Executive Director Mike Maloney told the City Advertising and Promotion Commission at its Oct. 11 meeting that four kiosks are on their way from a company in London, and will be stationed at the Chamber of Commerce and three transit locations in town, equipped with iPads and accompanying information so visitors can learn about and use the new Eureka Springs app developed by Modern Tourism Apps.
The app was created as the ultimate resource for all current and historical information about Eureka Springs. Commissioner David Mitchell, however, said that the CAPC tries to promote all businesses which collect the tourism tax, and he was concerned a feature on the app seemed to run counter to the intent of the commission regarding equal booking opportunities for all lodging properties.
App developer Chip Ford responded he wanted to simplify the process for the viewer and could put every booking service out there on the app, or try to consolidate. He chose to “trim the process” and simplify six steps into three.
Chair Susan Harman said the goal for the CAPC is to make sure all restaurants and lodging properties are listed so they are easily findable, and that since the CAPC sponsored the app, commissioners would continue to review it and there will certainly be tweaks along the way.
Mitchell said he really liked the app and Ford had made changes already based on his concerns, but reiterated his problem was access to booking a room that did not seem equitable for all lodging properties.
Commissioner Terry McClung added the app did not display events beyond the current month, and Ford acknowledged that feature could be changed.
Harman suggested commissioners send their observations about the app to Maloney and he would check in with Ford.
Marketing update
Maloney told commissioners his strategy is to target the usual metropolitan areas with network and cable television ads targeting the demographics most likely to visit. He also will have print ads in Arkansas Bride and in motorcycle magazines. There are the digital billboards in Rogers, Bentonville and Tulsa, which have been successful, and Maloney also works with Flypaper, a digital marketing partner, to place native advertisement, which are ads in the form of stories about the town, in various media.
He is adding Memphis, Omaha and Plano, Texas, as digital targets for ads this month, and was pleased to note the increased number of click throughs for ads in Atlanta, Denver and St. Louis.
Being promoted are The Halloween City, Made in Eureka, the Folk Festival, Diversity Weekend, the Food & Wine Weekend and the Fall Tour of Homes. Maloney said information about these events is on the eurekasprings.org site.
Maloney said he intends to solicit proposals from videographers for 2018 videos, and would prefer to hire someone local for the job.
Commissioners discussed timing of ads for Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day, and the general opinion was to start promoting earlier. Duling urged Maloney to advertise Mardi Gras as soon as possible after Christmas. Maloney agreed Mardi Gras could become a month-long event and he planned to embrace it more aggressively.
Harman said the CAPC could promote the entire month of February as “A Month of Love” around Valentine’s Day, and commissioners liked her idea. She added that CAPC staff should send reminders to businesses encouraging them to get into the routine of providing information to the office early enough so it can be used effectively.
Director’s report
Maloney said The Great Passion Play announced it will be building 12-15 miles of trails on its property, and Tom Walton is considering assisting with new trails in Lake Leatherwood City Park.
Winrock International is almost ready to present its report on the state of the local economy, and Maloney called the research “intensive.” He said the report covers a variety of areas but includes useful information on who has been visiting which will help with their marketing.
The 5 & Dime Theater Company is producing a play based on Valerie Damon’s book Willo Mancifoot and the Mugga Killa Whomps, which will be presented at the Auditorium as part of the 2018 May Festival of the Arts. The Northwest Arkansas Film Commission has seen “a tremendous amount of interest in Northwest Arkansas” from filmmakers.
Next workshop will be Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m., in the Auditorium lobby, and the next regular meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 6 p.m., in the Auditorium lobby.