[00:00:09]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. THE TIME IS 2:00. THE SESSION IS CALLED TO ORDER.
>> THANK YOU. THIS IS TO HEAR ABOUT THE BUDGET FOR THE CONVENTIONS.
ERIK, OVER TO YOU. >> THANK YOU. JUSTINA IS GOING TO START US OFF WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND. WE WILL GO TO PRACTICE TRICIA WITH CONVENTION CENTER AND KRYSTAL WITH ARTS AND
MARIO WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO. >> MY NAME IS JUSTINA TATE. I'M THE BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. TODAY I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICKOVER VIEW OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THE CURRENT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS 16.75% ON ALL HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS. THAT AMOUNT, THE CITY RECEIVES 9%. 7% GOES TO FUND OUR CONVENTION CENTER AND ALAMODOME, TOURISM, VISIT SAN ANTONIO, HISTORY PRESERVATION, AND OUR ARTS AND CULTURE. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS A HISTORY OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS. OUR ACTUALS ARE FROM FISCAL YEAR 2019 TO FISCAL YEAR 200024. SO THOSE YEARS REFLECT COLLECTIONS FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. THIS INCLUDES OUR ESTIMATE FOR 2025 AS WELL AS THE P PROPOSED BUDGETED FROM 2026. YOU CAN SEE THE PANDEMIC HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THIS REVENUE SOURCE.
HOWEVER, WE WERE FULLY RECOVERED FROM THE PANDEMIC BY FISCAL YEAR 2023 WHERE YOU CAN SEE OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTIONS WERE ABOUT 99.7%. FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, WE ARE PROJECTING ABOUT A *6 .4% INCREASE OVER 2024. THIS IS A RESULT OF MORE OF OUR SHORT-TERM RENTALS COMING INTO COMPLIANCE AND THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PLATFORMS ARE COLLECTING THE CITY'S PORTION OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 WE ARE PROO JECTING A 2.8% INCREASE. THIS IS DRIVEN BY OUR SHORT-TERM RENTAL COLLECTIONS AS WELL AS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN OUR DAILY RATE THAT CONCLUDES MY PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PATRICIA FOR CONVENTION, SPORTS,
AND FACILITY. >> THANK YOU, JUSTINA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ATRESIA. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONVENTION AND SPORTS DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO PRESENT THE '26 BUDGET. IN MY PRESENTATION TODAY, I WILL PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF OUR FACILITIES. I'LL TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE WITHIN CONVENTION CENTERS AND DISCUSS THE CONVENTION CENTER'S BOOKING WINDOW. I WILL ALSO REVIEW THE HISTORICAL BUDGET AND TRENDS FOR THE ALAMODOME AND CONVENTION CENTER AND GO OVER THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR '26 BUDGET.
NEXT, I WILL PRESENT THE ENHANCEMENTS AND EFFICIENCIES AND HIGHLIGHT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS WE ARE PROPOSING FOR NEXT YEAR AND LEAVE YOU WITH SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR FACILITIES. BUT BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE PICTURE ON THE SLIDE. FOR A WHILE NOW, WE HAVE OPERATED UNDER THIS PHILOSOPHY. WE CALL IT ONE TEAM. IT'S ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE AND COMMITMENT, SERVICE, AND EXECUTION. IT'S A PHILOSOPHY WE HOPE YOU WILL EXPERIENCE WHEN DEALING WITH OUR STAFF.
NONE OF THESE EVENTS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF THE EMPLOYEES. I WANT TO INTRODUCE AND THANK LEADERSHIP STAFF THAT HAS JOINED ME HERE OR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH MONICA RAMOS. SHE'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
MR. ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER THE CONVENTION CENTER OPERATIONS. MR. STEVE CITO IS THE ASSIST APARTMENT
[00:05:02]
DIRECTOR AT THE ALAMODOME. CASS AND RE IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE CARVER AND MS. JENNIFER GALLON INDICATOR OWE IS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU. NEXT, THIS SLIDE I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OVERSEES THE OPERATION, AGAIN, OF THE HENRY B GONZALES, ALAMODOME, THE CULTURAL CENTER, BUT WE ALSO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE LEASES OF NELSON STADIUM AND TOYOTA FIELD. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE OPERATE. FIRST, THE HENRY B GONZALES CONVENTION CENTER IS A 1.6 MILLION SQUARE FOOT FACILITY WITH AROUND 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBIT SPACE. IT HOSTS ABOUT 2 *6 0 EVENTS A YEAR WITH AROUND 600,000 CONVENTION DELEGATES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS CHARGED WITH SELLING OUR CENTER 12 MONTHS OUT AND CONVENTION CENTER'S STAFF SELL THE BUILDING 12 MONTHS IN. THE CONVENTION CENTER THROUGH THE CONVENTIONS AND TRADE SHOWS PLAYS AN INTEGRAL PART IN OUR ECONOMY. DIRECTLY, IT REACHED CLOSE TO $364 MILLION. THE ALAMODOME IS A 32-YEAR-OLD MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY WITH 65,000 SEATS. MUCH OF ITS INFRASTRUCTURE IS STILL ORIGINAL. IT HOSTS 120 EVENT DAYS HER YEAR WITH ATTENDANCE OF A MILLION PEOPLE. THESE EVENTS DON'T COUNT ALSO ADDITIONAL 100 TO 150 ANCILLARY EVENTS WHICH TAKE PLACE IN THE MEETING ROOMS AND THE PARKING LOTS. THE ALAMODOME DURING ITS 30-YEAR TENURE HAS GENERATED MORE THAN 4 BILLION. CONSIDER ON AVERAGE 75% OF THE ATTENDEES TO STADIUM CONCERTS AT THE FACILITY COME FROM OUTSIDE OF BEXAR COUNTY AND 40% OF THOSE ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE. TOMORROW, VISITATION WILL BE HIGH TO OUR CITY AS WE HOST CLOSE TO 50,000 PEOPLE TO ENJOY CANADIAN SINGER AND SONG I DON'T REMEMBER THE WEEKEND IN CONCERT. BUT BESIDES ALL OF THE LARGE CROWDS AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IT GENERATES, IT HAS BECOME PART OF THE FABRIC OF THIS COMMUNITY. A FAMILIAR PART IN OUR SKYLINE FOR THREE DECADES, IT HAS MADE MEMORIES IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR CITY, HOSTING GRADUATIONS, HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES, BAND COMPETITIONS, AND UTSA FOOTBALL. BOTH THE HENRY B GONZALES CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMODOME ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CITY EASE 21.5 BILLION TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY. EVENTS SUCH AS THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR HELD HERE LAST APRIL AND GENERATED MORE THAN $440 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN SAN ANTONIO WITHOUT THESE TWO FACILITIES. AND FINALLY, THE CARVER COMMUNITY CULTURAL CENTER ALSO PART OF OUR DEPARTMENT IS COMPRISED OF THE THEATER AND THE LITTLE CARVER, BOTH HOST ABOUT 250 HE EVENTS A YEAR WITH ATTENDANCE OVER 48,000. THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY MANY CITIES ARE MAKING SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS IN THEIR CENTERS. CLOSE TO HOME, MAJOR TEXAS CITIES ARE INVESTING HEAVILY IN THEIR MEETING VENUES WITH DALLAS, AUSTIN, HOUSTON ALREADY MOVING FORWARD WITH BILLION DOLLAR MAKEOVERS THAT WILL CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF NOT ONLY THE STATE BUT THE NATIONAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY. THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS RECOGNIZED THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE WITHIN CONVENTION CENTERS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CITIES STAYING AHEAD. THAT IS WHY THE STATE OF TEXAS APPROVED THE LENG IS LATION WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT FINANCE ZONE FOR SAN ANTONIO. DUE TO OUR CURRENT LIMITATIONS, VISIT SAN ANTONIO ESTIMATES THAT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SAN ANTONIO HAS MISSED OUT ON MORE THAN $700 MILLION IN REVENUE FROM MAJOR CONFERENCES BECAUSE OUR CONVENTION CENTER DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE MEETING SPACE. WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUTURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS BUT WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO RETAIN WHAT WE HAVE. THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.EVEN IF WE TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS NOW, THE NEWER AREA OF OUR EXPANDED FACILITY WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANOTHER 4 TO 5 YEARS, PUTTING US A YEAR OR TWO BEHIND OUR COMPETITORS. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE, OUR COMPETITORS ARE SLATED TO OPEN THEIR EXPANDED AND RENOVATED CONVENTION CENTERS BETWEEN 2028 AND 2030. IN ORDER TO COMPETE IN
[00:10:02]
2029 AND BEYOND, WE MUST TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS NOW. LARGER CONVENTIONS SUCH AS TRADE SHOWS AND ASSOCIATIONS BOOK THEIR BUSINESS THREE TO FIVE YEARS OUT. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2026, A MEETING PLANNER WILL DECIDE WHERE TO BOOK AN EVENT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 2028 AND 2030.THE BOOKING WINDOWS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE IN RELATION TO OUR COMPETITORS' CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION TIME LINE REFLECTS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BEGIN THE EXPANSION. IF WE WAIT TOO LONG TO ANNOUNCE AN INVESTMENT UNTIL THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT WILL TAKE US OUT OF THE 2030 TO '35 BOOKING CYCLE AND BEYOND. THIS OPENS IT UP FOR COMPETITION, MANY OF WHICH WILL HAVE NEW FACILITIES WITH NEW AMENITIES TO SECURE THAT BUSINESS. THIS NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES THE CONVENTION CENTER'S AL KNOW DOME AND OCCUPANCY FROM 2019 TO PROPOSED '26. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE OCCUPANCY RATE IN FISCAL YEAR '25 AND '26 IS STRONG FOR BOTH FACILITIES. THIS YEAR AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THE CONVENTION CENTER'S OCCUPANCY RATE IS EXPECTED TO BE AT 73 AND 74%, WHICH IS CONSIDERED ABOVE PRACTICAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THIS MEANS THAT THE FACILITY HAS LIMITED DAYS AVAILABLE TO SELL AND REFLECT THAT WE ARE TURNING AWAY SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS. AS FAR AS THE ALAMODOME, THERE'S NOT AN INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR STADIUMS FOR PRACTICAL MAXIMUM CAPACITY, BUT WITH ONLY 49 OPEN DATES TO SELL THE BUILDING IN FISCAL YEAR '25, THIS SHOWS THAT THE ALAMODOME IS AT CAPAC CAPACITY. NEXT, AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF EVENTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, THEY DIPPED IN FISCAL YEAR 20 AND '21 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC BUT HAVE BEEN RISING SINCE THEN. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT REACHED THE EVENT LEVELS WE HAD BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR FACILITY REVENUE AS WELL AS ATTENDANCE AND HOTEL ROOMS GENERATED BILL CONVENTION CENTER ARE HIGHER NOW THAN THEY WERE IN 2019. AT THE ALAMODOME, THE NUMBER OF EVENT DAYS ALSO DIPPED IN '20, BUT THEY GREW TO THE HIGHEST IN '21 WHEN THEY HOSTED THE ENTIRE WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR TOURNAMENT. THE NUMBERS OF DAYS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE DO NOT INCLUDE MOVE INS AND MOVE OUTS AS WELL AS ANCILLARY EVENTS THAT ARE HELD IN MEETINGS AND PARKING LOTS. THE NUMBER OF EVENTS HELD AT THE FACILITIES MAY NOT ALWAYS TELL THE WHOLE STORY. IN A CERTAIN YEAR, WE MIGHT HAVE LESS EVENTS, BUT THOSE EVENTS MAY HAVE A GREATER ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE CITY AND GENERATE MORE FACILITY REVENUE. SO OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON BOOKING QUALITY EVENTS THAN QUANTITY OF EVENTS. NOW, THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE TREND OF EXPENSES AND REVENUES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND ALAMODOME FROM 2019 TO '26 EXPENSES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER HAVE INCREASED BY 8.5 MILLION DOLLARS AND AT THE ALAMODOME BY 8.7 MILLION MUST DUE TO INCREASES IN SALARIES, MAINTENANCE SERVICE CONTRACTS AND UTILITIES. WHILE THERE WAS A DIP IN REVENUE AT BOTH FACILITIES DURING COVID IN FISCAL YEAR 20 AND 21, THE RECOVERY CAUSE QUICK. BY 2023, THE CONVENTION CENTER GENERATED HIGHER REVENUES THAN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC AND THE ALAMODOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO DECADES MADE A PROFIT AND ALMOST DOUBLED THE REVENUE. THE INCREASE IN REVENUE IS ATTRIBUTED TO BOTH FACILITIES HOSTING LARGER EVENTS. THE FACILITIES, ALTHOUGH GREAT ECONOMIC GENERATORS, THEY OPERATE AT A LOSS, AND THEIR OPERATIONS ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT IS COMMON AMONG CONVENTION CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT THEY'RE SUPPLEMENTED BY OTHER SOURCES. IN FISCAL YEAR '26, BOTH FACILITIES WILL RECEIVE 11.5 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. NEXT, THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR ALL CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES TOTAL 91.9 MILLION DOLLARS OF.
THAT TOTAL, 59.2 IS DEDICATED FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE ALAMODOME AND CONVENTION CENTER, ALSO, INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET IS 2.9 MILLION DOLLARS IN HOSTING OBLIGATIONS TO INCENTIVIZE BUSINESS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER. THERE'S ALSO 1.4 MILLION IN GENERAL FUND SUPPORT
[00:15:04]
AND 700,000 IN SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS FOR THE CARVER CENTER. THE PROPOSED BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES 4.4 MILLION FOR THE FACILITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE'S REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM. 100% OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE STATE AFTER THE EVENT. ALSO, THE BUDGET INCLUDES A 23 MILLION IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT THE ALAMODOME AND CONVENTION CENTER. I WILL PROVIDE MORE DETAILS LATER ABOUT THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS.LASTLY, THE CONVENTION IS SPORTS FACILITIES DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL COMPLEMENT FOR THIS YEAR WILL STAY THE SAME AS LAST YEAR WITH 268 POSITIONS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. 70 AT THE ALAMODOME AND AT THE CARVER CENTER. THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES ENCE HANSMENTS WITH NO FEE INCREASES RECOMMENDED AT THE AL HOME DOME AND CARVER.
FIRST, THE FACILITY RENTAL FEES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER ARE RECOMMENDED TO BE INCREASED BY 3% FROM THE CURRENT RATES, AND ESTIMATED TO GENERATE ABOUT 39,000 NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE LAST RENTAL FEE INCREASE WAS DONE IN 2016. NEXT, THE FACILITY ACCESS FEE WILL GO FROM 1 TO $2 PER TICKET TO 3 TO $5 PER TICKET BRINGING US CLOSER TO INDUSTRY RATES. THE INCREASED FEE WILL PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO CHARGE HIGHER FACILITY ACCESS FEES FOR THOSE EVENTS WITH HIGHER TICKET PRICES THAN THOSE WITH LOWER TICKET PRICES.
THE DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING A $2 PER TICKET TICKET MASTER BUYOUT FEE FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER. THESE WILL EXEMPT THESE EVENTS FROM HAVING TO USE EXCLUSIVE TICKETING SYSTEM FOR THEM TO BOOK.
THEY ARE GREAT BUSINESS FOR THE CITY AS THEY GENERATE HOTEL NIGHTS DURING PERIODS WHEN HOTELS MAY SIT EMPTY. NEXT, AS PART OF THE CITYWIDE SIRI-BASED BUDGET INITIATIVE, SEVERAL OF THE CONTRACT AND COMMODITY LINES WERE RIGHT SIZED WITH --
>> THEY CAME FROM FEES FROM PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTOR AS WELL AS SERVICE CONTRACTS AT THE FACILITIES. IN ADDITION, WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE 100,000 DECREASE TO ONE OF OUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING THE OPERATION. WITH REGARDS TO CAPITAL PROJECTS IN FISCAL YEAR '26, THE DEPARTMENT HAS 23.3 MILLION PLANNED IN CAPITAL PROJECTS. 20 MILLION WILL BE USED FOR PROJECTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. 3.3 FOR PROJECTS AT THE ALAMODOME. MANY OF THESE PROJECTS COMMENCE IN YEAR AND WILL BE FINALIZED NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE HAVE 8.3 MILLION TO CONTINUE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS IN THE OLDER PORTION OF THE BUILDING. THERE'S ALSO 3.9 MILLION FOR HV AC RENOVATIONS, 2.1 FOR THE WEST BUILDING PARK REMODEL, 1.5 FOR FIRE PANEL REPLACEMENT, 700,000 FOR UPGRADES TO THE THEATER, AND 500,000 FOR PLUMBING IMPROVEMENTS IN EXHIBIT HALL THREE. SOME OTHER PROJECTS ARE THE RENOVATION FOR REST ROOMS AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CARPET THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. AT THE ALAMODOME, IT HAS ANOTHER 3.3 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT CREDITS 600,000 IN WAREHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS.
ANOTHER 600,000 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF ARENA FLOOR BOXES, AND ADDITIONAL 600,000 FOR CATERING EQUIPMENT UTILIZED BY THE CONCESSION AND CATERER. 1.5 MILLION FOR REPLACEMENT OF HVAC COMPUTER, CLUB SPEAKERS AS WELL AS WAY FINDING. NOW, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU, AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WE BELIEVE THE ALAMODOME AND THE HENRY B GONZALES CONVENTION CENTER STAND AT DEFINING CROSSROADS. WITHOUT PROACTIVE AND TIMELY CAPITAL INVESTMENT, WE RISK FALLING BEHIND IN THE RACE TO ATTRACT PREMIER EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS. WITH THAT AT STAKE IS SAN ANTONIO'S ABILITY TO COMPETE FOR THE MAJOR EVENTS THAT BRING JOBS, TOURISM, AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. INVESTING IN THESE VENUES, WE BELIEVE IS CRITICAL. THE MORE IMMEDIATE NEED IS THE CONVENTION CENTER WHICH IS FACING UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES FROM OUR COMPETITORS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. HOUSTON,
[00:20:06]
AUSTIN, FORT WORTH, DALLAS ARE I CAN MAKING BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENTS. THESE ARE MOVES THAT WILL RESHAPE THE STATE AND NATIONAL MEETINGS MARKETS AS I MENTIONED. THE ALAMODOME WHICH HOSTED THE MEN'S FINAL FOUR FIVE TIMES HAS A SLIM CHANCE OF HOSTING THAT EVENT AGAIN. AT THE NCAA, THE DOME NO LONGER MEETS THE STANDARDS FOR FUTURE EVENTS. MORE THAN THREE DECADES OLD, THE DOME FACES TOO MANY CHALLENGES. THEY RISK LOSING FINAL FOURS OR LONG-TERM ASPIRATIONS TO HOST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAY OF I DON'T HAVES, WORLD CUP, AND OTHER PROMINENT EVENTS. A NOTHING APPROACH WILL LEAD TO DECLINING MARKET SHARE AND IMPACT. BY INVESTING NOW, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THESE ICONIC VENUES REMAIN VIBRANT ECONOMIC ENGINES FOR OUR CITY DRIVING TOURISM, CREATING JOBS, AND SECURING SAN ANTONIO'S PLACE ON THE NATIONAL STAGE. INVESTMENT ISN'T JUST IMPORTANT. WE BELIEVE IT'S URGENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KRYSTAL JONES, DIRECTOR OF ARTSAND CULTURE. >> MAYOR, JUST AS KRYSTAL IS COMING UP.
WE WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING SEVERAL AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TODAY IS TO PILOT THOSE
AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE. >> THANK YOU, ERIK. MY NAME IS KRYSTAL JONES, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE AND I'M PLEASED TO JOIN YOU TODAY TO PRESENT OUR FISCAL YEAR 2026 PROPOSED BUDGET. TODAY YOU'RE GOING TO SEE METRICS AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NUMBERS THAT IMPACT THE LIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY, CREATIVE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS RESIDENT DEPARTMENTS AND VISITORS. BUT EVEN MORE, I WANT TO IDENTIFY THAT TODAY'S DISCUSSION ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE SPEAKS TO THE HEART OF WHO WE ARE AS A CITY.
THE ARTS ARE NOT JUST A CULTURAL AMENITY. THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR GENERATES $5.1 BILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC IMPACT AND CREATES OVER 20,000 DIRECT JOBS. FROM VIBRANT AND ENGAGING PUBLIC ART IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCES ON THE STAGES, THE CREATIVE SPIRIT OF SAN ANTONIO IS ALIVE IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR CITY. IT TELLS OUR STORIES, CELEBRATES OUR CULTURE AND BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER IN WAYS THAT FEW OTHER THINGS CAN. IT'S TO FITTING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IMPACT TO TOURISM AS WELL. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN BY CHANCE. IT TAKES A DEDICATED TEAM OF CITY EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC POLICY, OUR STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OUR ARTISTS WHO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN. TOGETHER WE CELEBRATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT BENEFIT EVERY RESIDENT AND EVERY VISITOR. SO THIS BUDGET IS OUR REFLECTION OF OUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN THIS ECOSYSTEM AND BEFORE I BEGIN AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE DETAILS OF OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM STAND UP. THEY ARE IN DIFFERENT CORNERS OF THE AUDIENCE HERE. WE HAVE DIANA, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR; WE HAVE JENNY, OUR ARTS AND CULTURE ADMINISTRATOR; KIMBERLY, OUR PROJECT MANAGER; STACY, MARKETING; CARLOS GUTIERREZ WHO HAS ON OFFICE -- AN OFFICE NEXT TO MINE. HE HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK BUT HEARS A LOT ABOUT THE BUDGET THROUGH THE PROCESS. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THAT LEADERSHIP TEAM. THIS LEADERSHIP TEAM REPRESENTS 24 DEDICATED CITY EMPLOYEES WHO TAKE PUBLIC SERVICE TO HEART. THEY ARE NOT ONLY AT THEIR DESKS FROM THE 8:00 TO 5:00 TIME FRAME, BUT THEY ARE OUT ON NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS CONNECTING WITH OUR ARTS COMMUNITY, FINDING OUT WHAT'S IMPACTING NONPROFITS, WHAT'S IMPACTING ARTISTS, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM. SO THIS IS A PASSION. THIS IS A PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, BUT IT'S ALSO A PASSION OR ARTS COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE AMONG THEM AND BE REPRESENTING THEM TODAY.
SO TODAY I'M GOING TO GO OVER OUR DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW, OUR BUDGET.
SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON FOR 2026 IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND ALSO 2026 OVERVIEW, THE LAST SLIDE THAT WILL GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF ALL THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING TO DO IN 2026. OUR GOAL AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE IS TO ENRICH QUALITY OF LIFE BY INVESTING IN ARTS AND CULTURE. WE DO IT WITH FOUR DIVISIONS. WE HAVE
[00:25:03]
OUR GRANTS MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT WORKS WITH NONPROFITS AND ARTISTS TO CREATE ARTS PROGRAMMING THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, AGAIN, IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR CITY. WE HAVE OUR CULTURAL EVENTS AND EXHIBITSES TEAM. THEY RUN TWO GALLERIES.WE'LL TALK ABOUT EXHIBITIONS UPCOMING THAT WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US GIVING COMMUNITY TO EXPLORE CONTEMPORARY ART IN A FREEWAY. WE HAVE PUBLIC ART. IT'S IT'S ATTAR YOU SEE IN PUBLIC SCULPTURES.
LOOKING AT THIS PROGRAM IN INVESTING IN OUR ARTIST COMMUNITY BUT ALSO INVESTING IN COMMUNITY DIRECTLY IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERY RESIDENT HAS ACCESS TO ART WITHOUT COST. WE'LL LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HOW THEY HAVE HELPED CREATE THIS PROGRAM. FINALLY, MARKETING, WE NEED TO CONNECT WITH NONPROFITS AND KNOW WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND CONNECT WITH FILMMAKERS AND MUSICIANS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE A FILM FRIENDLY CITY, TOP MUSIC FRIENDLY CITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS. HERE'S OUR BUDGET HISTORY IN THE MILLIONS. YOU'LL SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE PANDEMIC WE DID HAVE A BIT OF THAT DIP THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE WITH JUSTINA. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR FISCAL YEAR '25 '26 HAVING A FLAT BUDGET WITH 13.5 COMING FROM THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX AND HALF A MILLION COMING FROM GENERAL FUND TO MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC ART COLLECTION WHICH IS OVER 600 PIECE OFFS PUBLIC ART. YOU'LL LIKE AT THIS SLIDE AS HOW OUR FUNDING IS BROKEN UP AND WHERE THE INVESTMENTS ARE REALLY MADE. I THINK ONE KEY COMPONENT HERE IS 65% -- I WOULD SAY ALL OF OUR BUDGET IS GOING DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITY WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SERVICE OR FUNDING, BUT 65% ARE GOING DIRECTLY TO OUR ARTISTS AND NONPROFITS TO CREATE THIS PROGRAMMING IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A 24 POSITIONS AGAIN REMAINING FROM THE AND 24 DEDICATED MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS AND IT SPREAD OUT. GOING INTO OUR ARTS FUNDING, SO LOOKING AT -- WE HAVE A THREE YEAR FUNDING CYCLE. WE GO THROUGH THE GRAND GUIDELINES EVERY THREE YEARS ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY AND THE FOLKS WE SERVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE MET. WE ARE IN YEAR TWO OF THE THREE-YEAR CYCLE. I WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT WHAT ERIK JUST MENTIONED. THERE HAVE BEEN JUST LIKE OTHER CITIES AND ALL OF OUR COUNTERPARTS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE ARE SOME REALITIES WHEN IT COMES TO CHANGES IN THE FEDERAL GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND IMPACT.
THIS SLIDE REFLECTS THOSE CHANGES AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ABOUT IT IN FISCAL YEAR '26. 6.2 MILLION DOLLARS WILL GO TO 41 NONPROFITS. THEIR COMMITMENT AND THEIR MISSION IS TO DO ARTS PROGRAMMING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND VISITORS. SO THOSE WILL GO OUT VIA GRANTS TO OPERATIONAL SUPPORT WHICH CAN FUND PERSONNEL, PROGRAM COSTS, AND ALSO MARKETING COSTS. THE REMAINING 874,000 WILL BE SET ASIDE IN THE BUDGET AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL IN THE FALL WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY, AGAIN, TO OUR NONPROFIT ARTS COMMUNITY. WE HAVE 158,000 DOLLARS THAT ARE CAN HEED GATED TO 25 EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE ARE NONPROFITS THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE MISSION TO CREATE ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING, BUT THEY ARE NONPROFITS DOING ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE MARKS FOUNDATION AND HOW THEY DO JAZZ ALIVE, THEY ARE ONE OF THE EVENTS INCLUDED. THEY ARE DOING ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING AND IT'S ONE TIME A YEAR THAT THIS EVENT GRANT CAN GO OUT. MAX AWARD OF 20% OF THE TOTAL EVENT BUDGET AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT 25 EVENTS GET THAT TOTAL 20% OF THEIR BUDGET TO CREATE ARTS AND CULTURE EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. ARTIST GRANTS, FOR FISCAL YEAR '2026, WE ARE PROPOSING TO FUND 54 ARTISTS WITH GRANTS BETWEEN 7500 AND 15,000. THEY CAN APPLY FOR 7 500 OR IF THEY HAVE A MORE COMPLEX PROJECT WHICH INCLUDES COLLABORATION, THEY CAN APPLY FOR $15,000 GRANT. WE WOULD HAVE 54 ARTISTS GETTING ABOUT $495,000 TO CREATE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO OUR COMMUNITY, RESIDENT DEPARTMENTS AND VISITORS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, THIS IS NOT A CHECK GOING TO AN ARTIST'S HAND AND IMMEDIATELY JUST BEING TURNED AROUND TO PAY THEIR BILLS. THESE ARE CHECKS BEING GIVEN TO THE ARTISTS TO CREATE PROGRAMS. THESE ARE GOING TO VENUES LIKE ONE ARTIST JUST LAST SATURDAY NIGHT HAD AN
[00:30:05]
EVENT AT URBAN 15. SO IT'S MONEY GOING TO ANOTHER NONPROFIT TO INCREASE THE ATTENDEES, INCREASE THE AUDIENCE OF URBAN 15 THROUGH THAT ARTIST DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. SO IT'S ANOTHER WAY FOR ARTISTS TO GET NEW AUDIENCES, NONPROFITS TO GET AUDIENCES AND IT'S A WAY FOR VENUES THAT MAY NOT BE USED TYPICALLY FOR ARTISTIC SPACES TO BE USED FOR ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMMING. YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SLIDE A QUOTE THAT'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT HIS ARTIST GRANT HAD ON HIM. THIS IS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR ARTISTS AS WELL.WE HAVE HAD ARTISTS THAT HAVE PRODUCED THEIR ARTISTIC PROGRAM THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN BY SOMEONE WHO'S CREATING A PROGRAM EVEN OVERSEAS AND SAYS I WANT TO HIRE YOU FOR THAT PROGRAM IN IRELAND WHICH IS A TRUE STORY. THIS IS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR ARTISTS. AND IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. ANOTHER THING THAT I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ON THIS AND HOW IT CONNECTS AGAIN WITH MY COUNTERPARTS THAT ARE PRESENTING TODAY. WE HAVE ARTISTS IN THIS PROGRAM THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED BY INCOMING CONVENTION AND MEETINGS TO DO ACTIVATIONS IN THE LOBBY OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
ACTIVATIONS THAT ARE GATHERING ATTENDEES' ATTENTION. IT'S ANOTHER WAY ARTISTS ARE GETTING ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND INCOULD MANY FROM OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY BUT A WAY THEY ARE CONNECTING TO OUR CULTURE AND WHO WE ARE THROUGH CONVENTIONS. ONE HIGHLIGHT THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT WE ARE COMMITTED AND I KNOW COUNCIL HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS AS WELL, AS ADDITIONAL ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, NOT JUST GIVING THAT ONE GRANT AS ONE ARTIST ONCE SAID, YOU KNOW, NOT GIVING SOMEONE A FISH, TEACHING THEM HOW TO FISH. SO THIS IS GRANT WORKSHOPS THAT WE ARE DOING AS A DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF HOW DO YOU WRITE AN ARTISTIC STATEMENT FOR A GRANT? HOW DO YOU WRITE A PROJECT PROPOSAL? HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR ART? THAT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ONLY IN THE CREATIVE ELEMENT BUT THEY HAVE TO PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE. IT'S HARD FOR ANYBODY. HOW DO YOU WORK ON CONTRACTS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT? SO WE DO THOSE KIND OF WORKSHOPS ON OUR OWN WITH OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT EXPERTISE, BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO THINGS THAT I'M REALLY GOOD ABOUT --
>> IN MARCH, ARTIST THRIVE WHICH IS A NATIONAL COLLECTION OF ARTISTS THAT GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT BEST PRACTICES AND DO WORKSHOPS AND MENTORSHIP, THEY HAVE SELECTED SAN ANTONIO AS ONE OF SIX CITIES TO DO ARTISTIST DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY. SO THIS COULD GATHER FOLKS FROM THE REGION TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO. THERE MIGHT BE FOLKS THAT HAVE SAID I WANT TOED COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND GO TO THAT WORKSHOP. THEY ARE GOING TO RESERVE ABOUT 25 SPOTS FOR OUR SAN ANTONIO ARTIST COMMUNITY SO WE MAKE SURE THEY ARE GETTING THIS DEVELOPMENT. ANOTHER THING I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ARTIST INK EXPRESS WHICH WILL BE TARGETING IN JUNE 2026. THIS IS A TWO-DAY IN-PERSON WORKSHOP PUT ON BY THE MID AMEIDRICA HE ARTS ALLIANCE. THEY ARE A COLLECTIVE THAT LOOKS AT A SIX STATE REGION OF OKLAHOMA, MISSOURI, TEXAS, AND NEBRASKA, AND THEY ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT AND THEY WANT TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO TO RUN THIS WORKSHOP THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON ARTIST ENTREPRENEURSHIP. VERY BIG TO TEACH FOLKS HOW TO DO BUSINESS AS AN ARTIST. THAT'S HOW WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR ARTISTS OUTSIDE OF GRANTS. PUBLIC ART, 2026 WILL BE 30 YEARS OF PUBLIC ART IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS FACT.
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
[00:35:05]
THAT WILL INCORPORATE SHADE. SO FOR, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHEREVER THERE'S A PUBLIC ART PIECE, WHERE CAN WE INCORPORATE SHADE. THIS IS, AGAIN, SPEAKING TO THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND HOW ARE WE IN THE ARTIST COMMUNITY MEETING THAT NEED THROUGH PUBLIC ART. WE HAVE 22 MAINTENANCE PROJECTS SCHEDULED IN 2026, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THESE SLIDES, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE DO. IT COULD BE VERY LARGE SCALE, STRUCTURE AAL ELEMENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE PUBLIC ART THAT'S BEEN UP FOR 30 YEARS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT STILL LASTS FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS AND BEYOND. IT COULD ALSO BE SOME, YOU KNOW, REAL CLEAN-UP LIKE YOU SEE AT THE WINDOWS TO OUR HERITAGE WHERE THERE WAS DEBRIS AND MOLD BUILDING UP ON THIS WHERE WE NEED TO CLEAN IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S IN GREAT CONDITION FOR NOT ONLY OUR RESIDENTS BUT WE DO PARTNER, AGAIN, WITH OUR FRIENDS AT VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND THE CONVENTION CENTER TO PROMOTE THAT WE HAVE A HUGE PUBLIC ART COLLECTION. SO WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SEE IT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN GREAT CONDITION. I TALKED ABOUT OUR CULTURAL EVENTS AND EXHIBITS. WE HAVE 26 EVENTS FROM EXHIBITION OPENINGS TO PUBLIC ART DEDICATIONS THAT WE HOST AS A DEPARTMENT ALONE. WE EXPECT TO SEE 35,000 ATTENDEES TO THOSE DIFFERENT EVENTS WITH 87 ARTISTS SHOWCASED. OF COURSE, WITH THE HELP OF PROMOTING, WE WORK WITH YOUR OFFICE TO PROMOTE THESE EVENTS. WE HOPE TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER. AGAIN, IT'S ALSO ARTIST TALKS AND WORKSHOPS. WE HAVE OUR FILM COFFEE TALKS BY HAS BEEN HUGE IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FILMMAKERS TRAVELING FROM LOS ANGELES, TRAVELING FROM AUSTIN, DALLAS, HOUSTON, TO SAN ANTONIO FOR A FILM FESTIVAL. WE ARE HOSTING THEM FOR A COFFEE TALK ABOUT OUR FILM AMENITIES AND HOW WE ARE A GREAT AND FILM FRIENDLY CITY. AND THAT BRINGS ME TO HIGHLIGHT ON FILM AND MUSIC. I THINK YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THERE THERE WERE BIG THINGS HAPPENING IN TEXAS WHEN IT CAME TO FILM. SENATE BILL 22 WAS PASSED, THAT BRINGS A HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN OUR FILM INCENTIVE FUNDING AND MAKES US COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER FILM DESTINATIONS. IT'S A 300 BILLION DOLLARS INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS BECAUSE BEFORE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FILMMAKERS WHO WANTED TO BRING A TV SERIES TO TEXAS, THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF WE HAD THE COMMITMENT AS A STATE BEHIND KEEPING SEASON ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR HERE. SO THAT TEN-YEAR INVESTMENT IS IMPORTANT. WE HAVE SEEN EVERY TIME THE STATE OF TEXAS INCREASES ITS BUDGET FOR FILM INCENTIVE, OUR FILM PERMITS RISE WHEN THE SESSION STARTS WHICH IS SEPTEMBER 1ST. SO WE ARE PREPARING FOR SEPTEMBER 1ST.EVERYONE IN TEXAS IS PREPARING FOR TEXAS 1ST GETTING INQUIRIES ABOUT NOT ONLY THE STATE BUT WE HAVE A LOCAL FILM INCENTIVE THAT PROVIDES A REBATE JUST LIKE THE STATE. IT'S 7.5% INCENTIVE REBATE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS FOR EVERY 100,000 SPENT? SAN ANTONIO ON A PROJECT, ANY LOCAL EXPENSES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS' WAGES TO COFFEE SHOPS THAT YOU'RE USING, TO DRY-CLEANING SERVICES, THOSE EXPENSE WILLS QUALIFY FOR A 7.5% REBATE. THAT HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER WITH PROJECTS LIKE SAY A LITTLE PRAYER THAT FILMED TWO YEARS AGO AND IS ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE ITS STREAMING RELEASE VERY SOON. IT'S ALSO JUST A MARKETING TOOL AS WELL. WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT MAYBE THEY WON'T GET THAT INCENTIVE IN TERMS OF MAYBE THEY WON'T APPLY FOR IT, BUT THEY WILL STILL COME HERE. WE SAW THAT WITH PROJECTS, 1923, THEY ALREADY HAD THE STATE INCENTIVE. THEY FILMED HERE FOR A DAY AND IN ONE WEEK, THEY SENT WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS ON JUST ONE CORRIDOR, AND IT WAS DIRECTLY TO A COFFEE SHOP. THERE WERE A LOT OF HATS SOLD BECAUSE THEY WERE ON THAT BLOCK. THAT'S HOW IT'S DRIVING ECONOMIC INVESTMENT. WE'RE ON TOP PLACES TO WORK AND LIVE AS A FILMMAKER. WE HAVE OVER 30 INQUIRIES FOR INCENTIVE ONLY PROJECTS. I WANT TO FOCUS ON EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING, IT OPENS WITH A WONDERFUL SONG BY A SAN ANTONIO ARTIST ORIGINAL MUSIC, AND WE HAVE SEEN THAT PROGRAM ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST TWO YEARS WITH SOME REAL MARKETING PUSHES INCREASE TO 24 NEW SONGS FOR THE FALL. GET READY FOR YOUR COUNCIL MEETINGS TO START OUT WITH A NEW SONG, AND THESE ARE, AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN YOUR AREAS THAT ARE CREATING ORIGINAL WORK TO KICK OFF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS. WE ALSO, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, JUNE
[00:40:02]
21ST IS AN INTERNATIONAL MAKE MUSIC DAY. WE HAD HUGE ATTENDANCE FOR MAKE MUSIC DAY. IT'S A MARKETING PUSH TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MAKING NEWS I CAN. THE BOTANIC GUARD ANS, TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO ARE LOCATIONS FOR THE 23 THAT INCLUDED LIVE PERFORMANCES WITH OVER 40 ARTISTS SHOWCASED. IT'S INTERNATIONAL AND WE MADE THE NEWS ON A STATE LEVEL AND ALSO INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.FINALLY, OUR FOCUS FOR 2026 IS THIS: WE'VE GOT CITIES ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE PREPARING FOR THAT SEPTEMBER 1ST DATE, PREPARING FOR THESE INQUIRIES TO COME AT THE FILM INCENTIVE LEVEL. WE BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO REFRESH OUR LOCAL FILM INCENTIVE TO MAKE US COMPETITIVE AS CITIES ARE LOOKING FOR MORE THAN 7.5% INCENTIVE. WELCOME BACK TO YOU THIS FALL WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK AT REFRESHING THAT FILM INCENTIVE, INCLUDING SOME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS FROM THE PRODUCTION WHEN THEY ARE HERE SO WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT. WE ALSO HAVE AT THE STATE LEVEL A MEDIA PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT ZONE. NOW, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT A STUDIO APPLIES FOR AT THE STATE LEVEL. BUT, OF COURSE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE LOCAL COORDINATION. SO WE PLAN ON HAVING SOME SESSIONS WITH THE STATE'S FILM COMMISSION ON WHAT THAT IS AND WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT REGIONS AND AREAS WHERE WE NEED STUDIO DEVELOPMENT. ONE KEY THING THAT'S REALLY MISSING HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHEN IT COMES TO FILM. WHAT THAT PROGRAM DOES, IT GIVES YOU A REBATE ON THE SALES TAX WHEN IT COMES TO NEW BUILDS OR RENOVATIONS OF STUDIOS. IT'S A WAY TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE TRULY NEED TO MAKE FILM HAPPEN. AND THEN FINALLY, THE PROMOTION OF MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES, MANY OF OUR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS WHO RECEIVE THESE GRANTS ARE MUSICIANS AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME TO ONE OF THE PERFORMANCES THAT THEY HAVE FOR OUR GRANT PROGRAM. LAST SLIDE IS JUST A SUMMARY. LOOKING, AGAIN, IN 2026, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR NONPROFITS AND ARTIST COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT DEDICATIONS ACROSS TOWN FOR PUBLIC ART. THERE ARE GREAT PROJECTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE. WE'VE GOT 35,000 ATTENDEES AT 26 DEPARTMENT EVENTS FEATURING 87 ARTISTS. REALLY IMPORTANTLY IS ELEVATING SAN ANTONIO'S CULTURAL STORY, WORKING WITH TOURISM PARTNERS AND STORYTELLERS, OING WITH INDIVIDUALS LIKE GREATER SATX TO SAY WHY OUR COMPUTER COMMUNITY -- CREATIVE COMMUNITY IS A PLACE THAT MAKES SAN ANTONIO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE LIKE TO LIVE, PLAY, WORK, AND LEARN. IT'S WHY ME, MY TEAM CHOOSE TO LIVE AND WORK HERE AND PLAY AND LEARN AND SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES EVERYBODY ELSE COME HERE. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TELL SAN ANTONIO'S STORY THROUGH OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO MY COLLEAGUES WITH
VISIT SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR JONES, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND ERIK WALSH. IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE TO PRESENT VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S 2026 STRATEGIC PLAN AND PROPOSED BUDGET ON BEHALF OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OUR BOARD CHAIR, AND OUR CORE MANAGEMENT TEAM. VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS THE DESTINATION'S MARKETING ORGANIZATION OR THE DMO. WE'RE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT SELLS AND MARKETS THE ENTIRE CITY AS A PREMIER MEETING AND LEISURE TRAVEL DESTINATION. WE ARE ALSO AN ENTITY THAT CULTIVATES AND ADVOCATES FOR TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP EMPLOYMENT AND TAX GENERATING INDUSTRIES IN OUR CITY. OUR MISSION IS CLEAR. TO BRING THE WORLD TO SAN ANTONIO WHERE WE INVITE EVERYONE TO VISIT, TO EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE OUR AUTHENTIC CULTURE, DEEP-ROOTED HISTORY, AND TIMING TRADITIONS. EACH YEAR, VISIT SAN ANTONIO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION AND THE SAN ANTONIO VISITORS ALLIANCE COMMISSION AN INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY BY RESEARCH PROFESSORS FROM TRINITY UNIVERSITY. IT IS A THANK YOU OWE AND THOUGHTFUL PROCESS THAT TAKES TIME. FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE WILL PRESENT SOME ADVANCED DATA POINTS FROM 2024'S REPORT. HOWEVER, THE FULL REPORT WILL BE RELEASED IN EARLY NOVEMBER. SOME OF TODAY'S DATA WILL BE FROM 2023 WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2024.
OUR TOTAL VISITATION TOP 39 MILLION IN 2024, NEARLY EQUALING PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS. ONE OF THE STRENGTHS IS OUR APPEAL TO THE REGIONAL VISITOR WHICH HELPS OUR COMMUNITY BE MORE RESILIENT IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC HEADWINDS WHICH WE'RE IN TODAY. IN 2024, REGIONAL
[00:45:04]
VISITATION EQUATED TO 78% OF OUR DOMESTIC TRAVEL OR 29 MILLION VISITORS. RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN OTHER TEXAS CITIES AGGRESSIVELY GO AFTER THESE REGIONAL VISITORS, THUS OUR 2026 PLAN AIMS TO DEFEND OUR POSITION AS THE TOP LEISURE DESTINATION IN TEXAS. EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT TO YOU ARE 0 SUCCESS IS MEETINGS WHO BOOKS FURTHER OUT, SPENDS MORE HISTORICALLY, AND HELPS ESTABLISH A STRONG OCCUPANCY BASE FOR OUR CITY. IN 200024, WE WELCOMED 5.7 MILLION ATTENDEES WHO MET AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND ENJOYED HOTEL COMPUTATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. SAN ANTONIO ALSO WELCOMED 2.4 MILLION INTERNATIONAL VISITORS 200024. THIS IS A 15% INCREASE OVER 2023 WHEN WE HOSTED 2 MILLION. SAN ANTONIO'S TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS ONE OF OUR CITY'S GREATEST ENGINES OF GROWTH. DRIVING ECONOMIC IMPACT IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO AT VISIT SAN ANTONIO. IN 2023, THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALIST ECONOMIC IMPACT REACHED 21.5 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH IS A RECORD FOR OUR DESTINATION. IT HELPS US GROW, NEW INVESTMENTS TO GROW AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO FLOURISH. THIS MEANS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, ENHANCED PUBLIC SPACES SAFER STREETS AND JOB CREATION. SELLING AND MARKETING OUR CITY AS A DESTINATION EVERYONE WANTS TO VISIT, EXPLORE, AND EXPERIENCE IS VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S PRIMARY FOCUS. IN 2024, 1.4 BILLION WAS GENERATED BY VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S SELLING, MARKETING, AND PR EFFORTS. EFFORTS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS RETURN ON INVESTMENT INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO OUR DESTINATION SALES TEAM BOOKING TO INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION -->> AS CLOSER CONVENTION CENTERS FOR REBUILDING AS WELL AS YEAR-ROUND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS WHICH LAUNCHED SAN ANTONIO AS THE THEME PARK CAPITAL OF TEXAS AND PROMOTING OUR PLACES MILITARY CITY U.S.A.
ALSO, THE MARKETING AND PR FOR THE DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION WHICH GARNERED NATIONAL COVERAGE. SAN ANTONIO IS A CITY OF HOSPITALITY. THEREFORE, WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE OUR VISITORS WELCOME AND AT HOME. THIS IS ONE OF THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAKES CONVENTION AND VISITORS WANT TO RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. I OFTEN REMIND PEOPLE OF OUR CITY'S MANTRA THAT EVERY TEXAN HAS TWO HOMES, WHERE THEY ARE FROM AND SAN ANTONIO. THIS ADAGE RINGS TRUE AS MORE THAN 150,000 HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS SERVE AS THE FACE OF SAN ANTONIO REPRESENTING ONE OUT OF EVERY EIGHT EMPLOYEES. IN FACT, AS I CAN ATTEST, HAVING BEGUN MY CAREER AT THE MARRIOTT RIVER CENTER IN 1996 -- YES, THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO. MY GRAY HAIR SHOWS IT -- THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS WHERE MANY PEOPLE GET THEIR START LEARNING VALUABLE SOFT SKILLS WHICH HELP THEM FLOURISH IN BEAUTIFUL CAREERS. TO ENSURE A PIPELINE OF LEADERS, VISIT SAN ANTONIO ESTABLISHED THE SAN ANTONIO HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION, WHICH IS A 501(C)(3) NOT-FOR-PROFIT DEDICATED TO EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITY. THROUGH THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF THE RIVERWALK ROYALTY COURT, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ST. PHILIP'S COLLEGE AND UTSA WHO ARE PURSUING CAREERS IN OUR DYNAMIC INDUSTRY. THIS YEAR FIVE STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS. LOOKING AHEAD, WE LOOK FORWARDE TO SUPPORTING EASTERN MORE STUDENTS DUE TO A RECORD BREAKING 100,000 RAISED BY RIVERWALK ROYALTY. SAN ANTONIO'S MANY OFFERINGS ARE PART OF OUR SALES AND MARKETING EFFORTS. ARTS AND CULTURE IS DEEPLY EMBEDDED AND ONE OF THE KEY ATTRACTIONS FOR VISITORS AND GROUP ATTENDEES ALIKE. ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THAT SAN ANTONIO'S CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE GREAT BENEFICIARIES OF TOURISM HAVING RECENTLY RECEIVED OVER 1100 BUSINESS REFERRALS FROM MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS WANTING TO UTILIZE THE TALENT OF LOCAL ARTISTS. 127 VISIT SAN ANTONIO CONTRACTS TO LOCAL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND ENTERTAINERS TO SERVE AS DESTINATION STORYTELLERS AT BSA EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS IS REAL MONEY GOING INTO THE POCKETS OF OUR ARTISTS. OUR TEAM PRODUCES FREE RIVERWALK PROGRAMMING ATTRACTING OVER 2 MILLION ATTENDEES THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUR LOCAL ARTISAN SHOWS AND
[00:50:01]
RIVERWALK PARADES WHICH FEATURE FREE AVAILABLE VIEWING AREAS FOR OUR LOCALS. FOR FISCAL YEAR '25, OUR GOALS ARE STRATEGICALLY STRUCTURED TO INCREASE HOTEL OCCUPANCY AND SALES TAX REVENUES BY PUTTING HEADS IN BEDS, INCREASING FOOT TRAFFIC TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, AND CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS. WE WILL FOCUS ON BOTH DURING OUR MEETING SPACE AND STRENGTHENING AS A PREMIER DESTINATION.FROM ECONOMIC IMPACT AND BRAND VISIBILITY TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND FLIGHT SERVICE, THE PLAN SUPPORTS PROGRESS AND INNOVATION OF OUR DESTINATION. VISIT SAN ANTONIO WILL RECRUIT MEETINGS AND EVENTS BRINGING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO OUR DESTINATION WHO ARE EMERGED IN OUR CITY'S OFFERINGS, TAKING BACK WITH THEM INSPIRATION AND NEW INSIGHTS TO ENHANCE THE ORGANIZATIONS. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST BUT AN EXECUTIVING OVERVIEW OF OUR TOP KPIS, REGULARLY SHARED WITH OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS. IN FACT, EACH VISIT SAN ANTONIO DEPARTMENT HAS ANOTHER SET OF KPIS THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIFIC TO THEIR AREAS OF EXPERTISE. WITH THAT SAID, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WE'RE FORECASTING TO EXCEED ALL KPIS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SALES LEADS WHICH IS 98% HIGHER THAN PRE-PANDEMIC AVERAGES. ONE OF OUR MAIN KPIS FOR DRIVING HOTEL OCCUPANCY AND SALES TAX COLLECTIONS IS GROUP ROOM NIGHTS SET ANNUALLY AND CONTRACTED FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND WELL INTO THE FUTURE. IN FACT, MANY OF OUR LARGER CONVENTION CENTER HOSTED ASSOCIATION MEETINGS WILL CONTRACT OUT TEN YEARS OR MORE.
IN OUR INDUSTRY, THIS IS REFERRED TO AS APACE OF BOOKINGS INTO FUTURE YEARS. I'LL WAIT UNTIL WE GET TO THE RIGHT SLIDE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. THIS IS THE ONE WITH THE GRAPH. OKAY. OKAY.
I APOLOGIZE. IT'S SLIDE 8. THERE WE GO. AWESOME.
SO AGAIN, ONE OF OUR MAIN KPIS FOR DRIVING HOTEL OCCUPANCY AND SALES TAX COLLECTION ASKS GROUP ROOM NIGHTS. THIS IS PACES. YOU BOOK IT OUT INTO THE FUTURE YEARS. FOR 2025 THROUGH 2029, SAN ANTONIO'S GROUP BOOKING PACE HAS HELD STEADY COMPARED TO OUR RECORD AVERAGES OF 2017 THROUGH 2019. SPECIFICALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO CONVENTION CENTER BOOKINGS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE WILL SUSTAIN THIS PACE FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE RELOCATED GROUPS FROM AUSTIN AND DALLAS AS THEY WERE CLOSING TO REBUILD THEIR CONVENTION CENTERS. NOW, CONVERSELY, THE NARRATIVE CHANGES WHEN LOOKING AT GROUP ROOM NIGHT PACE FOR 2030 TO '32 AS OUR TEXAS COMPETITORS ARE AGGRESSIVELY SELLING THEIR NEW CONVENTION CENTERS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 2030. NOT ONLY DOES THIS CHART ILLUSTRATE THIS DRASTIC REVERSAL IN GROUP BOOKING PACE BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND OUR TEXAS COMP SET BUT WE HAVE ALSO WITNESSED FOR OURSELVES OUR DIRECT COMPETITORS IN OUR CONVENTION CENTER WITH ZERO SHAME AT ALL ACTIVELY COURTING OUR EBBSISTING LEGACY GROUPS THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SUCCESS AS A WORLD CLASS CONVENTION AND MEETINGS DESTINATION. THERE IS AN OLD ADAGE IN BUSINESS THAT STATES NEW BEATS OLD EVERY SINGLE TIME. THIS IS NONE TRUER FOR OUR CONVENTIONS AND TRAVELERS. ONCE A CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION IS APPROVED, VISIT SAN ANTONIO WILL TRY TO KEEP OUR EXISTING GRIPES AND CAPTURE GROUP BUSINESS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ONCE THAT EXPANSION OCCURS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS THE ONLY ENTITY RECEIVING HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT WORKS TO INCREASE TAX REVENUES. OUR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR '26 BUDGET IS FLAT TO FISCAL YEAR '25. VISIT SAN ANTONIO WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AND IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY
[00:55:02]
THROUGH SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND BY PUTTING HEADS IN BEDS, SHOWCASING THE CITY'S ARTISTS, OUR WORLD CLASS CULTURE, AND OUR CULINARY SCENE WHILE SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES. VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLANNING GOAL SETTING AND BUDGET ARE DEVELOPED IN CONVENTION WITH AND APPROVED BY OUR GOVERNING BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTS OF CITY OFFICIALS AND STAFF AS WAS HOSPITALITY LEADERS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS WHICH ARE ALL FROM A DIVERSE AND DEEP COMMUNITY POOL OF BOARD MEMBERS THROUGH ADVISORY COMMITTEES, DEALING WITH FINANCES, ARTS AND CULTURE, CULINARY, AND RIVERWALK OPERATIONS JUST TO NAME A FEW. EACH BOARD AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER PLAYS A ROLE IN THE PRIORITIES AND GOALS AND ENSURES THEY ARE IMPACTFUL TO YOU ARE 0 COMMUNITY. AS WE CONTINUE TO WELCOME VISITORS AND SHARE THE UNIQUE SPIRIT OF OUR HOME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER EVERY VISITOR PLAYS A ROLE IN BUILDING A STRONGER AND MORE VIBRANT SAN ANTONIO FOR ALL OF US. IN CLOSING, VISIT SAN ANTONIO AIMS TO FOSTER STRONGER CONNECTIONS AND ENSURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS HOW VITAL TOURISM IS TOGROWTH AND CONTINUED PROSPERITY. THANK YOU. >> GREAT. MY THANKS TO THE PRESENTERS. IN THE FIRST PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS IN MR. BASS' PRESENTATION, THERE SEEMS TO BE A VERY CRITICAL ASSUMPTION BEING MADE, AND I WOULD WELCOME BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE DATA THAT UNDERPINS THIS ARGUMENT, WHICH IS BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.
RIGHT? I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL AS WE LOOK AT INVESTMENTS, EITHER IN THIS '26 BUDGET BUT SOME OF THE LONGER TERM INVESTMENTS IN THIS SPACE THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT SHOWS HOW THE IMPROVEMENTS WE WOULD MAKE IN THIS SPACE WILL, IN FACT, MAKE US MORE COMPETITIVE. THE WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE STEPS THAT OUR OTHER TEXAS STATES ARE TAKING IN THIS AND THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS THAT THEY ARE MAKING, OURS ARE RELATIVELY MODERATE COMPARED TO THEIRS. SO IT BEGS THE QUESTION OF, HOW DOES OUR INVESTMENT MAKE US COMPETITIVE IN LIGHT OF THE OTHER STEPS OTHERS ARE TAKING? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ASSUME THOSE INVESTMENTS DON'T FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE AND THE OVERALL COMPETITIVENESS HERE. RIGHT? I THINK THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT THESE INVESTMENTS MAY JUST KEEP US LEVEL WHEN THEY MAY NOT. SO, AGAIN, I WELCOME UNDERSTANDING THE DATA THAT POINTS TO, IF WE DO THIS, THEN THIS. RIGHT NOW IT'S IF WE DO THIS, IT COULD DO THIS. BUT GIVEN THE DEFINITIVENESS OF THE INVESTMENT, I WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE MORE DATA THAT SHOWS HOW THESE THINGS, AGAIN, WOULD CORRELATE TO ACTUAL INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS. I THINK THE SLIDE, MR. BASS, YOUR SLIDE, SLIDE ONE, IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT THERE MAY BE THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS SECTOR THAT WE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY ACCOUNTING FOR. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ON YOUR SLIDE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 2019 TO SO ON SLIDE 18, 2019 TO 2024, IT'S STRONG ON DOMESTIC LEISURE, HOWEVER, ABSENT THE COMPLETION OF PROJECTS IN OTHER STATES WE SEE A 20% DECREASE IN GROUP BUSINESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO CONVENTION BUSINESS, BUT TO GO FROM 7.1 IN 2019 TO 5.7 IN 2024 AND AGAIN OUR COMPETITORS AREN'T EVEN ONLINE YET AND WE SEE A 20% DECREASE IN THAT BUSINESS, GROUP BUSINESS, THERE MAY BE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE SECTOR WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I'LL JUST NOW GO ON. THOSE ARE MY KIND OF BROADER QUESTIONS.
A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU. AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE IN A VERY TIGHT FISCAL ENVIRONMENT AND WILL BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, I WOULD WELCOME UNDERSTANDING ON YOUR SLIDE 11 HERE OF THE $23.3 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF -- YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT SOME WRITTEN RESPONSE WOULD BE HELPFUL -- THE URGENCY OF SOME SINGLE-FAMILY THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHAT CAN BE DEFERRED, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITY COSTS KNOWING SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE
[01:00:04]
23.3 MILLION, NOT INSIGNIFICANT. I ALSO DON'T KNOW IF I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE OTHER PROJECTS ARE, THE 3.1 MILLION, THE UPGRADE TO THE LILA COCKRELL THEATER. NOT ONLY 700K, BUT AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER INVESTMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE IN OUR COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFER THESE, WE UNDERSTAND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MIGHT COST US. SO PLEASE PROVIDE THAT,THANK YOU. >> YEAH, I CAN ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS RIGHT
NOW. >> MAYOR JONES: PLEASE. >> AS FAR AS THE OTHER PROJECTS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, YOU MENTIONED THE LILA COCKRELL, WE'RE UNDERGOING A RIGGING PROJECT RIGHT NOW. ALSO TO GET READY FOR BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA TO HOST THAT PROBABLY LATE 27 OR 28.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT IS TAKING PLACE. EXHIBIT HALL 3 PLUMBING IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT NOW THERE'S SOME PLUMBING THAT'S LEAKING INTO THE EXHIBIT HALL FROM THE KITCHEN UPSTAIRS. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE -- THE OTHER ONES ARE CRITICAL, FIREMAN'S. THOSE ARE 1998 FINAL PANELS IN AN OLDER PART OF THE BUILDING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REPLACE.
WITH BUILDING WE'RE TRYING TO SPRUCE UP SOME OF THOSE AREAS, THE TERRACES, THE ENTRANCES TO THE WEST BUILDING, OTHER PROJECTS ALSO INCLUDE CARPET, WE'RE
REPLACING THE ENTIRE CARPET THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. >> MAYOR JONES: I THINK ONE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO DIGEST WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY IF YOU COULD PROVIDE A WRITTEN PRODUCT, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND THIS MAY BE FOR YOU, MA'AM, OR FOR MR. BASS. CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR HOTEL NIGHT STAYS ARE CURRENTLY ATTRIBUTED TO CONVENTIONS? AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO FOLLOW UP WITH. PLEASE HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS.
MS. JONES? WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR 14-MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET AND THE ROI OF YOUR DEPARTMENT, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE. WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE UNDERSTANDING AGAIN AS WE'RE --D TRADE-OFFS HERE, I'D WELCOME UNDERSTANDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OUR LET ME JUST SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO TO ACTIVATE SPACES.
ALL WE ALL KNOW WE'RE QUITE ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED SO ACTIVATING THESE SPACES GOES A LONG WAY TO ENFORCING SOME OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENGAGEMENT THAT I THINK WE ALL APPRECIATE. I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS ON THE SAN ANTONIO FILM INCENTIVE. YOU TALKED ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE A CONNECTION THERE WITH POTENTIALLY READY TO WORK OPPORTUNITIES? AGAIN, IF WE ARE GOING TO IMPROVE THIS, THEN LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE INVESTING IN LOCAL TALENT AND KEEPING THAT COMPETITIVE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY STARTED IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF EFFICIENCIES, WHAT KIND OF COLLABORATIONS WE CAN DO WITH READY TO WORK AND ALSO BEST PRACTICES IN GENERAL. FROM THE VERY OUTSET WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES, AT LEAST WHEN PRODUCTION IS HERE, WHEN THEY HAVE THE KEY DIRECTOR PRODUCER, MAKE SURE THEY SIT DOWN WITH OUR LOCAL USE AND STUDENTS WHO ARE IN OUR PROGRAMS. UTSA HAS A NEW FOUR-YEAR FILM PROGRAM, SO MAKING SURE THEY'RE ACTUALLY HEARING DIRECTLY FROM THOSE KEY FOLKS ON HOW THEY MADE IT THROUGH THE INDUSTRY, AT THE
VERY LEAST. >> MAYOR JONES: CERTAINLY. I WOULD HATE FOR FOLKS TO FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO BRING FOLKS FROM LA OR OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHEN WE CAN GROW HERE. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AT THAT.
AND NOT UNLIKE UNFORTUNATELY METRO HEALTH WHEN ASKED DR. JACOB WHO IS DEALING WITH THE DOUBLE WHAMMIES IN THIS CASE OF DECREASED FUNDING, BUT LET'S ALSO CALL IT A MORE COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT, MORE COMPLEX LANDSCAPE.
SO I KNOW WE ARE, AGAIN, VERY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO ELEVATE THIS IMPORTANT WORK GULF ENTHE ROI, BUT ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF IT TO OUR, FRANKLY, HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND THE NEED TO ELEVATE THOSE THINGS, ESPECIALLY WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE MAY NOT BE GETTING THOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OTHER PLACES. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. OKAY. CHAIR GALVAN, PLEASE.
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO PRESENTED TODAY. IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW OUR CITY'S CULTURE, OUR PEOPLE'S CULTURE BRINGS FOLKS FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND REGION TO COME HERE AND SEE WHAT THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN A CITY BUILT BY FOLKS WHO REALLY EMBRACE THEIR IDENTITIES, RIGHT? SO I WANT TO THANK YOU TO ARTS AND CULTURE, ESPECIALLY FOR THAT KIND OF WORK THAT NOT ONLY DOES IT IN A SUPPORTING MANNER, BUT UPLIFTING MANNER, SUPPORTING ARTISTS HERE, UPLIFTING FILMMAKERS. EVERYBODY WHO IS HERE WANTS TO SHARE MORE ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY NOT ONLY TO EACH OTHER, BUT ALSO TO THE AUDIENCE AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR ARTS. NOTHING TOO HEAVY, I DON'T THINK.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THOSE WORKSHOPS BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT SLIDE IT WAS ON DIRECTLY. I THINK IT WAS THE -- NO, ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, SLIDE 8.
[01:05:03]
FOR THOSE EVENTS, WHAT DO THEY TYPICALLY TAKE PLACE, TYPICALLY DOWNTOWN ORTHROUGHOUT THE CITY? >> ARE AND SO WE DO A NUMBER OF TABLING EVENTS, WORKSHOP EVENTS AND DIFFERENT NON-PROFIT SPACES. WE DO HAVE SOME ACTIVITIES AT OUR OFFICE HERE RIGHT BEHIND CITY HALL, BUT WE REALLY TRY TO WORK WITH THE NON-PROFIT PARTNERS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IS IT ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS TO GO, WHERE IS THERE FREE PARKING? SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE WORKSHOP, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE NEED TO HOST AND WHERE WE HOLD THOSE. BUT WE ARE VERY KEEN ON MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY
ARE. >> GALVAN: YEAH. I KNOW THE WORK YOU DO IS GET TO EVERYBODY WHERE THEY'RE AT. I GUESS THE BIG THING I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT 6, AND SOME OF THE DISTRICTS FURTHER OUT, IS MAKE SURE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE FOLKS, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. ALWAYS HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO GET DOWNTOWN OR RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, BUT I KNOW I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT GOING TO NORTHWEST ISD AND WE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCE ACADEMY IN THESE PLACES AND THE STUDENTS WILL SHOW THE INCREDIBLE WORK THEY'RE DOING. I'LL SAY HAVE YOU GONE TO BLUE STAR OR PEARL OR OTHER PLACES. I'M GRATEFUL THERE ARE THESE CITIES BUT THERE ARE GEMS THAT PEOPLE WITH GO TO, BUT ALSO PLACES IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES WHERE THAT ART HUB WHERE THERE ISN'T ONE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SOLVE COMPLETELY, IT'S ALSO A NATURAL PIECE, BUT I THINK IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY ONES FROM THE DOWNTOWN SPHERE, TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE AREAS TO CREATE THOSE LITTLE HUBS, I GUESS, IN SOME FORM. NORTH TEXAS I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY INDEPENDENT SPACES THAT ARE BEING RUN, NOT JUST NON-PROFITS. INDEPENDENT GALLERIES THAT HAVE POPPED UP IN THE BEACON HILL AREA, FOR INSTANCE. THAT'S A WHOLE CORRIDOR THAT DIDN'T EXIST EVEN TWO YEARS AGO IN TERMS OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE THERE.
SO LOOKING AT WHERE THE INDEPENDENT RUN SPACES AS WELL AS NON-PROFIT SPACES I
WOULD LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH EACH DISTRICT ON THAT. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THAT. SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO ASK, IS THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, DO YOU KEEP -- DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO KEEPS A PHYSICAL MEDIA KIND OF LIBRARY?? I KNOW IT'S DEEPER OF A THING TO DO, BUT THINKING ABOUT ESPECIALLY THE LEGACY ARTS AND CULTURE THAT OUR CITY HAS, WHETHER IT'S IN FILM OR FINE ART OR WITHIN -- OR I GUESS PHYSICAL ART OR WITHIN MUSIC, IS THERE KIND OF AN HISTORICAL KIND OF GALLERY WITHIN YOUR GALLERIES OR FOR
ANY OF THE SORT? >> IN TERMS OF ARCHIVES, WE DO KEEP OUR OWN DEPARTMENT EXHIBITION ARCHIVES. AND CATALOGS.
HAVING AN EXTENSIVE LIBRARY WOULD ALSO INCLUDE -- IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE A MEDIA LIBRARY OF EVERY FILM THAT'S BEEN MADE IN SAN ANTONIO, IT WOULD ALSO
TALK ABOUT A LOT OF SPACE REQUIREMENTS. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WE'VE HAD -- WE HAVE WHEN WE DO HAVE ARTISTS OR NON-PROFITS THAT ARE LOOKING TO ARCHIVE THINGS, UTSA HAS AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION, SO WE DO PARTNER A LOT WITH OUR EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS HERE IN TOWN THAT DO HAVE THE ARCHIVAL CAPACITY WHEN IT COMES TO SOMEONE LOOKING AT ARCHIVAL RECORDS. BUT WE DO HAVE AN ARCHIVE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HELD IN TERMS OF POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, CATALOGS
THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND OF THAT SORT. >> GALVAN: GREAT.
AND IT'S ALWAYS A KIND OF INTEREST THAT I'VE HAD PERSONALLY, BUT SOMETHING I'VE HEARD FROM DIFFERENT RESIDENTS AS WELL AND TALKING WITH THINGS WHO -- SAN ANTONIO WHO HAVE INTEREST IN BLUES OR BLUEGRASS OR MUSIC OR PIECES OF ART AND TRYING TO FIND THAT KIND OF HISTORICAL NOT NECESSARILY MONUMENT, BUT THAT EXPRESSION THAT THAT WAS STARTED HERE AND THERE'S AN HISTORICAL LEGACY HERE IN THIS CITY FOR SOME OF THESE ART PIECES. NOTHING AGAIN THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT DOESN'T FULLY DO, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THAT IN THE LARGER CONTEXT OF HOW IT'S RELATED TO SHOWCASING THE WORK WE DO IN OUR CITY, THAT SAN ANTONIO IS NOT ONLY A PLACE THAT ENGAGES IN THIS KIND OF WORK, BUT WAS ACTUALLY THE PIONEER WITH THE FILM MAKING PROCESS OR WITHIN MUSIC OR WITHIN FINE ART ITSELF. IT'S NOT FINE ARTS.
WHAT IS IT I'M LOOKING FOR? >> VISUAL ARTS? >> VISUAL ARTS, THANK YOU.
YEAH, YEAH, FINE ARTS CAN INCLUDE DANCING AND EVERYTHING ELSE TOO.
GREAT. OTHERWISE I THINK TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, I THINK MANY OTHERS HAVE MADE THIS POINT TO WITH OTHER COMMUNICATIONS, ALWAYS SEEING YOU USING YOUR RESOURCES WHERE YOU CAN AND MOST EFFECTIVELY, ALL THE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO INCREASE YOUR BUDGET HERE AND THERE WHERE WE CAN TO CONTINUE THAT WORK THAT IS ATTRACTING FOLKS HERE. SO I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THAT GENERALLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THIS MOMENT. FOR VISIT SA I DID WANT TO ASK WHAT ARE THE EFFORTS LIKE TO PULL -- BEFORE I ASK THAT QUESTION.
FOR THE REGIONAL VISITORS CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHO THOSE
FOLKS ARE? >> SURE. 78% OF THE REGIONAL DOMESTIC
[01:10:02]
VISITORS COME FROM TEXAS. THAT'S THE BULK AND MAJORITY, BUT THE REST IS LOUISIANA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. SO TEXAS IS DRIVING THEMAJORITY OF IT. >> GALVAN: GOT IT, GOT IT. DO WE HAVE A BROKEN DOWN WHAT PART OF TEXAS THEY'RE COMING FROM? NEARBY OR --
>> YOU NAME IT, BUT THE MAJORITY IS COMING IN WITH THE THREE-HOUR, THAT THREE-HOUR DRIVE. IT HOUSTON, DALLAS, FORT WORTH, AUSTIN.
BUT CERTAINLY HOUSTON SEEMS TO BE THE DRIVER, THE MAJORITY OF THAT, EXCEPT FOR PROBABLY ABOUT 25%. AND IT TRICKLES DOWN TO DALLAS-FORT WORTH AND THEN
ABOUT SIX PERCENT FROM AUSTIN. >> GALVAN: OKAY.
INTERESTING. I GUESS WHAT I WAS WONDERING IS DO WE SEE ANY KIND OF TRENDS WITH RGV OR BORDER TOWNS IN OUR CITY THAT COME TO SAN ANTONIO FOR DIFFERENT
TOURIST EVENTS? >> I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FAMILY FRIENDLY VALUED DESTINATION. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT HAS DRIVEN OUR PROMINENCE, THE COMMENT I MADE EVERY TEXAN HAS TWO HOMES FURTHER FROM AND SAN ANTONIO. SO WE HAVE PUT A RENEWED EMPHASIS ON DRIVING THE LOCAL VISITOR OR THE REGIONAL VISITOR, I SHOULD SAY, INCLUDING FROM THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. I THINK WHAT WE HAVE SEEN COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, THOUGH, AND MAYOR JONES SPEAKS TO IT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VISITATION AND NOT TRACKING WHERE IT WAS WITH PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS, BUT YOU CAN GET TO HOT TAX COLLECTIONS IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH OCCUPANCY AND ALSO THROUGH CHARGING MORE. COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC OUR HOTELS WERE CERTAINLY CHARGING MORE AND CONTINUE TO CHARGE MORE THAN EVEN THE PRE-PANDEMIC.
SO HAVING SAID, THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF PRICING OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR VISITOR THAT YOU'VE SEEN, BUT NOW THAT AVERAGE DAILY RATES ARE STARTING TO STABILIZE IT'S CERTAINLY AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GO BACK AND RETAIN OUR
PROMINENCE WITH A PARTICULAR TRAVELER. >> GALVAN: WE'LL TALK MORE MAYBE OFFLINE ABOUT THE WAYS THAT VISIT SA OR OTHER ENTITIES WITHIN OUR CITY ADVERTISE TO RGV AND OTHER -- AS WELL AS MEXICO, I THINK.
SOMETHING I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WITH JESÚS FROM THE AIRPORT WAS THE REASON THEY PUSHED FOR DIRECT TRAVEL TO MEXICO, RIGHT, AND TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN'T DENY WHO WE ARE, WHO WE'RE CONNECTED TO AND WHAT CULTURES ARE SIMILAR TO US BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS CITY. I DON'T THINK YOU ARE, I'M NOT TRYING TO IMPLY THAT. I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE INVESTING TO OUR CITY IF WE'RE LOOKING WITHIN TOURISM, NOT ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OTHER CITIES TO COME TO US, YES, THEY ARE ALWAYS ESSENTIAL, BUT SOME OF THE FOLKS HERE WHO ALREADY SEE SAN ANTONIO AS THE KIND OF DESTINATION FOR THEM, THE CLOSEST CITY NOT ONLY FOR HEALTH CARE, BUT ALSO FOR ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITY TOO, RIGHT?
OR HOSPITALITY ACTIVITIES AS WELL. >> YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD, COUNCILMAN. AS WE'RE TRYING TO BE A BETTER VERSION OF OURSELVES TOMORROW, I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE TODAY.
AND THAT WILL COME OUT IN OUR MARKETING BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER TODAY AS WELL, BUT THAT'S PART OF IT TOO IS MAKING SURE THAT WE GET BACK IN TOUCH AND WE OWN OUR OWN BACKYARD. SO THAT'S A HUGE FOCUS FOR US.
IN TERMS OF GETTING BACK TO BASICS IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.
>> GALVAN: THANK YOU. LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK IN MY LAST MINUTE WAS DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENT ON WHERE SA'S BREACH IS BRINGING TOURISTS WITHIN SAN ANTONIO? DO WE SEE IT -- DOWNTOWN IS GOING TO BE THE MAIN, PLACE, RIGHT, FOR ANY FOLKS COMING TO THE CITY, YOU GO DOWNTOWN.
BUT DO WE SEE OTHER POCKETS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY THAT ARE ALSO GENERATING THAT SORT OF
VISIT SAN ANTONIO'S REGION? >> AS THE CITY HAS GROWN SO HAS OUR REACH.
REMEMBER WE NOT ONLY MARKET THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, BUT ALSO THE REST OF SAN ANTONIO. THE MEMBERS ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THIS CITY IN EACH AND EVERY DISTRICT. IT REALLY IS COMING FROM EVERY -- FOR SURE OUR DOWNTOWN IS IMPORTANT. THE URBAN CORE, THE ALAMO, THE RIVER WALK, IS WHY PEOPLE ARE COMING, BUT ALSO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, PEOPLE SEE IT IN THE CONSUMER SENTIMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS ABOUT SAN ANTONIO, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL. [BUZZER].
AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE PEOPLE. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU.
>> CHAIR: CHAIR GALVAN. >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK KEY TO THIS FOR ALL THREE THAT PRESENTED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHRISTINA. THE HOT TAX IS LIKE, CAN WE SPEND IT SOMEWHERE ELSE? THE STATE WON'T LET US, SO HERE WE ARE.
BUT I THINK THE KEY IS AS WE CONTINUE AND WE LOOK AT THESE BUDGET SHORTFALLS, I'M TRYING TO GET CREATIVE. SO I REALLY NEED ALL THREE GROUPS THAT ARE HERE, CONVENTION CENTER, ARTS AND CULTURE, VISIT SAN ANTONIO, TO START GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION REGARDING TRANSPORTATION. HOW DO WE MOVE PEOPLE, HOW
[01:15:02]
DO WE GET THEM DOWNTOWN AT THE EVENT, WHERE DO THEY GO AFTER THE CONCERTS? AND I SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT ARE WE GETTING OUR FAIR SHARE AT THE CITY IF PEOPLE ARE PARKING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S YARDS? CAN WE DO A PERMIT? I THINK THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO ASK, YOU KNOW, CAN WE DO BLACK CAR SERVICE WHERE THEY GET TO GO OUTSIDE PERIMETER THAT OUR UBER AND LYFT GO BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN A NICER VEHICLE? WE NEED TO START GETTING CREATIVE ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING THEM DOWNTOWN AND AS WE'RE DOING THEM IN CONJUNCTION AND AT THE SAME TIME. I THINK A BIG TESTING GROUND WILL BE THIS OCTOBER WHEN WE HAVE THE DAY LOSS MURR TOSS BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WILL BE PEOPLE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. AND TO BRAG ON BROOKS, THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF SENDING OUT THE MESSAGE EARLIER ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN PARK AND HOW THEY CAN GET PEOPLE TO THAT. SO THAT'S A MINI MODEL OF WHAT WE DO, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE GET THAT. THERE'S A LITTLE SUBDIVISION OVER BY THE KENNEDY EVEN HAS LITTLE FIESTAS BEFORE THEN SO PEOPLE WILL PARK THERE AND THEN WALK DOWN FROM LIKE AN APARTMENT PARTY OR LA GLORIA TO SO PLEASE THINK OF IN IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION. THE OTHER IS FESTIVALS.WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, MARIO, FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO, IS WHAT YOU DO AND HOW YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE NUMEROUS FESTIVALS WE HAVE HERE, LUMINARYIA, WORLD HERITAGE, FIESTA. EVERYTHING WE DO DOWNTOWN AND AROUND THE CITY IS HOW VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS A PART OF THEM, A PART OF THAT. BOTH ARTS AND CULTURE AND THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR US.
IT IS THAT FIRST JOB FOR SOME OF US. IT IS THAT SIDE JOB WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE THE BILLS GET PAID IN TERMS OF CATERING AND USHERING POSSIBLY.
I LOVE TO GO TO THE MAJESTIC AND I LOVE TO SEE THEM AT THE LILA COCKRELL WITH ALL THE USHERS, SENIORS HELPING US GET TO THE SEAT AND MAKING SURE WE GET OUR PROGRAMS. I THINK THAT'S KEY IN KEEPING PEOPLE INVOLVED.
SO I REALLY -- THIS INDUSTRY DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY WORK ON HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, MARIO, AND I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, MARKETING IS GOING TO BE KEY BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE HAVE THAT NO OTHER TEXAS CITY HAS IS, ONE, THE WALKABILITY AND TWO, THE STORY.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER COMES, WHATEVER BIG SHINY THING THEY BUILD IN DALLAS OR FORT WORTH OR AUSTIN, THE STORY ISN'T THERE AND THE WALKABILITY IS NOT THERE.
SO WE NEED TO START TODAY LOOKING AT OUR MARKETING FOR THE FUTURE ON HOW WE DO THAT. I THINK IT WAS YEARS AGO -- I WAS AT VISIT SAN ANTONIO WITH MICHELLE MOON AND EVERYBODY TOLD US THE FUTURE IS VIRTUAL CONVENTIONS.
AND WE WERE LIKE SURE IT IS. AND MICHELLE CAN TELL YOU RIGHT THERE, IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT VIRTUAL CONVENTIONS. PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO A PLACE. PEOPLE WANT TO BE PART OF IT AND THEY WANT TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO. AND AS WE HAD THE ALAMO STORY AND WE START TELLING THE TEJANO STORY AT THE ALAMO, MORE PEOPLE WILL COME.
AS WE WORK ON OUR TRAIL OVER TO WORLD HERITAGE, THE WORLD HERITAGE SITES AND WE KEEP THAT PRISTINE, PEOPLE WILL COME BECAUSE THEY CAN DO THAT WEEKEND TRIP.
AS WE CONTINUE TO GRADUATE OUR CLASSES FROM THE MILITARY AND WE TELL THAT STORY, PEOPLE WILL WANT TO COME HERE FOR THEIR EVENT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO START THE MARKETING THERE AND BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ON THE PROCESS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD IN ANY PHASES WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWNTOWN. BECAUSE -- AND I'VE SAID THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THE PHASES FOR WHAT WE WANTED DOWNTOWN TO LOOK LIKE. I SAID MY THREE PRIORITIES WERE CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION BECAUSE I KNOW THE BUSINESSES ARE OUT THERE AND I KNOW WE CAN TAKE THEM FROM CHICAGO, THAT'S MY GOAL. SECOND IS THE LAND BRIDGE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FUNDING.
AND THIRD WAS THE ARENA. SO THOSE ARE MY THREE PRIORITIES.
AS WE LOOK IN THE OTHER PHASES, THE DOME AND A HOTEL, I THINK WE CAN --
[01:20:01]
THAT'S WHERE WE CAN WORK AND WE CAN TWEAK THOSE. BUT THESE THREE AND -- AND THE SALESMANSHIP OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO I THINK HAS TO BE KEY AS WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS -- PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO OVER CHICAGO AND OVER PHOENIX. PHOENIX IS THE OTHER ONE ON MY LIST TOO. SO I THINK I'M NOT WORRIED AS MUCH ABOUT THE TEXAS CITIES BECAUSE THEY'LL COME BACK TO SAN ANTONIO AFTER THEY EXPERIENCE I THINK ONE YEAR OF THE SHINY BRIGHT THING. THEY WILL COME BACK TO SAN ANTONIO. MY GOAL IS GETTING US BACK TO WHERE WE WERE PRE-PANDEMIC WHERE WE KNOW WE CAN COMPETE WITH A CHICAGO AND A PHOENIX FOR SOME OF THOSE BUSINESS AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF THAT, TELEPHONES, INDOOR SPACES.
THIS CITY WILL GET CREATIVE AND I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MOVIES.
YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THING ABOUT COUNCILMAN GALVAN IS HE COMES FROM A GENERATION THAT KNOWS THAT IT IS ABOUT THAT VISUAL SCREEN. SO I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO INCENTIVEWISE THERE IS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD AND GET CREATIVE THERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU BRING US MIDYEAR ON TERMS OF MARKETING, THANK
YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS.
>> SPEARS: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK I WANT TO START WITH CONVENTIONS, SPORTS AND FACILITIES. SO I WAS WANTING TO ASK WHAT SPECIFIC STEPS ARE WE TAKING TO REDUCE DISRUPTIONS TO OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, ROAD CLOSURES AND CONSTRUCTION AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER? HOW CAN WE INCREASE VISITOR TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WE HAVE GOING ON? IS THERE ANYTHING WE'RE DOING SPECIFICALLY?
>> WHAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT IS THAT WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION PLANS THAT WE CREATE FOR EVERY SINGLE MAJOR EVENT THAT WE HAVE AT THE ALAMODOME.
WE ALSO LOOK AT THAT VERY CLOSELY WHENEVER WE HAVE MAJOR CONVENTION CENTERS IN COORDINATION WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO. MOST OF THOSE TIMES THERE'S A LOT OF VISITORS THAT ARE STAYING IN OUR HOTELS SO THEY'RE WALKING OVER.
SO OUR BIGGEST FOCUS IS ON LIKE COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN MENTIONED, ON THOSE TIMES LIKE DEI CAN'T LIKE DAY OF THE DEAD. RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING TOGETHER WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS WITH VIA, TRANSGUIDE, ALL OF THESE PARTNERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S MINIMAL -- THAT WE
CAN REDUCE CONGESTION. >> SPEARS: AND DO YOU EXPECT TO BE GREATLY IMPACTED BY NO LONGER HAVING THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM?
>> NOT SO MUCH FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT LET ME LEARN ABOUT IT AND I CAN GET BACK TO
YOU. >> SPEARS: OKAY. MY NEXT QUESTION IS SO WE'VE INVESTED 60 MILLION IN THE ALAMODOME UPGRADES FOR THE FINAL FOUR.
HOW DOES OUR MAJOR EVENTS PROGRAM AND OUR SAN ANTONIO ORGANIZING COMMITTEE DOLLARS, HOW DOES THAT WORK INTO THE FUNDING WITH THE ALAMODOME AND IS THAT PART OF THE HOT THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THAT 11 AND A HALF MILLION?
>> SO YEAH, THAT'S SEPARATE THAN FUNDING AND OUR OPERATIONAL DOLLARS, BUT YES, THIS LAST ONE THE CITY PROVIDED SUPPORT OF ABOUT $17 MILLION THAT WE EXPECT
TO GET REIMBURSED REIMBURSE ANDT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION? >> JUST ABOUT THE FUNDING OF THE STAY LOCK AND THE MERC COME ABOUT IN FUNDING DOLLARS?
>> IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, THOSE ARE SEPARATE DOLLARS, BUT ALSO HOTEL OCCUPANCY DOLLARS THAT ARE ADDED INTO OUR BUDGETS OR THERE WAS A GRANT PROVIDED TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THESE EXPENSES WHICH AGAIN WE EXPECT TO BE
FULLY REIMBURSED. >> COUNCILWOMAN, FOR THE COUPLE OF YEARS LEADING UP TO THE FINAL FOUR WE ALLOCATED MONEY WITHIN THIS BUDGET, WITHIN PATRICIA'S BUDGET AND HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX FUND IN ORDER TO UP FRONT THE COST OF THOSE EVENTS. AND THEN WE DO SO WITH A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE THAT
[01:25:03]
WE WILL BE REIMBURSED. GENERALLY THAT REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE TAKES 18 MONTHS SO WE DON'T GET IT RIGHT AWAY BUT WE PRESUME WE'LL GET IT BACK IN OURFINANCIAL PROJECTIONS. >> SPEARS: AND I CAN TELL YOU YOU DO NEED TO DO THIS UPGRADE SO THANK YOU FOR NOT DEFERRING THE MAINTENANCE. I'M THERE ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND FOR DANCE TEAM STUFF. THIS IS THE HOTBED FOR DANCE TEAM IN CASE YOU DID NOT KNOW. SO YES, I CAN AGREE THOSE
ARE DEFINITE UPGRADES THAT WE NEED TO DO, SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
AND I THINK HOTELS WOULD AGREE ALSO BECAUSE THEIR OCCUPANCY GOES UP EVERY TIME WE HAVE A CHEERING COMPETITION AT THE ALAMODOME.
THANK YOU. >> SPEARS: CRYSTAL, ARTS AND CULTURE, DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA OR INFORMATION ABOUT HOT-FUNDED ARTS BY DISTRICT THAT YOU COULD GET TO US?
>> HOT-FUNDED ARTS BY DISTRICT. WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PROGRAMS AND ATTENDEES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN EACH DISTRICT AND ALSO THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE ATTENDED A PROGRAM. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIKE DIRECT DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING TO A DISTRICT, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WE CAN RUN SOME DATA ON EACH DISTRICT WHICH NON-PROFIT -- LIKE WE HAVE A BREAKOUT OF EACH NON-PROFIT, WHICH DISTRICT THAT THEY HAVE THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE DONE IN EACH DISTRICT AND THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES FROM A DISTRICT TO A PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S IN THE DISTRICT OR NOT.
>> SPEARS: THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE. THAT WAS SORT OF THE SECOND THING I WAS ASKING ABOUT INSTALLATIONS AND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED ACROSS THE
CITY. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. >> YES, WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. IN THE LAST BOND, SO EVERYBODY IS AWARE, EACH DISTRICT HAS AT LEAST TWO PROJECTS, BUT THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS THAT HAVE FOUR.
WE LOOKED AT HISTORICALLY WHEN WE DID THE 2022 BOND WHERE DID MOST PROJECTS GET INSTALLED IN THE PREVIOUS BONDS AND STARTED TO LOOK AT GETTING PROJECTS OUT INTO DISTRICTS THAT HAVEN'T HAD THAT INVESTMENT IN THE PAST. WE CAN GET THAT.
>> SPEARS: OKAY. AND I HAD -- I'M DOUBLING DOWN ON WHAT THE MAYOR WAS ASKING IS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT WE SEE FROM THESE INVESTMENTS INTO THE
DIFFERENT ARTS AGENCIES AND THE PROGRAMMING. >> YES, WE CAN PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ALREADY AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT DOING SOME ANALYSIS ON INFORMATION WE DO NOT HAVE, BUT WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY PROGRAMS THEY ARE PROVIDING, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES THEY ARE EMPLOYING FULL TIME AND THEN ALSO HOW MANY ARTISTS THAT THEY ARE ENGAGING FOR PAID OPPORTUNITIES.
THOSE WILL BE THE DATA POINTS THAT FIRST COME TO MIND.
>> SPEARS: OKAY, THANK YOU YOU. MARIO.
>> BIG FAN OF VISIT SAN ANTONIO, AND I KNOW YOU'RE A KEY ECONOMIC DRIVER AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN THAT THIS CITY IS UNIQUE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A STORY, A TRULY UNIQUE STORY THAT IS BASICALLY TEXAS ALL IN ONE CITY. SO I WANTED TO ASK CAN YOU SHOW DATA LIKE THE MAYOR WAS ASKING, I WANTED TO ALSO SEE THAT CHART IN THE INVERSE, WHEN WE DO THE EXPANSION WHAT WILL THE PROJECTIONS BE LIKE TO IMPACT OUR NEW REVENUE AND HOW THAT WILL
LOOK? >> WE CAN. AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT $9 MILLION OF POTENTIAL, POSSIBLE ECONOMIC IMPACT, THAT'S THE ENTIRE WORLD OF POSSIBILITY. THAT'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD UTILIZE 700,000 SQUARE FEET.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 500,000 SQUARE FEET NOW, BUT 700,000 SQUARE FEET OF CONTIGUOUS MEETING SPACE. WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND GET IT.
THANKFULLY WE HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY ABLE TO DO THAT, RIGHT, BUT IT'S JUST A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY. YOU WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT PROJECTIONS OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE YEAR AFTER YEAR ON HOW THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GET LAYERED.
>> SPEARS: OKAY. AND THEN CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND -- I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY COMPLICATED AND IT MAY BE AN ANSWER FOR LATER, BUT HOW YOU CAME UP -- CAN YOU EXPAND ON THE 33-DOLLAR RETURN FOR EVERY DOLLAR SPENT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. SO THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE $21.5 BILLION FROM THE TRINITY PROFESSORS BACKING OUT THE INVESTMENT OF $42 MILLION, WHICH IS THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BUDGET, DIVIDED BY THAT SAME INVESTMENT GETS YOU TO THE 33 TO ONE. SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT IS PROVIDED TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO, IT GENERATES $33 IN RETURN.
>> SPEARS: HOW OFTEN DODO THE E? YOU SAID, BUT -- >> WE DO IT ANNUALLY.
>> SPEARS: YOU DO. >> I WILL SAY THIS THAT WE'RE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE THE EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, ESPECIALLY THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. WITH TRINITY UNIVERSITY, BECAUSE THEIR APPROACH TO THIS ECONOMIC IMPACT IS VERY DETAILED AND VERY NUANCED, COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN
[01:30:01]
SOME OF THE OTHER ENTITIES THAT DO IT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.WHEN I -- IN THE ROLE NOW I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT THREE MONTHS SO WE LOOKED AND VALUED IT AS PEOPLE DO LATER, LOOK AT ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS AND GO, OKAY, WHAT IS THE BEST COURSE HERE? I WILL TELL YOU THAT TRINITY
UNIVERSITY ECONOMIC IMPACT IS VERY, VERY DETAILED. >> SPEARS: I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN MEASURE OR YOU CAN QUANTIFY VISITORS BY PLANE VERSUS VISITORS BY VEHICLE? IF THAT'S EASY ENOUGH TO GET.
>> LET US LOOK INTO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. SURE.
>> SPEARS: MY LAST QUESTION IS WITH MILITARY MEDICINE BEING A FOCUS HERE, AND I KNOW YOU LOVE THE TERM HEADS IN BEDS WESTLAKE THINKING ABOUT HOW IT LOOKS LIKE FOR THESE VISITORS? THEY'RE HERE FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE, BUT HOW CAN WE BEST
SERVE THAT COMMUNITY? >> I THINK IT'S TWOFOLD, RIGHT? IT'S IN THE MARKETING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN MENTIONED ABOUT ANOTHER MARKETING CAMPAIGN AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THAT COME THIS FALL. WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE READY TO BE PRESENTED SO THAT WOULD GO AND TARGET ALL OUR PARTICULAR SEGMENTS, BIOSCIENCE BEING ONE OF THEM. BUT ALSO ON THE GROUP SIDE OF THINGS, OUR TEAM IS GEOGRAPHICALLY DELAYED TO GO AFTER THOSE TYPE OF BUSINESS SEGMENTS AS WELL SO WE'LL GET IT ON THE GROUP AS WAS THE DOMESTIC TRAVELER.
>> SPEARS: OKAY. I LOVE IT HEAR IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> CHAIR: CHAIR ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY. I HAVE A FEW QUICK QUESTIONS.
I HAD A QUESTION ON THE HOT TAX. WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES DOING IN TERMS OF, ONE, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RATE IT'S AROUND 6.75.
AND ALSO MY SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION IS THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE STATE,
COUNTY AND CITY, IS IT SIMILAR FOR THEM TOO? >> COUNCIL MEMBER, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE, BUT I CAN WORK WITH PATRICIO'S TEAM TO
PULL THAT INFORMATION. >> GAVITO: AWESOME, THANK YOU.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, AND MARIO, THIS IS FOR YOU, IS A LITTLE BIT TIED ON TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER GALVAN WAS SAYING IN ATTRACTING OUR REGIONAL VISITORS HERE.
I'M CURIOUS IF WE -- I WAS ALSO LOOKING AT THE CHART WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A RISE IN INTERNATIONAL LEISURE TRAVELERS, AND I'M CURIOUS, THIS MIGHT BE HARD TO QUANTIFY, BUT IF WE HAVE THE AVERAGE SPEND FROM A REGIONAL TRAVELER VERSUS AN INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER, I'D EXPECT THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER TO STAY HERE
LONGER. >> STAY LONGER, SPEND MORE. BUT WE DO HAVE THE REGIONAL SPEND. I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT TO YOU.
I DON'T HAVE IT QUICKLY AT MY FINGERTIPS AND I'M SURE YOU DON'T WANT ME TO BE LOOKING FOR IT. WE DO HAVE THAT SPEND FOR SURE.
>> GAVITO: YEAH. I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HAVE WHETHER WE WANT TO CONTINUE MARKETING OURSELVES AS A VALUE CITY.
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR CITY WHO ARE TIRED OF THE, YOU KNOW, MARGARITA ON THE RIVERWALK BRAND THAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BECAUSE IT CAN BE A KIND OF
CHEAP ONE. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> GAVITO: SO WE WANT TO SHOW OUR CULINARY SCENE, WE WANT TO SHOW THE ARTS SCENE AND OTHER --
>> TIED TO THE FAMILY FRIENDLY VALUES. >> GAVITO: YEAH, YEAH.
THERE'S PROBABLY A HEALTHY MIX OF BODIES. >> FOR SURE.
IT'S NOT THIS OR THAT. WE'RE CHARGED WITH CREATING A VERY LARGE NET AND TO COUNCILWOMAN SPEAR'S POINT, WE ARE AS EQUIPPED TO HOST A BIOSCIENCE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE AS WELL AS A CHEER CONFERENCE ON ANY GIVEN DAY OF THE WEEK.
AND ALL THAT LAYERED IS WHAT WE'RE DRIVING. I THINK DURING THESE ECONOMIC TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, MY GOAL IS TO JUST DRIVE AS MUCH HERE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. AND THEN THE HOTELS, AS WAS THE CONVENTION CENTER, WE WILL DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
BUT I WANT TO CREATE THIS LARGE NET AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
RIGHT NOW CERTAIN MARKET SEGMENTS ARE TRAVELING BETTER THAN OTHERS, SPECIFICALLY ON THE GROUP SIDE. ONE OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE --E DOMESTIC TRAVELER MAKES UP A GOOD PORTION OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE, IT'S A FICKLE TRAVELER. WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU GO AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A THREE-DAY WEEKEND SOMEWHERE, THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS PULL UP YOUR IPHONE AND LOOK AT THE WEATHER. AND IF IT'S 110 DEGREES OUT, YOU'RE LIKE NOT TODAY.
YOU CANCEL BECAUSE YOU HAVE THREE DAYS TO CANCEL. A GROUP TRAVELER IS COMMITTED. THEY HAVE A CONTRACT AND THAT'S WHY YOU'LL HEAR IN SOME OF MY EARLIER COMMENTS NOT ONLY TODAY
[01:35:01]
THROUGH THROUGH THE NEWS IS THE FASTEST WAY THAT I KNOW HOW TO GET US TO A STRONGER TOURISM INDUSTRY IS THROUGH GROUP. WE'VE GOT TO GET MORE GROUP.THE GROUP BASE ALLOWS US NOT ONLY DOES IT SPEND MORE, RIGHT, NOT ONLY IS IT CONTRACTED, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THE HOTEL TO THEN LAYER ALL THESE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS. AND WHETHER IT'S A CHEER OR ANY OF THE OTHER LEISURE SEGMENTS IN THERE AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DRIVE MORE FROM THEM WITHOUT A GROUP BASE, IT'S NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE. IT'S NOT -- 23 YEARS IN THE MARRIOTT AS A DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, YOU NEED TO HAVE A STRONG GROUP BASE.
>> GAVITO: YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING. AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IS WITH OUR SUMMERS GETTING HOTTER, I WONDER IF WE DO SEE THAT NEGATIVE IMPACT TO TOURISM, WHICH I WOULD IMAGINE THERE WOULD BE.
>> FOR SURE YOU DO. IT'S IMPACTED BY RAIN, HEAT, ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL AS A DESTINATION IN TERMS OF OCCUPANCY, YOU'VE GOT A STRONG GROUP BASE, RIGHT? IT'S THE TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION SITTING IN JULY AND THEY COME IN AND THERE'S 18,000 OF THEM IN THE CITY WALKING AROUND. YOU KNOW, IT'S -- WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT HEADS IN BEDS, IT'S A TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMY. IF WE HAVE MORE GROUP, YOUR RESTAURANTS ARE GOING TO BE FULLER OR HAVE A CHANCE TO BE FULLER, YOUR ATTRACTIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE FULLER, BUT WE HAVE TO GET THERE AND THE FASTEST WAY TO DO THAT
IS THROUGH GROUP. >> GAVITO: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS -- THAT'S ALL SUPER HELPFUL. THANK YOU. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE COULD HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR AREAS TO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING AHEAD OF THESE VISITORS? I KNOW I ALWAYS TEASE WITH COUNCILWOMAN DR. KAUR ABOUT [INDISCERNIBLE] BUT HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT VISITORS KNOW ABOUT GARCIAS, ABOUT JIMENEZ AND ALL OF THE SPOTS IN OUR DISTRICTS?
>> TO THIS POINT WE ARE A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION WHERE WE HAVE 912 MEMBERS, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT ALL THE DISTRICTS. SO THROUGH THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY SENDING OUT NEWSLETTERS TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT, THROUGH THE HOTELS, THROUGH SIMPLE VIEW, TELLING THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
OUR EVENT CALENDAR THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE ALSO SHARES A LOT OF THAT.
YOU WILL BE INTERESTED TO NECESSITY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT MEMBERS IT MIGHT BE EASY TO ASSUME THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE HOTELS AND THEY'RE NOT.
80% OF OUR MEMBERS ARE NOT HOTELS, RIGHT? >> GAVITO: INTERESTING.
>> THOSE ARE THE SMALL BUSINESSES. >> GAVITO: IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING IF YOU COULD SEND A SAT LINK AND THAT WAY WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR DISTRICTS ARE ADEQUATELY REPRESENTED IN THAT.
BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE LIKE SOME OF THE SMALL TACO SHOPS IN OUR AREA THAT HAVE THE BEST TACOS ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GO ONLINE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MARKETED.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT. FORTUNATELY I GREW UP IN SAN ANTONIO SO I KNOW ABOUT THOSE TACO SHOPS AND MY WAIST WILL SHOW THAT IN EATING THEM.
I THINK THAT I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE GROWN UP HERE BECAUSE I LOOK AT THIS JUST AS NOT JUST ANOTHER DESTINATION, IT'S MY HOME, AND ALL THOSE STORIES CERTAINLY THE STORIES THAT WE WANT TO SHARE SPECIFICALLY ON A MARKETING
SIDE. >> GAVITO: AWESOME. SOUNDS GOOD.
THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL, THANKS. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCIL
MEMBER CASTILLO ANGUANO. >> ANGUANO: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK Y'ALL FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. I'LL START WITH FOR THE HOT TAX, I JUST HAD SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS. CAN WE GET THE CITYWIDE
OCCUPANCY RATE PER YEAR? >> YES, COUNCIL MEMBER. SO FOR -- WE ARE PROJECTING OUR OCCUPANCY FOR 2025, WE'RE PROJECTING AN OCCUPANCY RATE OF ABOUT 59% IS OUR ESTIMATE. LAST YEAR ACTUALS WAS ABOUT 61.2%.
AND 2023 WAS ABOUT 61.4. >> ANGUANO: YEAH, THANK YOU.
I WAS ASKING BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER MAJOR MARKETS IN TEXAS. AND LIKE THIS CAN JUST BE WRITTEN IN A MEMO.
I'LL SWITCH TO CONVENTION AND SPORTS FACILITIES WITH MS. PATRICIA.
I WANT TO SAY I LOVE SEEING THE SUPPORT FOR THE CARVER CENTER.
IT'S DEFINITELY A VALUABLE ASSET IN DISTRICT 2 AND THE ENTIRE CITY AND I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR LEVEL WITH THE STAFFING, SO THANK YOU.
AS FOR ARTS AND CULTURE, I'M A HUGE FAN OF THE ARTS. I'VE BEEN AN ARTIST SINCE I CAME OUT OF THE WOMB, SO I JUST WANT TO SAY I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE LOCAL CULTURAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY OFTEN WHAT OUR LOCAL FAMILIES CAN ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S FOLKLORICA. IT HITS ME BECAUSE I WAS
[01:40:09]
WHEN YOUNGER MY MOM WOULD TAKE US TO A BUNCH OF ART EVENTS AND I TOOK SOME CLASSES AT THE SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ARTS AND THEN MY MOM WAS UNFORTUNATELY NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THAT ANYMORE BUT SHE STILL DID WHAT SHE COULD AND SO A LOT OF THIS WAS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE COULD ACCESS WHAT WE COULD WITHOUT MONEY.AND SHE BASICALLY HELPED US LOVE OUR CITY EVEN MORE AND JUST CREATED REALLY, REALLY GOOD MEMORIES. AND I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO BETHEL DELEON, WHO WAS ONE OF THE GRANT RECIPIENTS. I WORK WITH HIM AT THRIVE AND HIS EXHIBIT WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. IT WAS REALLY, REALLY AWESOME. SO GOOD JOB WITH THAT. AND THEN WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION. I'M CURIOUS TO SEE IF WE CAN DATA ON HOW OFTEN SAN ANTONIANS RENT HOTELS DOWNTOWN? BECAUSE I HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME AND IT SOUNDS FUN, BUT PERSONALLY I JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT. BUT I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> WE CAN DEFINITELY FIND THAT OUT. I DON'T HAVE IT TODAY, BUT
CERTAINLY. >> ANGUANO: THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES:
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL JUST START OFF WITH CRYSTAL, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A QUESTION.
[INDISCERNIBLE] PASSION CLEARLY COMES THROUGH. YOU WERE SPEAKING SO BEAUTIFULLY. I HAVE ADHD, BUT YOU DEFINITELY CAPTURED MY ATTENTION. SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT-OUT FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT OUR OFFICE IS TRYING TO PILOT TO SEE IF WE CAN GROW. ONE OF THEM WAS THE SUMMER WE DID A MUSIC TO BUSINESS PROGRAM WHERE WE PILOTED FUNDING ARTISTS TO GO OUT TO THE F AND B BUSINESSES DURING THEIR SLOW MONTHS AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK FROM OUR ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES. WE LEARNED A LOT SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE EVOLVING THAT TO SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN EXPLORE. AND THE SAME THING WITH PUBLIC ART. I WANT US TO PUSH AND I FEEL LIKE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE REALLY LOOK AT THE METRICS AND ROI ON THAT, BUT EVERYONE LOVES PUBLIC ART, LIKE EVERYONE WANTS IT ON THEIR PAVILION, ON THEIR STREET, ON THEIR LIKE -- WE COULD LITERALLY PAINT THIS WHOLE CITY IN BEAUTIFUL COLORS, EVEN IF WE JUST PAINTED EVERYTHING PURPLE IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL. [LAUGHTER]. BUT JUST A PUSH FOR YOU GUYS TO THIS PROCESS TAKES TIME IF YOU WANT TO DO IT WELL, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, MAKING SURE YOU'RE GIVING EQUITABLE VOICE TO ARTISTS. I KNOW THAT'S WHY THE NUMBER SEEMS LOW OF 50 PROJECTS THROUGH 2028. SO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A REASONING FOR THAT, BUT I STILL WANT US TO SEE IF WE CAN PUSH AND SEE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR US TO DOUBLE THAT TO DO 100 PROJECTS BY 2028? AND EVERY TIME WE TALK ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING ANYWHERE, PARTICULARLY DOWNTOWN, IF WE CAN SAY BEFORE WE EVEN START THINKING ABOUT IT, BEFORE IT EVEN COMES TO ANY FUNDING BODY, WE'RE LIKE LET'S START THE PUBLIC ARTS PROCESS OF IT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE WHILE.
SO ONLY PUSH THERE. THE SPORTS FACILITIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. CAN YOU TELL ME DID WE EVER HIRE THAT THIRD-PARTY COMPANY THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO USING FOR CONTRACTING FOR ALAMODOME EVENTS?
>> WE DO. WE HAVE A COALITION. >> KAUR: BECAUSE WE CHANGED THAT RECENTLY. I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN, BUT WE CHANGED THE
CONTRACTING COMPANY THAT WE'RE USING, RIGHT? >> NO, IT'S THE SAME ONE.
WE'RE STILL USING THEM. THEY'RE STILL PROVIDING LEADS FOR SHOWS AT THE
ALAMODOME AND HELPING US, YOU KNOW, GET MORE BOOKINGS. >> KAUR: I DON'T KNOW WHY I THOUGHT THERE WAS A CHANGE THERE BECAUSE I SAW THE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES DECREASING IN THE ALAMODOME SO I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER WAYS --
>> NO, IT'S JUST CYCLICAL. A LOT OF THE STADIUM SHOWS, SOMETIMES THEY TOUR.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT HAVE 20 ONE-YEAR TOURING STADIUM SHOWS, ANOTHER 25, BUT ON AVERAGE WE CAPTURE ABOUT 25 TO 30% OF THOSE STADIUM SHOWS.
>> COUNCILWOMAN, YOU MAY REMEMBER WE CHANGED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
IT WASN'T REALLY RECENT, BUT IT WAS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> KAUR: TIME FLIES. COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS MENTIONED THIS, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT CONTINUED RENOVATION AROUND ALAMODOME. I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING, BUT WE WERE JOKING ABOUT BAD BUNNY EARLIER TODAY.
I WAS SO BUM THAT HE SKIPPED US THE SECOND TIME HE CAME AROUND.
WHETHER THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE ALAMODOME HVAC OR NOT, BUT HOWEVER WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PRIORITIZE SOME OF THE CRITICAL THINGS. I THINK ONE OF THE REALLY SMALL WINS WOULD BE CONCESSIONS AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
Y'ALL HAVE PRESENTED ABOUT THAT. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR LIKE FOR [INDISCERNIBLE] TO FREE UP TO BE ABLE TO UPDATE THE CONCESSIONS? I DON'T THINK SO SO LET'S TRY TO MOVE ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
[01:45:02]
I KNOW YOU'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THAT. >> ACTUALLY, IF YOU WERE THERE IN OUR BUILDING TOMORROW FOR THE CONCERT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NINE MORE ADDITIONAL GRAB AND GO STATIONS THAT WE'VE -- WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE BY
TOMORROW'S CONCERT. >> KAUR: THAT'S AWESOME. THANK YOU.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO ASK IS IF YOU'VE EVER DONE [INDISCERNIBLE].
EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS ASKED FOR SOME COMPARISON ACROSS THE STATE FOR SOME DATA POINT SO FAR, BUT THE REQUEST I'M GOING TO ASK IS HOW DO WE FEARS COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE STATE AS A FOLLOW-UP? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MENTION JUST IN A MEMO, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. I GUESS WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE CITY ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. THE LAST THING I'LL MENTION IS VISIT SAN ANTONIO, I WANT TO GIVE MARIO A SHOUT-OUT, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP REAL QUICK. YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB LEADING THE ORGANIZATION, THE WHOLE TRANSITION WAS REAL QUICK AND I JUST THINK YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.
EVERY COMMUNITY MEMBER I TALK TO THAT'S GOTTEN A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH YOU IS SUPER EXCITED AND IS LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE HOMEGROWN AND YOU KNOW WE LOVE THAT IN OUR CITY. I THINK YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF OPENING YOUR DOOR AND LISTENING TO EVERYONE AND TAKING ALL THE FEEDBACK. SO I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
I DID GIVE YOU A HEAD'S UP ABOUT THIS. WHAT'S SOMETHING HA YOU CAN SHARE WITH US THAT YOU'VE LEARNED, AND YOU WERE THERE BEFORE AND CAME BACK INTO THIS ROLE, THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN REALLY USE TO PUSH OUR CITY FORWARD? AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THIS, TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, IS EVERYONE SEES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU GUYS GET SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE REALLY COMPELLING ARGUMENTS TO THE WORK THAT IT IS YOU'RE DOING.
SO JUST CURIOUS IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH US ANYTHING YOU MAY HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE MIGHT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO GROW HEADS
AND BEDS? >> SO THANK YOU FOR THE SHOUT-OUT AND THE VERY THOUGHTFUL QUESTION. I THINK IT'S TWOFOLD. AN ORGANIZATION LIKE VISIT SAN ANTONIO IS VERY EASY TO BECOME A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU HAVE CONSTANT PRESSURES FROM EVERYBODY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTS THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER. AND WHAT I'VE REALIZED OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS IS THAT CONTINUES. THAT REQUEST CONTINUES.
BUT THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO AS AN ORGANIZATION IS BE REALLY GOOD AT SELLING AND MARKETING THE DESTINATION. IF WE DO THAT EFFECTIVELY, IT WILL DRIVE THE HOT TAX AND SALES TAX, RIGHT? AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DESIRE. WE DO A LOT OF STUFF WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FREE RIVERWALK EVENTS AND THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND THAT'S ALL GREAT AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT AGAIN, THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS STAY TRUE TOUR CORE MISSION OF SELLING AND MARKETING THE DESTINATION.
AND I'M HEARING THAT FROM ALL THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD OVER THE PAST THREE
MONTHS IS PLEASE DO THAT. >> KAUR: TO YOUR POINT OF NOT BEING JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, I'LL GIVE YOU TWO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE THE JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES. ONE OF THE THINGS IS OUR RIVERWALK.
I WANT TO -- I AM HAVE TO EMPHASIZE FOR MY RIVERWALK STAKEHOLDERS THAT I LOVE THE FREE PROGRAMMING THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE GET CREATIVE AROUND FUNDING FOR THE ARTIST AND THEATER SHADING FOR MORE ELEVATOR ADA ACCESSIBILITY ON THE RIVERWALK IS SUPER IMPORTANT, SO IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SEE IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE ON THAT. AND THEN TO COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO'S POINT, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD ALSO SEE SOME OF THE ADVERTISING THAT GOES IN. I THINK WHAT WE ALL MAYBE MISS IS WE DON'T GET TO SEE A LOT OF THAT. SO YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING US OUR ECONOMIC BENEFIT AND YOUR -- THE NET IMPACT THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS.
BUT IF WE COULD ALSO SEE SOME MORE OF THE DETAILS OF LIKE THE MARKETING WHEN YOU'RE SHOWING OFF THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY HELP US TO KNOW THE
NUTS AND BOLTS. >> THIS FALL, COMING SOON. COMING SOON.
>> KAUR: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK. THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.
THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: I'M GUESSING COUNCILMAN WHYTE
HAS LEFT. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: AS FOLKS HAVE MENTIONED, WE KNOW THE SAN ANTONIO ARTS COMMUNITY AND ARTS DEPARTMENT HAVE OVER A FIVE BILLION DOLLAR IMPACT AND ACCOMPLISHING ALL THAT WITH LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE CITY'S BUDGET. SO I THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITY AS WE CONTINUE TO PRAISE THE ARTS TEAM FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO, BECAUSE DR. NIVEN FOUND THAT THE ARTS IMPACT STUDY IMPACTED ROUGHLY 24,000 JOBS, $1.7 BILLION IN DIRECT LABOR, AS WELL AS DIRECT EMPLOYMENT WITH OVER 20,000 JOBS. SO THESE REALLY GREAT INVESTMENTS AND WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE ARTS COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO CREATE JOBS, OPPORTUNITY AND THEN OF COURSE THE MAINTENANCE WITH THE ARTS PIECES.
ONE THING THAT WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL IN TERMS OF THE ART IS DISTRICT 5 SLIGHTLY GRATEFUL FOR FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER MANNY PELÁEZ. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND
[01:50:02]
THE UNITED STATES FIRST SUPER WEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION. I HIGHLIGHT THAT TO PIVOT SAN ANTONIO AND IN TERMS OF THE WORK IN MARKETING EYES LIKE TO SIT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION, BECAUSE DISTRICT 5 IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE HOME TO SEVERAL WORLD CHAMPIONS WHEN IT COMES TO BOCKING. I THINK THERE'S A STORY THERE TO TELL AND TO HIGHLIGHT. I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS, WHETHER IT'S GOLF OR WHATEVER THEIR SPORT OF CHOICE IS WHEN THEY TRAVEL AND LOOKING FOR A LOCAL GYM TO SUPPORT AND BUY THAT T-SHIRT TO REPRESENT THAT LOCAL BOXING GYM IN THIS& PARTICULAR CASE. D5 AS THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF BOXING GYMS. I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TELL THAT STORY IN TERMS OF MARKETING WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO, BUT YOU ALSO ENSURING THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE ART PIECE TOO.WHILE WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE MURAL, IT WILL REQUIRE MAINTENANCE AND ALL THAT IMPORTANT WORK AS WELL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF A LOT OF THE REQUESTS REGARDING THE ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF WITH THE HOT TAX AND HOW OTHER CITIES HAVE ADVOCATED THEIR HOT TAX, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY IN TERMS OF FURTHER SUPPORT OF THE ARTS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY CARVED OUT AN ADDITIONAL 15%, I BELIEVE, TO CREATE SOME TYPE OF FILM DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S 15% FOR FILM, BUT STILL SUPPORTS THE ARTS. I THINK THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN TERMS OF ARTS AND CULTURE. AND THEN I JUST HAD MORE OF A GENERAL POINT TO MAKE IN TERMS OF FACILITIES, RIGHT? I'LL SAY THIS AS SOMEONE -- THIS IS WHAT I VALUE ABOUT MARIO IS YOU WORKED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND HERE YOU ARE TELLING THE STORY OF HOSPITALITY IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AS COMMUNICATE SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY DOWNTOWN FOR ROUGHLY 10 YEARS, I WILL SAY IF IT'S THE COLLEGE SPORTS AND FINAL FOUR THAT HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMEONE COMING FROM A CONFERENCE ON A PER DIEM ASKING FOR THE RECEIPT TO GET REIMBURSED BY THE EMPLOYER. IT'S THE COLLEGE ATHLETE AND THEIR FAMILY WHO ARE COMING TO CELEBRATE AND SPEND MONEY AND HAVE A GREAT TIME AND EXPLORE A CITY. SO ALL THAT TO SAY,, THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU SAY AT THE ALAMODOME AND ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO STAY COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING MORE COLLEGE GAMES I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? SO THOSE COLLEGE GAMES ENSURE NOT JUST THAT THE RESTAURANT, FOR EXAMPLE, BENEFIT OFF THE SALE OF THE PLATE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, BUT THAT THE SERVER GETS TO WALK AWAY WITH A DECENT TIP TOO, RIGHT? SO REALLY IMPORTANT PIECES THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED TODAY. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO -- HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT AND TELL THAT STORY THROUGH VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN MEZA GONZÁLEZ.
>> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. LET'S SEE, FOR THE ARTS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I WANTED TO ADD THAT.
AND JUST THINK ABOUT DISTRICT 8 WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT ARTS AND HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE. IT'S REALLY THE MOST CULTURALLY DIVERSE DISTRICT IN THE CITY. WE HAVE A JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR 25 YEARS AT THE JCC, SO IF WE CAN JUST KIND OF EXPAND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE TO THOSE AREAS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. >> YES, COUNCILWOMAN.
WE'LL PROVIDE YOU A LIST OF SOME NEW PUBLIC ART PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING TO D8.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MEDICAL CENTER ALLIANCE AND ALSO THE NEW PARK THAT WILL BE BUILT THERE. THERE WILL BE TWO PUBLIC ART ELEMENTS THAT WILL BE IN THAT PARK. AND THEN WE JUST ACTUALLY HAD A COMMUNITY GATHERING WITH [INDISCERNIBLE] RUNNING IT, AND IT'S ABOUT THE -- THE WURZBACH AREA AND DOING SOME UNDER THE HIGHWAY ARTWORK RIGHT THERE AT WURZBACH. THAT JUST HAPPENED TWO WEEKENDS AGO.
SO WE'LL PROVIDE YOU A LIST. >> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY. THANK YOU.
AND ALSO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIGHLIGHTING OUR ARTISTS IF WE CAN ALSO REMEMBER TO PROMOTE OUR YOUNG ARTISTS THAT ARE IN SAN ANTONIO.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THIS IS A PLACE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO WORK AS THEY GET OLDER AND DO BUSINESS HERE. SO DO WE DO ANY OF THOSE PROGRAMS WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT OR IS THAT MORE SO IN --
>> SO OUR -- BY HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX RESTRICTIONS IT CAN'T BE USED DIRECTLY FOR EDUCATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOUNG ARTISTS THAT ARE LEARNING ABOUT ARTS PROGRAMS AND PATHWAYS THROUGH OUR NON-PROFITS.
I'LL BE HONEST, THERE'S A LOT OF NON-PROFITS THAT ARE PROVIDING THE SOLE ARTS EDUCATION FOR A LOT OF OUR YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M THINKING ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY, THEY'RE PROVIDING FOR A LOT OF HARLANDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE SOLE ARTS PROGRAMMING THAT THEY HAVE. SO THAT'S WAYS THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN YOUTH THROUGH OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. NOT DIRECTLY, BUT IT'S ANOTHER ELEMENT OF WHY OUR NON-PROFITS ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO DO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR YOUTH. SO WE ALSO HAVE AN ARTIST REGISTRY. THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT TO BE ON THE ARTS REGISTRY.
IT IS ON OUR WEBSITE ON SA SA SA SA.GOVERNOR/ARTS. THEY CAN CREATE A PORTFOLIO,
[01:55:07]
YOU CAN PUT MUSIC, YOU CAN PUT VIDEOS. IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR DIGITAL CAR ARCHIVE. IF YOU WILL. THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG ARTISTS TO LIST THEMSELVES AND PEOPLE ARE BEING HIRED FROM THAT ARTIST REGISTRY. WE PROVIDE IT TO CONVENTIONS, MEETINGS, INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES WHO ARE SAYING I WANT AN ARTIST AND FILTER EVEN BY ZIP CODEIF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN ARTIST IN YOUR AREA. >> GONZÁLEZ: AUTISM.
THANK AWESOME, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THE SAN ANTONIO FILM INCENTIVE AND THE MEDIAN ZONE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. I KNOW OTHER CITIES ARE LOOKING AT THAT ZONE PROGRAM AS WELL. DALLAS I'M SURE AND AUSTIN. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO BRING THAT IN TO SAN ANTONIO I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S ALL FOR ARTS. I HAD A QUESTION FOR VISIT SAN ANTONIO.
DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN FOR THE 150,000 I THINK YOU SAID FULL-TIME JOBS.
IS THAT FULL-TIME JOBS, 150,000? >> THAT'S PART-TIME AND
FULL-TIME. >> GONZÁLEZ: DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE FOLKS ARE
COMING FROM IN SAN ANTONIO? >>KY GET THAT TO YOU. WE DO HAVE THAT BROKEN DOWN.
>> AND HOW THEY GET TO WORK AS WELL? ARE THEY USING PUBLIC
TRANSIT. >> I'M NOT SURE THE REPORT WOULD HAVE EXACTLY HOW THEY'RE COMING IN, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR THEIR OWN VEHICLE. BUT FOR SURE WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THEY'RE
COMING IN. >> GONZÁLEZ: DO YOU HAVE ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES AND HOW
THEY'RE GETTING TO WORK. >> I WILL TELL YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE, AGAIN BEING A 23-YEAR MARRIOTT CAREER ASSOCIATE, THAT YES, AS A LEADERSHIP TEAM WE DO BECAUSE, A, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTING THE GUESTS, RIGHT? SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING THERE ACCORDINGLY.
YES, I KNOW AT THE HOTEL LEVEL THAT DOES HAPPEN. >> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU.
IF WE CAN GET A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM IN THE CITY THAT WOULD BE GREAT GREAT. ON SLIDE 6, 127 VISIT SAN ANTONIO CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, ARE YOU WORKING WITH THE ARTS DEPARTMENT ON THOSE ARTISTS OR ARE THOSE SEPARATE? WI DO. WE UTILIZE CRYSTAL AND HER TEAM. I'M ALSO EXCITED THAT CRYSTAL WILL BE JOINING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND WILL BE AN EXCELLENT GUIDEPOST FOR HELPING US WITH THE ARTS AS WELL. BUT WE ALSO THROUGH OUR MEMBERSHIP TEAM WE'LL SEND OUT RFPS TO THOSE LOCAL ARTISTS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY'RE AWARE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME IN. >> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY, THANK YOU. AND LAST QUESTION, ON THE OTHER REVENUE, THE
2.7 MILLION ON SLIDE 9, WHAT IS THAT OTHER REVENUE? >> THE OTHER REVENUE, LET ME
GET THERE. >> GONZÁLEZ: 2.7 MILLION, SIX PERCENT.
>> SORRY, I HAVE A LOT OF SLIDES. THAT IS [INDISCERNIBLE] SAN ANTONIO IS A RIVERWALK ACTIVATION REVENUE THAT COMES IN.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT MAKES UP THE 2.2 MILLION AND THEN THERE'S LIKE ANOTHER 450,000 FROM HOST CITY EVENTS FROM WE GO TO ANOTHER DESTINATION AND WE HAVE A TRADE SHOW BOOTH AND WE HAVE HOTEL PARTNERS OR OTHER MEMBERS JOIN US.
THAT'S ALSO A REVENUE DRIVER FOR US AS WELL. >> GONZÁLEZ: AND THE
RIVERWALK, WHAT DID YOU -- >> THE RIVERWALK ACTIVATION, SELLING OF CHAIRS FOR OUR DAY OF THE DEAD PARADES, THE CAVALIERS HOLIDAY PARADE, ALL OF THAT WOULD GO INTO
THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE. >> GONZÁLEZ: OKAY. THAT'S ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT AUSTIN AS TEARING DOWN THEIR CONVENTION CENTER, DOING A COMPLETE REBUILD, I THINK DALLAS ADDED SOMETHING, ARE THOSE CITIES ALSO UTILIZING
THE PFZ FOR THOSE REBUILDS AND UPGRADES? >> I KNOW THAT DALLAS IS.
I'M NOT SURE -- WE CAN GET BACK WITH YOU AS FAR AS AUSTIN.
>> MUNIGA: IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THEY DO TO REBUILD THEIR
CONVENTION CENTER. >> YES, SIR. >> MUNIGA: CRYSTAL, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, I KNOW A LOT OF ARTISTS WOULDN'T MAKE IT VERY FAR, GET THAT FIRST BREAK WITHOUT THE ARTS DEPARTMENT HERE LOCALLY. ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE PROGRAMMING THAT YOU DO FOR YOUTH AND SCHOOLS, SO A PERCENT GOES THROUGH Y'ALL, MET WITH THEM RECENTLY, TRYING TO BRING OPERA TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHICH I THINK IS AMAZING. THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PROGRAMMING THAT YOU DO.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE VERY RESPECTFUL OF COMMUNITIES YOU'RE GOING INTO, A WONDERFUL QUOTE FROM A DISTRICT 3 CITIZEN ABOUT THE POWER OF PUBLIC ART AND HOW THAT CAN REALLY UPLIFT A COMMUNITY. AND I THINK YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS GOTTEN SO MUCH BETTER ALSO WITH HOW TO DEVELOP PUBLIC ART, THERE WAS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL ART PIECE IN DISTRICT 4. I THINK THESE PROCESSES HAVE IMPROVED OVER TIME. SO APPRECIATE THAT. AND I HAD SOME QUESTIONS FOR
[02:00:03]
VISIT SAN ANTONIO. SO JUST REAL QUICK, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AWHILE BACK, OF COURSE THE TOP TWO TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS HAPPEN TO BE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, THE ALAMO I BELIEVE IS NUMBER ONE, THE RIVERWALK IS NUMBER TWO. DO WE HAVE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THE RIVERWALK, YOU KNOW, TO MY COLLEAGUE'S POINT. THERE ARE SOME REALLY OLDER PARTS OF IT, ESPECIALLY RIGHT OUT HERE OUT FRONT, SO HAVE Y'ALL TALKED TO BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND THE RIVERWALK OR SOME CONCERNS THEY HAVE ABOUT DEVELOPMENT?>> IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH RIVERWALK, RESTAURATEURS AND WHATNOT, YES, I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS REGARDING THAT. BUT THE MAJORITY OF WHAT I'M TALKING TO THEM ABOUT IS SEGGING THE DESTINATION, ACTIVATING AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DRIVE
HEADS IN BEDS. >> WE GOT AN E-MAIL LAST WEEK FROM A NUMBER OF LEASEHOLDERS ALONG THE RIVERWALK, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND I THINK THAT MORE HAS TO DO WITH -- LESS ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OVER THERE, AND MORE ABOUT THE RULES AND ORDINANCES THAT GOVERN THE LEASES, BUT WHICH COULD FRANKLY TURN INTO A LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
>> YEAH, JUST SOME ARTISTIC ENHANCEMENTS OF THAT AREA, I THINK SINCE IT'S THE NUMBER TWO DESTINATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, YOU WALK OUT HERE TO THE CATHEDRAL, YOU TAKE THE DOWN STOPS, THERE'S TRASH, THERE'S ALWAYS A SMELL IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA. I THINK THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE TO KIND OF MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER OF A DESTINATION FOR FOLKS. MAYBE EVEN HAVE A RAILING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR A LONG TIME THOUGHT MOST OF IT.
TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT HOW -- WHAT THE T PIT IS AND HOW THAT WORKS TO FACILITATE
VISITATION AND SUPPORT SOME OF THE THINGS DOWNTOWN. >> THE TPIT IS A 1.25% PASS THROUGH, IT'S AN ASSESSMENT THAT IS FOR THE VISITORS COMING IN, RIGHT, THEY PAY THAT. AND THEN THAT MONIES ARE USED, IT'S ABOUT $10 MILLION ANNUALLY, THAT'S COLLECTED. AND SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SELLING AND MARKETING OF THE DESTINATION AS IT PERTAINS TO HOTELS. WE HAVE OUR 15 PERSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HOTELLIERS WITHIN 1 AND 2, ZONE 1 BEING THE BUSINESS CENTRAL DISTRICT AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF LOOP 410, SO THERE'S MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING TO SELLING AND MARKETING THE DESTINATION, BUT CERTAINLY
SPECIFIC TO HOTELS. >> MUNIGA: OKAY. THOSE HOTELS PAY IN TO BE
PART OF T PIT. >> YES, THE GUESTS COMING IN, ABSOLUTELY, THAT 1.25% ASSESSMENT PASS THROUGH IS WHAT UTILIZED TO MAKE UP THAT 10 MILLION.
>> IT'S EVERY HOTEL IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE HOTEL
OCCUPANCY TAX, NOT JUST HOTELS DOWNTOWN. >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> MUNIGA: I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE LIMITED TO WHAT WE CAN SPEND, YOU KNOW, THAT TAX REVENUE ON, BUT YOU KNOW IT'S A POINT THAT ALWAYS GETS BROUGHT UP IN DISTRICT 4, 50 WEEKS OUT OF THE YEAR, THERE ARE MILITARY FAMILIES VISITING DISTRICT 4 FOR GRADUATION, WHEN WE TALK TO SOME OF THE HOTELS IN THAT AREA, BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT PROBLEMS GOING ON AROUND THAT AREA, FAMILIES ARE NOT STAYING THERE. THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL STAY AT THE PEARL OR SOMEWHERE DOWNTOWN, OR SOMEWHERE THEY THINK IS A LITTLE BIT NICER, AND THEN DRIVE TO DISTRICT 4 FOR THE GRADUATION LACKLAND AND THEN JUST LEAVE.
THERE'S NOTHING REALLY KEEPING THEM AROUND THAT AREA.
AND SO THAT'S JUST A FUTURE PROJECT TO WORK ON TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO RETAIN
FOLKS IN THAT AREA THAT ARE VISIT. >> GALVAN: SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THESE COMMUNITY OUTREACH CONVERSATIONS I'VE BEEN HAVING IS REGARDING -- SO WE DON'T HAVE A VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER, RIGHT, ANYMORE, WHAT WE AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO AS THE VIC, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS ADDING A BODY SPECIFICALLY TO AT LEAST START BEING THE CONDUIT BETWEEN THE GUEST EXPERIENCE, THE LEISURE TRAVELER, AN AREA -- OTHER AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE HEADS IN BEDS. PART OF THAT WOULD BE THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY IS REACHING OUT TO THESE GRADUATIONS, MILITARY GRADUATIONS, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT ACTUAL NEED IS, AND WHAT THAT MISS IS, RIGHT?
SO IT SHOULD HELP WITH THAT CONVERSATION MOVING FORWARD. >> MUNIGA:Y.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. APPRECIATE IT. >> IT'S NOT A FIX-ALL,
RIGHT, BUT IT'S A START. >> MUNIGA: RIGHT. WE WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING RIGHT OUTSIDE THE GATE FOR
[02:05:01]
FOLKS TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU WHEN YOU DRIVE AROUND, YOU DON'T REALLY FIND THOSE FAMILIES, GREAT RESTAURANTS AND THINGS TO DO THERE.THEY'RE MOTIVATED ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DOWNTOWN CONSTRUCTION, SPECIFICALLY
SOUTH ALAMO, HAVE THOSE PROJECTS AFFECTED TOURISM? >> YOU'LL SEE IT A LITTLE BIT IN THE CONSUMER SENTIMENT, RIGHT? CONVERSATION AND SURVEYS THAT ARE DONE. BUT THE REALITY IS AS YOU CAN TELL BY VISITATION, FOLKS ARE STILL COMING, RIGHT? SO WE KEEP A PULSE ON IT, IT'S A DISCUSSION TOPIC, BUT CERTAINLY, WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE HERE, THE ALAMO, THE RIVERWALK, THE PEOPLE CONTINUES TO BRING PEOPLE HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
>> MUNIGA: ABSOLUTELY. TALKING ABOUT HEADS IN BEDS, AND GROWING THAT INDUSTRY, AND THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN TOURISM, FOR THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, BUT CAN YOU -- ARE YOU ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE AND MAYBE THE HOTELS THAT THE INCREASE IN REVENUE FROM TOURISM ALSO CORRELATES WITH SOME SORT OF WAGE INCREASE
IN THAT INDUSTRY AT THE SAME TIME? >> HERE IS WHAT I DO KNOW.
PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO ANSWER IT, SO SINCE 2019, WE'VE SEEN PAYROLL FOR HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INCREASE 28%. NOW, SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE INCREASE OF HOTELS, WE ADDED HOTELS, BUT CERTAINLY PAYROLL WOULD BE A
PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, I WOULD IMAGINE. >> MUNIGA: YEAH, ESPECIALLY THE POINT EARLIER, IF HOTELS ARE GOING TO BE CHARGING MORE, THE BUSINESS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PANDEMIC AND THAT, BUT IF THEY'RE CHARGING MORE, AND THERE'S MORE REVENUE COMING IN, AND WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THAT REVENUE, I WOULD IMAGINE -- I WOULD HOPE THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TRANSLATION
ALSO TO WAGES IN THAT -- >> YOU WOULD SEE IT IN WAGE, RIGHT? SO WAGES IS ONE PIECE OF THAT CONVERSATION, AND A CRITICAL PIECE, NO DOUBT.
BUT ALSO THAT HAS INCLUDED IN THAT, RIGHT, OUR BENEFITS, MEDICAL BENEFITS, PAID TIME OFF, FREE MEALS, RIGHT? THERE'S A WEALTH OF ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT ARE ALSO RELATED IN THERE THAT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT THERE IN
JUST PURE WAGES AS WELL. >> MUNIGA: YEAH. AWESOME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, I JUST WANTED TO LOOP IN AND GIVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND SOME OTHER INPUT. I LOVE PUBLIC ART AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND I'M SO GLAD WE MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC ART STRUCTURES, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK GETTING OUR ART COMMUNITY TOGETHER, PERIOD, BECAUSE I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, PUBLIC ART IS STILL CENSORED ART BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED ON WHAT WE CAN PUT ON DISPLAY BECAUSE OF THE FUNDS BEING EITHER FEDERAL OR STATE, SO I JUST -- AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK ABOUT HOW WE ADVERTISE STUDIO TOURS, HOW WE GET PEOPLE -- IN SOME CASES WE WILL NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO THE ARTIST SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THEIR FULL COMPLETE TALENTS OF WHAT THEY DO, BECAUSE SOME OF THAT ART WE WOULD NOT PURCHASE OR WE WOULD NOT LET THEM PUT UP BECAUSE OF THAT, AND SO I WANT TO THANK IN TERMS OF A GOOD PROJECT WAS RIVER DE ARTES, WE ONLY OUT TO THE DIFFERENT STUDIOS AND I GOT TO SEE THE ARTISTS IN MOTION. THAT WAS PART OF EWDC.
I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT. AGAIN, TERI AND I DO NOT PLAN THIS, BUT SHE TOOK ALL THE STUFF I WAS GOING TO SAY ABOUT BOXING, I GUESS THAT'S OKAY, BUT I WAS AT A BOXING MATCH AT THE BOEING CENTER, AND, YEAH, SPORTS IS TOURISM, AND BRINGING THAT BACK OUTSIDE AND DOWNTOWN WHETHER IT'S IN TRAVIS OR THE MARKET SQUARE WHERE WE CAN GET THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND THEN GET SOME OF THOSE VENDORS AND RESTAURANTS TO BE PART OF THAT, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE KEY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THOSE STORIES, AND I WANT TO SAY THAT THE BEST FIGHTERS FOR WHAT I SAW WERE LOCAL FIGHTERS, BUT THAT'S JUST ME BEING BIASED. AND THEN PATRICIA, I THINK -- WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS KIND OF GIVE LIKE AN AWARD FOR THE BEST EVENT THAT WAS HOSTED EITHER AT THE DOME OR CONVENTION CENTER OR THE CARVER, AND FOR ME THIS YEAR, IT WAS -- AND CASSANDRA, THANK YOU. I KNOW WE WORKED WITH -- IT WAS ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S PROJECT. IT WAS FOR DREAM WEEK, THEY BROUGHT LESLIE ODEM JR. HERE, I THINK SO FAR THIS YEAR THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BEST CONCERT INTERVIEW THAT THEY HAD. HE DID SOME -- HE DID AN INTERVIEW AND I THINK SANG TWO, MAYBE THREE SONGS, AND EVERYBODY WENT HOME HAPPY.
HE DID A LITTLE MEET AND GREET BEFORE HAND. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE DO, BECAUSE IF YOU ASK ME IN 2023 OR '24, WOULD
[02:10:05]
HAVE BEEN THE BAD BUNNY CONCERT, BUT THIS YEAR IT'S DEFINITELY LESLIE ODEM JR.THAT IS SOMETHING HOME GROUP BY ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGES, BUT IF YOU'RE IN SAN ANTONIO FOR A WEEK OR DURING A WEEK DAY, THAT'S WHAT WE OFFER, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, SO I THINK WE NEED TO KIND OF DO OUR OWN LITTLE BEST OF THE SAN ANTONIO CONVENTIONS AND VISIT SAN ANTONIO AT THE END OF THE YEAR AWARD.
SO THOSE ARE THE OTHER THINGS. AND THE LAST THING, BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP, THE VISITOR'S INFORMATION CENTER.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF A ROVING ONE, BUT I LIKE THE IDEA BETTER OF HOUSING IT OVER BY THE GREATER CHAMBER OFFICE BUILDING IN THE LOBBY.
TO HAVE KIND OF THOSE BROCHURES THERE, AND THEN WORK WITH THE MILITARY TO KIND OF GET AN INFORMATION CENTER, BUT THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD IS -- IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A FULL BLOWN STORY YET, BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON OUR PRODUCTS, IF YOU DIDN'T HEAR MY INTERVIEW FROM THE -- MY REMARKS, WE'RE WORKING ON OUR PRODUCTS, BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW, IF WE JUST HOUSED OURSELF IN THE GREATER SAN
ANTONIO CHAMBER LOBBY, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. >> YEAH, SO STARTING OFF, AI MENTIONED, WE'RE ADDING A ROLE TO VISIT SAN ANTONIO TO HELP WITH THAT.
WE WON'T HAVE A OFFICE OUT OF OUR CURRENT LOW KAIGHTS, BUT AGAIN IT'S A START.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, HEY, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OWNING OUR OWN BACK YARD, WE'RE A CITY OF HOSPITALITY, THAT WHEN GUESTS CALL, THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST TALKING TO A CHAT BOTS AFTER HOURS. WE USED TO HAVE A LARGER STAFF THAT DID THAT, AS YOU KNOW, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN, BUT WE'RE STARTING WITH, THAT AND SEEING WHERE THE TRENDS TAKE US TO BE ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT. THANK YOU.
>> COUNCILMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, MAYOR, A COUPLE OF LAST POINTS I WANTED TO MAKE FOR PATRICIA REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ALAMODOME, MATTHEW SOLOMON IS A DISTRICT 5 RESIDENT, HE'S COME TO PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE, AND REACHED OUT TO OUR OFFICE IN TERMS OF ADA ACCESSIBILITY, WAYFINDING AND STAFF HAVING UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO DIRECT PEOPLE WITH A WHEELCHAIR OR SOME ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS.
CAN I SEND OVER HIS INFORMATION FOR SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM ON WHAT YOU ALL HAVE IN MIND IN TERMS OF WAYFINDING AND WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS CAN LOOK LIKE IF GREAT, THANK YOU. LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO AGAIN THANK CRYSTAL JONES, BECAUSE WITHIN THE BUDGET, THERE IS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE PHILHARMONIC, I KNOW THAT IS WORK THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, HAVING ON GOING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP TO WALK THROUGH THROUGH THIS PROCESS HOW WE CAN GET THEM TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE TO QUALIFY FOR FUNDING. THANK YOU, CRYSTAL, FOR WALKING THE PHILHARMONIC
THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY,
CHAIR KAUR. >> KAUR: I HAD TWO THINGS I WANTED TO ADD.
FOLLOW-UP WITH YOU ON THIS. THERE IS A REQUEST FROM SAN ANTONIO YOUTH BALLET TO USE THE LILA COCKRELL THEATER FOR THEIR SHOW OF THE NUTCRACKER, THE FOLKLORICO NUTCRACKER, AND HAVING SOME ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN SCHEDULING, HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP THEM OUT IF POSSIBLE. YOU DO A LOT OF GREAT WORK SINCE ALL THE SPORTS CONVERSATION IS GOING ON, WITH THE WORK THAT THE SAN ANTONIO SPORTS THE WORK THEY DO FOR OUR YOUTH PROGRAMMING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I WANTED TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT PARTNERSHIP AND FIGURE OUT WAYS WE CAN CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, HAS EVERYONE SPOKEN OR ASKED A QUESTION THAT WOULD LIKE TO? OKAY, GREAT, ERIK, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, THERE WERE QUESTIONS FROM THE RIVERWALK FOLKS ABOUT WHAT ARE THE CHANGES, THE RULES MIGHT MEAN, THEY ALSO REFERENCED A RFP FOR THE RIVERWALK, THAT WOULD HAVE A TEN TO FIFTEEN YEAROUT LOOK. IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT, ERIK, TO LEVEL SET
WITH THIS BODY, PLEASE. >> YEAH, THANK YOU, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE E-MAIL THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER, MARIA, AND SEVERAL OTHER STAFF MEMBERS MET WITH SUBSET FOLKS THAT HAVE BUSINESSES ON THE RIVERWALK, AND WE'RE DOING SOME CONTINUED DUE DILIGENCE AROUND SOME OF THEIR REQUESTS, PART OF WHAT THE MAYOR JUST REFERENCED IS AN RFP THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, THE STAFF IS
[02:15:03]
DEVELOPING, AND ALTHOUGH THE MAYOR AND I HAVEN'T SPOKEN ABOUT IT, BUT WE'VE TRADED THAT E-MAILS BACK AND FORTH, THAT RFP AND THAT SCOPE PROBABLY NEEDS TO TAKE ON A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER LEVEL APPROACH, AND WHAT THE MAYOR HAS ASKED IS AS WE GET CLOSER TO DEVELOPING THAT, WE BRING IT TO THE COUNSEL COUNCILFOR REVIEW AND INPUT.AS THE COUNCILMAN MENTIONED, THE RIVERWALK IS A CRITICAL PART OF OUR DOWNTOWN AND CITY, SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE EYES WIDE OPEN AS WE WALK INTO ANY SORT OF RFP AROUND STRATEGIC PLANNING AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT WAS THE REFERENCE. WE'LL LOOK TO GET THAT SCHEDULED HERE IN EARLY
FALL. >> MAYOR JONES: THANKS, ERIK.
I'M GLAD COUNCILWOMAN BROUGHT UP THE PHILHARMONIC. THIS IS -- WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE ARTS AND WHAT GREAT CITIES HAVE, MAJOR CITIES HAVE, THEY HAVE A STRONG PHILHARMONIC. I WOULD WELCOME, MS. JONES, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WE'VE GOT THE PHILHARMONIC, WE'VE GOT THE OTHER COMPETING ENTITY, THOUGH, HOW DOES THAT DYNAMIC CONSTRAIN OUR ABILITY TO HAVE WHAT WE WANT WHICH IS A WORLD CLASS PHILHARMONIC HERE IN SAN ANTONIO TO THE EXTENT THAT IS THE BEST ECONOMIC DRIVER, NOT TWO ENAT THIS TO YOUS -- ENTITIES COMPETING. WHAT THAT PATH LOOKS LIKE
MOVING FORWARD. >> YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I WOULD HOO LIKE TO SAY THAT THE COMPETING ENTITIES SENTIMENT I FEEL HAS CHANGED. I THINK THAT WE HAVE TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OPERATING WITH ATTENDEES, AND THEY'RE MEETING THEIR GOALS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE REQUIRE, THEY'RE MEETING THEIR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR CONTRACTS, SO AS IT STANDS NOW, SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING CLASSICAL MUSIC WORK, AND IN FACT THERE'S MORE THAN TWO ORGANIZATIONS DOING THAT WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY. I THINK IT'S A VERY COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT ACROSS OUR ARTS COMMUNITY, AS TIMES ARE TOUGH WITH FEDERAL FUNDING, AND AS I SEE IT, THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE -- HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIFIC GOALS, HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIFIC VISIONS, AND THEY'RE EXECUTING THEM CURRENTLY, AND ABLE TO MEET
THEIR CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS AS IT STANDS. >>> MAYOR JONES: I APPRECIATE THAT, I'D WELCOME, THOUGH, SOME ANALYSIS AS TO WHETHER WE'RE ACTUALLY LIMITING OURSELVES BY HAVING TWO, VERSUS SUPPORTING ONE VERY, VERY WELL. HOUSTON DOESN'T HAVE TWO. DALLAS DOESN'T HAVE TWO.
AS I UNDERSTAND, THE PHILHARMONIC, THOSE ARE UNION MEMBERS AS WELL, RIGHT? THINK OF A LITTLE BIT BROADER APPROACH, NOT CAN WE SUPPORT TWO, BUT SHOULD WE SUPPORT TWO IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE COULD ULTIMATELY HAVE WHICH IS A WORLD CLASS PHILHARMONIC. GREAT.
MS. -- I'M SORRY, I'M MESSING UP YOUR NAME. I THINK YOU -- I WRITE A COMMENT DOWN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISHEAR YOU, DID YOU SAY TRADITIONALLY BOTH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE ALAMODOME OPERATE AT A LOSS?
>> YES. >> MAYOR JONES: AND OUR YOU OCCUPANCY RATE IS LESS
THAN 65% ON AVERAGE, IS THAT RIGHT? >> I DO JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT TO THAT, SO THAT OCCUPANCY RATE VARIES EVERY MONTH.
>> MAYOR JONES: SURE. >> SO THAT'S THE AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR, AND THAT IS JUST FOR OUR HOTELS, WE DON'T GET THE SAME TYPE OF DATATOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
>> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD. THE POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS -- AGAIN, ADDITIONAL DATA THAT HELPS ME IF I'VE MISUNDERSTOOD A POINT OF THIS, PLEASE PROVIDE, IF WE'RE ALREADY OPERATING AT A LOSS FOR THESE TWO ENTITIES, THE CONVENTION -- SKEW EXCUSE ME, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE IS WHAT IT IS. IS THERE A OCCUPANCY RATE AT WHICH HOTELS BREAK EVEN? I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD TO THE SUPPLY OF HOTELS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT WE EXPECT THE OCCUPANCY RATE TO BE AS A RESULT OF THAT. YOU CAN FOLLOW-UP IF YOU
DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT NOW. >> THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: MR. -- I'M SORRY, I FORGET THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME, I SEE HIM HERE, HE WAS VERY KIND AS PART OF THIS VISITOR ALLIANCE GROUP THAT I MET WITH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HIGHLIGHTED, THOUGH, REALLY OUR NEEDS OF BETTER FOCUS ON AND DO A BETTER JOB OF ATTRACTING THE HIGH END TRAVELER, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND THAT IS A -- YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS AREN'T COMING HERE FOR RAIN FOREST CAFE, WHAT THEY DOES IS REALLY LEAN INTO I THINK SOME OF TH THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED HERE, SOME UNIQUE AND SPECIFIC AND NICHE TO SAN ANTONIO, WHAT I WOULD -- A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT COME TO MIND, I THINK WE'VE GOT OBVIOUSLY THESE TWO GEMS, THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN DISTRICT 3,
[02:20:06]
AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES AROUND THE UNESCO CITY OF ASTRONOMY, US BEING ONLY ONE OF TWO. IS THERE A PLAN SPECIFICALLY AROUND, I MEAN THOSE TWO MAJOR DESIGNATIONS AS IT RELATES TO OUR GOALS FOR THE HIGH END TRAVELER.>> THERE ARE. SO OUR CURRENT MARKETING ALREADY HAS A LOT OF THAT BAKED INTO IT, RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S A FULL STORY. BUT CERTAINLY, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS, AND TO YOUR POINT, MAYOR JONES, THE TRAVELER THAT IS TRAVELING NOW, THAT IS NOT IMPACTING BY THE ECONOMY IS THAT HIGH END TRAVELER.
>> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S RIGHT. >> WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION. WE'VE ALSO, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE HAVE A LUXURY COMMITTEE FOR THE HOTELS TO REALLY BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? SO WE TALK ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL TRAVELER. WHO IS COMING.
NATIONALLY, WE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHO THAT IS, IN THE MARKETING TERMS, AND ENSURE THAT WE'RE SPEAKING TO THAT, BUT, YES, THAT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION, IT WILL BE PART OF THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT GOES OUT.
>> MAYOR JONES: OKAY, GREAT. THE OTHER ONE THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE FIRST HAND, AS SOON AS I WALK INTO THESE THINGS, NOW I'M IMMEDIATELY THINKING ABOUT BOND PROJECTS B. THE CONJUNTO FESTIVAL, ON THE WEST SIDE, BRINGS FOLKS -- THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS I MET AT THIS FESTIVAL WERE NOT FROM SAN ANTONIO, STAYING THERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS, I APPRECIATE AN UNDERSTAND, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DO WITH MS. JONES, HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THAT, THE FACT THAT THERE IS EVEN GREAT PARKING TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT IT IS SUCH A HUGE DRIVER AND THOSE AGAIN ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE NICHE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LEAN INTO, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY BASED ON THEIR LOCATION, ROSEDALE, DO A LOT FOR THAT IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY.
>> AWESOME, WILL DO. >> MAYOR JONES: THE OTHER THING I MENTIONED FROM THAT VISITOR ALLIANCE MEETING IS THE NEED TO EXTEND THE DAYS OF THE HOTEL STAYS, WHAT ARE
WE AT RIGHT NOW, TWO AND A HALF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> IT'S SHY OF THREE FOR
SURE. >> WE NEED TO GET TO THREE AND A HALF, THAT'S THE GOAL.
WELCOME UNDERSTANDING HOW YOUR PROPOSED BUDGET HELPS US SPECIFICALLY DO THAT.
>> WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S AN INCREASE IN THE DAY TRAVELER, WE NEED TO CONVERT THEM TO STAY OVERNIGHT, BECAUSE IT HELPS DRAW HOT, IT'S A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, WE CAN DO THAT.
>> MAYOR JONES: SLIDE 7, I THINK -- MAYBE IT'S A TYPO ON THE SLIDE, OR MAYBE IT'S NOT, ON SLIDE 7, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FY '23, ACTUALS, THE ALAMODOME EXPENSES AND
REVENUES, WHY IS THERE NO HOT IN FY '23? >> FOR THE ALAMODOME, THAT'S WHEN WE MADE A PROFIT, WE HAD 21 MILLION, OUR EXPENSES WERE 19.7.
>> MAYOR JONES: YOU DON'T HAVE TO OFFSET IT, UNDERSTOOD.
>> CORRECT. >> MAYOR JONES: WHAT WAS THAT EVENT, WAS THAT THE --
>> WE HAD 8 MAJOR EVENTS THAT YEAR. WE CAN PROVIDE, YOU KNOW,
THOSE EVENTS TO YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT -- WHEN WE LOOK AT FY '24 ACTUALS TO FY '25 ESTIMATE, WHAT DO WE THINK IS CONTRIBUTING TO A 33% INCREASE IN REVENUE, ALAMODOME REVENUE FROM FY '24 TO ESTIMATE '25.
>> THE NUMBER OF MAJOR EVENTS WE'RE GOING TO HOST. WE ONLY HOSTED FOUR MAJOR EVENTS IN '24. FIVE IN '25, AND WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE 7 IN '26.
SO REALLY THE MAJOR DRIVER THERE ARE LARGE EVENTS, MAJOR EVENTS.
>> MAYOR JONES: WE HAD FOUR IN '24, FIVE IN '25, AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO A 30% INCREASE IN REVENUE. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT.
>> THESE MAJOR EVENTS, CHAKIRA, RIGHT NOW THE WEEKEND, ALL OF THESE MAJOR EVENTS, ON A SINGLE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE MAKE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN THOSE EVENTS.
>> MAYOR JONES: IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A MARKET DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF THOSE EVENTS IF ONE MORE EVENT IS LEADING TO A 30% INCREASE INJURY.
>> ANDREWS-SULLIVAN: THE >> THE LARGEST REVENUE GENERATOR IS THE FINAL FOUR.
THEY HAVE ABOUT FIVE CONCERTS, PLANNING ABOUT SEVEN CONCERTS IN 2026.
>> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S THE OUTLIER. GREAT.
OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU FOR THE VERY HELPFUL PRESENTATIONS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE FOLLOW-UP. LET'S SEE. IT IS NOW 4:25, SEPTEMBER 22, AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.