[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6517405,"mediaKeyId","5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9","parentId",5418592,"title","Board establishes working group to study other communities’ tourism approaches amid Open Meetings Act guidance","audioSeconds",1139,"startMs",2594000,"endMs",3733000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9&start=2594&end=3733","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9/thumbnail_2594000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6517405/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/Board-establishes-working-group-to-study-other-communities-tourism-approaches-amid-Open-Meetings-Act-guidance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517405-cd24c7feb08fab893b5539f0b6c3ba6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197277&Signature=mIM~-WvEDXcB5N7isJwkkqS6TA5jOj4VB3wSlKZVcaRS83eHSovMv0KEQiYMRVPkyQAPeKdyIuh9WKeM6jeS5Z3EkVbcVCpempabE7X2CdPrlskmMTItOjURZcMIWBdIcGyHVez2qidisMNWfUNa1gGYl5WCll1roA0~Ki0xhyvkYspaO5sfVTQfS-LKbLp~Bl39ggg4e4yoffOsJE4YsMgKelMAlenaRxPswheZDOeghRR1z-O3fHZtHpWqbbiRokue4EEgCq~yqM7fP1IgBBlcPd4kAGrJCP3-AAUrUun92r-LeuQt4vcGbuIVHdeLCe~0s5RMtsiMIWARXl0RrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","article","The Lodgers Tax Advisory Board formed a monthly working group on July 15 to research tourism plans used by communities of comparable size and to return recommendations for the board’s 2026 work plan.

Board members volunteered and staff identified likely participants; those named for the working group during the meeting included Kevin, David Hampton, Georgia Strickfadden and Jennifer Armstrong. The board’s stated expectation is for the working group to meet monthly for five months and to provide monthly updates to LTAB and a final report by early December.

The group’s scope prompted debate among members about whether the approach — which would scan other communities for ideas — was sufficiently substantive to advance the county’s strategic‑plan implementation. One board member said the working group described in the agenda packet felt too limited and suggested a charter or broader task force might better support actionable recommendations.

The board’s attorney cautioned about informal communication outside noticed meetings. “Please make sure that you just send them to the chair and Ellen so we can just prevent any kind of rolling quorum issues,” the attorney said, reminding members that sharing material broadly by email could create an unintended public‑meeting obligation. Later in the meeting the attorney clarified that a board communication submitted during the meeting could be included in the minutes as a report but that substantive discussion on non‑noticed items should be reserved for properly agendized meetings.

Staff and the chair said the working group was intended to be a limited research body to produce information the full board could evaluate; members agreed to provide suggested public contacts or businesses for the group to consult. The meeting record did not show a formal roll‑call vote to create the working group; members discussed membership and next steps and staff said the group would begin meeting and report back to the full board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - Lodgers' Tax Advisory Board on 2025-07-15 12:00 PM - Jul 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved a short‑term working group to research tourism practices in similarly sized communities; members were named and staff and the board’s attorney reminded members about Open Meetings Act limits on informal sharing and rolling quorums.","taxTitle","Los Alamos County, New Mexico","taxId",83667,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6517410,"County staff reports mixed progress on tourism strategic plan; visitor‑center, wayfinding and shuttle projects remain active",1270,1999000,3269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9&start=1999&end=3269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9/thumbnail_1999000.jpg","/articles/6517410/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/County-staff-reports-mixed-progress-on-tourism-strategic-plan-visitorcenter-wayfinding-and-shuttle-projects-remain-active","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517410-4e0d1a2686632df37630c3caccc04c0b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197277&Signature=QfgHUdBOk6t3mhBjgQV-zODHMnW-FS5OMV9SUdM8PF9sRmz-aIU3ELOeWuUFzGVVyaFULSDDTwNgUQ9~I~--UuPkvp8BZkXxe3F2JLg9awJIU5LcjJHSUfMX1pHGluBm1-tGgcnL9Kn0~h7RxOmH1s9Ne51TxRgHdguaDs1xWA0uCURmbaf6qHlNGwHo4zOeXTRpD9G6uA0wjCq2Ky8HoK8ZDLp4EU-E1aV6MG8P13~Z5MyKklnDab5nmnfTQ-McxBRel0ZemvxHIvF3Ga6yNUrFkjbuNeVm-D9ltWRD9Mgux0BW9IbZdEDrcj-W5E3soPql5Cb1aOW6e7QhgBrXaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos County staff told the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board on July 15 that review of the tourism strategic plan shows a mixture of completed work, ongoing efforts and items that remain in progress or inactive.

Ellen, a county staff member reporting to the board, summarized progress for plan sections 1.1 (marketing) and 1.2 (visitor experience). “When you look at it from the whole for 1.1 and 1.2 together, provided I did my math correctly, there are 6 that are totally completed. 15 of these action items are considered continuous…1 that's pending, 7 that are in progress, and 3 that are considered inactive. Altogether, that's 33 items,” she told the board.

Ellen said completed items include a version of the Los Alamos brand action plan and elements of the Science‑is‑Our‑Culture work used in prior marketing, while continuous items include regular contact with regional tour operators and hotel concierges and maintenance of promotional kiosks. Items listed as inactive include the Atomic Trail designation effort and participation in one regional air alliance, which staff said no longer provided sufficient deliverables for the county’s contribution.

Staff also outlined several projects in progress. The county plans new interpretive video work and a refresh of some visitor‑facing signage. The county reported that plans for a permanent visitor center location are on hold pending completion of a dormitory renovation associated with Manhattan Project National Historical Park work at the same site; a White Rock Visitor Center refresh was completed in spring 2024 and phase 2 (food‑truck pads) is anticipated to begin in 2026, county staff said.

On transportation and visitor access, staff described an incomplete pilot to connect the Bandelier shuttle to downtown Los Alamos and the White Rock Visitor Center. “A pilot project was supposed to start for weekends… but due to capacity restraints, it was no longer done,” Ellen said, noting staffing and agreement changes with the park as reasons the project did not run.

Board members raised operational questions. Melanie, who provided kiosk and visitation reports during the meeting, said visitor counts show Los Alamos visitation remains strong while White Rock visitation has dipped; she attributed the White Rock decline in part to the Bandelier shuttle not stopping at the visitor center this season. Melanie said the White Rock Visitor Center averages 30–40 people a day while Los Alamos averages about 100 people a day.

Staff described actions to improve wayfinding. A new phase of signage has begun, and traffic/streets staff were installing signs at Main Gate Park; the county is re‑evaluating downtown kiosk designs and exploring digital signage as a more maintainable option. Ellen also noted ongoing collaboration with the Bradbury Science Museum and the Los Alamos History Museum on interpretation plans and a Fuller Lodge interpretation plan that remains active.

Several board members asked for more detailed responses to previously submitted questions and for the staff status matrix to be made part of the meeting record. Staff said they will assemble responses into a single follow‑up document and that materials could be included with the minutes if provided to staff for the record.

No formal board action was taken on the strategic plan items during the meeting; staff said further review and discussion will continue at future meetings.","County staff provided a status update on tourism strategic plan action items (sections 1.1 and 1.2), reporting completed, ongoing, in‑progress and inactive items; staff also reported declines at White Rock Visitor Center tied to shuttle changes and described wayfinding and visitor‑center relocation issues tied to federal park projects.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6517415,"Los Alamos reports ad campaign reach, books 36 hotel stays from New Mexico True partnership",1073,654000,1727000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9&start=654&end=1727","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418592-3d78b75f4133663e803bc8c8c9c442d9/thumbnail_654000.jpg","/articles/6517415/Los-Alamos-County/New-Mexico/Los-Alamos-reports-ad-campaign-reach-books-36-hotel-stays-from-New-Mexico-True-partnership","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6517415-104334dfda1f05e3376d56b4b64ee7cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1775197277&Signature=mbVLK8KXeAbAcE~3u2VWBJ7NfpxdDrQUNhk0j-sygiZws6mSsU68fr24APyrh4U9j~fC0og5OsYrxU~Vjp2yOjA1xURq36t1vT6kOXOs2CXGtjJTHf916jdsdT0nJQFER~8YSSz1B1kv2mI4q267zdPXZT3C0ooDnWmaEFwow1xEFqtA45emc1c~uEGaNcM1g-8brJt9PebWc7AE--C3KFg2pSYmXvl1CZ6uKEEpjn~-J7zyI9lBSwAgFyRWMC6DBxHMOU0wvfHvTuzKqPsJBmU3P2gmgTXzRyWtsfvlC4ngozA--jpZPF-iHLEFsuzwmG3P3wJvFEhpAXvB5fWfqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos Lodgers Tax Advisory Board members heard a mid‑year update on the county’s cooperative advertising work with the New Mexico Tourism Department on July 15, during which the county’s marketing contractor summarized campaign results, budget shares and plans for new creative.

The presentation said Los Alamos participates in the New Mexico True cooperative advertising program, which the presenter described as a “2 for every $1” match from the state; the county’s lodgers tax contribution to the cooperative was $15,000 this year, with an additional $7,500 paid for the county’s DataFi tracking subscription. The presenter said the county’s total tourism marketing budget is about $132,500, leaving roughly $110,000 for other marketing work after the state partnership and DataFi fees.

The briefing covered fiscal 2025 results and the award for fiscal 2026. The presentation reported that, for fiscal 2025, the cooperative package exceeded $200,000 in advertising and delivered roughly 8.5 million impressions; the presenter said the state paid $133,614 and the county’s share for the campaign year was about $66,080. The presenter said campaign activity included still‑photo production, a regional micro‑influencer program, managed Google search ads, Facebook static and remarketing ads, content in New Mexico Magazine, and placement in the New Mexico True Adventure Guide and the Denver 5280 magazine.

On measurable outcomes, the presenter said the campaign produced 4,400,000 impressions for some channels and “total clicks of 50,363.” The presentation also described tracking that tied New Mexico True “intender” ads to actual bookings: the report listed 36 bookings, 16 hotel night stays and 629 in‑destination visits attributed to the travel‑intent ads; the presenter said the average lead time was a little over a month and the average stay about 1.6 days.

Looking to 2026, the county was awarded a cooperative advertising package of about $163,500; Los Alamos’ commitment to that package was listed at $54,500. The presenter said the county will invest in new video production in the fall (the last video production with New Mexico True was in 2019), expand the micro‑influencer program to four influencers per year, upgrade the digital package to include Instagram and YouTube, and continue managed search and targeted display placement.

Board members asked follow‑up questions about markets, metrics and budget. A board member asked whether Albuquerque would be included in the campaign’s target markets; the presenter said Albuquerque is handled separately from New Mexico True and that the county’s additional marketing buys target Albuquerque in addition to the cooperative campaign’s Dallas–Fort Worth and Denver placements. A board member requested an explanation of how the travel‑intent return‑on‑ad‑spend metric is calculated; the presenter said she would request that detail from New Mexico True and report back at the August meeting.

The county’s DataFi tracking subscription was cited repeatedly during the presentation: the presenter and county staff said DataFi provides ZIP‑code capture and other visitor metrics, and the presenter used it to summarize top feeder markets, visitor origin ZIP codes and demographic profiles presented in the campaign report.

Board members and staff said the cooperative program’s state match remains a valuable lever for a small local budget. “Two for one is so helpful for small communities,” the presenter said, noting the current match level originated during the pandemic and has continued since.

The board did not take a vote on funding during the presentation; members indicated they would review the full report, which the presenter said is an extensive PDF with links to creative assets, and return with more detailed questions at the next meeting.","County staff and a marketing contractor reported results from the New Mexico True cooperative advertising campaign, saying the partnership produced millions of impressions, tens of thousands of clicks and measurable bookings; the board discussed next-year funding and production of new video assets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board establishes working group to study other communities’ tourism approaches amid Open Meetings Act guidance

County staff reports mixed progress on tourism strategic plan; visitor‑center, wayfinding and shuttle projects remain active

Los Alamos reports ad campaign reach, books 36 hotel stays from New Mexico True partnership