State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission DeSoto Club Event Center, Hot Springs Village, AR Thursday, October 20, 2016

Commissioners Present

Jim Dailey, Chair Bob Knight Shash Goyal, Vice Chair Weston Lewey Bill Barnes Montine McNulty Jay Bunyard Mike Mills LeRoy Dangeau Jim Shamburger John Gill Cindy Smith Kalene Griffith Mike Wilson

Commissioners Absent

Danny Ford Ness Sechrest Randy Wolfinbarger

Department Staff Present

Kane Webb, Executive Director Grady Spann, Director, State Parks Joe David Rice, Tourism Director Cynthia Dunlap, Central Administration Director Kris Richardson, Executive Assistant Jon Brown, Operations Manager Randy Roberson, Planning & Development Manager Joe Jacobs, Marketing & Revenue Manager Meg Matthews, Public Information Coordinator Monika Rued, Public Information Officer Marcel Hanzlik, Region 3 Supervisor Mike Wilson, Region 4 Supervisor Shea Lewis, Region 5 Supervisor Kim Williams, Director, Great River Road Tracy Morales, Group Travel Manager Kayla Hardage, Interim Administrator, Welcome Centers Erik Holbrooks, Administrative Specialist III, Tourism Division LaJeana Carroll, Administrative Specialist III, Parks Division

Aristotle

Laura Kirk SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 2

Jennifer Peper Dina Pruitt

CJRW

Shelby Woods Jennifer Morgan Darin Gray Wade McCune Joy Phillips Susan Sanders Brian Clark

Guests

Bill Ott, Eureka Springs Richard Boyles, Lake Catherine State Park Walt Redding, Lake DeGray Resort State Park Lee Howard, State Park Fred Phillips, Diamond Lakes Wayne Smith, Oaklawn Gaming & Racing David Twiggs, Hot Springs Village

Roll Call

Chair Jim Dailey called the meeting to order at 8:30 am on Thursday, October 20, 2016. Kris Richardson called roll.

Approval of Agenda

Jim Dailey requested approval of the Agenda.

LeRoy Dangeau moved to approve the Agenda as presented. Jim Shamburger seconded and the motion carried.

Presentation of Minutes from Previous Meeting

Jim Dailey requested approval of the Minutes from the previous meeting.

Mike Wilson moved to approve the Minutes from the September 14-15 meeting. Weston Lewey seconded and the motion carried.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 3

Welcome

David Twiggs, General Manager of Hot Springs Village, welcomed Commissioners, staff and guests to Hot Springs Village. He stated that Hot Springs Village is over 26,000 acres with 9,000 homes and 12,000 residents.

FINANCIAL REPORT

Cynthia Dunlap presented the year-to-date financial report for the period ended September 30, 2016. The expenditures were: Parks Division, $24,015,556 - including construction and grants; Tourism Division, $4,433,047; Keep Arkansas Beautiful, $79,722; Administration Division, $837,542. Expenditures for the Department totaled $29,365,867 an increase of 12.3% over the same period FY16. The year-to-date revenues included - operating revenue for Parks Division of $8,393,453 a decrease of - 8% over the same period FY16; 1/8% Cent Tax revenues of 7,873,034, an increase of -0.27% over the same period FY16; and 2% Gross Tax collections of $4,863,555 an increase of 4.9% over the same period FY16. Jim Shamburger moved to approve the Financial Report as presented. Shash Goyal seconded and the motion carried.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Introduction of Wayne Smith, Oaklawn Racing & Gaming

Kane Webb introduced Wayne Smith. Smith will soon replace current General Manager Eric Jackson of Oaklawn Racing & Gaming. Wayne Smith was named Assistant General Manager in March of 2016. His background includes extensive casino experience, with stints at MGM Grand and Caesar’s Entertainment. Smith expressed his appreciation for the partnerships between Oaklawn, Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion, and Arkansas Tourism. Smith stated he is proud that Oaklawn is one of the top five racetracks in the .

Miscellaneous

Kane Webb announced Kim Williams as the new director of the Great River Road. Williams will continue her role as Travel Writer for the Delta along with her new job responsibilities. Webb stated that Williams is a natural fit for this position and looks forward to the great things she will provide for the Great River Road.

Webb announced that Kevin Carr will transition into the Administrative Manager position for all of ADPT. He previously oversaw the State Parks budget, but his new job responsibilities will now include Tourism.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 4

Chair Jim Dailey announced Mike Mills, LeRoy Dangeau, and Cindy Smith as the nominating committee for the 2017 Chair and Vice Chair of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission.

TOURISM DIVISION

Update for ADPT Advertising RFP

Joe David Rice announced that the public meeting for the new advertising agency contract was held at 10 am on Friday, October 14, in the State Parks conference room of the Central Office in Little Rock. Ross Cranford and Amanda Seevers with Cranford Co., Chip Culpepper and Julie Robbins with Mangan Holcomb Partners, Jessica Sutton with the Bureau of Legislative Research, Chris Bahn with Arkansas Democrat Gazette, and Kyle Massey with Arkansas Business were in attendance. Rice stated there are two more legislative items to complete and that he will have complete details regarding final dates at the November SPRTC meeting.

Welcome Centers

Kayla Hardage stated that she, along with other staff members, worked the Arkansas Tourism booth at the Arkansas Hospitality Association Trade Show. Tour guides, maps and regional guides were distributed.

Hardage shared various photos of activities at several Welcome Centers for the month of September, including a former Harlem Globetrotter at the Helena center.

New doormats have arrived at the centers, which depict the Arkansas state flag. The mats were provided by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.

Construction of the new Red River Welcome Center is well underway with the basic framework completed. The Harrison Welcome Center has yet to begin construction; however, a roof has been replaced on the vending machine pavilion.

Hardage gave highlights of the fall familiarization tour which took place in the Arkansas Great Southwest and Arkansas South regions September 26-30.

Lastly, Hardage stated a booth is set up at the Arkansas State Fair October 14-23.

John Gill asked about the temporary trailer that will be used as the Welcome Center during the construction period in Harrison. He asked if something could be done about the bland exterior. Joe David Rice stated that the Department will produce a banner that acknowledges the trailer as the official Welcome Center. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department owns the trailer and has stated it will not add anything to the exterior.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 5

Joe David Rice announced that a building has become available across from the State Capitol that could serve as the official Little Rock Welcome Center, along with a Parks & Tourism Gift Shop. Several staff members will discuss if this is a viable opportunity.

Group Travel

Tracy Morales announced she hired Darrell Brown as the Administrative Specialist II for the Group Travel section. Brown is transferring from Pinnacle Mountain State Park and has previous work experience at Historic Arkansas Museum and Senator Tim Hutchinson’s office.

Morales shared that Wing World magazine highlighted three routes in Arkansas: Pig Trail Scenic Byway; Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway; and Harrison/Eureka Springs backroads.

Morales stated that she attended the TEAMS conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, September 26-29.

Joe Jacobs announced that he attended Interbike on behalf of the Group Travel section. Interbike is the largest bicycle show in North America, with over 750 companies, over 1,400 brands, and 18-24,000 people in attendance. Jacobs shared photos of the booth that State Parks provided.

Tourism Development

Kane Webb announced that the Department is accepting nominations for the Henry Awards which takes place at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The deadline for submissions is October 28, 2016.

Webb announced the annual luncheon for Western Arkansas’s Mountain Frontier will take place Thursday, October 27, at 11:30 am at Mount Magazine State Park.

Communications

Joe David Rice informed the Commission that the Write On, Ride Off mountain bike essay contest ended on October 14. A panel from ADPT, along with the Department of Education, will judge the entries and a winner will be notified November 1. The winner will be awarded at the IMBA Summit on November 10-12.

Rice shared highlights of September social media postings, along with photography taken by Kirk Jordan and Casey Crocker.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 6

Advertising Items

Wade McCune informed the Commission that the phrase used during the Marketing Presentation in September, “Made in Arkansas,” has been changed to “Naturally Made.” McCune presented a new graphic image of Arkansas to be used as a logo throughout the 2017 campaign, along with several creative print ads.

Brian Clark reminded the Commission of the website address Commissioners and Department staff could visit to view ongoing, real time information regarding the 2017 campaign; arkan.as/ss-17.com

Jennifer Morgan stated the Trail of Holiday Lights has a new theme this year which will focus on families and the joy of the season. Morgan stated that 58 communities are on board and that Arvest Bank has become a new distribution partner. Morgan presented a TV spot to the Commission, along with how the new brochure will look. Hard copies will be distributed at the November SPRTC meeting.

Mike Mills moved to approve the Trail of Holiday lights TV spot and brochure as presented to the Commission. Weston Lewey seconded and the motion carried.

Internet-Related Items

Jennifer Peper announced that, once again, the Barkansas campaign has received positive feedback via social media.

Peper informed the Commission that there were 12,895 total clicks to partner detail pages for the month of September, with 6,012 requests for vacation kits, 11,938 e-newsletter sign ups, 437,440 video views and 97,026 main landing page views. Phones and tablets saw 350,520 visitor sessions for the month of September, a 17.3% increase over September 2015. Phones and tablets saw 106,763 sales leads for the month of September, a 48.3% increase over September 2015. There were 550,135 visitor sessions for the month of September, a 6.7% increase over September 2015. Peper announced that Arkansas.com recorded 1.9 million sales leads for the January through September period, already more than what the entire 2015 calendar year saw. Lastly, Peper presented several streamlined updates to the website.

PARKS DIVISION

Proposed CY 17 Fees & Rates – Public Meeting (11:00 am) & Final Approval

Jim Dailey opened the meeting at 11:00 am to receive any comments from the public regarding the proposed CY 17 fees and rates for Arkansas State Parks. No comments were received prior to or during the public meeting. SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 7

John Gill moved to approve the proposed CY 17 fees and rates for Arkansas State Parks as amended. LeRoy Dangeau seconded and the motion carried.

DeGray TV Spot

Jennifer Morgan with CJRW presented the DeGray TV spots for Arkansas State Parks that will air in the spring. This continues the shift to an activity driven advertisement focusing on the programs and activities available in the parks.

Jim Shamburger moved to approve the DeGray TV spots for Arkansas State Parks as presented: TV 30 second spot: “DeGray Lake Resort Sate Park Affordable Family Adventure” TV 15 second Dallas market spot: “DeGray Lake Resort Sate Park Affordable Family Adventure” Montine McNulty seconded and the motion carried.

Arkansas Broadcaster’s Association Partnership Grant Renewal

Meg Matthews reported on the nearly 30 year public private partnerships with Arkansas Broadcasters Association (ABA) and Arkansas Press Association (APA) promoting the diverse facilities and activities of the state park system.

Matthews noted the ABA partnership was established in 1987 and to date ASP has granted $1,861,250 to the ABA and in return received $31,425,570 worth of air time. Grady Spann requested renewal of agreement for one year.

John Gill moved to approve the renewal of the grant partnership between Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Broadcasters Association for one year. Mike Mills seconded and the motion carried.

Jim Dailey noted it has been a great partnership and other Commissioners expressed their agreement and appreciation to ABA.

Arkansas Press Association Partnership Grant Renewal

Meg Matthews reported that the agreement with APA began in 1988 and inspired Arkansas pride in the state park system and encouraged Arkansans to travel in-state and visit other Arkansas travel destinations. To date, ASP has granted $1,830,000 to the APA and in return received $3,510,000 of print ad space. Grady Spann requested renewal of agreement for one year. SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 8

John Gill moved to approve the renewal of the grant partnership between Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Press Association for one year. Mike Mills seconded and the motion carried.

Jim Dailey noted it has been a great partnership for many years. APA does a great job for ADPT and it is sincerely appreciated.

Portfest Agreement Renewal

Joe Jacobs reported that ADPT has had an agreement with the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce since 1982 to provide a venue for Portfest Festival at (JSP). The chamber requested a break last year to reorganize the event and now is ready to reenter into an agreement with ASP. Although it does not generate a large amount of net revenue, it is a well-received community event that the citizens take pride in. The proposed agreement includes a flat fee of $1,500 per year plus 5% of the net proceeds from events and activities held in the park annually through 2021. JSP does have expenses with providing law enforcement officers to keep the peace and assist with the event. It is a good event for the community and ASP is happy to continue providing a venue at Jacksonport. Grady Spann requested approval to renew the agreement. Discussion ensued regarding parties responsible for cleanup and the chamber’s past history with post event clean up. ASP reported it has not been an issue in the past.

John Gill moved to renew the agreement between the Arkansas State Parks and the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce to provide a venue for the Portfest Festival at Jacksonport State Park based on the following payment schedule of $1,500 plus 5% of the net proceeds from events and activities. Montine McNulty seconded and the motion carried.

Web Site User Testing

Dina Pruitt with Aristotle presented samples from the website usability test group which will be used to improve user experience with the website. Aristotle will continue testing each quarter. User testing will begin in January for the Arkansas Tourism website.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 9

State Park Blog

Monica Rued reported a resurgence of the State Park Blog with updated content featuring pictures and video with an authentic experience driven focus. This is a great opportunity to be responsive to current topics and increase visitation to the website.

FY 16 Park of the Year Awards / ASP Superintendent’s Conference

Jon Brown presented an overview of the 44th annual ASP Superintendents Conference held in Bentonville and Rogers over September 27-29. Monday started with an optional early bird activity bike ride on the Razorback Greenway and included tours of The Railyard, Hobbs State Park - Conservation Area, The Amazeum, Crystal Bridges (including art museum and facility grounds) and local restaurants. Several speakers presented how they were solving the tourism puzzle in Northwest Arkansas.

Grady Spann thanked Commissioners Jim Dailey, Jim Shamburger, Cindy Smith and especially Kalene Griffith and her team for assistance in planning the conference. Also in attendance was Shelby Woods who presented a session ”50 Years of Advertising” during the conference.

Presented during this year’s conference were the winners of the ASP Park of the Year awards for FY 16 that were announced at the annual superintendent conference. Brown advised that awards will be presented to each Park of the Year winner by region. Commissioners are invited to attend presentations; information will be forwarded to SPRTC.

YEAR AWARD WINNER FY 16 Park of the Year, Region 1 Lake Catherine State Park FY 16 Park of the Year, Region 2 FY 16 Park of the Year, Region 3 Parkin Archeological State Park FY 16 Park of the Year, Region 4 Crater of Diamonds State Park FY 16 Park of the Year, Region 5

CIP Quarterly Report

Randy Roberson reported that Capital Improvement Progress (CIP) quarterly report reflects that $483,819 in projects are currently underway, with one method of finance closed for $6,794,663. The Amendment 75 expenditures to date show over $147 million in projects completed with $24,144,210 projects currently underway.

SPRTC Minutes October 20, 2016 Pg 10

National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) Conference Report

Grady Spann presented the report from the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) Conference held September 6 -9 in French Lick, Indiana. Inclusion in outdoor recreation is important for developing the future of America’s State Parks. Spann highlighted the NASPD Leadership School, reporting that ASP has sent two uniform staff to attend each session since 2007. And lastly, the ASP Road Map was shared from the ASP Superintendents Conference sharing ASP’s vision and goals for the next five years.

Miscellaneous

Grady mentioned “Budgets Matter” published in Legacy, the Magazine of the National Association for Interpretation (Farrell, September/October 2016) highlights why interpreters need to be concerned about budgets. In addition, the article “Valuing Interpretation Budgeting with the Triple Bottom Line” published in Legacy, the Magazine of the National Association for Interpretation (Miller, September/October 2016) interpretation’s triple bottom line increases visitation, enhances resources and increases revenue. Interpretation is a critical part of ASP.

Spann commented on the newspaper article “Woman who lost necklace in restaurant ceiling collapse finds diamond at Arkansas park” (Arkansas Online, September 6, 2016) found a larger diamond than the one she lost. Spann noted stories with diamonds always shine bright.

Jim Dailey remarked on the sense of momentum and vision which is refreshing and exciting and will step ADPT up to the level that creates ADPT as the destination for whatever people want to enjoy. It is very inspiring to see what the ADPT leadership team is accomplishing.

Meg Matthews reported the second ASP produced news type stories to share with new stations as filler. This installment covers “Unexpected Challenge at Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park” (October 12, 2016). Specialized equipment required to mow the tallest remaining earthworks mound and operating the mower has become a family affair at Toltec.

Adjournment

The State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission adjourned at 11:40 am on October 20, 2016, at DeSoto Event Center, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.