The Tourism Director position for the City Advertising and Promotion Commission was discussed at the April 28 meeting, although Chair Jeff Carter and commissioners Bobbie Foster and James DeVito were absent. Commissioner Harry Meyer said that a committee including Director of Communications, Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, Lynn Berry, prepared a job description which is now posted on CAPC.biz. Applications will be accepted through May 10 and can be sent to her at tourismdirector@capc.biz.
The person selected will be responsible for day-to-day operations of CAPC tourism development. Noted minimum requirements are a bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Hospitality Management or related field, and two years’ experience within a destination marketing organization or marketing branding firm.
Commissioner Patrick Burnett said that initial application review and vetting will be performed primarily by Berry. “She’s done this before and I trust her,” he said. Of the 24 candidates so far, Burnett said six have been rejected.
Finance Director Rick Bright reported March earnings for Food and Beverage were down 25 percent from the same month last year, but lodging was up 23 percent. Total March tax collections, Bright said, were down 2.9 percent.
Paradise in charge of websites
Future live blogs were discussed as well as the rise of FaceBook followers to 95,000. “It’s been stagnant for quite a while,” Burnett said of the CAPC FaceBook administration before Paradise Advertising & Marketing took over. He said a website audit is under way for accurate content. Burnett also stated that he has become the CAPC liaison with the Arts Council, a responsibility generally afforded to the director.
Burnett said he is interested in creating a mobile phone App for tourists to help with trip planning and to minimize FaceBook questions. “The current app is not adequate,” he said. A presentation from an app creator is expected at the next meeting. Burnett noted that Paradise is handling two CAPC websites, capc.biz and eurekasprings.org.
Paid part-time internship applications were discussed, and decisions are expected to be made at the next regular meeting. More information can be found at capc.biz.
Commissioners asked Bright if he knew why there was a Chamber of Commerce invoice for discussion on the agenda, and Bright replied that someone from the Chamber of Commerce confronted Jeff Carter about the denial of guide postage marketing support at the last meeting. He said he was asked to somehow work the Chamber’s postage expense into the CAPC budget.
Bright said he received the invoice dated April 22 from the Chamber of Commerce’s mailing company. “They don’t mail out anything on their dime, typically,” Bright said. The item was deferred to a later date.
Events could kick into high gear
Burnett said that Mayor Berry has received several event applications for when the June 30 moratorium is lifted. Commissioners expect tourism events to open up and they anticipate promoting such events.
One event discussed was Mardi Gras where there are joint Krewes working together to hold 22 events scheduled for 2022. Rack cards with the calendar of events, advertising, website, and marketing support were requested from the CAPC in the amount of $10,000, but that request was deferred to a later date.
The next regular CAPC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, in the AUD.