The Chamber is making staffing changes at the Visitor Information Center (VIC) to direct more resources to marketing while still serving the needs of our local visitors. As stewards of 50% of the Transient Room Tax it is appropriate to re-align resources with today’s needs.
Travelers and visitors access information about Jacksonville much differently now. Our walk-in and telephone traffic at the VIC continues to drop over the years and is nearly 40% less than just 6 years ago.
The majority of people are using internet searches and online resources to obtain destination information rather than relying on staffed visitors centers and we need to direct more of our resources to supporting these information channels along with related marketing activities.
The Chamber Board of Directors has approved the creation of a ½ time Executive Director position whose time will be allocated at 75% to marketing activities and 25% to oversight of the Visitor Information Center including the Trolley and other Chamber business. The majority of the salary for this position comes from the Transient Room Tax (TRT), with a portion paid by Chamber funds.
The Executive Director will primarily focus on providing content marketing across multiple channels (website, social media, travel sites), developing comprehensive marketing plans, partnering with regional travel partners, and serving as the primary destination marketing contact. In addition it will provide oversight for the VIC – staff training, reference materials, facilities and collateral. It will also provide support to the Chamber Board related to member relations and promotional activities.
There will be 3-4 part-time staff positions for the Visitor Information Center (VIC). This staff will be focused exclusively on serving visitors in person, over the phone and via email and creating the very best visitor experience. These positions’ salaries come entirely from the TRT allocation for the VIC. There will also be changes in the hours of staffed operations and enhancements in self-service components of the VIC.
The change in staffing eliminates the position of Visitor Information Center Manager and Chamber Assistant which has been held by Sandi Torrey for 13 years. She has established an incredible foundation upon which we are building for the future. She has many fans, both in town and in our visitor community, and her presence will be greatly missed. Please join us in wishing her well in her new endeavors. Her last day in the office is today, Saturday, March 07, 2015.
Questions and comments regarding this issue can be directed to Tim Balfour, President Chamber Board of Directors, through the Visitor Information Center at 541-899-8118. He will have office hours at the VIC 9:00 am – 11:00 am next week if you would like to discuss this in person.