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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
FIRST TIME I'VE DONE WHAT YOU SAID AS YOUR INTERIM, INTERIM CHAIR, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, 2% A TAX COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
AND THE FIRST THING IS TO CONSIDER A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
UH, WE'RE GONNA CALL TO ORDER OF THE MEETING AND STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
OH, I DIDN'T KNOW WE DID THAT IN COMMITTEE.
I PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY.
NOW, UH, PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED DIS AND DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SE FOIA.
AND NOW, UH, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.
UM, I WILL NOW BE ASKING FOR NOMINATIONS FOR A CHAIR.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
NOW I'M ASKING FOR
UH, VIMAL HAS SAID HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE CHAIR NOMINATE VIMAL.
ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? CAN YOU CLOSE? NOMINATIONS, NOMINATION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF YOU ALL AS CHAIR SIX FIVE BY SAYING AYE.
UM, I'LL NOW BE ASKING FOR NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR.
KEN HAS CONDUCTED A VERY EFFECTIVE AND THOROUGH CAMPAIGN TO BE VICE CHAIR, SO I NOMINATE HIM.
ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF ELECTING KEN AS OUR VICE CHAIR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
NOW, WELL, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT BREEZED THROUGH MY THING.
OUR FIRST, OH, ALRIGHTYY, WHAT DID YOU SAY? THE FLOOR IS YOURS, THE CHAIRMAN.
WE HAVE AN ELECTED VICE CHAIR HERE.
SHOULD HE SERVE THAT FUNCTION? I'M SORRY, SIR.
YOU'RE THE ELECTED VICE CHAIR.
SHOULD KEN TAKE OVER OR SHOULD I CONTINUE AS INTERIM? THE NEWLY ELECTED VICE CHAIR.
I MEAN, HE LITTLE HELP WITH PROCEDURE, BUT WE'RE NEXT STEP IS TO DO WE SEE THE FIRST YEP.
WE'RE A LITTLE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW.
SO LET'S EXPLAIN THAT THEY HAVE COME BACK.
DO, DUE TO A TECHNICALITY IN THE ORGANIZING THIS MEETING, WE'RE GONNA ASK THAT YOU ONLY LISTEN TO THE APPLICATIONS TODAY.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ASK THE QUESTIONS.
BUT THE DISCUSSION AMONGST THE BOARD MEMBERS AS FAR AS WHAT TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL, UH, TO AWARD THEM, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU COME BACK TO A SUBSEQUENT MEETING, UH, AND THEN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, MAKE THE MOTION FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN FORWARD THAT RECOMMENDATION.
SO IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO LOOK AT WHAT IS A CONVENIENT TIME, IF YOU CAN DO THAT AS FAR AS COMING BACK FOR THAT DISCUSSION, UH, TO DISCUSS THE, UH, APPLICATIONS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT, MR. LESTER? HOW IS EVERYONE SCHEDULE LOOKING FOR NEXT WEEK? IT COULD BE AS SOON AS LATER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER.
AND WE WILL HAVE TO GIVE THE PEOPLE NOT HERE.
AND IT'S ONLY VENMO, RIGHT? ONLY THE CHAIR'S MISSING.
ONLY THE ONLY VENMO WOULD'VE TO WATCH THE, UH, UM, VIDEO FOR THE APPLICATION.
SO YOU NEED TIME FOR HIM TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS, UH, YOUR, UH, PRESENT THE PRESENTATIONS HERE.
AND THEN, UH, HE WOULD LEAVE THE MEETING THERE IF HE'S IN THE MEETING.
I CAN MEET ANYTIME MONDAY, TUESDAY, OR WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.
WHEN IS THEN MO GONNA BE BACK? I'LL FIND OUT.
ASSUMING IT WORKS THAT WEEK, YOU GUYS, I WOULD SAY A WEEK FROM NOW, IT WOULD WORK IF A WEEK FROM NOW, IF IT'S AGREEABLE, IF THAT'S AGREEABLE, WE WILL CHECK TO SEE IF WE CAN STILL USE THE CHAMBERS AND HAVE THE MEETING RIGHT HERE.
OR WE HAVE TO FIND AN ALTERNATE
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LOCATION FOR YOU.BUT THE STAFF WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT COULD BE DONE VIRTUALLY OR DAVID.
UH, 15 INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS CAN ATTEND VIRTUALLY, BUT THE MEETING SHOULD NOT BE VIRTUAL.
YOU SHOULD BE TOGETHER TO DISCUSS IT AND MAKE YOUR MOTION DISCUSSION.
WHEN ARE WE OUT OF HERE? I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, WHEN DO RENOVATION? THAT'S, WE'LL, THEY'LL BE BACK IN THE BUILDING SOMETIME TODAY WHEN WE SEE, UH, MR. EY WILL ASK HIM TO SEE WHEN'S THE LAST DAY WE CAN HAVE A MEETING HERE NECESSARY.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE TO THE ARTHUR HORNE BUILDING, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS.
WE HAVE TO, THERE'S DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WHERE WE'RE HAVE DIFFERENT MEETINGS FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
SO DOES NEXT TUESDAY AT EIGHT 30 WORK FOR EVERYBODY WORKS FOR ME? MM-HMM.
MR. GREEN, HOW LONG WOULD THAT MEETING BE, YOU THINK ABOUT A COUPLE HOURS.
I WOULD SAY THAT YOU'RE SAFE FOR IT TO BE NO MORE THAN TWO HOURS.
BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE JUST, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THE APPLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS, YOU'RE JUST DISCUSSING IT, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, BMO'S GONE UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY.
BUT IF WE HOLD IT TUESDAY, HE'LL ZOOM IN.
SO WOULD YOU I WOULD SAY HE WENT PRESENT OR WEDNESDAY MORNING MAYBE INSTEAD OF A TUESDAY.
WHAT? HE DOESN'T COME BACK TILL WEDNESDAY.
ARE WE WAITING ON HIM? OR WE CAN, WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT HIM.
HE CAN, HE CAN ACTUALLY ZOOM, PARTICIPATE.
HE, HE WOULD BE ONE OF THE MEMBERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
WELL, SO LET'S STILL WORKS THE SAME TIME.
YOU AT THAT PRICE? EIGHT 30? YES, SIR.
I'M, I WANNA SAY THE MORNING IONS START THE 17TH.
SO I'LL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THAT AND GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU ALL.
TO REMIND YOU, I DID GIVE YOU A LITTLE SLIP OF PAPER TO FILL OUT FOR ME TO DO A PHONE NUMBER OF GOOD EMAIL, JUST SO I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I HAVE EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION.
WE ARE STILL RUNNING A LITTLE EARLY.
OUR FIRST MAYBE THEY WANT A COFFEE FIRST.
IS THAT UM, IS OUR FIRST PARTICIPANT NOT HERE? NOPE.
CHAMBER IS CLOSED AFTER THE NINTH, SO WE HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, SARAH SAID SHE'LL WORK WITH YOU.
CAN WE START EARLY IF ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE READY TO GO OR SHOULD WE WAIT? IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING, SO YOU SHOULDN'T WAIT UNTIL THE TIME THAT WAS POSTED FOR.
AND YEAH, IT'S BEST TO WAIT RECESS UNTIL NINE.
DID WE PUBLISH IT AT DONE RECESS TILL NINE? UM, SINCE BEAL'S NOT HERE, WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THE THREE THAT WERE HIS, THAT WOULD BE, IT'S NUMBER EIGHT, RECEIVING 13 AND 17.
SO EIGHT IS CULTURAL THEATER AND NUMBER WHAT HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION HAVE FOUNDATION.
I'LL BE ABLE TO ASK ON HENRY CLAY.
WELL THIS IS APPLICATION FOR HENRY CLAY.
UH, I THINK, HOW ABOUT EIGHT AND 17? I THINK EIGHT IS.
HEY GUYS, I'M ADAM FARBER WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARIES, AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR NEW STREAMING SERVICE CALLED HOOPLA.
IT'S A FREE SERVICE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARIES.
ALL YOU NEED IS A LIBRARY CARD AND IT'S AVAILABLE ON IOS, ANDROID, AND DESKTOP COMPUTERS.
I HAVE AN IPAD AND WE'LL DOWNLOAD THE HOOPLA APP.
YOU CAN GET UP TO 10 TITLES PER MONTH.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT US@BEAUFORTCOUNTYLIBRARY.ORG.
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GOING ON.SO AS STATED, THE COMMITTEE IS HERE TO, TO LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS AND WE'LL DO DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, NUMBER ONE, WE'VE GOT THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT TEAM.
GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UH, THANKS FOR HAVING US AND THANKS FOR PUTTING ME NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST, UH, THIS MORNING.
I'M THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOHN REMOLD DIRECTOR.
AND SO I'M IN HERE FOR HIM TODAY.
UM, THE 2% STATE AT TAX APPLICATION THAT WE SUBMITTED, UH, WE'RE REQUESTING $30,000 FOR THE 2% STATE AT TAX HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY KNOWN SINCE 2018.
THE GROWTH HAS BEEN PRETTY ENORMOUS.
FROM 2018 UNTIL NOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING IN THE THREE MAIN CARRIERS, UNITED AIRLINE, UNITED AIRLINES, AMERICAN AIRLINES, AND DELTA INTO THE AIRPORT.
WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THAT TIME IS AN INCREASED, UM, AWARENESS FOR POTENTIAL VISITORS TO COME IN FROM OTHER STATES INTO THE ISLAND.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE DOWNFALLS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT IS IT SHARES A NAME WITH A CROSS STATE LINE AIRPORT.
AND NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS A AIRPORT RIGHT HERE IN HILTON HEAD, RIGHT THERE IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THAT THESE VISITORS CAN, CAN FLY INTO AND BE ON THE ISLAND INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BATTLE TRAFFIC, UM, A NIGHT IN A HOTEL ROOM IN ANOTHER STATE, RENT A CAR IN ANOTHER STATE BECAUSE THEY LANDED AT AN AIRPORT IN ANOTHER STATE.
WE WANT THOSE ECONOMIC FUNDS TO COME IN INTO OUR STATE AND IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT, WE ARE DIRECTED BY REGULATIONS OF THE FAA.
SO THE FAA LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO FUND ADVERTISING AND MARKETING.
THEIR FOCUS IS SOLELY ON SAFETY PROJECTS, IF I COULD SAY IT THAT WAY, AT THE AIRPORT.
SO MAINTENANCE OF THE TAXIWAYS, MAINTENANCE OF THE RUNWAYS, MAINTENANCE OF THE, THE LIGHTING FACILITIES FOR AIR TRAFFIC TO GET INTO THAT IS THEIR MAIN FOCUS.
THEREFORE, THEIR FOCUS POTENTIALLY ISN'T MARKETING.
HOWEVER, THE AIRLINES THAT WE HAVE COMING INTO THE AIRPORT, MARKETING ADVERTISING IS A HUGE FOCUS.
THAT'S HOW THEY DETERMINE THE NEED TO SEND MORE AIR TRAFFIC INTO HILTON HEAD.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT A TAX OR H TAX FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT THERE TO INCREASE OUR PROGRAMS. THIS $30,000, IT TIES IN WITH A $300,000 PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
AND IT'S A COLLABORATORY EFFORT WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AT TAX, UH, FUNDING REQUEST THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE.
SO FOR A $300,000 PROGRAM, WHAT'S THAT GONNA GIVE US? WE COLLABORATE EXTREME AND CLOSE WITH THE VCB, UM, IN HOPES TO CONTINUE TO WORK THE MEDIA RELATIONS PROMOTE DIRECTLY TARGETED POTENTIAL VISITORS FROM OUT OF THE STATE.
UM, WE CAN WANT TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATIVELY ADVERTISE WITH TOURISM PARTNERS WITHIN THE VCB.
THEY'RE OUR DRIVER TO HELP US FOCUS WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE GONNA GO.
TO, OF NOTE, THE MOST POPULAR STATES THAT ARE OUTBOUND ARE TRYING TO COME IN BASED OFF OF CLIQUES, ADVERTISEMENT.
DALLAS, CHICAGO, ATLANTA, DC, BOSTON, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, AND INDIANAPOLIS.
SO THOSE ARE VISITORS THAT ARE COMING INTO HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE MOST VISITORS THAT WERE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMING INTO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I WILL NOTE THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT SINCE 2016, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS GROWN FROM AROUND $160 MILLION TO WELL OVER $460 MILLION IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE THIS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT USING THESE FUNDS TO BRING IN TOURISM TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THE TOWN, IN THE COUNTY, AND AT THE AIRPORT.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M HERE AND AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THE PROCESS WE FOLLOW IS EACH PERSON IS ASSIGNED
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A SERIES OF APPLICATIONS AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE ONE THAT I WAS HAPPY TO READ.UM, YOU MENTIONED IT'S PART OF A $300,000 PROGRAM.
I SEE IN YOUR APPLICATION YOU APPLY TO 150 TO THE HILTON HEAD FOR 150,000, A TAX DOLLARS, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING THERE.
ASSUMING YOU RECEIVED THAT ALL, WHERE'S THE OTHER 150,000 COMING FROM? WELL, WE ACTUALLY, SINCE THIS APPLICATION CAME OUT, WE DID RECEIVE 150,000 IN 2024 FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY SPENT THAT, ALL OF THOSE FUNDS.
IN 2025, WE RECEIVED THE, THE SECOND $150,000 FOR THAT $300,000 PROGRAM.
TO DATE, WE'VE SPENT ROUGHLY A HUNDRED AND I THINK $130,000 OUT OF THAT.
SO WE HAVE SOME FUNDS LEFT, BUT IN ORDER TO MEET OUR CRITERIA, WE'LL REQUEST AN EXTRA 30, $30,000 TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE PROGRAMS. OKAY, THANKS.
AND IF I'M RIGHT, THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT IS A COUNTY OWNED BUT ENTERPRISE FUND ORGANIZATION.
AND SO, UH, I THINK I'M ASKING, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK YOU EARN FUNDS FROM SALE OF FUEL AND FROM RENTAL LIFT HANGERS.
WE, OUR FUNDING REVENUES GENERATE FROM FUEL SALES TO COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS GA AIRCRAFT, I WOULD SAY IS ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE DRIVERS OF REVENUE.
THOSE OF US WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT GE AIRCRAFT IS, GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT.
SO WE HAVE COMMERCIAL THAT FLIES IN ON THE THREE MAIN CARRIERS.
WE ALSO HAVE A ROBUST GENERAL AVIATION, UH, COMMUNITY ON, WE CALL IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT, UH, THAT FLY IN, UM, BUSINESS LEADERS, UH, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY LEADERS, UH, PEOPLE FLYING IN TO HILTON HEAD 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEIR SECOND HOME IS.
SO WE HAVE A, A ROBUST, UH, FLEET OF GENERAL AVIATION.
IT'S CALLED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRPORT.
'CAUSE IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
IS THAT IT? IT'S ON AIRPORT PROPERTY, BUT WE RESERVE ONE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT FOR COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC.
AND THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY IS THAT'S THE GENERAL AVIATION TRAFFIC SIDE.
THAT'S HOW OUR FLOW OF THE AIRPORT WORKS.
AND HOW ABOUT CONCESSIONS INSIDE THE AIRPORT? WE HAVE A CONCESSIONS INSIDE THE AIRPORT.
UM, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL TERMINAL.
I'M NOT SURE IF EVERYBODY'S AWARE, BUT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF EXPANDING THE SIZE OF OUR TERMINAL TO UPDATE IT, BRING IT UP TO STANDARDS, JET BRIDGES, THINGS LIKE THAT SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO WALK OUTSIDE.
AND WE HAVE MORE ROOM CURRENTLY.
WE HAVE A SMALL CONCESSIONAIRE THAT IS POSTED INSIDE THE SMALL TERMINAL.
AND AS WE EXPAND WHEN WE OPEN UP THE NEW SIDE, THAT WILL CONTINUE ON THAT SIDE.
TAXI SERVICE, RENTAL CAR SERVICE CONCESSIONS WITHIN THE TERMINAL THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND DO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THAT'S OCCURRED? IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S OCCURRED SINCE COVID HAPPENED, BUT MAYBE THAT'S POINT THAT, UH, THAT'S YOU, YOU, YOU'RE CORRECT, SIR.
COVID IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN HILTON HEAD, HILTON HEAD WAS ONE OF THE FEW DESTINATION LOCATIONS THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY GET TO IN COVID AS WELL AS AIRLINES TRIMMED DOWN HOW MANY FLIGHTS THEY WERE FLYING.
SO THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE AMOUNT OF PILOTS THAT WERE LIKE, WHAT CAN WE GET IN, WHERE CAN WE FLY TO? HILTON HEAD WAS OPEN ALONG WITH MARTHA VINEYARD, KEY WEST, AREAS LIKE THAT, AND PEOPLE WERE FLYING IN AND THESE PILOTS WERE FLYING AIRPLANES IN.
SO WE HAD AN INCREASE IN IN PASSENGERS THAT CAME IN DURING COVID.
AND THEN WHEN COVID KIND OF TRAILED OFF, THOSE PILOTS WENT BACK TO THESE LARGER INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND OUR NUMBERS KIND OF WENT, WE, THEY'RE STILL ABOVE, BUT THEY DROPPED BACK DOWN TO MORE OF A NORMAL LEVEL.
SO WE HAD A HUGE INCREASE DURING COVID.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE SLIMMED BACK DOWN TO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE.
BUT IT'S CONTINUING TO INCREASE EACH YEAR.
AND YOU ATTRIBUTE IT TO THIS MARKETING CAMPAIGN OR WHAT OTHER FACTORS? I DO CONTRIBUTE IT TO THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
HOWEVER, IN 2018, THE AIRPORT EXTENDED THE RUNWAY AND I'M GETTING INTO MORE AIRCRAFT SPECIFIC THINGS.
AIRLINES IN THEIR SMALLEST COMMERCIAL JETS THAT THEY CAN FLY OUR RUNWAY WAS TOO SHORT TO SUPPORT THAT.
IN 2018, A PROJECT THAT EXTENDED THE RUNWAY TO THE APPROPRIATE LENGTH THAT THEY COULD LAND THERE, OPEN THEIR EYES AND SAY, WE HAVE A MARKET IN HILTON HEAD, WE CAN NOW LAND THE SMALLEST OF OUR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT IN HILTON HEAD.
SO ALL THREE AIRLINES CAME IN, WE ALREADY HAD AMERICAN, BUT THE OTHER TWO CAME IN AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET A PIECE OF THAT PIE.
AND THEN CUSTOMERS STARTED REALIZING THEN WE CAN GET INTO HILTON HEAD INSTEAD OF GOING TO OTHER AIRPORTS AND DRIVING INTO HILTON HEAD.
SO THAT BOOSTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO START MARKETING.
AND THE AIRLINES REALLY APPRECIATED US START MARKETING THESE VENUES SO PEOPLE CAN FLY IN TO HILTON HEAD.
AND THAT HAS JUST SEEN AN EXPANSIVE GROWTH FROM THAT POINT IN TIME UNTIL NOW.
AND WE DON'T SEE IT STOPPING, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR RENOVATION OF THE TERMINAL AND, AND BETTER ACCOMMODATIONS, AIRPORT'S JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO
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GROW.AND ABOUT HOW LONG IS, YOU SAID THE APPROPRIATE? IS THERE A NUMBER THAT THOSE OF US WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT APPROPRIATE IS MEANS 3000 FEET OR 5,000 OR SOMETHING? WELL, IT'S ALL BASED ON THE SIZE OF AIRCRAFT THAT SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO GET.
HOW LONG? THE RUNWAY? 5,000 FEET RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND YOU MAY HAVE TOLD US THIS A MINUTE AGO, AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT YOU GUYS IN THE HANGAR RENTAL BUSINESS, WE ARE, HOW'S THAT EXPANDED SINCE YOU ADDED THE RUNWAY LINK? THE, WELL, ON THE GENERAL AVIATION SIDE, THAT'S WHERE WE RENT THE HANGERS.
AND SO IT'S MORE RECREATIONAL FLYERS.
I WILL SAY DURING COVID THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE SITTING AROUND GOING, WHAT DO I DO WITH MY TIME? MM-HMM
AND AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PERCENTAGE IN THE UNITED STATES DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO BE BE PILOTS.
AND SO THEY STARTED LEARNING TO FLY, AND THEN THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUY AN AIRPLANE.
AND THEN WE RUN TWO AIRPORTS, BOTH AIRPORTS WE HAVE, BUT AT HILTON HEAD, SPECIFICALLY, THE WAIT LIST, PRE COVID 10 15 PEOPLE THAT HAS GROWN TO MID SIXTIES TO 70 PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HANGERS TO SUPPORT EVERYBODY WHO OWNS AN AIRPLANE THAT WANTS TO PARK.
THEREFORE THEY PARK ON THE RAMP.
WE GENERATE FEES FROM THEM, PARKING ON THE RAMP, BUT WE ALSO GENERATE FEES FROM THEM RENTING HANGER SPACE FROM US.
AND YOU HAVE SPACE TO BILL MORE HANGERS? UH, WE DO, BUT THERE'S AN, UH, FUNDING TO BUILD THOSE.
THOSE ARE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
STEEL WENT UP, SO EVERYTHING DOUBLED AND TRIPLED IN PRICE.
UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS GOT QUESTIONS.
UM, I, YEAH, THIS IS INTERESTING.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON, UH, WHEN VISITORS COME IN, HOW MANY OF THEM STAY IN, IN, IN HILTON HEAD OR BLUFFTON VERSUS TRAVEL OUT TO OTHER, OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY OR AREA? YES, SIR.
I THINK THAT'S A, A GREAT QUESTION.
WE DON'T GET INFORMATION FROM THE HOTELS ON HOW MANY EXTRA NIGHTS PER SE SOMEBODY WOULD STAY.
UM, BUT WE CAN GO BACK AND THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVE, UM, SHOWS THAT THE PERCENTAGES OF PEOPLE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE CLICKING PAGE VIEWS YEAR, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR IS RIGHT AROUND 308% FROM JUST TWO YEARS AGO.
SO IN TWO YEARS TIME, THIS MONEY HAS OFFERED SOMEBODY TO CLICK A PAGE 308% INCREASE OVER THAT YEAR.
UM, REFERRALS HAS SURGED TO 584% YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, GOOGLE ACCOUNTED FOR 80% OF THE TOTAL VAPE PAGE VIEWS.
I'M NOT SURE ANY OTHER ENGINES THAT IS USED TO DETERMINE THOSE NUMBERS.
UH, AND THEN SOCIAL CHANNELS THAT WE, UH, WE PAY INTO, WE SEEN 61% INCREASE IN PAGE VIEWS AND 694% INCREASED IN ENGAGED SESSIONS YEAR OVER YEAR, YEAR OVER YEAR.
JUST, UM, IT MAY BE FEEDBACK FOR YOUR TEAM FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, TO IF HAVE AN EVEN BETTER PRESENTATION NEXT TIME JUST TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN, YOU KNOW, PUTS HEADS IN BEDS.
BUT, BUT, BUT YES SIR, BUT SPECIFICALLY OFF ISLAND MM-HMM
OR THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, WHICH IS A, WHERE A LIONS SHARE OF THIS PARTICULAR FUND YEP.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT.
AND WE RELY HEAVILY ON THE VCB WHO WE'RE PARTNERING, UH, WITH THESE FUNDS WITH, TO GATHER THE INFORMATION FOR YOU.
AND PIGGYBACKING WHAT KEN JUST ASKED YOU, UM, WHEN THEY FLY IN TO THE AIRPORT, ARE THEY BEING PICKED UP BY RELATIVE, ARE THEY STAYING ON HILTON HEAD? ARE THEY COMING TO BUFORD TO STAY HERE IN THE, THE FACILITIES? YES, MA'AM.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, A LARGE, THERE'S A PORTION OF, OF RESIDENTS MM-HMM
WHO ARE UTILIZING THE AIRPORT TO FLY OUT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS AND TO FLY BACK IN, OR THEY'RE FLYING FROM THEIR LOCAL AIRPORT TO VISIT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TOURISM THAT COMES IN, THEY'RE COMING IN TO VACATION AT I NET.
UM, MOST OF THE PEOPLE, THEY'VE RENTED A CAR FROM THE AIRPORT MM-HMM
WHICH WE SEE PROCEEDS FROM THAT.
AND THEY'RE PICKING UP THEIR CAR AT THE AIRPORT, OR THEY CHOSE NOT TO RENT A CAR.
AND THEY'RE USING THE TAXI SERVICES THAT ARE THERE AT THE AIRPORT TO GET TO THEIR HOTEL OR THEIR, THEIR WHATEVER ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THEY HAVE ON THE ISLAND.
SO THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE WE SEE MOSTLY FROM TOURISM THAT COMES IN TO OUR AIRPORT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO RENT A CAR AND TRAVEL.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT THE TRAFFIC TO GET INTO HILTON HEAD.
THEY'RE RIGHT THERE, AND WITHIN MINUTES, THEY'RE AT THEIR HOTEL AND THEY'RE READY TO GO ENJOY THEIR STAY.
AND THOSE ARE THE COMMENTS THAT WE SEE FROM CUSTOMERS THAT COME IN THAT THEY REALLY ENJOY
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THAT PIECE.AND DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC DATA TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU JUST SAID? UH, WE DO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE VCV.
I WE DO KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL IN TO HILTON HEAD VERSUS ANOTHER AIRPORT, THEY TYPICALLY WOULD SPEND AN EXTRA NIGHT AT THE OTHER AIRPORT AND THEN GET UP THE NEXT DAY AND COME TO HILTON HEAD, OR THEY'RE RENTING CARS FROM THAT OTHER AIRPORT IN ANOTHER STATE AND COMING TO HILTON HEAD.
SO FOR WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TOTAL UP THE AMOUNT OF CUSTOMERS THAT ARE COMING TO HILTON HEAD, THAT ONE NIGHT ADDS UP WHEN YOU'RE ADDING ALL THOSE PEOPLE UP, UH, TO GET THAT WE'RE LOSING FROM HILTON HEAD MM-HMM
THAT ANOTHER STATE IS GAINING.
SO TO TRY TO TRIGGER PEOPLE TO COME STRAIGHT INTO HILTON HEAD, THAT INCREASES A ONE NIGHT, UH, RENTAL CAR SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE ON THAT SAME POINT THAT YOU WERE JUST MAKING.
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU STARTED ADVERTISING THAT HILTON HEAD HAS ITS OWN AIRPORT WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE OTHER AIRPORT? I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FIVE YEARS IN THIS ROLE, AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ADVERTISING FOR THOSE FIVE YEARS, MAYBE NOT WITH THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE THE FIRST YEAR TO GET US TO WHERE WE'RE AT AND INCREASE IN THAT ADVERTISING, THOSE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
UH, BUT SINCE 2018, THAT WAS BEFORE I GOT HERE, WHEN THAT RUNWAY GOT EXTENDED AND THOSE AIRLINES CAME IN, THAT REALLY STARTED THE DRIVE TO ADVERTISE AND GET PEOPLE FOCUSED ON COMING TO HILTON HEAD INSTEAD OF LANDING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN DRIVING THE HILTON HEAD.
AND DO YOU KNOW THAT PERCENTAGE, UH, SINCE 2018? UH, I DON'T OFF THE HAND, BUT I ABSOLUTELY COULD FIND OUT FOR YOU.
AND I, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU GOOD? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE OUR DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK.
NEXT, I THINK WE HAVE TWO, UM, UH, FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOM TRIAL.
IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND, I'M GONNA SET A TIMER SO WE KIND OF STAY ON A LITTLE BIT OF SCHEDULE AND THEN YOU BET.
JUST A REMINDER THAT YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO IF WE JUST DIRECT THEM INTO QUESTIONS RATHER THAN LONG.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HAVE PRESENTED ALREADY IN THE PAST, BUT YEAH, AS TYPICAL AS, YEAH.
NOT TO RE-HASH THE PRESENTATION, BUT TO, TO GO THROUGH A QUICK, QUICK SUMMARY AND THEN WE CAN JUST DIVE RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
WE ARE HERE TO ASK YOU FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, FIRST WE, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, THE FRIEND, THE, UH, KIDS IN PARKS, SOUTH CAROLINA FIRST.
UH, IT'S A PROPOSAL THAT CAME INTO US FROM, UH, FOLKS IN COLUMBIA THAT ARE DOING IT ON THE MAJOR TRAIL UP THERE.
AND IT IS DRIVEN BY, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY OUT IN NORTH CAROLINA AND IS NOW STARTING TO POP UP LOTS OF PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, WHAT IT DOES IS IT'S A PROGRAM WHERE WE PROVIDE AN INTRODUCTORY PANEL WITH A BUNCH OF INFORMATION AND LITTLE THINGS ON IT THAT KIDS CAN USE, AND A WALK OF ABOUT A MILE.
AND IN THIS CASE, OUR PROPOSAL IS TO STARTED HERE IN BEAUFORT, UH, AT THE END OF DEPOT ROAD AT OUR TRAILHEAD THERE AT THE END OF DEPOT ROAD AND WALK NORTH UP TOWARD THE, UH, THE NEW PUBLIX SHOPPING, OR THE, THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE PUBLIC IS PUBLIX IS UP TOWARD ONE 70.
UM, THE, UH, IT, IT'S, UH, ESSENTIALLY THIS KIND OF THREE PARTS TO IT.
UM, BASICALLY, UH, THEY WILL PUT ON AND WE WILL ASSIST WITH, THEY WILL INSTALL THE SIGNAGE, THEY WILL PROVIDE THE INITIAL DOCUMENTS WE WILL USE ALONG THE TRAIL.
THEY WILL PROVIDE HELP WITH US WITH THE ADVERTISING.
AND, UH, WE WILL THEN USE MONIES TO KEEP STOCKING UP THOSE DOCUMENTS.
'CAUSE KIDS WILL TAKE THEM AND DO THINGS.
UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME MONEY IN FOR OUR MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL, WHICH IS SISSY PERRYMAN, WHO IS HERE WITH ME.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE BASICALLY FOR OUR DIGITAL PLATFORM, WHICH, WHICH, WHICH WE WILL USE AS ADVERTISING AND, AND, UH, BASICALLY PUSHING THIS PROGRAM OUT AS WE GO FORWARD.
UH, THE EXPERIENCE IN COLUMBIA THAT WE'RE AWARE OF IS THAT IT HAS BEEN POSITIVE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE IN.
UH, AND, UH, IT, IT IS REALLY FOCUSED IN THIS CASE, UH, ON BOTH THE TOURISM DEMAND, BUT ALSO ON FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, AND FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL USE IT.
SO IT'S, UH, WE ARE ASKING YOU FOR, UM, BASICALLY $20,000, WHICH IS DOCUMENTED THERE IN OUR, IN OUR APPLICATION.
[00:30:01]
SO MAYBE I'LL JUST TAKE STOP THERE AND, AND ASK FOR QUESTIONS ON THAT ONE.SO DOES THAT IN THE $20,000, IT'S, IT'S, IS IT PRI IT'S PRIMARILY FOR ADVERTISING YEAH.
TO, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE MARKETING FUND.
BASICALLY ABOUT $4,000 OF IT BASICALLY IS TO, UH, INSTALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO INSTALL, BUY THE MATERIALS WE NEED TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, $10,000 OF IT WILL, WILL BASICALLY COVER THE, ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF THIS.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CITY A LITTLE BIT ON THIS, UH, AS WELL.
AND THEN THE DIGITAL PROGRAM, VISITOR PUBLIC AWARENESS IS ABOUT 5,500 BUCKS.
THAT'LL BE AIMED PRINCIPALLY AT ADVERTISING ON OUR, ON OUR PROGRAMS AND ON OUR, OUR, OUR DIGITAL MEDIA THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT WE USE.
AND, UH, DOES THE CBD, DO YOU, UH, LEAN ON THE CBE FOR SUPPORT FOR THAT? DOES THE CV MANAGE THE, THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN OR THEIR FIRM ON THIS PARTICULAR THING? WE WOULD MARKET THIS.
YOU WOULD DO, WE WOULD USE THIS.
WE'VE USED THE CBB AND WE'VE RECEIVED FUNDS FROM YOU FOR THAT, FOR, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THEM.
THEY STILL HAVE MONEY THAT YOU GAVE US LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE, FOR THAT, THAT THEY'RE STILL SPENDING, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY OF THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, SO CAN YOU JUST CONNECT THE DOTS ON WHERE, ON HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ENHANCEMENT, UM, UH, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF MARKETING, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL GENERATE MORE VISITORS WELL, AND ULTIMATELY PEOPLE IN HOTELS.
I'LL, I'LL START WITH THE FACT THAT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL IS THE SECOND MOST VISITED PLACE, UH, IN THE COUNTY COMPARED TO HUNTING ISLAND.
SO WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN, CONSTANTLY COMING IN TO COME AND VISIT ON THIS TRAIL.
UH, THIS ADDS A NEST ANOTHER DIMENSION TO THEIR VISIT.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS, IT'S A, IT'S A, AN ATTRACTION THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE FAMILIES THAT COME WITH CHILDREN.
THIS WILL BE A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.
UH, IS IT, IS IT GONNA BE THE DRIVER THAT BRINGS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
BUT IT IS AN ATTRACTION FOR THEM, AND IT ADDS TO THE PACKAGE, UH, THAT WE ARE MARKETING OR THAT THE CBB IS MARKETING.
SO THAT'S THE BEST WAY I CAN EXPRESS THAT.
COUPLE, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
IF I UNDERSTAND THE KIDS PARKS PROGRAM, IT WAS FUNDED OR IS FUNDED BY GRANT FROM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, AND THEY MET AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING THIS SOMETHING SIMILAR IN A NUMBER OF PARKS ACROSS THE COUNTY, THE MEETING WITH BURTON WELLS, AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING SOME THINGS THERE.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS TO GET THE KIDS OFF THEIR SCREENS AND GET 'EM PHYSICALLY ACTIVE AND SO FORTH.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT FITS IN WITH TOURISM, BUT ANY MECHANISM TO MEASURE THE RESULT ON PEOPLE STAYING AND EATING IN RESTAURANTS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US.
IN EVALUATING THIS AND EXPLAINING TO OTHER PEOPLE WHY, UH, FUNDING DECISIONS ARE MADE LIKE THEY ARE, WILL THE CVB BE HELPING YOU MEASURE WHO'S DOING WHAT AND HOW THIS IS CREATING TRAFFIC? OR HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN THAT WAY? I WOULD EXPECT THAT WE, WE CERTAINLY WILL WORK WITH THE CVB TO DO THAT, HOW YOU, HOW YOU ACTUALLY MAKE THOSE MEASUREMENTS IN TERMS OF A FAMILY'S HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR DAYS AND THEY WANDER AROUND TOWN AND THEY GO DOWN TO THE TRAIL AND USE THAT FOR A COUPLE HOURS DURING THE DAY, AND THEN THEY GO HAVE DINNER.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE MAKE THE, WE ATTRIBUTE THEIR PRESENCE TO, SO, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THIS IN ONE WAY, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THE CVB TO SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT.
I KNOW THAT WHAT WE WILL KNOW IS THAT THERE WILL BE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, OF BROCHURES THERE, OR ITEMS FOR THESE KIDS TO TAKE.
AND TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE BEING CHEWED THROUGH AND TAKEN, THAT WILL TELL US THE USAGE OF, OF, OF, OF THE FAC OF THE, OF THE FEATURE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO JUDGE HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING IT AND HOW POPULAR IT IS THROUGH THAT.
ANYTHING, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING? ADDITIONAL FUNDING? YEAH.
WE WILL BE, WE SPEND OUR OWN MONEY.
WE RAISE, WE RAISE OUR OWN MONEY, AND WHEN I GET TO THE NEXT ONE, IT'LL GIVE YOU A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW WE OF OKAY.
HOW OUR PROPORTION OF THOSE FUNDING, WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE PROMOTION OF, OF THE TRAIL AS AN ASSET.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT OURSELVES.
WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE WEBSITES, WE HAVE, UH, FEATURES THAT GO OUT A LOT.
WE ARE FEATURED IN MAGAZINES, UH, ALL OVER THE
[00:35:01]
STATE.UH, WE ARE, WE, IF, IF IN YOUR PACKET THERE'S A, A, UH, AND, AND ONE OF THE PAGES IS, IS BASICALLY A, THIS RIGHT HERE IS ESSENTIALLY RAIL TRAILS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST.
AND WE ARE FE WE'RE FEATURED ON, ON THE COVER OF THAT.
WE'RE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR TRAILS IN THE SOUTHEAST, UH, AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE TWO MOST POPULAR TRAILS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ALONG WITH THE GREENVILLE, THE GREENVILLE, UM, SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL.
UM, SO, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL, IF, IF THE ISSUE OF THE FINANCES, IF YOU GO TO THE LAST PAGE OF THAT DOCUMENT, UH, YOU'LL SEE BASICALLY THAT WE, WE, WE DEDICATE, UH, ABOUT $60,000 A YEAR TO ADVERTISING AND PROMOTING THE TRAIL OF WHICH ABOUT 40,000 PLUS COMES OUT OF OUR FUNDRAISING PROCESS FROM OUR DONORS AND OTHER USERS.
AND WE'RE ASKING YOU, IN THIS CASE, FOR $20,000 TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
WE ALSO BASICALLY HAVE ON OUR SHEET SOME INFORMATION ON THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE GET.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING LIKE 23 TO 24,000, UH, PAGE VIEWS ON OUR APPLICATION.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY, UH, 13,000 PEOPLE HAVE OUR APP DOWNLOADED, UH, ON THEIR COMPUTER.
AND WE GET ABOUT A THOUSAND NEW U NEW USERS EVERY YEAR.
THIS LAST YEAR, ABOUT A THOUSAND NEW USERS AND ABOUT 30% OF THOSE LIVE BEYOND A 50 MILE RADIUS FROM BUFORT, BASED UPON WHAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND, 364 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND 22 COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
SO, UH, IT'S A, WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO BASICALLY GO AFTER TRAVEL AND MEDIA OUTLETS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, BUT WE WANT TO DO MORE OF IT.
UM, WE ARE GONNA PROVIDE WRITTEN AND VISUAL CONTENT FOR THEM TO PLACE ARTICLES, UH, AND, UH, WE WANT THEM TO CONTINUE TO, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR MOBILE APP.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, UH, WE WILL PROBABLY START CONSTRUCTION ON THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL INTO PORT ROYAL, UH, ACROSS REBO ROAD INTO PORT ROYAL SOMETIME, UH, I'M SUGGESTING IN JUNE, UH, THE, THE, UH, REQUEST FOR BIDS HAVE GONE OUT AS OF THE, AS OF YESTERDAY TO CON CONTRACTORS.
UH, THAT PROJECT WILL BE DONE THIS SUMMER.
UH, THE DEMAND IN PORT ROYAL, UH, FOR THIS TRAIL GETTING INTO PORT ROYAL IS ENORMOUSLY HIGH.
PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO DO THAT.
UH, WE'RE ALSO NOW WORKING ON AN EXPANSION OF THE TRAIL TO THE NORTH UP TOWARD, UH, EXCUSE ME, UP TOWARD THE WHALE BRANCH RIVER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF ENERGY THAT, THAT IS BEING PUT INTO THIS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT NOW, I GUESS, FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
UH, AND UH, THAT EVERY YEAR THE TRAIL JUST GETS MORE POPULAR AND MORE POPULAR AND MORE POPULAR.
UH, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS GOING ON ON IT.
IF YOU GO DOWN AND WALK ON THE TRAIL, UH, PARTICULARLY NEAR HERMITAGE ROAD, YOU'LL SEE THE TREES THAT ARE PLANTED THERE.
WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT WANT TREES OUT THERE IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR FAMILIES OR RECOGNITION OF THEIR, OF THEIR FRIENDS OR LAW OR LOVED ONES.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A VERY POPULAR PLACE.
WE'RE GETTING REQUESTS TO USE IT FOR EVENTS ALL THE TIME.
UH, SO PROMOTING IT IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE IT OUTSIDE OF BEAUFORT.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, AS A GENERAL STATEMENT, IT'S A, UH, IT'S VERY POSITIVE AND ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO ASSIST US WITH THAT PROMOTIONAL EFFORT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
UH, THE STATS ON KIND OF THE, THE GROWTH OF THAT U OF THE USAGE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, ANY, ANY INFORMATION ON THAT? UM, WE HAVEN'T PLOTTED THAT, UH, RECENTLY, BUT IT IS, IT, IT, IT INCREASES I WOULD SAY SLOWLY, EVERY A THOUSAND, LET'S JUST SAY A THOUSAND INCREASES IN OUR, IN OUR PEOPLE TYING ONTO OUR MM-HMM
TO OUR WEBSITE EVERY YEAR, WHICH IS, WELL, IT'D BE GOOD JUST AGAIN, KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BEEFING UP RELEVANT STATS.
THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ONE BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, FOR A WHILE NOW.
SO IT WOULD BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO SAY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GROWN THIS MUCH AND YOU'VE GOT THE STAT ON HOW MANY FROM OUTSIDE, 50 MILES.
SO THEN THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD INDICATE MORE EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VISITORS GROWING THAT AT LEAST VISIT THE TRAILER ARE, ARE GROWING EVEN MORE.
SO WE'VE BEEN ASKING THE COUNTY, UM, WE HAD, WE HAD, WE HAD, UM, UH, COUNTERS OUT THERE, UH, FOR A WHILE COUNTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE TRAIL.
UH, ONE OF THOSE WAS, WAS, UH, DAMAGED AND THE COUNTY TOOK THEM DOWN.
WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH THE COUNTY TO GET THOSE BACK UP SO WE CAN SEE THE INCREASE IN USAGE ACTUALLY MEASURED WITH THE NUMBER OF COUNTERS.
UH, THE TECHNOLOGY'S THERE TO DO THAT AND THE COUNTY HAS THE EQUIPMENT TO DO IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
[00:40:01]
NO.UH, DO WE HAVE THE ART CENTER OF COASTAL CAROLINA HERE YET? A LITTLE EARLY.
THREE MINUTES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE HERE.
MY NAME IS JAN SMITH AND I'M THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE ARTS CENTER.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, WE'RE REQUESTING $40,000 TO HELP FILL OUR MARKETING EXPENSES GAP.
THE TOURISM BUDGET FOR THE MARKETING THIS YEAR IS $283,000.
SO WE'RE FEELING THAT THE $40,000 IS, IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE EVERY PENNY COUNTS, ALL DOLLARS MATTER.
A COUPLE THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW FROM OR MAY NOT KNOW FROM READING THAT, UM, APPLICATION YOU RECEIVED IS THAT WE'RE STARTING OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS NEXT SEPTEMBER.
UM, WE HAVE A 29-YEAR-OLD BUILDING BECAUSE WE STARTED OUR, OUR, UH, ART CENTER, NOT IN THE CURRENT BUILDING.
SO THERE'S A A LOT TO DO WITH, UM, A 29 YEAR BUILDING.
SO A LOT OF UNEXPECTED HAPPENINGS, AS YOU KNOW, FOR MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE'RE A CULTURAL HUB IN OUR REGION.
WE'RE THE LARGEST PRODUCING ARTS, THEATER, PERFORMING, AND VISUAL ARTS AND PRODUCING IS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A TOUR COMPANY.
WE DON'T HAVE A, A TOUR COME IN FROM BROADWAY OR, UM, WITH A WELL-BUILT SET AND CAST AND PUT IT OUT ON THEIR STAGE.
WE BUILD EVERYTHING, WE BUILD COSTUMES, WE BUILD IT ALL.
SO THAT'S, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WHEN WE GIVE TOURS, PEOPLE SAY.
UM, SO HOW LONG IS YOUR COMPANY HERE, YOUR TOUR COMPANY? WELL, WE START FROM SCRATCH 18 MONTHS OUT PLANNING A SEASON.
UM, WE'RE WORLDWIDE IN OUR MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, YOU DID RECEIVE A HEAT MAP AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU SAW THE IMPACT WE HAVE ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS WORLDWIDE.
UM, AND WE MARKET WORLDWIDE AND UM, THIS YEAR WE'RE FORECASTING 65,000 PEOPLE THROUGH ALL OF OUR 166 PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SEEN.
WE DO TRACK BY ZIP CODE 50 PLUS MILES WILL HAVE 29% OF OUR, OUR CONSTITUENT BASE WILL BE FROM 50 PLUS MILES THIS YEAR.
UM, WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT GENERATOR FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, $13 MILLION IS ESTIMATED THAT GOES BACK INTO OUR COUNTY EACH YEAR, UH, FROM JUST THOSE AT 50 MILES PLUS.
AND, UM, HOW WE KNOW THAT IS BECAUSE WE DO THAT, UM, CALCULATOR.
UM, ONE THING WE'VE BEEN SEEING THIS YEAR THAT'S VERY INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT IT'S RELEVANT THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE ASKING AND REQUESTING FOR INVESTMENT BY THE STATE ED TAX IS BECAUSE WE GET A REPORT, A HOTEL REPORT FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND IT'S TELLING US SOMETHING INTERESTING.
IT'S ACTUALLY TELLING US WE'RE DOWN 14% ON ISLAND HOTEL USE, BUT WE'RE STILL AT THE SAME PATRONAGE AS WE'VE HAD MM-HMM
SO WE'RE STILL MEETING OUR BUDGET.
SO WHAT'S THAT TELL US? THAT'S WHY THE BRIDGE IS CRAZY TO GET ON AND OFF EVERY DAY.
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMING AND STAYING HERE, THEY'RE STAYING OUT IN BLUFFTON AT THOSE NICE NEW HOTELS MM-HMM
SO, AND I WOULDN'T BLAME THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW AND THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND THEY'RE PROBABLY LESS.
SO IT REALLY IS RELEVANT THIS YEAR THAT WE CAN SAY WE DON'T HAVE THE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO TRACK THE ACTUAL HOTELS, BUT WE CAN SAY LOGICALLY THAT WE ARE IMPACTING MORE OF THE STATE HOSPITALITY TAX.
UM, WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OVER $700,000 A YEAR IN PROGRAMMING AND MARKETING AT ATTACKS.
WE ONLY ASK FOR HILTON HEAD BECAUSE OF THE HUGE IMPACT THERE.
AND THEN THE STATE, WE DON'T ASK FOR BLUFFTON, WE DON'T ASK FOR BUFORT THIS YEAR, ASKING FOR A SMALL AMOUNT AT THE STATE AT TAX TO HELP US MEET THAT GAP OF OUR TOURISM, UM, MARKETING, BECAUSE OUR AT TAX FOR HILTON HEAD IS ALLOWING US $212,000 THIS YEAR TO COVER THAT 50 MILES PLUS MARKETING.
[00:45:01]
YOUR $40,000 WOULD COVER, WE HAVE OUR BROCHURES, WE PRINT 130,000 AND THEY GO TO ALL THAT WORLDWIDE.ALL THOSE ZIP CODES WE HAVE, WE HAVE RACK CARDS, WE HAVE, UM, RADIO BROADCAST.
CHARLESTON IS A BIG VENUE FOR US, SO WE KNOW THEY COME FOR A WEEKEND.
THEY COME FOR A NIGHT AND SEE A SHOW BECAUSE WE'RE BROADWAY CALIBER.
WE, WE BRING IN CAST FROM NEW YORK CITY AND LOCALLY.
UM, SO OTHER THINGS YOUR MONEY WOULD INVEST IN IS DIGITAL MARKETING RADIO AIRPORT, LED SCREENS THAT ARE CONTINUALLY LOOPING US.
UM, WELCOME CENTERS ALL THE WAY UP.
I 95 ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH FLORIDA AND UP THROUGH NORTH CAROLINA HAVE OUR RACK CARDS AND OUR BROCHURES.
SO IT, IT IS A WORTHY INVESTMENT.
UM, 40,000 SEEMS NOMINAL FOR OUR BUDGET, BUT IT ALL MATTERS AGAIN.
EVERY PENNY MATTERS AND WE PIECEMEAL IT AND THAT'S MY JOB TO FIND THE CONTRIBUTION INCOME TO FILL IN.
THE EARNED INCOME THIS YEAR IS 65% AND OUR CONTRIBUTION INCOME AND GRANTS IS 35%.
UM, THIS IS A TOUGH YEAR FOR ARTS AND CULTURE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, BUT WE'RE PLOWING AHEAD, SO WE HOPE WE CAN DEPEND ON YOU THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ALL I HAD AND I'M WILLING TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
I, I'M, I ENJOYED READING YOUR, YOUR APPLICATION.
I, YOU, YOU OPERATE 360 TI YEAR.
AND WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST, UM, TIME OF YEAR FOR INFLUX OF VISITORS COMING TO THE EVENT? IT DEPENDS ON, OKAY.
WE WATCH FOR, UM, THE SPRING BREAKERS AND WE PLAN OUR SHOWS TO ATTRACT THOSE TYPES MM-HMM
AND SO I WOULD SAY, UM, FROM JANU, WELL PROBABLY BEFORE WE CHRISTMAS TIME AND THEN THROUGH SPRING BREAK WOULD BE OUR IDEAL TIME OF THE MOST INFLUX OF TOURISM.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SUMMER, SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE PLAN OUR LONGEST RUNNING SHOW IN THE SUMMER.
THIS YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, SUMMER DOWN A SUMMER MUSICAL MM-HMM
AND IT'S GOING TO RUN FOR 12 WEEKS.
SO IT'S, WE LOOK AT THAT AS ALSO A FAMILY FRIENDLY MM-HMM
SO THAT WE CAN ATTRACT OUR TOURISM.
SO REALLY, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT THE MARKETING PERSON AND THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE IT ON THE TIP OF THEIR TONGUE.
BUT JUST KNOWING HOW WE RUN THE SHOWS, I THINK THAT, UM, THE BULK WOULD BE IN THE WINTER.
BUT THEN THE SUMMER DOES HAVE A GOOD NUMBER AS WELL.
I LIKE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR HOTEL STATISTICS BECAUSE WE HAVE A ACCOMMODATION, BUT YOU SAID YOU HAVE YOUR TICKET, UM, YOUR TICKET SALES IS BASED ON YOUR EVENTS THAT YOUR ACTIVITIES YOU'RE PUTTING ON OUR, WE, WE, YEAH, WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER PURCHASE, WELL WE HAVE AUDIENCE VIEW.
ALL OF OUR TICKETS ARE SOLD THROUGH THAT, WHETHER THEY'RE ONLINE SALES OR PEOPLE CALL IN AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN CONSTITUENT RECORDS.
SO WE'RE EASILY ABLE TO TRACK AND THEN, AND OUTPUT THE DATA THAT WE GIVE TO PUT INTO OUR ATAC.
SO IT'S VERY SOLID AND RELIABLE AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND SO WE HAVE A GOOD TREND WE CAN FOLLOW.
LAST YEAR IT WAS 28% OF OUR 50 PLUS MILE RADIUS AND THIS YEAR'S 29 AND WE HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT IT ISN'T CLIMBING.
WE ARE REACHING FARTHER, FARTHER AND FARTHER.
AND, UM, PEOPLE LOVE COMING TO HILTON HEAD.
SO EVERYBODY ELSE IN HILTON HEAD AND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS DOING THEIR THING, KEEPING EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL AND KEEPING ALL THE ACTIVITIES GOING, THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING SO PEOPLE CAN COME TO THE ART CENTER AND THEN GO TO A FESTIVAL.
AND I LIKE THE FACT YOU OPEN UP TO SCHOOLS TO STUDENTS TOO.
AND WE HAVE A PERSON HERE THAT GOES INTO THE SCHOOLS, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, IN THE CVB MEASUREMENT OF HOTEL OCCUPANCY, DID THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE AIRBNB AND SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET IN THAT? 'CAUSE THERE'VE BEEN A HUGE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE UNITS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THEY HAVE IN THIS, I HAVEN'T DISSECTED IT HOW THEY GOT, BUT SINCE 2022 TO 2025, IT'S BEEN A STARK TREND.
DOWNWARD HOTEL ON HILTON HEAD HOTEL HOTELS.
AND, AND, AND THIS IS CALLED A HOTEL REPORT.
I CAN'T ANSWER IF IT'S INCLUDING AIRBNBS AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
[00:50:02]
YOU'RE WELCOME.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO JUST, I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT FOR, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND UM, SOMETHING THAT MAY PASS ALONG TO THE MARKETING TEAM.
A COUPLE OF STATS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE FUTURE IS, UM, FOR, FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE YOURS, USUALLY THE MARKETING BUDGET'S GONNA BE SPLIT BETWEEN MARKETING TO CREATE AWARENESS DOWNSTREAM.
SO PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, RIGHT.
ALL THE MARKET YOU DO, AND PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO.
TO TRY TO HELP ATTRACT PEOPLE HERE, WHICH SOUNDS YOU REFERENCED BOTH.
BUT IT'D BE GREAT TO KIND OF JUST A HIGH LEVEL STAT ON A GENERAL PERCENTAGE OF THAT MIX.
BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S INTERESTING TO US BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE VISITORS IN RIGHT.
OR THE SAME VISITORS MORE OFTEN.
SO THAT TYPE OF MARKETING IS, IS REALLY INTERESTING TO KNOW WHERE IT'S, WHAT THE, WHERE THE ALLOCATION IS.
AND THEN, AND THEN OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME, HOW MANY ARE, ARE STAYING ON THE ISLAND, WHICH YOU REFERENCED A BITTA, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AGAIN, THE MORE HEADS AND BEDS AND, YOU KNOW, AND OTHER PLACES BEYOND JUST ON HILTON IS SUPER INTERESTING TO THIS PARTICULAR GROUP.
SO JUST FOR, FOR A FUTURE REFERENCE.
AND YOU KNOW, IF I HAD DONE MY DUE DILIGENCE, I PROBABLY COULD HAVE FOUND A REPORT IN, IN BLUFFTON AS WELL.
I JUST DON'T, I, IT WASN'T AS READILY AVAILABLE.
BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ALRIGHT, UH, THE BEFORD AREA HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION'S UP NEXT.
DO YOU FEEL THE ENERGY? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THE AIR SHOW ENERGY, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I'M NOT HERE TO PRESENT ON THE AIR SHOW, BUT I FEEL IT.
I LOVE WHEN THOSE PLANES COME TO TOWN EVERY TWO YEARS.
MY NAME IS ASHLEY HAUCK, I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE BEAUFORT AREA HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION.
OUR ASSOCIATION IS MADE UP OF LODGING, RESTAURANTS, ATTRACTIONS, AND ALL THE BUSINESSES IN BETWEEN THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM.
SO THE VERY REASON WE ARE HERE, THE PARTNERS THAT PAY INTO THIS FUND AND COLLECT THAT TAX IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT WHENEVER THOSE DOLLARS COME BACK.
UM, GREAT PARTNERS OF OURS AS WELL IS THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.
WE ALIGN WITH THEM AND WE ADVOCATE FOR THEM.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR ECONOMY HERE IS A TOURISM ECONOMY, SO WE NEED THAT $1 SPENT TO BRING BACK 11.
I'D LOVE TO GET THAT NUMBER UP HIGHER.
AND ONE OF THOSE, UM, AREAS THAT WE FOCUS ON IN ALIGNING WITH THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU IS TO LOOK AT THOSE TIMES WHERE THERE'S A LULL.
SO WHENEVER JANUARY IS SLOWER, OUR BUSINESSES AREN'T AS THRIVING, OUR HOTELS AREN'T AS AS BUSY.
SO I WENT TO ROD WELLS, I SAID, GIMME SOME OF THOSE TIMES.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE OUR MARKET.
AND THAT WAS THE NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS SHOW.
SO WE SEE A DIP MID-DECEMBER, IT GOES CLEAR DOWN, AND THEN ABOUT MARCH IT STARTS TO, TO COME UP DEPENDING, ESPECIALLY ON WEATHER, WE DO THE OYSTER FESTIVAL.
THAT WAS OUR FIRST, UM, KNOCKOUT IT.
AND WE BRING ABOUT 11 DAYS OF ACTIVITY, UH, MID-JANUARY.
SO WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THAT MID CHRISTMAS TO THE JANUARY 1ST.
SO WE BROUGHT NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS.
WE DID THAT, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
SO 23 WAS OUR, UH, 23, 24, 25, 22.
UM, BUT ANYWAYS, WE, WE KICKED OFF WITH THAT AND WE JUST DID THE FIREWORKS LAST YEAR.
WE PUT AN AERIAL SHOW WITH IT AND WHEN WE MARKETED IT, WE TOOK OUR PARTNERS EVENTS THAT THEY WERE DOING.
SO THE POLAR PLUNGE EVENT, UM, THAT HAPPENS IN PORT ROYAL, THE PELICAN PLEDGE, THAT'S A HUGE EVENT.
I KNOW A LOT OF FLIPPERS GO TO THAT.
AND SO WE BASICALLY PUT ALL OF THIS INTO A MARKETING STRATEGY.
WE HAND IT OVER TO THE CVB SO THAT THEY CAN GO AFTER THE WINTER BREAK STUDENTS.
UM, AND A LOT OF THAT WINTER LEISURE TRAVEL.
UM, AND THEN WE TOOK OTHER VARIOUS ELEMENTS SUCH AS, UM, FOOD TOURISM.
WE PUT IN SOME OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND JUST REALLY PACKAGED IT.
COME TO BEAUFORT, GET OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS, COME SEE US EVEN THOUGH IT'S MAYBE 67, WE WILL TAKE THAT, UH, AROUND THAT TIME.
UH, COME AND HAVE A, A COASTAL NEW YEAR'S EVE.
A LOT OF OUR HOTELIERS AND LODGING FACILITIES, THEY WANT THAT.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL OF THAT IN AND THEN PUT THAT OUT, UM, TO ANY OF THEIR, UH, THEIR CONSUMERS.
WE WANNA KEEP BUILDING THOSE LAYERS, LIKE I SAID, OF ACTIVITIES AND HAVING MICRO EVENTS THAT PRODUCE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HEADS AND BEDS IS WHERE IT'S AT AND WE WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT.
I DO HAVE SOME STATISTICS HERE.
I WILL SAY, UM, THAT PRIOR TO THIS, WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, 245%
[00:55:01]
INCREASE.UM, I THINK THAT ROB HAS RAN THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN AND IT'S ROUGHLY, YEAH, 245% INCREASE.
SO WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE IT, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF VISITATION.
WE'VE HAD GREENVILLE, SPARTAN, ASHEVILLE, ANDERSON, COLUMBIA, CHARLOTTE, AUGUSTA, ATLANTA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A DRIVE MARKET.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T JUST COMING, YOU KNOW, FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THOSE LONGER DESTINATIONS.
THEY'RE COMING FROM A DRIVE MARKET.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'LL FOCUS THAT ON.
HE HAS THIS DATA, IT'S CRITICAL TO US TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS TO OUR MARKET.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS? UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, WHAT STANDS OUT A LITTLE BIT IS, UH, THAT 2 42 74, 2 74, RIGHT BACKWARDS.
HOW WAS THAT CALCULATED? SO ROB WELLS AT THE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, RO HE DOES GEO ANALYSIS.
SO HE HAS LOOKED AT THE YEAR OVER YEAR PRIOR FROM, I BELIEVE HE PULLED UP 21 AND 22.
SO THERE WAS NOTHING HERE AT THAT TIME.
THEN HE PULLED WHEN WE HAD THE FIREWORKS IN 23 AND 24, AND IT WAS AN INCREASE BY 274%.
ACTUALLY THE FIRST YEAR WAS, AND THEN THIS YEAR WAS 144.6%.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU ALL THESE IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE THOSE.
SO PING DATA AT TIMES IT'D BE GOOD TO GET MORE LIKE THE, WHAT THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS ARE ON THAT.
'CAUSE THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A SMALL STARTING NUMBER RIGHT THEN.
AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF 2 74 IS NOT NECESSARILY BIG BID.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S GREAT TO, TO BE TRYING TO DRIVE DRIVE, WE HAD 4,600 VISITORS.
THAT'S THE, THE CONCRETE NUMBER, 4,600 DURING THAT TIME.
SO IF THAT'S A LITTLE, IF THAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT.
SO AS WELL AS THAN HALF OF THAT BEFORE.
I LIKE YOUR ENERGY AS WELL, BUT HUMOR ME, I THINK I KNOW WHAT PING DATA IS, BUT I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE I KNOW THE SAME ANSWER YOU'D LIKE ME TO HAVE.
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THAT TO US? YES.
SO OUR CELL PHONES HAVE THESE FUN LITTLE THINGS.
THEY'RE CALLED APPLICATIONS APPS, AND A LOT OF THAT DATA IS SENT OUT AND PURCHASED BY MARKETING ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WHENEVER YOU MAYBE GO TO BLUFFTON OR HILTON HEAD AND YOU OPEN UP ONE OF THOSE APPS THAT SENDS A PING TO THAT, THAT DATA SOURCE, AND IT SAYS WE HAVE A VISITOR.
UM, SO MAYBE I VISIT BACK TO THE, MY HOMETOWN IN WEST VIRGINIA AND THEY'RE TRYING TO TRACK DATA THERE.
I OPEN UP FACEBOOK THAT'S GONNA SEND SPECIFIC STRATEGIC DATA TO THESE, UH, MARKETING SOURCES AND THAT'S COLLECTED.
AND ROB WELLS TRACKS THAT DATA THROUGH VARIOUS APPLICATIONS THAT HE UTILIZES SO THAT WE MAKE MARK MARKET, UH, SMART MARKETING DECISIONS WHENEVER IT COMES TO OUR AREA.
AND WE CAN TELL WHERE THE PHONE'S RUN BY THE AREA CODE.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT OTHER, UH, HOOP CAN DO TO HELP INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WE BROUGHT IN AN AERIAL GROUP LAST YEAR AND, UH, THEY'RE A LOCAL AERIAL GROUP THAT'S TRYING TO GET THEIR FEET OFF THE GROUND HERE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING WITH SPORTS TOURISM.
UM, THEY, THEY ARE BRINGING A LOT OF ACTIVITY TO THE AREA, SO WE BROUGHT THEM IN.
UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MAYBE MORE SHOWS THE GULLAH, YOU KNOW, DOING A SHOW, MAYBE MIDDAY, UM, ANY, ANY TYPE OF ACTIVITY, BOAT TOURS.
I KNOW WEATHER PERMITTING AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FULL MAYBE THREE, FOUR DAYS, UH, IF NOT GET INTO A WEEK OF ACTIVITY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NEW YEAR'S EVE AND NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, WELL GREAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THIS BOARD.
THE, UH, PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, MR. CHAIRMAN, MY WIFE IS ON THE BOARD OF THIS ORGANIZATION, SO I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF.
HOW ARE YOU GUYS? GOOD MORNING.
I'M THE SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR AND A NATURALIST AT THE FOUNDATION.
WE ALSO HAVE JODY HAYWARD, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AGAIN TODAY.
I WON'T RESTATE OUR WHOLE APPLICATION FOR YOU.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE READ IT, BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT A FEW KEY THINGS, UM, ABOUT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THIS APPLICATION.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS HAVE VISITED, VISITED US BEFORE.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE, AND YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT THE PORT ORAL SOUND FOUNDATION IS OUR LOCATION.
[01:00:01]
WHICH IS THE CORE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, IS TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT THIS LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.AND IN THIS ASK WE'RE ASKING FOR FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT SOME DOCK RENOVATIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO THIS FACILITY.
AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT IS BECAUSE WE REALLY PRIDE OURSELVES ON CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, BUT NOT JUST THROUGH EDUCATION.
WE WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING REALLY TANGIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY VISIT THIS AREA, THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST LEARNING ABOUT THESE WATERWAYS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
THEY REALLY EXPERIENCE IT AND FEEL IT.
'CAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT'S REALLY WHEN PEOPLE MAKE A CONNECTION TO WHY THIS AREA IS SO UNIQUE AND EXCITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME VISIT.
WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF TOURISTS THAT COME TO THIS AREA COME FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
WHETHER THEY WANT THE SEAFOOD THAT WE HAVE, RECREATION, FISHING, JUST ENJOYING TIME ON THE BEACH.
THE ENVIRONMENT IS REALLY THE CORE OF WHAT WE DO.
AND HAVING A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY CONNECT WITH THAT RIGHT AT OUR LOCATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO WITH WHAT WE DO, WE REACH ABOUT 28,000 PEOPLE EVERY YEAR VISITING OUR CENTER.
AND THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS, THESE ARE PEOPLE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE WATER ON OUR DOCKS.
WE DO SOME ANALYSIS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE VISITING THE MARITIME CENTER COME FROM OUTSIDE 50 MILES AND CONSISTENTLY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO, THAT'S BEEN AT 49% OR ABOVE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SIGN IN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF, THAT PEOPLE ARE VISITING US, SORT OF AS A WELCOME CENTER TO THIS AREA, TO REALLY LEARN ABOUT THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE PORT ORAL SOUND.
WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY OPENED UP A NEW OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL PAVILION, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR PROGRAMS, BUT WHEN WE'RE NOT USING IT, WE ALSO RENT IT OUT.
WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF AMAZING EVENT RENTALS THROUGH THERE WHO ALSO UTILIZE OUR DOCK SPACE.
UH, UM, SO WE WANT PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE VISITING THE CENTER OR USING IT FOR RENTALS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE DOCKS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE REALLY SAFE AND COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE.
YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW WE CELEBRATED OUR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR, LAST NOVEMBER.
THE DOCKS ARE MUCH OLDER THAN THAT.
OUR MARITIME CENTER FLOATING DOCK WAS, UM, CONSTRUCTED IN 1985 AND OUR SECONDARY PAVILION DOCK WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 2010.
SO IT'S JUST TIME FOR SOME OF THOSE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO MAKE SURE THOSE DOCKS ARE REALLY, UM, GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON.
AND I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON, THIS ISN'T A MARKETING ASK, BUT IT REALLY COMPLIMENTS OUR MARKETING BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN OUR MARKETING IS TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT EXHIBITS WE HAVE.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT OUR EXHIBITS TO THE WATERWAYS THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EXPAND OUR MARKETING, BE BEYOND JUST WHAT WE HAVE TO, WHAT THIS AREA OFFERS.
SO A LOT OF THE MARKETING THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW AND NEW CAMPAIGNS WE'RE WORKING ON IS REALLY EXPANSIVE ABOUT WHAT THIS AREA HAS TO OFFER RATHER THAN JUST WHAT WE HAVE.
AND THIS WILL REALLY SUPPORT THAT, HELP PEOPLE CONNECT AGAIN TO THE WATER AND CONNECT IT TO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANNA SEE BEYOND JUST THE MARITIME CENTER WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT.
ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, WE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR BEING HERE AND, UH, SEEING THAT YOU DO PUT SAFETY FIRST IS, UH, KINDA ONE OF THE THINGS.
BUT YOU REALLY HAVE A GOOD PROGRAM FOR A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE.
IS IS THERE, UH, A WAY TO CALCULATE HOW THE MARITIME CENTER DRAWS PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY TO YOU ALL, NOT JUST SOMETHING TO DO WHILE WE ARE HERE? YEAH.
SO WE ALSO WORK WITH THE CBB, WHICH, UM, THE LAST PRESENTATION MENTIONED.
WE WORK WITH THEM TO HELP REALLY TARGET OUR MARKETING AND KNOW WHERE WE'RE REACHING WITH OUR MARKETING.
WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO SEE FROM A LOT OF WHAT WE DO WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKEN FROM OUR MARKETING TO OUR WEBSITE.
SO THAT SHOWS US THAT THE REACH WE'RE HAVING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH GOOGLE ADVERTISING, BRINGS PEOPLE TO THIS AREA TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE NOW ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE REALLY TRY TO PROMOTE THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE A LINK TO THE BUFORD CVB AND THE BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD CHAMBER SO THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND REALLY GET A CHANCE TO CLICK AND LOOK AT THOSE OTHER THINGS IN THIS AREA.
SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING DRAWN FROM OUR MARKETING TO OUR WEBSITE, HOPEFULLY TURNING THAT INTO A TRIP HERE.
UM, IN LISTENING TO YOU, I, I MISSED, MISSED SOMETHING.
ARE YOU ASKING FOR RENOVATION MONEY INSTEAD OF ACCOMMODATION MONEY? 'CAUSE WE DO ACCOMMODATION AND NOT RENOVATIONS.
SORTA, AM I RIGHT IN THAT HEARING? YES.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS FUNDS TO HELP PREPARE OUR DOCKS, WHICH WOULD HELP SUPPORT BRINGING VISITORS HERE TO EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING THE MARITIME CENTER HAS TO OFFER.
[01:05:02]
AND JUST A COMMENT, ESPECIALLY FROM THE, UM, ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON SALO ISLAND, THE DOCK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT SAFETY IS IN PLACE.UH, THE BEAUFORT HISTORY MUSEUM.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BUFORT HISTORY MUSEUM.
I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS.
IT'S, UM, ONE THING THAT OCCURS TO ME RIGHT OFF THE BAT IS THAT THE, UH, WE CAN ELIMINATE, UH, $2,500 OF THE REQUEST FOR BANNERS THAT CELEBRATED LAFAYETTE'S, UH, 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAFAYETTE'S VISIT TO BUFORT SINCE THAT SHIP HAS SAILED, UH, A FEW, COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, ALTHOUGH WE'D STILL LIKE TO HAVE THE BANNERS TO DISPLAY IN THE, UH, IN THE, UH, MUSEUM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE IT HAS A PRIORITY NOW THAT JUSTIFIES REQUESTING FUNDS FROM YOU.
THE BULK OF OUR, UM, PROPOSAL OBVIOUSLY DEALS WITH, UH, AN AD AGENCY IN GREENVILLE.
I DID SOME RESEARCH ON AD AGENCIES.
I CAN'T SAY I HAVE LONG EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, BUT, UM, BASED ON MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THEY, THEY, THEY GET THE CONCEPT.
THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT, UH, WHAT WE NEED.
AND, UM, I, I AM TOLD THAT THIS IS THE, UH, LEVEL OF FUNDING THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHICH IS DRAW AT LEAST A 10% INCREASE IN VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM.
UM, WE, WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE ABOUT 5,000 VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM.
OBVIOUSLY MANY OF THOSE ARE FROM OUT OF TOWN.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY TO DRAW PEOPLE TO BUFORT AND WE THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT TO SELL HERE IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
WITH THE 200TH ANN, 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, UH, WE SOUGHT A GRANT FROM THE, UH, STATE ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT'S COORDINATING THE EFFORTS IN THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY.
UH, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A MAXIMUM GRANT OF $125,000.
WITH THAT, WE, UH, HAD A SPECIALLY DESIGNED, UH, EXHIBIT IN AN IMMERSIVE THEATER, WHICH IS GOING INTO THE, UM, UH, SOME SPACE AT THE MUSEUM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING RENOVATED.
AND, UH, WE THINK THIS IS GONNA HAVE A LOT OF SEX APPEAL, UH, AND BE A DIFFERENT DRAW THAN WHAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO OFFER.
UM, THE IDEA OF REVISITING THE, UH, THE FILM, UH, UH, EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HERE IN BEAUFORT, UM, WE HAD AN EXHIBIT ON THIS YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S TIMELY TO HAVE IT AGAIN.
UH, THE INTEREST IN MOVIES AND MOVIE STARS AND FILMS NEVER SEEMS TO FADE.
AND SO WE THINK THAT'S, UH, GOT A LITTLE SEX APPEAL TO IT ALSO.
SO, UM, I, I INCLUDED SOME, UM, UH, PHOTOS I THINK OF THE STAIRWELL WE'RE INTERESTED IN THAT NEEDS TO BE SPIFFED UP IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PARADE OF VISITORS THROUGH THERE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU FIRST FOR PRESERVING THE, HELPING TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, PEOPLE ASK AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE FUNDING TO GIVE EVERYBODY EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.
WHAT
SO LOOKING AT YOUR LIST, YOU ALREADY TOOK THE 2,500 OFF.
UM, I ASSUME YOUR MARKETING, THE 60,000 WOULD POSSIBLY BE YOUR NEXT, YOUR BIGGEST PRIORITY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
YEAH, AND I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM THE AD PEOPLE, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD MAKE MUCH SENSE TO FUND IT AT LESS THAN THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, HALF A LOAF IN THIS SITUATION IN TERMS OF A MARKETING BUDGET ISN'T GONNA BE OF MUCH HELP.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER ITEM I CAN SEE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, WOULD BE THE, UH, MONEY FOR THE STAIRWELL, WHICH WE WOULD USE ANYWAY, UH, WE WOULD NEED ANYWAY, WHETHER WE HAD THE MARKETING EFFORT OR NOT.
[01:10:01]
I THINK NOT HAVING THE MARKETING EFFORT IS A, A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FROM BUFORD.SO IF YOU DON'T GET ALL OF THE 60,000 FROM AT TAX FUNDING, UM, WHAT OTHER SOURCES DO YOU HAVE? WELL, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF FUNDRAISERS ON THE HORIZON.
UM, I, IT'S, IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL WHAT THE YIELD FROM THAT WILL BE, UH, BUT IT WILL BE SOMETHING, UH, ONE OF THEM WILL BE THE, UH, REPEAT OF THE AUCTION THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
UH, WE'VE RESCHEDULED THAT FOR THE FALL BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON THIS SPRING.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES.
BUT THIS WOULD BE, UH, ONE OF THOSE, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO THOSE FUNDS NOW AND LOCK IN THE AGENCY NOW THAT THEY WANNA START NOW.
AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF VARYING SUCCESS LATER DOWN THE ROAD ISN'T GONNA BE TOO MUCH HELP WITH THIS THING I HAD.
OH, UM, WITH, WITH, UH, DECIDING HEADS AND BEDS, HOW, HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY COME TO VISIT THE MUSEUM AND STAY IN BUFORT? WELL, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME, SOME GOOD FAITH PROJECTIONS, REALLY.
I MEAN, I, I THINK PROJECTING A, A 10% INCREASE OVER OUR NORMAL TRAFFIC DRAWN FROM THOSE AREAS WHERE WE'RE HEAVILY ADVERTISING, UH, AND MEASURING THOSE FOLKS THAT COME IN, I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE COULD GET.
UH, PEOPLE LOVE COMING TO THE LOW COUNTRY ANYWAY, AND IF YOU GIVE 'EM AN INCENTIVE LIKE THAT WITH, UH, THE FILM AND THE NEW IMMERSIVE THEATER, I, I'M UNAWARE OF ANY, ANY PLACE IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT'S GONNA HAVE AN EXHIBIT LIKE WE ARE HAVING WITH THIS IMMERSIVE THEATER.
THERE'S, THERE ARE GOING TO BE CELEBRATIONS ALL OVER THE STATE FOR THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE A UNIQUE, UM, PRESENTATION AND I THINK PEOPLE WILL LINE UP TO SEE IT.
AND WE NEED TO LET THE PEOPLE UPSTATE KNOW IT'S HERE BEFORE THEY'LL COME DOWN AND SPEND THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES.
JOHN, THANK YOU FOR SERVING THIS GROUP.
I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, IF I'M RIGHT, YOUR MUSEUM IS UPSTAIRS FROM THE CVB WELCOME CENTER? CORRECT? IS THAT THE STAIRCASE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? IT'S THE, IT IS THE STAIRCASE ON THE OTHER END OF THE MUSEUM.
SO IT'S NOT THAT ONE THAT'S, IT'S NOT THAT ONE.
AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE COME REGULARLY TO GO TO THE MUSEUM, IS THAT THEY DO NOT CASE.
THEY, THEY CURRENTLY DO NOT, WE DO NOT USE THAT STAIRWELL BECAUSE THAT PROP THAT, UH, SPACE HAS BEEN UNDER LEASE TO THE GULLAH GEECHEE, UH, FOLKS.
UH, AND THAT LEASE JUST EXPIRED.
WE'RE IN, UH, NEGOTIATIONS WITH ROB WELLS NOW TO POSSIBLY LEASE THE SPACE, BUT HE HAS ASSURED ME THAT WHETHER WE GET THE SPACE OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS IT, WE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT STAIRWELL.
SO YOU'LL MOVE IN ENTRIES AND EXITS INSTEAD OF PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE VISITOR CENTER THAT GO TO THIS OTHER STAIRCASE? YES.
UH, SECOND ISSUE IS THAT, UM, OUR DESIGNATED MARKETING ORGANIZATION HERE IS THE CVB.
AS YOU KNOW, MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING EVENTS REACH OUT TO THE CVB AND ASK THEM FOR A, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD, A MEMORANDUM OR A PROPOSAL OR SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT FOR THEM TO OVERSEE YOUR MARKETING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
UH, WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN A DIFFERENT ROUTE THAN GOING WITH A FIRM OUT OF GREENVILLE AS OPPOSED TO DOING WHAT THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING? WELL, I WASN'T AWARE THAT THAT'S WHAT THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE DOING.
I HAVE HAD FAIR AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION WITH ROB WELLS ON THE, ON THE PROPOSAL MM-HMM
UM, AND ROB DIDN'T SUGGEST THAT THEY WERE BEING CIRCUMVENTED, DIDN'T SEEM TO BE IN ANY SORT OF A, UH, A BAD MOOD BECAUSE I'M NOT SUGGESTING IT WAS CIRCUMVENTED OR A BAD MOOD.
I'M SUGGESTING FOLLOWING UP ON THE POINT THAT ANITA BADEN, I THINK YOU MADE, IF THIS COMMITTEE MEETS AND A NUMBER OF LESS THAN $60,000, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT.
WELL, JOHN SAID, COULDN'T GET IT ALL.
AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M OPERATING UNDER THE PREMISE THAT THERE MAY BE AN ASSET THERE FOR YOU TO ASK TO HELP YOU, AS OPPOSED TO, UH, JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
SO I THINK I'VE, I'VE GOT WHAT I NEED FOR AN ANSWER IF SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO PROCEED.
THE, UH, THE GALA TRAVELING THEATER.
OH, THERE NOT THE, THERE'S 14 THAT WE,
[01:15:01]
THEY SHOULD BE, ARE WE EARLY 10? WE'RE 10 MINUTES, BUT WE, YEAH, WE'RE A COUPLE MINUTES EARLY.DO WE, CAN WE, UH, TAKE OFF? WE, CAN WE TAKE ANYBODY THAT'S HERE? YOU CAN EITHER TAKE A RECESS EARLY OR YOU GET SOMEONE THE BOARD KEEP GOING, EVERYBODY.
DO ANYBODY NEED A RECESS? QUICK? OKAY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO? VILLE IS HERE.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR HISTORIC MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK, AND WE ARE IN FRONT OF YOU TO TODAY TO ASK FOR A FUNDING AMOUNT OF $35,000 TO SUPPORT OUR 11TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AND OUR SIXTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS PROGRAM.
THESE TWO PROGRAMS ARE OUR HIGHEST, UH, PROGRAMS AS FAR AS VISITATION, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, LAST YEAR'S JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THAT WE DID AN ENTIRE WEEK BECAUSE IT WAS OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND SO, UH, THE DAY ITSELF, WE HAD ABOUT 1,530 PEOPLE THERE, WHICH IS ABOUT AN EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WEEK FULL OF EVENTS.
UH, WE EXTENDED FROM, USUALLY IT'S A THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
UH, LAST YEAR WE DID MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
I PROBABLY WON'T DO THAT AGAIN
BUT THERE WAS A 15% INCREASE IN VISITATION OVER THE COURSE OF THAT WEEK, BUT ABOUT 2300 PEOPLE THAT WE SAW.
UH, HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS IS OUR, OUR BIG FUNCTION.
IT'S A HOLIDAY KICKOFF AND, UH, THREE DAYS, UH, TWO HOURS A EVENING, SIX TO EIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE AVERAGED 3000 PEOPLE.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 3000 FOLKS, UH, THROUGH OUR SURVEYS AND, AND THE THINGS WHICH WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET INFORMATION.
WE CAN TELL PROBABLY ABOUT 1800 OF THOSE PEOPLE FROM OUT TOWN.
UM, SUNDAY NIGHT WE HAD ABOUT 395 CARS COME THROUGH THE PARK.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO OUR PARK, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN INSANE NUMBER OF CARS THAT COME THROUGH ANY, ANY PLACE, ESPECIALLY OUR PLACE.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT HERE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE FEW MARKETING SOURCES, UM, SOME OF YOU ARE AWARE WE'RE IN A MAJOR CAMPAIGN HERE TO BUILD THE PARK.
AND SO SOME OF OUR OTHER MARKETING, UH, SOURCES GO TOWARDS GENERAL MARKETING OF THE CONSTRUCTION, THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
UH, WE JUST UNVEILED SOME GHOSTED STRUCTURES IN THE PARK LAST JUNE, WHICH IS AIDED IN A 30% INCREASE OF VISITATION TO THE PARK.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A RESEARCH FACILITY, UH, ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCE FACILITY THAT SHOULD OPEN NEXT YEAR THAT WE'LL HAVE TO PUT SOME MARKETING TOWARDS.
SO YOUR FUNDS ARE GOING TOWARDS RADIO, TV AND STREAMING, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, DIGITAL ADVERTISING, SOME PRINT AND SOME AIRPORT ADVERTISING TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
WE ARE TARGETING SPACES LIKE CHARLOTTE, UH, FLORIDA, TRYING TO EDGE MORE INTO SOME OF THOSE OUT OUTLYING MARKETS.
AS THE SCOPE OF OUR PROJECT INCREASES, THE SCOPE OF OUR MARKETING IS INCREASING, AND SO WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MOVE OUT THERE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, TO THAT END, WE MADE AN INVESTMENT, UH, A RATHER HEFTY ONE, I MIGHT SAY IN SOME AI SOFTWARE CALLED PLACER AI.
UM, MALLS AND, AND AMUSEMENT PARKS USE THIS SOFTWARE HELPS US TRACE IT.
IT DOES A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY WANTED IT TO, IT'S A LITTLE SCARY.
BUT THEY USE PANELS FOR THESE THINGS RIGHT HERE.
AND SO EACH PANEL MAY HAVE LIKE 3 MILLION IN IT.
UH, SO I CAN GO INTO THE SYSTEM AND NOT ONLY SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, BUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING AFTER THEY LEAVE US.
AND SO I CAN LOOK AT THE RESTAURANTS, THE ATTRACTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BEFORE THEY COME TO US, AFTER THEY COME TO US.
I KNOW THAT LAST YEAR'S, UH, JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL, WHEN PEOPLE LEFT THE PARK, THEY WENT TO HOME SUITE, HOME TWO SUITES, AND PALMDALE BAY MARINA AND THE RAMADA, HILTON HEAD AND HAMPTON AND SUITES IN BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD.
SO WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO TRACE THE HOTELS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO.
I CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU DEEP INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBERS.
WE HAVE A PERCENTAGE, UM, BUT IT ALLOWS US TO TRACK WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
I CAN TELL YOU THROUGH THAT SOFTWARE, WE KNOW THAT LAST YEAR'S JUNETEENTH, WE HAD PEOPLE FROM ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, TENNESSEE, AND VIRGINIA.
OF COURSE ALL THE SOUTHERN STATES AND SOME PEOPLE FROM CANADA, UH, AND ALSO MAINE.
UH, AND WE CAN SEE ROUGHLY AROUND THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THE PARK, UM, DURING THAT TIMEFRAME.
IT WON'T LET YOU SCALE DOWN TO A PACIFIC DAY, BUT WE CAN GET ABOUT A COUPLE OF WEEK, UH, TWO WEEK PERIOD IN THERE.
SO WE KNOW APPROXIMATELY WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
WHEN YOU DIG A LITTLE DEEPER, YOU CAN SEE ON THIS DAY, THINGS SHOT UP TO ABOUT 1600 FOLKS.
AND SO OF COURSE, THAT'S THE BIG SATURDAY EVENT, WE'RE ABLE TO TRACE THAT.
UH, SO I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
[01:20:01]
ARE APPRECIATIVE OF THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU'VE MADE IN OUR PROJECT OVER THE YEARS AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, UH, AND WE VALUE THIS, UH, COLLABORATION WITH BEAVER COUNTY.I'M THE PERSON ON THE COMMITTEE THAT'S ASSIGNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH YOU AND WE APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UH, ONE IS, I SEE WHERE YOU APPLIED FOR 150,000 AND AT TAX FUNDING FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
HAVE YOU RECEIVED NOTIFICATION ON THAT? UH, WE HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION.
DID YOU RECEIVE THE MONEY? YES.
UH, WE HAVE NOT GOT ALL THE MONEY YET.
WE NOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE THE MONEY.
WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE OVER THERE.
BUT THEY'VE AWARDED YOU THAT MATTER? YES, SIR.
YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT A FAIR AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT HAD BEEN BEING MADE.
WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THAT INVESTMENT AND HOW IS THAT CHANGING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE TO THE PARK? WELL, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN A QUIET CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.
SO WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT $5 MILLION FROM THE STATE TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION OVER THE COURSE.
THE PRT OR FROM SOME OTHER, UH, FROM MOSTLY FROM PRT, SOME FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY.
UH, FOR THE RESEARCH FACILITY.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, CONNECT WITH THE MELLON FOUNDATION AND GET $2.5 MILLION FOR THAT PROJECT.
THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE FIVE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO MELLON FOUNDATION IS AN INTERNATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION.
UH, WE HAVE OUR OWN, UH, CAMPAIGNS THAT WE'RE DOING BOTH LOCALLY AND OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
THERE ARE NATIONAL TARGETS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PROJECT IS A 22 AND $28 MILLION PROJECT.
UM, WE GOT A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE LAST MONTH TO GO TOWARDS ARCHEOLOGY FOR THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER.
THAT'S GONNA PUT US ROUGHLY AROUND NINE AND A HALF MILLION OVER THE LAST, UH, COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE'RE ALMOST HALFWAY THERE.
AND SO A LOT OF ENERGY GOES INTO TRYING TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET MARKETING DOLLARS TO, UH, DEDICATE TO THAT PROGRAM.
'CAUSE NOT ONLY AM I TRYING TO ADVERTISE PROGRAMS, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO ADVERTISE WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, ON THE PHYSICAL PLAN AS WELL.
SO, UH, YOU'VE MENTIONED AN ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER AND YOU JUST MENTIONED INTERPRETIVE CENTER.
THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER OF SOMETHING THAT'S YEAH.
SO THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER IS THE, THE GOAL.
THAT'S THE MAIN BUILDING, THAT'S THE MUSEUM COMPONENT THAT WE HOPE TO COMPLETE SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
THE THING THAT'S THE BARRIER IS JUST THE MONEY THAT IS A $12 MILLION PROJECT.
I'M WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO RAISE THOSE FUNDS.
UH, SO THAT WOULD KIND OF ALMOST COMPLETE THE PLANT, UH, FOR THE THREE, SIX ACRES THAT WE HAVE.
THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON, BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MAIN GOAL.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE BECAUSE THIS IS A PARK SITE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PIECEMEAL MM-HMM
UH, THINGS AND GROW THINGS AND BUILD THINGS OUTSIDE OF LIKE ONE, UH, CHRONOLOGY.
YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS ON PUTTING TOGETHER THOSE MULTIPLE SOURCES.
RECOGNIZE IT'S A LITTLE LIKE COOKING A STEW.
UM, ARE YOU TRACKING ANY WAY WHAT YOUR REPEAT VISITORS MIGHT BE ONE YEAR COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS VISIT YEAR? UH, WE ARE, UH, THE SOFTWARE DOES ALLOW US TO SEE CASUAL VERSUS NEW.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WITH THESE TWO PROGRAMS THAT THE CASUAL'S BEEN A HIGHER PERCENTAGE, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR'S JUNETEENTH CASUAL PERCENTAGE WAS ROUGHLY 54% MM-HMM
FOR AS NEW VISITORS TO THE EVENT, WHICH IS GOOD.
UH, PART OF THAT WAS OUR, WE INCREASED MARKETING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT WAS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE PUT A LOT MORE ELEMENTS INTO IT TO DRAW PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA TO COME MM-HMM
UH, SO WE WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH THAT PERCENTAGE.
AND AM I CORRECT, THE TOWN PURCHASED THE PROPERTY THAT THE PARK IS OWNED? YES.
THE TOWN OWNS THE PROPERTY AT THAT PURCHASE WAS PROBABLY BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES OR SO.
I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD A LEASE SINCE 2017.
HOW MANY ACRES IS IN THE PARK? THE ORIGINAL, UH, LEASE WAS FOR 33 ACRES.
WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PICK UP AN ADDITIONAL THREE ACRES AND 2022 WITH A JOINT, UM, EFFORT BETWEEN THE, THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN.
THERE WERE ABOUT THREE ACRES OF PROPERTY THAT WAS JOINTLY OWNED AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT INCLUDED INTO THE LEASE IN 2022.
SO YOU GOT 36 ACRES TOTAL? YEAH, 36 TOTAL.
UH, AND IF YOU WERE TO DESCRIBE BUILD OUT, WHERE ARE YOU IN? ARE YOU IN 20%? 80% FROM, UH, I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY BUILD OUT AS FAR AS THINGS THAT ARE IN PROGRESS.
WELL, ACTUAL ON THE GROUND BEING DONE, WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 15%.
THINGS THAT ARE IN PROCESS, WE'RE AROUND 50, 55%.
SO THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THE REASON I'M POSING THIS QUESTION IS THAT MITCHELLVILLE IS AN INTERESTING STORY AND IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE TWO PRIMARY PROJECTS.
YOU HAVE YOUR HOLIDAY AND THEN JUNETEENTH.
ARE THOSE YOUR PRIMARY TOURISM ATTRACTION EVENTS AND THE REST OF THE AREA, YOU'RE SORT OF ENCOURAGING SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY HERE TO STAY AN EXTRA DAY OR TWO YEAH.
ARE THOSE YOUR TWO PRIMARY TOURISM RELATED RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW WE DO, UH, ABOUT FIVE MAJOR PROJECTS A YEAR.
WE HAD OUR, WE JUST HAD OUR BLUES
[01:25:01]
AND BARBECUE FUNDRAISER, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.AGAIN, THAT'S MORE OF A LOCALIZED THING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE AREA.
AND THEN WE HAVE A, UM, ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THAT VILLE WAS CREATED EITHER LATE OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER, 1862.
SO WE ALWAYS DO A PROGRAM AROUND THAT TIMEFRAME.
THE LAST TWO YEARS WE'VE DONE A FILM FESTIVAL AND THAT IS USUALLY GEARED TOWARD PEOPLE IN THE AREA.
JUNETEENTH AND HOLLY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS ALLOWS US TO GO OUT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UH, AND ALONG WITH JUST OUR GENERAL MARKETING, TRYING TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE PARK.
LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK TOUR COMPANIES TO COME DOWN AND SEE US AS WE'RE GROWING.
SO THAT'S PUTTING EFFORTS OUT THERE A LOT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LINE.
UH, TRY TO GET PEOPLE IN THE PARK IN GENERAL.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO DO MORE THINGS IN THE PARK, GET PEOPLE USED TO THE PARK AND HAVE PEOPLE PUT IT ON THEIR SCHEDULE.
LIKE I COULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME TO JUNETEENTH.
WE'VE GOT A GROUP OF FRIENDS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THEY COME DOWN FOR VIRGINIA, JUST FOR JUNETEENTH.
AND WHO MANAGES YOUR MARKETING? I'M SORRY? WHO MANAGES YOUR MARKETING PROGRAM? UH, WE WORK WITH A FIRM CALLED FORESIGHT COMMUNICATIONS OUTTA COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, I INHERITED THEM WHEN I GOT HERE ABOUT SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB FOR US.
UM, AND USING YOUR PROGRAM TO TRACK YOUR DATA AND STATISTIC, UM, IF I WANT TO, IF I'M A GUESS THEY ARE.
DO I HAVE TO LOG IN TO NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOG IN.
NO, THAT, THAT IS THE SOMEWHAT SCARY PART ABOUT IT.
IF YOU, IF YOUR PHONE IS ON, OH, I DON'T GET YOUR NAME AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I, I KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
THAT'S THE PING MARKETING I WAS ASKING ABOUT EARLIER.
I KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY.
YOUR FACE AND THE NAME OF THAT SOFTWARE AGAIN? IT IS PLACER.
IT'S, UM, WE GOT FORTUNATE BECAUSE WE GOT AN INVESTMENT TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO IT.
IT IS A PRETTY EXPENSIVE PLATFORM.
UM, BUT IT IS REALLY TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE DO GRANTS AND, AND PROGRAMS. IT HELPS ME DO A LOT OF STUFF, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY COULD JUMP INTO.
WHEN YOU SAY PRETTY EXPENSIVE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UH, I THINK OUR INVESTMENT THIS YEAR WAS, UH, MAYBE $18,000.
WE HAD HAD A LITTLE BIT OF HELP THAT, THAT WAS HELPFUL.
I WAS GONNA SAY ROB AND, UM, THE VISITORS BUREAU USES SOMETHING SIMILAR.
I DUNNO IF IT'S THE EXACT SAME ONE, BUT WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF PLATFORMS. THERE'S A LOT OF PLATFORMS YOU CAN USE.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, TO JUMP IN THAT ONE WITH A DEAL LAST YEAR, AND SO CAME BACK THIS YEAR WITH, HEY, IT'S GONNA GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW LONG WE USE IT.
AND THIS IS THE ONLY MEANS OF TRACKING YES.
IN FACT, WHEN YOU COME TO HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS BEFORE YOU GET INTO PARK, WE GIVE YOU AN ENVELOPE.
YOU CAN EITHER SCAN YOUR INFORMATION IN, YOU CAN FILL OUT YOUR ADDRESS, AND THEN WE PICK THOSE UP.
SO WHEN PEOPLE COME BACK AROUND, THEY CAN DROP A DONATION IN.
WE TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THOSE AND WE PUT IT INTO THE SYSTEM.
ALSO AT JUNETEENTH, WE HAD PEOPLE GOING AROUND DOING SURVEYS TO GET INFORMATION AS WELL.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CLEANEST WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT.
AND BEFORE WE HAD PLACER, THAT'S HOW WE WERE GETTING ALL OF OUR INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE AND GETTING DETAILS.
HOW'S EVERYBODY TODAY? VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER AND OUR REQUEST FOR, UM, FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE GULLAH AMERICAN REVOLUTION EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA 250TH, UH, COMMISSION, AND THEY HAVE AWARDED US, UH, FUNDING TO PRODUCE A NEW PLAY THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE GULLAH PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
UM, AS A PART OF THAT, THEY WANT TO SHARE THE STORY, TELLING THE, UM, EXCITEMENT, THE INFORMATION, THE CELEBRATION, AND WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, FOLKS WHO MIGHT TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF THE STORIES THAT WE TEND TO ASSOCIATE WITH THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE.
AND SO THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER, UM, HAS ENTERED INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, BOTH THE STATE
[01:30:01]
ANNIVERSARY COMMISSION AS WELL AS WITH THE, UH, LOCAL, UM, BEAUFORT, JASPER, UH, UH, COUNTY, UH, LOCAL COMMITTEE AS WELL.I KNOW THEY'RE ON YOUR DOCKET FOR LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, RICH THOMAS HAS, UH, WORKED WITH US TO PUT THIS COLLABORATION TOGETHER.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE AGREED TO AND, UM, PROPOSED IN TERMS OF A STRUCTURE OF HOW IT IS GOING TO WORK.
THE, UM, THE COMMISSION HAS ASKED, ACTUALLY THE LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE ASKED THAT WE DO SOME FREE PREVIEWS OF THE SHOW, UM, AROUND THE BEAUFORT JASPER, UH, COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING VIGNETTES FROM THE SHOW, THE SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS, UM, WE'RE DOING FOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS.
AND, UM, THAT'S REALLY PRIMARILY WHAT WE ARE, UH, REQUESTING FOR AT THE TIME WHEN WE WROTE THE GRANT, SOME OF THE DETAILS WERE STILL A LITTLE BIT, UM, LESS THAN NAILED DOWN.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY UPDATING YOU IN REGARDS TO.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, THERE IT BEGINS AT THE GULLAH FESTIVAL.
UM, THEIR REQUEST, NOT OURS, UM, THEY ASK THAT THE FIRST PREMIER BE AT THE ORIGINAL GULLAH FESTIVAL.
SO IT WILL HAPPEN ON, UM, SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON, I THINK THAT'S THE 25TH.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST FREE EVENT.
AND OF COURSE, THE BACKDROP OF THAT WILL NOT JUST BE THE, UM, THE PERFORMANCES WE DO.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN TANDEM WITH THE GULLAH FESTIVAL TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN AMERICAN REVOLUTION VILLAGE SET UP INSIDE OF THE GULLAH FESTIVAL.
SO THESE TWO, UM, THE, THE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES AS WELL AS THE ARTISAN KIND OF REVOLUTION VILLAGE, THEY WILL BE A CENTER POINT OF THIS YEAR'S GULLAH FESTIVAL.
AND WE ARE KIND OF COORDINATING THAT ENTIRE EFFORT.
SO IT'LL BE KIND OF AN EVENT WITHIN AN EVENT.
UM, AND SO THAT'LL HAPPEN ON THAT SUNDAY.
AND THEN ON JULY 2ND, AND AGAIN, THESE DATES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE, NOT BY THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER.
UM, THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO DO A PERFORMANCE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, AND THAT WILL BE AT USCB ON JULY THE SECOND.
UM, AT 4:00 PM UM, WE WILL HAVE ARTISANS, UM, PERHAPS OUTSIDE OR INSIDE, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED, WHICH.
UM, AND THEN THEY'LL COME IN WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THE, UH, PREVIEW.
AND SO THAT'LL HAPPEN ON JULY THE SECOND.
ON JULY THE NINTH, WE WILL REPLICATE THAT EVENT ON HILTON HEAD.
AGAIN, WE ARE THINKING SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE KIND OF THE ARTISAN VILLAGE.
IT WON'T, MAY NOT BE THE FULL VILLAGE, BUT EVE TWO OR THREE, UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING FOR THESE OTHER, NOT THE GULLAH FESTIVAL, BUT FOR THE OTHER THREE, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA BE RICE TASTINGS AS A PART OF IT.
SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU COME, YOU GET TO INTERACT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE ARTISANS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, UM, REENACTMENT ACTORS KIND OF ACTING AS HOST AND HOSTESSES OF THE EVENT.
AND THEN THEY'LL, UM, GET TO KIND OF INTERACT WITH THE ARTISANS, GO IN FOR THE PRODUCTION PREVIEW, AND THEN BE ABLE TO COME BACK FOR RICE TASTING AND CONTINUED INTERACTION WITH THE ARTISANS.
AND SO THAT'LL HAPPEN AT CHRIST LUTHERAN.
BLUFFTON ON THE 19TH WILL ALSO BE OUR PREMIER WEEKEND.
SO THE SHOW WILL ACTUALLY PREMIERE IN FULL THAT WEEKEND, AND THAT WILL BE THE LARGEST ARTISAN MARKET SINCE THE, UM, GULLAH FESTIVAL.
UH, AS A PART OF THAT EVENT, UM, LET ME SEE.
I'VE TOLD YOU HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES, ARTISAN VILLAGE AND RICE TASTING.
THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY, UM, PIECES OF EACH ONE.
UH, IN TERMS OF MARKETING, OUR STRATEGY IS USING PRINT, RADIO, AND STREAMING.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY TESTING THE STREAMING MARKETPLACE AND WE ARE NOW, UM, RUNNING ADS FOR OUR PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS ON DISNEY AND HULU AS WELL AS FACEBOOK.
UM, WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS SPOTIFY, UM, TO SEE HOW THESE LEVEL UP AGAINST THE NETWORK BUYS.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING MORE BUCK FOR A MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK WITH THE STREAMING THEN WE CAN
[01:35:01]
PAY FOR WITH THE NETWORK TV.IT ALSO GIVES US, UM, A WIDER REACH FOR THE DOLLARS AND MORE FLEXIBLE AD BUYS.
LOTS OF DATA THAT COMES BACK TO US IN REAL TIME SO THAT IF WE SEE ONE AD IS DOING PARTICULARLY WELL, WE CAN UP THAT ONE.
WHEREAS ONE THAT'S NOT, SO FAR, WE'VE DONE VERY, VERY WELL.
WE'VE ONLY, UH, ROLLED OUT OUR, UM, THIS, THIS MARKETING STRATEGY FOR WHAT'S COMING UP FOR DECORATION DAY.
UM, AND UM, SO FAR THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN GREAT.
AND SO ONCE WE GET TO DECORATION DAY, UM, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER BASELINE.
BUT FROM THERE WE INTEND TO GO RIGHT INTO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION PUSH.
UM, SO FLEXIBLE CONTENT, WE CAN CHANGE THINGS.
UM, AND THEY DON'T CARE HOW MANY ADS WE PLACE.
WE DON'T, THERE'S NOT A BIG MACHINERY BECAUSE YOU DO MOST OF THE WORK YOURSELF AND THEN UPLOAD IT.
AND SO, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE VERY, VERY WELL.
AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING IN.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO RUN THIS AD CAMPAIGN, UM, FROM WHATEVER POINT WE CAN GET STARTED IN MAY, UM, THROUGH SEPTEMBER.
UM, THE SCHOOL SHOWS WILL BE, THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY WON'T BE IN THE MAINSTREAM ADVERTISING, BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO A SPECIFIC DIGITAL CAMPAIGN THAT WILL GO TO, UM, MAILBOXES EMAIL FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT IN ADDITION TO BRINGING US TO, UM, YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OR FINDING OUT A WAY FOR YOUR SCHOOL, YOUR STUDENTS TO TAKE PART IN SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO OPEN UP THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, BUS TOURS BACK DOWN HERE AND COM, COMPLIMENTARY TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT WE WOULD, UM, INSIST.
THAT'S A VERY MINOR PART OF THE BUDGET.
WE'LL BE DOING THAT MOSTLY IN-HOUSE AND JUST KIND OF USING A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
SO THE, ON THE APPLICATION, THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL MIX OF THE INVESTMENT.
IT SAYS 15,000 TELEVISION, RADIO, AND SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION.
RIGHT? SO IS THAT, IS THAT DIFFERENT? WHAT IS WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, IS THAT AT ALL? IS THAT A, IS THAT
SO WE HAVE OTHER ADVERTISING DOLLARS AS WELL.
THESE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE THE ONLY DOLLARS.
BUT FROM THIS, FROM THIS REQUESTED, FROM THESE REQUESTED FUNDS.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S STILL, THAT 15,000 IS STILL IS, YOU'RE GONNA ALLOCATE THAT TOWARD THE, TOWARD MARKETING, SPECIFICALLY PROMOTING THESE EVENTS THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE.
SO IT HELPS US TARGET OUR MARKETING MM-HMM
FOR THESE SPECIFIC AMERICAN REVOLUTION CELEBRATIONS.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF YOU SAID THIS, BUT KIND OF THE GEOGRAPHIC TARGET OF THAT MARKETING OUTSIDE THE LOCAL AREA, MORE INSIDE COR.
SO, UM, IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, WE ARE USUALLY ABLE TO GET SOME VALUE ADD AND THAT'S HOW WE COVER THE LOCAL MM-HMM
BUT WE'RE PAYING FOR FURTHER OUT.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE DO COVER THE LOCAL MARKETPLACE AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE WE DO FLYERS AND RACK CARDS AND THINGS TO MAKE SURE AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AN ARTICLE IN THE, AND ADS IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO BE LEFT OUT.
BUT THESE FUNDS ARE PRIMARILY FOR OUR REACH.
DO YOU, UM, I'M LISTENING TO YOU.
DO YOU HAVE STATISTIC THAT TRACKS HEAD IN THE BED IN THE COUNTY? UM, WE RELY ON THE DMO TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION.
UM, WE LET ROB KNOW OUR CALENDAR, AND THEN AFTER THE EVENT WE GO TO HIM AND PULL INFORMATION, WE PULL THE INFORMATION DOWN.
UM, AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A NEW THING.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A BASELINE FOR EVEN THE STRUCTURE OF THIS EVENT WITH THESE FREE, UM, UH, PREVIEWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT, UM, TYPICALLY, UH, ON A, UH, A SHOW WEEKEND THAT WE CAN PULL IN, WE CAN, WE CAN STIMULATE, UM, ANYWHERE FROM, UH, TWO TO 5,000 PEOPLES OF ACTIVITY IN, IN THE AREA.
AND SO WE, WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE, YOU KNOW,
[01:40:01]
ANY DIFFERENT.I WILL TELL YOU THAT AND OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN, AND THIS WILL DO THROUGH KIND OF PROBABLY OUR LOCAL MORE, UM, PAN FLIPPING AND, AND RACK CARDS AND FLYERS, BUT THEY REALLY WANT US TO HIT KIND OF THE SUNBIRDS ON, UM, HILTON HEAD AND REALLY MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND SO SOME OF IT IN THAT REGARD, UM, THEY WANT TO, UM, ARRANGE THEIR ARRANGING SHUTTLE BUSES.
LIKE FROM SOME OF THE, I GUESS, UM, UM, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OR AREAS WHERE PEOPLE STAY SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW THEY'RE GONNA PUT OUT SO MANY BUSES AND HAVE PEOPLE COME IN.
SO WE KNOW THAT IT'LL ATTRACT AT LEAST THE TOURISTS WHO ARE HERE FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
UM, AND, AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKED A LOT WITH THAT.
THAT'S REALLY BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY FOR, UM, THE, UM, HILTON HEAD FOUNDATION.
HILTON HEAD FOUNDATION, IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE CALLED? UM, AND, UM, WHO'S ALSO ON THE, THE MUSEUM, I HAVE TO LOOK UP THEIR NAME.
UM, THAT'S BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY FOR 'EM.
IF I SAY THEIR NAME, YOU'LL, YOU ALL WILL KNOW THEM.
YOU KNOW, I'M STILL, UM, LET ME FIND OUT WHAT HER NAME IS.
UM, HOW DO I GET TO, I HAVE TO GO, I NEED MY PHONE.
AT ANY RATE, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR TOURISTS AND VISITORS MM-HMM
FROM THE AREA FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND ARE, UM, KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT AND HAVE ACCESS TO THE EVENT.
AND SO THEY ARE WORKING WITH US ON THE GROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE LOCAL, WHO ARE LOCAL, EVEN TEMPORARILY MM-HMM
WHETHER IT'S FOR THE SUMMER OR WHETHER THEY'RE SNOWBIRDS OR WHATEVER, HAVE KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT AND HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, GETTING THERE TO ENJOY THE EVENT.
WELL, HOW THESE NONPAYMENT PAYABLE EVENTS SPONSORED, HOW ARE THEY SPONSORED? YEAH.
THEY'VE INVESTED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
UM, THE WHOLE PROJECT, UM, IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, THEY'RE MAKING IT INTO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE A DOCUMENTARY OR A SHOW FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES OR FOR AIRING.
UM, THOSE DETAILS ARE STILL YET TO BE DETERMINED, BUT ETV GETS A LARGE SLICE OF, OF THAT.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, THE WHOLE THING IS BEING FUNDED BY THEM.
SO THESE WOULD BE, UM, PART OF OUR MATCH.
THESE DOLLARS WOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF OUR MATCH FOR THIS, THIS GRANT AWARD.
UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE GRANT, UM, THE PROJECT, WE HAVE, UM, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE, UM, COMMISSION THAT THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN IT.
UM, AND THEN THIS WOULD BE A PART OF THE $50,000 THAT WE, $56,000 IN MATCHING FUNDS THAT WE ARE HELPING TO SUPPORT.
UM, I THINK WE'RE DUE FOR A BREAK.
SO WE'LL TAKE A 15 MINUTE BREAK.
10 45 FOR HILTON HEAD ORCHESTRA.
JUST ME INSTRUMENTS, MAKE NOTES.
MAKE MUSIC, MUSIC THE POWER OF DIVERSITY.
[01:45:14]
THE WORLD SERIES, THERE'S A SMASH TO RIGHT FIELD.SO BUFORT COUNTY HOME RUN SHOT OVER THE RIGHT FIELD.
MOVING HERE, OUR NEXT, UH, NEXT UP WE GOT HILTON HEAD
HILTON HEAD, SYM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMPTNESS.
THE HHSO HAS BEEN THE GRATEFUL BENEFICIARY OF $25,000 GRANTS FROM THIS BODY.
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE USED THIS MONEY TO INCREASE OUR PERCENTAGE OF TOURISTS BY 72% AND OUR VISITORS BY 86%.
THIS TRANSLATES TO MORE THAN 4,000 ADDITIONAL TOURISTS AND VISITORS THAN DURING OUR 20 21 20 22 SEASON.
DURING THE 20 23 20 24 SEASON, WE DREW 22,918 ATTENDEES, 5,001 OF WHOM WERE TOURISTS.
OUR JUST COMPLETED 2025 INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION.
FEATURED THE ADULT DIVISION AGES 18 TO 30 TOTAL PRIZES ADDED UP TO $43,000.
AND WE WILL PRESENT THE FIRST PRIZE WINNER IN RECITAL AT CARNEGIE HALL'S WILD RECITAL HALL ON OCTOBER 25TH, 2025.
THIS IS OUR AMBASSADOR TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY THAT RESULTS IN RECITAL ATTENDEES LEARNING MORE ABOUT OUR, OUR COMPETITION AND THE LOW COUNTRY PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF OUR LIVE STREAMING OF THIS COMPETITION LAST MONTH REVEAL 27,229.
IMPRESSIONS, DETAILS, HOWEVER, I'M SORRY, WE WILL BE DRILLING DOWN MORE FOR DETAILS.
HOWEVER, HISTORICALLY, OUR LIVE STREAMS HAVE BEEN VIEWED IN AS MANY AS 71 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, AND 83% OF OUR DOMESTIC VIEWERSHIP IS FROM OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THIS YEAR, WE ESTABLISHED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AMADEUS, A STREAMING SERVICE THAT MADE OUR COMPETITION AVAILABLE TO AN ADDITIONAL 200,000 HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS CHINA.
MOST CHINESE CITIZENS CANNOT ACCESS OUR LIVE STREAM DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
WE ESTIMATE THE HHSO WILL DIRECTLY ACCOUNT FOR 225 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS FOR OUR VISITING ARTISTS.
BEYOND THAT, FAMILIES OF PARTICIPANTS IN OUR YOUTH CONCERTO COMPETITION AND CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE AND HHSO MUSICIANS COMING FROM AFAR UTILIZE AREA HOTELS AND RENTALS FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS.
WHILE HERE, ADDING THE MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS WHO REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE CANNOT TRACK THE HHSO CAN CONFIDENTLY STATE WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT HEADS IN BEDS DRIVER.
THE HHSO FULFILLS TWO CRITERIA OF AT TAX GRANTS DIRECTLY DRAWING TOURISTS AND ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE OF TOURISTS.
ALREADY HERE THROUGH OUR 18 ORCHESTRA SERIES PERFORMANCES, THREE OUTDOOR POPS CONCERTS, THE INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION, YOUTH CONCERTO COMPETITION, CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE, SOUND WAVE PRESENTATIONS, AND JAZZ IN THE PARK.
THE HHSO ANTICIPATES THAT IT'S 66 PRESENTATIONS DURING THIS SEASON WILL DRAW A LIVE, TOTAL LIVE AUDIENCE IN EXCESS OF 24,000 5,250 OF WHICH WILL BE TOURISTS.
AND ANOTHER 4,400 WILL BE VISITORS.
WE HOPE THAT OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOURIST AND VISITOR INDUSTRY MIRRORS THE SUPPORT PROVIDED TO THE HHSO THROUGH THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX GRANT ADMINISTERED THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED HELP AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS PROPOSAL.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF, UM, BEING THE LEAD ON THIS.
I, UM, I, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
FROM READING YOUR APPLICATION FOR YOUR IMPACT ON TOURISM, YOU STATED THAT YOU ARE IN THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT, YOU CO CO-PROMOTE THESE EFFORTS.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL HOTELS THAT WE WORK WITH DIRECTLY WHERE WE PUT MATERIALS IN, UM, THEIR, THEIR, UM, THEIR, THEIR LOBBIES, AND THEN THEIR RACK, UH,
[01:50:01]
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.UM, WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE HOTEL THAT'S A CO-SPONSOR OF OUR FREE JAZZ IN THE PARK SERIES MM-HMM
SO THAT THEY WORK THINGS THROUGH.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH, UH, THE FOUR MARRIOTT PROPERTIES ON THE ISLAND TO START A NEW SERIES, WHICH WE HAVEN'T EVEN ANNOUNCED YET.
UH, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A WEEKLY, UM, CABARET PRESENTATION AT OUR FACILITY.
UM, AND GETTING ALL THE CONCIERGES FROM THE ENTIRE AREA TO COME TO A PREVIEW EVENT.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE A STEVIE WONDER REVIEW, SO IT SHOULD HAVE A LOT OF POPULARITY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT'S GONNA REALLY DRAW A LOT OF, OF THE, THE WEEKLIES AND THE TOURISTS.
AND READING THIS, I DON'T SEE, I DIDN'T SEE THE DATA STATISTIC ON HOTEL STAY, THE, SO DATA ON HOTEL, YOU HAVE NUMBERS, RIGHT, RIGHT.
WELL, I, I I JUST MENTIONED THAT WE ACTUALLY DIRECTLY, UH, UM, ARRANGE FOR 225 HOTEL ROOMS FOR OUR GUEST ARTISTS MM-HMM
OR, UM, OUR COMPETITION JUDGES AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
SO I, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN IN THE, IN THE, I I, MAYBE I MISSED IT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE, I DIDN'T SEE, ANYWAY, I DIDN'T SEE IT.
BUT THAT'S, SO THERE'S 225 THAT WE'RE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE HAVE MUSICIANS THAT BOOK THAT, THAT LIVE FROM AFAR THAT STAY IN HOTELS.
AND THEN WE HAVE AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND WE HAVE PARENTS OF, OF PEOPLE THAT COME FOR THE CHAMBER OF MUSIC INSTITUTE, SO.
AND YOUR RACK CARDS IS PLACED WHETHER YOU PLACE THESE RECORDS.
SO THEY'RE ALL AROUND THE STATE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE STATE, UM, UH, WELCOME CENTERS.
UH, SO THEY GET DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF THE REST AREAS AND WELCOME CENTERS AT ALL THE INTERSTATES IN THE STATE.
UH, WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN THE, UH, SAVANNAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
UH, WE HAVE A, A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
IF YOU WERE THERE LAST MONTH AND YOU CAME DOWN THE ESCALATORS TO THE BAGGAGE AREA, YOU SAW OUR HUGE, UH, INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION BANNER.
THEY'RE A GREAT PARTNER THAT WE HAVE, UH, SCREENS THAT ARE GOING, UH, BEHIND THE, UH, BAGGAGE AREA.
SO WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE, THEY KNOW ABOUT THE COMPETITION WITH THE MENU ON YOUR DETAIL, UM, APPLICATION.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE TRIP TO NEW YORK.
UH, AND THE OTHER ONE, THE JAZZ AND THE PARK.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU PERFORM NORMALLY AT A VENUE.
HOW MANY OTHER PERFORMANCES DO YOU DO OUTSIDE THAT VENUE? SO, WE'RE AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOR OUR ORCHESTRA SERIES.
UH, WE DO OUR SIX FREE JOHNSON THE PARKS CONCERTS AT LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK, WHICH IN KIG GO IT'S, I'M SORRY, BY SHELTER.
GO WHERE THAT USED TO? UH, NO, NO.
IT'S, UH, A KIG RIGHT NEAR KGI BEACH.
RIGHT THERE OFF OF POPE AVENUE UHHUH.
WE ALSO DO, UH, TWO OUTDOOR POPS CONCERTS THERE.
WE JUST DID ONE A WEEK AGO, WHAT'S TODAY, TUESDAY, A WEEK AGO TODAY TO ABOUT 2000 PEOPLE IN THE FOG.
UM, AND WE ALSO PERFORM IN BLUFFTON, UH, AT, AT THE, UH, MARTIN FAMILY PARK.
WE DO AN OUTSIDE CONCERT THERE THAT'S TIED TO THE, UH, SEAFOOD FESTIVAL.
SO WE DO IT THE THURSDAY NIGHT, RIGHT BEFORE THE FINAL WEEKEND TO TRY.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL TO TRY AND DRAW THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO COME A DAY EARLY TO COME AND SEE OUR CONCERT AND KIND OF KICK OFF A LONG WEEKEND.
UH, WE ALSO PERFORM AT, UH, ST.
GREGORY THE GREAT, UH, THEIR PARISH LIFE CENTER, UH, HOLDS ABOUT 450 PEOPLE.
WHEN WE SQUEEZE THAT IN WITH AN ORCHESTRA, WE, WE'D WELCOME A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER TO PERFORM SOMEWHERE ELSE OFF ISLAND TOO.
UH, THAT WAS SORT OF WHERE I WAS GOING AS A CONSIDERATION OR PLAN FOR THAT.
YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY DURING THE LAST, UH, WHAT I'LL CALL IT A TRAINING SESSION MM-HMM
UH, 78% OF THE A TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE CREATED, COLLECTED WITHIN BEAUFORT COUNTY'S FUNDS AS OPPOSED TO THE TOWN OF HILTON, ED, TOWN, BLUFFTON CITY, BUFORD.
ARE COLLECTED IN THE AREA NORTH OF THE BROAD RIVER.
IF THERE WERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO LOOK AT VENUES IN ADDITION TO THE ONES YOU'RE CURRENTLY PERFORMING, IS THAT SOMETHING YOUR GROUP IS LOOKING AT OR
UH, THEY ACTUALLY CONVENED A FOCUS GROUP A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO TO EXPLORE.
THEY'VE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF A PERFORMING SPACE IN BLUFFTON MM-HMM
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FOLKS OUT AT USCB ABOUT WHERE AT, AT USCB, UH, IN THE, THE, THE PLACE IN OKEE, THEIR MAIN CAMPUS WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT, UM, UH, ARENA, THE CONVOCATION CENTER, I THINK IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, WHICH WILL BE AN ARENA.
BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING THAT WOULD WORK FOR THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY.
I MEAN, THE CHALLENGE IS THAT, I MEAN, WE REQUIRE NOT ONLY A STAGE LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD A FULL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, BUT ALSO ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE TO MAKE IT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
[01:55:01]
IT, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO THAT? WELL, IDEALLY 1200 TO 1400 PEOPLE.IS THAT WHAT YOU GET IN THE PARK? UH, IN THE PARK WE GOT 2000.
SO, I MEAN, THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS LAST YEAR, WE GOT 3000 IN THE PARK.
AND SO, I MEAN, THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS ARE THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS.
THE CHALLENGE IS WE, WE DO MOVE INSIDE IF THE WEATHER'S BAD.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GET 2000 PEOPLE ANYWHERE.
I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE QUESTION ABOUT, UM, IS THE 1200 RELATED TO TICKET SALES? WHEN YOU SAY WE NEED 1200, IS THAT THE REASON? IT, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD MODEL FOR THE, FOR THE FINANCES TO MAKE IT FEASIBLE.
UH, RIGHT NOW, FIRST PRES ONLY HOLDS 940, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO REPEAT PERFORMANCES.
UM, IF WE COULD GET ALL 1200 OR 1500 PEOPLE IN ON ONE PERFORMANCE, IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.
SO YOU, SO THE JAZZ AND THE PARK EVENTS ARE TICKETED? NO, NO.
JAZZ AND THE PARK ARE FREE AND THE OUTDOOR CONCERTS, AND HILTON HEAD AND BLUFF IN THE ORCHESTRA POPS CONCERT SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS.
WE DO SELL TABLE TICKETS MM-HMM
BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM FOR OUR SPONSORS.
WE NEED A LOT OF SPONSORSHIP TO DO A FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT.
UM, BUT WE WILL SELL SOME OF THOSE TOO.
BUT, BUT PEOPLE CAN COME FOR FREE.
SO COME OCTOBER 16TH AND 17TH.
NEXT UP, UM, UCSB CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
DO, UM, I DID, AM I ALLOWED TO HAND OUT ONE OF OUR PLAYBOOKS? IS THAT OKAY? SURE.
THIS JUST KIND OF GETS A GLIMPSE AS TO, UM, DON'T YOU WORK WITH BONNIE, WHY I DO, AND HOW INTERESTING.
YOU'D ASK PERMISSION TO DO ANYTHING I, YOU OPPOSED, OPPOSED TO JUST DO.
AND I'M GONNA STICK TO A SCRIPT.
UM, I'M WITH THE USCB CENTER FOR THE ARTS, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, BONNIE HARTGROVE IS OUR DIRECTOR.
SHE IS, UM, SITTING RIGHT THERE IN THAT LAST ROW.
SO WE ARE HERE TO RESPECTFULLY, UM, REQUEST SUPPORT, UM, FROM THE ATEX COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT, I DON'T BELIEVE, PRESENTED TO THE COMMITTEE IN MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, I'VE BEEN BACK WITH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR ABOUT A YEAR, AND MY FOCUS IS GROWTH, UM, FOR OUR BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR, WHICH I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE, THE USCB CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS THE PRIMARY PERFORMING ARTS VENUE, UM, SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS.
UM, AT AS USCB, UM, WE PRESENT A DIVERSE RANGE OF PERFORMANCES, INCLUDING NATIONAL TOURING, ARTIST, COMMUNITY THEATER, MUSICAL CONCERTS, INDEPENDENT FILMS, GALLERY EXHIBITS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, AND YOUTH PRODUCTIONS.
UM, WE REALLY DO MAKE IT OUR MISSION TO ENRICH, ENTERTAIN, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, UH, WHILE SUPPORTING AND ENHANCING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF DOWNTOWN BUFORT.
ANOTHER BIG PORTION OF WHAT WE DO, UM, WHICH IS NOT THE FOCUS OF OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO PARTNERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND HOUSE.
UM, WHETHER IT'S THE BEAUFORT ORCHESTRA, UM, GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER, BEAUFORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, THEY CALL OUR THEATER HOME.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR OWN RANGE OF, UH, PROGRAMMING, WHICH YOU WILL FIND A SEGMENT OF IN OUR PLAYBILL.
SO WHY DOES ATAC SUPPORT MATTER? UM, TOURISM AND THE ARTS REALLY GO HAND IN HAND.
UM, OUR PERFORMANCES DO BRING VISITORS TO BEAUFORT WHO SPEND MONEY AND LOCAL HOTELS, RESTAURANT SHOPS AND GALLERIES, UM, ALSO BRINGING IN NATIONAL TOURING ARTISTS.
UM, WE FEED THEM ALL WITHIN, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
SO I LOOKED UP A STUDY, UH, BY AMERICANS FOR THE ART, SHOWING THAT CULTURAL TOURIST SPEND TWO TIMES MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE TOURIST TO AN AREA.
UM, MANY OF OUR TICKET BUYERS TRAVEL FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA, UM, WHICH WOULD BE CHARLESTON, SAVANNAH, UM, TO ATTEND OUR PERFORMANCES.
I HAVE SEVERAL VIDEOS, UM, OF OUR PERFORMANCES JUST THIS YEAR, OF PEOPLE COMING UP AND SAYING, WE TRAVELED FROM GREENVILLE JUST FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.
RIGHT? SO TO US, THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMMING THAT WE CAN OFFER, UM, IS KEY TO ATTRACTING VISITORS, UM, FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA.
SO HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE USED, UM, WE'RE GOING TO AGAIN, FOCUS ON THE OFFERINGS, BRINGING ARTISTS TO ATTRACT A WIDE AUDIENCE, UM, AND THEN ENHANCE OUR STRATEGIC MARKETING EFFORTS AND ADVERTISING EFFORTS TO INCREASE TOURIST,
[02:00:01]
UM, ATTENDANCE AT OUR SEASON PERFORMANCES.UM, MY FOCUS, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANT TO, UM, ENHANCE OUR DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN BACK AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS FOR ABOUT A YEAR.
UM, BONNIE HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE PROGRAMMING.
I'M COMING TO PROVIDE LIFT AND PROMOTE GROWTH, UM, FOR THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, A BIG FOCUS ON DIGITAL MARKETING.
UM, WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND INTO YOUTUBE, SOME, UH, REGIONAL PRINT MEDIA, DEFINITELY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, TARGETING VISITORS PLANNING, UH, TO VISIT THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND ALSO THE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT, UM, A LOT OF OUR MARQUEE EVENTS, UM, THAT HAVE A PROVEN TOURIST DRAW ELECTRIC AVENUE, THE EIGHTIES MTV EXPERIENCE THAT WE JUST HAD.
UM, THEY HAVE QUITE THE FOLLOWING.
WE HAVE A GROUP THAT'S COMING IN MAY CALLED BOY NAMED BANJO.
THEY ARE, UM, HAIL FROM NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.
LIKE OUR FOCUS WITH THAT IS TO TARGET THEIR ALUMNI, UM, DRAW THEM TO THE BEAUFORT COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROGRAMS. AND THEN WE PARTNERED, UM, WITH SOMEONE I WON'T NAME IN THE ROOM FOR OFF THE WALL AND ONTO THE STAGE
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BRING THE SOUTH CAROLINA BALLET BACK, UM, NEXT YEAR FOR DRACULA.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY JUST LOOKING TO ENHANCE OUR PROGRAMMING, EXPAND OUR REACH THROUGH DIGITAL MARKETING, BUT WE NEED HELP TO DO THAT.
UM, SO LAST SEASON, UM, WE DREW, IT WAS ABOUT 15,000, UH, PATRONS.
AND AGAIN, OUR NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR PROGRAMMING AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THOSE, UM, THAT BENEFIT FROM THE USE OF THE FACILITY.
UM, BUT ABOUT 450 OF THOSE FOR US, UM, CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE AREA.
UM, I PULLED THOSE NUMBERS FOR THIS, UH, SEASON ALONE AND WE'VE ALREADY INCREASED THAT UP TO 900, UM, BASED ON THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
AND MY GOAL WOULD BE TO INCREASE THAT TO 25% OF OUR ATTENDEES, UM, TO DRAW BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT SOLD OUT EVERY SINGLE PERFORMANCE.
UM, IS IT OKAY IF WE, UH, PAUSE FOR QUESTIONS? YEAH.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE STAY ON TIME.
OH, EMMA, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I REALLY CAN TALK A LOT, SO PLEASE.
UM, SO I'M JUST MR. GREEN? YES.
UH, YOU GOT A WAY OF TRACKING EVERYONE THAT YOU BRING IN THAT'S FROM MORE THAN 50 MILES AWAY.
WE HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST, UM, TICKETING SYSTEM, UM, THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE ANALYTICS, UM, OF WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, UH, IN THE AREA.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET AN EVEN MORE ROBUST TICKETING SYSTEM SOON, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE FOR NOW.
SO, AND YOU JUST MENTIONED SOME NUMBERS.
UH, FROM 450, THAT WAS FROM OUR FISCAL YEAR.
THE LAST ONE THAT WE REPORTED TO 900.
IN WHAT YEAR? IT, WELL, AND THAT, THAT GOES TO, UM, THE, THE TYPE OF PROGRAMMING THAT WE OFFER.
UM, IS WHAT WE'RE, SO WHAT'S YOUR GOAL, MA? SO, I WOULD LOVE TO BE, TO GROW IT TO ABOUT 25% OF OUR ATTENDEES.
UM, SO AGAIN, THE MORE WE CAN, UH, PRODUCE AND THAT NUMBER CAN GROW EXPONENTIALLY RIGHT NOW, WE COULD CONCEIVABLY IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UM, GO UP TO PROBABLY 3000 IF WE WERE TO, UM, REALLY FOCUS IN ON THOSE DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE GREENVILLE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE ARTISTS THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN, LIKE BOY NAMED BANJO THAT ALREADY HAVE A NATIONAL FOLLOWING, UM, AS A NATURAL, UM, SEGUE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
ANYONE ELSE? THE PREVIOUS PRESENTER FROM THE HILL DANCE SYMPHONY WAS TALKING ABOUT PERHAPS THEY NEEDED 1200 PEOPLE.
HE ALSO WAS TALKING, SITTING BEHIND YOU THERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE CONVOCATION ARENA, THAT USCB AS REBO PUT, UH, ON THE BLUFFTON CAMPUS.
ONE OF THE FEATURED, UH, ITEMS ABOUT THAT WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE A SIGN ON 2 78 ALERTING PEOPLE TO PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITY GOING ON INSIDE THE CENTER.
SO THAT, THAT VERY BUSY HIGHWAY WOULD BE A MARKETING ARM.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I SEE SOME BANNERS AND THINGS.
HAS ANY THOUGHT BEEN GIVEN, GIVEN TO REACHING OUT TO THE CITY AND GIVING YOU SOME MECHANISM WHEREBY YOU CAN TELL THE MANY PEOPLE THAT DRIVE BY THAT CAMPUS EVERY DAY WHAT'S COMING? THAT HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF CONTRACT WITH THE DIGITAL, UH, BILLBOARDS THAT ARE AROUND 95, UM, IF WE COULD COME INTO JUST SPECIFICALLY SOMETHING ON THE CAMPUS IN FRONT OH.
SPECIFICALLY, IS THERE SOME REASON YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE ASSIGNMENT? NO.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE? WE WOULD LIKE TO MM-HMM
[02:05:01]
NEVER GOING TO SAY NO TO, IF IT'S SOMETHING TO PROMOTING SOMETHING YOU LOOKED AT AND DECIDE IT WAS INCONSISTENT WITH THE ARCHITECTURE, IT WOULD DIMINISH THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE OR SOMETHING I WANT.YOU KNOW, TO, WE DO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THE STUDENTS AND THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR PRESIDENT, OUR PRESENCE IS WITHIN THE DIGITAL, UM, REALM WITH USCB BEING ON THEIR CALENDAR AND IN THEIR EMAIL MARKETING.
UM, BUT I MEAN, I LOVE THE IDEA OF, OF A PHYSICAL BANNER IF IT WOULD BE ALLOWED THAT THAT WOULD NOT BE MY AREA TO APPROVE THAT OR MINE, BUT, BUT THERE YOU GO.
THAT MIGHT BE GOOD TO SAY YES.
UM, AND, AND LISTENING TO YOU, I, I HEARD THAT THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME APPLYING CORRECT.
AND FIRST TIME YOU, YOU FOCUS ON MARKETING AT THIS POINT.
AND IN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES, UH, MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE HOTELS, HEAD IN THE BED, THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK FOR.
HOW YOU, NEXT TIME YOU COME FOR YOUR FUNDING.
HEAD IN THE BED SO WE CAN SEE HOW YOUR MARKETING IS BRINGING IN GUESTS TO LOCAL COUNTRY TO THE HOTELS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER AREA.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK SMARTER
BUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL HOTELS TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THOSE GETAWAY PACKAGES.
I'VE CONTACTED DATTA ISLAND, THEIR, UM, THEIR PERSON 'CAUSE THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED DATTA, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THAT? UM, THERE'S TOURING BUSES THAT COME THROUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO REALLY REACHING OUT HOW CAN WE ENHANCE THOSE PACKAGES THAT ARE BRINGING, UM, 'CAUSE WE REALLY DO BRING A LOT OF VALUE, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR PROGRAMMING.
WHEN YOU SAY YOU HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY REFERRING TO YOUR BUDGET FOR MARKETING, YOU'RE STARTING YOUR NUMBER SEATS.
WHAT? JUST NOT ENOUGH OF YOU? PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, TO BRING IN THOSE LARGER TOURING ARTISTS GETS A LITTLE BIT, UM, SCARY ON THE BUDGET.
I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS THAT DO EVERYTHING FROM MARKETING TO PRESENTATION TO ALL OF THE ABOVE.
I'LL BE RECUSING MYSELF ON HER BOARD.
GOOD MORNING AND GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE IN BEFORE I BEGIN, YOU KNOW, I SAT IN MY HOUSE THIS MORNING GETTING READY TO COME SEE Y'ALL AND I HEARD A PAINTED BUNTING SINGING OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE AND I THOUGHT, THIS IS WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT RIGHT HERE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, IT IS PROBABLY THE MOST DESIRED BIRD ON ANY BIRDER'S LIST BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE RAINBOWS, LIVING RAINBOWS.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE CAROLINA BITE SANCTUARY.
WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE WINGS OVER BEAUFORT FESTIVAL, WHICH IS BEING HELD SEPTEMBER 23RD THROUGH THE 26TH IN AREAS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE ARE SOME DATA STATISTICS THAT JUST CAME OUT RECENTLY AS OF LAST WEEK THAT I ACTUALLY FORWARDED ON TO ROB WELLS THAT I THOUGHT SOME FOLKS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING WHEN IT COMES TO THE NUMBERS THAT BIRDERS IMPACT, THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE ON ECONOMICS.
$38 BILLION TOTAL TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY BIRDING ACTIVITY IN INCLUDING 7 BILLION IN COUNTY TAXES, 9 BILLION IN STATE TAXES, AND 22 BILLION IN FEDERAL TAXES.
SO THAT'S ONE STATISTIC THAT, UM, WOULD MAKE ANYBODY'S EYEBROWS GET RAISED.
1.4 MILLION JOBS ATTRIBUTED TO BIRD RELATED ACTIVITIES SUCH AS TRIPS, EQUIPMENT EXPENDITURES, AND MORE THAN 90 BILLION IN LABOR INCOME, 108 BILLION ON ANNUAL TRIPS, FOOD, LODGING AND EQUIPMENT SUCH AS BIRD SEED AND BINOCULARS.
AND $279 BILLION IS THE TOTAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT GENERATED BY ER EXPENDITURES THAT IS IN THE US ALONE.
SO THAT IS REALTIME DATA THAT JUST CAME OUT LAST WEEK THAT WAS PUBLISHED.
NOW WITH REGARDS TO OUR GRANT FUNDING REQUEST, UM, PART OF IT WAS FOR DRAWING A KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE IS BUZZ ALREADY.
WE HAVE DRAWN THE MOST FAMOUS ORNITHOLOGIST IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE MOST RECOGNIZED BIRDER IN THE COMMUNITY IN DAVID ALLEN SIBLEY, WHO HAS SOLD OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS IN THE UNITED STATES ALONE.
AND IN FACT, MOST BIRDERS FIRST BOOKS ARE SIBLEY.
AND WHEN I GIFT BOOKS TO PEOPLE, I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THEY'RE A SIBLING.
SO JUST THAT NAME ALONE, THE BUZZ HAS STARTED TO GET OUT AND I HAVE HAD PEOPLE REACHING OUT TO ME FROM FLORIDA, GEORGIA, UPSTATE NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA, AND
[02:10:01]
PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.THIS ALSO GIVES US A HUGE STAMP OF APPROVAL, NOT ONLY ON THE CAROLINA BYTE BIRDING CENTER, BUT ON THE FESTIVAL IN GENERAL.
HE RARE, HE DOES RARE APPEARANCES, MAYBE ONE A YEAR.
SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE ARE ALSO ASKING FOR FUNDING RELATED TO NOT ONLY THE OPENING EVENT, BUT THE CLOSING EVENT.
STEVEN SHABEL FROM THE CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY UP IN AUGH IS ACTUALLY, WHY IS ANYBODY CALLING ME RIGHT NOW? I'M SORRY.
UM, IS ACTUALLY COMING DOWN WITH SOME OF THEIR BIRDS THAT THEY HAVE IN THE EDUCATION CENTER TO DO THE CLOSING EVENT.
AND THAT ALWAYS IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL FOR PEOPLE TO SEE.
UM, AND THEN PART OF IT IS FOR THE RENTALS, WE'RE GONNA NEED STAGING TENT TABLES AND CHAIRS, BATHROOM FACILITIES.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ON SITE AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, OUR BUILD OUT AND ZONING, UH, WE DO HAVE A PLEDGE OF $15,000 TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS.
NOW, I JUST RECEIVED CONFIRMATION THIS MORNING FROM FELICIA SANDERS, WHO IS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE HEAD OF THE COASTAL, UH, SHOREBIRDS PROGRAM.
BASICALLY, SHE, SHE WAS ACTUALLY ON CBS, UH, MORNING NEWS THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE DUVET BANK, WHICH IS WHERE SOME OF OUR ENDANGERED WIMBLE AND RED KNOT STAGE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, UM, IS NOW AN OFFICIAL PROTECTED SANCTUARY AND RECOGNIZED.
FELICIA IS GONNA JOIN ME IN LEADING A SHOREBIRDS WALK AND ALSO DO A PRESENTATION ONE EVENING.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY PARTNERS IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF OUR GOOD NAME AND OUR HARD WORK AND OUR DEDICATION.
PART OF OUR EXPERIENCE ON THE AGENDA IS HAVING ACCESS TO LANDS THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH NOIR'S WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR TOURS THERE AND THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING TO HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE WHEN YOU NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THAT SPRING, UH, ISLAND AS WELL.
THE LOW COUNTRY INSTITUTE OVER THERE.
UM, A GRADUATE AS WELL AS MY HUSBAND OF THE LOW COUNTRY MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM.
ANDY JONES AND TONY MILLS WHO RUN THAT.
THEY ARE ALSO GONNA DO A TOUR AND A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.
SO WE ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON DOING SOME ACTIVITIES, LIKE I SAID, AT HUNTING ISLAND, ALSO DOWN IN THE HILTON HEAD REGION SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE AREA FEELS WELCOME AND ABLE TO EXPLORE ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INVESTING IN A LOT OF THE DATA PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETE, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER.
BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU MY PHONE, 99% OF US BIRD NERDS AS WE LIKE TO CALL OURSELVES, WE USE A APP CALLED EBIRD, WHICH MEANS ANYTIME WE SEE A BIRD, WE REPORT IT.
IN FACT, I DID IT THIS MORNING 'CAUSE I SAW SOME CANADIAN GEESE OUT IN THE, UH, IN THE RETENTION POND.
BUT WE WILL BE ABLE TO TRACK WHO, UH, IS HERE FROM WHAT AREAS.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE WILL BE PARTNERING WITH ROB AS WELL.
SO, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YOU, NO QUESTIONS.
THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO YOU, SIR.
CHRISTINE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD OR A BAD THING.
SO THEN, UM, CAROLINA MIKE WAS REASSIGNED.
WHAT'S THAT? I'M NOT THE RESPONSIBLE PART OF OH, IT GOT RE DID YOU GET REASSIGNED? YEP, I ASKED.
SO WALK US THROUGH AGAIN, WHAT, UH, WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE INVESTMENT WOULD BE USED FOR.
SO THIS PORTION OF THE GRANT THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR WOULD BE USED TO HELP OFFSET THE CODES WOULD BE, UM, PAYING THE SPEAKER FEE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR CLOSING SPEAKER, UM, IS DOING THIS AS A FAVOR.
UM, AND IT IS NOT REQUESTING AN HONORARIUM.
SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
'CAUSE HE HAS TO GET BACK UP TO AAW WITH HIS BIRD, SO HE WILL NOT BE STAYING OVER.
BUT PART OF THAT WOULD BE FOR LODGING AND TRANSPORTATION AND AIRFARE FOR OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER AS HE LIVES IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
UH, ALSO IT WOULD BE REALLY FOR STAGING AND FOR SETUP.
SO, TABLES, CHAIRS, MICROPHONES.
UM, WE ARE ALSO GONNA HAVE A DINNER AT THAT KEYNOTE SPEAKING EVENT.
SO, UM, WE WILL NEED EXTRA TABLES FOR SERVICE.
UM, WE WILL ALSO HAVE TO RENT SOME BATHROOM FACILITIES BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATE, UM, A LARGE INFLUX OF PEOPLE COMING IN FOR THAT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT ALONE.
AND DO YOU HAVE A TARGET NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT TO VISIT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EVENT? WELL, OUR FIRST EVENT WITH VERY LITTLE PRESS GARED, 97 ATTENDEES FROM SEVEN DIFFERENT STATES WE'RE AIMING TO, UM, QUADRUPLE THAT.
AND WHY IS BIRDING SO POPULAR HERE? YOU KNOW, IT'S, THERE'S MANY REASONS.
FIRST OF ALL, TO ME IT'S AN EASY ACTIVITY AND THERE'S NO BOUNDARIES AS FAR AS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE MOST ATHLETIC.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE YOUNGEST.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL, UM,
[02:15:01]
LIMITATIONS TO DO SO.ACTUALLY, I JUST SHARED A STORY ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT A YOUNG AUTISTIC BOY WHO WAS 11 YEARS OLD IN OKLAHOMA THAT WAS ABLE TO MIMIC 50 BIRD SOUNDS.
NOW LISTEN, I'M A GREAT BIRDER.
I'VE SEEN 219 SPECIES IN BEAUFORT, UH, COUNTY THIS YEAR ALONE.
I CAN'T MIMIC BIRDS, SO PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO DO THAT.
YOU WOULD NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS AN ACTIVITY WHERE THE COVID, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES HELPED THIS AREA.
PEOPLE WERE LOOKING TO GET OUTSIDE, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO TRAVEL NOW.
MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF THAT.
WE LEFT BEHIND OUR CORPORATE CAREERS AND NOW THIS IS WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING.
AND CAN I, CAN I KEEP GOING DOWN THAT THREAD? UM, YEAH, SURE.
SO JUST THE, YOU MENTIONED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BERNIE MM-HMM
BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO TRAVEL, ACTUALLY STAY IN A, STAY IN A HOTEL, AND THEN VISIT MULTIPLE SITES FOR BIRDING YES.
THAT'S SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S PRETTY, HAPPENS A LOT.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'VE DONE 51 TOURS ALREADY THIS YEAR.
I'VE BEEN A BUSY BAYE MM-HMM
UM, BUT MOST, UH, 91% OF MY CLIENTS HAVE COME FROM OUT OF STATE.
AND THREE OF THEM THAT, ONE OF THEM I'VE DONE THIS YEAR, SHE CAME DOWN SPECIFICALLY TO BIRD WITH ME FROM ONTARIO.
I HAVE A CLIENT COMING IN FROM PORTLAND, OREGON, AND I HAVE A CLIENT FLYING IN FROM SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ALL STAYING FOR THREE TO FOUR DAYS JUST TO BIRD WITH ME AROUND THE AREA.
SO OUR IMPACTS ARE GREAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION.
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS KEPT UP TO DATE.
I'M ALSO A PHOTOGRAPHER THAT HELPS.
I GET TO SHOW PEOPLE REAL TIME, LIKE A LOT OF OTHER TOUR COMPANIES DON'T GET TO SHOW REAL TIME OR THEY HAVE STOCK PICTURES.
NO, I'M SHOWING YOU WHAT I'M ACTUALLY OUT THERE SEEING IN REAL TIME.
SO PEOPLE GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
LIKE I SAID, PLUS WE'VE BUILT A GOOD REPUTATION AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
BUT THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EVERYTHING HERE.
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THIS MOTHER NATURE HAS PROVIDED US WITH THE PERFECT LANDSCAPE WHERE THERE'S VERY LITTLE CAPITAL THAT NEEDS TO ACTUALLY BE INVESTED.
WE HAVE ALL OF THESE BEAUTIFUL SPACES THAT PEOPLE WILL GO TO, TO GO BIRDING.
WE JUST HAVE TO PROMOTE IT THE RIGHT WAY.
IS IS ATLANTIC FLYING SOMETHING? SO THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY FLYWAY, SORRY.
SO YOU'VE HEARD OF THE ACE BASIN BEFORE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WELL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CAROLINA BY WHICH STRETCHES FROM HARBOR ISLAND, BASICALLY JUST SOUTH OF HILTON HEAD AND INCLUDES ALL THE WATERWAYS AS WELL.
AND THAT AREA, ALL OF OUR RIVERS, ALL OF THE MARSHES, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SALT WATER.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FRESH WATER, THE ACE BASIN.
SOME OF THOSE, UM, ARE FRESH WATER.
AND I WANNA SAY, I HOPE I DON'T GET THIS WRONG, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M, IF I AM, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S 50% OF THE SALT MARSHES IN THE STATE OF CAR SOUTH CAROLINA ARE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO OUR WATERWAYS AND OUR LANDSCAPE ARE COMPLETELY UNIQUE.
SO THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING TO SEE ME FROM OREGON AND WASHINGTON AND CANADA, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEE THE SAME KIND OF SHOREBIRDS THAT ARE MIGRATING HERE.
THE RED KNOTS AND THE WIMBLE COME FROM CHILE AND ARGENTINA, FLY THE ATLANTIC FLYWAY IN THE CAROLINA BITE, AND THEN HEAD UP TO THE ARCTIC TO BREED.
AND YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT.
THE REASON THAT THIS FESTIVAL IS TARGETED WHEN IT IS, IS FOR FALL MIGRATION.
WHICH HAPPENS TO NOT BE THE BUSIEST TIME FOR HERE EITHER.
SO IT'S, IT'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO START FILLING THE HOTELS AND FILLING THE RESTAURANTS AND HAVING SHOPPING HAPPENING BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS BUSY OF A TIME.
PEOPLE ARE BACK IN SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT TRAVELING ANYMORE.
WE TRAVEL, I JUST DID IT MYSELF A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO GO DO SOME RESEARCH AND DO SOME BIRDING DOWN IN, UH, FLORIDA.
SOUNDS LIKE A ACTIVITY AND TRACTION COULD, THAT COULD ATTRACT A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
WHAT, UH, QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? THANK YOU.
SO THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION ON BEHALF OF MID CITY SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE, UM, IT IS REQUESTING A GRANT, UM, TO SPONSOR THE INAUGURAL SMOKE INVITATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.
UM, IT'LL TO BE HELD IN BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL COUNTY.
UH, WE ARE REQUESTING A SUM OF $152,000.
[02:20:01]
TOURNAMENT WILL DRAW SIGNIFICANT FOOT TRAFFIC AND REVENUE FROM BEYOND A 100 MILE RADIUS, ATTRACTING TOURISTS FROM ACROSS THE, THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL US TO EXPERIENCE THIS ISLAND'S RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY.THE TOURNAMENT WILL NOT ONLY BOOST LOCAL TOURISM, BUT ALSO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE MID-CITY SMOKE PROGRAM AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FUND THEIR UNIFORM FOR VARIOUS SPORTS OFFERED BY THE ORGANIZATION AND BE THEIR SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR OTHER TOURNAMENTS, TRAVEL, LODGING, MEALS DURING THE SEASON, ET CETERA.
THE TOURNAMENT WILL PROVIDE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AND TEMPORARY JOBS FOR TOURNAMENT STAFF OFFERING ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY WHILE LAYING OUT THE FOUNDATION FOR A LASTING TRADITION DEPUTY FOR COUNTY CAN BUILD UPON AND TAKE PRIDE IN FOR YEARS TO COME.
I PLAN TO APPLY FOR A WAIVER FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD WE CHOOSE UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION OF THE SPORTS TOURISM DEPARTMENT AND THE LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HOST IT AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
OTHERWISE, WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO HOST THESE IN, UM, COUNTY ASSETS SUCH AS BURTON WELLS AND THE OTHER, UM, RECREATION CENTERS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY.
UM, LIKE THE YMCA OR PERHAPS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION, LIKE I, LIKE I SAID, SUCH AS BURTON WELLS.
UM, AS ADDITION, WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE ASSETS LISTED ON OUR INSURED INSURANCE POLICIES AS ADDITIONAL INSURED JUST IN CASE.
UM, WE NEED TO UTILIZE THOSE FACILITIES IN THE FUTURE FOR PRACTICES, EVENTS AND TOURNAMENTS, SCRIMMAGES OR GAMES.
UM, WE CAN PROVIDE AMPLE INSURANCE, UH, WHICH EXCEEDS THE MINIMUM RIDER REQUIRED, UM, TO UTILIZE BEAUTIFUL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR, UH, RECREATION PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES.
A A U ATHLETICS HAS A HUGE FAN BASE AND, UM, BASKETBALL HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, WE DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SPECIFICALLY BASKETBALL BECAUSE WE ARE A MULTI-SPORT A A U UM, ORGANIZATION.
SO THIS MODEL THAT WE'RE USING CAN BE USED AS A BETA TEST, AND THIS BLUEPRINT CAN BE USED AS A BENCHMARK TO PROVIDE, UM, A SIMILAR TOURNAMENT FOR ANY OF THE 45 SPORTS THAT A A U OFFERS, WHICH INCLUDES BALL SPORTS, UM, IT INCLUDES MARTIAL ARTS AND A PLETHORA OF OTHER SPORTS INCLUDING WRESTLING, JUMP ROPE, WHATEVER.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP ON JUST BASKETBALL.
THIS BLUEPRINT CAN BE USED FOR ANY OF THE SPORTS THAT A A U OFFERS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, AS A TIER TWO A, A U ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS, SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE HAS THE PRESENCE OF MIND, THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE RESOURCES TO PULL OFF AN AMAZING BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT THAT WILL NOT ONLY BRING REPEAT PATRONS TO THE PATRONS TO THIS ISLAND OF BEAUFORT, UM, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND VENDORS WILL MUTUALLY BENEFIT BY MAKING SURE THAT FOOD AND CONCESSIONS ARE PROVIDED.
MAKING SURE THAT OUR TOURISM GUIDE, WHICH WE ARE, WHICH IS A PUBLICATION THAT WE ARE PUBLISHING, UM, TO SERVE AS A GUIDE OR AN ASSET MAP FOR THE TOURISTS WHEN THEY COME INTO THE, UM, TOURNAMENT, WHEN THEY PURCHASE THEIR, UH, WHEN THEY PURCHASE THEIR TOURNAMENT ENTRY FEES, THEY WILL GET THIS ASSET MAP, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY A WORD FIND PUZZLE THAT WILL GUIDE THEM TO THE PLACES TO VISIT THE, UM, SITES TO SEE AND THE RESTAURANTS AND PLACES THAT THEY NEED TO, UM, TO, I GUESS TO ENDORSE IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE THE FULLNESS OF WHAT THE COUNTY HAS TO OFFER.
UM, WHICH CAN ME ASK FOR QUESTIONS IF THAT'S OKAY? YES.
YOU'RE DOING GREAT BY THE WAY.
UM, ANY WHO WANTS TO JUMP IN FIRST? NO, I JUST WANNA ASK HOW WOULD, UM, THE STUDENTS FOR THIS SMOKE BE GATHERED OR WHAT INSTRUMENT YOU USE TO GET THE STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM? SO WHAT WE DO IS, UM, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, OUR PROGRAM, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAM, IT'S FREE.
THEY'RE NOT PAYING MONETARY DOLLARS, BUT THEY HAVE TO INVEST TIME CURRENCY WITH US.
SO THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS TO PARTICIPATE.
SO THEY'RE PAYING ME IN TIME CURRENCY.
SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, AS OUR, AS THE HOST ORGANIZATION, WE WOULD HAVE OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE TICKETING OF THIS IN THE, UM, WELCOMING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SEMINAR WHERE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE HOW THE PROGRAM HAS BENEFITED THEM AND ALSO THE, THEY ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED, UM, IF THE, IF WE DO USE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RIGHT.
THEY WILL BE, UH, REQUIRED TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL, UM, EXECUTION OF THE TOURNAMENT.
[02:25:01]
SO THAT MEANS OPERATING THE SCOREBOARD.I'M NOT TRYING TO CUT YOU OFF.
WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT TIME, SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, WHAT'S THE, THE, UH, YOU PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES IN HERE MM-HMM
ABOUT STUDIES FOR ACTIVITIES IN LOUISVILLE.
HOUSTON AND HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.
WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION AND THE SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE? THEY'RE BOTH MY ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THE SMOKE, THE SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE IS OPERATING IN A NUMBER OF OTHER PLACES NOW.
I HAVE, UM, THIS SEASON I ANTICIPATE FOUR TEAMS, A BOYS TEAM, GRADES THREE THROUGH SIX, AND A GIRLS TEAM GRADES NINE THROUGH 12 AND TWO BOYS TEAMS ONE, UM, SEVENTH THROUGH NINTH, AND THEN ONE 10TH THROUGH 12 BECAUSE SO THOSE WOULD BE TEAMS COMPETING AN EVENT LIKE THIS.
THE SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE WOULDN'T BE PRODUCING THE EVENT LIKE THIS.
IS THAT RIGHT? WHAT'D YOU SAY? I COULDN'T HEAR.
SO SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE IS MADE UP OF TEAMS AND THE EVENT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT SMOKE ATHLETIC LEAGUE TEAMS MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE THE PRESENTING PARTY.
THE PRESENTING PARTY WOULD BE THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ACTIVITIES WHERE THE HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION HAS DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE PAST? ANYWHERE? NOT IN THE CAPACITY OF HENRY CLAY FOUNDATION.
SO WE HAVE, BUT WE'VE DONE IT WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE, UM, IT'S AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE DC QUEENS, AND IT IS, IT OPERATES OUT OF TEXAS AND UM, THEY DO A TOURNAMENT EVERY YEAR AS WELL AS LIKE CLASH OF THE CLUBS AS WELL.
SO, WHICH IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT TIMING AGAIN.
SO YOU $152,000 REQUEST MAY BE THE LARGEST WE'VE RECEIVED IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE LARGEST, IF IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST.
WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS YOU HAVE A LOT OF LOOSE ENDS ON YOUR VENUES.
HOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE COUNTY CAN'T ACCOMMODATE THE TOURNAMENT YOU WANT TO HAVE? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? WELL, THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS.
WE CAN GO OUTSIDE OF THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND, BUT LIKE WHERE WE CAN GO, THERE IS A, A FACILITY IN BLUFFTON.
THE FACILITY IN BLUFFTON DOES HAVE THE PROPENSITY TO BE ABLE TO HOLD THAT CAPACITY.
IS THAT A COUNTY FACILITY OR WHAT IT IT IS, IT'S STILL A COUNTY FACILITY.
IT WOULD BE PARKS AND RECREATION IF CAN REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE YOUR TOURNAMENTS? WHAT I'M ASKING, I WANT YOU TO READ THE AGREEMENT WITH 'EM.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU WANT, BUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE ASKING US TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS WILL ASK US IF YOU'VE GOT, IF YOU'RE CAPABLE, DO SO.
DO YOU HAVE A, ARE YOU IN NEGOTIATIONS? DO YOU EXPECT CONCLUSION SOME NEAR TERM? YES, SIR.
SO I AM IN NEGOTIATION WITH A LARGER COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE IT THERE, BUT MY GOAL WOULD BE, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMEPLACE LIKE IN ORANGEBURG AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE OR MAYBE AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN.
BUT MY GOAL WOULD BE TO DRAW THE CROWD HERE SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE TOURISM DOLLARS.
YOU UNDERSTAND? SO I, I WOULD NOT WANT TO, MY MY GOAL IS TO BRING THE FOOT TRAFFIC AND THE MONEY HERE SO THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, I, THIS IS TOO, AND WHAT OUR CONCERN OBVIOUSLY IS THAT WE WANT YOU TO BE A SUCCESS, BUT HAVE A VENUE IN WHICH IF THE PERFORMING ARTS FOLKS OR THE HEALTHED SYMPHONY EXCEPTIONS A FEW MINUTES AGO SAID, WE GOT THIS GREAT PROGRAM, GREAT MUSICIANS, WE DON'T HAVE A HALL TO PLAY IN MM-HMM
AND SO THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO DO IS GET THAT INFORMATION.
I APPRECIATE YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR ACTIVITY.
THIS IS FIRST THIS, THIS WOULD BE THIS.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY BIG UNDERTAKING.
IS THIS SOMETHING YOU COULD START SMALLER AND GROW? SAY AGAIN? IS THIS AN, UH, EVENT THAT YOU COULD START SMALLER AND THEN GROW AS TIME GOES UP? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR FUNDING NEEDS? IT, IT WOULD NOT AFFECT MY FUNDING NEEDS.
THIS IS BASED ON A MODEL WHERE, UH, MY BRACKET, MY TOURNAMENT BRACKET, THE NUMBER OF TEAMS IN MY TOURNAMENT BRACKET CAN BE REDUCED.
WE CAN ALSO FIND WAYS TO HONE IN ON A SMALLER OR A MORE, UM, A SMALLER, MORE DEFINED GROUP OF KIDS.
INSTEAD OF HAVING IT OPEN TO ALL AGE GROUPS, WE COULD MAYBE FOCUS ON JUST THE SMALLER KIDS AND HAVE A SMALLER SIZE TOURNAMENT, WHICH AGAIN, WOULD REQUIRE LESS FUNDS AND WE WOULD JUST ALLOCATE THE FUNDS.
THE PERCENTAGES OF THE FUNDS WOULD STILL BE ALLOCATED IN THE SAME WAY, BUT WE'RE NOT DOING SUCH A LARGE TOURNAMENT.
WE WILL START SMALL AND THEN GROW, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SPORTS, UM, MARKETING TEAM AT THE CBB ABOUT THIS, OF THIS CB HERE WITH ROB WELLS? NO, NOT I'VE, I'VE MET WITH HIM MM-HMM
AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT,
[02:30:01]
UM, TO HIM AND TO THE SPORTS TOURISM DEPARTMENT.UM, I WAS BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THEM.
THE PRESENTATION AGAIN, UM, GYMS WAS THE, WAS THE CHALLENGE.
AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT WITHIN A SMALL RADIUS THAT THIS CAN BE DONE.
IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PULLED OFF.
I'VE SEEN IT DONE WITH EVEN LESS GYMS THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO SORT OF FINALIZING OR CONFIRM THAT YOU'RE GONNA EITHER USE THE SCHOOL GYMNASIUMS OR THE COUNTY GYMNASIUMS? SO I'M CURRENTLY USING THE DISTRICT, UH, RIGHT NOW.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF ADJUSTING OR REQUESTING TO SCHEDULE TO RE TO TWEAK MY CONTRACT.
SO I AM CURRENTLY UNDER, UM, CONTRACT WITH THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE USE THE DISTRICT FACILITIES ON MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, AND THURSDAYS FROM SIX TO 8:30 PM OKAY.
SO YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY USING THAT.
SO WE'VE GOT LIKE A TOURNAMENT BRACKET.
I'VE EDITED THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU GUYS GUYS HAVE BEFORE YOU.
UM, BUT IT TO INCLUDE A TOURNAMENT BRACKET THAT, UM, HAS 1, 2, 3, 4, THAT HAS SIX FACILITIES.
AND IT IS A COMBINATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES AND THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR THE PRELIMINARY TOURNAMENTS WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BEING HELD AT BURTON WELLS.
THAT'S JUST IN MY PERFECT WORLD, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WE WOULD HAVE THE GAMES TO MAKE THE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS SMALLER AND THEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, THE MAJOR DRAW WOULD BE THE FINAL, YOU KNOW, EVENT WOULD BE AT LIKE OUR BURTON WELLS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE OUR PEARL OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE'RE, I THINK OUR TIME IS UP.
SO ANY OTHER QUICK QUESTIONS OR, THANK YOU.
UH, SO THE, THE LL MUSEUM OF
OH, I THINK MAYBE THEY WEREN'T HERE TODAY.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE WERE THE ONES WHO TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT I WASN'T SURE IF ANYONE WAS HERE FOR THEM.
MY NAME IS ANDREA, LAST NAME IS MURRAY.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF FA CORP, A 5 0 1 C3 BASE ORGANIZATION HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE PURPOSE OF ME BEING HERE THIS MORNING IS TO PRESENT THE 8 0 3 LINE LOW COUNTRY SOUTHERN BLUES LINE DANCE FESTIVAL TO BE HELD SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH AT THE LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I AM EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE SIGNED AND CONTRACTED AND SECURED THE NUMBER ONE SOUTHERN BLUES ARTIST.
I GOT MY BOOTS ON THE GROUND, SO 8 0 3 FRESH WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE ON HILTON NET ISLAND.
HIS SONG HAS GONE VIRAL ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. YOUR NIECE, YOUR GRANDMOTHER, YOUR MOTHER'S.
EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO LEARN HOW TO DO THAT DANCE, BUT HE WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE SO WE DON'T NEED FUNDS FOR HIM.
UM, THIS SONG HAS GOTTEN NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE ON CNN AS WELL AS GOOD DAY AMERICA.
IN ADDITION, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE RESERVED OUR ROOM BLOCKS AT THE HILTON HEAD INN, UM, ON HILTON HEAD.
OUR GROUP CODE IS SSF MEANING FOR SOUTHERN SOUL FESTIVAL AT A RATE OF 1 69 PLUS TAX.
WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER HOTEL TO GET ADDITIONAL ROOMS. WHAT DOES THIS FESTIVAL LOOK LIKE? WELL, WE HAVE A VIP AREA WITH TABLES AND SEATS WITH WHITE PADDED FOLDING CHAIRS.
A NATIONAL SOUTHERN BLUES DJ THAT HAS A HUNDRED K FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, FOOD TRUCKS AND FOOD TEMP VENDORS FOR THE FOODIES, CRAFT VENDORS FOR THE SHOPPER AND A VIDEO WALLS TO SHOW THE LINE DANCING OF OTHER NATIONAL PERFORMANCE SOUTHERN BLUES ARTISTS THAT WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, IF THE TAX DOLLARS ARE AWARDED, WE WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR MARKETING ADVERTISING AND SOME PRODUCTION NEEDS AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL BATHROOM FACILITY.
THE VENUE IS LOCKED AND SECURED, UM, WITH HILTON HEAD ISLAND REC CENTER AND THE PERMIT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UM, SPECIAL EVENTS DEPARTMENT.
OUR METHODOLOGY USED TO TRACK OUR ATTENDEES FROM LAST YEAR.
WE DID THE 9 1 2 SOUTHERN BLUES FESTIVAL IN LIBERTY COUNTY.
THEY CAME ON AS A HUGE SPONSOR FOR THE EVENT.
WE TRACKED OUR EVENTS VIA SURVEY AS WELL AS EVENTBRITE, WHO'S OUR TICKETMASTERS OUTLET SYSTEM.
[02:35:01]
MARKETING STRATEGY.WE WILL USE SOCIAL MEDIA, RADIO, EMAIL, DIRECT MARKETING, AS WELL AS OUR REGIONAL MILITARY ALLOWANCE THAT WE HAVE.
OUR ATTENDEES HAS COME FROM UPPER STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, MEANING GREENVILLE IN FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTHVILLE, I'M SORRY, NORTH CAROLINA, ASHEVILLE, RALEIGH IN GREENSBORO, FLORIDA.
AS FAR AS JACKSONVILLE AND ORLANDO, TENNESSEE, VIRGINIA, GEORGIA INCLUDES MACON, AUGUSTA, ATLANTA, AND WASHINGTON DC OUR PROJECTION AND RETURN ON INVESTMENTS, WE ARE PROJECTED TO SELL OUR, I MEAN WE'RE PROJECTED TO HAVE A HUNDRED ROOM BLOCKS.
OUR TOTAL ATTENDANCE THAT WE ARE EXPECTING IS 400.
OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT WOULD BE THREE THOU 30,000, EXCUSE ME, $900.
HOW DID I ARRIVE TO THOSE NUMBERS? 100 ROOM TIMES.
PLUS THE TOTAL ATTENDANCE TIMES ABOUT $35 IN GAS AND SNACKS.
MAKES IT 14,000 TO ARRIVE AT AGAIN, $30,900.
TOURISM, ATTENDANCE, TOURISM AND ATTENDANCE.
THAT'S PROBABLY UNDERMINING IT A LITTLE BIT, BEING THAT WE HAD CLOSE TO 500 PEOPLE IN BRYANT COUNTY LAST YEAR.
AND THAT NUMBER WILL TRIPLE THIS YEAR FOR THAT EVENT WILL BE JULY 5TH.
OUR TOURISM PERCENTAGE RETURN MARGIN IS ABOUT 62%.
MAY I ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS? TRYING TO STAY ON TASK.
SORRY IF I SPEED THROUGH THAT.
UM, IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT WILL PUT HEADS IN BEDS, ATTRACT TOUR CONCERT, GO, UH, GOERS, OUTDOOR LOVERS AND FESTIVAL ATTENDEES TO SHOP, EAT OUT AT THE LOCAL BARS AND RESTAURANT AND FILL UP, TOP OFF THE GAS TANK AND GRAB SNACK AT THE LOCAL GAS STATION ON THEIR WAY BACK HOME.
ONCE AGAIN, MY NAME IS ANDREA MURRAY, OCTOBER 18TH, WE HAVE THE NUMBER ONE SOUTHERN BLUES ARTIST, 8 0 3 FRESH BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO, UM, THE EVENT IS ON HILTON HEAD.
AND THESE FUNDS ARE COMING BASICALLY FROM THIS SIDE OF THE BROAD RIVER.
HOW, HOW DO WE GET SOME OF THOSE HEADS AND BEDS ON THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE? OKAY, WELL I THOUGHT IT HAD TO BE FOR BUFORT COUNTY.
I MEAN, I'M JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WAY, UH, UM, GETTING, MAYBE SHARING WITH YOUR FOLKS THAT ARE COMING, SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PULL THEM OVER HERE FOR MAYBE A SHORT VISIT ON THIS SIDE TO MAYBE VISIT SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS, SOME OF THE, UH, TOURIST SPOTS THAT WE HAVE HERE, LIKE THE HAR TUBMAN, UM, EXHIBIT, I MEAN STATUE AND ROBERT SMALL STATUE PENN CENTER.
IS THERE, ARE YOU GOING TO SHARE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WITH YOUR VISITORS? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO OH, ABSOLUTELY.
I WILL DEFINITELY LET THEM KNOW WHAT IS TO DO IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT IS UP ON THE WEBSITE POSTING THAT HE'S COMING IN WELL, IS ADDITIONAL TO THE OTHER EVENT THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, LIBERTY COUNTY IS, YOU KNOW, HOW EARLY CAN WE, WE CHECK INTO THE HOTEL 'CAUSE THAT INFORMATION IS UP ON THE WEBSITE FOR THEM TO START BOOKING.
SO I CAN CALL MY GUY THAT'S BRINGING ON THE BUS AND TELL HIM THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, EARLIER THAT DAY ON SATURDAY, WE CAN MAKE IT A DAY TRIP TO COME OVER TO BEAUFORT.
AND DEFINITELY MAKE SOME STOPS HERE.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT AT ALL BECAUSE I DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE BRINGING BUSES.
WHAT IS THAT DAY OF THAT EVENT AGAIN? IT'S SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18TH.
DOORS OPEN AT THREE, THE CONCERTS FROM FOUR TO EIGHT.
PLEASE BRING FANS WHAT FANS AT.
COUPLE OF BACK BACKGROUND ISSUES.
WE'RE THE COMMITTEE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, AAX FUNDS THAT ARE COLLECTED IN THE TOWN OF FULTON.
GET GO TO THE TOWN OF FULTON HEAD.
THEY HAVE A SIMILAR COMMITTEE.
A TAX FUNDS COLLECTED IN BLUFFTON HAVE A SIMILAR COMMITTEE AND THEY COLLECT THOSE FUNDS.
IT'S THE SAME FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES IN THE AREA.
IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN IN GEORGIA'S I WOULD CALL.
AND THE TASK WE'RE SORT OF CHARGED WITH IS TO HELP REINVEST THESE FUNDS WHERE THESE FUNDS ARE GENERATED BECAUSE THEY'RE GENERATED UNINCORPORATED AREA.
WE, UH, RAISE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT EVENTS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS LIKE MUCH LIKE HILTON HEAD HAS ON THEIR APPLICATION FOR AT TAX FUNDS.
AND IF THIS EVENT'S NOT ON HILTON HEAD, PRETTY MUCH DON'T BUY.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SENSING THIS AND I CAN SENSE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF NEW INFORMATION.
ARE YOU HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH HILTON HEAD OR BLUFFTON OR ANY OF THOSE
UM, ACTUALLY, UM, I JUST GOT THE, MY LAST CONVERSATION BECAUSE YORK COUNTY SEEMED TO BE NOT HAVING A LOT OF CULTURAL EVENTS, SO I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM YESTERDAY.
SO I'M LIKE IN OTHER COUNTIES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHERE I LIVE AND PAY TAXES AS FAR AS IN HILTON
[02:40:01]
AT, THAT'S WHERE MY HOME IS.SO NO, I HAVE NOT HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH BLUFFTON OR, UM, ACTUALLY HILTON HEAD.
WELL HILTON HEAD'S AT TAX BUDGET IS DRAMATICALLY LARGER THAN THE AT TAX BUDGET IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER WORKING WITH THEM FOR OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND SINCE YOU'VE CHOSEN A PRO A A PARK THAT'S PRETTY FAR ON TO THE ISLAND MM-HMM.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S CLOSE TO THE BRIDGE OR SOMETHING.
IT'S LIKELY HAVE MORE IMPACT ON THE ISLAND.
AND WE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
MY LAST QUESTION IS SORT OF A PERSONAL ONE IN THAT I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS A BLUES FESTIVAL AND THERE WAS A LINE DANCING FESTIVAL.
AND THE LINE DANCING FESTIVAL SEEMED TO HAVE A LOT OF TEXAS TWO STEPS SIDE.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S ONE, ONE PLACE WHERE THOSE THINGS MURDERED? ABSOLUTELY.
WE JUST DID THE SPRING FLING IN, UM, MOBILE ALABAMA, AND THAT WAS 35,000 PEOPLE.
SO IT WAS SOUTHERN BLUES ARTIST.
AND THEN YOU HAD LINE DANCERS, STEPPERS JUST DOING THEIR THING.
IT'S A NEW, THE NEW GENERATION.
WELL, THAT MAY ANSWER THE QUESTION BECAUSE MY WIFE, WHO'S ONLY A COUPLE YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME, MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT EITHER, BUT SHE ASKED ME.
NOW I KNOW I'VE MET SOMEONE WHO'S FULLY PLUGGED IN.
BUT I WILL TAKE THAT NARRATIVE HOME WITH ME ON HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON AND SEEING WHEN THEIR DATES ARE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ATTAIN FROM THEM? THANK YOU, COUNCIL.
HUH? TELL DICK YES TO HAVE A FAN.
UM, OF ALL THE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
I KNOW THIS CAN BE A LONG DAY FOR YOU.
UM, I'M IN A U UNIQUE POSITION, UM, JEREMY WEATHERFORD FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND I'VE COME TO YOU TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT AN EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE MARCH 28TH THROUGH THE 30TH.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THE JONATHAN GREEN BALLET.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU SO MUCH, UH, I COULD TALK ABOUT IT FOREVER, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND HERE'S WHY.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE DID THE MARKETING, UM, WE MET WITH THE ATTENDEES, WE WORKED WITH THE BALLET PERFORMERS, AND NOW WE HAVE SOME OF THE RESULTS.
WE DO HAVE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF OUR EFFORTS FOR THAT TIME.
SO I'M HAPPY TO FOCUS ON THAT IF YOU LIKE.
ANY KEY STATS YOU CAN SHARE WOULD BE OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
SO, UM, WE DID WORK WITH ROB WELLS, THE CBB, AND HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE ME SOME, SOME REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
SO THE VISITOR ORIGIN FROM MARCH 28TH TO 30TH, AND THE VALET TOOK PLACE ON THE 29TH, AND THAT WAS AS PART OF OUR, WELL IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, CHALK IT UP.
UH, IT WAS THE ONLY NIGHT THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GET THIS PERFORMANCE TO COME TO BEAUFORT AND IT WAS JUST TOO GOOD TO NOT ACCEPT THAT DATE.
UM, THE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR OUR SPEND, AND THAT IS, UH, HE SAID WAS EXTREMELY STRONG.
I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR THE THE EXACT NUMBERS ON THAT, BUT HE SAID THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS AN INCREASE AND RESTAURANT SPEND WAS UP OVER FROM THE PREVIOUS FOUR WEEKS, IT WAS UP 33% AND OCCUPANCY ROSE, 73%.
WE WERE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A BREAKDOWN, UH, THANKS TO USCB.
THEY DID SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH US.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM CHICAGO, UH, WASHINGTON, RALEIGH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, CHATTANOOGA, CHARLOTTE, SAVANNAH, COLUMBIA.
WE HAD PEOPLE FROM WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE ALL OF THAT, UM, OFF OF THE TICKET INFORMATION.
NOW WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE, AND WE USED THE GEOFENCING WITH THE CBB, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE HAD COME IN ON FRIDAY.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAY THAT THEY STAYED FROM DOWNTOWN BEAUFORT, EVEN ONTO FRIPP ISLAND.
SO PART OF THE ATTRACTION FOR THIS BALLET, OBVIOUSLY IT'S JONATHAN GREEN, UM, INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED, AND HE'S A, A LOCAL PERSON AND BEING ABLE TO BRING THAT TO BEAUFORT, I THINK MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
BUT THEY HAVE SUCH A TREMENDOUS FOLLOWING.
THIS BALLET HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 20 YEARS, AND THEY HAVE SUCH A TREMENDOUS FOLLOWING THAT IT PULLED PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO I'M GETTING A LITTLE CONFUSED.
TH THIS EXACT APPLICATION IS TO FUND WHAT SPECIFICALLY? THE, I'M SORRY.
THE FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT, WHEN WE PUT ON, WE WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, USCB TO PUT ON OFF THE WALL ONTO THE STAGE.
IT WAS A BALLET, A PRODUCTION ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
[02:45:01]
PER DURING, DURING THE CHALK IT UP.BUT YOUR, DOES, YOUR ORGANIZATION DID RUNS CHALK IT UP AS WELL? YES, SIR.
THAT'S WHY I, SIR, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, SO, UH, SO THIS WOULD FUND THAT NEXT DAY, THE VALET IN SPECIFIC? YES, SIR.
THE PRODUCTION COST, EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT IN THE MARKETING BUDGET, THE PRINT BUDGET, UM, ALL OF THAT WOULD GO INTO THE 37 100.
UH, FOR, FOR THIS COMING SEPTEMBER.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT HAPPENED THIS PAST MARCH.
MARCH 29TH WAS THE DATE OF THE BALLET.
WE HAD TO BORROW FROM OUR CAPITAL FUND AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE REQUESTING, WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS COMING UP, PROJECTS THAT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT REIMBURSED SO THAT WE CAN REPLACE THOSE FUNDS MORE.
I, I'M SORRY, MORE BROADLY, THE CHALKING UP EVENT IN PARTICULAR, THOSE GET PRETTY BIG IN OTHER CITIES, DON'T THEY? YES, SIR.
OURS WAS PRETTY BIG THIS YEAR TOO.
UM, PRELIMINARY NUMBERS ON THAT WERE 3000.
HE'S GONNA GIVE ME THE REST, UM, HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE WEEKS, BUT HE SAID IT WAS VERY SAFE TO SAY AT LEAST 3000.
SO IT, SO SOMETHING LIKE WHAT YOU JUST DID IS THE, IS AN ADDITIONAL DRAW TO BRING YES, SIR.
AND I DO HAVE, UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE GOT, I MET WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS.
WE SENT OUT A SURVEY DIRECTLY AFTER THE BALLET.
WE DID THAT THE FOLLOWING DAY.
WE SENT ON A SURVEY TO LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, AND I HAVE EMAILS, I HAVE MESSAGES.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO JUST SHARE A COUPLE OF THOSE WITH YOU IF I'M ABLE.
SO FROM THE SPICE AND TEA EXCHANGE THEY WROTE, WE SAW LOTS OF FAULTS WITH THE CHOCOLATE UP STICKER AND THOSE IN FOR THE BALLET.
WE HAD HIGHER THAN AVERAGE SALES.
WE LOVED SEEING THE ARTWORK AND SEEING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE FROM MONKEY'S UNCLE, WE HAD A, WE, IT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT EVENT AND THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.
WE HAD LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE STORE, LOTS OF ARTISTS, EVEN SOME OF THE BALLET PEOPLE, AND THEN NAN BROWN WITH LULA BURGESS.
WE AS RETAILERS WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SEE WHO CAME IN FROM THE EVENT.
WE DID GIVE EVERYBODY A STICKER WHO CAME IN FROM THE EVENT ON SATURDAY WAS GREAT, HIGHER THAN OUR SUNDAY.
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES, AND I HAVE MULTIPLE, BECAUSE THE BUSINESS OWNERS WERE VERY KIND TO RESPOND AND EVERYONE DID ADMIT THAT THEY HAD EITHER A HIGHER SATURDAY, A HIGHER SUNDAY.
WE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE BALLET WENT SHOPPING ON, ON SUNDAY.
UM, AND THE OWNER OF SUITES DOWNTOWN, UM, THEY SENT US AN ACTUALLY A VERY NICE EMAIL SAYING THAT WE CHANGED THE, THEIR BOTTOM LINE FOR THE YEAR.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO DO.
AND THAT WAS BOTH THE BALLET IN ADDITION TO THE FESTIVAL QUESTIONS.
AND WITH, IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET THESE FUNDS, THAT'S GOING TO HELP US BECAUSE THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME AND WE LEARNED SO MUCH AND WE LEARNED, UM, THAT BALLET WAS PERFECT FOR THE MISSION OF THE FREEMAN ARTS DISTRICT AND THAT IS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH ART AND CREATIVITY AND OUR ABILITY TO DO THAT, UM, LESSONS IF WE AREN'T ABLE TO GET THESE FUNDS TO REPLACE OUR CAPITAL FUND.
THE BEAUFORT COUNTY TWO 50 COMMITTEE.
MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE COUNTY STAFF.
I REPRESENT THE BEFORD COUNTY TWO 50 COMMITTEE.
WE ARE AN ARM OF THE STATE TWO 50 COMMISSION CHARGED WITH CELEBRATING AND OBSERVING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
YOU MAY RECALL FROM OUR INITIAL APPLICATION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT A SECOND APPLICATION IN THE SECOND CYCLE OF FUNDING.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO EDUCATE, ENGAGE AND INSPIRE SOUTH CAROLINIANS AND VISITORS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE THAT SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN OUR CASE, BEAUFORT COUNTY, PLAYED IN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
WITHIN THAT MISSION, OUR ROLE IS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OR TO DEVELOP, TO SUPPORT THE PRODUCTION OF, OR TO PRODUCE AND TO COORDINATE SINGLE AND MULTI COMMUNITY EVENTS, INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IN KEEPING WITH THE SCOPE OF OUR MISSION.
OUR PROJECT IS NOT A SINGLE INITIATIVE OR A SINGLE PROJECT, BUT A SERIES OF INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS.
WE ARE APPROACHING IT IN THREE PHASES, 2025 TO 20 26, 20 27 TO 2029, AND 2030 TO 2033.
[02:50:01]
OUR INITIAL REQUEST IN THIS REQUEST IS FOCUSED ON THE FIRST OF THOSE THREE PHASES, BUT IT ALSO ENTAILS SOME ONE-TIME EXPENSES THAT WILL BE AMORTIZED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPAN OF OUR MISSION.IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SAY THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS AND IT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING MONTH BY MONTH.
AS SUCH, SINCE OUR INITIAL REQUEST, NEW INITIATIVES HAVE SURFACED AND REQUIRE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
ALSO, SINCE OUR FIRST REQUEST, WE HAVE RECEIVED A $181,000 GRANT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA TWO 50 COMMISSION, FOR WHICH WE MUST COME UP WITH A $53,500 MATCH.
THE INITIAL 50% OF OUR EARLIER GRANT FROM THE COUNTY IN THE AMOUNT OF $32,500.
THE 50% BEING 16,250 IS BEING ADMINISTERED BY THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY AS OUR FISCAL AGENT AND WORK FUNDED BY THAT GRANT IS IN PROGRESS ON SEVERAL FRONTS.
APPROXIMATELY $11,000 OF THAT AMOUNT HAS ALREADY BEEN EXPENDED OR EARMARKED FOR NEAR TERM PROJECTS, IN ADDITION TO HELPING US MEET THE MATCH REQUIREMENT.
THIS CURRENT REQUEST IS TO HELP SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING NEW INITIATIVES, A VETERAN'S DAY CELEBRATION IN WATERFRONT PARK.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE IN BEAUFORT, BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD AND THE SUN CITY LOCAL CEREMONIES, WE ARE PLANNING EXHIBITS IN 2026 ON THE BATTLE OF YAMACRAW BLUFF IN THE BATTLE OF BLOODY POINT, BOTH REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLES, WHICH OCCURRED VERY EARLY IN THE WAR HERE IN BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON A PROGRAM WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM AND THE D DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION RELATIVE TO PATRIOT EXHIBITS IN THE LIBRARIES AND HOPEFULLY IN THE MUSEUMS IN THE CO COUNTY, WHICH WILL FEATURE EXHIBITS OF PATRIOTS FROM THE 13 COLONIES AS WELL AS
BUT IN SILENCE, MY PHONE, EXCUSE ME,
UH, IN, IN KEEPING WITH THAT PROJECT, WE WILL BE PRODUCING, UH, BOOKMARKS ON THE 15 PATRIOTS FROM BEAUFORT DISTRICT IN THE REVOLUTION.
AND THOSE WILL ACCOMPANY BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS.
WE ARE WORKING ON A CAROLINA DAY CELEBRATIONS COUNTYWIDE NEXT YEAR IN 2026 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA TWO 50 STATEWIDE INITIATIVE.
AND MOST RECENTLY WE HAVE BEGUN TO INVESTIGATE THE PROSPECT OF PUTTING A FALLEN HEROES AND SHIP MARTYR'S WALL SOMEWHERE IN A APPROPRIATE LOCATION IN BUFORT, UH, SOMETIME OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
UH, WE, WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, AS I SAID, TO APPLY AGAIN, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I KNOW I'M IN THE UNVIABLE PLACE OF KEEPING YOU FROM LUNCH AND WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MILITARY AS A LEADER, YOU LEARN NEVER KEEP THE TROOPS FROM THEIR FOOD, BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT, COMING TO THIS, THIS, THIS MORNING I NOTICED YOU HAVE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION, UM, CAPTION, ZIP CODE.
HOW'S THAT DONE? WELL WITH THE ELECTRONIC RES, UH, RESERVATIONS OR REGISTRATIONS, UHHUH FOR EVENTS, WE, WE COLLECT THAT INFORMATION.
DO YOU HAVE A PROGRAM WHO DOES THAT SOFTWARE? WE, WE DO.
WE'LL BE WORKING ACTUALLY WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ALREADY HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
SO USCB FOR INSTANCE, WITH, WITH OLLIE WITH YOUR LIFELONG LEARNING, THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO TAKE REGISTRATIONS FOR THE VARIOUS EVENTS THAT THEY'LL BE CO-PROMOTING WITH US.
UM, WITH THE HERITAGE LIBRARY AND IN, UH, HILTON HEAD, THEY HAVE THAT SAME CAPABILITY ON REGISTRATIONS.
WELL, ALL THESE ACTIVITIES YOU HAVE, HOW DO YOU CAPTURE THE DATA FOR HOTEL STAY IN THE COUNTY? WELL, WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE DATA FOR HOTEL STAYS WITH THE RESERVATIONS, UH, THAT ARE TAKEN FOR THE VARIOUS EVENTS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD OUR FIRST INITIATIVE OR EVENT HASN'T TAKEN PLACE YET.
BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BE, UH, KIND OF, UH, HEADLINING IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE THAT MONTH.
AND I'M, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECUSE MYSELF BECAUSE WE ARE A RECIPIENT OF THIS GRANT.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
KIND OF CONGRATULATIONS ON $181,000 UNEXPECTED FUNDING.
UH, WHAT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING HAPPENING WITH FUNDING OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AND THEN IN THE FOLLOWING TIME? 'CAUSE I THINK YOUR EVENTS CONTINUE BEYOND 12 MONTHS FROM NOW, UH, OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
THIS THE FUNDING THAT WE'LL BE RECEIVING THIS YEAR FROM HOPEFULLY AN ADDITIONAL ROUND HERE WITH, UH, WITH BUFORT.
UM, WE ARE GONNA BE APPLYING FOR HILTON HEAD AND BLUFF AND AT TAX LATER ON THIS YEAR.
UM, WE WILL THEN HAVE THE FUNDING NECESSARY TO COVER THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED AND LOOK LIKE THEY MAY BE COMING ON THE RADAR SCREEN UP THROUGH THE END OF 2026.
[02:55:01]
IN THE FUTURE YEARS.ONE OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IS RELATED TO THE GRAYS HILL BATTLEFIELD AND THE GRAYS HILL BATTLEFIELD SITE.
UH, THE BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL ISLAND, UH, THE FIRST VICTORY OF THE PATRIOTS VERSUS THE BRITISH IN A LAND BATTLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE REVOLUTION.
UM, THAT WILL BE A MAJOR INITIATIVE FOR, UH, 2029 THAT WE'LL BEGIN TO START RAISING FUNDING FOR IN 2026, PROVIDED THAT WE CAN GET THE APPROVAL AND THE PERMISSION FROM MARINE CORPS AIR STATION AND FROM THE COUNTY TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH THAT PROJECT, WHICH IS ON PASSIVE PARKS PROPERTY LAND, WHERE IT'S ON GRAY'S, IT'S UH, ON ROUTE 21 NORTH OF TOWN AT GRAYS HILL, BASICALLY.
SO IT'S A MARINE CORPS AIR STATION.
YOU MAY HAVE SIR MARINE CORPS AIR STATION ON ONE SIDE, THE OLD HARRIS PILLOW FACTORY, UH, WHICH IS ON THAT PROPERTY RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, THE REASON YOU'RE PICKING 79 FOR THAT IS 1779 IS WHEN THAT HAPPENED, NOT 1775, IS THAT RIGHT? 2029 IS WHEN THE UH, THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN THE BATTLE HAPPENED.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH MM-HMM
ALL THE APPLICATIONS, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
AND SINCE VM L'S NOT HERE AND WE SCHEDULED TO DO DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK, THEN I THINK THAT CONCLUDES EVERYTHING.
OTHER THAN LUNCH, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT.
DO WE NEED TO MOVE TO ADJOURN OR JUST ADJOURN OR MOTION TO ADJOURN? SECOND.
HELLO, MY NAME'S CHRIS CAMPBELL.
I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD.
BEAUFORT COUNTY IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE.
BEAUFORT COUNTY IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK, A FUN PLACE TO PLAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO COMBAT ITERATE.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO INVEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE POLLUTION.
SO LET'S ALL DO OUR PART TO HELP KEEP THE WORLD A CLEANER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
SMALL ACTIONS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
WE HAVE RIVERS, WE HAVE OCEANS, WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL TOWNS.
I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY BEING HERE EACH DAY.
WE WORK TOWARDS KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT SAFE, CLEAN AND ENJOYABLE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
THIS EARTH DAY, INVEST IN YOUR PLANET.
INVEST IN THE LOW COUNTRY WE ARE INVESTING IN.
I AM INVESTING IN KEEPING HAMPTON COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
I'M FROM THE CITY OF WABO AND WE'RE INVESTING IN A KE WALTERBORO BEAUTIFUL.
I'M INVESTING IN KEEPING COLLETON COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
WE ARE INVESTING IN NEWFORD COUNTY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP VISIT BEAVER COUNTY SC.GOV TO JOIN AND ADOPT A HIGHWAY GROUP AND THE BEAVERT COUNTY CONNECT APP.
TO REPORT LITTER AND OTHER CONCERNS, JOIN US FOR THE REGIONAL EARTH DAY CLEANUP EVENT ON FRIDAY, APRIL 21ST FROM 9:00 AM TO 2:00 PM A CEREMONY WILL FOLLOW.
AT 4:00 PM AT BEAVER COUNTY AVENUE BUILDING, 100 REBO ROAD.