Announcing the next Tourism Working Group meeting:
Below is information you will need to access the web conference for our meeting Thursday, August 29 at 10AM. If this is the first time you are using go-to-meeting, you will need to download the software on your computer. Allow about 3 to 5 minutes before the meeting begins to download the software.
During the meeting, the chair for the GIS working group will demonstrate the GIS map. Seeing it demonstrated live will assist us in our discussions about what tourism-related information we want to plan for the GIS map.
1. Please join my meeting.
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/199972969
2. Join the conference call:
Call-information:
1-866-642-1665
Participant code:
843266
Meeting ID: 199-972-969
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Meeting 6 will be held on Thursday, August 8 at 10AM
Agenda highlights:
- Discussion and brainstorming with GIS working group members.
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Meeting 5 - July 11, 2013 at 10AM
Agenda and minute highlights:
Study update:
- Coy Peacock, study manager, and Perry Gross provided an overview of the Joint Task force conference call held yesterday. Chris Young, Stan Hanel, and Gael Hill were able to listen in on the working group updates.
Recap of the last meeting:
- The tourism group has been having some great discussions over the last several months about the importance of tourism for the communities along the I-80 corridor.
- Through the course of our discussions, we have brainstormed topic areas we want to explore further. These were the topics sent out in the survey. For more information on the topics, please visit the Discussion Topics and Initiatives page.
- Two areas of focus surfaced in the survey results that the group plans to explore further: development of a tourist profile of the I-80 tourist, and mapping the tourism opportunities along the corridor.
Tourist profile:
- To understand who is using I-80 and what their expectations are.
- To understand what are the reasons travelers exit the interstate.
- To understand what travelers are looking for when they do.
The group agrees the tourist profile will inform the information important for the mapping.
Mapping the tourism opportunities along the corridor will illuminate:
- The importance of the corridor to the tourism sector - identifying critical sections and key destinations.
- Where the corridor does not meet the needs of the tourism sector now.
- Where the corridor will likely not meet the needs of the tourism sector in the future.
- Where and how the corridor can be improved to meet the needs of the tourism sector.
- Underutilized tourism opportunities and recreation potential.
Gael Hill indicated there are many corridor plans for scenic byways that will have this type of destination inventory information.
Action items:
- Invite GIS working group to next Tourism meeting.
- Tourism group members will familiarize themselves with GIS mapping systems for the discussion with the GIS group at the next meeting.
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Meeting 4 - June 27, 2013 at 10AM
Agenda and minute highlights:
Study update:
- Coy Peacock, study manager, provided a review of the California stakeholder meeting held in Sacramento. Approximately 15 people attended the meeting and voiced support for the study structure and diversity of the working groups.
- Perry Gross announced the upcoming joint task force meeting for July 10 that will be used to recruit others to the working groups.
Announcements:
- Check out the latest podcast posted this week featuring study manager Coy Peacock!
- Thank you to those working group members who took the tourism topics survey!
Review of topic priority survey results:
- Prior to the meeting, working group members took an online survey to prioritize the topics we have been brainstorming and discussing over the past few months. A list of all the topics were provided and participants were asked to select their top three. The results are below:
- Native American tourism - 20%
- Adventure tourism - 60%
- Tourist profile - 40%
- Historical significance - 40%
- Current corridor designations - 40%
- Migrant tourism - 40%
- Millennial/younger generation tourism - 0%
- Identify critical sections of the corridor - 40%
- Rural tourism - 20%
- The group discussed the results and decided to pursue two areas of focus:
- Development of a tourist profile of the I-80 tourist to understand who is using I-80, what their expectations are, what their reasons for exiting the interstate are, and what they are looking for when they do.
- Mapping the tourism opportunities along the corridor which we believe will illuminate:
- The importance of the corridor to the tourism sector by identifying critical sections, and key destinations.
- Where the corridor does not meet the needs of the tourism sector now.
- Where the corridor will likely not meet the needs of the tourism sector in the future.
- Where and how the corridor can be improved to meet the needs of the tourism sector.
- Underutilized tourism opportunities and recreation potential.
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Meeting 3 - May 21, 2013 - 1:00 PM
Agenda and minute highlights:
Study update:
- Coy Peacock, study manager, provided a review of the Utah and Wyoming stakeholder meetings. Issues discussed at the meetings included: snow fencing, collaboration, and continuation of the I-80 coalition into the future.
- Perry Gross, consultant team, provided information on the upcoming California and Nevada stakeholder meetings.
Announcements and updates:
- Congratulations to Janet Phillips and the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway on receiving the FHWA's 2013 Environmental Excellence Award!
- A reminder to check out the weekly podcast updates was given.
- Coy Peacock and Perry Gross discussed the GIS tool being developed for the study and how the tool will be beneficial for the working groups. An example of the impact construction has on tourism was discussed. The GIS platform will also identify regional issues that need attention from corridor partner states.
Review of current topics list:
- The group continued to discuss relevant topics, adding rural tourism to the ongoing list.
- The group also discussed the need to focus our efforts, or "dive-in" to a topic or two.
- An online survey will be sent to the group for prioritization of the topics.
Review of other working groups:
- The group reviewed the other working groups and discussed ways the tourism working group can coordinate with the other groups:
- Create multi-state linkages.
- Determine if future travel along the corridor will be tourism related or will it be freight traffic. Or will it be both?
- Share our discussions, information, and products with the other, more technical groups, as a way to elevate the corridor as a tourism destination in and of itself.
Brainstorming:
- The group began brainstorming on what potential outcomes will be from our collaboration and exploration of tourism topics important to the I-80 corridor.
- The group discussed mapping out tourism locations, reoccuring events, regional events, college sporting events, festivals, etc.
- Coy Peacock added that the I-80 CSMP logo is a visual for collaborative tourism opportunities.
Next steps:
- An online survey to prioritize topics for further exploration will be sent out.
- The group was reminded to continue recruiting for members.
- An email will be sent out to determine to best day/time for the next meeting.
- Perry Gross will provide an I-80 CSMP letter of support for a grant application Janet Phillips is preparing.
- The group chair and co-chair will meet to discuss how to collect the data for the map.
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Meeting 2 - May 2, 2013 - 10:00 AM
Agenda and minute highlights:
Introduction of new members:
- Welcome Kent Singleton and Susan Clark!
Review the purpose of the working groups:
- A quick review of the study and purpose of the working groups was provided.
- A recap of the first meeting was discussed.
Working group goals:
- The group reviewed the proposed goals and made the following comments:
- Add sustainability emphasis.
- Highlight family-friendly and eco-friendly.
- Include information to explore a tourist profile and shift in tourist expectations.
- Orient goals more to people - who is using I-80? why? what get's them off I-80?
Identify initial list of topics for exploration:
- The group continued discussing and adding topics to the list for further exploration.
- University sporting events.
- RSCVA has data for Reno-Sparks events.
- Need to identify underutilized opportunities and where there is recreation potential.
I-80 initiatives:
- The group discussed an interest in gathering information about initiatives in each state.
- What is special and unique about each state?
- Make connections across state lines.
Next steps:
- The group discussed meeting every other week going forward.
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Meeting 1 - April 23, 2013 - 9:30 AM
Agenda and minute highlights
Presentation of I-80 CSMP study background:
- Perry Gross provided an overview of the study, purpose of the working groups, and how the study will explore sustainable livability principles at a community level.
- The group discussed the economic report and how it magnifies the importance of tourism for rural areas along the corridor.
- The website was introduced and the group was asked to sign up for the RSS feed in order to be updated as information is added to the group's meetings page.
Recruitment for additional tourism group members:
- The group was asked for recommendations for new group members.
Initial topics list:
The group began discussions on a list of topics to prioritize for further exploration.
- Native American tourism
- Adventure tourism
- Tourist profile - potential tourists, demographics of tourists
- Importance of history along I-80 (100th anniversary of the Lincoln Hwy.)
- What are current I-80 designations?
Next steps:
Next meeting May 2, 2013 at 10:00 AM
