Agenda


NOTICE OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 SPECIAL 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 September 18, 2019, at 11:30 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 approve Minutes from July 17, 2019 Special Board Meeting;

5.					Receive, consider and approve the Financial Report through July 2019;

6.					Receive, consider and act upon Cvent Supplier Partnership renewal to include two year agreement;

7.					Receive, consider and act upon the 2020 Media Placement Plan;

8.					Receive, consider and act upon a membership to the Texas Hotel Lodging Association group listing partnership;

9.					Receive, consider and act upon issuance of a Request for Proposal for Convention Center expansion study;

10.					Receive and consider an update from the Big Idea Group;

11.					Receive, consider and act upon an advertising cooperative placement with United Airlines' Hemispheres Magazine;

12.					Receive, consider and act upon any matters regarding Staff Initiative Reports;

13.					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;

14.					Reconvene in public session;

15.					Receive, consider and act upon the 2020 Service Agreement between The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, known as Visit The Woodlands, and The Woodlands Township;

16.					President’s Report;

17.					Board Announcements;

18.					Agenda items for next meeting;

19.					Adjournment.

Dated at The Woodlands, Texas, the 13th day of September, 2019.

______________________________________________________
President of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau


CVB Special Board Meeting		4.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and approve Minutes from July 17, 2019 Special Board Meeting;
BACKGROUND:
See attached.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve as presented.

Attachments
July 17, 2019 CVB Board Meeting Minutes


CVB Special Board Meeting		5.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and approve the Financial Report through July 2019;
BACKGROUND:
See attached.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve Financial Report as presented.

Attachments
July 2019 CVB Financial Report


CVB Special Board Meeting		6.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon Cvent Supplier Partnership renewal to include two year agreement;
BACKGROUND:
The Cvent Supplier Network allows suppliers to directly connect and establish relationships with more than 74,000+ meeting planners to research destinations and distribute RFP’s. Examples of planner user companies that utilize Cvent include: HelmsBriscoe, Conference Direct, Walmart, Toshiba, National Restaurant Association and MetLife. Placing Visit The Woodlands in The Cvent Supplier Network has increased its visibility on a consistent basis by Cvent’s extensive database of planner users. Visit The Woodlands entered into a supplier partnership with Cvent in October of 2016 and has seen increasingly positive results. Visit The Woodlands received a total of 183 RFP’s in 2018 and by July in 2019 it has already received 149 RFP’s within the Cvent platform. Visit The Woodlands is currently at the 2 Diamond level with its partnership in 2019. For the 2020 and 2021 agreement with CVENT, staff is suggesting to transition from the 2 Diamond level of partnership to the Diamond Plus partnership level. This transition will bring Visit The Woodlands to appear within the 1^st search page when planners are considering the Houston area. This is very valuable as over 75% of planners that are sourcing The Woodlands through Cvent are also sourcing the Houston market. In addition, Visit The Woodlands will receive banner ads in Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston markets. Visit The Woodlands staff has seen great results through the partnership with Cvent and recommends continuing to partner with the Cvent database at the Diamond Plus Package level for 2020 and 2021 which would cost $28,764.75 in 2020 and will be $30,649.51 in 2021.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board approve a two year partnership with Cvent for 2020 and 2021 at the above pricing proposed.

Attachments
2019-2021 Cvent Agreement


CVB Special Board Meeting		7.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon the 2020 Media Placement Plan;
BACKGROUND:
Visit The Woodlands’ 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.” Marketing and advertising play a key role in fulfilling this mission. As such, Visit The Woodlands works to develop a Strategic Marketing Media Plan with an emphasis on peak planning times, market research, strategic media buys and trackable campaigns. At this time, Visit The Woodlands' is seeking approval of the 2020 Media Plan which is broken down into four major components: Leisure, Meetings, International and Co-op advertising efforts. The Media Flow Chart provides a high-level overview of ongoing efforts throughout 2020, which includes both print and digital campaigns targeting meeting planners and leisure travelers. New placements for 2020 include print advertising in Mexico as well as incorporating a new vendor, Orange142, to help target meeting planners. Visit The Woodlands will continue partnerships with both Connect and Madden Media to target meeting planners through integrated marketing campaigns. Visit The Woodlands will expand on partnerships with both AJR Media and TripAdvisor. The plan also allows for Visit The Woodlands to take advantage of unique media opportunities that may arise throughout the year. The expenditures related to the media plan and media buys will be facilitated by Visit The Woodlands' Agency of Record, Adcetera Design Studio, Inc. These expenditures were approved by the Board of Directors in the 2020 budget process.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the 2020 Media Plan for Visit The Woodlands as presented.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		8.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon a membership to the Texas Hotel Lodging Association group listing partnership;
BACKGROUND:
The Texas Hotel & Lodging Association is a nonprofit trade association representing every aspect of the lodging industry in Texas. THLA advocates for legislation, regulations, and resources that promote a strong, vibrant, and growing lodging and tourism industry in Texas. During the 2020 Budget process, Director Domenick expressed interest in Visit The Woodlands becoming a member of THLA group listing partnership as it would benefit the hotel community in The Woodlands. THLA currently has over 120 cities, counties, chambers of commerce and CVBs in their group listing program. The annual fee to list all of The Woodlands hotels as part of our THLA group listing program would be $14,452.13, which includes a 15% discount. The group listing program benefits include: Listing of The Woodlands Properties on THLA Partner Tourism Websites: www.traveltexas.com – THLA group listing hotels are exclusively listed on the State’s Travel & Tourism website. The state will spend over $110 million over the next two years marketing the TravelTexas website. According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, in fiscal year 2017, the TravelTexas website drew over 4 million qualified users. Visitors to this website typically gather information to make their travel decisions and use it to determine lodging options within a specific Texas city. The website influenced 2.8 million non-Texan leisure trips, and created $4.6 billion in direct tourism spending. For this reason, it is vital to have all of the The Woodlands properties listed on the site. Currently, only seven of The Woodlands’s 14 lodging properties are listed. Through the THLA group listing program, all of The Woodlands properties would be listed on this site and the two additional sites noted below. www.texaslodging.com - THLA’s website showcases all of our THLA group listing properties. In addition, the website provides hotels with instrumental information on all of the new laws and regulations impacting hotel operations. www.tourtexas.com – TourTexas.com is the #1 independent Texas travel website for travelers looking for inspiration and information to plan their trip to and within Texas. This site reaches over 1.84 million qualified users. All THLA group listing hotels are also listed in the booking widget on this site. Complimentary THLA In-House Legal Services: THLA maintains a staff of three full time in-house lawyers. THLA lawyers handle over 900 inquiries monthly from THLA members on a diverse variety of legal issues that impact CVBs, lodging operators, tourism businesses, local governments, and chambers of commerce. Group listing lodging properties are able to call the State Association for free legal advice on day-to-day operational issues that their properties face. Local Area Seminars: THLA provides complimentary THLA staff presentations and seminars on Hotel Law, Hotel Occupancy Tax, Legislative Updates, Human Trafficking Awareness and on other topical issues for group members throughout Texas. Unparalleled THLA Legislative Advocacy: THLA represents your interests at the Texas Capitol on lodging and tourism related legislation and regulatory matters. As the voice of the Texas lodging industry, THLA has an unparalleled record of passing every major piece of legislation we have offered on behalf of the lodging and tourism industry for the last 19 years. This membership is not currently allocated for in the 2019 budget therefore this amount would be pulled from reserve fund.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the membership to the Texas Hotel Lodging Association group listing program for one year at the cost of $14,452.13.

Attachments
The Woodlands THLA Partnership
2019 THLA Benefits Sheet


CVB Special Board Meeting		10.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive and consider an update from the Big Idea Group;
BACKGROUND:
The Woodlands, Texas, located 30 miles north of Houston, Texas, was created as a master-planned community in 1974. For the first 20 years, The Woodlands was primarily known as a "suburb" of North Houston area as the community had limited number of restaurants, very little shopping except for village centers, and most residents worked outside of the community. In 1994, The Woodlands Mall opened its doors, and on the opening day, an approximate 85,000 came through the doors, thus beginning the launch of The Woodlands as a regional shopping destination. Several years later, many other developments came to be including The Woodlands Waterway, Market Street, Waterway Square, Town Green Park and Hughes Landing, to name a few. The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, opened in 2001, and major renovation at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center have launched The Woodlands on the scene for corporate and convention meetings. Named by Travel + Leisure as one of America's "Coolest Suburbs Worth a Visit," The Woodlands offers vacationing families and business travelers more than 11 million square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment along with concerts under the stars, nightlife, golf and nature trails. This, and so much more, is all part of a getaway to The Woodlands which now has a regional, state, national and international draw. The Woodlands presents a unique combination of shopping for visitors, featuring over 70 boutique shops, in a walkable, Main Street style setting within Market Street as well as iconic retailers inside The Woodlands Mall. Perhaps that's why the readers of Southern Living Magazine voted the area as "One of America's Best Shopping Destinations." The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, consistently ranked in the Top 5 of outdoor amphitheaters in the World by Pollstar Magazine, see the world’s major performers and is the summer home for the Houston Symphony. The Woodlands also offers dining options to suit any occasion and taste, boasts 210 miles of hike and bike paths, 135 parks, 14 swimming pools and more than 1,800 acres of open space for visitors to enjoy. Events are play a very important draw for visitors and tourism, including Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas, which is the North American Championship, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, Inspire Film Festival, and numerous other events/festivals along The Woodlands Waterway. With the success of The Woodlands, however, comes competition. Various developers around The Woodlands in Montgomery and Harris Counties are trying to emulate many of the design elements found in The Woodlands. Visitor spending is key to The Woodlands success, as more than half of The Woodlands Township budget comes from sales tax and hotel occupancy tax revenue. It is the belief of Visit The Woodlands, the marketing entity supported by The Woodlands Township, that the destination always need to be looking to the future of "what's next" and what can be created to continue the vibrancy and relevancy of The Woodlands. Visit The Woodlands strongly feels this needs to be a concerted effort of many different entities and organizations. However, no single entity is looking to the future of the destination appeal, for this reason, Visit The Woodlands created a specific group of people to focus on tourism product development and new future initiatives with individuals / companies who have a vested financial interest in The Woodlands, including developers, business owners, corporations, and tourism entities. Earlier in 2019, Visit The Woodlands Board of Directors appointed Vice Chairman John Anthony Brown and President Nick Wolda to meet with stakeholders regarding the future of The Woodlands as a destination. The two have held many meetings and would like to have discussion on the next new ideas by the Big Idea Group.
RECOMMENDATION

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		11.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon an advertising cooperative placement with United Airlines' Hemispheres Magazine;
BACKGROUND:
In an effort to satisfy strategic initiatives set forth by the Board of Directors, Visit The Woodlands has implemented a Strategic Marketing Media Plan encompassing both print and digital advertising that targets leisure travelers, meeting planners and international visitors. Throughout the year, Visit The Woodlands is presented with advertising opportunities that can amplify The Woodlands message and build brand awareness in conjunction with an editorial placement. Hemispheres Magazine is the in-flight magazine for United Airlines, which has 1.3 million U.S. subscribers. For the November 2019 edition, the publication will include a large editorial piece that features Houston and surrounding areas. The 8,000-word article will take up a 1/3 of the magazine and covers Economic Development, Tourism, Quality of Life, Business Sectors and more. Visit The Woodlands has the opportunity to purchase advertising to complement this story. The placement is for a full-page ad to be shared with The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership at a cost of $25,000. This expenditure is not currently allocated for nor available in Visit The Woodlands marketing budget.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the purchase of a full-page advertising placement in Hemispheres Magazine.

Attachments
No file(s) attached.


CVB Special Board Meeting		15.
Meeting Date:	09/18/2019

SUBJECT MATTER:
Receive, consider and act upon the 2020 Service Agreement between The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, known as Visit The Woodlands, and The Woodlands Township;
BACKGROUND:
Annually, The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, known as Visit The Woodlands enter into a Service Agreement. The Agreement outlines the services to be provided by each party and defines the Township’s funding requirements for the budget year. Similar to 2019, the Township’s 2020 funding requirements to the CVB are based on actual expenditures incurred by the CVB up to and not to exceed CVB’s approved 2020 budget amount of $3,105,822 (as shown in the attachments), less actual revenues collected by the CVB. The funding provided by the Township is allocated from revenues generated by the Township’s 7% base hotel tax, after applicable debt service requirements have been fully funded. Following is a summary of revised funding sources for CVB’s 2020 budget: $2,157,284 CVB 2% Supplemental Hotel Tax $973,535 Transfer from Township, excess hotel tax (A) $500 Interest income (per adopted 2020 budget) $3,131,319 Total CVB Funding Sources Based on the 2020 budget discussions, the Township’s attorney drafted a 2020 Service Agreement between the Township and CVB. The term of the agreement is for calendar year 2020 only; funding for the CVB beyond calendar year 2020 will be determined next year during the 2021 budget process. The agreement will be presented at the September 18, 2019 CVB Special Board meeting.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Service Agreement between The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, known as Visit The Woodlands, for calendar year 2020.

Attachments
2020 Visit the Woodlands -TWT Service Agreement
CVB 2020 Preliminary Budget - Approved by Township Board 9-12-19