City of Laredo, Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau, 7 Oct 2021

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From YouTube: 10-07-21 Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Committee Meeting

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10-07-21 Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Committee Meeting

A

Is what we're doing that's? Why that's the reason for the new agency and one of the things that we emphasize with the new agencies? We need to be able to tell our story, that's something that we've been emphasizing with the other agency and it didn't.

B

A

Speed and the amount that we expected, and so when uh zimmerman agency came that's one of the things that we.

C

A

Saying we need to be able to tell our own story, we need to be able to get the word out because I was in another show and they were like on the border. Is it safe and I hadn't gotten those questions for a long time, and I said, look things I can tell you and loretta what you see on tv is not happening in the ring right.

A

I can't say for other borders, because that they're, obviously on the portable, what you see on tv is not happening, and so we, more than ever, we are focused on on making sure that we can tell our story to be able to counteract those things.

D

You know I refuse to believe that people, just all of a sudden think alike- I mean they're they get together, so we're going to be marching in a you know. In a group I mean there's a caravan if you will and they're coming together I mean twenty thousand ten thousand five thousand. How.

E

Does that happen? How does that happen? It's a well-planned.

D

It's a well-planned thing and- and I'm and I fear that all of that is coming from our side, you know to get them to, and it's all political you know, which is what I I think is ridiculous. But then you get this image like they did. You know with del rio and it was like now everybody thinks that every that that's the border and that's and then the governor gets that and then he starts uh calling the national guard to patrol all the border.

D

And now I hear that there's a group of nine governors from other states that are coming to the border to to see. What's going on, I mean they're from idaho and ohio.

F

D

One of them is from the canadians of norfolk, yet from the canadian border, and they don't- I mean they, don't they don't look at that. The northern border.

C

Is not looked at at all, it's basic, it's the southern border.

D

And that to me is highly suspicious of what's going on you.

G

Know why the southern border is looked at the color of the skin? Don't.

B

Really, that's what I'm saying.

D

My my son has been on both borders.

G

He's a photographer for ap, he says dad. You know I was under a canadian border people walking back and forth. You come here border patrol like to you.

C

G

And I says why matthew.

D

We're brown it's highly discriminatory. We all know that and I think that all of the the rhetoric as as far as in washington and the states- and you know the parties and everything is getting so convoluted that people are so confused and they believe what's going on in the border is all the border I mean they put us all in one one lesson on one border.

E

Separated us, and then all this party, uh I guess bashing- is- is also hurting us rather than bringing us together and that's part of the problem that you know honestly. From our end, our mission is to bring the parties together because dividing us is literally dividing us. We got beyond dividing our two countries. I mean that mr nixon's uh presentation said very clearly. um It says uh two countries, one city, one culture, because we're one- and he said you don't realize how we're not divided. He said. Imagine lake travis.

E

Imagine that that bridge closing down he said. That's what's happened to us: we've cut off all of our social, our economic life. Everything.

D

Everything you know.

E

Yeah and that's what he was saying and you know, and it's something that we we're taking that everywhere we can, we put together a paper called common sense solutions and basically that's what they talk about common sense. There should be immigration, there should be. It should be a process that we should invest in.

E

There should be more judges, there should be more people, there's people that need asylum and we should be helping them, but there should be a process that we should be focused on not just opening with that's the problem that that happened, and now, everybody's freaking out. We just didn't do the process the way we should have in proper steps, but we could talk about this forever.

E

You know, I think every organization has to push togetherness, and so it sounds like a cliche, but there you know we have to be united. We have to be united, but not more than ever. I hate to say, but even downtown we were. I was so worried about the center for the arts, and now I'm worried beyond that, because I see that they're not breaking our windows, anymore, they're, breaking any window, any empty space, they're breaking the windows and with no qualms or reason they.

D

Don't even care I mean it's like throw a rock who cares you.

E

Know yeah it's just because it's there, so that's how how how how uncontrolled this our society and our people are behaving in and the thing is that the epidemic has caused. A lot of you know stress a lot of anxiety, a lot of probably just venting whatever and people doing things that they shouldn't do with people thinking the way they shouldn't think. But I think it's very important that we try to do our part, like I said, every agency, every person every entity to to bring and to promote stability and togetherness. You.

D

Know- and I think that that would be a good theme- you know for the community, you know with all of the organizations maybe getting together and you know- maybe you know talking about that. You know we're one community, you know we're coming together. We should come together, but I do believe that we need to talk more about it. I mean we, it could. You know we talk about it, but it stays here I mean if it doesn't go out of here. It's like nobody talked about it. Who cares but.

C

D

We have to make an effort, you know to at least you know bring our community together, and maybe you know show that it can be done well.

E

You know that's something that we're tasked with at the back. You know, like I said I think 40 percent is bank marketing. The rest is community. You know because it's I mean we're trying, because without a good community I mean the bottom line. Is we won't have a good business.

C

E

To everyone, without.

C

E

Community without a flourishing, economically successful community, you know nothing's.

C

Going to survive so.

E

That's why we have to look at this very fundamentally from the ground up. You know we have to go back to basics. It's like we're starting a whole new city like we're, establishing a new laredo.

D

Exactly but you know it's gotta be like.

E

D

We gotta do our part. Everybody's gotta. Do our part their part.

E

They'll be fighting, stop fighting, stop, arguing.

D

Something maybe community meetings, you know amongst all of the organizations and say we're coming together for the common good of our community and that's what we should forget about politics forget about every everything. This is the way it should be.

E

Look up for my next column, amen.

H

Just to add one last.

F

Thing to that is.

H

When you bring everybody together, you have all your plus and minuses. You have some that say this and some people that say that. But if you, if you join them together, doesn't mean you're going to have one solid answer, but at least you can meet halfway or get to an area that you can agree on, because no, not everybody's, going to think the same.

D

It's all about compromise, don't want to compromise.

C

D

So anyway, I just believe that this report is going to be it's going.

C

D

Be exceeded you know, but because of all of what I think it might be happening this next year. I have a lot of hope. I do well.

E

And I don't think this any you know, I don't think we should like you say we shouldn't get political, but I think it's important that as as a cbb as someone who's, you know depends on that border being open. You know we should, you know, set a a sort of maybe not a major statement. I think protests, but I'm saying just keep reminding people. We want we're.

C

Still here we're still.

E

Here for you, you know we want to and we can't wait to have something that says you know, and I know we keep promoting, that we do we. We does.

E

We think that's very important to let our mexican citizens know that we want you here, we're not part.

C

Of the this, whatever the government's doing that's.

E

Not us, you know we try to that's the message we sent. You know that.

D

We take it out on everybody, it seems you know, everybody suffers, it's not like you, you know confine it to.

E

Just a certain.

D

Sector I mean it just spills over to everything and affects everything, and then it's just like a bad. You know virus, you know it just goes and goes and.

E

I think it's also important that we share if we do know stories of people having a difficult time crossing that camp that should be able to cross we've shared those too there's essential people that still have had issues across it, and we need to share that because they need to know what inspectors, what people are doing.

D

So they get things.

C

E

They can change the the dynamic you know because I get it they have to check. They have to ask, but there's a way of doing it. Without you know, and there's people that are you know are innocently properly going through the process and they still get their papers taken away. So those.

C

Are the bad things.

E

H

To that we need to be on top of those things they have attitudes. I mean I used to work across the border for nine years and I would cross every day and you one day you would get one inspector was awfully nice. Then another one is like I.

D

H

So you work, you know, like I preferred mexico over the u.s, even though I was a u.s person, you know like they would insinuate that, so I think there's all types of people.

E

Yeah there are, but those like everything, it's.

I

C

I

E

When we do a survey or you do you do a mystery shop of your own business, you want to know who's, doing badly who's who's being rude to your customers like okay, I have to go talk to you because you have to fix this. We already have three complaints about it. They're.

C

Doing the same thing believe it or not, they are addressing it. Okay,.

E

They are addressing it because we've had situations where people had their letter, they had their paperwork and they still gave them a hard time. They wouldn't let them it's like. We did.

C

Everything like.

D

A harassment, the thing is, the thing is that.

J

D

It's just randomly, you know they make decisions randomly right there and then I know you know the way that ladies look at that or the man or the family, whatever this discrimination, you know, and it's like you- need they need to train those those uh those uh officers. You know that are, you know, checking those papers and everything because I mean it's not fair. No.

E

I know bad day bad attitude, you know that's a bottom line. I think we all go through it, but we all try to control it. We all manage our morale, but some people don't and you you know. The thing is that that shouldn't happen anytime, you're in a public sector to serve the community. I mean trust me. I have very bad days and I have to put a smile on opportunity.

C

H

Well, I think everybody's comments are really well taken and you can only learn from from them. Yeah.

D

I think it's, this is an important discussion, you know, and you know, and we're limited by time- and you know we have an agenda whatever, but you know I don't think we had ever brought it out to this degree and it's important. You know to talk about things that are difficult to talk.

D

They're, not easy things to talk about, but you know we need to we need to and if we need to take a you know, a leadership role in doing it, then we need to do it and you know, help the other organizations and bring everybody together at once. At some point yeah, you know to be able to help each other move forward, everything's going to stay the same.

E

The good thing is that we do have people. We do see people on our end, interested in laredo interested in coming here, interesting doing business here. So trust me, we try and do the song and dance as much as we can to make sure that they do come, that they do that. We do offer them everything that we need and we have a. We have our own booklets.

E

We have our own product, our own cbp department, where we literally get provide everything that you all, but that's why I know exactly what you all have, because I have it. That's like our.

C

That's another package that we provide.

E

For everything, that's why it's very important that you know you all, keep it up and you all do don't divorce all that, but we have that the economic development issue with the chamber of commerce fund and anything that we can. We put it all together and it's a whole presentation.

E

You know that goes inclu, including our powerpoint, to bring them to laredo. So we have to keep that.

D

Momentum pushing and going- and you know- and I realize that we're only an advisory committee- you know and that, but I think that in in in in bringing things up like this, I mean it really, it really um increases the you know the you know the conversation, you know it brings it up and you know people start talking about it. I mean that's what we need more people, talking about it and getting together and you know I've.

D

You know, I know that we don't have that the power you know, because you know we just like I said we're right advisory nature, but I think the advice you know is, you know, should be taken and.

E

I think you're doing a good job of thinking outside the box. You know you, we can't do sister cities here, but we'll do sister cities there we go. We can't do this, but we do it that way. You know, I think you all are finding alternatives and that's what it takes right. Now, it's finding out.

A

And this helps for us to um open the conversations that we are not doing it on our own you're, not doing it on your own, that we can work together and we can do something and that information that we have those numbers that we have can help you. But if you have any numbers that you can provide, that can help us. That's also. We can work together together with the chamber, the different entities we.

C

Work together with ledc.

A

We don't necessarily work a lot with the chamber so that that's a great opportunity, so it's definitely something that we can. We can leverage each other. We can enhance what the other is doing, because at the end of the day, we're all we're all promoting loreto in different different sectors of the community, but at the end, we're all promoting.

D

There's a lot of organizations- and you know- and everybody should be talking about the same thing: it's coming together, like how they said you know, come together as a community, and you know and try to to you, know, to enhance in our community and make it better. Because if not I mean I just don't, I don't think that that's the way it should be and there's a lot of talented people in this community and- and you know, a lot that that can help with this regard. So I'm just glad that we have this question.

E

Well, laredo has gone through some difficult times. I think in fact, those of us that are old enough to remember we've hit, you know several times because of evaluation. You know situations, and this has been one that probably taken a toll on us. I think it it will continue, but the thing is that, right now, because the whole cultural deal, the whole social economic deal is a little bit different. It's more challenging globally!

E

That's what's going to affect us more, that's why we have to be prepared.

C

E

I said you know, I I don't think I'm I'm smarter, I know so much. It's just.

C

E

To read so much I hate reading, but.

K

C

E

Read a lot and I have to research a lot and that's when you find out it's almost like. I know too much too much, and then I get stressed out about it because it's like, oh god, it's true this this this you know and it's it's amazing. I could do a whole presentation too.

A

And whatever we can collaborate, I mean any any information that we can provide and, and vice versa, we'll we'll make sure we can I'll.

E

Be more than willing to share what we what we uh show the governor, so you all can see what we talked about, that we talked about the highways, the infrastructure we talked about the another bridge. We talked about several things like that, so I think those are things that it would be good for you all to know when you're all talking out there to people, because then you talk about this at the business side of it and that's good for them. Yeah.

B

I know especially.

A

In the efforts that we do as part of portland, I mean we're we're doing a lot of that that work too. So it's for us. That would be great.

C

D

Yeah, it's a collaborative effort.

H

So definitely thank you judy and gabriel for all of that information, I think it's only beneficial to all of us, and so now we eileen will go over here reported the director's.

F

Report, which is on page eight thank you, ma'am.

A

Chair so in a way uh it's the segway into into what's gonna. I want to highlight in my report I had the opportunity of traveling to the e-tourism summit to speak on our podcast.

A

The tourism summit happened in vegas and it set an event under the umbrella of ipw, which is a larger event, and I believe that our podcast gives us is one of our tools for us to be able to tell our own story. We have our own audience. We have there's no filter in between us and the audience, and so we have the opportunity to showcase to feature a lot of our attractions, a lot of our local stars, a lot of our the offerings that we have.

A

So I'm very proud that this is a a tool that is growing and that it's going to allow us to continue telling our story from our side from our own words, and so that was a highlight for me. So I was traveling a lot in september. But for me that was one of the highlights of of the month being able to push that podcast and explain how that has been beneficial. For us, and how can that be beneficial for others, if we're able to tell our own story and we've had we're already a.

K

H

A

We're growing it, and so we're really excited about. What's to come, it's a product, that's evergreen, and so people can go back and listen to the first episode and instead of binge watching binge listening to all the episodes in the in the series um and then continue getting new information on what loreto has to offer and we keep adding. We haven't, we haven't run out of topics and I've foreseen that.

D

That was a great addition to what that y'all are doing. You know and as you say, and I really like that phrase telling our story and it's coming from us and that's the way it is with every community everybody's got to tell their story.

A

And so I started when at the beginning I was the one talking and then we started adding different people in the community and that just done with the promotion. Basically.

C

A

And so we have um great reviews from people that have listened to it, review reviews from people that have participated in it and again we keep adding new attractions. A new offerings are interesting, that's wonderful!

A

So if you, if you haven't heard, I invite you to to listen to the positive podcast, it's wherever you consume your podcast or you can go to our website. Visiblereader.Com, there's a landing page there. So you can listen to all the episodes. If you think of somebody that hasn't been featured an attraction, something something that might be interesting to the visitor that you uh want to recommend. Let us know and we'll be happy to include them in the do.

D

You have different sectors that you youtube target.

A

So it's basically all um things that might be interesting to the visitors, so we've had. For example, we've had sports teams, we have heat, we have decos, we had ivarate in the loreto cultural art district. We had center for the arts, we had birding, we had the water museum. Recently, we've talked about coffee about restaurants, about theater. um We've talked about the music.

D

Heritage foundation here, okay, there.

A

Were one I did one on history and then we invited margarita to do another, one of all the offerings that they have, because it is a very interesting history.

D

That we yes so.

A

D

We want to tell our story our history yeah. We.

A

Already did two on history, uh boys and girls club.

G

Olympics we.

A

Haven't had anybody.

A

Hey you're missing this one or that this might be interesting. uh We we have a running list and we keep adding.

A

Coming soon and what we've done is uh wbca, we also have health and bca. uh We have we try to do it very evergreen, so they don't talk about a specific event at a specific time and place, but they talk about their offerings in general, so people can and they give the resources to people to hey. If you want more information about the burning festival, go to our website lorettawarding.com and that way people don't matter, doesn't matter when you listen to it. You know where to go, uh and it's not something that is like.

A

Oh I'm listening to it in 2020 and the event happened in 2019. It doesn't product.

A

That's an interesting.

D

Organization and that you know that they do, the very the festival is very, very successful. It's.

A

Going to be the 10th anniversary of 2022 or so wow.

A

A

So I mentioned that I was voted into the texas association, provisional visitors, peer board for another.

C

A

And as of october 1st, I'm in the texas travel alliance- wow, that's another, so.

B

B

A

South texas.

D

Well, congratulations, oh thank you! You make us proud to be here. Okay,.

B

A

To to represent them to.

B

A

For our region, our community, in those states associations.

F

D

F

Thank you very good. I mean thank you any other comments or questions. If not we're going on to the assistant director's report, mr howell, which is on page 10. good.

I

Morning manager, um my reports on paige train. I wanted to highlight something that we've been really excited and I'm praying. And now it's going to happen is the sports complex.

I

uh We today actually has the day that the all the proposals are going to be submitted and uh we actually already have a tournament scheduled for august 2022., wow.

C

I

C

I

The uh the master plan uh that's going to include the first phase, is going to include the five fields uh on your left hand, side which are they're going to be multi-purpose. It's going to be both baseball and softball, and that's going to include that they call them pots, which is going to be the soccer fields.

E

I

This too this tool, and then uh the soccer fields, two of those pots.

D

So this is what's going to be open.

I

Yeah next year yeah, so we I'll be supposed to be uh turning today and then it's going to be presented to city council and we're hoping that's going to go pretty pretty fast, but we're really excited. I know on the borderline pick side.

I

I know they're looking as well to start using this facility as well, but uh that's probably gonna be until 2023, but we're really excited it's going to be a new venue uh to use- and I know it's gonna- that's gonna- be uh that's gonna help a lot of the hotels and stuff like that. So we are really excited for that and then uh the other thing that I kind of wanted to. I like talking about everything. That's going on. uh It's the we did a portrait, video that uh you know they not helped me.

I

It was a bridge, an economic development airport and working with a lot of entities uh customs. We did a lot of stuff with customs and you could see some of the pictures that I included there. uh Tv helped us a lot with the drone.

I

We I think at the airport, we've never had gotten so many footage of their cargo planes landing there, removing cargo uh all that stuff. So it was, I don't know I guess god was in our sight that type.

J

Because everything.

I

So we I think, this video that we're going to come out right now alice is working on it, which is our mexican agency, um we're hoping we're going to win in two or three probably by the end of this month. Hopefully we should have already, but it's going to be a really nice video, that's going to really highlight everything from trey the rail we've never gotten any rail images, because the rail is really hard.

I

They have certain times and but customs was this this uh this time around customs helped us a lot on every every location, kind of looking at what galia and everybody was talking about. But it was uh we're really excited for this project and it's going to be a tool to be used to promote uh not only in human radio but in mexico in the us and texas. So we were really excited to you know to promote all that: the tourism economic development and so so yeah. We're really excited.

I

There's other stuff that I have my report. But those are the two big things that I wanted to highlight. I'm not sure if you guys have any questions regarding my report. Well, where exactly is the sports company so uh have you driven on south on loop 20.?

I

So you there's a new street that they're doing worsen um on foot street or.

G

I

Going to be on worsen.

L

I

As soon as you pass it there's a new there's, a new road that they're building that county built. That is the horse window there. That's! Where you're going to start from there, it's going to go to pita mangana, so people will be able to access it through there and then they're going to access another another road and uh from from the loop you're looking about probably like five six blocks. That's where it's gonna have the main entrance to it to enter, which is this part right here where the arrow is right.

I

So uh that's where you're going to enter and then you're going to go here to the parking.

D

Is that is that that one, or is that long, sir worms.

I

This one right here is warm, sir, this road right here, that's warm, sir. I.

D

Remember when I was in the commissioner's court, long short road was always. It was a big headache.

I

Yeah yeah because.

D

Now I know that they're there.

I

Yeah and then it's gonna so.

C

I

Gonna connect to concord hills, so punker hills is gonna, connect to worm, sir and then that's gonna connect.

A

Technically, if you see it, if you see it like like this yeah.

I

So yeah that's right, yeah yeah! So it's.

A

Simply like this yeah.

I

So you're coming the loop you're gonna do the little.

A

South yeah north south yeah, so.

G

Eastwood we have to stress when we build these things, there's infrastructure yeah how in the hell do we get there.

C

G

Pardon the expression, let's mother, to get I mean it's just like okay, I heard a comment the other day, beautiful golf course max mandel. You realize that now more people are playing that casablanca, yes, that they are. Why? Because.

C

G

On the fm 1472 yeah, especially at 5 o'clock in the afternoon at any time,.

G

Who's getting more play now.

D

Max mandel.

G

Or casablanca, I said sallow cause of that well, they've.

D

G

Easier to get to, they have a good job, yeah easier to.

I

E

To it's not a lot of work.

G

But I'm trying to get these crazy commissioners to to put a big old side of luke 20. in 350 or 59.

G

You know play around casablanca golf course, because you're driving and you miss the crazy. You know.

D

These crazy politicians.

G

But I mean we suggested to them about a month ago, but put a.

C

Sign there it said it's got to block the.

G

Golf course it'd be an indian and put an arrow.

G

I haven't seen it yet they do a.

D

Bunch of other crazy things, they said no business.

G

They made parts left.

C

G

Help us get there, especially for a.

J

75 year old he's.

D

Driving out you know, I.

G

Missed it yeah and.

D

It's a nice golf course. I mean really they've improved it a lot, and that's why you know. I think you know I mean.

G

You know I mean, but I you know, how do you get there.

H

Well, uh just a question.

G

Yes, infrastructure. The key word is.

H

Is yeah who is funding the complex? It's.

I

The city, so the the sports venue tax- okay, uh that's that's! What's gonna help fund the uh this project, the one in empty entertainment district there on on the loop.

C

I

That's the sports language, that's! What's helping the idea.

D

The entertainment district in the loop.

A

I

Which is the yeah.

C

B

District, which is the.

A

D

Community yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah and the whole time about the arena.

I

D

G

And again, we're doing a lot of these. I I mean, uh if you're talking to a former sports center, who wrote sports for a hell of a long time and.

C

You gotta love these.

G

Sports complexes and everything, but you have these cathedrals, called recreation, centers.

G

Nobody's there, but now I realize colbert and all that stuff I mean yet people there.

G

The radio has more recreation centers than san antonio you're, not talking about, and you have this little boys and girls club mckee. We have 550 kids, 3, 000 kids coming to play volleyball. You know stuff like that.

D

Location, location, location, that's what we said.

G

Well, that's! No! It's! It's not location niche yeah.

D

Because because the boys and girls club is.

G

Really the boys and girls club is run by you know, donations united way and all that and here's these tax money. Putting up these. You know in my in my uh what do you call the district ah district 5 has now another park? Hey district three has another part: district seven has another park: do we need more parks?

G

C

Those guys say, hello.

G

We need a park here. We need a swimming pool here, but it, but we got to do it north and south, because you know, if you put a swimming.

C

G

East and west.

C

They're not going.

G

To swim, but anyway,.

C

That's another story.

G

But anyway, we have so many things, but it's all because and you don't have to go too far- you go 1472, that's the worst place.

F

Thank you, mr roberto, for.

G

It was a podcast.

F

If there's no other questions for joanne we're going to move on to the coordinators or the services, the coordinators report good.

K

Morning, I'm your report on page 13.. Yes, um I'm gonna uh speaking about um sister city. That looks something fun, we're actually gonna we're still debating on the name either. Client christmas is our holiday bazaar by sister cities. um We um have considered the border being closed, so most of our exhibitors are coming in. We have spoken to them and muslim are willing to fly uh so they're coming from the interior of mexico, where um right now we have about um between 45 and 50 that have uh registered so it's getting lost wow. I.

C

Mean they've been.

K

Hurting due to the pandemic, so they're kind of investing uh doing this investment to come here and sell their products, so I'm pretty sure they're they're, very excited they're willing to to do as much as they can on their side to be here. We're.

C

K

Be hosting them at the um outlet, the outlets have been great they're willing to also help us out. We have three of the suites.

D

It generates a lot of traffic and.

K

They're not charging us rent.

D

C

K

That's something that also would help our our our budget as well, because you know they're hosting at the arena comes out with the price, but now having this smaller version for this year, um it's it's actually people are excited.

K

We have had people calling to see if they're, when are we hosting it, because they've heard of it but october 1st was a decision making point so uh city management agreed to for us to host it as big or small, as we can just to have it top of mind, because I we we don't want to to sister cities to you, know kind of die out or not be not be in people's minds, so we're we're hosting this event we're hoping to have as great response as we do at the arena um and seeing it in the future.

K

Maybe it's something that we could host and- and it this be the extension of easter cities. That's right.

D

Because I think that that's that we had talked about that right.

E

So how are you handling the parking for this one? I mean, I know that, that's always, at least I you know we have a branch there and I still can't figure out where I can park and work and I'll park the market where.

C

E

Gonna paint where I go so how does that work out just.

K

For the exhibitors they're gonna um help us out having them to unload near you know, senior near the loading dock and uh but for everybody else. We they do have a um extended golf like I kind of was like limo types, so we have requested for them for those three days to have a kind of a shuttle, for we know that sister cities uh attracts a lot of people that are a little bit. You know.

G

K

Like me, and going up that hill is a little tricky.

K

So we are going to have that shuttle uh throughout the three days. Just so.

D

The parking for the people that go to the to the festival- yes, is it going to be? Are they going to charge for parking.

K

Yes, they'll be charging, obviously the cover parking um and the the one downstairs that usually, uh if they've been, you know grateful enough to. I think they have like a uh about where you, if you purchase in in the in in the outlets you could go to their office.

A

And you know we're validated it's you you three hours every three hours so.

K

A

Three hours are free, free in the in the.

A

Surface parking first, three hours are free, so a lot of people. What they do is take it three hours.

K

Go back to their.

A

Car take it out.

D

On youtube, they.

A

But three hours I mean three hours is a good good amount of time to shop to go around, especially because the event um will also allow people to get to experience. The outlet which not a lot of people have done in the past.

D

A

So um surface lots three hours and then the garage which is the one under cover um at the covered parking that one is two dollars per hour. Sixteen.

K

Dollars the hoodie okay.

M

You said I've already contacted a lot of different.

J

Exhibitors yeah: how did they do that? All right.

K

We're just calling them to see we're going into not three hours from laredo we're actually going for.

C

K

So they could be. You know we're especially the flight for for item uh it's in mexico city, so we're kind of going to the communities around there. Just because we know that the border restrictions are not going to be lifted by then, but we want to have good vendors to come in and usually that's what it comes from. um We wanted to continue being only artisans and to small businesses to continue the same trend uh as the way we do for sister cities and not lose that.

E

That some of them do have authorization to be providing.

K

This is an essential travel, so he'll be traveling from. um I think it's jalisco, where he lives and he's going to come in so.

A

If you, if you know mr kamina of a vendor, that we haven't contacted but they're.

C

G

C

A

um Either they're essential, traveler or they're able to fly, let us know and we'll be happy to include it. Yes, of course,.

J

It's not a big contact, yeah yeah, no, we're we're.

K

Working since october 1st, it's kind of we didn't want to get the hotep of people locally, because we know you're here: okay,.

C

K

We were trying to get first, those that you know they have to travel by plane and that do the.

J

K

Because it's not the same, you know traveling by land or.

A

On the highway, we wanted to make sure we have them with them, uh because if we didn't have anywhere from mexico, we were definitely not gonna.

D

Host it, what's the setup I mean, are they gonna be setting uh they're at the outlets where the first floor second floor and.

K

Then, in the second floor it will be um by the uh food court uh near the h m yeah. uh There are some suites available where the brooks brooks brothers store was that's one of the suites and across from it they used to have a christmas uh across.

A

Has always been there, I think they've done uh like the haunted house.

F

C

A

A very, very big space, forty.

C

Thousand feet so it's a.

A

Very big space, so they they're lending us that big space and, where brooks brothers used to be, and also where outdoor used to be. Although yeah.

D

You can find them in all of those places, so it's going to be indoors indoors.

A

K

Because of security, because if we had them out in the comp like in the open spaces, then you would have to bring everything in just logistically will be a nightmare and having and also having pd on site. So it would be.

C

Worth it: yes, it will be more expensive.

K

For us and the outlets are so grateful to have us and they're so excited, what's the size of the.

D

Space, this is it.

K

The space is the all right, the big spaces it fits about. They already did the the the graphic on the measurements of it and an 8x8 uh boost that we have. You could have up to 60 inside the bigger space and then the brooks brother we're going to have most of our finer um like the jewelry, the the finer clothing shoes. Just because the the way it's already um have been left and the furniture that it does lends itself for them to to make it.

K

So you know just to fit themselves their clothing and their products. There.

J

But there'll be a way to let them know that there's three different locations.

K

Yes, we're gonna actually have um uh a decal in the windows, we're gonna, somehow we're gonna open them just because of lighting, but have a decal where people will know those those three locations as well. We have we'll have the the um the directory as every year available.

M

K

E

How are you all handling the volunteers because I go and they handle the money now.

K

Yes, they handle the money. I've been talking to mr um edgar campos, he's a new uh the new committee, the development coordinator for that, but we are having issues for for that and I was kind of wondering if, if you always still had that volunteer, I.

E

Know and they're not doing anything, they're not they're, not we're, not maybe by then they will I'll find out.

K

Yes, if you, I know, because it's easier because you I know with one of your your team, uh they can handle two or three because they're they're used to that.

C

And having volunteers.

K

That are I'm sorry. I have an experience. The experience the experience makes, makes a difference.

E

K

Age, they're they're more committed to come. Let.

E

Me check on that. Yes,.

M

I would appreciate it: what are they doing for food and beverage, because the food courts now.

K

We're actually bringing food we're, bringing food vendors.

M

Okay, great so that.

K

Will be in the in the food court we're working with the with with erica and seeing now that they have the lower part, maybe having all the food in that one section.

E

Awesome there's some food in the food court no.

I

K

K

um If you have any other questions regarding my report,.

D

Thank you for that.

A

Yes- and this is something that we plan to continue um for.

D

Other years, I think that for christmas you know people are looking forward to it because they want to buy something different, and so they go to these festivals to be able to do that. Yeah all right.

J

Wonderland on americans, yeah.

K

We used to do it.

A

We that started with us actually yeah the wonderland started with us and then vendors from the festival took over. um So the first couple, the two or three were us.

C

A

um Sister cities on tour, and so after that the mall elected so much they looked. It didn't kind of work for us, but um some some vendors.

J

A

From the festival took over and they have been running with it for.

E

A

E

I have a question: what what what to do with the avocado networking luncheon.

K

Is doing the logistics of it since we know how to manage events and registration, but the invites are coming from economic development um department they're we're we're collaborating with them together, so we could be hosting. You know, since.

D

E

E

I heard something about this: that's why I thought wait yeah. It doesn't sound right. I thought that maybe this is something it was yeah. It was a recent move.

K

To november 5th,.

E

Okay, yeah so and where? Where was we're.

K

Still um uh it's the the the rfp or the request for prize is still open to to make a decision so on the location, but we're we're getting we're working on it.

J

K

We'll have more.

A

Details: okay, but we'll we'll make sure we share those events and include you.

K

K

And we were all morning.

L

Yes, okay! Well, I am going to highlight uh two features when and under pr opportunities, uh we do get a weekly communication from the texas travel communicators and the web county heritage just announced that they are doing self-guided ghost tours. So we.

K

C

L

Picked up by them and we're hoping that one of the texas travel writers that they have um you know just sees that story and is interested in uh covering more information has been aware. uh So she's, you know very excited about that, and then uh the zimmerman agency is doing a full pitch right now about uh pumpkin, spice and everything. Nice is the theme and I reached out to el puesto taqueria and what they are doing is featuring an autumn lover's dream cocktail on their fall menu, which is.

C

Very delicious.

L

So super yummy and they managed to give us to share with us a picture share with us the recipe and how people can go ahead and get to el equesto. Come into laredo and add that cocktail to their evening or to their to their lunch plans as well and um just.

C

L

We sent out a pitch to the local hoteliers.

C

L

Can go ahead and participate in a black friday, cyber monday um opportunity that we can go ahead and pitch later on in actually in november, and.

C

Lavosa was one of the first.

L

Properties to let.

C

L

That, fortunately, for them, they will be passing on because they are just to flip to capacity and which is a great problem to have. But we're hoping to hear from more properties to see if they'd like to participate and just tell us, you know 25 percent off 20 a bogo weekend and we'll go ahead and see how that gets picked up.

B

Can you talk about momentum.

L

Oh, yes, yes, yes, okay! So on momentum, we've got the zimmerman agency coming back and that is monday october 18th.

L

I do have a salus confirmation and a maths confirmation and if you all, could look at your calendars and I hope that y'all can attend either a morning session or a pm session and just spend an afternoon with us and it's just an interactive uh strategy session to see how we can go ahead and enhance which.

E

One is travel sign up for the morning. Okay I'll do the afternoon.

G

Where are those going to be in your downtown.

L

uh The bridge department right.

A

Across the street right across the street.

C

So you can still at the.

L

Outlet mall we're still doing the parking, validation and just bring in your ticket, but I mean it's: it's the same vicinity.

A

It's uh the bridge.

E

B

This is a very, very important uh uh meaning for us, because uh you.

A

Will have the opportunity to voice your ideas and give give the agency um your perspective on our community or in our destination. So for us, it's really important to to count on your participation.

E

A

This event, you're right.

E

I do have anyone outside of the advisor.

A

L

A

L

A little roundabout of our local hoteliers or attractions restaurants, you guys, you know just important stakeholders that we feel can go ahead and we can go ahead and learn more and grow from. You know to positive.

A

I have a sec as much of a complete picture of what loreto is from different points of view.

E

And I know the downtown area because we're all I know I am an advocate for it, so you know, but I know that we've got. We include north korea, businesses, toy magic, yeah.

B

We have, we have uh yeah our hotel.

A

A

B

A

Attractions are all around the community.

E

I know I still live in my 60s, where I still think laredo is only downtown in san bernardino.

C

B

A

F

Okay, any other questions for selena selena.

B

This last month, they, as I mentioned, based on the on the data that we received.

A

From um uh deployments and uh the flight from mexico city we embarked in a sales, blitz or different activities, including sales blitzes with and it's page 37, so yeah. The marketing report is quite good.

A

So um they've been working with together with ioma on doing different sales places with travel agents in mexico. They also traveled to mexico for the ibtm, which is a meeting planners event and we've gotten and we participated in that event for almost 10 years, and we always get great leads for logistics groups for meeting planner groups from mexico, so they they did that this last month and also um the facebook live, is a year old wow. um They they did an anniversary, so a celebration for their first anniversary and they continue doing it.

A

We continue maintaining that communication with the mexican market with the montevide market, and so those are a few of the things. As I mentioned the item, they created this activity, this activation with iron man, where they took several travel agents to idle map to see uh like the behind the scenes uh and to pitch. Obviously what loreto has to offer on the flight. So we've been doing a lot of that in coordination that I don't.

E

Yeah, I think this report has to be. I don't know it's available in color because I don't know.

A

Yes, so the the website- yes.

E

We can have it in common okay: let's try to see what those are released.

A

Okay, so you have it, you have it by.

E

The way, okay, that one is inside.

C

Oh good, okay, then.

E

F

I was just wondering about the comments right here under the different topics, and then you have the people clicks and then comments like some of these comments. uh Who gets to see all of those comments like so we have an idea. What are they saying about.

A

So we have different people making.

J

B

That all the comments.

A

Are answered and it's basically where they want to tell us more or less what the comments are about, like, for example, for the hotel.

J

For example, we have a lot of comments for the first year celebration and the virtual circuit. That's the same, uh because we have the giveaway okay, giveaway.

J

F

H

Hotel I'm more interested in the hotels because that's what brings our occupancy and so we know kind of like what are they saying or what do they say about the hotels in laredo? Maybe it might be worth maybe bringing some of those comments too.

E

It should be a chatter report. No that just gives you.

B

Positive negative and neutral we can yeah, we have a sentiment.

J

Analysis in this case, for example- I remember one that was talking about that.

J

J

H

So it's just kind of more informational, not necessarily.

L

No, and it's really it's not it's more, it's more on the positive side of you know what I'm saying like we.

C

Missed laredo, we can't.

L

Wait to go back to laredo one of the bridges opening you know, and people are you know asking their friends like. Oh, like let's make plans to go, you know whenever everything comes back to normal, our.

A

Social media- I have to say, especially after uh I had the opportunity last year to and selena to be part of the pio team for a while during the pandemic, and I can tell you the le the.

C

A

That you have in the social media for visit librido has nothing to do with the sentiment that you get in a social media front seat. Ours are 99.9 positive people, positive information, people are um saying: hey we miss libretto. We want to go uh even when we say. Oh, the bridge is closed.

B

A

Comments are like no. I.

B

Wanted to go, and it did.

A

So 99.9 of the comments that we get are positive.

C

J

But you can see all these videos are on our facebook page, because videos are there. They.

L

J

Live in that moment, but they are living.

L

Here and the comments are also public- please give more.

J

Information about the hey, then most of the tablets.

J

What they offer they have breakfast, this kind of breakfast. Then we have a different also in the city in the north.

M

But a big elephant in the room which I don't know what I'm going to bring up anyways but uh corby loka's uh portrayal of laredo. Have you guys seen the trailer? It doesn't even look like the radio there's.

L

M

In an indirect way could positively maybe affect the the people's um desire to come down here. Never.

C

M

It's going to be, I just I've, saw the trailer in here. I.

C

Didn't know anything about the radar.

M

This is awesome.

A

Okay, I have to send.

E

That to you, because the show premieres october 15th it's a little radio featuring the radio. It's on pbs.

J

E

So it's going to be featured uh it's going to come out. um Yeah first one will be october, 15th they're, going to show it over and over again, but still uh I think it's going to put it on yeah on your social media. I think, would be good yeah.

A

B

You can share that because.

A

um The only information I got was about the the december event, but I didn't get any oh.

E

Did you get the december yeah, which one is that yeah.

A

The ones that we can share with put them on our youtube channel, okay, um so we we do have uh if there's a feature like at 30 seconds. We put it on social media.

M

B

A

Whatever we can share, we we share it in our youtube channel.

D

Well, thank you for that information.

E

This is for the website for the.

A

Website it's correct, yeah.

E

A

It comes as right now it comes directly from the uh from sapphire.

E

It looks like the paper paycheck, it's a a minute and 60 seconds it's about the average. I've got a.

L

Really good, oh they're, looking for something you know, yeah we're staying long.

E

Enough for something I don't know about the bounce rate right, 66, that's kind of behind the number for bounce rate, but.

B

A

In the past it's it's, it has stayed more or less um levels, so it can be different and we can ask for a detail on that one. But in the past, like I remember when I was doing those reports that it kind.

C

Of stayed at the same time.

F

So do you have any other questions for eileen or lcdb stuff at this time? I think y'all are doing a great job.

H

uh We all believe we're doing if anybody needs to bring anything up. We have our next meeting. Date is for november. The 4th 8.

B

30 in the morning.

K

D

At the webb county heritage at the museum yeah and it's it's going to be uh godzilla versus.

C

J

That's unless that's actually.

D

On hbo, I think it is oh really.

E

D

B

C

And they had, they had trivia questions yeah, and so they opened it up and it was really really.

D

Interesting right, yeah, I mean all.

C

These people that know all the.

D

Producers, directors, what movie did what and what's up you know all of that and everybody was.

C

Into it, so it was a lot of.

J

D

I think it was three three persons that won everything yeah you.

E

All had a good turnout, we did.

D

E

Yeah, it's pretty.

D

True and then we're going to have a better person.

F

Yeah, do we have a motion to address.