Brownsville CVB Advisory Board

Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board Minutes Zoom Meeting Or via Microsoft Teams by logging on at: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87533118366 Meeting ID: 875 3311 8366 Minutes from : September 24,2024 Meeting Date: October 8 th,2024 Present Mayra Cruz-Vice Chair Claudia Lozano-Member Carmen Nordyke-Member Roman Portes-Member CVB Staff Dafne Maldonado- CVB&OSC Director Eva Millan-Tourism Coordinator CMD Staff Monica Llanas Leadership Brownsville Members Lorena Cardona (Brownsville Airport) Michael Zavala Alexandra Torres Sandra Barba Miriam Saldana Astrid Dominguez Reyna Kelley Jesus Nevarez Hector Valdez Jose E. Salinas Gloria Gonzalez Dulce V. Alejos Protasio Guerra Gennie Garcia MMT-COB  1. Call to Order Mayra Cruz called the meeting to order at 12:04 pm. 2. Public Comment Period No public comments were made. 3. Approval of Minutes (August 13, 2024) o Motion to approve: Mayra Cruz o First: Claudia o Second: Carmen o Motion passed: Minutes from 08/13/2024 were approved. 4. Presentation on Brownsville Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) Updates The BCVB board and staff introduced themselves to the Leadership Brownsville team. Updates covered various aspects of BCVB operations, including business and marketing efforts. Business Updates: o Ms. Maldonado informed the Board that Ms. Montesam was on annual leave from September 24th to October 1st. o BCVB attended the TACVB Conference and won 2nd place in two out of five award categories for the fiscal year 2023-2024: 1. Leisure and Tourism Marketing Campaign (Happening in BTX, Travel Beyond, Outdoors) 2. Meeting and Events Promotion (Space Fest) o BCVB staff visited key cultural and historical sites such as Palo Alto National Battlefield and several Brownsville museums to improve knowledge and promotion of local attractions. Community Engagement and Promotion: o Ms. Maldonado emphasized the importance of firsthand experience in promoting local attractions. She highlighted the success of kayak tours, which are popular and fully booked upon announcement, and encouraged the board to participate. o Tours include kayaking, walking tours, and helicopter tours, all promoted on the website. Hotel and Occupancy Tax Grant Funding: o Ms. Maldonado explained that BCVB is solely funded through the hotel occupancy tax, with no support from the general fund. For fiscal year 2025, BCVB received $1,954,268 in funds but received grant requests totaling $3,224,315. o The short-term rental notice ordinance, expected to generate additional revenue from Airbnb and Vrbo rentals, is pending commission approval. o Ms. Cruz requested updates on the commission meeting for this ordinance. 5. Discussion on Funding Allocation o Ms. Maldonado explained the role of the eligibility committee, which consists of various city departments and provides recommendations to the commission on funding allocations. She also presented the organizations that applied for funding and the reasons some did not qualify. 6. BCVB Retreat and Advisory Board Changes o Discussion on potential changes to the BCVB bylaws and appointment of board members by the City Commission. Options for the retreat venue were also discussed, including the CVB Complex, Main Event, or a hotel conference room. 7. Marketing and Events Update o Ms. Maldonado highlighted BCVB's increased focus on international outreach, particularly targeting visitors from Mexico and Canada. The airport’s new flight to Monterrey, starting October 15th, was mentioned as a key initiative. o BCVB supports advertising efforts through publications like Texas Monthly and Texas Parks and Wildlife. o Upcoming events include Beerfest, CreArte Expo, Halloween Classics, Hallowmania, Circuit of the Americas, and Zoofari 2024. These events are promoted on social media and are expected to attract significant visitors. 8. Grant Funding for Events o Two organizations were approved for BCVB grant funding for FY 2024: Q7 Sports ($5,000) and The Flower Shop Residency ($1,828). o Three new organizations are applying for the FY 2025 grant: City Cruisers, Alex Martinez, and Marines Promotion. The board was asked how they  would prefer to vote on these applications with a grant of $15,000. Dividing in $7,500.00 Ms. Cruz motioned to vote via email Motion 1: Mayra Cruz Motion 2: Roman Portes Motion Passes. Adjournment Ms. Mayra Cruz Adjourned 12:57 pm _____________________________ 10-08-2024 Mayra Cruz -Vice Chair Date