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Coppell shifts Discover Coppell toward in‑house sales with $288,494 budget
Summary
Coppell officials heard a plan to redeploy Discover Coppell from largely paid advertising to an in‑house sales and marketing approach focused on converting digital impressions into hotel nights and visitor spending; staff proposed a $288,494 program budget for 2026–27 and a new tourism sales and marketing manager to work with hotels and meetings planners.
Coppell’s tourism arm, Discover Coppell, told the City Council on April 14 that it will shift from outsourced digital advertising to an in‑house, revenue-focused sales and marketing model aimed at turning online interest into hotel nights and local spending.
The presentation outlined recent performance of Discover Coppell’s previous approach: “over 54 million digital impressions, more than 430,000 clicks, and nearly 400,000 website views,” the presenter said while describing the next step — a redeployment that prioritizes measurable returns rather than passive promotion. The total program budget proposed for 2026–27 is $288,494, staff said.
Council members pressed for clearer key performance indicators. One councilor asked for concrete targets, such as an assumed increase in hotel stays, so the program can be measured against expectations. The presenter said staff will avoid speculative ROI claims in year one and instead rely on trackable tools — promo codes, QR codes, targeted hotel partner offers and a new hotel‑specific promotions database — to show whether marketing generates “heads and beds.”
The plan includes hiring a tourism sales and marketing manager to develop group and event bookings, maintain hotel relationships and represent Coppell at trade shows, plus establishing a visitor information center housed in the Coppell Chamber building. “Everything we do will be measurable,” the presenter said. “If it’s not driving traffic, stays or spending, we will adjust.”
Council members suggested the presentation include seasonal or pillar-specific targets (for example, an estimated incremental weekend stays goal) so tracking can be clearer in future reports. Staff also clarified the program will spend only hot‑tax‑eligible funding and is not Chamber money.
The Council did not take a final action on the request the same night; the presentation and ensuing questions were on the regular session agenda for council review and future follow up.
