Agenda


CVB Special Board Meeting		4.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider, and act upon the Proclamation for National Travel and Tourism Week;
BACKGROUND:
Visit The Woodlands joined the tourism industry in celebrating and highlighting travel's essential role in stimulating economic growth, creating job opportunities, and cultivating communities. The annual tradition of National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW) was established in 1983 by the U.S. Travel Association. The week-long initiative celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, from Sunday, May 7 through Saturday, May 13. TRAVEL FORWARD The travel industry plays an incredibly important role in driving economic growth, creating jobs, and supporting communities across the country. According to the U.S. Travel Association, eight million workers are directly employed within the travel industry, and in 2022, direct travel spending totaled $1.2 trillion and generated nearly $160 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. “The travel industry fuels every industry—our industry’s success is the nation’s success,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “This week is a prime opportunity to elevate the message that travel is essential to moving America’s economy forward.” THE IMPACT OF TOURISM In The Woodlands, leisure and business travel has a large, positive impact on the community. Nearly 3,000 people are employed by the tourism industry, and the industry plays a large part in helping The Woodlands Township have one of the lowest property tax rates in the nation. Unlike other cities, almost 60% of The Woodlands Township's budget comes from hotel and sales tax. When visitors come to The Woodlands, spending nights in hotels and spending money at shops and restaurants, they generate a significant economic impact with the hotel and sales taxes collected from their purchases. This not only allows The Woodlands Township to keep property taxes low, but it also contributes to further development of the community and a constantly improving quality of life for residents. According to Travel Texas' Texas Research Dashboard, The Woodlands saw $284.5 million in direct spending by visitors in 2021, which generated $27.6 million in tax revenue for The Woodlands Township. This visitor spending also contributed to $135.5 million in earnings for tourism employees, including those who work at hotels, shops, and restaurants in The Woodlands. Business travel was also booming in The Woodlands in 2022, with over 2,050 professional meetings and events taking place and bringing in $21.6 million in total room revenue. VISIT THE WOODLANDS' POPCORN POP-UP Visit The Woodlands celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week with a special event at Market Street on May 11, in conjunction with Market Street's Spring Concert Series. In the same way that travel brings people together across the U.S., The Woodlands community gathered in Market Street's Central Park to listen to live music and learn about how tourism positively impacts the community. Visit The Woodlands was with a booth, handing out cool swag, informational materials for National Travel and Tourism Week, and popcorn from a local favorite: The Candy House. CELEBRATE NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK Thursday, May 11, 2023 \| 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Live music Kid-friendly activities Free popcorn, postcards, and coloring pages WEEK-LONG DISCOUNTS National Travel & Tourism Week is the perfect time to explore The Woodlands! Climb to new heights at Texas TreeVentures, pedal a swan boat down The Woodlands Waterway, or take a kayak out on Lake Woodlands. Visit The Woodlands offered $5 off admission for Texas TreeVentures and Riva Row Boat House throughout the week.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Proclamation as read.

Attachments
NTTW Proclamation 2023
NTTW 2023 National Stats


CVB Special Board Meeting		5.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Consider and approve Minutes from the March 8, 2023 Regular Board Meeting;
BACKGROUND:

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
March 8 2023 Minutes


CVB Special Board Meeting		6.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Consider and approve the Financial Report through March 2023;
BACKGROUND:

RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
March 2023 Financial Report


CVB Special Board Meeting		7.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon an update on April 2023 events;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands welcomed visitors from around the world this past April during four major events: The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival (April 14-16), The Chevron Championship (April 19-23), Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas (April 22), and the Insperity Invitational (April 24-30). These nationally and internationally recognized events brought arts and sports enthusiasts together in The Woodlands, to support incredible artists and cheer on professional athletes. "It's an honor to be the host destination for these amazing events," said Brad Bailey, Chairman of the Board, Visit The Woodlands. "The greatest reward is seeing the artists, athletes, and fans having a great experience and making memories in The Woodlands. We’re appreciative of the support of residents, businesses and visitors to help make these events the best of the best." “The Woodlands is known for its strong cultural diversity with people from all over the world living and visiting here,” said Nick Wolda, President of Visit The Woodlands. “These events contribute millions of tourism dollars and are great examples of the high-quality experiences our visitors want and expect when they come to The Woodlands.” THE WOODLANDS WATERWAY ARTS FESTIVAL On April 14-16, The Woodlands Waterway transformed into an outdoor art gallery, attracting over 20,000 attendees throughout the weekend. Artists from near and far (including artists from Canada, Mexico, and Israel) displayed their work in booths that stretched from Town Green Park to The Woodlands Waterway Marriott, showcasing a variety of talent in different mediums: sculptures, jewelry, photography prints, paintings and more. Along with artist booths, attendees enjoyed live music, a community mural (which will be hung in the Spotlight on the Arts Gallery at The Woodlands Mall), kid's activities, and Books on the Green, a new addition to the festival that showcased national best-selling authors and their books. Proceeds from the event went back to The Woodlands Arts Council student art scholarship program and microgrant program. Over 400 volunteers participated to make the festival a success, and artists and attendees raved about the hospitality and support they received during the weekend. Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival was recently named the #1 Texas fine arts festival in the Texas Travel Awards and #6 Outdoor Fine Arts Festival in the nation by Art Fair SourceBook. The festival will celebrate its 19th anniversary next year, April 12-14, 2024. THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP The week after The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, 132 professional female golfers from around the world arrived at The Club at Carlton Woods for the first LPGA Major of the year: The Chevron Championship (April 19-23). This was the tournament's first time in The Woodlands after being held in Palm Springs, California, for 51 years. Players from 28 different countries (including Australia, Mexico, Japan, Sweden, Finland, South Africa, Argentina, and the U.S.) experienced new challenges on The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, including water features and a variety of angles to test the professional's skillsets. One of the players on the course was professional golfer Stacy Lewis, who grew up in The Woodlands, and is a graduate of The Woodlands High School. "It's something that growing up here I thought would never happen, to bring a championship like this to The Woodlands. It's been awesome," said Stacy Lewis. "It's really special, and The Woodlands is really special to me. I always want to be announced from The Woodlands because it's where I grew up, it's where I learned the game of golf, and it feels like the most home place to me." Attendees at The Chevron Championship used The Woodlands Township Park and Ride at Sterling Ridge to shuttle into The Club at Carlton Woods, where they enjoyed spirited golf competition and unique fan experiences, such as The Inspiration Dome and Drivebox, which featured augmented and virtual reality golf. During the tournament, 37,609 fans visited the grounds to watch in person, and 6.7 million people tuned to watch it on The Golf Channel and NBC (during live and re-airs). Visit The Woodlands’ commercial aired multiple times throughout the week on NBC, and The Chevron Championship was the top-rated sports program on NBC for the week. It was also NBC Sports’ most-watched edition of the event on record and experienced the highest streaming ever for an LPGA event. The competition culminated on Sunday with professional golfer Lilia Vu claiming the Champion title and continuing the tradition of jumping into the water after the win. MEMORIAL HERMANN IRONMAN TEXAS While golf fans flocked to The Club at Carlton Woods for The Chevron Championship on Saturday, over 2,000 athletes from 57 countries and 49 states gathered at Northshore Park with friends, family, supporters, and volunteers, for the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas triathlon. The competition began with a 2.4-mile swim inside Lake Woodlands and The Woodlands Waterway, followed by a 112-mile bike ride along the Hardy Toll Road and a 26.2-mile marathon run that led triathletes through The Woodlands Town Center and along The Woodlands Waterway. Spectators lined The Woodlands Waterway, cheering on triathletes as they swam, biked, and ran through The Woodlands. As the IRONMAN Americas competition, the event offered 100 male and 100 female qualifying slots for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship. Rudy von Berg (USA) captured the overall victory with a time of 7:44:51, and Kate Matthews (GBR) claimed the women's race victory with a time of 8:32:52, a major success after her recovery from a training accident last fall. In 2022, Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas was named the best overall race, best finish line, and best post-race experience in the IRONMAN Athlete's Choice Awards. One of the things that makes this course a favorite among IRONMAN participants is "Hippie Hollow", a section of the run course that's decorated with streamers and flashing lights at night, where costumed performers and spectators cheer for the triathletes as they muster their strength to continue during their first, second, and third lap around The Woodlands Waterway. This event would not be possible without volunteer support - Over 3,000 support tasks for the day were filled by 2,500 volunteers who helped triathletes along the swim, bike, and run routes. The race also featured live event coverage on the IRONMAN.com/LIVE, IRONMAN YouTube and Facebook channels. Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas will return on April 27, 2024, as the North American Championship, offering the most qualifying slots for the 2024 VinFast World Championship. INSPERITY INVITATIONAL April's exciting events culminated with the Insperity Invitational (April 24-30), a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour that is annually held at The Woodlands Country Club Tournament Course. The event brought together 78 of the best PGA Tour Champion Players and was free for the public to attend. Spectators also were able to enjoy a special competition on Saturday, where the greats of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Juli Inkster, and Gary Player) participated in the Folds of Honor Greats of Golf. On Sunday, Steven Alker claimed the championship title for the second year in a row. He was cheered on throughout the week by the family of his former caddie, Sam Workman, who passed away earlier this year. The tournament was televised on the Golf Channel with 9 hours of live coverage and 9 hours of replay coverage; It was also broadcasted by 22 linear TV partners in 170+ countries and territories, bringing this inspiring golf tournament and The Woodlands to millions of people around the world. Nearly 1,000 volunteers participated and helped make the event a success, and 40,000 attendees came to watch the PGA champions compete over the course of the week. The tournament generated an estimated economic impact of $18-20 million, according to Insperity Invitational.
RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		8.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive an update from the Marketing Department on Visit The Woodlands advertising efforts;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau (TWCVB, dba Visit The Woodlands) is the official destination marketing organization responsible for promoting The Woodlands to drive demand for both hotel and retail tax collections. The mission is to 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. Advertising plays a key role in fulfilling this mission. With this in mind, TWCVB coordinated and executed a five-day photo/video shoot in May of 2022 to create assets that would be used in advertising placements. Furthermore, in October of 2022, the Board of Directors approved the strategic marketing and media plan for 2023. An overview of the plan is included below for reference. 2023 MEDIA PLAN OVERVIEW Budget Allocations: Leisure 62%, Meetings 28%, Cooperative 4%, and International 6% Audience & Target Markets: Leisure and Business Travelers (domestic & international) Meeting and Convention Planners, Businesses Campaigns and Activations: Traditional, Digital (Social, Display, Native, Email), Video, Audio, Out of Home, In-Market In 2023, TWCVB continues to place advertising in alignment with the approved media plan. The Marketing Department will provide an update on the current state of these efforts.
RECOMMENDATION
Receive the report as presented.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		9.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon the request to go out for RFP for a website redesign and SEO services;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau (TWCVB, dba Visit The Woodlands) is the official destination marketing organization responsible for promoting The Woodlands to drive demand for both hotel and retail tax collections. The mission is to 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. In 2019, TWCVB worked with its current website vendor, Simpleview, to develop a new website for Visit The Woodlands. Since its launch in 2020, www.visitthewoodlands.com has been very successful in driving awareness for The Woodlands, both as a leisure travel destination and as a place to hold meetings and events. A few highlights from the current website include: Increase of overall users to the website from 172,915 in 2017 to 708,804 in 2022 Increase of overall pageviews on the website from 358,482 in 2017 to 1,795,714 in 2022 Launch of hotel booking engine to track referrals to hotel properties in The Woodlands Launch of forms to collect and fulfill requests for visitor guides, meeting planner guides, eNewsletter signups and RFP submissions Launch of microsites to support Visit The Woodlands sales and marketing initiatives, including the launch of a Spanish microsite, emergency microsite, COVID response microsite and others Launch of custom integrations and tools such as a social feed curating user generated content, use of dynamic and related content modules, blog and article modules and others Industry standard is to refresh a website every 2-3 years. It has been 3 years since the website launched in 2020 and will take roughly a year to complete a refresh, which means the new website could launch mid-late 2024. In addition, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a key role in ensuring the ongoing success of a website. With these things in mind, TWCVB is requesting approval to issue an RFP for a website redesign and SEO services. This project will include a re-assessment of the current sitemap, a refresh to the website creative and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) support to cover keyword research, content optimization, custom analytics setup, technical diagnoses and fixes and customized reporting.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize staff to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a website redesign and SEO services.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		10.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon the request to issue an RFP for Destination Marketing Media Buying & Creative Services;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau (TWCVB, dba Visit The Woodlands) is the official destination marketing organization responsible for promoting The Woodlands to drive demand for both hotel and retail tax collections. The mission is to 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. In 2018, TWCVB worked with its previous Agency of Record, Adcetera Design Studio, to develop a brand story and identity for The Woodlands. A new advertising campaign to reflect this branding was rolled out in 2018 with a new website following in 2020. As The Woodlands began to see the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry in 2020, Visit The Woodlands reduced advertising expenditures and moved media buying and creative services in-house. In 2021, TWCVB issued an RFP for these services and selected Madden Media, a well-known agency in the tourism industry, as the vendor. TWCVB is currently in the second year of a contract with Madden Media. With these things in mind, TWCVB is requesting approval to issue an RFP for Destination Marketing Media Buying & Creative Services. Leveraging TWCVB’s brand as the guiding principle, this vendor works closely with the Director of Marketing to create dynamic and engaging advertising, content and collateral for Visit The Woodlands.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize staff to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) for Destination Marketing Media Buying and Creative Services.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		11.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon updated cost expectations for hosting Connect Texas 2023 in The Woodlands;
BACKGROUND:
The Visit The Woodlands sales department has been commissioned to welcome qualified meeting planners and event professionals to come and experience The Woodlands firsthand through FAM trips and site visits. With an emphasis on bringing qualified event professionals to The Woodlands, Visit The Woodlands received approval in 2021 to contract Connect Texas in The Woodlands for the 2023 event. This two- and half-day trade show brings in 80+qualified meeting professionals who specifically book business in Texas along with 80+ industry vendors. This event has the potential to bring millions of dollars in group sales efforts. Connect Texas was approved by the Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors in 2019 to be the host destination for the 2021 event. Due to the impact of Covid-19 this event was re-approved for the 2023 year to ensure a successful turnout and experience. Connect is one of the nation’s leading tradeshow opportunities that was specifically created to connect destinations and hotel suppliers to qualified event professionals. Connect Marketplace and Connect Texas are attended by Visit The Woodlands sales staff on an annual basis in an effort to spread the word about The Woodlands as an ideal meetings destination and to capture new and beneficial business. One of the contractual obligations for Connect Texas is to host an opening night destination showcase event to include transportation. Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors approved $50,000 in 2021. The lasting effects of COVID-19 on the meeting and events planning industry continue to result in higher costs in 2023. Staff is expecting increased costs up to $75,000 which has been accounted for in the Sales Department's 2023 Budget planning and allocations. Connect Texas was thoroughly discussed, reviewed, and approved by the Sales Advisory Committee, and they recognize this event to be an impactful opportunity to promote and showcase The Woodlands to clients from across the country.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve an update on the planning and expectations to host Connect Texas in The Woodlands and to authorize the President to sign required contracts needed to produce this event.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		13.
Meeting Date:	05/17/2023

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider, and act upon the 2024 Budget Proposal of Visit The Woodlands;
BACKGROUND:
Annual budget planning begins in May for Visit the Woodlands. The budget is presented to the Township Board in August. This year, the Township deadlines are as follows: Staffing five-year plan – Friday, May 5, 2023 Capital five-year plan and project forms – Friday, May 12, 2023 Operating budgets and Departmental Summaries – Friday, May 19, 2023 Board of Directors can direct any and all new initiatives, projects or programs to be considered in the 2024 Budget Process to Nick Wolda, Visit The Woodlands President. Budget allocations in all departments are reviewed annually and are subject to reallocation, program changes and potential not funding prior projects based on adopted mission and strategic goals of Visit The Woodlands. A proposed budget will be presented to the Visit The Woodlands Board at the May 17, 2023 meeting. After the Visit The Woodlands Board approves the 2024 Budget, it will be presented to The Woodlands Township Board of Directors for final approval.
RECOMMENDATION
To be determined by Board of Directors.

Attachments
2023 CVB Department Summary


NOTICE OF MAY 17, 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 May 17, 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 the Proclamation for National Travel and Tourism Week;

5.					Consider and approve Minutes from the March 8, 2023 Regular Board Meeting;

6.					Consider and approve the Financial Report through March 2023;

7.					Receive, consider and act upon an update on April 2023 events;

8.					Receive an update from the Marketing Department on Visit The Woodlands advertising efforts;

9.					Receive, consider and act upon the request to go out for RFP for a website redesign and SEO services;

10.					Receive, consider and act upon the request to issue an RFP for Destination Marketing Media Buying & Creative Services;

11.					Receive, consider and act upon updated cost expectations for hosting Connect Texas 2023 in The Woodlands;

12.					Staff Initiative Reports;

13.					Receive, consider, and act upon the 2024 Budget Proposal of Visit The Woodlands;

14.					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;

15.					Reconvene in public session

16.					President's Report;

17.					Board Announcements;

18.					Agenda items for next meeting;

19.					Adjournment.

MEMORIAL HERMANN IRONMAN TEXAS

INSPERITY INVITATIONAL