Golden Community Marketing Board Kick-Off Meeting – July 28, 2026

The Community Marketing Board held its kick-off meeting on July 28, 2026, during the scheduled 10:00–11:30 AM window. Members reviewed the draft three-year Visit Golden strategy developed by Mission2Market, heard the first creative concepts for a visitor stewardship campaign from DVA, discussed the 2027 budget using the April 2026 tax report, and approved an increase in Golden After Hours funding.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public commenters were present. Board members noted the meeting was open to the public and that future opportunities for community input would be publicized.

Discussion Items

• Strategic Plan Draft: Mission2Market presented a residents-first draft strategy for Visit Golden spanning July 2026 through July 2029. The plan contains four strategies, 14 priority initiatives, and nearly 40 activations, with timing and a lead/partner/advocate role for each item. Discovery work included nearly 1,000 survey responses from visitors, stakeholders, and residents, plus interviews with 25 Spanish-speaking visitors. Resident survey benchmarks showed that residents rate love for their community at 4.1 out of 5 but sentiment toward tourism at only 2.6 out of 5, which the board treated as a key challenge. The strategy emphasizes driving off-peak demand, championing the value of tourism, building the Golden brand story, and enhancing visitor experience with stewardship threaded throughout.
• Board feedback on the strategic plan: Several members supported the balance between marketing and management, while one member expressed concern that resident frustration is high unless residents see tangible action from the plan. Another member called for launching the bilingual stewardship program as soon as possible, citing trash and disrespect of public lands as the top resident complaint. Members also discussed the need to engage downtown small-business owners early so they feel ownership of the plan, and suggested publicizing board meetings and hosting an in-person kickoff or feedback session once the plan is published.
• DVA Presentation and Re-Introduction: DVA re-introduced its team and presented three visitor stewardship and safety campaign concepts: (1) 'A Word from Golden,' using direct messages such as 'Not every day is a float day,' (2) 'Howdy Folks,' built around the iconic Welcome to Golden arch, and (3) 'Keep Golden Golden,' a place-protection message. DVA said the campaign is intended to combine digital advertising within about a 10-mile radius with physical posters, flyers, and kiosk materials, and to include a QR code to a landing page. DVA also said the campaign success would be measured primarily by impressions, not click-throughs, and that it should signal to residents the city is taking action.
• Board feedback on DVA concepts: Board members leaned toward the 'Howdy Folks' concept because of the recognizable arch and welcoming Western character. Several members advised against humor at this stage, saying residents are upset and the message should sound friendly but responsible. They asked for simple, prominent calls to action rather than small fine print, and questioned the bear imagery, noting bears are not a major issue in Golden and the message should not encourage visitors to seek out wildlife. Members also suggested the final work should not feel like a generic magazine cover and should make clear that this is a citywide message, not only a downtown one.
• 2027 Budgeting Conversation and April 2026 Tax Report: The Finance Department's April 2026 tax report showed April sales tax revenue down $18,461 compared with April 2025, while year-to-date sales tax was up $165,072 and remained in line with budget. Use tax year-to-date was down $425,103 following record 2025 collections, an anticipated decline. April lodging tax was the strongest April since 2023, and marijuana tax year-to-date was up $33,201, outpacing all prior years on record. The board discussed using about $715,000 as the estimated Community Marketing Fund budget for 2027, based on last year's result and current vendor-fee and sales-tax trends. Major planned expenditures under discussion include a Visit Golden website redesign, a brand and rebrand effort with DVA, an inspirational visitor guide, and a group-sales contractor. No formal budget decisions were made.
• Golden After Hours Discussion: Staff reported 21 applications for the Golden After Hours mashup events, including 12 individual businesses and 9 mashups. The current commitment is $10,000 from the Community Marketing Fund and $10,000 from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), with the DDA willing to add another $10,000 if matched. Funding all current applicants would cost about $25,000. The events are planned for Wednesday evenings from August through October, beginning August 12, with a residents-first focus and marketing through city and Visit Golden channels, a newsletter reaching about 20,000 people, posters, and a geographically targeted Meta campaign in about a 10-mile radius.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously approved a motion to increase the Community Marketing Fund contribution for Golden After Hours mashups to $20,000 if needed, matching the DDA's potential increase and allowing the current applicant pool to be funded.
• DVA received direction to continue refining the 'Howdy Folks' concept with clearer calls to action, a friendly rather than humorous tone, and adjustments to imagery, including removing the bear reference.
• Mission2Market will produce a polished public version of the strategic plan and work with staff to build a one-year business plan tied to the 2027 budget. The board expects to review the refined plan and budget at upcoming meetings.