[wmm] FW: Oregon Coast Visitors Association

[Vetter, George]

Rebecah .. Thank you for taking time to clarify and inform us about OCVA. I
am forwarding your message (see below) to the WMM list. Your efforts,
through OCVA, to promote the Oregon Coast (all 363 miles) is very much
appreciated. .. George

 

Reminder1: Concert: Rock Violinist Aaron Meyer. Tonight 7:00pm at Sea Ranch
Resort Sundance Event Lodge. Open House - Wine and hors d' oeuvres.
5:00-6:30pm (21 and older) Admission $10. Concert Only $5. 503.436.2815

Reminder2: The History Center's last musical event of the season is tomorrow
night, May 28th.  The famous Northwest group Vox Eclectique will begin at
7:30 p.m. Adults are $7 and children are $2

 

George Vetter

Cannon-Beach Net <http://www.cannon-beach.net/> 

george at cannon-beach.net

231 N Hemlock, Box 164

Cannon Beach, OR 97110

 

From: Rebecah Lutz [mailto:rlutz at thepeoplescoast.com] 
Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 9:16 AM
To: georgevetter at gmail.com
Cc: 'Robin Dollar'
Subject: Oregon Coast Visitors Association

 

Hello George,

 

The minutes of the May 25, 2011 Wednesday Morning Meeting have been shared
with OCVA by our Board members Sue Meyers and Jon Rahl.  We'd like to
address the concerns raised in this missive. 

 

The Oregon Coast Visitors Association's Board of Directors has reviewed the
minutes of the May 25, 2011, Wednesday Morning (public) Meeting in Cannon
Beach.  In those minutes it outlines some concerns with how the state
transient occupancy money can and should be allocated as well as the
structure of the Oregon Coast Visitor Associations (OCVA).  In particular,
the concerns are centered on the lack of representation of the North Coast.
We appreciate your interest and wanted to take this opportunity to correct a
couple of inaccuracies.

 

Our organization is responsible for promoting and advertising the entire 363
(not 300) miles of Oregon Coast.  The minutes seem to assume that the North
Coast lacks proper representation on the OCVA board.  Each of our three
diverse coastal regions (north - Astoria to Pacific City; central - Lincoln
City to Florence and South - Reedsport to Brookings) is equally represented
on the board.  Four of our eleven board members reside in and represent the
North Coast.  These north coast Board members include; Skip Hauke (Astoria
Chamber of Commerce); Susan Palmer (Tillamook County Creamery Association)
Sue Meyers (Land's End Motel, Cannon Beach) and Jon Rahl (Seaside Visitor
Bureau).  

 

Each quarter we host a public meeting and encourage our coastal communities
to attend and present comments, ideas and suggestions.  Those meetings move
to different areas along the coast.  In fact, our December 2010 meeting was
held in Cannon Beach.  I would be happy to schedule another presentation in
your area if you'd like.  Or, you could attend the June 24th breakfast
meeting of the Seaside Chamber where I will be the guest speaker.  In
addition, we have a marketing committee and an occasional task force that
community members are encouraged to participate on to help guide and manage
the advertising and promotions of our beautiful coast.  The North Coast has
three active members on our marketing committee of ten.

 

Since the passage of bill 2267 in 2003, the Oregon Department of Revenue
(ODOR) has been collecting the 1% room tax from each lodging property around
the state.  ODOR identifies which of the seven regions that lodging property
is located in and once a year, Travel Oregon distributes 12% (lowered from
the original 15%) of those funds to the identified Regional Destination
Marketing Organization (RDMO).  In the case of the Oregon Coast, that
recognized RDMO is the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA).  

 

For Fiscal Year 2010/11 OCVA is budgeted to receive $298,226.14 and we will
budget that same amount for this coming FY 2011/12.  However, we are
anticipating a slight increase in revenues this year over last year.  

 

The minutes also indicate that "money could be requested from the State".
While there are limited grant dollars available through Travel Oregon, those
grant monies are not part of the regional program and therefore would not
come out of the OCVA regional marketing budget nor does OCVA have a grant
program available out of our office.  

 

In addition, the minutes have comments made by Rob Spooner about OCVA's use
of the Oregon Coast Mile-by-Mile Guide.  It is accurate that, after a
mutually beneficial and successful tenure with Northwest Magazines, OCVA
will be developing our own fulfillment piece to use in our marketing
efforts.  We wish Northwest Magazine continued success with their magazines
and thank them for all they've done to promote the Oregon coast to the
public at large.  However, the minutes should reflect that each year OCVA
actually receives 171,000 copies of the Oregon Coast Mile-by-Mile guide to
distribute in our marketing avenues.  These avenues include the Oregon State
Welcome Centers, Chambers of Commerce, Visitor and Convention Bureaus, AAA
offices around the country, Collier State Welcome Center across the
California border, to consumer shows we attend each year, to hundreds of
coastal businesses, to the travel media, as well as internationally through
our marketing efforts in connection with Travel Oregon.  We also mail our
visitor guide to thousands of visitors each month who have contacted our
office looking to plan their vacation to the Oregon coast.  

 

OCVA is planning on our new guide being available in early 2012.  We will be
meeting with our marketing committee, our Board of Directors and working
with your local Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Bureau for input on what should
be included.  (Got any great ideas?  Please feel free to share them with
us.)  We will produce 100,000 copies of the new guide and they will be
distributed in the same avenues outlined above.  Until the new visitor guide
becomes available, the Oregon Coast Mile-by-Mile guide will continue to be
OCVA's fulfillment piece and we will continue to distribute our supply as
indicated.  

 

I encourage you to attend our public meeting on Friday, June 3rd, 9:00 -
10:30 am at the Inn at Otter Crest just south of Depoe Bay.  This is a very
informative meeting where we talk about the work we've been doing to promote
the Oregon coast and what our plans are for the next fiscal year.  If you
are not able to attend this meeting, stay tuned, we hold one each quarter in
connection with our quarterly Board meetings.  If you would like to attend
please RSVP to fun at ThePeoplesCoast.com.  

 

If you should have any additional questions please do not hesitate to
contact either myself or any of our OCVA Board members.  We are here to help
and to work together to promote this wonderful region in which we live work
and play.  

 

Sincerely,

 

Rebecah 

Rebecah Lutz, Executive Director

 

cc: Robin Dollar, President, Oregon Coast Visitors Association

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