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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-03-30-TOUR2-minTown of Lexington Tourism Committee Minutes March 30, 2026 Remote by Microsoft Teams 3:00—5:00pm Members Present: Margaret Coppe (Chair), Bebe Fallick, Ting Fang, Pam Fowler, Marie -Tristan Rago, Members absent: Marsha Baker, Gardy Desrouleaux, Melissa Robbins Center Committee: Kat MacDonald Select Board Liaison: Doug Lucente Staff Present: Sandhya Iyer, Economic Development Director Stacia Cooper, Visitor Center Manager Jackson Rhodes, Tour Services Coordinator Quests: Katia Del Rio, Inn at Hastings Park, prospective committee member Dawn McKenna The meeting was called to order at 3:106PM. The chair read the authorization for remote meetings A quorum was present. Vote to call to order: Coppe, Aye; Fallick, Aye; Fang, Aye; Fowler, Aye; Rago, Aye The vote was unanimous. Economic Development Report i) VC People Counter, January and February 2026, down 1.5%; Visitor Center open 10-2; Snow and cold months ii) VC Sales, January and February, 50% decrease iii) Tours sales, January and February Fair Harbor, flat iv) Liberty Ride; not operating v) Sperling Report: January and February vi) Seasonal Initiatives/Plans • Stacia Cooper, Visitor Center met with Meet Boston and attended the Regional Tourism Conference at Revolutionary Valley (formerly Merrimack Valley) • Wolfe Tours continued the FAM tours (tour operators) • Virtual Reality Tour A new public tour with virtual reality goggles will debut on May 1. There will be two different tours, 20 minutes each, offered daily on the same schedule at the Battle Green tours. One tour will feature the Belfry and the 1 other will feature the Meeting House and will introduce and immerse the user in colonial days. Each tour will be limited to 5 people. The cost I $25 for adults and $22 for children, 10 and above. Battle Green 360, on iPads, will be the first in many years to the tours. The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for children. The devices, both goggles and iPads, will be distributed and collected by the guides. Tourism Conference, (a 3 -day event) was attended by Sandhya Iyer and by Dawn McKenna. Will add Lex 250th to next agenda. It is now on the Tour Lexington site (tourlexingtonusa) Suggestions to show video to Town Meeting. FIFA update: license has been applied for, waiting for response with more information. $25,000 grant has been applied for to run watch parties, will require matching funds. May 16, 2026, two Witness House tours as part of Freedom's Way Hidden Treasured. Minutes January 26, 2026 Bebe Fallick moved, and Pam Fowler seconded, approving the minutes Vote: Coppe, Aye; Fallick, Aye; Fang, Aye; Fowler, Aye; Rago, Aye The minutes were unanimously approved. Applicants Katia Del Rio, the Inn at Hastings Park, is waiting for the Select Board to approve her appointment. Patriots Day Stacia Cooper is looking for more volunteers to help on Patriots Day, April 18, 2026 (Saturday) at the Visitor Center and for events on April 17,20, and 21. Liberty Ride Margaret Coppe reported that at the Select Board meeting of March 9, 2026, no vote on continuing the Liberty Ride was taken, but will be sometime after Town Meeting adjourns, possibly in June. The board received the Tourism committee recommendation to negotiate a new contract to continue the ride, and the recommendation of staff to discontinue the ride. Four of the five Select Board members indicated that due to the finances, they were leaning towards discontinuing. Dawn McKenna offered to go through the numbers of the ride to make the argument for maintaining the ride. She will be on the May 18, 2026 meeting of the Tourism Committee to report her findings. 2 Presidential Panel Finished and being manufactured, plan to install by Patriots Day. Changes include removing the modern-day Arch from the Iarge Presidents' panel and including it in a smaller separate panel and using the photo of President Ford, enhanced to improve its appearance. Updates and Miscellaneous • Center Committee: No report • Lexington History Museums: no report • Website and emails: no report • Cultural District: Managing partners will meet first or second week in April. They will bork on rebranding with a consultant, on funding events, and continuing funding individual requests. Pam Fowier moved and Marie -Tristan Rago seconded adjournment. Coppe, Aye; FaUick'Ave; Fang, Aye; Fowler, Aye; Rago,Aye The meeting adjourned at 4:50 PM Next Meeting: Monday April 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM, Location TBD Respectfully submitted: Margaret Coppe April 8, 2026s 3