MTCVB submitted its first quarter report to the Oro Valley Town Council. It is included as part of the consent agenda for this Wednesday's council meeting. The report indicates that MTCVB did no marketing that was specific to Oro Valley; rather, it focused on marketing the region or regional special interests.
The only Oro Valley-specific activity of which we do know is the assistance provided by MTCVB in the design of the Aquatic Center logo that they unveiled in September.
We think that Oro Valley should get far more for the $75,000 than it is spending on MTCVB. We believe that there should be MTCVB activities specific to Oro Valley.
Here's some of what the report includes:
- “Key Measures of Performance” has 64 sales leads and 8 site inspections. There are no examples of the sales leads. Are there any details on the inside inspections. Were any of these for Oro Valley?
- The report states that Oro Valley is promoted as a leisure and meeting destination within the MTCVB's web-based visitors guide and meeting planners guide. A visit to the website reveals that neither the home page nor the six tabs present anything on Oro Valley. You would think that Oro Valley would get some visibility for the $75,000 it is giving to MTCVB this year.
- The report claims that Oro Valley businesses benefit from MTCVB’s “Real Southwest” marketing campaign. Really? How so?
- The report notes that Oro Valley is promoted by the Tucson Film Office, a division of MTCVB, as a potential destination for television series and photo shoots. Once again, we ask: "How so?"
- MTCVB states that Oro Valley is invited to participate in MTCVB’s Tucson-Mexico Trade Coalition meetings. There is no projection or potential examples as to what participation in the meetings would do specifically for Oro Valley. How many companies or citizens of Mexico asked for information or came to Oro Valley?
- MTCVB states that it promotes Oro Valley to National and International Media; yet, there were zero travel articles pertaining to Oro Valley.
Oro Valley deserves more than general regional marketing from MTCVB. Oro Valley deserves more than some accidental mention as part of a Southern Arizona marketing effort. Oro Valley is the "Jewel" of Southern Arizona, not an adjunct of the "armpit" to our south. Oro Valley is an example of the beauty and recreational pleasure available in southern Arizona. In all respects, it far surpasses anything that the City of Tucson can offer.
The sad thing is that MTCVB is being allowed to raise Oro Valley's contribution to $120,000 next year and $175,000 the following year for shaky performance that can never be verified.
Perhaps allowing MTCVB to put Oro Valley on the "back burner" is satisfactory to those who sit on Council. After all, the report is a consent agenda item. It won't even be discussed unless one of the council members pulls it for discussion. Frankly, our council members should set a higher set of expectations of MTCVB. They should demand more for our considerable investment.
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The sad thing is that MTCVB is being allowed to raise Oro Valley's contribution to $120,000 next year and $175,000 the following year for shaky performance that can never be verified.
Perhaps allowing MTCVB to put Oro Valley on the "back burner" is satisfactory to those who sit on Council. After all, the report is a consent agenda item. It won't even be discussed unless one of the council members pulls it for discussion. Frankly, our council members should set a higher set of expectations of MTCVB. They should demand more for our considerable investment.
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3 comments:
Here we go again. Big taxpayer dollars spent for little result.
Chamber of Commerce. Free lunches for town employees.
MTCVB. High salaries for ...well, MTCVB leadership.
What are we? Tucson, the home of the carless street car? We can do better.
Cut all this BS and give the money to the Police Department at least the Police Department can point to a low crime rate as a result.
Taxpayer dollars are for results.
Can someone explain the following item in the original post?
"MTCVB is being allowed to raise Oro Valley's contribution to $120,000 next year and $175,000 the following year."
I thought "contributions" were voluntary.
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Hello Cowgirl,
Perhaps our choice of words was not sufficiently precise. Sorry about that. We probably should've said that the town has committed to contribute those amounts over the next couple of years.
The amounts are based on a target percentage of the bed tax funds.
Thank Mayor Hiremath, and Council Members Hornat, Snider and Waters for that.
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