HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-07-TOUR2-minLexington Tourism Committee
Minutes of the meeting of
Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 8 am
Selectmen Meeting Room
Present: Kerry Brandin, Denise Ricketts, Mary Jo Bohart, TrishaKennealy, Dawn McKenna,
Ada Wong, Bill Mix, Barry Cunha, Susan O'Keefe, Lester Savage, Sharon Spaulding, Julie -Ann
Shapiro, David Wells, Susan Bennett, Kevin McGuire, Paul Ross, Richard Pagett, George
Burnell
VISITORS CENTER PROGRAMMATIC INPUT
CHAMBER, HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND TOURISM COMMITTEE BOARDS
Participants were provided with the Executive Summary and Conclusions from the 1/20/12 Programmatic
Report. They were asked to comment specifically on whether the goals identified reflected their vision,
as well as to list any programmatic needs that should be addressed. The Boards of the Chamber and
Historical Society as well as the Tourism Committee meeting participated in this meeting. Comments
from all were recorded, whether or not there was agreement on those issues. Although not all comments
focused directly on the two questions, all points made are included. A list of attendees follows.
GOALS:
• Closer collaboration distributing info between Chamber and
Historical Society - Both Chamber and Historical Society
• Tourism Committee should be included in collaboration
• Majority of participants have taken Liberty Ride and Battle Green
Tour and visited National Park /Concord
• Do a better job of connecting the dots
• Literature out there
• Improve layout for distribution of materials /improve format just map
8 '/2 by 11 /you are here format - PDF format availability
• Linger in Lexington
• Get people into community
• Peak interest with initial experience
• Like plan
• Bus Traffic - deal with large bus groups coming to Lexington to
encourage to spend more dollars
• Goal — self- service info after hours
• Showcasing our history
• Broad goals - not necessarily
PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS:
• Need a space to show listening or visual tour
• Not too much staff in the Visitors Center
• Entice people to come into the community
• Program needed in off - season
• Complimentary vs. competition
• Work on doing that - not duplicate efforts
• more is more
• Synergy with Liberty Ride staff being at Visitors Center
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE • LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420
• Don't think Veteran's memorial is right vision - look at back
• How to handle opening needs of safety
• Educational room - need to agree on roles and responsibilities
• Change words inside regarding "programmatic needs"
• Accommodate people who need it
- Seasons
- Residents
- Day trippers
- Week long visitors
- Family types of all kinds
• Remember it is a town building
• Tourists come in all different expectations
• Modernizing display more
• Public building - portal different info
• Can't be everything to everyone
• More women's bathrooms
• Multi- lingual brochures and kiosks
• Do some immediate changes
• Include recent veterans
• Calendar - Representation
• Reorder priorities of info programmatic
• Upgrade business space - why people come here
• Do we need enough bathrooms?
• Exterior opening of public restrooms — 24/7
Opposing views
MISCELLANEOUS
• Selectmen concerned about safety issue
• One organization should not guide long -term planning.
• Movie of what we do here.
• How can we break down distrust from Historical Society
• Should broader history be included?
• Most important revolution
Doesn't belong in Visitors Center
1. What does Chamber do well and what does Historical Society do well
• Dissemination of information
• Aggress with first goal
• 2" d goal expand to retention
• Not keeping in Visitors Center
Peak interest not satisfaction
Adjourned at approximately 10:00 am
Respectfully submitted, Dawn McKenna
Documents available at the meeting:
1. Preliminary Schematic Design boards
2. Executive Summary VC Programmatic Report dated 1.20.2012
3. Conclusions VC Programmatic Report dated 1.20.2012