE THAT'S HOW PEOPLE LITERALLY LOOK TO US.
THEY LOOK TO AUSTIN, TO AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL.
SO, AND I THINK THAT'S OUR CONTRIBUTION, RIGHT? THEY LOOK TO US AS A DRIVER OF THAT NEW TALENT NO MATTER WHERE THAT TALENT IS.
AND SOMETIMES THAT TALENT'S HERE IN AUSTIN, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE FILM SCHOOL THAT WE WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, AT UT AND INCREDIBLE RESOURCE.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANYONE? ANYONE? OKAY.
WELL, I'M, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, I HEARD, I BASICALLY, YOU'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 93, SO YOU'VE HAD A HUGE CONTRIBUTION.
AND I RECOGNIZE THE COMMENTS YOU MADE ABOUT, YOU WERE HERE BEFORE THERE WERE ALL THESE OCTOBER MM-HMM
UH, EXTRAVAGANCE IS HAPPENING.
UH, AND WITH, AND, AND I ALSO HEARD YOU MENTION CULTURAL ARCH FUNDING HAS SHIFTED MM-HMM
WE'VE, THIS BODY HAS HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATION FROM COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW HOT TAX FUNDING HAS IMPACTED CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING AND THE PROCESSES AROUND IT.
AND I'M JUST, UH, I'M CURIOUS WHEN, HOW, AND IF THE CITY DID SUPPORT YOU THROUGH FUNDS AND IF, AND, AND NON FUNDS, IF THAT, IF, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BOTTOM LINE THIS INTO ONE LONG QUESTION, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL TO SOMEPLACE ELSE? I THINK YOU KNOW, IT, WE HAVE TO BEAR DOWN ON THAT HERE.
AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE WEIGHING A LOT OF COMMUNITY NEED RIGHT NOW FROM THIS, FROM THIS GROUP.
SO I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR HONEST APPRAISAL OF WHAT YOU'VE HAD, WHAT YOU'VE LOST.
WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER? UM, WELL, WELL, I THINK NUMBER ONE HERE, I'LL, I'M GONNA START WITH THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF IT, WHICH IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT THE CITY REALLY CAN'T HELP IS THOSE HOTEL ROOM RATES, RIGHT? LIKE THE MORE POPULAR THE CITY IS.
AND THAT'S A GREAT THING IN THE LONG RUN FOR ALL OF US.
SO THAT IS ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES THOUGH, FOR OUR REGISTRANTS.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY WHAT SOMEBODY WHO'S DESPERATE TO SEE UT PLAY GEORGIA, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY $500 A NIGHT FOR A ROOM.
THEY'RE GONNA PAY WHAT IS HELPING THEIR CAREER.
AND SO, SO THAT'S ONE CHALLENGE WE HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED OUT, ED, I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? CAN WE STAY HERE? YOU KNOW, WE WANNA STAY HERE.
I DON'T WANNA, I LIVE HERE, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR WAY LONGER THAN THAT, AND I DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT OUR NAMESAKE ORGANIZATION TO MOVE.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AT THE SAME TIME AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, OKAY, HOW FUNDING HAS WORKED IN GENERAL AND JUST SO MUCH IS CHANGING DOWNTOWN, AND WE'RE VERY MUCH IN THAT DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT.
AND THE COST OF ALL THE VENUES IN THAT DOWNTOWN FOOTPRINT HAVE GONE UP CONSIDERABLY.
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE WAYS WITH STRUCTURALLY WITHIN HOW THE CONVENTION CENTER WORKS OR HOW, OR THE CONVENTION OF VISITORS BUREAU, OR HOW THE CITY LOOKS AT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW TOURISM IS BEING DRIVEN IN HERE.
THERE, THERE MUST BE WAYS THAT WE CAN FIND TO, UM, FIND THAT MONEY, WHETHER IT'S JUST GIFTED GRANTED MONEY OR NOT.
RIGHT? AND IT WOULD TAKE, IT WOULD TAKE SIX FIGURES.
IT'S NOT HIGH SIX FIGURES, BUT I WOULD SAY FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T LOSE MONEY AND REMAIN HERE.
UM, AND WE HAVE A $3 MILLION BUDGET.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR US TRYING TO, UH, WHAT IF WE, THE CITY CONTROLS THAT HOTEL, MOTEL, BED TAX FUND, AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN WAY OF, UM, DISPENSING THE FUNDS NOW, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF SOME PORTION OF THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE STILL TO ORGANIZATIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE CITY'S INTERESTS, UM, TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN PROVE THEY'RE FILLING HOTEL NIGHTS AND MOTEL NIGHTS HERE IN TOWN.
UM, AND, AND CREATE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE CULTURAL VIBRANCY OF OUR TOURISM.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? WELL, IT DOES.
AND YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD PRESENTATIONS FROM THE VISIT AUSTIN TEAM ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIES AND APPROACH TO SELLING THE CITY FOR THE FOUR YEARS OF, AND, AND BEING WILLING, AND DEXTER BEING REALLY FLEXIBLE ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK AT THEIR SPACES THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY NOW.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HEAR IN, IN A FEW MINUTES FROM, UM, JEREMY STIFLER FROM THE A ISD ABOUT HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO USE, I'M SURE HE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU
[01:05:01]
ABOUT ALTERNATIVE SPACE PLACE MAKING, BUT I MEAN, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY'S TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.UM, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES TO, AS YOU LOOK AT THE PROGRAM, UH, YEAH, I MEAN FORWARD ABOUT NEW SPACES AND THINGS THAT COULD HELP OFFSET COSTS AND OR THAT THE OUTREACH THAT'S BEING DONE BY THE CITY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS THAT WE WANT TO GET OF EVERY, EVERY SIZE SHAPE INTO THE HOTELS, THAT SOMETHING COULD BE DONE TO SEE HOW YOU, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PART OF THAT MIX.
AND THAT YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP LIKE, SOMETHING THAT JUST REMINDED ME THAT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HAVING A BIG CHALLENGE THIS YEAR WITH SPACE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE STATE'S GONNA BE CLOSED FOR RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THE PARAMOUNT, YOU KNOW, HAS LIMITED NIGHTS BASED ON THAT.
AND THE, UH, ONE OF OUR BIG LOCATIONS CLOSED THE HIDEOUT, AND WE LITERALLY ARE FACED FOR THE FIRST YEAR EVER WITH NO DOWNTOWN MOVIE THEATER, BUT WE'RE A FILM FESTIVAL.
AND SO THESE ARE, THIS ISN'T ANYBODY'S FAULT, RIGHT?
BUT WE ARE LITERALLY FACED WITH NO DOWNTOWN.
SO WHEN BRIAN SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WAY THE CITY HAS A LOT OF REAL ESTATE, LIKE, COULD THERE BE SOMETHING WITHIN THE CITY'S PURVIEW THAT WOULD HELP US, THAT WOULDN'T COST US A FORTUNE TO TURN INTO A MOVIE THEATER? WHICH IT COSTS A FORTUNE TO MAKE A MOVIE THEATER, BY THE WAY.
THAT IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY RESOURCES THAT IF PEOPLE SAT DOWN AND DISCUSSED WOULD BE OBVIOUS AND AVAILABLE MAYBE, YOU KNOW? AND THAT WOULD BE ONE GREAT HELP, YOU KNOW? WELL, I THANK YOU.
DOES THAT, DO WE HAVE ONE? OH, I SEE.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR TOUCHING ON THIS SUBJECT, RIGHT? HOW DO WE BECOME AN INCUBATOR MM-HMM
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UM, I WAS TRYING TO TALK ABOUT.
SO FOR THE CONVENTION ROOM BLOCKS, AND I'M GOING BACK TO LIKE THE CULTURAL ARTS GRANTING, UM, RIGHT.
SO, UH, FEW THINGS, RIGHT? SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE NOW, UH, GONNA BE APPROPRIATELY COLLECTING THE HOT TAX.
THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WILL COME IN THROUGH THE CITY.
AND I THINK THERE ARE CHANNELS TO GET THAT BACK OVER TO ARTS AND CULTURE.
MAYBE DANIEL CAN SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW, LIKE THE CONVENTION CENTER TEAM OFFERS ROOM BLOCKS AND THEY PAY FOR A PORTION OF ROOMS. AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THE CONVENTION CENTER IS PART OF THEIR DISCOUNTS FOR SPACING.
THEY ALSO GIVE HOTEL, THEY DON'T PAY ROOMS, THEY DON'T PAY FOR ROOMS OR CREDITS.
SO I MIGHT GO TO THE LIEUTENANT'S GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND TALK ABOUT THIS $200 MILLION
HOW DO YOU, AND HOW DO YOU GET IT TO FEED? I MEAN, THE ECONOMICS ARE THERE, RIGHT? 13 MILLION IN IMPACT.
THEY'RE VERY, IT'S VERY DRIVEN TO PRODUCTION THOUGH.
IT'S VERY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T, WE ACTUALLY DO GET SOME OF THEIR FUNDING FOR OUR TV SHOWS.
SO IT'S, BUT IT'S VERY, VERY DRIVEN TO PRODUCTION.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE SET IT ASIDE FOR THAT.
WE HAVE TALKED TO THE STATE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WAYS THAT WAY, BUT THEIR METRICS FOR LOOKING AT AN ORGANIZATION LIKE US HAVE TO DO MORE WITH, UM, THEY FIT MORE MODEL LIKE F1 THAN THEY DO US.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECALIBRATE MM-HMM.
IS KIND OF THAT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING.
THAT WOULD BE A, A HUGE ONE THAT WOULD TRE BE TREMENDOUS, I THINK, TO A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST US AND FILM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF FILM TOO.
COMMISSIONER CHA, YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR, OH, OUR, OH, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION, BARBARA.
COMMISSIONER CHA HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
I'M SORRY,
WHAT COMMISSIONER BAILEY SAID, UM, QUESTION.
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE NOT GETTING ANY, ANY FURTHER CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING, OR ALMOST NONE.
WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN IN THE PAST? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN THE REDUCTION FROM WHAT YOU'VE RECEIVED IN THE PAST TO WHAT'S GOING ON NOW? OH, $150,000.
I THINK THAT'S OUR LAST, I THINK THAT WAS OUR LAST GRANT.
IT'S BEEN LIKE FIVE YEARS, BUT I THINK IT WAS 125 OR 150, BUT I THINK IT WAS 150.
SO, AND IT WAS A, YOU KNOW, IT RANGED ANYWHERE.
I THINK THEIR MAXIMUM WAS LIKE 200 AND WE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS GETTING THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING HAS ALSO GONE UP QUITE A BIT SINCE THAT TIME PERIOD TOO, SO.
I DON'T WANNA RUN AWAY AGAIN, SO.
AND, AND, UH, AS YOU WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH WITH ANYBODY HERE AFTER THIS.
WE WANNA CERTAINLY WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND, AND TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE BRING YOU BACK NEXT YEAR TO FIND OUT HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THIS.
SO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME, DANIEL.
OKAY, UH, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON.
UH, WE HAVE OUR NEXT, UH, DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE MR. JOHN PATTERSON, WHO IS A AUSTIN BASED FILM PRODUCER.
AND, UH, I HEAR HE, HE'S ONE OF THE BEST, UH, UNDERSTANDS THE SITES, LOCATIONS, AND PLACES OF MR. MR. CHAIR.
PARDON? I I THINK HE HAD TO LEAVE, ACTUALLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STRIKE HIM.
[01:10:01]
UM, APOLOGIES TO ALL I MISSED THAT.DID SOMEBODY TEXT? NO, I GUESS I WASN'T READING MY TEXT.
[6. Presentation by Jeremy Striffler, Director of Real Estate, Office of Planning & Asset Management, AISD on the potential for district venues to enhance Austin tourism.]
THEN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, ACCELERATE AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX IN PRESENTATION OF JEREMY STIFLER, THE DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE OFFICE OF PLANNING AND ASSET MANAGEMENT OF A ISD.AND HE WANTS TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE DISTRICT'S DIFFERENT VENUES AND THE POTENTIAL OF USING THOSE TO ENHANCE AUSTIN TOURISM.
UH, FIRST JUST WANNA MAKE SOME INTRODUCTIONS AGAIN.
JEREMY LER, DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE FOR AUSTIN, ISD.
WITH ME, I HAVE JASON GLENN, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, AND, UH, BRAD, I'M GONNA GET YOUR LAST NAME.
UH, SO BY ALSO WAY OF INTRODUCTION, I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH US, AND ISD WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE OF OUR SCOPE, WHICH IS THAT WE ARE SEVENTH LARGEST EMPLOYER IN AUSTIN WITH OVER 10,000 EMPLOYEES.
WE SERVE OVER 73,000 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR ACROSS 116 CAMPUSES.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 20 OR SO FACILITIES, WHICH WE'RE GONNA MOSTLY FOCUS ON TODAY IN OUR NOTES HERE, UM, RANGING FROM OUR BUS TERMINALS TO PERFORMING ARTS TO ATHLETIC FACILITIES.
AND I THINK WHAT WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OUR FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE PUBLIC OUTSIDE OF REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS.
AND WE HAVE NOW FOR YEARS, BEEN MAKING THEM AVAILABLE FOR RENT.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, RATES FOR FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES AND NON-PROFIT ENTITIES.
AND LAST YEAR, JUST AT THE CAMPUSES ALONE, WE GENERATED OVER $1.8 MILLION THROUGH THESE RENTALS.
ALL THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THE CAMPUSES.
THAT'S SO CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS THE DEFICIT THAT WE CURRENTLY FACE AND ANY EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WE CAN PUSH TO THE CAMPUS FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION, FOR MATERIALS, FOR FIELD TRIPS, ET CETERA, THAT, THAT THOSE CAMPUSES CAN USE TO MAKE AND HAVE A GREAT SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR IS WILDLY IMPORTANT.
IN ADDITION, CAMP, THE RENTAL REVENUE, UM, THAT OUR ATHLETIC FACILITIES GENERATE GOES BACK INTO ATHLETICS.
AND SIMILARLY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO FINE ARTS.
SO WE'VE MADE A CLEAR DECISION AT THE DISTRICT TO NOT JUST PUT IT TOWARDS M AND O, BUT TO REALLY MAKE SURE IT'S GETTING USED ON THE DAY TO DAY, UH, AND IMMEDIATELY HAVING THAT IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS.
UH, AND SO WE USE THIS ONLINE RENTAL PLATFORM CALLED FRON.
IT'S REALLY EASY TO NAVIGATE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HAD REALLY GOOD SUCCESS WITH BRIAN AND, UH, PROMOTING IT OUT TO LIKE FILM SCOUTS, RIGHT? SO I CAN, THEY CAN SEE ALL THE OPTIONS AND IT'S JUST REALLY SIMPLE WAY TO COLLECT PAYMENT, INSURANCE, ET CETERA.
UM, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MOMENT, BUT WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, PASS THE MIC OVER TO JASON TO SPEAK QUICKLY ABOUT OUR ATHLETICS, AND THEN BRAD TO TALK ABOUT THE PACK.
AND THEN MOSTLY WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
NAME IS JASON GLENN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS, UH, FOR AUSTIN, ISD.
UM, AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE, OUR ATHLETIC FACILITY, WE REALLY WANT TO GET THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR, UH, RENTAL.
UH, JUST THIS PAST YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO UT AND CLEMSON, UH, WANTING TO USE ACTUALLY THE HOUSE PARK, AND WE WENT AROUND IT.
AND, UM, FOR ME BEING AN AGGIE, UM, DEALING WITH THAT WHOLE SITUATION, I FELT COMFORTABLE.
BUT, UH, IT, IT, IT WAS AMAZING.
AND THEN THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO GET OUT, UH, TO THE PUBLIC AND TO EVERY SPORTS VENUE FOR THEM, UH, TO COME BY AND LOOK AT OUR FACILITIES AND, AND RUN 'EM OUT.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE HAVE THE BURGER CENTER.
UH, WE USE THAT FOR A LOT OF, UH, D DIFFERENT A ACTIVITIES, NOT JUST FOR ATHLETICS.
UH, AND THEY RENTED OUT, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR GRADUATION IN THERE AS WELL.
UH, WE ALSO DO A COUPLE OF, UH, FINE ARTS, UM, UM, ACTIVITIES UP IN THERE AS WELL.
UH, BUT IT'S ALSO CONNECTED TO OUR AMAZING FOOTBALL FIELD THAT WE HAVE THERE.
AND WE HAVE OTHER, UM, TEAMS AND CO COLLEGIATE TEAMS THAT WANNA RENT IT OUT FOR PRACTICE AND OTHER GAMES.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S BEEN AMAZING.
WE'RE ALSO STARTING OUR GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL THAT WE PARTNERED WITH THE DALLAS COWBOYS.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF THE PLAYERS COME OUT I MET WITH, AND WE WALKED THE FACILITIES.
SO WE ARE GONNA START THAT, UH, WITH OUR YOUNG LADIES.
UM, AND ALSO DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HELPING US GET THAT GOING AS WELL.
UH, THE DELCO CENTER IS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR, UM, OUR VENUES THAT WE USE, UH, FOR FINE ARTS.
AND ALSO WITH OUR INDOOR COURTS FOR A LOT OF VOLLEYBALL.
UH, ESPECIALLY IN PLAYOFF TIME, WE HAVE A LOT OF VOLLEYBALL TEAMS WANT TO COME BY AND RENT 'EM OUT, BUT WE
[01:15:01]
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WHOLE, OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A SPORTS, A FINE ARTS VENUE, BUT WE USE IT FOR ALL TYPE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.WE JUST HAD A TAEKWONDO TOURNAMENT, UH, JUST THERE THIS PAST WEEKEND.
AND, UH, OF COURSE HOUSE PARK ANOTHER AMAZING, AMAZING, UM, VENUE BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
THE VIEW THERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO USE HOUSE PARK, UH, BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION.
UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOME THINGS NOW TO ENHANCE THE, THE, THE LOOK OF HOUSE PARK.
UH, SO I'M PRETTY SURE, UH, THAT WE'LL GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO COME BY AND USE HOUSE PARK, UH, NELSON FIELD, WHICH IS ON OUR NORTHERN SIDE, UH, OF THE FIELD, RIGHT OFF TWO 90.
UH, WE JUST HAD A BROOKS SHOE COMPANY WANTED TO RENT THAT OUT AND DO A COMMERCIAL THERE.
AND SO WE, WE WERE TRYING TO GET MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND TO LOOK AT OUR, UH, FACILITIES SO THEY CAN BE USED, UM, NOAC AS WELL.
WE USE THAT, UH, FOR A LOT OF, UM, WE TRYING TO USE IT FOR A D ANOTHER DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL, DIFFERENT COMMERCIALS TO USE ON THAT END.
AND YELLOW JACK IS A VERY HISTORICAL, UH, STADIUM, UH, THAT WE IN THE PROCESS NOW ARE RENOVATING THAT, SO WE CAN USE THAT AS WELL.
UH, ALL OUR, OUR ATHLETIC FACILITIES ARE OPEN.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO COME BY AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, THEY'RE OPEN.
WE ARE DOING SOME ENHANCEMENT ON A COUPLE OF THEM RIGHT NOW, AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVERYBODY KNOW THAT IT'S OPEN AND READY TO RENT IT OUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US COME HERE TODAY.
UH, I'M THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND COORDINATOR.
UH, JUST KIND OF SCAN THROUGH A COUPLE THINGS, UH, FOR YOU REAL QUICK JUST SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE BASICS OF WHAT WE ARE.
UH, WE ARE BASED IN THE MUELLER NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE ARE A CORNERSTONE OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS THERE.
AND WE'RE, UH, CATTYCORNER TO THE DELL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO UT DELL PEDIATRICS.
UH, OUR MAIN HALL, UH, IT'S A 1,221 SEAT MAIN HALL.
UH, BEST THING TO THINK OF IT IS WE'RE A LOT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE AT THE PARAMOUNT.
UH, WE HAVE ALL THE, UH, MOST UP-TO-DATE, UH, PROJECTION SYSTEMS, UH, STATE-OF-THE-ART WINGER DIVA SHELL THAT CAN BE EASILY SWITCHED IN FOR A, UH, A TOURING CONCERT THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
UH, EVERYTHING WE HAVE IN THAT BUILDING BELONGS TO A ISD AND IS RUN BY OUR A SD TECHNICIANS THAT ARE STAFFED WITH US.
UH, WE HAVE A 60 FOOT WIDE PROSCENIUM AND A 5,200 SQUARE FOOT STAGE, AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE.
SO, UH, WE DO QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT TOURING SHOWS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, I'LL BE HONEST, WE ARE BOOKED 180 EVENTS A YEAR, USUALLY SIX DAYS A WEEK.
UH, AND MOST OF THOSE ARE OUR STUDENT EVENTS, AND THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO US, THAT WE GET OUR KIDS ON STAGE AND WE GET THAT EXPERIENCE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY COMING HERE WITH US.
UH, SO AS YOU SEE OUR LOBBY, UH, IT'S A REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL GIANT LOBBY.
UH, ARTS, UH, PANELS ARE BUILT IN THE LOBBY, SO WE DO OUR PANELS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND WE DO HAVE LOCAL COMMUNITY ARTISTS THAT WANNA COME IN AND, AND HANG IN OUR GALLERY, UH, ON SITE.
WE ALSO HAVE A 200 SEAT BLACK BOX THEATER.
UH, IT IS, UH, NOT AS USED AS MUCH AS OUR MAINS STAGE, BUT IT IS USED QUITE A BIT, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR, UH, SUMMER SHOWS THAT WE PRODUCE OUR SUMMER THEATER SERIES WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, STUDENTS.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN OUTDOOR PLAZA STAGE THAT, UH, CAN BE RENTED ALONG WITH A 400 SEAT, UH, 400 SPACE PARKING GARAGE THAT IS OWNED BY AUSTIN, ISD AND IS NOW RUN BY, UH, MOO PARKING, UH, ON SITE.
WE HAVE A SMALLER MULTIPURPOSE ROOM THAT CAN BE USED FOR, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE MEETINGS.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S BEING AS, AS OF THIS DAY TODAY, IT'S BEING USED FOR SITE RATING FOR UYL HIGH SCHOOL STRINGS AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE SPEAKING RIGHT NOW FOR ABOUT 15 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT ARE ROTATING THROUGH THERE TODAY.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE A, A REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL, UH, GIANT LARGE, UH, DANCE STUDIO THAT IS BASICALLY THE SAME SIZE AS OUR MAIN STAGE.
SO WHEN WE'RE PRODUCING A SHOW AND WE NEED THE CAST TO MOVE IN, SO TECH CAN WORK ON THE STAGE, WE CAN EASILY SAY, OKAY, I NEED YOU TO GO TO THE DANCE STUDIO SO WE CAN FINISH DOING LIGHTS ON OUR MAIN STAGE.
UH, AND JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS.
UH, SO LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE HOSTING 180 EVENTS THIS YEAR.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY ONLY SEVEN OF THEM ARE ACTUAL RENTALS BECAUSE 137 ARE A SD EVENTS.
AND THE OTHER, UH, 36 ARE UIL EVENTS.
UM, WE HAVE AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE ANYWHERE FROM 200 PEOPLE UP TO 900 PEOPLE.
UH, IT DOES GET SOLD OUT USUALLY.
UH, THIS PAST SUMMER WAS OUR FIRST TIME TO EVER SELL OUT WHEN WE PRODUCED REC THE MUSICAL.
AND WE SOLD OUT, UH, SHOWS OF 1,221 SEATS IN THERE, UH, WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMING TO SEE OUR STUDENTS PERFORM.
UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SUMMER THEATER SERIES.
UH, THIS PAST YEAR, WE HAD STUDENTS, UH, SIXTH GRADE THROUGH 12TH GRADE GRADUATING SENIORS.
UH, WE HAD 250 STUDENTS FROM 43 DIFFERENT CAMPUSES THIS PAST YEAR THAT WERE REPRESENTED IN OUR PROGRAM.
AND IT'S A COMPLETELY FREE PROGRAM PAID FOR BY FINE ARTS.
WE PROVIDE ALL THE TRAINING, WE PROVIDE ALL THE FOOD FOR THEM.
WE PROVIDE, UH, A WAY TO GET TO AND BACK TO YOUR HOME.
WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND WORK WITH US AND WORK WITH, UH, I'M A FORMER EDUCATOR THEATER TEACHER.
UH, MY ASSISTANT IS A FORMER THEATER TEACHER, AND, UH, SEVEN OF THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, FIVE OF THE SEVEN TECHNICIANS WE HAVE ARE FORMER A SD STUDENTS.
SO WE ALL HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, A LOT OF THEM DO A LOT OF THE TOURS THAT COME THROUGH BASS, UH, WITH BROADWAY.
[01:20:01]
SO WE'RE, WE'RE TEACHING THOSE SKILLS TO THEM.AND ONCE THE SHOW OPENS, WE ARE COMPLETELY HANDS OFF.
IT'S COMPLETELY STUDENT RUN FROM EVERYTHING FLYING IN TO THE LIGHTING TO THE MUSICIANS IN THE PIT.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE IT WITH OUR KIDS NOW.
UH, WE WANT THEM TO LEAVE WITH US AND GO, I CAN GO GET A JOB THE DAY AFTER I GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL AND MAKE A GOOD LIVING AND HOPEFULLY STAY HERE IN AUSTIN AND KEEP BUILDING EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, ONE GREAT THING THAT WE ARE HOSTING, UH, AGAIN THIS YEAR IT JUST GOT ANNOUNCED, WE'RE HOSTING THE STATE, UH, ONE A THROUGH 60 UIL ONE ACT PLAY COMPETITIONS IN THEATRICAL DESIGN CHAMPIONSHIPS.
UH, THIS IS A REALLY BIG THING THAT WE HOST IN MID-MAY, UH, OVER EIGHT DAYS.
AND WE'LL ACTUALLY BRING IN ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WILL COME WATCH THE SHOWS, EAT FOOD HERE, STAY HERE IN AUSTIN, AND, AND REINVEST THAT MONEY BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND JUST ACROSS THE TOP, UH, WE WERE FEATURED IN FOUR DIFFERENT, UH, PUBLICATIONS THIS PAST YEAR ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO.
SO, UH, THOSE LINKS ARE ON THERE FOR YOU GUYS TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
THA BRAD, COULD YOU STATE YOUR LAST NAME JUST SO WE HAVE IT FOR THE, THE RECORD? SURE.
UH, SO JUST TO KIND OF BRING SOME POINTS TOGETHER, OBVIOUSLY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR STUDENTS ARE PARAMOUNT, RIGHT? THEIR DAY TO DAY EDUCATION, THEIR PROGRAMMING, RIGHT? PARTICIPATING IN FINE ARTS ATHLETICS, THAT ALWAYS COMES FIRST.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T WANNA MISS THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US WITH THESE STATE OF THE ART ATHLETIC FACILITIES AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
AND THAT WHEN WE CAN MAKE THEM AVAILABLE, WE WANT THEM TO BE USED.
WE DON'T WANT THEM TO SIT VACANT.
AND WHEN THEY ARE USED, THAT BRINGS IN REVENUE FOR THAT GEN, GOES RIGHT BACK TO OUR STUDENTS' EDUCATION EXPERIENCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT DOESN'T GET TALKED A LOT WITH TOURISM, BUT BRAD JUST HIGHLIGHTED, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE UIL, RIGHT? 10,000 PEOPLE COMING IN FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO AUSTIN.
WE'RE HAVING THAT ALSO WITH ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS.
THAT'S TOURISM, PEOPLE HAVING TO STAY OVER WEEKENDS FOR, UH, ALL WEEKEND LONG FOOTBALL, SOCCER, BASEBALL, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT KIND OF CHANCE TO BE TALKING ALONG AWESOME FILM FESTIVAL AND, UH, THE FILM COMMISSION AS WELL.
AND JUST THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT, ESPECIALLY THIS MONTH AS THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER IS BEING CLOSED, IT'S GONNA BE OFFLINE FOR A FEW YEARS, WHAT ARE OTHER WAYS WE CAN ATTRACT PEOPLE TO AUSTIN? AND I WANT TO JUST ENCOURAGE US ALL TO BE THINKING HOW WE COULD COLLABORATE ON WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ADULT FLAG FOOTBALL COMPETITION, WHY ISN'T THAT AT BURGER STADIUM? DO PEOPLE KNOW THEY COULD COME TO AUSTIN AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, BUT BE IN A STATE OF THE ART AWESOME FACILITY TO HOLD THAT KIND OF WEEKEND LONG THING? AND SO THOSE TYPES OF TOURISM EVENTS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY LOOK LIKE THE LARGE FILL UP, THE CONVENTION CENTER TYPE THINGS, IT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DEPENDENT UPON FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND WHILE MIGHT BE A KIND OF A DROP IN BUCKET IN TERMS OF WHAT AUSTIN HAS SEEN IN THE PAST FOR US, HUGE, HUGE IMPACT, UH, FOR OUR BUDGET AND FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, JUST WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MYSELF, JASON, OR BRAD? YES, THANK YOU.
I, I'M GONNA SAY, I THINK THIS IS A VERY TIMELY CONVERSATION AND, AND I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
AND YOU'RE HERE TODAY, COMMISSIONER MATHIS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOUR FACILITIES WERE, UM, AVAILABLE TO BE WRITTEN LIKE THIS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE CONNECTED ALREADY WITH BRIAN MM-HMM
UM, AND I'M HOPING THAT, UH, YOU TELL ME YOU'RE ALSO CONNECTED WITH DREW HAYES AT VISIT AUSTIN AS FAR AS SPORTS.
UM, I'M A DIRECTOR OF SALES AT A HOTEL HERE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MANY OF US ARE WORKING ON WITH THE CLOSURE OF THE CENTER IS DURING THAT TIME IS, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE OF, WE CALL THEM MINI ARTS AND SHOUT OUT TO BARBARA MORGAN.
'CAUSE SHE WAS DOING MINI WIDES BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN COOL, LIKE A BUNCH OF LITTLE HOTELS, YOU KNOW, THAT WORKED TOGETHER TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, I AM EXCITED TO, TO TO SEE THIS.
I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE THIS TO, UM, THE OTHER DIRECTORS OF SALES, UM, THAT WE MEET AT VISTA AUSTIN.
AND THEN ALSO I'LL TAKE IT TO, THERE'S A TPI BOARD, UM, THAT MY GENERAL MANAGER IS ON THAT, UM, SORT OF IS THEY'RE WAY MAKING RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS HOW THOSE TPI FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE USED IN ORDER TO INCENTIVIZE, UM, BUSINESS, UM, COMING INTO, UM, AUSTIN HOTELS.
I DO KNOW THAT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CHALLENGE OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE THAT YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME IF THE SCHOOL'S IN SESSION.
BUT ONE THING THAT'S GOOD IS I'M GOING TO TELL YOU IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE BUSY AND IT'S UNAVAILABLE, WE KIND OF ARE BUSY, RIGHT? BUT WHEN YOU'RE NOT BUSY, WE'RE NOT EITHER, RIGHT? SO YOUR
[01:25:01]
NEED TIMES ARE OUR NEED TIMES.SO THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THESE FACILITIES.
I'M GOING TO, I DON'T KNOW WHERE SOME OF THESE ARE.
SO I'M GOING TO GOOGLE EIGHT AND FIGURE OUT, OBVIOUSLY I KNOW WHERE HOUSE PARK IS, BUT SOME OF THESE I DON'T BECAUSE WE NEED ALL THE VENUES THAT WE CAN GET IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE FUNDS AVAILABLE WITH, UM, THIS TPI THAT'S GONNA MAKE, YOU KNOW, UH, POSSIBLY INCENTIVES AS FAR AS SHUTTLING FOR CLIENTS TO COME IN, UM, TO, TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, UIL IS, UH, A, A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, DRIVER FOR HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS IN AUSTIN.
SO THANK YOU FOR HOSTING THOSE EVENTS.
UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACILITIES.
YOU KNOW, SHREK IS SUCH A GREAT MUSICAL.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT THAT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU PROVIDED THOSE STUDENTS IS FIRST RATE.
I'M TAKING A LOT OF TIME TODAY.
ONE THING I'LL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THOUGH IS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN THINGS THAT ARE SOMETIMES SEEN AS LOCAL, LIKE KITE FESTIVAL AND TRAIL LIGHTS, YOU KNOW, WE PARTNER WITH THE TRAIL LIGHTS FOUNDATION ON MAKING PARKING AVAILABLE.
WE HAD A SHUTTLE THIS WEEKEND BRINGING PEOPLE OVER FROM BURGER ACL WEEKEND, BOTH WEEKENDS, OUR AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOTS SOLD OUT.
SO WE ALSO TRIED TO HELP FACILITATE THOSE NEEDS THAT THE CITY HAS TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME THAT MANY PEOPLE IN FOR THESE BIG EVENTS.
AND AGAIN, OUR PARKING IS USUALLY AVAILABLE ON A SATURDAY, SO WHAT A GREAT SYNERGY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER IT UP AND SHARE IN SOME REVENUE THAT WE CAN, UH, GENERATE FROM THAT, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE SPACE TO BE ABLE TO GO ATTEND ALL THOSE EVENTS.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
UM, IT IS A, A TIMELY CONVERSATION.
I, I JUST HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADDRESSED THAT.
YOU ALSO HAVE THE ASSETS OF LIKE SCHOOL BUSES THAT CAN BE USED.
'CAUSE I KNOW CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS REALLY APPRECIATES HAVING THOSE BUSES DURING FORMULA ONE WEEKEND.
AND PARKING LOTS, WHICH HAVE ALSO BEEN UTILIZED.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, UH, WHAT THE, UH, C CAPACITY WAS FOR YOUR MAIN HALL? I DIDN'T SEE IT LISTED, BUT IT WAS LISTED ON THE, UM, WAS THAT BLACK BOX THEATER? I THOUGHT YOU SAID 12,000 OR SOMETHING.
UH, OUR EARS WERE PERKED UP WITH THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL.
SAID OR EVEN JUST GIVE THAT MANY MORE SEATS FOR THE AWESOME FILM FESTIVAL TO STAY HERE.
BUT YEAH, WE, WE, WE THINK IT COULD HOST A LOT OF GREAT EVENTS HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE THE CHALLENGE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ALLOW ALCOHOL SALES ON, ON IT, BUT IF EVERYONE ELSE COULD GET BY WITH POPCORN AND SODA, IT'S A GREAT, GREAT VENUE.
COMMISSIONER PIAN, UH, NO ALCOHOL SALES OR COULD SOMEONE LIKE DONATE AND LIKE SPONSOR AN ALCOHOL FOR FREE? YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO WORK IT FOR YOU.
I KNOW IT'S JUST DISTRICT, NOT ON THE CAMPUSES.
GREAT RE TRADITIONAL MASS, UH, CHAIR RUNNING.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE PRESENTER? YES.
I WANTED TO ASK, UH, ONE QUESTION AND NOW A SECOND ONE GIVEN THE COMMENTS THAT YOU JUST SHARED.
UH, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHO I IS, UH, TRACKING EARNED REVENUE FOR THE DISTRICT YEAR OVER YEAR AND WHAT OTHER SOURCES OF EARNED REVENUE ARE FOR THE DISTRICT? AND THEN SECONDARILY, UH, I'LL JUST STOP THERE AND THEN I'LL ASK MY SECOND QUESTION.
SO REALITY IS MOST OF THE DISTRICT DEPARTMENTS ARE COST CENTERS.
UH, SO THE, UH, FACILITY USE TEAM THAT I OVERSEE THIS YEAR, WE GENERATE 1.8 MILLION THAT HAS SLOWLY GONE UP OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THANKS TO THIS ONLINE TOOL, UH, WITH FRON, IT JUST MAKES IT EASIER FROM EVERYONE.
UH, OTHERWISE IT'S TICKET SALES FROM ATHLETICS AND CONCESSIONS FROM FOOD SERVICES.
UH, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT IN TERMS OF REVENUE GENERATING.
AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE.
UH, MONETIZING OUR REAL ESTATE IS BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE TRUSTEES.
AND SO SOME OF IT IS BIG MAKING DECISION, BUT, UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR THOSE YEARLY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT JUST HELP BUILD A RECURRING REVENUE STREAM FOR US.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE, LIKE, THESE ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS.
JUST THE FACT THAT EVERY YEAR WE RELY ON ACL KNOWING THAT'S GONNA BRING MONEY FOR THAT CAMPUS IS GREAT.
AND SO OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF REOCCURRING RENTERS, UM, EVEN LIKE AT THE BURGER, WE RENT OUT THE PARKING EVERY SATURDAY FOR THE FARMER'S MARKET THAT THE CITY OF SUNSET VALLEY RUNS.
UH, AND THEN ON SUNDAYS, A CHURCH GROUP IS USING THE PARKING LOT AS WELL.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE KIND OF GUARANTEE LOCK AND LOADED IN FOR A YEAR.
[01:30:01]
SO I THINK THAT IS THE ONE THING WITH GOOD PLANNING WE CAN OFFER UP THESE FACILITIES.WHAT'S HARDER IS THE SCRAMBLING.
AND THAT'S THE ONE CHALLENGE WE'VE HAD IN PARTNERING WITH LIKE, A LOT OF THESE COMMERCIALS THAT WANT TO COME FILM.
THEY'RE LIKE, WE NEED IT TOMORROW.
AND WE'RE LIKE, WE JUST DON'T OPERATE ON
BUT, UH, WITH GREAT PLANNING, WE CAN GET STUFF IN, UM, INTO OUR FACILITIES.
AND, UH, JUST TO DOVETAIL OFF OF YOUR COMMENT, YOU, YOU GUYS ARE COST CENTERS, BUT I, I CONSIDER PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INVESTMENT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN RAISING ADDITIONAL REVENUES TO SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UH, TO THAT END, UM, WHAT CAN WE DO TO INCREASE, UH, REVENUE? AND I, I THINK THE QUESTION OF ALCOHOL IS A REALLY GOOD ONE BECAUSE IS THAT A STATE LAW? IS THAT A CITY ORDINANCE? I BELIEVE IT'S A CITY ORDINANCE, CORRECT? I BELIEVE SO.
IT'S, IT'S DISTRICT POLICY AND DISTRICT POLICY.
SO THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOME DEEPER DIVE WITH, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL AND EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT MM-HMM
WOULD BE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF OUR DISTRICT-WIDE FACILITIES, FOR SURE.
THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ON OUR SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
BUT, UH, I'D SAY IN TERMS OF WHAT WOULD HELP AWARENESS, THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW SOME OF US HERE TODAY, RIGHT? THAT THESE FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR RENT.
SO SPREADING THE WORD MM-HMM
UH, AND BEING COLLABORATIVE OF LIKE, LET ME KNOW, OR BRAD OR JASON, LIKE WHO SHOULD WE BE TALKING TO? SO WOULD WELCOME AS A FOLLOW UP, IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OF LIKE, HEY, YOU NEED TO TELL ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
I'M ALWAYS ON THE HOW COULD I MARKET THIS TO PEOPLE? AND JUST TO DO THAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, IS THERE ALWAYS A NEED FOR INVESTMENT IN OUR FACILITIES BEYOND, YOU KNOW, WE ASK A LOT OF VOTERS, UH, ALREADY THROUGH OUR BOND, BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS ASKS IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECTORS AND OTHER THINGS AT THE PACK OR AT THE ATHLETIC FACILITIES.
THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION, AND THIS IS, UH, IT MAYBE DOESN'T FALL UNDER THE TOURISM COMMISSION, BUT WE ARE NOW PURSUING A STRATEGY OF NAMING RIGHTS FOR OUR DISTRICT ATHLETIC FACILITIES AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
AND SO ANY ENCOURAGEMENT THAT YOU HAVE WITH GREAT PARTNERS WHO WOULD WANT TO GET THEIR NAME ON, ON THE BUILDING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT KIND OF LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THE DISTRICT, UH, IS CRUCIAL.
'CAUSE THAT'S A GREAT REOCCURRING REVENUE STREAM AS WELL THAT WE COULD BUDGET FOR EVERY YEAR AND SAY, YEP, WE KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING THAT MONEY, AND NOW WE CAN KIND OF BUILD FROM THERE RATHER THAN OFTEN THE OPPOSITE IS WE'RE ALWAYS DEDUCTING, DEDUCTING, DEDUCTING.
SO, TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS, UM, I HELP NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT WITH CITY LEGAL, PARTICULARLY FOR NAMING RIGHTS AND ALCOHOL USE ON CITY OWNED FACILITIES.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE AT LIBRARIES, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO I THINK THAT SOMETHING AS ADVOCATES FOR TOURISM, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW SMART THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE, UM, AVENUES FOR INCREASED EARNED INCOME POTENTIAL.
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WAY TO SERVE ALCOHOL, YOU'RE GONNA, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA COUNT THEMSELVES OUT OF USING YOUR FACILITIES.
AND WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THESE ARE EDUCATION CENTERS AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE CAN ALL, UH, AGREE THAT, THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME SORT OF SENSICAL USE OF THE SPACE THAT PROTECTS CHILDREN AND ALSO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGES THE NEED TO USE THESE FACILITIES, UH, FOR EARNED INCOME REVENUE POTENTIAL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT AS, UM, POTENTIAL, UH, SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY OF THE COMMISSION AND ALSO, UH, ANY OTHER AUSTINITES AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED.
WE HAD, UH, ONE GROUP WHO WANTED TO ORGANIZE A KIND OF LIKE A SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR FOR YOU, YOU HAVE FOR KIDS, BUT FOR ADULTS.
BUT THEY WANTED TO BRING IN VENDORS WHO WOULD SERVE ALCOHOL.
AND WE'RE LIKE, THAT'S, IS THIS THE DEAL BREAKER? 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE HAVE TO START WITH THE CONVERSATION.
SO I APPRECIATE AT LEAST BEING CREATIVE ABOUT AND SEEING IF THERE'S ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY AT LIKE THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER OR AT DISTRICT WIDE AT THAT LEVEL WHERE WE'RE MORE FREQUENTLY GOING TO HAVE ADULTS HAVING EVENTS AND THAT WOULD HAVE LARGER NUMBERS COMPARED TO LIKE, SMALLER EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT LIKE THE SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU CHAIR RONIN FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, DID I SEE YOUR HAND UP? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND ALSO FROM LIKE, MYSELF, AWARENESS, WHERE I HAVE TWO KIDS THAT GO TO ZORA ELEMENTARY, A SDI DIDN'T KNOW A LOT OF THESE FACILITIES EXISTED, SO NOW I'M HAPPY TO BE AN AMBASSADOR.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE ONLINE TOOL THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO TO LOOK AT THE FACILITIES AND RENT THEM? HOW CAN YOU LOOK? GET THAT NAME? I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS THE
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REAL NAME.FRON, THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL IT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY CALLED IT INTERNALLY.
IT'S CALLED FRON FRON FRON.COM.
AND IT'S LINKED FROM OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE.
WE HAVE A WHOLE PAGE ON FACILITY USE AND RENTALS WITH AN FAQ THAT TELLS YOU WHETHER YOU'RE AN EXTERNAL RENTER OR A PTA, UH, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
SO ALL THIS GREAT MARKETING ON OUR POST CAPTION SYSTEM.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN THE FACILITIES CAN BE USED.
SO DOES IT JUST FOLLOW THE A SD CALENDAR FOR WHEN SCHOOL IS SO IF PRIMARILY IS THE SCHOOL DAY NO.
TO THE USE OF THE FACILITY, UH, DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.
UH, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, NOT NECESSARILY FOR PERFORMING ARTS ATHLETICS, WHICH TIES IN WELL WITH AUSTIN FILMS SOCIETY.
UM, SECONDLY, YOU TALKED A BIT ABOUT RIGHT TOURISM AND SO, RIGHT.
I HAVE A 6-YEAR-OLD, SHE DOES CHEER.
WE TRAVEL FOR CHEER, WE TRAVEL FOR SOCCER.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AND YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY IN A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO ARE YOU LOOKING TO LIKE, BRING FOLKS FROM TEXAS AND DO MORE OF THESE LIKE, LIKE EVENTS OR JUST ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABSOLUTE.
WHETHER IT'S A SPARTAN RACE OR A TENNIS TOURNAMENT AND THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
IS THAT ALL THINGS ARE ON THE TABLE FOR CONSIDERATION AND NO.
AND I DON'T THINK PEOPLE DRINK AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO AND NO, I'M GONNA SAY THAT, SO I'M GOOD.
AND THEN THEY CAN GO FROM ONE VENUE TO ANOTHER AND ENJOY THEM.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER FROM ANY, ANYONE? ANYONE? WELL, WITH THAT THEN, I JUST, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR PRESENTERS TODAY.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A, A FABULOUS DISCUSSION.
I LIKE THE COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE SEEN AND THE POTENTIALS FOR YOU ALL TO UPLIFT EACH OTHER AND THE CAUSE OF TOURISM AND SUSTAINING YOUR ORGANIZATIONS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO, TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT AND COMMEND ALL COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS ROBUST PARTICIPATION TODAY.
IT'S BEEN A VERY EXCITING, AND IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS JOINING US.
AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN AN EXCELLENT POSITION AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND, AND BEING HERE.
WITH THAT, I'LL THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
[7. Introductions and Welcome of Cristina Masters and Daniel Webb to the Tourism Commission.]
OUR NEXT, UH, AGENDA ITEM.WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR THIS BODY FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, DO WE HAPPEN TO ALREADY UNDERTAKE DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? OBJECTION.
OH, UH, WE, WE DIDN'T, UH, WE DIDN'T DO THE INTRODUCTIONS.
I, I, I SKIPPED BY, BECAUSE WE MENTIONED, FELICIA MENTIONED IT IN HER COMMENTS, BUT I DO, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
WE WANNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES TO US.
IF, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'LL START WITH, UH, CHRISTINA, UH, PLEASE, UH, INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UH, TO AND TO THE WORLD WHO'S WATCHING? HI, MOM
UM, I, UH, I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
I WORK FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, AND HAVE DONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, I WORKED FOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, DISTRICT EIGHT, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO AS WELL.
UM, PRIMARILY I WORKED, UH, WITH STATE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, WITH THEIR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM OFFICE, TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUSINESS.
UM, SO I'M KIND OF MORE BRINGING A STATEWIDE PERSPECTIVE, AND I'M EXCITED TO, UM, WORK WITH ALL OUR LOCAL PARTNERS, UM, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, CAN BRING A, A, A MACRO PERSPECTIVE TO OUR GROUP.
WELL, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE, AND WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THAT DISTRICT 10 NOW IS NOT A VACANT SPOT ON OUR AGENDA.
IT'S BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.
UH, AND NOW, UH, DAN WEBB, OUR NEWEST, YOU BOTH CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME, SO, UH, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND, AND YOU'RE REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN.
UH, MIKE SIEGEL, UH, NOMINATED ME TO THE COMMISSION, HONORED TO BE HERE.
UH, I AM A, A PERSONAL EITHER SUCCESS STORY OF AUSTIN TOURISM, OR A WORST CASE SCENARIO, DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS I CAME TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN 2010 AND MOVED HERE SIX MONTHS LATER.
I, I REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, LARGELY THE AUSTIN TECH COMMUNITY.
I, I'M VP OF SALES AT A A, A TECH, UH, STARTUP IN TOWN.
THAT'S LARGELY WHAT I'VE DONE SINCE I MOVED TO AUSTIN FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
UH, EXCITED TO JOIN THE COMMISSION TODAY.
I ALSO HAVE A BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC POLICY, SO I HAVE A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
WORKED IN PUBLIC HEALTH BEFORE, UH, GETTING INTO TECH SALES BEFORE SELLING OUT, AS
[01:40:01]
THEY CALL IT.SO, UH, BUT HONORED TO BE ON THE COMMISSION.
UH, EXCITED TO CONTRIBUTE MY, MY VOICE.
AND I AND I, I LOVE YOUR BOTH DISTINCT AND UNIQUE BACKGROUNDS.
IT REALLY ROUNDS OUT SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, SKILLS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY GOOD.
I'M SURE IT'S GONNA HELP US MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND HAVE BETTER CONVERSATIONS AS WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO OUR ROADMAP IN THE AGENDA AHEAD.
MR. CHAIR, UH, VICE CHAIR, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE JUST FOR US TO BRIEFLY GO THROUGH WHO WE ALL ARE SO THE NEW FOLKS KNOW WHAT, UH, JUST BRIEFLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO.
WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT FOUR 30.
UM, I THINK WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH, EVEN IF WE JUST SAID WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM.
UH, WITH, WITH THAT MOTION, UH, BY CHAIR RENAN, WE'RE ALL GONNA QUICKLY INTRODUCE OURSELVES TO OUR, OUR NEW, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, OH, DO YOU WANNA GO THIS WAY? OKAY.
LET'S START WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER SHANNON.
I'M DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, BEEN ON THE VISIT AUSTIN BOARD FOR MANY YEARS, AND ACTIVE IN DEVELOPMENT OF HOTELS IN THE CITY AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
CHRISTIAN SHAY, I AM A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND A HOUSING ADVOCATE HERE IN THE CITY.
UH, I AM REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE, AND I HAVE BEEN, UH, INVOLVED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC AND NONPROFIT SPACE IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS.
UM, MOST SPECIFICALLY WITH AUSTIN, BBS, AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, AND, UH, ALL THE OTHER ACLS THAT ARE IN TOWN I'VE HELPED SUPPORT OR BUILD, UH, IN MY TIME HERE.
SO I'M VERY STAKED INTO, UH, CREATING TOURISM AND, UH, BEAMING OUT OUR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD.
UM, UH, MAYOR APPOINTED ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION BOARD.
I'M REPRESENTING CIRCUITED THE AMERICAS.
I'VE BEEN, UH, DOING ALL OF THEIR MAJOR EVENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM AND JUST, UH, FUNDING FOR THEM SINCE IT WAS BEING BUILT.
UM, IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, I WORK FOR A VERY LARGE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, I THINK THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
AND MY HOTEL IS ACTUALLY OWNED BY A REIT, UM, THAT IS, UH, HEADQUARTERED HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, MY MANAGEMENT COMPANY HAS ABOUT, I THINK 30 NOW HOTELS HERE IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
SO I LOOK AT THIS, UM, UH, MY ROLE HERE IS MORE FROM THAT HOTEL LENS.
UM, AND I USUALLY DON'T TALK SO MUCH.
SO, BUT TODAY WAS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE I LOVE HOTEL PARTNERS AND POTENTIAL HOTEL PARTNERS.
UH, BISHOP CHAPEL, I'M A FORMER, UH, MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT, STRATEGY CONSULTANT, UH, HEALTH TECH EXECUTIVE.
I WORK IN REAL ESTATE AS WELL.
I KIND OF JUST LIKE BEING AN AMBASSADOR FOR ALL THINGS.
AUSTIN, TEXAS COUNCIL, UH, COUNCILMAN COMMISSIONER MATHIS DOES TALK A LOT.
UM, BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, UH, WORK IN ARTS CULTURE AND HERITAGE CONSULTING, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND FULL-TIME GRAD STUDENT AT THE LBJ SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
UM, SO THAT CONCLUDES ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH PUTS
[8. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair.]
US ON COURSE, UH, TO MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.AND WITH THAT, WE CAN, WE ARE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR POSITIONS FOR THE COMING CYCLE.
AND TO KICK THAT OFF, I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION OR LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO MAKE A MOTION.
UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC, I THINK WE STARTED THIS DISCUSSION, UH, UH, LAST MONTH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, CONTINUED TO HAVE COMMISSIONER RONAN AND COMMISSIONER BAILEY, SO RONAN COULD BE, COULD REMAIN CHAIR AND BAILEY VICE CHAIR, AND WE CONTINUE AS WE'VE DONE THE LAST TWO YEARS.
I'M TALKING TODAY, REMEMBER? OKAY.
DO YOU, DO, DO WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER MATHIS? DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO, OR COMMENT OR, I WON'T COMMENT TOO MUCH EXCEPT TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU'VE DONE SUCH GREAT WORK, BOTH OF YOU, AND SO WE WOULD BE LUCKY ENOUGH FOR YOU TO AGREE TO CONTINUE ON.
[01:45:01]
I APPRECIATE THAT.UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S, SO IS THIS A MOTION THAT I NEED A SECOND.
UM, IS THAT YOUR SECOND? YOU'RE SECONDING THE MOTION.
COMMISSIONER MATHIS FOR SECONDING THE MOTION THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY.
CHAIR RONAN, UH, RE REMAIN CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN TOURS COMMISSION.
AND, UH, MYSELF, BAILEY WOULD BE CO-CHAIR.
DO WE WANT PUT THAT TO A VOTE? IS THERE DISCUSSION? YOU WITH ME, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, ARE YOU OKAY WITH MR. VICE CHAIR? WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE NOMINATION FIRST.
UH, I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT THE, THE, THE, IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BODY, UM, I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE MY ROLE.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? UH, AND IF ED ACCEPTS, I ACCEPT
WITH THAT ON THE TABLE, UM, WHAT, CAN WE PUT THIS TO A VOTE? DO WE WANNA PUT THIS TO VOTE AS A FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OPEN? OKAY.
GIVEN THAT THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS THAT, UM, THE CHAIR OF THE OFFICER TOURS COMMISSION WILL CONTINUE UNDER DANIEL RON'S LEADERSHIP, AND I, ED BAILEY AM WILLING TO, UH, CONTINUE AS CO-CHAIR TO SUPPORT THIS BODY.
AND, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UM, PLEASE LEFT LIFT YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MOTION HAS UNANIMOUS.
AND, AND, UH, SO BE RESOLVED THAT ED BAILEY AND DANIEL RONA WILL CONTINUE IN THEIR ROLES AS CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR OF THIS BODY AND MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AS A POINT OF ORDER, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? UH, PLEASE DO, PLEASE, UH, PLEASE.
UH, MS. UH, BURLESON, OUR, UH, STAFF LIAISON, IS IT NECESSARY FOR THE VOTE TO BE TAKEN SEPARATELY FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR? NOT WITH THIS MOTION THE WAY IT WAS STATED.
WITH, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT, AND WE HAVE
[9. Discussion and possible action to set road map for 2025 Tourism Commission Meeting.]
ITEM NUMBER NINE, AND THAT, IF YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR PACKETS TODAY, THE ROADMAP THAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING, DISCUSSING, AND COMMENTING ON, I THINK THE, UH, INTENTION AND OUR, OUR, OUR INTENTION IS TO HAVE A VOTE ON THIS ROADMAP SO THAT WE CAN CODIFY IT.UM, THAT WOULD, NOTWITHSTANDING, I THINK IT ALWAYS REMAINS THAT WE RESERVE THE RIGHT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, UH, AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN SPEAKERS OR THINGS THAT MIGHT COME UP THAT'S NOT IN OUR PURVIEW, THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO RE, YOU KNOW, SWITCH UP SOME OF THESE DATES IF, IF REQUIRED.
BUT THIS WOULD AT LEAST GIVE US SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL ABOUT FOR, UH, UH, FOR OUR PLANNING PURPOSES.
UM, COMMENT, COMMISSIONER PIAN HAS A COMMENT RELATED TO THE ROADMAP.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE ABOUT ALL THE, UM, SEEING IS HOW ONE OF OUR PRESENTERS HAD TO STEP A STEP OUT AND NOT BE ABLE TO PRESENT TODAY BECAUSE IT, IT WAS JAM PACKED.
AND I THINK WE WENT, UH, OVER TIME.
I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN NOT HAVE AS MANY SPEAKERS IN ANY GIVEN MEETING SO THAT IT, WE CAN ALLOCATE ENOUGH TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I THINK ALL OF THE SPEAKERS ARE IMPORTANT TO HEAR, AND I FEEL LIKE WE MISSED OUT A LITTLE BIT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUT THAT OUT FOR THE COMMISSION TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT AS WE'RE REVIEWING THE ROADMAP.
AND ALSO, I WONDERED IF WE CAN ASK, UM, MR. PETERSON TO COME BACK AND SPEAK TO US AND, AND BE THE FIRST PRESENTER SO THAT HE, HE KNOWS THAT WE VALUE HIM BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER PENOC.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
AND, UM, I GUESS WE'LL HAVE THAT IN THE NOTES AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AS WE'RE COMPILING THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS, UH, REVIEWING THIS ROADMAP, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO IT? UH, UM, BEFORE WE, ANYONE MAKES A MOTION, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION REQUIRED TO THIS ROADMAP? ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? UH, CHAIR RONAN.
UH, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR A VOTE.
OH, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH, UH, THIS IS PROPOSED GENERALLY SPEAKING.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD OR WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON AN UPCOMING TOPIC, UM, PLEASE DO SO.
IT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BE TALKING ABOUT HERE AT THE COMMISSION.
SO, UH, I DON'T BELIEVE A VOTE IS REQUIRED, BUT, UM, IT PROVIDES, YOU KNOW, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
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EACH COMMISSIONER TO SAY WHERE, WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE DIRECT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN AND, AND TO ADD TO THAT CONVERSATION.UM, SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM WITH THAT, I GUESS, UM, I SEE THAT WE'RE, OUR NEXT SCHEDULED, UH, MEETING IS, UH, IN MAY AND ON MAY, EXCUSE ME, I'M JUST CLARIFYING.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14TH
AND, AND, AND MR. MR. VICE CHAIR.
CELEBRATING NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM.
I, I THOUGHT MEANT TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NEXT TO ME AND I SHUFFLED.
WE, WE ALSO HAVE TO COMMENT ON, UM, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10.
I, I, BUT I SEE, UH, COMMISSIONER SHUFFLE HAS STEPPED AWAY FROM THE DIOCESE, AND I KNOW HE IS, HE IS ONE OF THE KEY MEMBERS OF THE
UH, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER PENOC QUESTION ON NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
DO WE KNOW, UH, WHO THE SPEAKERS ARE GOING TO BE? HAVE WE SCHEDULED THEM YET? COMMISSIONER RONAN? UH, CURRENTLY NOT.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
BUT GIVEN, UH, UH, AND TO GO BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS COMMENT, UH, I OF COURSE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE LESS SPEAKERS 'CAUSE WE CAN GO MORE IN DEPTH.
BUT ALSO THEN THERE'S, UH, A ISD WANTED TO BE ON THE AGENDA FOR LIKE THREE MONTHS
SO, UM, DEFINITELY HEARING YOU, UM, AND YOUR CONCERN.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD INVITE, UM, JOHN, I FORGET HIS NAME.
PATTERSON, THANK YOU, UH, FOR NEXT MONTH, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO EXTEND THAT INVITATION.
UM, AND IN ADDITION, UH, NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA WILL PROBABLY BE A BIT BROADER WHEN IT COMES TO TOURISM.
UM, SO IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO SPEAKERS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BRING, UM, THAT COULD SPEAK TO THE BROADER, UH, TOURISM ECONOMY, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I THINK I THOUGHT I SAW, THERE HE IS.
[10. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations.]
UH, FINAL ITEM TODAY, ITEM NUMBER 10.WE ARE LOOKING FOR AN UPDATE FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL GROUP, WORKING GROUP.
AND, UH, ANY UPDATES, UH, RELATED TO THE ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNCIL ON THIS? OH, NO, I GAVE THE, THE LATEST UPDATE WOULD'VE BEEN LAST MONTH, RIGHT? THE PASSAGE OF THE RESOLUTION.
SO THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I UNDER, UH, THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER AND I THINK THE MEETING MEETING NOTES REFLECTED THAT, BUT IT'S ON THIS AGENDA, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SHOT.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING NEW BE, IF NOT, WE CAN, WELL, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF VRBO OR AIRBNB WOULD GIVE A PROMO CODE TO AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY
UM, MS. BURLESON, PLEASE ADVISE US.
I WANTED TO GO BACK TO, UH, I THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH WHEN YOU ASKED ABOUT HOW LONG A WORKING GROUP CAN BE IN STATUS.
IT'S ACTUALLY, ONCE YOU GIVE A RECOMMENDATION, THAT GROUP IS AUTOMATICALLY SUNSETTED, UM, BECAUSE YOU ARE, THE WORKING GROUP IS JUST TO WORK FOR, UH, WHATEVER THE PURPOSE WILL BE, AND THEN IT'S DONE.
SO I KNOW NOW I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME OTHER GOALS THAT YOU WANNA DO, BUT, UM, YOU CAN EITHER REFORM A NEW ONE OR, UM, DECIDE ON WHAT THE NEXT GOAL WOULD BE FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR GROUP.
SO TO RESTATE, IF, IF WE CAN RESTART A SHORT TERM WORK GROUP, BUT WE'LL NEED TO IDENTIFY ITS PURPOSE, SO THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE REPEATING OR CONTINUING THE PREVIOUS PURPOSE.
SO I THINK THAT'S CLEAR AND, AND I'M SURE WE'RE OPEN TO ALL THAT.
IS THIS, IS THIS THE TIME TO DISCUSS THAT OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE UP AT ANOTHER MEETING? ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO ANYONE YOU CAN GO COMMISSIONER SHANNON.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REFORM THE SDR WORKING GROUP WITH THE SAME MEMBERS TO MONITOR THE CITY'S PROGRESS ON, UM, SDR RENTALS AND, UM, COLLECTION OF HOT TAX AND THE OTHER GOALS THAT THEY HAD SET.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER SHANNON TO RE RESTART THE STR GROUP FOR THE PURPOSE OF MONITORING HOW THE COUNCIL IS MOVING THE AGENDA FORWARD
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AND, AND TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT OR BE READY OR PREPARED TO RESPOND AS THAT PROCESS IS TAKING PLACE.UH, DO, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT C COMMISSIONER, OCION, ARE WE ABLE TO DO THAT OR DO WE NEED TO SUNSET IT? AND THEN, SO I WAS GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SUNSET THIS AND THEN BRING THE SAME MEMBERS TOGETHER, UM, WITH THE NEW COMMITTEE, WITH THE NEW LIKE, UH, AGENDA ITEM, NOT AGENDA ITEM GOAL.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER PENOC.
SO JUST, SO, UM, FELICIA, IF IT, IF THE, IF THE WORKING GROUP IS DONE WHEN WE DO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN DO WE NEED TO HAVE THE MOTION TO SUNSET IT SINCE IT ENDED? UM, OKAY.
AND THEN I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE NEEDED ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE, BUT THAT DOES MAKE SENSE.
'CAUSE COMMISSIONER CHANEY POINTS OUT THAT IF WE KIND OF, KIND OF KEEP THE, THE TAIL GOING ON THIS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH EXECUTION AND THE REVENUE COLLECTION, EXCUSE ME, UH, FOR HOT, THEN YEAH, THEN I WOULD SAY REESTABLISH ANOTHER COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD, THE MOTION STANCE STILL STANDS ON THE FLOOR OF COMMISSIONER CHA.
WHO RECOMMENDS THAT WE WOULD RESTART THE STR WORKING GROUP WITH THE, THE FUNCTION OF MONITORING AND, UH, BEING PREPARED TO ADVISE AS NECESSARY AS THE PROCESS GOES THROUGH CITY COUNCIL WITH, WITH THEIR CURRENT, UM, PLANNING AROUND THIS TOPIC.
DO I HAVE A, A FURTHER DISCUSSION OR DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND ON THAT MOTION? I SECOND THAT MOTION.
UH, SO THE MOTION PASSES THAT WE WILL START THE STR GROUP AGAIN.
IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY NEED TO I'M SORRY.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, PARDON? DISCUSSION, DANIEL DISCUSSION.
THE, THE MOTION HASN'T PASSED.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN STATED AND SECONDED.
I HAVE A SECOND ON THE, ON, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAN'S MOTION.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PENOC.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM? OKAY.
CAN WE HAVE A VOTE TO, UH, FOR THE PASSING OF THAT MOTION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WITH THAT, I THINK WE'VE COVERED THE AGENDA ITEMS TODAY, AND WITH THAT I, THE GAVEL, I NOW HAVE THE POWER OF THE GAVEL AND I WILL OFFICIALLY THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE TODAY AND CALL THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.