At the May 19, 2021 Board Meeting, Director Pam Avila moved to transition the standing Board Marketing Committee to an ad hoc committee.
Director Tucker Omohundro seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Marketing Committee/Sub-Committee History
Prior to this time, the Marketing Committee was structured as a sub-committee under the Comprehensive Master Plan Advisory Committee (CMPAC).
1n 2019, the sub-committee, which was chaired by Pam Avila, did extensive work developing a marketing plan for the POA and working with the then Chief Member Experience Officer, Jamie Caperton, to review the marketing efforts of Hot Springs Village. The results of the findings of the Marketing Sub-Committee (MSC) and the Marketing Plan created by the MSC were mostly withheld from public view. (Avila was also a member of the CMPAC.) Credit was not given to the sub-committee. Instead, POA staff came out with their own recommendations which were published here in this article, titled, “HSVPOA Marketing Plan and Recommendations.”
Subsequently, when the CMPAC was abolished, the Board moved the MSC under the umbrella of the newly-formed Finance and Planning Committee.
The sub-committee Chair at that time was Ray Lehman who requested the Board to make the Marketing Sub-Committee a stand-alone, Board reporting Committee. The Board agreed and the Committee was transitioned into a full committee.
Ray Lehman, although no longer Chair of the Marketing Committee, has voiced adamantly that the status of the Marketing Committee should not be reduced to ad hoc. Lehman met with some of the Board and also wrote an article regarding this change. Click here to read Ray’s article.
The decision to transition the committee to ad hoc status was made during a meeting on April 26, 2021 with Paul Day, Chair, Stephanie Heffer, Director of Projects and Operations, and Pam Avila, Board Member and liaison.
Avila Outlined Reasons for Transition
Avila cited the following reasons for this change:
Avila said, that although the Marketing Committee has been “instrumental in providing structure and setting the groundwork for a successful marketing campaign, but at this time our staff and Marketing Agency have all the necessary tools to continue the work they have laid out.”
The committee only has three remaining members.
Volunteers do not have enough tasks to be kept busy. “It is detrimental to the committee structure overall to have a situation where volunteers cannot be kept engaged or busy so it is time to call upon” the remaining members and input from the community.
Avila said when she was the Chair of the ad hoc Marketing Committee, it was difficult to find people willing to give time every month to attend a meeting. “They were willing to take on projects as needed. They were willing to help when necessary, but they weren’t willing to make that commitment. They had other things to do in this place where we love to play. The ad hoc committee really gives us the advantage of having a core group that can keep track of what is going on in marketing, that can kind of oversee the projects, but then pull in all of that other marketing talent here in the Village.”
Dedicated Email Address For Marketing Suggestions
The remaining committee members recommended adopting a dedicated email address for community suggestions. These suggestions will be vetted by staff and at times taken to the ad hoc group for input and possible assistance. Edited to add: marketing@hsvpoa.org
Thank You to Marketing Committee Members
The Board thanked the Marketing Committee Members for their service during the past nine months.
7_Marketing_Committee_to_Ad-Hoc_5-19-2021Report by Cheryl Dowden, May 21, 2021
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RAYMOND LEHMAN
05/21/2021 — 4:39 pm
It is disappointing to see the focus reduced on marketing. The Marketing Committee and the previous Marketing Sub-Committee were made up of Property Owners with a long history of marketing. Both were contributors to exposing the waste as well as pushing the Marketing Department. The marketing committee I chaired was very productive and creative in uncovering marketing opportunities at no, and little, and moderate cost to the Village but due to the bottleneck (my term) in the POA most weren’t acted on.
What is the “bottleneck”? The POA Marketing department is basically one hard-working individual Mr. Paul Sage. He is to be credited with updating the website, dramatically increasing the visitors to the HSV website and the growth in lot/home sales. He does not have the time to begin to take on the myriad opportunities the Marketing Committee presented.
For the 2021 budget, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Marketing committee pointed the need for more staff to the POA and suggested a request for an increase of 15% to be added to the 2021 Marketing Department budget to allow for additional help. In times of financial crunch, I’m not surprised that suggestion wasn’t a part of the 2021 Marketing Department proposed budget.
We do very much need a larger Marketing Department not to just “sell dirt” but to find events to grow the exposure of the Village to the rest of Arkansas, Texas, and more. To promote internal events to better inform residents of the activities within the Village. To seek ways to increase revenue for the Marketing Department. To increase occupancy rates at the Village Inn proving HSV is a viable location for additional hotels. To promote the success of Brookshires on the west end to other grocery chains in an effort to get a solid grocery store on the east end.
I met with 2 Board Members prior to the decision to make the committee and ad hoc and expressed my concerns. Both reminded me the ad hoc committee is under no obligation to meet every quarter. They can meet as often as they find necessary. My hope is positions will be posted to bring the ad hoc committee up to 7 or more members with an interest in growing HSV. Time will tell if the ad hoc marketing committee will continue to have property owners wanting to push the POA toward an effective and efficient Marketing Department.