Pitch for ad buy is a gift horse

By Steve Vaughan | The Virginia Gazette

April 23, 2008

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WILLIAMSBURG - It took the board of the Williamsburg Area Destination Marketing Committee an hour Monday to reluctantly decide to ask the James City Board of Supervisors for more funding.

Even though it was a gift.

Supervisor Jim Kennedy, the county rep on the committee, went bearing a message that if WADMC formally asked the county for more money, the supervisors would seriously consider it.

The committee spends millions from the $2 per night hotel room surcharge to promote tourism. James City has been criticized for years for not contributing much to promote tourism, letting Busch Gardens carry the water instead.

“I’ve talked to my chairman (Bruce Goodson), and he’s said that if this organization asks for additional funding that request would be entertained,” he said.

Kennedy was quick to add there is no guarantee since, “It’s a lean year in James City County.” But he said supervisors could consider shifting funds allocated to various entities by the county administrator’s budget.

Chris Canavos, the Williamsburg Hotel-Motel Association’s rep, immediately moved that the committee go for it, setting off a debate. The issue touches on tensions between the Hotel Association and the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, which provides most of the marketing committee’s staffing.

Hoteliers have been pushing for more funding to extend the TV buy beyond July. The ads started early this season because of an early Easter. The Hotel Association had pushed for the marketing committee to pitch all three localities for extra funding.

Alliance president Dick Schreiber and members of the board who represent attractions, except Phil Emerson of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, opposed the requests because the committee didn’t want their marketing plan second-guessed.

So the Hotel Association took it upon itself to ask the three localities for more money, $900,000 extra from the City of Williamsburg alone. The issue has spilled over mildly into the City Council race.

The hoteliers were turned down by the city as well in York County. There remains a window of opportunity in James City.

“Why wouldn’t we ask if there’s a possibility of it being approved?” asked Pat Bell, ex-officio member of the board.

John Bacon of Colonial Williamsburg said he didn’t want to jeopardize funding for the Tourism Alliance by seeking increased direct funding for the marketing committee. Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens will do their own advertising well past July, as always.

Mickey Chohany, Williamsburg’s rep, didn’t see any problem asking James City for more funding, even though he voted otherwise on City Council for extra ad money to Colonial Williamsburg.

Kennedy and York rep Walt Zaremba recused themselves from the vote. The discussion went on long enough to get on Kennedy’s nerves.

“I’m not interested in talking about this subject anymore,” he said at length in calling for a vote.

The final vote was 4-1 in favor of asking for the additional funds. Canavos, Mason and Chohany voted yes. As a municipal rep, Chohany’s vote counts twice.

John Riley of Busch Entertainment, voted no. Two other voting members, Emerson and Alisa Bailey of the Virginia Tourism Corp., were absent.

James City will hold a number of work session on the budget between now and its adoption in May at which the marketing committee’s request can be addressed.

Chohany recently objected to an item in the city’s budget giving Colonial Williamsburg more money than it asked for and said the extra $37,000 should be set aside.

Asked Monday if that money might possibly go to the marketing committee, Chohany said it was an idea worth considering. City Council doesn’t adopt its budget until next month.