Agenda Information Sheet
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
CM/DCM/ACM: Bryan Langley
Date: October 11, 2017
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding the Leadership Denton class’ tourism-dedicated transportation research project.
Body
BACKGROUND
Transportation has been a servicing request from groups meeting in Denton for a long time. With the convention center now the major attraction in the CVB’s group marketing strategy, the demand for transportation has increased dramatically. Convention planners need to move delegates as a group to off-site events, and these conventions are averaging 250-500 people each. Additionally, when delegates are utilizing overflow guest rooms in multiple hotel properties, a further transportation demand is the planners need to facilitate movement between the hotels and convention center without requiring delegates to bring their own transportation.
Facilitating visitor experiences is a primary concern. Connecting the convention center and Rayzor Ranch Town Center to the downtown entertainment district, Golden Triangle Mall, Unicorn Lake, and other unique districts as they evolve must be addressed in order to deliver the “Denton vibe” visitors, meeting planners and convention delegates expect upon selecting Denton as their destination.
The CVB proposed a tourism-dedicated transportation research project to Leadership Denton for the 2018 class, and the class accepted the challenge. To date, they are considering tourism-dedicated systems currently in place in other cities, including how they are structured, funded and managed. The class project will be complete in April 2018. City Council and other community leadership will be invited to attend the presentation.
STRATEGIC PLAN RELATIONSHIP
The City of Denton’s Strategic Plan is an action-oriented road map that will help the City achieve its vision. The foundation for the plan is the five long-term Key Focus Areas (KFA): Organizational Excellence; Public Infrastructure; Economic Development; Safe, Livable, and Family-Friendly Community; and Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship. While individual items may support multiple KFAs, this specific City Council agenda item contributes most directly to the following KFA and goal:
Related Key Focus Area: Economic Development
Related Goal: 3.2 Make Denton a destination for visitors
Respectfully submitted:
Caroline Booth
Director of Economic Development
Prepared by:
Kim Phillips
Vice President, Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau