Attendees: Joanie Griffin, Jo Lutz, Steve Chavira, Erik Ockerhaussen, Allyson Siwik, Rhonda Munzinger, Alexandra Tager, Yessica Nograro-Borquez, Lee Gruber, Bernadette Smith, Romeo Cruz, Kyle Durrie, Bart Roselli, Curtis Clough, Julie Enos, Patrick Hoskins, and Charmeine Wait.
Guest Presenter: Joanie Griffin Sunny 505
MainStreet Report: Charmeine participating in Give Grandly at Makers booth from 10- noon and thanks to the SCAA and other organizations an opportunity to experience art at the make and take booth. 26 opportunities for people who live here to experience art mostly for youth but adults too. Will be pushing Love local and keep that going. Southwest Women's Fibers Art Collective will have pop-up at Market and Texas and each weekend will have people demonstrating. You can view the exhibit through the window.
Visitor Center Report: Patrick – Appears that we have rounded a corner. Had our first international tourist from Germany. Think we are going to have a great second half of the year. We are planning a soft opening on June 1st to work out any kinks and then an open house 2 weeks to a month after that and invite the town down to celebrate. More activity on the calendar – please visit silvercity.org website to add events. Working on scavenger hunt in June in collaboration with the CDT coalition.
Discussion:
Joanie Griffin Sunny 505 - Dan Monahan working with Patrick and Julie to do a 2-day
video May 11 and 12 . Footage of things they do not have. New NM True Logo (Land
of Enchantment). Tourism department of the state has not advertised since March of
2020/18 million dollar budget that has not been spent. Campaigns for get
vaccinated/get tested. Recovery Readiness program to develop assets (covid safe
photo shoots, Google 360 program, video shoots). People google and the google 360
gave a view of how we show up to people and Miles Media and worked to get our
imagery and search to fit together. Social Media audit Julie Enos worked with team and
received the highest score in any community in the state and gave us supplemental two
posts a week for the rest of the calendar year. Continued with public relations with a ton
of positive press. Jo and Bart at the museum did an amazing job with all their virtual
programs. Virtual Media Fam Trip an hour with five media without the expense of the
in-person trip. Delicate message of what you can look forward to seeing when you
come back to town without really inviting them to come. Monthly newsletter with 60,000
emails on thel list. NM Recover Readiness program is a usually a 50/50 payment and
was 100% paid for. Two NM Magazine articles written about us. This is what they gave
us in lieu of the budget) 2-day video shoot of things that were lacking (biking, hiking,
and birding) and without masks for when the mandate goes down. Remainder of fiscal
year (ends Jun30) have an ad in NM True adventure guide will be produced in June and
visitor guide in print for neighboring states and online at newmexico.org, Desert Leaf
Tucson lifestyle magazine – full page ads in this and next month's issue), wrapped one
of the streetcars in Tucson for 6 months starting this month with the message about
socialize with nature with a guy fly-fishing. Digital ads in El Paso, Tucson, and ABQ.
They are our three primary markets. Streaming ads of downtown and outdoors. ABQ
journal June 15 special summer guide and we will be in there with an ad and editorial
content. I hope that July 1 – people are still avoiding air travel – more car travel and RV
travel. Neighboring states will be our primary market. All research points to people
seeking small towns with authentic experience and wide-open spaces. Keep our
messaging about keeping people safe. Video usage up 200% and people are
responding to video so shifting to do more video marketing and Mobile ads, and digital
ads. Just got budget yesterday so it is a work in progress. Has $70,000 more than last
year but still needs to be strategic and good stewards of the money. Thinks we will
break all previous records in next fiscal year. Gross receipts tax is up and record year
as people are not travelling spending local. Online now in the past 2 years has to pay
gross receipt tax. Silver City has more new businesses open then close during the
pandemic. Real estate at record highs up 80% over pre-pandemic to create more
taxes. Worldwide tourism down 47% but our lodger's tax was only down 26%. Hope to
be back to the 2019 levels was a record year up to that point. April 2020 to April of
2021 15 open and 12, close Vacancy and expansions where some of our businesses
have moved up to bigger locations. Vacancy rate at 11%, which is amazing. Need to
promote and keep promoting buy local. Co-starters 33 people have gone through the
program with four programs during this pandemic and had 21 new businesses start.
Joanie Griffin – Sunny 505, office 505-764-4444 ext. 222/cell 505-261-4444,
jgriffin@sunny505.com
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-southwest-mountain-town-booming-
194500475.html - We made yahoo news!
Eric Ockerhaussen Grant County Art Guild Gallery – Open 7 days a week now that everyone has gotten his or her shots and it has given all more energy. In October doing a work shop at the Makers Market and in September painting for the Gila Festival. Dog days of summer and monsoon season events at the gallery in July.
Romeo Cruz Chamber of Commerce – Looking forward to having meetings and bringing the community together again.
Rhonda Munzinger Silver City Art Association – Make and Take demonstrated to about 50 adults and 10 children how to fold paper into origami box. This Saturday Jeff Haynie blow a tree of life. Signed up for Give Grandly first time ever to get $3,000 for entire budget for the year. If you donate $25, get a SCAA logo mask. Gila monster fundraiser Weekend with the galleries on Indigenous weekend. Gila Monsters and Ravens. 25 artists volunteers to create biodegradable plastic animals with a silent auction at the makers market.
Alexandra Tager Program Coordinator WNMU Cultural Affairs – starting drive in movies in May up at the fine arts parking lot. Two family movies and May 21 a concert film from Iran – first come first serve. May 19th collab with Veterans affair at light hall and the film called moved by war. Marine veteran to start dance academy to help veterans and a movement workshop in August 20 and 21 new fountain stage concert. Sponsoring popup concerts at the farmers market.
Lee Gruber SWNMACT – New artwork hung in the brick wall at the Visitor Center from visiting artist. Clay Festival will happen and will be live with some virtual events.
Yessica Nograro-Borquez Lotus Center – Instructor Julie Berg has massage classes and giving all money to Give Grandly. Go to our website and sign in for a massage.
Kyle Durrie Print Fiesta – October 8th to 11th Print Fiesta will be online and some in- person events. Visiting artist project, exhibitions, steam rolling printing and if we can vendor market. Hope to open up scheduling in mid-June.
Bernadette Smith Grant County Community Foundation – Give Grandly is Saturday at Makers Market and Farmers Market. Will have prize raffles and there are tons of them and they look amazing. Will be giving them out every hour during the event with random numbers drawn. Final donation to matching funds and can give $500 this year (normally $250).
Julie Enos contracted with Sunny 505 – Working with NM tourism department. Started out they were doing generic posts and have been great to work with Julie to look at their content for collaborated changes. Great to promote Allyson on the work done with the Gila River.
Steve Chavira Director Chamber of Commerce – Excited to hear about all that is going on and the anticipation of going Turquoise. Clarified with Governor's office on what this means when we get to 60% vaccinated. It means all open with no capacity restrictions whatsoever. Events outdoors can happen and inside as well with masks and social distancing but every county has to be vaccinated for this to happen. Silver City at 56% vaccinated.
Bart Roselli Director of Museum – Completely remodeling first floor of the museum. Double the size of the gift shop in anticipation of opening. Will continue Sunday evening bi-lingual story time. 7-part series on Silver City history with different themes to start this summer. Will culminate into Silver City 101 for next year.