$75,000 from Town of Gypsum

Transcription

1 August 31, 2016 Jeff Shroll, Town Manager The Town of Gypsum 50 Lundgren Blvd/PO Box 130 Gypsum, CO Dear Jeff and Honorable Town Council: On behalf of the EGE Air Alliance Board of Directors, I want to thank you and the Town of Gypsum. Gypsum has been great supporter of the Alliance in many ways, and we truly appreciate our ongoing partnership. In 2017, the EGE Air Alliance continued to support the United summer Houston flight, extend Dallas service through the fall, and add new winter service from Washington, DC and Phoenix. New flight service for includes service from Salt Lake City (Delta) and San Francisco (United) in addition to continued service from Washington, DC, and Phoenix, as well as expanded Chicago service. Gypsum s 2017 contribution of $75,000 helped the Alliance with our critical strategic goal of adding new incremental flight service from key destination markets to the Eagle County Regional Airport. Heading into 2018, the Alliance hopes to raise in excess of $550,000 from its growing coalition of private and public sector supporters. As part of this effort, the EGE Air Alliance respectfully requests $75,000 from Town of Gypsum for flight service programs in As in prior years, the Alliance s funds will be used to attract new flight service, to provide continued support for developing markets, and to establish long-term funding.

2 *Economic impacts based on economic impact study data from winter and summer 2015 at Eagle County Regional Airport. The EGE flights are supported by minimum revenue guarantees; the increased flights are free market with no minimum revenue guarantee required. Funding will support the Washington, Phoenix, Toronto, Dallas, and Houston markets, which are estimated to bring in 9,327 new passengers through the Eagle County Regional Airport. Based on the RRC Associates intercept study, EGE winter users spend an average of $2,134 per guest and summer guests spend an average of $1,257, resulting in an estimated economic impact to Eagle County s economy as a direct result of the MRG markets $12,689,928.

3 Our public partner funding for 2017 were: Eagle County: $120,000 Town of Vail $75,000 Beaver Creek Resort Company: $75,000 Town of Gypsum: $75,000 Town of Avon: $20,000 Town of Eagle: $5,000 We expect similar funding levels in 2018 from these public partners. Long-Term Funding: Alliance partners have expressed the need for a long-term funding source for new flight opportunities to and from the Eagle County Regional Airport. Our competitors in other resort markets are already a step ahead of us in implementing various long-term funding streams. The EGE Air Alliance has made this strategic objective a priority, hosting numerous public meetings, stakeholder presentations, and phone surveys. While our public education campaign did have an impact on awareness and support of public funding for minimum revenue guarantees, support is not at a level to justify a ballot initiative at this time. We continue to pursue public education efforts on the economic impacts of the Eagle County Regional Airport and to pursue the possibility of creating a special district or other dedicated funding source by working closely with Eagle County and the EGE Board of Directors. The Alliance thanks Town of Gypsum for its vital participation, and we hope that we can again count on you for continued support of our efforts in We welcome your comments and questions, as well as the opportunity to meet with the Town Council to review EGE Air Alliance s efforts and results to date in greater detail. Additional details can be found at EGEAirAlliance.com and flight schedules can be found at FlyVail.com. Thank you for your consideration and your continued support. Mike Brumbaugh, Board President EGE Air Alliance

4 Budget:

5 1. Name of organization: EGE Air Alliance 2. Contact person: Chris Romer a. President & CEO, Vail Valley Partnership b c. d. Mailing address: c/o Marchetti & Weaver 28 Second Street Suite 213 Edwards, CO & 2017 funding from Town of Gypsum: $75, funding requested: $75, Federal Employer ID number: / Non profit status: Yes, 501c6 6. Organizations mission statement: To build a robust flight program at the Eagle County Regional Airport 7. Members and Titles of the governing board: Mike Brumbaugh, owner, Venture Sports Mike Brown, regional president, Alpine Bank Jen Brown, managing director, Beaver Creek Resort Company Gabe Shalley, airline marketing manager, Vail Resorts Peter Dann, executive vice president, East West Destination Hospitality Amy Phillips, town councilor, Town of Avon John Shipp, owner, Roadhouse Hospitality Group Jean Alexander, senior sales manager, Sebastian Vail Greg Moffet, town councilor, Town of Vail Jeff Shroll, town manager, Town of Gypsum Kathy Chandler-Henry, commissioner, Eagle County o All board member organizations financially contribute directly to the EGE Air Alliance 8. How will the contribution be used? Minimum revenue guarantee program for air service 9. Who currently funds your organization (other governments, private donations, user fees, etc.)? Avon, Vail, Beaver Creek, Gypsum, Eagle, Eagle County, Vail Resorts, and approximately 70 other local businesses