The Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission met for a regular meeting April 10 where Mike Maloney made his last report as executive director and said, “This marks the 93rd director’s report I have submitted.” Maloney took the time to thank the staff and highlight advancements made to the accounting system, social media outreach, television advertising, and billboards established in the past eight years.
CAPC Sales Director Karen Pryor then said she would be in the office more now that the season for tourism trade shows is coming to a close. Finance Director Rick Bright provided the reports as of March 31, saying tax collections are 11 percent or $7,026 more than the same month last year, attributed primarily to an increase in hotel revenue. Auditorium income collections were a mere $175, a 99 percent decrease from the same month last year, but Asleep at the Wheel packed the venue in February 2018. Overall expenses are being held within the established budget with the exception of the Ad Production, which was $8,437 over budget due to the expense of video production.
Bright provided the three-month budget report from January through March 2019 which stated that the total income was $206,854, 15 percent below estimations. Expenses included $146,407 media placement, $29,193 ad production, $17,907 special events, $35,409 group travel, $36,589 auditorium, and $68,417 salary.
Commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Debbie Reay, who with her husband, Tom, owns The Woods Cabins at 50 Wall St., as a commissioner. The appointment will require ratification by city council.
Chair Carol Wright stated she has received as many as 100 applications for the executive director position; about 20 of the 100 résumés matched the qualifications expected of the applicant. The closing of the online position posting is expected to be by April 14, and considerations will follow. Wright also said the next workshop scheduled for April 24 will not be an interview for another marketing/consulting firm as originally anticipated. She said that interview would be pushed to the summer months.
Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce Interim Director Damon Henke requested partnership with the CAPC for a proposal to organize a planned summer vacation campaign. This cooperative effort, Henke stated, is intended to extend the stay of summer visitors to Eureka from a daily stay to a multiple-night stay. Commissioners discussed the idea and Terry McClung was receptive to it saying, “The thing I really like about this is that it is a co-op.”
The platform would be located online at Eurekasprings.org with the Chamber sharing contact information with the CAPC to reach a broader audience. Henke stated the campaign is expected to cost $15,000, which would include a $10,000 digital market campaign and $5,000 for influencers (bloggers) on all primary social media channels. Commissioners asked Henke when he wanted to run this campaign and he said by May 1. A special CAPC meeting is expected to be posted before that time to consider approval of the proposed campaign.
The final agenda item was a scheduled executive session to consider the hiring of Finance Director Rick Bright as the Interim Executive Director with compensation discussions. Commissioners retired to executive session, and after that Wright said that Bright was confirmed until a new E.D. is hired.
Also during executive session the commission unanimously voted to extend two weeks to current E.D. Mike Maloney as time off “for his good service to the CAPC and City of Eureka Springs,” Wright said. And not expected, commissioners additionally approved a budget/purchase freeze. Bright will be performing an advertising audit and no purchases will be made until the commission lifts the freeze.
A CAPC workshop is scheduled for 4 p.m. on April 24 at the Auditorium, and the next regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 8.