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Minutes - 11/13/2008 - Hotel Convention and Visitors CommitteeG� OF OA MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 13, 2008 MEETING OF THE OAK 90 BROOK HOTEL, CONVENTION AND VISITORS COMMITTEE OF THE VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK UNOFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVED AS WRITTEN OR AMENDED ON JANUARY 8, 2009 9cF CO U N'c'� 1. CALL TO ORDER: The Meeting of the Oak Brook Hotel, Convention & Visitors Committee of the Village of Oak Brook was held in the Upper Level Conference Room of the Butler Government Center and called to order by Chairman Dieter Heigl at 9:08 a.m. Chairman Heigl introduced John Lampa, new General Manager of the Renaissance Oak Brook Hotel. 2. ROLL CALL: Chairman Dieter Heigl called the roll with the following persons: PRESENT: Dieter Heigl, John Wagner, Rusty Middleton, Kerry Mickelson, Joanne Cascio, Ralph Maxson, Tracy Mulqueen and John Lampa. ABSENT: Chuck Fleming and Heather Wehling. IN ATTENDANCE: Blaine Wing, Asst. Village Manager, Moin Saiyed, Village Trustee, David Niemeyer, Village Manager, Donna Bettin, Village Executive Secretary, Skip Strittmatter, DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Krystal Jordan, The Hyatt Lodge. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES John Wagner motioned to approve the minutes from the September 11, 2008 meeting. Seconded by Kerry Mickelson. Motion passed. Minutes approved. 4. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Release of Funds. Rusty Middleton motioned to approve the release of 20% of the 1 % f Oak Brook Hotel Tax Receipts for the Third Quarter of 2008 to the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau for $19,344.74. B. 2009 Budget Recommendation. A subcommittee met to discuss budget strategies for the upcoming 2009 budget. The subcommittee will recommend a budget number to the Village for inclusion in the 2009 budget process. John Wagner explained that during challenging times, spending more money makes sense to obtain maximum performance numbers The subcommittee needs to look at all alternatives to determine where cutbacks can be made and where money can be best spent. There was some discussion on the 1% sales tax base d on revenues g enerated by the Hotels, if those numbers decline, then so will the budget. C. 2009 Marketing Discussion. Point b proposals and tactics they want to evaluate. Rusty Middleton believes there are still some questions out there that need to be addressed. He feels the committee is still looking for history on past responses including responses from sales and marketing people from the properties, the Chamber of Commerce and the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau. Blaine Wing explained that the Marketing Committee did challenge Point b on some of their suggestions, overall costs of updating website, cuts that add up could be used for something else. Now is the time to challenge Point b. Discussion on actual numbers booked via website was held. It seems a lot of bookings are generated from the Village's website. Krystal Jordan mentioned that the 50 Anniversary package is OAK BROOK HOTEL COMMITTEE Minutes Page 1 of 4 Meeting of November 13, 2008 good through November 30th and now there are gift cards from the DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau to use through December 31St. To -date, over 25 packages have been sold. There are no limitations on the gift cards. Skip Strittmatter informed everyone that they are currently promoting the dining and shopping campaigns for November and December with coupons included in their marketing materials. Per Tracy Mulqueen, dining certificates may be available through the Chamber's restaurants groups. She will work with them to try to obtain dining certificates to use with Hotel stays. Blaine Wing discussed the possibility of working with the group from the Highland Games on overnight stay packages for that event. Blaine would like to help put together a package a package that would be beneficial to all. Skip Strittmatter can check with them on what that group has used as a price package in the area. Blaine Wing will also get a Village 2009 calendar of events put together so packages can be considered for these various events. 5. NEW BUSINESS A. 2009 Meeting Schedule. Rusty Middleton motioned to retain the same meeting schedule as was set in 2008 to meet the second Thursday of every other month beginning in January. Seconded by John Lampa. Motion passed. B. FAM Trip. Tracy Mulqueen explained the FAM Trip is a bus tour designed to bring organizations and business planners to Oak Brook. The first one was held on October 27th The tour began with breakfast at the Doubletree followed by a bus tour of all the Hotels. Lunch at the Reel Club where Trustees Kennedy and Sanford gave a presentation. A tour of the shopping center and more hotels with a reception at Wildfire and ended with dinner at the Renaissance. Krystal Jordan and others worked all day long to help make this event successful. The next tour is scheduled for January 26 th and there is already over 40 people registered to attend. 6. DUPAGE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU UPDATE Skip Strittmatter distributed several items including their quarterly report. They have recently produced several campaigns for 2009. There was a last minute decision to produce a shopping /dining campaign for the year end /holidays and e -mail blasts were sent. On December 11th the DCVB will be hosting a "Ring in the Holidays" event in Springfield. December 4th is the annual Holiday party. There is a meeting planner's guide inside Midwest meetings magazines. ilable on -line. DCVB is actively working on getting featured in outside All publications are ava publications. Skip explained that they are having a difficult time trying to track bookings. They are working with the hotels and the mall to try and track these bookings more efficiently. Once they are fully on -line with Travelocity, their software will help tracking. Skip expressed an interest in the DCVB assisting with the FAM trip in the future too. Ralph Maxson raised the question of whether the Village was utilizing all the DCVB services available. Skip stated that currently we are not. The DCVB is here to serve the Hotels of Oak Brook and the Village as the Hotel Committee and Village see fit. This would however be duplicating some of the same services that Point b is currently doing. They have many other P g OAK BROOK HOTEL COMMITTEE Minutes Page 2 of 4 Meeting of November 13, 2008 marketing /advertising and services available to us and are more than willing to do what ever it takes to keep the Village and the Hotel Committee's best interests in the forefront. 7. OTHER BUSINESS A. Beautification. At this time, Rusty Middleton asked Trustees Kennedy and Manofsky to come in and update the Hotel Committee on the progress of the Beautification Committee projects. Due to the Open Meetings Act, Trustee Saiyed left the Hotel Committee meeting as this time. Trustee Kennedy explained the concept of the Beautification plan to beautify the main roadways of the Village of Oak Brook and to enhance the "feel" of visiting Oak Brook. The plan is funded from the increase in the Hotel Tax. There are generally 4 areas of planning and discussion for the Beautification process. 1. Timeline and Considerations: Plans need to be reviewed and considerations for various projects with other entities, such as IDOT, need to be considered prior to actual construction. This will cause the timeline to be placed in accordance with projects such as road construction. 2. Working with Utility companies and outside entities: Coordination of the various utilities while road construction is being done and ensuring the Village's beautification plans are set. Items such as adding irrigation lines while the road is torn up and electrical placed properly to light poles. 3. Impact: To be able to make a statement and good impression on visitors who travel through Oak Brook. Special attention will be given to the gateway areas to the Village -east 22nd Street (Salt Creek to Tollway). On north Spring Road and 22nd Street, there is very little opportunity for beautification other than enhancing alongside the roadway and beautifying medians. Additional thought should be given to enhancing street lighting and sidewalk links to enable people to get to /from the Mall /Hotels. 4. Looking beyond: The Village has applied for funding assistance for Rt.83 — 22nd Street to 31 st Street and Rt. 83 north of 22nd Street to 16 th Street, will also be looked at in the future (in conjunction with Oakbrook Terrace). Trustee Manofsky explained that a Monument sign is the first opportunity to have an impact on beautification and currently one is slated to be placed on the Golf Course property on York Road and 22nd Street. There have been entry points picked out throughout "the Village to have signage placed in the future. The Village has also worked with the Tollway and upgraded the I- 88/22nd Street bridge design to make it more attractive. There is no plan or money designated at this time to beautify residential streets. A question was asked as to what the Village is trying to accomplish with the beautificatio plan. Trustee Kennedy stated that the beautification enhancements to the Hotel district will attract consumers to Oak Brook to result in overnight Hotel stays. It is also part of the Commercial Revitalization plan. Per the Beautification Committee's plan the order of projects over the next few years are as follows: OAK BROOK HOTEL COMMITTEE Minutes Page 3 of 4 Meeting of November 13, 2008 E'1 111• • Monument Signage — Golf Course, (York & 22nd Street) • East 22nd Street from Salt Creek to I -294, will bid out street lighting and medians • East 22nd Street from Salt Creek to McDonald's Drive, will design and bid out street lighting and medians. • York Road from Dover Drive to I -88 and I -294 spur ramp, design street lighting. 2010: • Oak Brook and Oakbrook Terrace coordination of lighting improvements (non -hotel tax dollars) in the event of west 22nd Street widening. • Bid and construct York Road and 22nd Street from Salt Creek to McDonald's Drive 2011: • Rt. 83 from 22nd Street to 16th Street working with Oakbrook Terrace. A lot of this work depends on state, county and shopping center plans. John Lampa talked to the fact that the economy is currently in distress and staying alive also means declining rates. John questioned whether this beautification money can be used now for more specific needs such as marketing as Hotels need the assistance now. It was explained that the referendum approved by the voters was for Beautification purposes. Trustee Manofsky asked the Hotel Committee if they had a budget number in mind that they are requesting and if they forwarded those numbers with an outline of a plan to justify the additional funds to Administration for consideration in the 2009 budget process. Trustee Manofsky also stated that the Village Board would like to hear what the Hotel Committee feels their needs are and why. Trustee Kennedy gave the Hotel Committee an update on the John Buck development project. The development project is moving quickly with the retail and health/fitness center. The John Buck Company are currently in discussions with Pinstripes in hopes of securing an Oak Brook location for that facility in their development. Chairman Heigl thanked Trustees Kennedy and Manofsky for their time. ADJOURNMENT: Motion by Ralph Maxson, seconded by John Lampa to adjourn the meeting of the Hotel Committee at 10:52 a.m. ATTEST: Blaine Wing Assistant Village Manager Date OAK BROOK HOTEL COMMITTEE Minutes Page 4 of 4 Meeting of November 13, 2008