Secretariat Tourism Program
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REVISED 1/13/14 CAROLINE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JANUARY 14, 2020 CORPORATE STRUCTURE CHANGE Commonwealth Fairs and Events Inc., which currently owns the Meadow Event Park and operates the State Fair of Virginia has been absorbed by its parent company, Virginia Farm Bureau Holding Corporation, a subsidiary of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “This action allows us to achieve greater operating efficiencies within the overall corporate structure and will not affect the State Fair of Virginia/Meadow Event Park visitors, events, ticket prices or employees” said David Priddy, Senior Vice President of Accounting and Business Services and Treasurer. Virginia Farm Bureau Federation is committed to preserving Virginia’s rich agricultural heritage, ensuring that The Meadow thrives as a regional event and equine venue. MEADOW EVENT PARK ATTENDANCE 2015‐2019 500000 442087 448613 440000 450000 400000 350000 325582 300000 250000 192194 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 State Fair of VA was 5,000 less than 2018 (5,000) Tough Mudder did not book for 2019 (9000) MEADOW EVENT PARK EVENT DAYS 2015‐2018 450 428 400 343 350 300 250 224 200 150 127 100 67 50 0 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Does include Secretariat tours. Increase attributed to more small group meetings and events, and some increase in tours. 200000 250000 300000 100000 150000 50000 0 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AU 17030 24180 11713 12373 14524 15790 MEP 5700 9153 BY MONTH 11560 9766 ATTENDANCE 2018 11346 5428 2019 6344 3971 2018 VS. GUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER2025 DECEMBER 2729 2019 253233 248745 8016 3306 13110 6198 94012 98361 750 AIRSTREAM UNITS VISITED IN JULY FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RALLY **EVENT EXPERIENCED SEVERE HEAT ILLUMINATE 2014‐2019 30,000 25,685 25,000 23,262 22,377 21,562 19,727 20,000 18,652 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 After three days of extreme heat, temperatures dropped and we experienced an extremely challenging day when our guest count continued to grow throughout the day. We continue to identify strategies to shift guests to weekdays and continue to improve parking entry and exit. 2018‐2019 STATE FAIR OF VIRGINIA 245,000 53761.3 60000.0 50000.0 39842.4 36870.4 31361.4 40000.0 21272.5 30000.0 16644.8 12072.5 12216.6 10642.1 20000.0 10316.1 10000.0 0.0 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 2019 2018 SAFETY AND SECURITY • Excessive Heat caused an increase in medical emergencies. A very dry period in September and October created a higher risk for grass/brush fires • Hyper awareness and focus about mass gatherings and active shooters due to an event at the end of July • Safety Committee continues to function with three meetings year around and a continual review of policies and procedures related to safety and emergency planning. 2018 2019-/+ 9 year average Drug Activity 0 1 1 0.1 Larceny 5 7 2 0.2 Criminal Activity (Other) 0 0 0 0 Drunk in Public 2 4 2 0.2 Driving Under the Influence 0 1 1 0.1 Disorderly Disturbance 5 16 11 1.1 Suspicious Activity 3 9 6 0.6 Lost/Found Property 39 30 -9 -0.9 Missing Persons 54 56 2 0.2 Medical Emergencies 138 152 14 1.4 Public Service, Other 4 5 1 0.1 Disabled Vehicles 26 41 15 1.5 Hit and Run Crash 1 2 1 0.1 MVC, Fatality 0 0 0 0 MVC, Injuries 0 0 0 0 MVC, Prop. Damage 9 4 -5 -0.5 MVC, State Owned 1 1 0 0 Fire Calls 0 2 2 0.2 Traffic, Other 50 46 -4 -0.4 *emphasis Traffic Stops 15 26 11 1.1 on reducing Fight 1 3 2 0.2 speed on Forgery/Fraud 1 0 -1 -0.1 Trespassing 0 0 0 0 Rt. 30 Burglary/B&E 0 0 0 0 Domestic Dispute 1 1 0 0 Robbery 0 0 0 0 Wanted Persons 1 0 -1 -0.1 Assault 0 4 4 0.4 Other 26 32 6 0.6 382 443 61 RT. 30 EAST New Livestock Pavilion –as of 1/7/20 we continue to await final approval from DEQ. (changed from the original planned location) 100' x 280' x 13’6” New Event A two‐day event filled with family friendly activities, farm animals, agriculture and good old fashioned fun on the farm. May 2 & 3, 2020 Secretariat Tourism Program • Formed the Secretariat Heritage Center Board • Attempting to finalize an agreement with the Chenery family/licensing agent for future developments, however, an agreement has not been reached. • Current Secretariat Tourism staffer is retiring, but we remain committed to maintaining the historic barns and telling our story as the birthplace of Secretariat • Moving forward with the March Secretariat Birthday Celebration & renovation of Cupolas on the Historic Barns FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTION SITE FOR THE DAWN AREA • 164 Unique Households Served ‐ 450 Unique individuals Repeat Visits • 751 households and 1,909 individuals • Average 55 pounds of food for visit for an approximate 41,305 pounds distributed. ADMISSIONS TAX – We appreciate the ability to present data and information related to this topic. As stated in a meeting on the subject, please consider this question: “What is the cost of the Meadow Event Park operation to Caroline County? What are the benefits of having the operation in Caroline County?” ADVERTISING – Please refer to the letter in your packet regarding my response to the inclusion of Caroline County in advertising materials. The original proffer states: “General Proffer #3: The Fair will advertise Caroline County in all materials promoting events on the Property with input from the Caroline County Department of Economic Development.” The letter provides an overview of how advertising mediums have changed over the past 14 years and highlights what we are doing with respect to the logo. FROM THE DESK OF – Marlene Pierson-Jolliffe, VP of Operations 804.994.2802 December 5, 2019 TO: Charlie Culley, Gary Wilson, Kathy Beard RE: Use of County Logo in Advertising Materials On Tuesday, October 1, during the 2019 State Fair, I received an email from Kathy stating the tourism office had fielded calls about a reoccurring proffer violation, specifically “General Proffer #3: The Fair will advertise Caroline County in all materials promoting events on the Property with input from the Caroline County Department of Economic Development.” I thought it would be helpful to provide a brief written commentary. That proffer was drafted 14 years ago. I assume the intent was two-fold: 1) the county was proud to have the fair and wanted to gain positive branding in the regional market and 2) business ROI for the County. While I don’t have access to the former organization’s marketing campaigns and media specifics, I believe digital media, Facebook and online marketing were probably in their infancy. Times have certainly changed, the business at MEP has grown, and how we tell our story has changed. The specific reference in the email related to the 2019 TV ad and the ending screen showing sponsor logos. All ten logos on the bottom of the screen represented paying sponsor contracts that had some level of media benefits. Our television ads are 15 second ads, thus, the time and attention paid to each logo is arguably minimal. There are times when it is simply not possible to reference the county in every marketing piece we do. It would seem more logical to focus on what we are doing and the type of impressions offered. Below are key examples: • Noted on the cover of every Daily Thrill Guide—we print 100, 000 (distributed during the State Fair and often taken home) • Noted on Papa John’s box topper-40,000 went out to Greater Richmond area and Hampton Roads • Noted in RTD Full Color Wrap-went to 35,000 non-subscribers • Noted by asterisk over county in ads that go out daily in RTD • Noted with asterisk over county in all outdoor billboards in key locations • Logo/Seal on Meadow Event Park facility website (www.meadoweventpark.com) • Utilized in national/regional facility rental business “pitches” (see example attached to email) Our brand and reputation in the market have improved significantly and we incorporate a very professional approach to our marketing materials with well thought out strategies. I believe we are making a respectable effort to satisfy a proffer that was written 14 years ago with no real way to predict the future of advertising and marketing, or how business would sustain long-term at the property. Please let me know if further discussion is needed. With kindest regards, Marlene Jolliffe, VP of Operations .