MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
TOPIC: A CORE STRATEGY … THE ARTS AND ATTRACTIONS PARTNER WITH BUSINESS FOR MUTUAL SUCCESS

Tom thanked the Museum of Fine Arts for hosting.
Kim Tyre gave the city announcements:
There will be a half marathon Sunday, November 22nd starting at 7:30am at the Mahaffey. If possible, open early or watch the event. There will be street closings, so please view more info at womenshalfmarathon.com. It is benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. There is also a 5k option.
Destination Retail, a three part presentation series will have its second run, “Get Local Customers to Purchase from Local Businesses”, on Friday the 20th. Networking and breakfast starts at 7:30am in the courtyard. The presentation starts at 8:30am.

Museum of Fine Arts showed an informational PowerPoint about the history, facilities, programs, and of course, the art at the museums. There are many membership and sponsorship opportunities available.

INTRODUCTIONS

NEW BUSINESS

The next DBA meeting will be an after hours event at Florida Craftsman. It will start at 5:30pm and will include a gift swap, for those who want to participate … so don’t forget to bring a fun gift to swap. Additionally, we will have the swearing in of the new officers and board.

On December 12th, the Deutschland, a German Cruise Ship will be docked at the Pier from 9am-5pm. The DBA is putting together a pamphlet promoting its members and offering discounts. If you would like to offer a special to these tourists, please get in touch with Tom.

SRI International is having their ribbon cutting on December 18th.

PANEL DISCUSSION/CROSS MARKETING

The panel discussion included the following panelists.

1.) Howard Rutherford / Pier Aquarium
2.) Leslie Curran / Interior Motives/City Councilwoman
3.) Jeff Schorr /Craftsman House
4.) Andy Orrell / American Stage
5.) Judy Whitney / Museum of Fine Arts
6) Tom Sexauer/Moderator

The panel discussion started with a bit of trivia from Tom who had distributed copies of the painting, A Bar at the Folies Bergere by Manet. The question to the panel and the members in attendance was what does this painting have to do with cross-marketing. The answer; the painting is one of the first recognized examples of art and cross-marketing. If you really want the details, call Tom. No one knew the answer, but actually Ellen from the Museum of Fine Arts knew the answer … she says because her husband is a beer enthusiast.

THE PANEL DISCUSSION OPENED WITH OUR 1ST PANELIST: LESLIE CURRAN

Leslie Curran began by describing how she ensures that no one leaves her door without knowing where to go next, whether it is another gallery, or a local restaurant.

Andy Orrell from American Stage described the Partnership between AS and the Marriott Hotel, as well as Café Alma. “This Wonderful Life” opens Friday.

Jeff Schorr from the Craftsman House said that he caters for the American Stage, and receives coupons back from that event every year. He detailed how important it was to support both For Profit and Non Profit Arts. He talked about the benefits of the new Central Shuttle and a new chapter of American Independent Businesses.

Judy Whitney from the Museum of Fine Arts thanked everyone for coming. She described how she displays her materials at the Florida Orchestra and the Vinoy.

Howard Rutherford described the Florida Aquarium as the public face of marine resources in the city. He outlined some amazing new technologies that are being worked on.

Tom Sexauer stressed the importance of cross-marketing and reaching out to other associations to support each other and create new revenue streams by marketing throughout the city as opposed to just core areas. Tom also issued a disclaimer regarding cross-marketing emphasizing the true value of this marketing process but also warning of the importance of who you partner with and how dedicated each partner has to be to this process to succeed. The bottom line being that all parties involved in cross-marketing are exposing their brand to the endeavor.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Kathy Carlson said that this year’s Ribfest was the best ever.

Susan Robertson outlined a few happenings at the Pier:
The Bruce Watters Boat Parade
Drum Circle the 2nd Saturday
Fall Salsa on the Friday after Thanksgiving
Jingle Bell Run December 9th
Visit stpete-pier.com for more info

David Rovine from the Mahaffey Theatre announced the coming of David Cook from American Idol, Kenny Rogers Christmas, and two versions of the Nutcracker. More info at http://www.mahaffeytheater.com/

SLATE FOR BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2010
Tom Sexauer- President
Tami Simms Powell – Vice President
Jessica Dwyer- Secretary
Kathy Carlson- Treasurer

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS
Eileen Epright
Kim Tyre
Howard Rutherford
Diane Lyle
Barry Rothstein
Susan Robertson
Greg McNutt

BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE/ADVISORY PANEL
Tom Hallis
Terri Anderson
Lisa Thornsberry

The meeting closed with Tom giving an unsolicited promo for our good members at In Search of Balance … he said, “the men’s briefs are awesome” … and everybody had a good laugh.

MEETING WAS ADJOURNED

P.S. FYI … DBA member, Shapiro’s has moved to 300 Beach next to Parkshore Grille. The new location is magnificent; check it out for the holidays.

Stay tuned for the opening details of Good Night Moon.

Any members that would like to communicate with our membership regarding holiday shopping or specials please send the information to Tom @ nwtwist.com and we will make sure that it gets out to the membership.

/18

Dear Honorable Council Members:

To quote President Ronald Reagan, ”Well there you go again.”

This time we will try to make our message as concise as possible.  We are assuming, of course, that you have read thoroughly all the previous correspondence from the Downtown Business Association and its members.  We emphasize, as previously stated in our correspondence, “BayWalk is the keystone of the remarkable downtown renaissance, and now could be the catalyst to the demise of our downtown. The Downtown Business Association believes that in 2009 our Council should be good caretakers and look to the future of our beautiful city.” Please, put aside politics and self-interest and do what is right for the people, small business, the downtown work force, and the stature of our community.

As witnessed in last week’s Council session, it appears you are taking your responsibilities to heart. The Downtown Business Association’s observations are as follows:

1)  This is not a First Amendment issue. It has been addressed by the city’s legal staff and

recognized by the majority of the Council that this is not the case.  There is ample room for

for demonstration and protest in the area just across the street without infringing on the First

Amendment.

2)  Let’s refer to business closures within and outside of BayWalk, as the SPILL OVER EFFECT.

As mentioned in last week’s meeting, many businesses have had to fold, such as Studio

Encanto, Green and Yellow Basket, Queen Emerald, Gratzzi’s, Pacific Wave and numerous

others. Having talked to many of these business owners, not one, with the exception of

Gratzzi’s would say their closure had anything to do with the six feet in front of their

business that the Council is addressing.  However, the BayWalk situation had a major

and direct influence on their closures. (SPILL OVER EFFECT)  In fact, there is probably

not one business in this city, other than BayWalk, that could claim six feet could make

or break their business. This is simply because no other business in any given block

has the audience to warrant a demonstration or protest. The SPILL OVER EFFECT

will ripple from BayWalk through Grand Central, 4th & MLK, and Midtown. Conversely, in a

positive vein, if you vote for the sidewalk vacation, the SPILL OVER EFFECT from BayWalk

will stimulate business throughout the city and once again create the traffic, revenue, and

vibrancy that we have been losing.

Page Two

BayWalk Revitalization

3) As this issue relates to the new Central Avenue Trolley, let’s once again talk about the

SPILL OVER EFFECT.  If BayWalk is shuttered – and, mark our words, it will be if this is

not resolved in a positive manner — there will be no one to ride it into the Grand Central

District.  Consequently, you may very well be destroying everything that Grand Central has

worked for over the last several years.

4) From personal knowledge, we can unequivocally state that future investment in our

downtown core will dry up since, with such lack of vision, there will be no

interest in investing in the downtown core.  We know of two projects in the last

two weeks that have backed out precisely because of the BayWalk dilemma.

For the sake of all of our futures, let’s get off this carousel and do the right thing. LET BAYWALK ONCE AGAIN BE THE CATALYST THAT HELPS REJUVENATE OUR CITY.

Most respectfully,

Tom Sexauer

President

Downtown Business Association

St. Petersburg, Florida’s fourth largest city, is one of the brightest spots on America’s Gulf coast. Located in the heart of the largest metro area in the state, the Sunshine City combines the tropical splendor of a vacation destination with the sophistication of an urban resort. Its quarter of a million inhabitants enjoy a vibrant arts and cultural climate, endless sports and recreational opportunities, charming and historic neighborhoods, and one of the fastest growing economies in the United States. For vacation, work or spending a lifetime, St. Petersburg is the ideal choice.

The SIMMS Team is a family team led by Sharon Simms, a full time REALTOR® in St. Petersburg since 1986. Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, Sharon is a graduate of Salve Regina College. Always a water person, she specializes in waterfront and luxury properties. She holds numerous real estate designations and was named one of the 100 most influential women in real estate nationwide in 2008.

Daughter Tami Simms-Powel is the Team’s Director of Marketing and Concierge Services. A graduate of Eckerd College with a degree in Visual Art, she was one of the original concierge managers for the legendary Vinoy Resort. Tami had a successful graphic design business before joining Sharon in 2001.
Son Rob Johnson joined the Team in 2005 after retiring as an officer in the Air Force. Rob, who specializes in working with buyers, received his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Middle Tennessee State University and his master’s degree in International Relations.

Amy Grashel is the Strategic Execution Officer, managing the Team’s technology and transactions, making sure every detail is taken care of. Also a graduate of Eckerd College, Amy holds a degree in International Business and has lived here most of her life.

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