Tourism Committee

Tourism Committee Meeting Agenda Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 7:30 AM Council Chambers Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ROLL CALL 3. ADOPTION OF AGENDA 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Minutes from date 2-5 Tourism Committee - 27 Aug 2025 - Minutes 5. BUSINESS a. 2026 River Travel Media Contract & Third Party Expenditures 6 Memo: 2026 River Travel Media Contract & Third Party Expenditures b. Guidelines for Events Discussion 7-8 Memo: Guidelines for Events Discussion 6. COMMUNICATION AND MISCELLANEOUS 7. ADJOURNMENT  Tourism Committee Meeting Minutes 7:30 AM - Wednesday, August 27, 2025 Council Chambers The Tourism Committee of the City of New Richmond was called to order on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at 7:30 AM, in the Council Chambers, with the following members present: PRESENT: Brian Meyer, Pete Vrieze, Timothy Sass ABSENT: Kim Dimick OTHERS Michelle Scanlan, Lexi Derrick PRESENT: CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA Pete Vrieze made a motion to adopt the Agenda. Timothy Sass seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MINUTES FROM DATE Pete Vrieze made a motion to approve Minutes from May 15, 2025. Timothy Sass seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. ROOM TAX 2Q25 ROOM TAX COLLECTIONS Lexi Derrick presenting the Second Quarter Room Tax Report, which included the funds available for allocation. In addition, she provided a breakdown of prior years reimbursement dollars, illustrating the proportion of those reimbursements as a percentage of marketing expenses in comparison to operating expenses. Room Tax Funds for second quarter 2025: Room Tax Collected: $45,981.95 70% of Collections: $32,187.37 Carry Forward Funds: $42,828.51 Tourism Committee Meeting August 27, 2025 Total Funds Available: $75,015.88 FUNDING REQUESTS NORTHWOOD TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION TOURISM FUNDING REQUEST - COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 2025 Lexi Derrick provided an overview of the Tourism Funding Request submitted by Northwood Technical College to support marketing expenses for their Community Connections event. Brian Schroeder, representing NTC, was present to answer questions regarding the event’s marketing strategy, invited attendees, and how the event rotates annually among colleges within their system. Pete Vrieze abstained from discussion. NEW RICHMOND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - PARK ART FAIR Lexi Derrick presented a tourism funding request on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce for their annual Park Art Fair. The committee reviewed and discussed the request with Rob Kreibich, President of the Chamber of Commerce. During the discussion, the committee provided suggestions for improving event marketing, including better utilization of the black signs and banners. Additionally, the committee encouraged the Chamber to consider using the overhead banner on Knowles Avenue for future events. TOURISM COMMITTEE - MARKETING EXPANSION FOR VISIT NEW RICHMOND Lexi Derrick presented a Tourism Funding application to support ongoing efforts to market Visit New Richmond. The request included funding for signage in local parks and collaboration with the School District to explore marketing opportunities during school events. ACTION OF FUNDING REQUESTS Tim Sass made a motion to recommend $4,223.24 in Tourism Funidng to the Council for the NTC's Community Connections event. Brian Meyer seconded the motion. Pete Vrieze abstained from voting. Tim Sass made a motion to recommend $8,313.49 in Tourism Funding to the Council for Park Art Fair. Brain Meyer seconded the motion. Pete Vrieze made a motion to recommend $1,000 in Visit New Richmond marketing park signage and $1,000 in marketing material for the School District. Brian Meyer seconded the motion. BUSINESS VISIT NEW RICHMOND SECOND QUARTER REPORT 2025 The committee reviewed the Second Quarter 2025 Marketing Campaign Report. The campaign demonstrated strong results across multiple channels:  Website Engagement: 12,468 active users  Press Releases and Email Newsletter: Achieved a 30% open rate and a 44% click rate, far above the tourism industry average of 2–3%  Digital Advertising: Generated 7,982 clicks with a cost-per-click (CPC) of $0.16, significantly lower than the industry average of $0.30–$0.60  Billboards: Delivered 294,278 impressions at a cost of $6.09 per thousand impressions (CPM), outperforming the industry average of $6–$12 Tourism Committee Meeting August 27, 2025   Sweepstakes Campaign: Delivered a strong conversion rate of 47.23%, resulting in 555 entries  Travel Wisconsin Co-op: Special offers emails performed well, generating 307 unique link clicks and averaging a 56% open rate  Audio Ad Streaming: Music streaming and radio networks reached 24,241 unique listeners with a 97.45% listen-through rate. Podcasts reached 7,458 unique listeners with an almost perfect listen-through rate of 99.94% The committee acknowledged the campaign's success. Serveral members also noted they had seen the marketing and heard positive feedback from the community. No action was taken. VISIT NEW RICHMOND "BEST OF" PAGE Michelle Scanlan and Lexi Derrick presented the idea of adding a "Best of" page to the website. Committee members discussed how this could promote businesses within New Richmond while also attracting visitors from outside the area. The committee weighed the pros and cons of launching a large-scale "Best of" campaign versus starting on a smaller scale. Members expressed support for including approximately 5–6 categories and emphasized the importance of early communication with local businesses to encourage their participation in the campaign. Staff will work with River Travel Media and the committee to develop the categories. GUIDELINES FOR EVENTS Lexi Derrick provided background on the previous meeting and the considerations that shaped the proposed guidelines. The committee engaged in a lengthy discussion on the pros and cons of the guidelines. They agreed to reach out to community members to gather feedback, regarding differences in funding for for-profit versus non-profit hosted events. Additionally, the committee expressed support for exploring caps on tents/temporary structures and entertainment expenses. They also discussed the possibility of removing port-a-potties and trash services as reimbursable expenses, noting that these services are not primary drivers of event attendance, but rather supplemental amenities. WELCOME SIGNS Michelle Scanlan provided background on the “Welcome to New Richmond” signs the city used to have, including their previous locations. The committee discussed the potential benefits of installing signage to direct traffic to the downtown area. They asked staff to explore this idea further and return with options for consideration. Additionally, the committee discussed downtown beautification efforts. Members expressed interest in becoming involved with enhancing the downtown aesthetic but emphasized the importance of not duplicating work already being done by the City and other community groups. COMMUNICATION AND MISCELLANEOUS Michelle Scanlan asked committee members to sign "Thank You" letters that staff will send to business owners who allowed River Travel Media to take photos and videos on behalf of Visit New Richmond. Tourism Committee Meeting August 27, 2025 Michelle Scanlan and Lexi Derrick will host the St. Croix EDC Tourism Committee on September 9 at 3:30 p.m. to present the Visit New Richmond website and highlight the work that went into its development. Committee members are welcome to attend. Brian Schroeder mentioned that Northwood Technical College is holding a ribbon cutting today (August 27) for its new Medical Laboratory Education Center. ADJOURNMENT Pete Vrieze made a motion to adjourn at 8:54am. Brian Meyer seconded the motion. Carried unanimously. Tourism Committee Meeting August 27, 2025  MEMO Prepared for: Tourism Committee Staff Contact: Lexi Derrick, Michelle Scanlan Meeting: Tourism Committee - 16 Sep 2025 Subject: 2026 River Travel Media Contract & Third Party Expenditures BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In September 2024, the Tourism Committee entered into a three-year contract with River Travel Media, spanning from 2025 through 2027. Each contract year includes individual agreements outlining specific marketing efforts to be conducted annually. Recently, River Travel Media presented the proposed 2026 Marketing Contract and Third-Party Expenditure Contract to city staff. Included in these proposals are two marketing initiatives that are time sensitive and require Tourism Committee direction: 1. A Travel Wisconsin Travel Writer Tour, and 2. Participation in the Minnesota Star Tribune Geofencing Display campaign through Travel Wisconsin. Travel Writer Tour This initiative would involve hosting a Travel Wisconsin journalist in New Richmond for a guided visit, ideally scheduled to align with local events. River Travel Media recommends applying for one of Travel Wisconsin’s limited slots, as only two journalists are scheduled per quarter. No expense would be incurred until 2026, however the site selection takes place in 2025. Star Tribune Geofencing Display This is a new offering from Travel Wisconsin for 2026. It provides co-branded digital advertising through targeted display banners, using first-party data from Star Tribune readers and interest-based targeting. The campaign will run in the Chicago and Minneapolis markets during peak travel seasons. Travel Wisconsin has allocated ten spots at the Tier 2 level, which River Travel Media recommends pursuing. No expense would be incurred until 2026, however application to Travel Wisconsin is due in October 2025. To ensure timely submission, River Travel Media is requesting direction from the Tourism Committee by early October 2025.  MEMO Prepared for: Tourism Committee Staff Contact: Lexi Derrick, Michelle Scanlan Meeting: Tourism Committee - 16 Sep 2025 Subject: Guidelines for Events Discussion BACKGROUND INFORMATION: During the Tourism Committee meeting held on August 27, staff presented draft guidelines for non- profit and for-profit organizations, in addition to proposed expenditure caps and recommendations for the 2026 reimbursement application. The Committee requested additional time to review the materials, which are included below. For-Profit Organizations:  May apply for marketing reimbursement up to $2,500 per calendar year for marketing conducted outside of New Richmond o Marketing Materials must include the Visit New Richmond branding (logo and QR code or website)  May apply for cross-promotion marketing reimbursement up to $1,000, which does not need to be outside of New Richmond o Marketing materials must include the Visit New Richmond branding (logo and QR code or website) Non-Profit Organizations:  Hosting ticketed events/Programs with registration fees: o May apply for marketing reimbursement only, capped at:  $700 for a single-day event  $2,500 for a multi-day event o Marketing materials must include the Visit New Richmond branding (logo and QR code or website)  Hosting non-ticketed events: o Will continue to follow the existing application guidelines, which emphasize marketing outside of New Richmond Staff is recommending the following caps be reviewed:  $5,000 for tents/temporary structures per event  $5,000 per contract for featured entertainment In addition, staff recommends the following items be reviewed for potential removal from eligible reimbursement:  Port-a-potty rentals  Trash removal services If time permits and the Committee has feedback, discussion on these topics will continue. 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