Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tourism And Marketing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Director and marketing reports show steady attendance and follower growth; public raises permit hurdle for school caterer
Summary
Director Kyle Horvath told the board fair and horse-race attendance was about 4,000, while Marketing Manager Errol Porter reported total social followers grew to roughly 14,626. In public comment, Matt Bowers said a school-affiliated caterer lacks an alcohol permit and suggested the county consider options to ease permitting for non-profits.
Director Kyle Horvath and Marketing Manager Errol Porter reviewed recent event metrics and marketing performance at the Aug. 26 meeting.
Horvath summarized a Placer analytics comparison for the White Pine County Fair and horse races showing roughly 4,000 visitors during the horse-racing week—about the same as the prior year—with notably higher Saturday gambling activity. He noted the top visitor origins were local, followed by Pocatello, Idaho; Cedar City, Utah; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Staff also reported a ribbon-cutting for a new mural at the 4-H building and an ongoing trail expansion.
Horvath said four properties did not submit room tax reports on time; staff mailed reports before the deadline and will account for the missing returns in the next report. He described ongoing projects and promotions including IMBA trail signage designs, short promotional videos, and a national-Christmas-tree Whistle Stop in Ely.
Porter said social engagement and audience metrics were "in the green" for the reporting period: Instagram followers grew from about 4,000 when he was hired to more than 10,000; total followers across platforms are approximately 14,626. Website sessions and pageviews increased; YouTube and retargeting ads performed well while search-engine marketing dipped slightly. Porter invited board members to the governor's tourism conference in Reno in December.
In public comment, Member Elizabeth Woolsey reported recent speaking engagements on agritourism and astrotourism. Matt Bowers said he is bringing the National Cave and Karst Management Symposium to Ely in October and raised concerns that the event's caterer, which is affiliated with the high school, does not hold an alcohol permit. Bowers said sponsorship by the Jailhouse did not resolve the permit or liability issue and suggested the county consider ways to make permits more accessible for non-profits hosting events.
