MEETING NOTES
METRO OREGON CONVENTION CENTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Metro Meeting Room 370A
Members Present: George Bell, Samuel Brooks, Shirley Bledsoe, Mary Erickson, Brian McCartin, Kevin Neary, Chuck Sellers, Roy Soards
Members Absent: Joe D’Alessandro, Mike Fisher, Harold Pollin
Staff/Council/Present: Rex Burkholder, Jeff Blosser, Peggy Coats, Karl Schulz Mark Williams
Others Present: Art Fortuna and Brendan Coffey, Aramark Catering
Chair LaCrosse called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm.
1. Review Status of Next Round of Bids/OCC Project Update
Karl Schulz, Project Manager for the OCC expansion, provided an update on the project. He stated that staff are reviewing bid submissions, and are in the process of interviewing mechanical and electrical contractors to make sure the scope of work is understood. All bids will be reviewed and managed by Hoffman Construction. He stated that the project is ahead of schedule, and that savings can be applied to potential project shortfalls due to interest rates. In light of the recent attack on New York, he stated that certain products required for the project later on may be an issue, given re-construction needs in New York, but he was not concerned about steel, since our order is already being produced.
2. Discussion of Marketing Niche
Brian McCartin, POVA, and Jeff Blosser, OCC Director, presented a report. The following three hand-outs were distributed and discussed:
❖ POVA and OCC additional Marketing/Advertising/Sales projects provided through VDI Funds – Mr. McCartin stated that POVA has gotten more specific about how funds are being spent as a result of increase in lodging tax: $250,000 in FY 2000-01, and $350,000 in FY 2001-02.
❖ POVA Business Goals and Measurements for the MERC/OCC Contract FY 2000-01 – Mr. Blosser explained that goals and workplans change annually, but that contracts are multi-year. In response to a question regarding penalties for not meeting objectives, Mr. Blosser stated that if goals are not met, they are not re-funded.
Discussion ensued regarding projections for lower than expected revenues. Sentiment was expressed that the weakening of the economy and the recent attack on New York will have an effect on regional forecasts, and that it is possible that the air industry’s clamp-down will result in lower air travel and thus, lower attendance. Mr. McCartin stated that POVA is working hard to forecast lodging tax as accurately as possible.
❖ OCC – Past and Future Booking Trends – Mr. McCartin presented a seven-year forecast for repeat, tentatives, and new group bookings, noting that the numbers are updated several times annually, and performance standards are reviewed monthly by POVA. There was a concern expressed that, with the expansion, there will be twice as much convention center space, but no change in available hotel rooms, raising the issue again of the disadvantage of not having a headquarter hotel.
3. Discussion of Kitchen/Catering Concerns
Karl Shulz handed out a package of diagrams showing the proposed food service area design for the Oregon Convention Center expansion, dated September 13, 2001. He noted that food supply to the conference rooms is provided by elevator from the kitchen, down service corridors to the meeting spaces. The ballroom has a staging kitchen with direct access to the lower level service kitchen. The elevator is dedicated to food service.
Ron Fortuna, Aramark, stated that his firm had been working closely with the OCC project team since the inception of the project. He said that their biggest concern is the provision of hot food to the ballroom, and noted that the current design has outstanding corridor access without interfering with user spaces. The consolidated kitchen is more efficient, in his opinion, and that it is not practical to locate the kitchen centrally. He described the planned process of bringing food in bulk to heat or re-heat as needed, with final plate assembly in the upstairs kitchen. In fact, he stated, the proposed design is much more favorable than the current set-up at OCC.
Mr. Fortuna was asked about access if the dedicated elevator malfunctions. He explained that there are alternate elevators which are multi-use. He also stated that the capacity of the existing kitchen is usually between 700-2,500, but can go as high as 7,500. The new kitchen can accommodate 10,000, though he doubts that will ever be needed.
4. Topics for Next Agendas
The next meeting will be Wednesday, November 14, 2001, at the Oregon Convention Center. The meeting will include a tour of the expansion, and report from POVA on its Board Retreat.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:35 pm.