From Grover Robinson:
Terry,
You nailed the heart of the issue without really mentioning it. Your right there is a good marketing plan and good people involved in the VIC for tourism. You also mention several of the issues the hoteliers have with the current system and were in the process of addressing the BCC.
However, all of these are minor compared to the one glaring flaw with Escambia County tourism. I greatly appreciate you just being on the job and I certainly do not blame you. However I have spent 5 years directly studying this and I hope you can appreciate that.
The biggest problem with Escambia County tourism is that no one person or entity has the right to speak or make decisions for the county. My point is to bring up to everyone a glaring example with Bay County to show what is achievable if a community is unified. Bay County is not alone Okaloosa and Walton are operated the same way and all 3 have great connection with state tourism and the state executive staff. Remember those 3 counties were very successful at securing the lion share of the second phase of Florida BP money for themselves.
I worked very hard to convince the Pensacola Beach Chamber that they would get more access and advertising by working with the VIC rather than competing for funds. I with Ed’s effort got Pensacola Beach to see that and make the leap of faith that has paid off for them. Now they are very skeptical and I do not blame them. From their perspective, people in a closed room (no sunshine) on Garden Street are making decisions about their livelihood.
Chamber’s by nature are geographic and make decisions on the organization’s best interest. Bay, Walton and Okaloosa have organizations that report to the entire citizenry and are therefore have no conflict of interest. They have a long term plan and execute it.
Right now SRIA and the Pensacola Beach Chamber have a message for BP. Perdido Key has a message for BP and the Pensacola Chamber, you, have a message for BP. All of you are going to ask the most of BP for your message.
Put yourself in BP’s shoes. In addition to this, you are being approached by 5 states and nearly 30 counties and parishes. Who would you deal with? The communities that were most coordinated that would allow you to get the best result for your limited resource. Inefficient communities with mixed and ineffective messages will be skipped.
However your own email shows that you in a short time see the lack a clear long term strategy. You can not have a long term strategy when on one organization has control of it. This is the point that I agree with the hoteliers and the point that was going to be brought to the forefront. It is an important question that should be addressed independent of personalities. Like this email it should also be discussed openly in the public. It is also a point that has been made more acutely with the BP spill and the potential removal of lease fees on Pensacola Beach.
Last week I addressed an email to the Chamber Board for this reason to say that we would have to openly and honestly evaluate this and choose the best decision for the people not any individual organization. The BP issue just is an example of our problem.
Thanks,
Grover
PS I know these emails are long and difficult to go through. However, in this age of media, it is important that these discussions not happen via phone or meeting but in writing. I have already notified the press that I will only respond to this issue in writing.