CAPC considers business enticement

At the August 23 City Advertising and Promotion Commission workshop, Chair Susan Harman suggested they review anew the policy of not listing on the CAPC website events at private establishments in town that visitors and locals might want to know about.

“What will we list?” she asked.

Maloney said commissioners should certainly look again the policy regarding who gets listed on the website, but the CAPC does not “up the tab for private promoters.”

He said one event the CAPC is co-sponsoring during Jazz Eureka Weekend would take place Sept. 16 “Upstairs” at the Grotto Wood-Fired Grill and Wine Cave. The space seats 100 people, which is more appropriate for a cabaret-style setting for jazz vocalist Veronica Swift. Maloney said the CAPC is using the space because of the intimate setting but also because it is free. The Grotto will sell food and drinks but the CAPC pockets ticket sales.

Commissioner Terry McClung added the smaller event at the Grotto is intended to generate interest so that similar events in the future might eventually attract a larger audience.

“We have the Auditorium to fill,” McClung said. “We don’t want to pay for advertising to put people in a private business.”

Harman then put an interesting twist to promoting private businesses. She suggested the CAPC promote businesses that stay open after 5 p.m., and every business would have equal opportunity to get the promotion. The suggestion is in response to the ages-old complaint that there is nothing for visitors to do in the evening because so many stores downtown close early.

“It would be an attempt to keep folks in town,” McClung said.

“Eureka Springs after Five,” Maloney added as the theme of the promotion.

Harman asked how to start the promotion, and Maloney said they need to work out a few details.

Other items

• Maloney said the Eureka Springs app being developed takes four hours to download at this point, and commissioners were skeptical visitors would take the time to download it. Maloney said Modern Tourism Apps, the developer, was working to improve the download. Launch date was still penciled in for late August. Commissioner David Mitchell urged a large rollout event in September.
• The CAPC will co-sponsor three hospitality courses for anyone who has contact with visitors in town. The courses will take place Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The classes will be at the Auditorium, and representatives from Arkansas Parks & Tourism will conduct the program.
• Maloney reported it was the opinion of the Municipal League attorneys that it would have been an illegal co-mingling of public and private funds if the CAPC had invested in the Jackrabbit online reservation system with the Chamber of Commerce.
• Maloney also mentioned he had spoken with staff at Inveritas, which he called “a significant research company.” He said the State of Arkansas uses Inveritas in its marketing, and speculated the same folks could help the CAPC pinpoint its targets and how to reach them.

Next meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.