Agenda Packets - 2001/03/05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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M:\MasterFiles\1999 thru 2010\2001\City Council\Work Session Packets\03-05-2001 W. S\Item 03--Banquet Center Agreement Memo--Kathleen Miller.doc Mounds View Banquet Center Overview Page 6 The events are listed by individual event only, not the number of hours the event uses the banquet center. Some activities may use the center for only an hour like the senior exercise while other activities such as the corporate rentals will use the facility the entire day (8 hours). The average wedding reception rental is 10 hours and the average youth banquet rental is 3 hours. So while it may look like the YMCA uses the facility more than anyone else, each event is only one hour in length. So in comparison, weddings for 2001 will take approximately 300 hours of the facility time and the YMCA only 104 hours. Use of the facility by non-profit groups is at a discounted rate. Use for wedding receptions is at the full weekend rate. So again, just by using the per event statistics, is not necessarily an accurate comparison. Conclusion Through marketing and extensive customer service efforts, the number of corporate and wedding clients is on the increase and should continue to grow if the same level of service is maintained. Corporate and wedding clients both expect to receive professional, patient, detailed service. Prompt return of phone calls, decisive responses and experienced planning are all attributes that Innovative Images staff has strived to provide. Continued target marketing and sales in the corporate area as well as participation in wedding industry marketing will ensure that the clientele continues to utilize this facility. While use by community organizations and residents is important, it must be realized that this use does not provide a revenue source and generally is more labor intensive than “paying” customers. Innovative Images has provided event supervision and liaisons for these activities although it is not contractually required. This is another area in which Innovative Images has, in good faith, continually provided professional management of this City facility while not receiving compensation. In order for Innovative Images to continue to plan for the future of the Mounds View Banquet and Conference Center, revision of the contract between the City of Mounds View and Innovative Images must be amended to accommodate for the extensive labor put into the management of this facility for non-revenue producing activities. It is imperative that effective and open communication as well as trust between the City staff, City Council and Innovative Images be established and maintained in order to ensure that the Mounds View Banquet and Conference Center will flourish for many years to come.