A Professional Services Proposal to Conduct a: Juneau International Airport User Needs Survey Presented to: Mr. David Palmer, Manager Juneau International Airport Prepared by Anchorage Juneau Kodiak April 4, 2007
Research-Based Consulting April 4, 2007 Mr. Dave Palmer Airport Manager 1873 Shell Simmons Dr., Ste 200 Juneau AK, 99801 Dear Mr. Palmer: The McDowell Group is pleased to submit this proposal to conduct a Juneau International Airport User Needs Survey. We understand that the Juneau International Airport needs timely, reliable information about the type of facility and level services that Juneau International Airport users expect. With 35 years of market research and survey expertise, our firm is uniquely positioned to provide you with credible survey data and user-friendly analysis. We propose a comprehensive two-part approach to gathering information for this project. Part One: In order to better understand the type of faculties and services desired by travelers, we propose an intercept survey of 300 travelers. The survey sample would include arriving and departing Juneau residents and non-residents, vacation/pleasure visitors, business travelers, and commercial jet and commuter passengers. Areas of investigation would include the overall level of customer satisfaction with the facility, satisfaction with specific aspects of the facility, such as, food and beverage services, parking, waiting areas, baggage claim, perceptions of facility cleanliness, etc. Airport users would be asked to prioritize desired facilities upgrades and identify desired facilities and services that are currently unavailable at the Airport. Part Two: We propose conducting in-depth interviews with current airport tenants to identify and better understand their needs. We bring to the project several critical assets: Extensive experience in customer satisfaction, user needs and market research. McDowell Group has conducted numerous customer satisfaction and market demand surveys with Alaska residents and visitors. We understand the key elements in designing a survey that is easy to use, maximizes response rates, and gives our clients reliable results. Demonstrated success in conducting intercept surveys, including design and implementation the of multi-year, statewide intercept survey research programs, Alaska Travelers Survey and the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (AVSP). For these projects combined, McDowell Group surveyors conducted over 10,000 Alaska visitors intercept surveys. Of this total, nearly 800 surveys were conducted at the Juneau International Airport.
A survey team already established, badged, and experienced in surveying at the Airport. We are currently working with the State of Alaska and the Juneau International Airport conducting surveys for the 2006-2007 AVSP Project. The 2007 AVSP Project will be completed at the end of April 2007. Our survey team is well-positioned to conduct the Airport user survey. The survey crew will also be familiar with the flight schedules.. Ability to effectively manage the logistics involved in conducting an intercept survey conducted in airports. We are aware of the security requirements, the importance of professional surveyor attire and conduct, and the communication network needed to notify airlines, security and airport officials of our research process. I will provide project oversight and advice. The McDowell Group study team will include Robert Koenitzer, Project and Survey Manager, and our experienced intercept survey staff. Attached please find a description of our methodological approach, schedule, and budget costs. We have also included a description of our firm and detailed resumes of study team members. We appreciate the opportunity to offer our services to the Juneau International Airport. Please feel free to contact me with any questions at 586-6144 or Bob Koenitzer at 586-2990. Sincerely, Eric McDowell Partner
Methodology Part One: Intercept Surveys A sample of travelers (both Juneau residents and visitors) arriving and departing from Juneau International Airport on all scheduled commercial flights (both jet and commuter aircraft) will be selected at random. Travelers will be asked to complete the survey, face-to-face with an interviewer. An advantage of intercept surveying is that it allows for a high degree of surveyor control, and therefore, a high degree of confidence in the quality of the responses. A trained intercept team can obtain consistent, comparable data with a relatively high level of detail. Surveying will be conducted in the secure and non-secure waiting areas of the airport. All security procedures will be observed, with security clearances obtained for all survey staff. We will work with airport and airline officials to obtain departure and arrival times to construct our sample plan. Our proposed budget assumes a sample of 300 completed surveys. At this size, a reasonably representative sample of all airport users can be obtained. Our survey staff would interview a diverse sample of airport users including: Juneau residents, regional visitors, and non-regional visitors. The sample would be split among those who use jet and commuter services. Our non-regional sample would include, non-southeast, Alaska residents, as well as travelers from outside of Alaska. Part Two: Executive Interviews Critical to this project are the wants and needs of airport tenants. In-depth interviews will be conducted with all current airport tenants. Information such as their current level of satisfaction with airport facilities and services, and additional services desired would be gathered. An attempt would be made to prioritize desired services and to understand the tenant s willingness to pay for improved facilities and services. A small number of additional interviews will be conducted with high volume airport users such as cruise lines, hotels and tour package operators to identify there opinions and needs. Design of the intercept survey and the tenant interview protocols will be done by the McDowell Group staff in conjunction with Airport personnel. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 1
Analysis and Reporting Schedule Once the fielding of the survey has been completed, McDowell Group will code and enter the survey data for analysis. The McDowell Group will produce a report quantifying and discussing the key aspects of Airport user opinions, including: Customer profiles (business, pleasure, etc.), including point of origin, and other demographic information. Customer satisfaction with the Airport s services, facility, and concessions. Types of activities engaged in at the airport (shopping, eating, etc.). Customer recommendations for improved concession offerings, services, and facility management. Other information requested or identified as relevant. The project team will analyze the data from the intercept surveys and the tenant interviews to see if there are readily identifiable gaps in airport facilities and services. We are prepared to begin survey design upon receipt of a signed contract. We anticipate fielding the surveys and conducting the interviews between late April and the end of May. A draft report would be ready for your review in early June with copies of the final report available for your mid-june Airport Board retreat. Cost Our proposed total budget for this project is $16,900, including professional services and project expenses. Our proposed price includes: sample design, survey fielding, coding, data processing, analysis, and preparation of a detailed report. Deliverables include 10 bound copies and an electronic copy. We would be prepared to present a summary of the findings to your board and to be available if/when the information is presented to the CBJ Assembly. One-half of the contracted amount ($8,450) would be payable upon commencement of the project with the final payment ($8,450) due upon you re your acceptance of our final report. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 2
Relevant Project Experience The McDowell Group brings to this project a unique range of relevant experience. This includes experience with intercept survey techniques, customer satisfaction surveys, and visitor industry research. Following are brief descriptions of selected projects conducted by the McDowell Group. We would be happy to provide client references upon request. Relevant Survey Research Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (1985-1998, 2006-2007). Conducted for the Alaska Division of Tourism, Department of Commerce and Economic Development, this program provided the market database for the entire Alaska visitor industry. In 1985, the McDowell Group first designed and implemented the two year, four phase survey research study. It identifies the volume, characteristics, travel patterns, opinions and travel planning habits of all markets of visitors to Alaska. This project is unique in travel and tourism research around the world. The Alaska Visitor Statistics Program (AVSP) utilized four types of consumer research secondary, personal intercept, mail and diary. Secondary research continues after the fielding phase is completed. It involves a complex design capturing samples of the thousands of incoming visitors by entry mode, season and port of entry. Currently, the fourth generation of AVSP is in the final stage of fielding. Alaska Travelers Survey. (2003, 2005) The Alaska Travelers Survey is an on-going unique proprietary market research project designed to meet the needs of tourism marketing planners. Subscribing clients can access specific data that will help them reach and serve clients more effectively. In 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005 McDowell Group interviewed nearly 10,000 airline passengers, cruise passengers, highway and ferry visitors in multiple locations. Surveys were conducted in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Tok, Sitka, and onboard Alaska Marine Highway ferries. McDowell Group interviewers gathered details about visitor demographics, communities visited, expenditures, activities in Alaska, travel information sources, trip purpose, decision motives, and other market information. Icy Straight Point Passenger Satisfaction Survey Conducted for the Huna Totem Corporation during the summer of 2006, this project measured the experiences and satisfaction level of cruise line passengers visiting Icy Straight Point (ISP). McDowell Group surveyors interviewed 200 passengers as they were returning to their ship after spending a day at ISP. Valuable insight was gained into passenger expectations and satisfaction with ISP facilities and activities. A comparison of ISP results with other major Southeast cruise ports resulted in a clear picture of ISP s role as a destination cruise port. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 3
Anchorage Winter Visitor Survey (1999 2000). Throughout the winter of 1999, McDowell Group interviewers completed 1,000 intercept surveys with Anchorage visitors as they departed from Anchorage International Airport. Conducted for the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, the survey collected information on visitor spending, attractions visited, as well as visitor demographics such as origin, age, income and other data, to support ACVB s market planning to develop winter tourism in Anchorage. Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises Customer Survey. McDowell Group designed an onboard, self-administered survey instrument for Glacier Bay Tours and Cruises. The survey measured passenger demographics and satisfaction with all aspects of the cruise experience. McDowell Group handled data processing of the 2,400 surveys. Helicopter Glacier Flightseeing Market Survey. McDowell Group surveyed 1,400 helicopter glacier flightseeing passengers in Juneau. The survey, conducted immediately after the flightseeing trip, measured trip satisfaction, value for the money, impressions of environmental impact, demographics, trip-making decision criteria, and other information. The survey was conducted for a consortium of local helicopter flightseeing operators. Alaska Marine Highway System Marketing and Pricing Study: Survey of AMHS Inquirers. As part of the yearlong AMHS study, this report identifies customer service needs and barriers to booking with the ferry. It is based on a McDowell Group survey of people who contacted the system for information. The survey asked respondents about their travel planning habits, travel behaviors, perceptions of the Marine Highway System, and demographic information. Southeast Alaska Marine Highway Pleasure Visitors. McDowell Group survey staff conducted 310 interviews onboard 17 AMHS voyages to Alaska from the ports of Prince Rupert and Seattle. Data gathered provided visitor statistics ranging from travel patterns, trip planning, opinions, activities, expenditures, and demographics. Mystery Shopping: Alaska Tour Service Delivery. Experienced interviewers observed, unobtrusively and anonymously, service delivery of a variety of tour products. Observations were systematically recorded and reported to the client along with McDowell Group recommendations for improved service and customer satisfaction. The project was conducted for a confidential tourism client. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 4
McDowell Group Study Team McDowell Group has a staff of 13 professionals located in offices in Anchorage, Juneau and Kodiak. Partner Eric McDowell will assist in finalizing the research design and will serve as project advisor and quality oversight. Bob Koenitzer, McDowell Group s Survey Manager and research analyst, will server as day-today project manager. Bob will have overall responsibility for the successful completion of all project tasks. He will also be the primary client contact for this project and will oversee McDowell Group survey and research staff assigned to the project. Eric McDowell, Senior Partner Eric McDowell holds an MBA in Marketing and Market Research from the University Of Oregon Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. The professional consulting and research practice he has developed in Alaska for the past 36 years - The McDowell Group, Inc. - specializes in economics, market analyses, public issues research, and organizational advisory services. He is a leading authority on Alaska's tourism market and the Alaska economy, having served over 200 corporate, government, private and nonprofit organizations in an estimated 800 consulting assignments. In market research, analysis and planning the firm, under his direction, has developed sophisticated survey research capability in complex, difficult issues. For example, he was a principal in the design of the Alaska Visitor Statistics Program, the largest state tourism market study in the country. He has authored three handbooks on tourism development in Alaska communities and villages and has designed a unique means of defining and measuring local and regional tourism economic impacts. He has also designed, managed and analyzed dozens of market research projects and surveys in other fields for products such as smoked salmon, cedar wood products, Alaska Magazine and a variety of retail and real estate developments. Organizational advisory services which Eric has provided include being a strategic planning facilitator for boards of directors and a focus group moderator on McDowell Group research projects. Further, he is a certified counselor in Alaska and has assisted clients with internal issues. Finally, Eric has consulted for several Alaska Native corporations, surveying shareholder expectations and attitude and then advising on the design of information programs on issues such as corporate permanent funds, cultural programs and liquidation. Eric's work in economic research and analysis includes economic base studies for regions and communities, economic impact analyses of most of the state's major industries (especially seafood, tourism, mining, forest products and government) and special studies such as Alaska cost of living and the cost and effectiveness of rural education. He authored the original Alaska Statistical Review, a statistical history of Alaska's economy. The firm is considered a leader in cost differential Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 5
work, regional and community economics and development consulting for communities. Eric served as an economic consultant to all three of the controversial Alaska Capital Site Planning Commissions. Eric's background includes ten years of professional experience in the petroleum, seafood and tourism industries, the latter as Deputy Director/Marketing Manager for the Alaska Division of Tourism (1969 to 1972). While at the Division of Tourism, he initiated professional marketing and research practices in a then relatively unsophisticated industry, introduced conversion studies and consumer profile and visitor volume research, started a travel agent information program, a highway literature distribution system and administered an Alaska Travel and Trade Show program. He had day-to-day responsibility for a staff of 18 which included a photo lab, public relations and information staff and an in-house inquiry servicing section. He often gives presentations on the tourism industry at meetings and conferences. Eric was an Alaska Associate of SRI, International (Stanford Research Institute) for three years and has been retained by national consulting firms such as Booz, Allen & Hamilton (energy) and Wilbur Smith & Associates (transportation). Outside interests such as the State of Vermont, Yankee Publishing Company and CSX Corporation have been clients. He has been appointed to the Governor's Fishery Policy Task Force, and has held membership in the International Travel and Tourism Association, the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Visitors Association. He serves on the board of Alaska Federal Savings Bank. Robert Koenitzer, Survey Manager Robert Koenitzer began working for McDowell Group in 2001. In addition to survey design and fielding he manages many of McDowell Group's survey projects ensuring high standards of data collection, analysis and reporting. Bob has been involved in two of the McDowell Group's largest statewide visitor survey projects. The Alaska Travelers Survey required in-depth surveys of nearly 10,000 Alaska visitors during summers 2003 and 2005 and the Alaska Visitor Statistic Program (2006-2007) involving intercept surveying of 3,500 visitors. Other recent survey projects include the Icy Straight Point Visitor Satisfaction Survey, the North Douglas Crossing Survey, the Juneau Community Tourism Survey, CIRI Foundation Scholarship Surveys, University of Alaska Statewide Opinion Survey, Pebble Mine Labor Force Inventory Survey, Shee Atika Shareholders Survey, Afognak Shareholders Survey, Haida Trust Shareholders Survey, Kodiak Borough Household Survey, and the SEARHC Rural Integrated Health Survey, Bob also provides research and analytical support for a wide array of McDowell Group projects. He was part of the project teams involved in Juneau Access, the Kenai Comprehensive Plan, and the Taku River Economic Evaluation. Bob also managed demand assessment studies for the potential for development of the Gold Creek Yacht Marina in Juneau and a proposed waterfront hotel in Sitka. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 6
Prior to joining the McDowell Group, Bob was employed for more than 20 years by the Waterfall Group. He served in a variety of management roles for the Ketchikan-based company including hotel manager, restaurant manager, and resort supervisor. For many years, Bob volunteered as a Board Member for the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau and the Southeast Alaska Tourism Council. As Marketing Committee Chair for both organizations, he was very involved with the creation and execution of tourism marketing plans. Bob graduated with honors from the University of Alaska Southeast with a B.A. in Business Management. He completed a professional advancement course with the Burke Institute on effective survey design techniques. Established in 1975, the Burke Institute is the world's most experienced market survey research training organizations. Professional Services Proposal McDowell Group, Inc. Page 7