Travel and Tourism accepts budget

At their meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Hot Springs Travel and Tourism Board accepted the fiscal year 2017-18 budget. Prior to the regular meeting, there was a public hearing regarding the budget.

According to the budget, the forecasted revenue is $175,120, with $175,000 from total operating revenues and the remainder from interest. The administration budget is $13,555, which includes: $6,500 for administrator, $1,200 for accounting/auditing, $3,500 for website, $748 for office supplies, $52 for office equipment, rent and repair, $500 for education, $1,000 for registrations and $55 for public notice.

The operations budget is $201,465, which includes: $44,000 for wages, $750 for mileage, $500 for meals, $35,822 for billboards, $42,775 for print publication, $12,000 for television, $4,000 for radio, $7,000 for contractual arrangements and $9,443 for contingency. There is also $100 budgeted for liability insurance.

Following an executive session, the board approved a bid from PRISMA Design and Photography with regard to a redesign of the thermopolis.com website. Nadja Cavin with PRISMA was present during the meeting, and noted she’s been doing websites for 20 years and they can offer suggestions while the site is being built. Cavin planned to meet with Travel and Tourism Director Amanda Moeller to discuss further ideas for the site, as well as for the Thermopolis app.

Cavin also pointed out she is a photographer, and has already taken some pictures that could be use for the site.

Also following the executive session, the board approved a contract with Kent Hessenthaler for the land on which there is a billboard south of town. The billboard was recently gifted to Travel and Tourism from the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the contract with Hessenthaler will be from July 2017 through June 2022.

With regard to billboards, Moeller said they had previously discussed redoing the billboard in Buffalo. She noted she’s contacted the Wyoming Office of Tourism to determine if there is a media kit they can tie into to ensure the message is succinct. Moeller said the board has faded to practically nothing, and she’s coming up with ideas to present to the board.

As for other advertising, Moeller said the ads they have in Gillette played 816,849 times over the course of one year, about 2,200 images per day. Carl Leyba suggested revisiting the idea of advertising on digital billboards in Casper. Moeller pointed out they would not get as many impressions through the Casper boards, but would check into using them.

Moeller also reported on the 2017-18 Keys to the City campaign, which provides visitors who stay at Thermopolis hotels key chains that get them discounts at participating businesses. The key chains for the campaign, Moeller said, are oval-shaped featuring a buffalo and a Wyoming flag, as well as “Thermopolis” printed on them. The key chains are silver, not gold, and there’s been discussion to ordering 3,000 of them. Moeller said they’ve ordered 1,500 in previous years, though they ran out a couple weeks before the end of the Keys campaign. This year’s campaign will be October through March.

Moeller is also looking at getting a technical assistance grant, with which they could do some market research and look at who is staying at hotels, where they are staying, how old they are and what they’re spending. That information could be used to understand lodging trends and develop a market strategy.

Moeller recently received an email from Donna Lawson, the Grants and Foundations coordinator with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. According to the email, the Cycle Greater Yellowstone 2018 will be in August of 2018. The event is a weeklong cycling tour of parts of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, specifically Thermopolis, Cody, Meeteetse, Pavillion, Dubois and Lander. It brings not only 300 cyclists to the area, but also more than 200 staff volunteers and travel partners.

Hot Springs State Park was recently named No. 6 in a USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice “Best Wyoming Attraction” survey, and Moeller congratulated Park Superintendent Kevin Skates and his staff. She also noted the upcoming dates of Oct. 11 and 12 for the fall Hospitality and Tourism Summit in Saratoga, and Feb. 25-27 for the 2018 Governor’s Conference in Cheyenne.

Leyba spoke about the recent John Roberts y Pan Blanco concert at the state park pavilion, and brought up the idea of having a band play at the pavilion once a month, May-August and possibly September. Moeller pointed out Travel and Tourism helped fund the John Roberts concert, and Leyba suggested possibly increasing funding. Moeller said Travel and Tourism can provide funding, but can’t actually put on the event.