Entrepreneur Chip Ford first approached the City Advertising and Promotion Commission at its Sept. 6 workshop regarding his conceptual app for Eureka Springs, from esoteric history about neighborhoods to where to get French bread to who’s playing in town tonight. Ford narrowed his original asking price of $120,000 to $20,000 for the CAPC to have a significant presence on the app. At the Dec. 7 workshop Executive Director Mike Maloney said the product Ford envisioned would be a good value at that price, “but I would like to see it fly first.”
At the April 26 workshop, Ford took his app airborne for commissioners. On opening, a viewer sees a map of Eureka Springs with dozens of markers around town that are links to websites for businesses and places of interest, and useful sites such as City-Data.com. A viewer can see promotional videos for the city, webcam views, or hear a police scanner. Ford’s app will provide easy access to local newspapers, classified ads and fishing reports, and will hopefully be updated daily.
The app has links on the trails map for historical anecdotes about particular sites, and there is a map that makes it easy to find places with handicapped accommodations. Ford searched for where to find a steak dinner, and options appeared quickly with links to directions, photos and menus for each restaurant.
As to where all the data comes from, Ford said the app is flexible enough to allow an individual to enter data for a business or site but not remove data. He wants to avoid disinformation and old out-of-date information, and the challenge will be for him manage the mountain of data, especially keeping an extensive but up-to-date calendar. He remained confident he would get it done.
Maloney explained the CAPC calendar cannot list events for private businesses, but Ford’s app would if he could get the information. As for collecting calendar data, Maloney commented, “It’s more than a full-time job; it’s a career.”
Commissioner Susan Harman asked if Ford could not solve the calendar dilemma whether the investment would be worth it for the CAPC. She said it just takes too long now to find out what’s going on in town on an evening.
Commissioner Terry McClung said he wanted visitors to be able to find out about other kinds of events, such as church socials and AA meetings.
Harman followed, “I want to put calendars behind us.” She wanted one reliable place with all the information. She acknowledged some events will not be posted on time, but she did not like how the CAPC is restricted in what it can post. “If we don’t move beyond that, we haven’t accomplished what we want.”
Ford said the app, which he intends to launch in June, would not support Android users at first, but he estimated that code writers could add that capability in about 90 days.
Maloney said Ford’s project would show much more than they ever intended for the CAPC app, but they have not identified what they want from Ford’s calendar. He said he and staff would begin a list of what is important to the CAPC and use it to start a conversation with commissioners for what they would want in the contract if they decide to spend the $20,000.
Ford has said if the CAPC sponsors the project for $20,000, the app would be free. Without that endorsement, the app will cost $4.95 to download.
Commissioner David Mitchell said he wanted to hear more about the input process. He commented too many inputs leads to errors, and Harman pointed out they ought to consider the future of the arrangement and what kind of agreement they want. “We kind of need to talk about it,” she said.
Maloney added the calendar is just one facet of what the CAPC needs to consider. There are all the lodging properties and restaurants plus pictorial content. “We need to filter it,” he said.
In the end, commissioners agreed Maloney would begin compiling a sponsorship contract to discuss at the next meeting. Maloney asked them to send him their input.
Next regular meeting will be Wednesday, May 10, at 6 p.m.