‘08-’09 TDA FACILITATION HIGHLIGHTS

Input Effort Qualitative:

  • Conducted full orientations and provided background resourcesfor each individual appointed to the TDA.
  • Facilitated direct mail enlistments including applications to all individuals eligible for vacant seats.
  • Facilitated monthly meetings including alerts, follow up calls to confirm attendance, development of preparation materials including minutes, agenda, attendance reports, financials and performance reports.
  • Assisted Authority officers in their respective responsibilities.
  • Placed materials in the Authority Records and on file with the City and County clerks.
  • Developed and presented plans for budget, capital improvement and marketing and prepared and presented monthly progress reports.
  • Addressed and adapted when first requested, the measurement of fund balance (reserve) to include not only cash reserves but the unreserved fund balance, which, as defined by the NCLGC cannot include encumbrances for futures years, accounts receivables and collateral.
  • Researched, documented and publicized DCVB’s pre-history as part of recognizing the 20th anniversary of founding.
  • Conveyed to City and County management information about other cities and counties successfully pursuing unpaid occupancy tax revenues from online travel agencies.

Outcome Effect Qualitative:

  • Facilitated the Independent Financial Audit, approval by the NC Local Government Commission and placed copies on file with the City Clerk and County Finance Director’s office.
  • Produced and distributed a 20-page annual report to the community and distributed it via regular mail and eNews to more than 4,000 civic, business, university and neighborhood leaders.
  • Facilitated execution of the TDA’s succession plan resulting in appointment of Shelly Green President & CEO elect.
  • Shaped--on short notice--consensus on use of a prepared food tax, and recruited 20 organizations to endorse a ballot measure, which ultimately failed while still garnering more “yes” votes than any other measure in the prior election.
  • Distributed online version of the Strategic Blueprint for Marketing Durham as a Destination exclusive to Durham residents and non-residents working in Durham.
  • Fulfilled requisitions by the City of Durham, totaling$1,213,717.29from the DCVB capital reserve account to pay debt service on the Durham Performing Arts Center.
  • Benchmarked opinions of DCVB performanceand awareness with independent surveys of the public, opinion leaders in general and opinion leaders by segment with results higher than any other organization.
  • Adapted, improved and distributed a chart to illustrate to public opinion leaders the five “roles” of DCVB and its stakeholders.
  • Continued to achieve accolades and recognition including the 26 below:
  • First destination marketing organization (DMO) in NC and among the first 24 out of more than 1,000 DMOs in North America and 2300 world-wideaccredited to new international standards and best practices in community marketing and promotion.
  • Awarded a high of 11 exemplary citations during accreditation review
  • 7 Platinum and Gold MarCom & 2 Honorable Mention Creative Awardsin international competitions for marketing and communications professionals.
  • 60 Destination Marketing Achievement Awards including 26 Best Practice Innovation Awardsin “blind” statewide judging.
  • Top two executives each received the Barentine Special Achievement Awardfor significant contributions toward state and national tourism initiatives.
  • Good Neighbor Awardfrom TheInterNeighborhood Council of Durham.
  • Twice rated #1 websiteout of the 1,032 destination websites in North America.
  • Seal of Excellence Awardfrom ConventionBureaus.com.
  • Best on the Net Awardfrom Zeitgeist.
  • Goodmon Awardfor regional initiatives.
  • Six-time featured panelistsfor best practices at the national level.
  • National Alfred P. Sloan Awardfor Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.
  • Webby Awards Worthy Selectionas a website that demonstrates a standard of excellence.
  • One of only three CVB’s in the country selected as a case study for the book, “Guide to Best Practices in Tourism and Destination Management.”
  • Rated “8 on a scale of one to 10,” or significantly exceeds expectationson an anonymous Community Stakeholder Survey of 500 Durham civic & business leaders.
  • Awarded Readers’ Choice Awardsin 2005 and 2006 by convention and meeting planner readers of ConventionSouthmagazine.
  • Rated in top 5% of similar organizations(“8.7% on a scale of 1 to 10) in yearlong, in-depth performance diagnostic by Performance Management, Inc.
  • 1st place Boothat the Mid-Year Meeting and Trade Show for Association Executives of North Carolina.
  • eMarketing Association Site of the Year Award.
  • Web Marketing Association’s WebAward Competition Standard of Excellence.
  • placed in the top five destination sites in the U.S.in the Tourism Destination Website Comparative Study done by Randall Travel Marketing and U.S. Destination Marketing.
  • Overarching Durham brand included as a best practice case study in the bookDestination Branding for Small Cities.
  • Top two executives seated on two of the three international boards of directorsfor destination marketing organizations.
  • Used as accreditation best practice in Nation’s Cities Weekly,the publication of the National League of Cities.
  • Succession planrecognized as "best practice" by national association.
  • Ranked by CEO Updatein Top Places to Work in nonprofits.

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