The Crookston Visitors Bureau Board (CVB) met Thursday morning in the Crookston Inn conference room.
CROOKSTON PARK AND REC APPROVED FOR REIMBURSEMENT
The regular agenda started with the approval of Crookston Parks and Recreation reimbursement with the hockey tournament grant. Bob Magsam, Chairmen of the CVB board gave, explained this grant, “Crookston Park and Rec hosted two tournaments at the same time at the end last April,” said Magsam. “They came to the CVB to apply for a marketing grant. Grants disbursed from the Crookston Visitors Bureau are strictly to assist with marketing and advertising for events.” Crookston Parks and Rec met the reimbursement request deadline with the CVB board approval, Crookston Parks and Rec will receive $2,200.
CROOKSTON EAGLES CLUB APPROVED FOR REIMBURSEMENT
The Crookston Eagles Club hosted the Eagles State Convention conference earlier this summer. Like Parks and Rec, they applied for a grant through CVB to reimburse their expenses from marketing and advertising during the Eagles State Convention. “This was a week-long event and filled pretty much every hotel in town; this was a pretty great event for our community,” said Magsam. “All the participants patronized our local businesses and restaurants. And before the event, the Eagles applied for a reimbursement grant.” The Crookston Eagles Club will receive $2,900 for their efforts in advertising and marketing.
“When people apply for the grants, they have to generate overnight stays,” said Magsam. “The reason for this is the visitor’s bureau is mainly funded by lodging tax, which is a portion of every hotel or overnight stay.”
CVB WORKS FOR AGREEMENT WITH ROCHUS AMUSEMENT
CVB received an advertising grant from Wuan Vetter, owner of Rochus Amusement. Rochus hosts annual dart tournaments in Crookston and they bring a lot of people to town, accroding to Magsam,”They do bring in a lot of participants from different areas of Minnesota, and also reaching into North Dakota.” Rochus Amusement hosted a Diva Dart Tournament this past April and Magsam stated that this tournament generated many hotel stays. The next tournament will take place in August, a “year-end league tournament” projected to bring over 100 participants to Crookston.
“As a board, we need to make sure the way he’s marketing it okay, and it follows the statutes of the State of Minnesota,” said Magsam. “All opinions aside on how we should fund it or not fund it that doesn’t matter, we have to follow the statutes allow us to do.” Rochus Amusement is searching for two advertising and marketing grants from the CVB; the board approved one grant in the amount of $1,500 and is still discussing the second grant. The guidelines Rochus Amusement must follow with CVB are that any printed material/product used for marketing and advertisement must display the CVB logo.
CVB PARTNERS WITH BEK MEDIA
The CVB has agreed to terms with BEK Media on a six-month commitment for Crookston to be featured on their “my hometown” segment. Beck Media will be filming a 30-second commercial that will be aired on KNDB during breaks from their three television programs. “What Beck Media has offered to do is feature this ad on their My Hometown feature, and they’ve been doing this segment in different areas of Minnesota and North Dakota,” said Magsam. “This program is to go promote a town and see what they have to offer.” This segment encourages viewers to visit/tour the featured city for possible new living destinations.
The CVB’s objective with this agreement is to generate overnight stays and bring more people to Crookston. Following the six months of this segment being aired, the CVB will claim the rights to the video production, and they can use it whenever they see fit. The contract with BEK Media includes six months of production and time on air. The CVB and BEK Media agreed to terms of $4,200.
The CVB also wants to partner with The University of Minnesota Crookston for yearly social media interns. They are looking to hire in the Fall of this school year.
CONSENT AGENDA
The consent agenda included no minutes approved from a lack of quorum in their previous meeting. It also had the approval of bills and disbursements for $9,378.
