Community Marketing Board Kick-Off Meeting - June 23, 2026

The Community Marketing Board met on June 23, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. Due to lack of quorum, no formal votes were taken. The meeting focused on board leadership elections, agency of record selection, data review, budget and sales tax report, and discussion of a new resident-centered evening program, Golden After Hours.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Laura Nolton from the Golden Welcome Center reported that the center is averaging 163 visitors per day in June. She expressed urgent need for printed downtown and trails maps, as current supplies are exhausted. She noted that visitors prefer tangible pocket maps over digital options, and the center's budget does not cover reprinting. She also announced the Welcome Center's acceptance into the Colorado Tourism Office Welcome Center partnership program starting July 1, 2026.

Discussion Items

• Board Chair and Co-Chair Elections: The board could not vote due to lack of quorum. It was agreed to conduct elections via email to formalize the current leadership (Nola and Aaron) through the next election cycle in late spring 2027.
• Agency of Record Selection: The board reviewed scoring results from four firms: DVA (top score 17), Bonfire (15), Madden, and Residents. Members expressed mixed opinions: some favored DVA for its Sedona case study and professionalism, while others preferred Bonfire to ensure focus on community marketing rather than destination marketing. The board agreed to finalize the selection via vote at the July meeting.
• Data Review: Staff presented visitor trends. Key findings: local drive market (80-86% of visitors) is spending less per trip in 2026; out-of-state visitors are spending more. Repeat visitation is steady. Top out-of-state origins: Texas, Florida, California. The board discussed the need to overlay data from Fossil Trace and Mines visitation.
• Budget and Sales Tax Report: Staff reviewed first-quarter 2026 sales tax, use tax, lodging tax, and marijuana tax, referencing the council memorandum. Sales tax is up 3.45% YTD, ahead of budget by $28,888. Use tax is down 11.07% from 2025's record year but close to budget. Lodging tax trails budget by $20,512; marijuana tax is $54,114 above budget. The Community Marketing Fund budget through May is on track, with some expenses not yet booked. Staff noted that advertising spending was cut in late February due to unseasonably warm weather. The board discussed the map printing issue and the need for a temporary solution (e.g., printing a limited run of the old downtown map) while long-term large-format maps are developed.
• Golden After Hours Discussion: The board discussed a proposed resident-centric evening activation program, Golden After Hours, to run August–October 2026 on one Wednesday evening per month, 5:00–8:00 PM. The program would offer small grants ($250–$500 per business) to businesses for activations such as live music, family entertainment, and art. The Downtown Development Authority and Visit Golden would partner to fund grants. No road closures or common consumption areas are planned. The concept received positive feedback, with suggestions to focus on a single location each month, encourage business partnerships, and make it family-friendly. Staff will develop a framework and reach out to businesses.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken due to lack of quorum.
• Board chair/co-chair elections will be conducted via email.
• Agency of record selection will be voted on at the July meeting; DVA is the leading candidate.
• Staff will explore temporary printing of downtown maps and continue development of large-format maps.
• Golden After Hours program will be further developed; staff will present a detailed plan at the next meeting.
• The board will invite Adam from Fossil Trace to present visitor data at a future meeting.