Minutes

MEETING NSW Accredited Visitor Information Centre Industry Advisory Group meeting MEETING NO. 10 DATE Monday 2 November 2020 LOCATION Virtual (Teams) TIME 2pm – 3:30pm INVITEES Peter Lipman – Manager Visitor Services, Destination NSW Mark Greaves – Managing Director, The Tourism Group Andrew Warren - Tourism Manager, Upper Council Raquel Bloom - Visitor Services Leader - Parramatta, Visitor Information Centre Melissa George - Visitor Information Centre Coordinator, Cessnock City Council Peter Caddey - Manager Tourism and Marketing, Council Mike Richardson – Program Co-ordinator, The Tourism Group Mick Webb – General Manager, Byron Bay Visitor Centre PREPARED BY Mike Richardson/Peter Lipman APOLOGIES Vivienne McEvoy - Manager – Community and Tourism Services, Council

ACTION BY: SUBJECT 1. Welcome (2:01pm) • PL - Welcomed the group to the meeting 2. Confirmation of minutes from previous meeting • Previous meeting minutes confirmed as true and accurate by all. • Noted Di J and David D were not in attendance RB to send 3. Matters arising from previous minutes videography services details to PL. PL to • Videography services - RB met with LGNSW, there is in principal check with DNSW and agreement. LGNSW would act as the principal for the services. RB needs send on if approved data from the network to see how much need for videography services for the collection of within councils represented in the AVIC network. information. • Postcode collector – TTG have created an option and will add to the next newsletter. MR/Mark G Add

postcode collector to the newsletter 4. Survey of NSW AVIC booking engines and FM Radio 88 PL to send out the • PL – have received information on the bookings systems used within the results of the booking AVIC network. 60% have used booking systems but only 30% have system survey to IAG continued. Bookeasy is the system that is most used throughout the network. • The IAG members all used different booking engines in their visitor centres, some centres don’t used any. Important to note there is no one size fits all for booking systems. PL to report • Information on FM Radio 88 will come later. Information is still being information on FM 88 finalised. at the next meeting 5. Resignation of Di Johnston from the AVIC IAG • PL – Di Johnston has resigned from the IAG due to illness. At this stage no replacements have been identified. 6. Update from each IAG member on what is happening in their DN/region • RB – Visitation is picking up, Bondi Kiosk due to be completed soon • AW – everyone is quite busy, far south coast busy with Sydneysiders but that isn’t making up for the lack of Victorians. Eurobodalla Shire Council is closing their centres. Crookwell looking to build new VIC. • MW – Positive sentiment across the region. Lots of accommodation forward bookings. • Mel G – At capacity across Hunter Valley, dining experiences are hard at times. Wine sales are increased by 3 times due to more intimate experiences. Hunter Valley are realigning with the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association. • PC – Visitation increasing across the board, mostly at capacity across the region. Further West is busier at the moment. Business is going well. 7. Strategy for Level 3 AVICs • PL – There have been 10, Level 3 AVICs transition to a newly created Visitor Information Outlet (VIO) Status. VIO’s are not accredited and therefore cannot use the logo. VIO’s can operate without oversight and will receive a quarterly newsletter. The VIO role allows for an accurate reflection of the services provided by the outlets. The VIOs can also act as a pathway to accreditation. 8. Driver Reviver Christmas/New Year trial. • PL – October long weekend went well. Christmas/New Year, there are 12 AVICs that will be involved. Transport for NSW have been providing activations for centres. This helps to make regional roads safer and provide greater visitor numbers to the network. 9. Volunteer meeting wrap up • Mark G – Volunteering meeting on the 24th of Sept – 45-50 people in attendance. Survey also went out in September. • Young Tourism Program (the Entrance) brining TAFE students into the network and R U Volunteering (Tamworth) volunteering across all of council, were discussed. • Session was recorded and still available. TTG looking to do a mini-series on volunteering. 10. Sub-committee update – MG, VM and MG • Mel G/Mark G – Discussion on how we can build the brand awareness across the network and making a strong network of AVICs • Discussion around making sure we work as one. • The subcommittee exists to: Promote the AVIC brand and show the difference between the yellow and blue & blue and white i logos. 11. COVID – 19 and border update – PL • PL – Need to make sure any information communicated with centres regarding COVID must be deleted in an appropriate time frame. • Border – QLD boarder to remain the same until Early Dec. PL will keep the network in the loop as he knows becomes aware. 12. Other Business • PL – DNSW Research team has completed a report on Visitor Information PL to send report Centres. Data is sourced from NVS and IVS. through when it is • PL - Potential for more volunteer training in the new year. publicly released. • Mark G - 24-26 Nov – next round of AVIConnect meetings 13. Close and Next Meeting • PL - Meeting ended at 3:16pm with the intention to meet again after the Christmas period.

Minutes of AVIC IAG Meeting 02/11/2020 Page 2 of 2