HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-24-TOUR2-minTown of Lexington
Tourism Committee
Minutes
November 24, 2025
Hybrid
Select Board Room, Town Office Building
1625 Mass Avenue
Lexington MA 02420
and by Zoom
3:30—6:00pm
Members Present: Marsha Baker, Margaret Coppe (Chair), Ting Fang, Melissa Robbin, Marie -
Tristan Rago
Members absent: Gardy Desrouleaux, Pam Fowler, Bebe Fallick,
Center Committee;:
Select Board Liaison: Doug Lucente
Staff Present: Sandhya Iyer, Economic Development Director
Jay Abdella, Senior Economic Development Coordinator
Stacia Cooper, Visitor Center Manager
Tour Services Coordinator: Jackson Rhodes
Quests:
Dawn McKenna
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 PM. The chair read the authorization for remote
meetings
A quorum was present.
Vote to call to order: Baker, Aye; Coppe, Aye; Fang, Aye; Rago, Aye; Robbins, Aye
The vote was unanimous.
Economic Development Report Jay Abdella/Sandhya Iyer
a) Operations data
i) VC People Counter October 2025 — 18, 750 up 21% over 2024
ii) VC Sales October 2025, $51, 000 up 1.5% over 2024
iii) Tours sales October 2025; more busses, 60,000 people up over 53,000 in
2024
iv) Liberty Ride Trolley sales October 2025 Average of 70% seats filled, down
from 2024;
v) Sperling Reports:
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f6Q?period=l.
11
Every measurement down. Marketing was down for this time
vi) Fall Initiatives/Plans
RFP for internet; every increase adds to base point; You2 and Google still active;
still with Sperling; talking with local person who does blogs; Face Book Ad
Campaign was in first Ken Burns Revolutionary show; Instagram
$60,000 grant from MOTT to update signage on bike path in Center and to begin
looking into modernizing event signs in Emory Park and Visitor Center
Finalizing Augmented Reality (AR) with iPads and XR tours with goggles
Met with Ben Soule to photograph Meeting House model to include in virtual
tours
Minutes
No quorum, no October minutes
September 2025 minutes will be approved in December
Liberty Ride
Contract extension to March 2027 signed.
Committee needs to go to Select Board with plan going forward in December/January.
Goal is to preserve a program, but no details.
Ting Fang, Marie -Tristan Rago, Margaret Coppe will meet to put together a plan to bring to
the full committee. Will ask Pam Fowler to attend.
4) Updates and Miscellaneous
a) Updates from Committee Members
Center Committee: No report
Lexington History Museums: Marsha Baker reported admissions to houses are
up 37.4 %, merchandise up 22% houses open weekends, that a decision was made to
remain open on Veterans Day, November 11; will be streaming the Ken Burns
special at the Depot; Buckman Tavern will open at 9:30 AM next season;
Ghosts and Graves had100 people this year.
Lexington Tea Buring will be December 13
Taste of Lexington, Buckman Tavern will be open in the evening with discounted
merchandise
Website and email: No report
Cultural District: New procedures from State concerning grants; move
information to come
Visitor Center: Starting November 28, Lexington residents will get 20% discount.
Motion to adjourn, Robbins moved, Baker seconded.
Vote to call to adjourn: Baker, Aye; Coppe, Aye; Fang, Aye; Rago, Aye; Robbins, Aye
The vote was unanimous.
The meeting adjourned at 5:16 PM
iA
Next Meeting: Monday December 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM, Hybrid
Respectfully submitted:
Margaret Coppe
November 28, 2025