Agenda


NOTICE OF JANUARY 18, 2023 REGULAR MEETING OF MEMBERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
To: Board of Directors and Members PURSUANT to the call of a majority of the Board of Directors named in the Certificate of Formation of the Corporation, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Directors and the Members of The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau, a Texas non-profit corporation (the “Corporation”), will meet at the principal office of the Corporation, at 2801 Technology Forest Boulevard, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, on January 18, 2023, at 8:30 a.m., for the purpose of:


1.					Pledge of Allegiance;

2.					Call to order and adoption of Agenda;

3.					Public Comment;

4.					Receive, consider and act upon recognition of 2022 Directors;

5.					Receive and approve Minutes from the Board Meeting on October 19, 2022;

6.					Receive and approve Minutes from the Annual Board Meeting on December 14, 2022;

7.					Consider and approve Financial Report through November 2022;

8.					Receive, consider and act upon affirmation of the officers of the Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors as authorized signers on the Visit The Woodlands bank accounts;

9.					Receive, consider and act upon updates to the 2023 Marketing and Sales Committees;

10.					Receive, consider and act upon the request for a renewal of a contract for Destination Marketing and Management Reporting Software;

11.					Receive, consider and act upon a partnership renewal with Market Street to manage the 2023 Visitor Services Program;

12.					Receive, consider and act upon 2023 legal services for The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau;

13.					Receive, consider and act upon establishing a Destination Development Needs Assessment;

14.					Staff Initiative Reports;

15.					Recess to Executive Session to discuss matters relating to real property pursuant to §551.072, Texas Government Code; deliberation of economic development negotiations pursuant to §551.087, Texas Government Code; discuss personnel matters pursuant to §551.074, Texas Government Code; and to consult with the Corporation's attorney pursuant to §551.071, Texas Government Code;

16.					Reconvene in public session;

17.					President’s Report;

18.					Board Announcements;

19.					Agenda items for next meeting;

20.					Adjournment.

Dated at The Woodlands, Texas, the 18th day of January, 2023.

______________________________________________________
President of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive and approve Minutes from the Board Meeting on October 19, 2022;
BACKGROUND:

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
October 2022 Minutes


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive and approve Minutes from the Annual Board Meeting on December 14, 2022;
BACKGROUND:

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
December 2022 Minutes


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Consider and approve Financial Report through November 2022;
BACKGROUND:

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
November 2022 Financials


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon affirmation of the officers of the Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors as authorized signers on the Visit The Woodlands bank accounts;
BACKGROUND:
Historically, officers of the Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors have been designated as signers on the Visit The Woodland's bank accounts. According to Board policy, two signers are required on checks issued over $50,000 and at least one of those signers must be a Board Director. In practice, the Board Chairman and the Visit The Woodlands President serve as those two signers. However, If one of those individuals is not available to sign checks, another Board officer is asked to do so. On December 14, 2022, the Board of Directors elected its officers. The purpose of this agenda item is for the Board of Directors to affirm the following Board Officers as authorized signers on the Visit The Woodland's bank accounts: Brad Bailey Richard Franks Fred Domenick After approval of this agenda item, the signature cards will be presented for the appropriate signatures.
RECOMMENDATION
Affirm that the officers of the Board of Directors are authorized signers on The Township's bank accounts.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon updates to the 2023 Marketing and Sales Committees;
BACKGROUND:
The Visit The Woodlands Marketing and Sales Committees members are brought to this Board for review and approval annually. These committees meet quarterly and provides members updates on strategic initiatives, upcoming participation opportunities, input and suggestions on the travel and tradeshow schedule, and insight on future direction of the committee. These Committees play an integral part in any large initiatives being produced by the Sales and Marketing Departments and offers insight and advice where needed. To further position the Sales and Marketing Directors of Visit The Woodlands as leaders and authorities in their respective fields, it is also recommended that they serve as Chairpersons of their committee. The Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors approved the creation of the Convention Sales Advisory Committee in 2019 to offer additional resources for the Sales team. The Marketing Committee is a longer standing committee;
RECOMMENDATION
To approve the recommended members for the 2023 Sales Advisory & Marketing Committees as presented.

Attachments
2023 Proposed Marketing Committee
2023 Proposed Sales Committee


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon the request for a renewal of a contract for Destination Marketing and Management Reporting Software;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau (TWCVB, dba Visit The Woodlands) is the official destination marketing & management organization responsible for promoting The Woodlands to drive demand for both hotel and retail tax collections. Our mission is the establish The Woodlands, Texas as a beautiful, lively and welcoming destination recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for first-class business, convention and leisure travel. Visit The Woodlands is a 501 (c) (6) organization funded by The Woodlands Township Hotel Occupancy Tax and managed by a Board of Directors whom oversee the mission, vision and budget of Visit The Woodlands. With these things in mind, Visit The Woodlands has done extensive research into destination marketing and management reporting software. The software will provide Visit The Woodlands with in-depth information on visitors to The Woodlands, allowing the organization to make educated decisions related to sales and marketing efforts. An overview of the software is provided below. REPORTING SOFTWARE OVERVIEW Daily Visitation Intelligence: Daily visitation data for domestic and international travel to The Woodlands. Includes: top origin markets, length of stay, opportunity markets, 50 points of interest. Quarterly Spend Data: Quarterly spend data for domestic travel to The Woodlands with access to 70% of credit card transactions. Includes: total transactions, average purchase per visitor, revenue by category (retail, grocery, hotel, dining / nightlife, entertainment / recreation, gas stations and more), revenue by market, total visitors and total visitors by market. Destination Management Data: Integrates all Visit The Woodlands current reporting including: STR Reports, HOT Tax Reports, Simpleview CRM, Google Analytics, Meltwater PR and others. Will also receive access to short-term rental data. Marketing Performance: Tracks paid media and paid social performance as well as Visit The Woodlands website contribution to visitation. Includes competitive intelligence for paid media, keywords insights and more. Questions this Software Answers: What is the overall visitation movement before, during and after an event? Where do visitors come from? How does visitation change over a given time period? Which markets drive the most visitor spend? Which markets should we be targeting to increase overnight visitors?
RECOMMENDATION
Seeking approval for the Board Chairman and TWCVB President to negotiate a contract for Destination Marketing and Management Reporting Software at a cost not to exceed $50,000.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon a partnership renewal with Market Street to manage the 2023 Visitor Services Program;
BACKGROUND:
Visitor Services is a key component of Visit The Woodlands' marketing efforts which serves to provide a physical presence and personal connection to visitors, residents and business travelers. Visit The Woodlands supported transferring the management of the Visitor Services program in 2019 to Market Street and renamed/rebranded as “The Woodlands Visitor Concierge." The Visitor's Concierge center is located on the north side of the property and provides tourism assistance, assists with a variety of tasks, and welcomes visitors to The Woodlands. This complimentary resource offers guests the ultimate in convenience, including shopping assistance, meal reservations, transportation assistance, and promotion of local attractions (Tree ventures, swan boats, local art, concerts, etc.). This is done while projecting an appealing image on behalf of The Woodlands. Staff has worked with Market Street to develop new services and benefits to the program and partnership since 2021 to include marketing and promotional support to include on-site activations, media/influencer hosting, and convention group site visits. This has been a great service that reaches tens of thousands of visitors with the message of The Woodlands as a great place to visit, attend year-round events, and inspiring future stays. Visit The Woodlands allocated $65,500 in 2019 and budgeted the same amount for 2020. Due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic the kiosk was not opened for certain months of 2020. The cost of the 2021 partnership was adjusted to $30,000 beginning April 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 which reflected the lower budget available by Visit The Woodlands and adjusted services being offered at the kiosk. As leisure and group travel rebounded in 2022, the partnership increased to $43,500 when the Visitor Concierge returned to offering full services and became a hub for information and great customer interactions. Full services have resumed at the Visitor Concierge kiosk which justifies the annual costs of this service of $45,000 in 2023.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Visit The Woodlands enter into a partnership with Market Street to manage the 2023 Visitor Services Program.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon 2023 legal services for The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau;
BACKGROUND:
Each year, staff brings a recommendation to the Board of Directors for legal services. Staff is recommending the continuation of utilizing The Strong Firm in The Woodlands who brings vast experience with various corporate and commercial matters, and extensive knowledge of the local corporate and business community, including representation of 501 (c) (6) organizations and has provided great service to The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau (TWCVB) over the past 12 years. It is recommended that The Strong Firm continues this business relationship with TWCVB and with all of its legal documents and contracts, state and federal filings, and general counsel. Because The Strong Firm provides a service and not a product, it is not required to bid out. However, TWCVB team believes The Strong Firm should represent TWCVB because of the following: 1. Long-Term Relationship and Familiarity with Contracts and Structure - The Strong Firm has provided general corporate and legal counsel for TWCVB since its inception and is familiar with annual contracts that it has reviewed and the corporate structure of TWCVB, providing efficiency versus other counsel. 2. Reduced Rate - The Strong Firm has agreed to provide a reduced rate of 30% discount over their standard billing rate for ALL attorneys including the managing shareholder, Bret Strong, based upon the long-term relationship between the firm and TWCVB (this rate was the successful bid rate on competitive bid for similar work provided to The Woodlands Township). 3. Location, Familiarity and Support of The Community - The Strong Firm is a local company that is located close to TWCVB making for great access to meet quickly in the case of short-term legal needs. The Strong Firm is very familiar with the mission, vision and events of TWCVB and provides sponsorship support for events and many other community activities.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve The Strong Firm for The Woodlands Convention and Visitor Bureau's legal counsel for services in 2023 and authorize the President to execute a contract in connection there with.

Attachments
2023 Legal Services Engagement Letter


CVB Regular Board Meeting
Meeting Date:	01/18/2023

Information
SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon establishing a Destination Development Needs Assessment;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), doing business as Visit The Woodlands, is the official destination marketing and management organization of The Woodlands Township. Visit The Woodlands is responsible for promoting The Woodlands to drive demand for hotel and retail tax collections. Tax revenue generated by the tourism industry is invested back into improving The Woodlands’ infrastructure and programs, and more than half of the Township’s budget comes from the collections of sales and hotel occupancy taxes, making tourism very important for The Woodlands economy. As the world of tourism rebuilds after a world-wide pandemic, competition among destinations has increased in both local and state-wide regions, making it increasingly important for The Woodlands to remain competitive and economically strong. The Chairman has placed this item on the Agenda to facilitate discussion and determine action items for future initiatives that will ensure The Woodlands remains competitive for conventions, corporate meetings, leisure travel, and more. For Background, The Woodlands CVB approved Purposes & Services include: · Provide Leadership for the Tourism Industry in The Woodlands · Drive Awareness of The Woodlands as a Destination · Promote Hospitality Partners in The Woodlands · Provide Services to Meeting Planners · Drive Economic Impact · Support Key Signature Events · Provide Visitor Information · Work with National, State and Regional Partners · Develop and Support Training Initiatives · Support Non-partisan Issues For general reference, the 2023 Budget and Marketing Plan is attached to this Agenda Item.
RECOMMENDATION
To be determined by Board of Directors.

Attachments
2023 CVB Department Summary