BENTONVILLE -- Reorganizing Visit Bentonville staff will reduce payroll costs and create a more efficient method to handle day-to-day operations, the Advertising and Promotions Commission discussed Thursday.
Kalene Griffith, Visit Bentonville president and CEO, manages the organization's 13 employees. Reorganization will spread that management responsibility between a finance director, operations director and sales director.
Funding requests
Bentonville’s Advertising and Promotions Commission approved funding requests Thursday:
• $7,500 to the Roots Festival on Aug. 22
• $2,000 to the Cool Water Festival on Sept. 7
• $1,500 for the 7A Golf State Championship on Sept. 25
• $3,000 for the Oz Trails Enduro Race on Sept. 28
• $5,000 for the Missouri-Arkansas Kiwanis District Meeting on Feb. 22, 2019
• $4,000 to the American Cornhole Major Tournament on March 8, 2019.
Source: Staff report
The finance director will oversee the lobby staff in addition to the organization's finances. The operations director will oversee human resources, communications and marketing agency partnership as well as manage events. The sales director will oversee the sales managers, prepare reports, prepare tradeshow plans and manage a sales division themselves, Griffith said.
"I think things will be more efficient," said Chris Sooter, commission chairman.
The changes are being done with current employees.
Griffith and Sooter recommended waiting to fill the sales director position until next year when it can be more appropriately budgeted for.
Andrea Ritchie, director of Bike Bentonville, will move into the communication's manager position, which will leave the Bike Bentonville position open. It's a position shared between Visit Bentonville and Parks and Recreation Department.
It will become a position under the city department with the reorganization, but Visit Bentonville will continue to promote Bike Bentonville and its events that draw tourists, Griffith said.
The marketing agency partnership the operations director will oversee won't come to full fruition until next year because it wasn't budgeted for this year, Griffith said.
The organizational changes will save about $17,079 of the $636,453 budgeted for payroll this year. Griffith asked commissioners to approve that money be used for a limited partnership with an agency this year.
A firm could work six to eight hours a month for six months starting in June and consult Visit Bentonville about current marketing trends and how to better use what resources it has, Griffith said.
"We do need some fresh ideas," Sooter said.
"We're getting a lot of national press," Griffith said. "I think we need to elevate our agency and advertising and promotion opportunities, and I think this does that for us."
Commissioner Matt McClure said he felt an outside consultant could use $10,000 to $15,000 quickly.
It'll go fast, but the search for a firm to work with next year will start in November or December so it's possible to not use the temporary firm those months, Griffith said.
"I think if you ask the right questions and get the right answers, you can get your money's worth," McClure said.
"To me, it seems like where we need to be," Sooter said of the reorganization overall. "It really gives us clear channels for reporting."
NW News on 04/27/2018